Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Battle with the Pale Mask
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The creature that had chased after me and Number 26 raised its head.
The Pale Mask was the second most powerful predator of the deep sea after the Sea Demon, infamous not just for its overwhelming strength but for its grotesquely repulsive appearance.
Its overall form resembled a sperm whale's body with multiple flat stingray fins and long tails attached. Though its shape blended features from various marine creatures, the most striking part was undoubtedly the faces embedded in its body.
True to its name, the Pale Mask's body was covered in pallid human faces. The stark white faces contrasted sharply against its black exoskeleton, clinging to it like barnacles on a whale.
'Barnacles, huh. Not a bad analogy.'
Those faces were a type of parasitic organism that grew naturally from the Pale Mask's body.
They were the perfect symbol of the Pale Mask.
I'd called them barnacles, but these parasites didn't harm their host. Instead, they used their various abilities to protect it. In a way, it was similar to the symbiotic relationship between the Tooth Fairies and me.
'Of course, those faces are far stronger than the Tooth Fairies.'
｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
The water-soaked faces let out eerie cries at their host's command. It was the kind of sound that might come from a drowned ghost's laughter—enough to send chills down your spine, matching its loathsome form.
I ignored the noise and calmly observed it. Pale Masks varied greatly in combat ability depending on sex and maturity, so I needed to assess it as thoroughly as possible before the fight began.
The Mother of the Sky seemed to think the same.
｢Looking at its size, it's already an Adult.｣
She had shifted from her griffon form to her half-human, half-beast shape. I nodded in response instead of replying.
I'd fought Pale Masks plenty of times in the game too. I couldn't pinpoint exact stats from just the head poking out of the water, but I could guess its rough size.
'Around 50 meters, probably.'
An Adult Pale Mask measured between 40 and 50 meters long. This one was on the larger side even among adults.
It had one other notable trait.
Pale Mask sex could be determined by the faces on its body. Oddly, a male had female human faces, while a female had male ones.
All the faces on this one's body were pale women's faces.
｢...Tch, this just got annoying.｣
The Mother of the Sky clicked her tongue.
She was right.
Males were about two-thirds the size of females, but far more powerful. The reason lay in a troublesome trait unique to males.
'The Hypnosis Wave trait is a pain.'
A male Pale Mask's 'Hypnosis Wave' continuously emitted waves that disrupted other creatures' minds. Similar to the Red Mist's 'Hallucination' trait on jungle planets, but specialized in debuffs rather than illusions.
For instance, it sealed traits and skills requiring focus. For me, that meant my Psychic Power trait, nest-related traits, and Nest Link ability would be blocked.
That was why the Mother of the Sky had reverted from her deified state to her griffon wolf form. Maintaining deification required concentration, which could falter within the Hypnosis Wave's range. Better to fight in human form than risk accidental cancellation mid-battle.
We weren't the only ones sensing something off from it. Number 26 sent me a psychic pulse.
｢Big Baby, bad feeling from that one.｣
A Sea Demon might seem vulnerable to the Hypnosis Wave, but they were immune to such wave or pheromone disruptions.
If not, Number 26 would've been confused every time I used Mimicry.
Still, the unfamiliar sensation made its body flicker faintly with light.
｢Me｣ ｢Feeling｣ ｢Bad｣ ｢Unpleasant｣ ｢Unpleasant｣
Adhai shook its head side to side to shake off the weird feeling.
Unfortunately, the Green Galleron lacked the Sea Demon's immunity. Supporting allies with Purple Lightning wouldn't work well in this fight.
｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
While I analyzed it, the Pale Mask finished assessing us.
Judging us worth fighting, it attacked first. The faces' gazes turned toward our beach.
Then, powerful shockwaves blasted from their mouths.
These were its basic attack, but with hundreds of faces firing them, the power was no joke.
With the toughest exoskeleton in the group, I rushed forward and took the shockwaves head-on. My shell trembled as if it might peel off my flesh.
It hurt, but it was necessary. Number 26 wasn't fast enough on land to dodge.
'And I needed to test how strong its attacks are.'
Taking it directly, I found it bearable. Pain Reduction didn't even trigger.
'I can tank this no problem.'
While I blocked, Adhai and the Mother of the Sky—both highly mobile—leaped out of range.
｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
Not satisfied with the shockwaves' effect, the Pale Mask howled. It stopped firing and turned its head, diving back into the sea.
It looked like retreat, but it wasn't. A major attack was incoming.
｢Got it.｣
I pulled Number 26 back and charged ahead.
'Here we go.'
Kicking up sand as I crawled toward it, the Pale Mask resurfaced—like a whale breaching. It reared its massive head high.
Like a sperm whale ramming with its head, it could wield that enormous noggin like a hammer.
Its head, weighing dozens of tons, plummeted toward mine.
I didn't retreat. Instead, I tensed my tail, launching myself off the sand. Aligning my head carapace straight, I shot toward its skull like a cannonball.
'Strength against strength.'
My thick head carapace clashed with its. The massive shockwave swept the beach sand away.
Its head was nearly 10 meters across; mine under 3. The size difference made the winner obvious.
But the one howling in agony wasn't me.
｢Kee-eek!｣ ｢Kee-eek!｣
Its faces, sharing senses with the host, screamed. Blue blood and spermaceti oozed from the gash my horn pierced in its thick skull.
