Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Nardan Jungle (5)
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-Shaaaak!
I'd launched my ice magic, but the Venom Anaconda targeted Mikel—who had struck its back—before coming after me.
That bought us precious time to cast our buffs.
Woooong!
"Hah!"
"Hup!"
Gillek and Kirigumo drew up their mana, each assuming their stance.
Gillek held his sword upright in one hand.
Kirigumo raised his index and middle fingers right in front of his face.
Stances I'd seen in Savior of World for buffs cast without a staff.
Gillek's boosted defense.
Kirigumo's reduced stamina consumption.
And Amelin, too.
"O source of mana."
She spread a magic circle beneath her feet, casting a buff to amplify magic power.
-Shaaaa!
The Venom Anaconda whipped its tail at Mikel, but he swiftly gained altitude to evade it.
Frustrated by the miss, it stretched its body to lunge at him in one go.
But we weren't about to just watch.
Flame Tornado
Roooar!
The enhanced vortex of flames engulfed the Venom Anaconda.
-Shaaa!
But it didn't panic or thrash in agony. Instead, it swung its tail in a massive arc, dispelling Amelin's spell.
"Fl-Flame Tornado!"
"Worthy of being called the master of the Nardan Jungle."
"Don't stop—keep attacking!"
"Get out of the way! My daughter is waiting!"
Kirigumo charged at the Venom Anaconda, slamming his fist into its body.
Gillek leaped high, unleashing Eagle Pursuit to drive his sword into it.
Eagle Pursuit
-Shaaaa!
The beast writhed even more violently, letting out a piercing cry.
As expected of a field boss—it wouldn't go down after just one or two hits.
In the game, field bosses were tricky on first encounters due to their massive health pools.
'But we're not alone right now. And besides...'
We had Amelin by our side—someone with the potential to surpass even stage bosses.
"Amelin, ask Mikel to keep drawing its attention!"
"Y-Yes, Your Highness! Mikel! Draw its attention!"
As Amelin spoke while deploying her magic circle below, Mikel's body began to glow.
-Grrrrowl!
I'd never seen it in the game, but according to Amelin's lessons, this was a spell to empower familiars.
Mikel pinned down the Anaconda's tail to restrict its movement, then began pecking viciously with his beak.
The moment its gaze shifted to Mikel from those attacks...
Kirigumo and Gillek pressed their assault.
In the game, soloing was tough, but summoning spirits to tank aggro and attacking from behind made it much easier.
Here, we had five attackers, not two.
'Reality means one hit could be dangerous, but...'
Just don't get hit.
While everyone else kept the Venom Anaconda occupied, Amelin and I prepared our big shot.
Amelin raised her staff, gathering mana into a mass of flames.
It required charging—the longer you poured mana into it, the stronger it got.
Flames of Judgment.
"I'll help you out, Amelin."
"Please do, Your Highness!"
I blew wind into the massive fireball she'd created, amplifying its power even further.
"Hnnngh!"
I could feel Amelin drawing in even more mana with a grunt.
-Shaaa!
The Venom Anaconda, which had been focused on the others, turned its gaze toward us.
It ignored Gillek and Kirigumo's attacks, trying to advance on us.
Anyone could see the attack we were preparing was dangerous.
But.
-Grrrrowl!
Mikel wouldn't allow it, clamping down on the tip of its tail.
The beast wanted to press forward, but with its tail pinned, it couldn't close in on us.
And then.
"Flames of Judgment!"
⟨ Flames of Judgment ⟩
Boom!
Empowered by my assistance, Amelin unleashed the Flames of Judgment straight at the Venom Anaconda's body and head, where it detonated.
In the game, it insta-killed anyone without proper armor against Amelin.
With buffs and my boost on top, it clearly packed even more punch.
-Shaaaa!
A massive scorch mark bloomed where it hit, and sensing mortal danger, the beast roared in feral rage.
"I-It’s still alive!"
"Can you fire it off again?"
"Sorry, Your Highness. That was my maximum output—I'm low on mana now."
"What about other spells?"
"I-I can cast those."
"It can't shrug off an attack like that unscathed. Keep the pressure on and take it down."
"Yes!"
"The opening you and Lady Amelin created! I won't waste it! Haaah!"
The instant our attack ended, Gillek unleashed his secret technique, plunging his sword into the scorched section.
Squelch!
-Shaaaa!
Assaulted at its burned spot, the beast thrashed even harder in agony.
"Tenka! Father's coming soon!"
Thud!
Kirigumo followed with a kick, sending scales flying from the charred area.
"Amelin, let's attack too."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Amelin and I unleashed magic from afar to hammer it.
Under the relentless barrage, the Venom Anaconda rampaged wildly, screeching.
Whenever it tried to flee or lash out to sweep us away, Mikel grabbed or pecked at its body to disrupt it.
Then Gillek and Kirigumo wounded its flesh, and Amelin and I targeted those injuries with spells.
After repeating this several times, a change came over the beast's movements.
-Shaaaa!
Ignoring whether Mikel gripped it or not, it blindly reared up vertically.
'That's...!'
I knew what that meant.
"Everyone, evade! It's about to spit poison!"
The moment I shouted,
Kirigumo and Gillek nimbly retreated to create distance.
Next instant, the Venom Anaconda spewed purple venom from its maw.
The force was like a water cannon.
A torrent of purple venom fluid blanketed where Kirigumo and Gillek had just been.
And as it kept vomiting venom, it turned to target us.
"Hold tight, Amelin."
I scooped up Amelin—who moved slower than me—and dodged the Venom Anaconda's assault.
"E-Eek!"
Amelin yelped in surprise, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Enraged at missing, the Venom Anaconda spun in circles, spraying venom in all directions.
To avoid it, we had no choice but to keep widening the gap, and even Mikel soared high into the sky to evade.
Venom Anaconda's phase two.
At a certain health threshold, it entered a pattern of spewing venom in multiple directions. Once that ended...
"Ugh! This is..."
"What vicious poison..."
The spewed venom vaporized, forming a poison mist that accelerated toxin buildup across the field.
"Catch!"
I set Amelin down and hurriedly tossed antidotes to Gillek and Kirigumo.
"You too, Amelin."
"Y-Yes, Your Highness."
A thick poison mist blanketed the area.
We had to drop the enemy fast.
And the Venom Anaconda was already injured.
'Perfect chance for me to step up.'
"Amelin, attack whenever you see an opening."
I drew my sword and advanced.
"Your Highness?"
"Your Highness, it's dangerous! Leave the vanguard to Kirigumo and me..."
"Don't worry, Gillek. I've got its movements figured out."
I'd learned swordsmanship from Gillek before magic, after all.
I sparred daily with the knights, so honestly, I was better with a blade than spells.
Then why hadn't I led from the front sooner?
Because I'm a prince and need to preserve myself?
If that were the case, I wouldn't have bothered getting stronger in the first place.
Because I couldn't use buffs yet?
My body already held tremendous power without them.
Because I had to support Amelin?
It was a minor factor, but I could've joined after Flames of Judgment.
The real reason I was stepping up now: I'd been observing its movements.
Recalling its motions from Savior of World, I'd analyzed how it moved against Mikel, Kirigumo, and Gillek in reality.
Its timing. Its habits. The power and speed in every motion.
I understood it.
Compared it.
Judged it.
Now, even without buffs, I could beat it.
Only I, with the freedom to maneuver here, could win without losses.
I pointed my sword at the Venom Anaconda.
"Time to end this."
-Shaaaa!
The Venom Anaconda whipped its tail at me.