Chapter 186: Fast, and Many
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: Fast, and Many
"Whoa."
Upon reaching the 34th floor, the security became even tighter. It wasn't exactly at a level that prevented progress, but staying airborne was difficult; anti-air interceptor rounds kept flying up and exploding, making it hard to maintain my wings.
Ultimately, I decided it was better to move on my own two feet.
—Clatter!
"They're just chunks of rock, so I can't even eat them. Useless."
Most of them were Magic Golems powered by magic, and their mana cores were merely artificial ones with no real merit for use. Still, I did manage to pick up one trick regarding how to use my power.
"If I wrap Aura around my tail, it's not exactly 'Sword-gi,' is it?"
Since it was a tail (mi), maybe Mi-gi?
It sounded like something out of Parasyte, so I scrapped the idea.
Regardless, I was now able to wrap Aura—which I could previously only channel into a sword—around my body as well. Not a bad achievement.
—Whoosh....
The inter-floor portal on the 34th floor was desolate, devoid of people. The moment I stepped inside, I would reach the 35th floor. I was breaking my personal record during the festival period.
Crackle—
With a slight static sound, I was teleported to the 35th floor. The surroundings were similar: a city ruin filled with white stone buildings, and likewise, there was almost no sign of life.
I spent about twenty minutes walking through the 35th floor, occasionally slicing through the noisy Magic Golems. I knew that the moment I took to the sky, I’d be caught in the detection nets of numerous security turrets, which would inevitably lead to a massive headache.
I shed my cumbersome wings, which were unnecessary for walking, and streamlined my body into a state efficient for running.
It’s like how bodybuilders have a lot of muscle but aren't great at running. If you look at marathon runners, they’re skin and bones with only functional muscles left for survival.
In truth, since my body strengthens physical power with mana, it doesn't strictly follow those rules—more muscle mass does technically make me faster—but there's such a thing as caloric efficiency.
"My body feels light."
* * *
"He'll be descending to the 35th floor soon."
"Move to the pre-arranged locations and prepare for combat."
Under the command of Mystery Antoinette, twelve Cobalt-grade explorers began to move hurriedly. Unlike Yoo Eon, they were veterans of the 4th Stratum; they moved through the ancient ruins with practiced ease, bypassing the heavy security.
They formed a large equilateral triangle a short distance away from the 35th floor's inter-floor portal and waited for Yoo Eon to arrive.
—Whirrr, whirrr.
Noisy alarms echoed in the distance as automatic turrets were triggered. Currently, all recording and broadcasting artifacts within the 35th floor had been neutralized.
Due to the Anti-Magica Colossus becoming an Irregular entity, the connection to the surface had been severed. Four explorers positioned to the north maintained a proper distance from the Anti-Magica Colossus while infiltrating the ruins.
To the south, they maintained their triangle across the southwest and southeast, monitoring the area for an ambush.
[Explorer Aven has currently spawned at the 7 o'clock position and is heading toward the inter-floor portal. Those in the southwest and southeast, wait until he is within one kilometer, then ambush him from both sides simultaneously.]
Mystery Antoinette’s voice briefed them via a telepathic skill. They were positioned at the southernmost tip of the 35th floor, monitoring the entire situation through skills while minimizing contact with Yoo Eon.
Unfortunately, most magic was neutralized due to the Irregular Anti-Magica Colossus. However, since ordinary explorers relied more on skills than pure magic in combat, their fighting power wasn't significantly diminished.
Based on Yoo Eon's battle at the Grand Martial Arena, he relied heavily on magic attacks using monster body parts.
They expected Yoo Eon's overall combat power to be much more severely affected.
"Aelmeri. Let's go retrieve the Clinging Death."
"Understood."
"Just in case, I'm counting on you."
"Yes."
Aelmeri reached out and waved her hand gently over Mystery Antoinette’s face. Antoinette’s appearance distorted grotesquely before she transformed into a completely different person.
"Mad Popenes. How should we handle this?"
"Ooh! Good question! Normally, when a person dies, their mana circuits gradually decompose... Antoinette, the goal was to kill him, right?"
"That is correct. We cannot fulfill our objective unless he is dead."
"Then we must cast a preservation spell immediately after death. What a shame! I wanted to take him back alive."
"Hehe. It is quite a pity."
