Chapter 84: Bug (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 84: Bug (2)
I summoned Phli and climbed onto its back.
Truthfully, I was much faster than Phli now, but I wanted to save as much stamina as possible before the boss fight.
“Let’s go, Phli.”
It was time to hunt.
My strategy was the same as it had been in Zone 3. I planned to start from the innermost part of Zone 4 and circle outward in a clockwise spiral, gradually widening my search radius.
I galloped across the snowy plains, the wind howling in my ears.
Fwooooosh…
A faint sound cut through the gale. I lifted my head, scanning the horizon. It sounded like the rhythmic beating of massive wings.
“...!”
I found it.
A colossal silhouette loomed in the distant sky. It was a monster that resembled a hydra, boasting multiple heads, and it was hurtling toward me at incredible speed.
I had never seen a creature like that in Zone 4. Its sheer scale dwarfed even the Wyvern, the boss of Zone 3. A monster of that magnitude could only be one thing.
‘The boss.’
Talk about door-to-door service.
I hadn’t expected the boss to come to me. While it saved me the trouble of a search, there was one problem: I hadn't activated the Warp Device yet.
[09:59]
I quickly activated the device as it finished its charge.
The Zone 4 boss was closing in. My sixth sense screamed that this was a powerful foe, but it didn’t feel like something I couldn’t handle.
Shwoooooo—!
However…
“...Huh?”
I thought it was coming for me, but the boss soared right past, disappearing into the clouds.
What the hell? Where is it going?
My combat stance slackened into bewilderment as I watched it fly away. I immediately gave chase, pushing Phli into a full sprint. I barely managed to keep the creature in sight until, finally, it began its descent.
I slowed my pace, approaching cautiously as the beast touched down in the center of the frozen plains. It was a monstrosity made of living ice, sporting nine serpentine heads.
But something was wrong.
Unlike the Zone 3 boss, which had tried to kill me the moment it laid eyes on me, this creature ignored me entirely.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
Regardless of how close I got, it simply ignored me, frantically digging at the frozen earth with its front paws like a giant mole.
What on earth is it doing?
[06:01]
I checked the timer on the Warp Device. I still had time to kill, so I decided to observe this bizarre behavior.
After excavating a massive pit, the boss settled its body inside. It looked like a bird incubating eggs in a nest. It was a surreal sight.
The Warp Device had three minutes left.
Well… I suppose it’s time to start.
I dismissed Phli and walked toward the pit. Only then did the boss finally turn its gaze toward me and let out a ferocious, ear-splitting roar.
Kyaaaaaaah—!
Now it looked like it was in the mood to fight.
I stopped time and weighed my options. My opening move was obvious.
‘Where should I aim?’
For any living creature, the head was the most logical vital point. That was how I had dispatched the Zone 3 boss. But this thing had nine of them. I could probably take out a few at once, but hitting all nine in a single shot was impossible.
Should I aim for the torso instead?
Deciding that a massive hole in its center would be more fatal, I finished my Mental Focus and released time.
I fired a fully charged Destruction Ray.
The jet-black beam punched a clean hole straight through the center of the boss’s chest. As expected, the ray’s power made a mockery of a Level 80-range boss’s defenses.
However.
“...!”
The wound instantly froze over and began to knit back together.
What is this? Does it have regeneration like the 3rd-floor boss?
Hitting the torso wasn't the answer. Having nonchalantly healed a lethal wound, the boss launched its counterattack. One of its heads snapped toward me, its maw agape.
My sixth sense flared.
Kwaaaaaaaah!
A torrent of azure energy slammed into the spot where I had been standing a split second before. I threw myself to the side, narrowly dodging the blast. It was an ice breath; the ground where it hit froze instantly, sending a bone-chilling frost toward me even from a distance.
The other heads tracked my movement.
I stopped time again.
Let’s think…
The Zone 4 boss possessed high-speed regeneration—faster even than the 3rd-floor boss.
‘Does it have a core?’
It had regenerated even after I blew a hole through its center, so the core wasn't there. In fact, I couldn't assume it had a core at all. But it had to have a weakness. Nothing was truly immortal.
I reached a conclusion.
‘I have to take out the heads.’
It was the only other option. If it could regenerate its heads too… then I’d have to consider retreating.
I finished my Mental Focus and released time.
I cast Flame Strike. Fireballs streaked toward the boss’s heads.
Kwaaaaaang!
An explosion engulfed the creature. Through the smoke, I saw the damage.
‘They’re not regenerating!’
The wounds on the heads remained. That was the key.
Another head opened its mouth. I dove aside, using my sixth sense to stay one step ahead of the breath attacks.
This was doable.
I maintained my distance, circling the pit and bombarding the boss with magic skills the moment their cooldowns ended. I also activated Scorching Zone, turning the area around the pit into a furnace.
The boss showed no intention of leaving its nest, content to fire breath attacks from its stationary position. I responded in kind, dodging every blast while the boss soaked up every hit I threw. I could have dealt more damage in melee, but there was no reason to take the risk.
I held Diul’s Pitch-Black Fog in reserve.
