Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: New Resident
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I'd hit level 12 and snagged some nice stat boosts, leaving me thoroughly satisfied.
The Tower was pure bliss.
Everyone else spent weeks or even months prepping just to clear a single floor, but I'd been awakened for less than a month.
I'd cleared some gates that didn't match my level along the way, grabbing gear boosts on top of it all, bulldozing through like a tank.
Only the 15th floor promise left.
Feeling refreshed, I summoned my frame and gazed fondly at the two mana grass sprouts thriving away.
'At this rate, fruit won't be long now.'
A thick stalk was rising amid the bluish leaves, signaling harvest was near.
After recovering mana from the desert thirst quencher, I loosened up for the final floor.
The number ending in 5 meant a mid-boss floor.
The first 5th floor had nearly killed me when a hidden boss popped out after I torched the goblin nest, but I'd played it straight this time, so a standard mid-boss should appear.
Hidden rewards were tempting, sure, but high risk, high return. Why bother when I could cruise up honey-sweet?
No hidden rewards? Still invincible. Drawing? God-tier.
With a light heart, I stepped into the 15th floor for the finale.
【Hidden: Ancient Terranide Subjugation (Reward: Creation Limit +1, Level +1)】
"…No way, another hidden?!"
I'd sworn to play it safe and just kill spiders this time?
Plus, the scene upon transfer was a dim underground cavern. If it'd been the surface like before, maybe okay, but this looked like I'd been dragged straight to the boss's lair again.
Cursing inwardly non-stop, I scanned for the boss, but nothing visible yet.
Why was the floor damp and gross, with dust on top? Pick one, dang it.
'Camouflage.'
Scared first, I hid my presence.
Peeking around, my spot was walled in on all sides, but up high near the ceiling, tunnels ringed the area, draped in countless webs.
'No way spiders are gonna pour out from there, right?'
Just imagining it made my hairs stand on end, chills racing down my spine.
You know those bosses? The swarm type that overwhelms with numbers, total pains.
It overlapped with that video of baby spiders bursting from an egg sac.
What to do? Blast Flame into the tunnels?
Or block 'em with Broken Needle?
Too many tunnels, though—my mana might run dry first.
Rough scan showed they all connected, so blocking some wouldn't matter much.
"Siiiiaaa…."
Maybe 'cause I was hidden? A eerie wind-like hiss, and a dark-red spider crawled from one tunnel across the ceiling.
A bit bigger than the others, but not house-sized like I'd feared—relief.
If that's a baby? Yeah, I'm dead.
Hundreds dropping down? Heart attack first. One creepy spider already had my fingers trembling.
But I couldn't just stall like this.
Camouflage guzzles mana.
Wasting time might end with no attacks landed, so time to decide. It was visible now….
I dropped Camouflage and drew Flame.
The one dangling from the ceiling spotted me and zipped into motion. I hurled Flame at it heading for a tunnel, drawing another right away.
But the boss vanished into the tunnel at insane speed before my first Flame even neared.
The empty ceiling got scorched, the ring of fire spreading and burning half the webs—small mercy.
Pit, pipit, pit—
Silver webs shot from the tunnel's darkness, refilling the ceiling.
"There?!"
Flame straight at the tunnel—fire roasted the ceiling again. Won't kill it, but hope for some damage.
Pit, pipit—
Now from the opposite tunnel.
That speed meant my Flames hadn't touched it. And I couldn't hit it.
Keep spamming Flame? Too slow to fill the tunnels, mana shortage.
Moon Rabbit's water? Target too high.
Stuffed a few tunnels with Broken Needle as a rush job, but it ignored 'em, shifting spots and firing webs nonstop.
'Gotta drop the thing down… it won't just snipe webs forever, right?'
Like answering my thoughts, as my attack rhythm slowed, it turned tail and webbed straight at me.
Moon Rabbit's timely water barrier caught the webs, letting them slide off harmlessly; stronger ones piercing got handled by the Orb.
This war of attrition sucked….
Sniped a predictive Flame in a gap it poked out—missed. Mana straining made me antsy; Moon Rabbit reached out like "don't worry."
"Huh? This feeling… Dally, was that your buff?"
"(• ▿ ‹ )-⋆｡·"
Moon Rabbit winking amid the chaos.
When'd it get this skill? Innate or from the magic stones? Either way, the mystery helper was Dally all along.
"You're the only one for me, Dally!"
No pets in the heat, but heaps of praise before refocusing on the boss.
If you won't come down… I'll seal your escapes.
Ground Breaker. Created an orb pulsing earthy brown.
My skill condensing earth's power. But plain use might collapse the ceiling, burying me alive.
So, fuse it with Crimson Flame Jewel.
Earth's essence melted into the jewel, staining crimson black-red, the orb in my hand radiating massive energy.
"Dally, water on where I throw!"
Yelled and launched the dark-red orb deep into a tunnel.
Sucked into the gloom, moments later—
Kurrr rumble!
Earth's force melted by the jewel's water and intense heat, erupting like magma.
Dally's water jet sealed the entrance; lava surged through connected paths, spilling from other tunnels.
"Siiit?! Siiiit!"
Panicked boss burst from a tunnel, clinging to the ceiling—I blasted Flame without pause. It spider-manned across walls, webbing everywhere to zip around.
"Insane, what even is this thing?"
Soon every tunnel spewed scarlet lava; it acro-batted in midair, sniping webs now and then.
Situation gone haywire—I had Dally douse floor lava to solidify it.
Boss, who'd stuck to walls/ceiling out of lava reach webbing away, sensed no end and switched: dove in on its own webs.
Razor claws slashed threateningly through air. Even tore the water barrier—Orb blocked, but spine-tingling close.
Aimed Flames at openings, but couldn't match its speed. How to catch this?
Flying like Spider-Man, I felt the villain's pain facing it.
Not even a fly—what—
Dodged my Flame mid-dive by reeling a web, zipping past mockingly.
At least it didn't talk.
If I could just trap it somewhere….
A wide-open plain with no web anchors? Easy pickings!
…Ah?
One creation popped to mind.
Grinning triumphantly, as it reared claws for another dive, I summoned the frame right in front.
No warning—boss yanked web in panic, but too late: body sucked into the sub-space.
Web snapped at frame's edge; now it tumbled across the desert.
"Gotcha, you freak."
You're done now.
Followed straight into the frame.
As expected, it freaked, wandering lost, tried digging—but desert sands.
Every scoop just refilled the hole; no tunnels possible. Worst terrain for it.
"Dodged nice, huh? Try it here."
Drew Flame, closed in on the frantic digger for the finisher—then it froze, staring dead at me.
Glare all you want.
Creepy enough, quit it—
Splash.
It climbed from the shallow pit, tucked legs, lowered head.
"Siii… siii…."
"…?"
Motionless black-red Terranide, like begging for mercy.
Stunned, I paused—it rolled its eyes, then puked up a huge magic stone.
Surrendering? A monster?!
Dally bounced over, snatching it eagerly.
"…No, Dally."
Even if… regurgitated's a bit much.