Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Striking the Core
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[Chapter 65 - Monarch]
Cascading flames and heat that made the entire atmosphere seem to boil.
Instead of dodging with Jin right away, Arsen stood his ground to draw attention, thrusting out his heated shield.
As expected of a shield capable of generating such intense heat, it had an equally outstanding ability to withstand temperature, so even amid the scorching air that warped the surroundings, the hand gripping it didn't burn.
The sweat pouring from the heat was unavoidable, though.
"Urgh..."
While groaning from the body-melting swelter, he spotted other knights climbing the Monarch's torso, just as anticipated.
But whether the bugs crawling up its body bothered it more than the enemy standing before it, the Monarch stopped spewing fire and shook its body violently.
That simple motion sent the knights flying in all directions.
"Uwaaaah-!"
The knights soared powerlessly through the air.
One of them tumbled to the ground beside Arsen.
Dazed, he clutched his helmet and shook his head for a moment before regaining his senses and turning his gaze back to the Monarch.
"That thing's lost so much blood already, yet it's still fine. Is it immortal or something?"
Arsen couldn't help but agree with the knight's mutter.
Blood gushed from wounds all over its body, chunks of flesh blasted away by explosions, yet the Monarch showed no signs of fatigue.
If anything, the knights who'd been locked in this desperate tug-of-war were reaching their limits.
A knight approaching from somewhere called out to the muttering one.
"Looks like attacking the snake part of its body isn't working. We need to go for the upper body."
"Easier said than done. How?"
The knights weren't idiots blindly hammering the torso.
The Monarch's upper body stayed high up, except for the occasional direct descent.
No matter their superhuman physiques, leaping that far was impossible, and climbing attempts ended with a shake or shudder sending them flying.
In the end, the torso was the only viable target.
Amid the despairing knights, Arsen steadied his breath and focused his mind.
He'd already devised ways to take down the Monarch.
First: using the Jin he rode.
Unlike other knights hampered by lacking mounts and reduced mobility, Arsen could move far faster.
By taunting it, he could provoke the enraged Monarch into lowering its upper body for a direct assault.
But that was a passive strategy reliant on the Monarch coming down.
Second: explosive javelins.
They'd done little against the steel-scale-covered torso, but the seemingly human-soft upper body might be vulnerable.
Its sheer size was the problem—slight movements shifted the upper body dozens of meters in an instant.
Even Arsen couldn't land precise hits.
If he could, he'd have speared the upper body when it lunged for Karik earlier.
'It's about time...'
A more efficient method existed.
Outside help.
As he thought that, salvation arrived.
[I'm here! You hurt anywhere?]
[Not yet.]
* * *
"Vines to climb up?"
"Probably sturdy enough for all of us to ascend together. Possible?"
"Yeah. As long as no one's ridiculously heavy. I can make them fire-resistant with extra mana."
While Bazkal and another knight bought time with taunts, Arsen huddled with arriving Eloise and Marun, plus surviving knights, for a quick conference.
The plan was simple.
Eloise would max out plant-creation spells to blanket the Monarch in vines, letting knights climb them.
Slippery scales were hard to grip—a shake sent you tumbling—but vines would change that.
Direct attack spells struggled against high magic beasts or Ma-in's resistances anyway; support like this was far more efficient.
"Sir Marun, keep circling and draw its attention with shots."
"Got it!"
Mounted on Jin with superb ranged prowess, Marun was ideal for holding aggro.
Even unmounted knights were barely managing; Marun could do it safer.
"Alright, attack now. If it fully grasps the situation, it might flee."
Lost in battle frenzy or poor eyesight, the Monarch hadn't realized its minions were wiped out.
Dust clouds and expecting dead minions' ambushes bolstered that theory.
But realizing it was alone, it'd lose interest.
With its bulk came speed; escape would make pursuit near impossible.
To prevent that, knights charged en masse.
"Spread out!"
No soldiers joined the Monarch assault.
Without relic weapons like Arsen's troops, piercing those scales was tough, and a tail sweep would mince them.
Knights leaping meters at a time? Sure. Ordinary soldiers? No.
■■■■----
More a subdued murmur than a roar, an eerie voice as the Monarch turned toward Arsen.
Whether from Jin or the prior explosion, it clearly targeted him.
Proving it, the tail slammed down again.
An exquisite angle—not purely horizontal or vertical.
Its unreal size created an illusion: slow approach masking immense speed, hindering evasion.
But if Bazkal dodged on foot, mounted Arsen had no excuse.
By the time the ground quaked, Arsen was meters away.
"Eat this, you snake-tailed freak!"
Far off, Marun loosed a magic arrow.
More archery than melee focus, he was a fine marksman.
The high-arcing shot struck the upper back, igniting flames.
The Monarch roared massively, switching targets. Thunderous rise toward Marun, flames erupting.
Then, Eloise signaled.
[Ready.]
[Go!]
From the rear, green vine tendrils snaked across the parched ground.