Crack!
One of the heads finally reached its limit, shattering and falling away.
Kraaaaaah—!
The boss shrieked, but it was still functional. I needed to destroy all nine.
[00:09]
I canceled the Warp Device as the timer hit its limit. I was in control of the rhythm now, steadily chipping away at the monster.
Kwaaaaaang!
A Flame Strike obliterated a second head. Then, I fired a Destruction Ray, catching three heads in a single blast.
As the heads fell, its overall regenerative power seemed to wane. The damage from Scorching Zone was finally starting to stick to its main body.
I used Thunder Strike to destroy another. Only three remained.
It was then that the boss changed its pattern.
Flap—!
It rose to its feet and beat its massive wings. A wave of frigid air pushed me back as the beast prepared to take flight.
Trying to run?
‘Not a chance.’
I used Leap to close the gap instantly. I summoned Diul and immediately commanded: Pitch-Black Fog.
Saaaaaaah—
Absolute darkness swallowed the battlefield. The boss, caught just as it was about to lift off, staggered and crashed back into the pit. With its senses neutralized, flight was impossible.
Kyaaaaaaah—!
The beast thrashed, firing its breath attacks blindly in every direction. But if it couldn't hit me when it could see, it certainly couldn't hit me now.
I moved through the fog, closing in on the flailing monster. I activated Sword of Light. I had to finish this before the fog dissipated.
Dodging the frantic sweeps of its claws, I focused my blade on the remaining heads. They were already brittle from the previous barrage. I hacked through one, then used a refreshed Flame Strike to blow another apart.
Thunk—!
I leaped onto the final head and plunged the Sword of Light deep into its skull.
“Farewell.”
I deactivated the Pitch-Black Fog and leaped backward.
Kwaaaaaang!
The Sword of Light detonated, blowing the boss’s final head to smithereens.
[The Zone 4 Boss has been defeated.]
[You have acquired the Zone 4 Boss defeat reward.]
[You have acquired the Zone 4 Boss first-kill reward.]
A string of messages flashed before my eyes.
“Hoo.”
I let out a long breath. It had been a straightforward victory, but it felt like a proper battle.
The corpse of the boss began to dissolve into particles of light. The surrounding air felt even colder now, likely due to the lingering effects of the breath attacks. I was about to turn back when my gaze fell on the pit.
Why had it been digging? It had stayed in that hole until the very end, only trying to flee when death was certain.
I approached the edge and peered down.
“...?”
Something was sparkling in the center of the crater. An ice crystal? A gem?
I climbed down into the pit.
‘Is this a reward?’
Usually, boss rewards were distributed in the Reward Room. I cautiously reached for the gem. My sixth sense remained quiet, so I picked it up.
[Item: Heart of the Demon King of the Bitter Cold]
The heart of the Demon King of the Bitter Cold, who once froze the world.
‘An item?’
The description was strangely brief. I tilted my head, examining the crystal, when suddenly—
[Item: Heart of the Demon K$■#◇ng of the Bitter C^#▶%◇ld]
The text glitched. The font corrupted into unreadable symbols.
What the—?
A sudden, violent shiver raced down my spine. It felt as if a wave of absolute zero was seeping directly into my mind.
The gem fell from my hand, hitting the snow with a thud.
My mouth opened against my will. A maniacal, high-pitched laugh tore from my throat.
“Khahahahahaha!”
My body wouldn't move. It felt as if my soul had been shoved into a corner, replaced by something else.
“Wonderful! Simply wonderful! I am free!”
I—or the thing inside me—flung out a hand.
Kwaaaaaaaaah!
A massive surge of frost erupted, flash-freezing the entire landscape for miles.
I had no idea what was happening. I only knew one thing: my body had been stolen.
‘Who are you?!’ I screamed in the silence of my mind.
The entity replied, its voice dripping with disdain.
“Quiet, you chattering insect.”
An insect? Me?
The entity flexed my fingers, testing the grip of my hand.
“A pathetic vessel, but I suppose I must be satisfied for now. I shall make good use of this shell.”
What the hell is this bastard talking about?
Kwang!
The entity leaped into the air, soaring toward the horizon. Then, it stopped dead.
Because I had stopped time.
It worked. Even without control of my limbs, the ability was mine.
—…What? What is this?
A bewildered, ancient-sounding voice echoed in my head.
I had stopped time, yet this being could still think and speak. Perhaps because it was currently sharing my consciousness.
—You stopped time?
The entity sounded utterly floored.
‘Give me my body back,’ I snarled. ‘What did you do?’
—Was this your doing? How… what madness is this?
I was just as frustrated as he was. I’d just cleared the floor, and now this.
‘I said, give it back.’
—Don’t be ridiculous. This vessel belongs to me now.
‘I don’t remember signing a lease. Give it back.’
—You! Release this stasis at once!
I almost wanted to laugh.
‘Then we’ll just stay like this forever.’
I didn't care what happened next. I wasn't letting some ghost run off with my life. I remained in the frozen moment, listening to the old man’s voice rave in the silence.