My horn might be needle-sized to it, but with that impact? Different story.
Fresh to such intense pain from the split wound, it thrashed. I gripped its head tight with my combat arms to keep my horn lodged.
｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
Desperate, it swung its stingray-tail-like legs at me.
Like a stingray's venomous tail, those legs packed deadly poison—but useless against me.
Still, it prioritized knocking me loose over stabbing. A leg thicker than my body whipped into me.
'Guh!'
Like getting hit by a truck? My body flew airborne, soaring far away.
｢Kee-ee｣
It gaped its maw at me midair.
Pale Masks could compress digestive acids stored inside into a breath attack of devastating power—enough to melt and pierce a Near-Adult Aimorph's exoskeleton.
At that moment, dozens of translucent energy bolts flew from the opposite side, slamming into it.
｢Kee-ee?!｣
｢Don't bully Big Baby! Bad guy!｣
Number 26 radiated angry pulses. Landing safely, I looked its way.
Number 26 hid behind beach rocks, firing energy bolts with its tentacles.
'Grown a bit more in that time.'
That was the Sea Demon-exclusive skill called 'Demon Crash.' Its second Sea Demon technique after 'Terror of the Deep.'
'Weaker than the original's, but...'
The true Demon Crash had high attack power and applied random short debuffs. Number 26, still young, couldn't match that yet.
'Still, it worked as intended.'
｢Kee-ee!｣ ｢Kee-ee!｣ ｢Kee-ee!｣
Hit in the eyes, it shuddered in rage, switching targets from me to Number 26.
But as its massive head turned to the new foe, a fresh attacker appeared.
The griffon wolf with an eagle's head and lion-man body—the Mother of the Sky. In half-beast form, she kicked off the sand and landed atop its back.
She gripped a golden spear.
'Priestess's Golden Spear? She got it from Adhai.'
Before diving deep, I'd given Adhai the backpack of loot. Clearly, she'd requested gear from it for this fight.
'Smart.'
Without full deification, the glowing spear was her only way to meaningfully damage its thick hide.
The Pale Mask shook irritably, but she held firm.
｢Haat!｣
With a sharp yell, she slashed deep into its hide.
Blue blood fountained from the wound as it writhed. Its legs lashed to tear her apart.
｢Me｣ ｢You｣ ｢Support｣
Then Adhai dove like a raptor hunting prey. The Mother of the Sky folded the spear small and floated toward it.
Perfectly timed, Adhai snatched her with all four talons and soared up. The legs missed by a hair.
｢Hang on tight.｣
｢This｣ ｢Time｣ ｢Okay｣ ｢Next｣ ｢No｣
Mid-flight, she mounted Adhai's back with agile grace.
Her griffon form dwarfed it, but not in beastkin mode.
The griffon beastkin astride the space dragon drew her spear again.
｢Kee-ee!｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
Each approach let her swing wide. Golden flashes left deep, razor cuts.
Adhai, hampered by Hypnosis Wave for direct attacks, opted to assist instead.
'Not bad.'
No orders needed—it lived up to expectations.
It used its speed for hit-and-run support, positioning for easy strikes. Annoyed, the Pale Mask curled its side fins upward to crush it.
'Can't let that happen.'
I churned sand with combat arms, sprinting the beach. Closing in, I reared up and smashed its head down.
｢Kee-eek?!｣
My body was half its length and weight, but not ignorable. My body press rocked it hard.
But my assault didn't end there.
I locked its head with combat arms, wrapped my tail around it.
Then I squeezed—like a python crushing prey's bones.
The friction of my constricting body against its head made a horrifying grind.
｢Kii, kee-eek!｣
It shrieked as its skull threatened to crack. Thrashing birthed waves and a tsunami, submerging nearby water huts.
｢Kee-ee!｣ ｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
Its parasitic faces unleashed shockwaves to protect the host.
'Useless.'
｢Kee-eek!｣ ｢Kee-eek!｣
Shockwaves couldn't stop me. I squeezed harder; it howled louder.
｢Kee... kee-ee｣
Skull about to burst, it switched tactics.
Abandoning shockwaves, it kicked off with fins, charging forward.
It planned to ram the beach with me still attached—pure intent to crush me.
'Can't let—Guh?!'
I tried releasing, but its legs wrapped my combat arms and head.
I pulled erosion tentacles from my back, but it was a hair faster.
Its head slammed sand-first. The impact hit me too.
Pain Reduction
Activated automatically
'Gah!'
Cracks spiderwebbed my head carapace; exoskeleton chunks flaked off. Some claws shattered; one combat arm snapped.
Bad damage, but less than expected.
'...Number 26.'
The distant psychic flow was unmistakably Number 26's. Its 'Binding' weakened the slam at the crucial moment.
Otherwise, it'd be worse.
｢Kee-ee｣ ｢Kee-ee｣
It reared for the finisher. Not falling for it twice, I broke free and retreated.
'Unexpected damage, but...'
Not a total loss. I'd dragged it onto land.
Half its sperm whale-stingray body lay beached. Its build wasn't suited for land.
｢Grrr｣
Feeling my broken arm regenerate via Robust Vitality, I rose.
Round two started now.