Massive mana after long prep made it dwarf her usual spells in scope.
The green wave hit the Monarch, coiling and climbing, aflame.
Vines wove into scale cracks, anchoring tight, blanketing the body.
Like donning clothes.
■■■■■■■■----!
Furious, the Monarch tore at upper-body vines with hands—futile.
Arms too short for its colossal frame; it could only rip nearby bits.
"Now!"
A knight bellowed; all began vine-climbing.
Arsen dismounted Jin, starting his ascent.
Then, a voice echoed in his mind.
Not Eloise—deeper, lower, rage-laden.
-Bug.
With that, the enraged Monarch spewed fire at its body.
Fire-resistant vines merely singed.
The knights atop were the issue.
"Uwaaak-!"
One engulfed in flames screamed, plummeting.
Hoping he survived, Arsen climbed frantically, hands gripping vines.
Fortunately, the fire-breather snapped shut as Marun's arrow nearly entered its maw.
Then, violent shaking.
To dislodge like before—but anchored knights held.
Enduring shakes, glancing around with boosted reflexes: he, Bazkal, and western knight Karik led the climb.
Spotting Karik too close triggered Arsen's instincts.
'Too near!'
Close enough for simultaneous attack.
Warning as he opened his mouth—but something descended from above.
Arsen realized: a massive palm.
Shaking failed; now bending to swat climbing bugs directly.
"Sir Karik!"
"Go on ahead!"
Understanding instantly, Karik leaped at incoming fingers, slashing down.
Moments later, a thud of falling.
Arsen vine-sprung upward again.
After heavy sacrifices, the upper body loomed.
Gripping vines to resume—space warped, shaking.
"Urk...!"
Blood rushed to head, like plummeting from height.
Realizing the Monarch rolled to topple itself, Arsen gritted teeth, wrapping vines around arm.
Immense impact and pressure crushed him.
Body-crushing pain whited out vision briefly; biting lip, he rallied.
Rising, upper body in view.
Even this titan staggered; dazed, it lay propped on elbows.
Seconds later, distant bellow:
"Uwaaaaaah---!"
Bazkal charging from afar.
Unlike Arsen clinging through the roll, he'd been flung off.
Less impact, perhaps.
Stimulated, Monarch lifted head, glaring at Bazkal—eye-beams.
Screaming, Bazkal rolled dodging, flames igniting hair; he flailed pathetically.
No missing Bazkal's suicidal opening—Arsen dragged creaking body toward Monarch.
Unnoticed amid other-target flames, Arsen reached the belly.
■■■······.
Shock: the foe it thought fallen still climbed.
Monarch growled surprise—inhuman rumble—as Arsen lunged sword at chest.
Magic helm revealed mana-glowing white heart.
Obvious weak point.
'Got it!'
Thrust with all might.
Pierce, twist, withdraw.
Large magic beast kill-tech body memory; sword moved instinctively.
Widened, elbow-deep stab for certainty.
But withdrawing, something wrong.
Heart-pierced, yet scant blood.
'No way?'
Deep strike missed heart—horror struck—
Crushing grip on ankle.
World flipped; left ankle seized, hoisted upside-down.
Dangling, Arsen watched Monarch smirk.
Proud, like catching a room-roaming cockroach.
Arsen stabbed gripping fingers desperately.
Slice or pain it.
Sword barely pricked skin—like toothpick on human finger.
Hands tougher than torso scales.
-Most annoying bug caught at last!
Beaming telepathically.
A conversational titan? Astonishing—but irrelevant to near-victim.
Watching slow left hand approach, Arsen maxed thought-speed. Solutions?
Thrown sword? No hit. Javelin lost in roll. Full slash at hand? Viable?
Pondering—white arrow gleamed.
■■■■■■■-!
Arrow-eyed Monarch reared, shrieking.
Startled grip crushed—like industrial press.
Leg-shattering agony brief; sparked breakthrough.
* * *
'Bug-human scum, I'll kill you!'
Burning left-eye pain.
Arrow agony short; regaining reason, slowly opened eye.
Needle-like to its bulk—not deep-embedded; eyes regenerable.
Priority: crush irksome human still gripped.
Sensations assured not dropped.
'What?'
Eyes open: gripped not struggling bug, but a leg chunk.
Like lizard tail—severed to flee.
Overpower dulled weight-change sense.
'Where did it...?'
Question cut by chest agony.
Glancing: wound widening, bug burrowing in.
* * *
Hot, stinging, slick.
Sensations as Arsen burrowed into cracked chest.
Severed—self-amputated—leg throbbed like cauterized each blood-touch, dominating brain.
Sticky flesh and blood soaked disgustingly as Arsen pressed on.
Pitch black, but helm-guided to glowing orb.
Cleaving gore.
Midway, artery slash? Blood flooded, submerging—but held breath, slashed onward, carving deeper.
Finally, stabbing white orb.
Explosion sensation—and blackout.