Yoo Eon continued to move, recklessly and carelessly smashing golems and automatic turrets. Eventually, the distance closed, and eight explorers stealthily approached the noisy Yoo Eon.
The estimated distance was about 800 meters. For Cobalt-grade explorers, it was a distance they could close in an instant with just a bit of mana.
Currently, Yoo Eon seemed preoccupied with smashing the golems he had aggroed, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.
[The timing is perfect. Please, proceed.]
The combined attacks of eight Cobalt-grade explorers began to surge toward him.
* * *
—Screeeech!!
Clang—!!
"Who—"
—Squeltch....
A single arrow infused with an immense amount of mana flew in at incredible speed. He managed to quickly deflect the heavy projectile with his tail, but before he could finish his sentence, a long sword lunged from behind, piercing through his back and tearing out through his abdominal exoskeleton.
"Get back!"
—Boom!!
A woman's voice was followed by a powerful combat skill falling vertically from the sky. Someone lunged through the surrounding flames, severed his arm, and kicked the limb away so it couldn't reattach as it had before.
Slash—
A relentless whirlwind of powerful attacks followed.
In an instant, Yoo Eon’s limbs were hacked off, and his torso was pierced more than a dozen times.
Per Mad Popenes's request, they couldn't sever the neck to protect the spinal cord, starting from the back of the head where the unidentified skill was embedded.
—Rumble...!!
To prepare for any contingency, they used a gravity reinforcement skill to pin him down, ensuring he couldn't move even with his limbs severed. Then, they bound him to the earth with a powerful restraint skill.
A simultaneous attack by eight Cobalt-grade explorers.
The four Cobalt-grade explorers from the northern standby team, who had been relatively far away, were also quickly joining the group.
The moment there was even the slightest hint of resistance—
—Thud!!
"Stay still. We know you're not dead yet."
"I heard your limbs grow back like weeds? We'll just keep cutting them off as they sprout, so don't waste your energy and just stay put."
For some reason, the final blow was to be left to someone else.
"He certainly is tough."
Despite his body being a total wreck, his upper torso heaved up and down as if his lungs were still functioning. It was truly remarkable that he hadn't died yet, considering how much blood he was losing.
"This guy really is unfortunate. To cross paths with the Antonio Brotherhood."
Gatherway Truel crouched down in front of the mangled, black, corpse-like figure and let out a long sigh.
"Tch, he got some good skills and started acting all high and mighty without any professional courtesy."
Eve Kenias, standing beside him, scowled and stepped closer.
Ptui—
The spit from Eve Kenias’s mouth landed on the black exoskeleton. Gatherway Truel frowned slightly at the sight, but he didn't stop her, considering the humiliation she had suffered the day before.
"But wait, is he actually alive?"
"Look, his chest is moving."
Just as he said, Yoo Eon’s broken body was still moving up and down, seemingly clinging to life. This meant his lungs were still functional.
However, another explorer who was closely observing Yoo Eon’s face felt something was off.
"There's no pupillary light reflex."
He used a skill to create a small flame at his fingertip and held it close, but the eyes located inside the cross-shaped facial exoskeleton didn't react. Normally, the pupils should constrict or show some movement in response to light.
"It looks like a monster's eye, so maybe that's why?"
"Hmm, I wonder."
"But why hasn't the rest of the team joined us yet?"
Since there was no reaction from the severed black mass for a while, the explorers stood up from their crouched positions and looked around.
At that moment.
"Wait, wha—"
— — — — — — !!!!!!!!
A single, massive roar shook their eardrums and rattled their brains.
Along with a flash of light, something bright yellow streaked past like a bolt of lightning. The upper bodies of two Cobalt-grade explorers standing in its path were separated from their lower halves and exploded.
"Fuck...! What the hell—"
—KABOOM!!
Then, another shockwave echoed. It wasn't that another mysterious projectile had been fired; rather, the sound that couldn't keep up had finally arrived.
"My—my ears...! My eardrums are ruptured...!"
The eardrums of one explorer with low defense collapsed, and two nearby explorers staggered, losing their balance from the wind.
The first strike had been too fast to even comprehend, but by looking at the direction of the second shockwave's wind, they identified the direction from which the mysterious attack had come.
"Could it be?"
A resonance like that of an undead monster—it was almost like hearing the voice of a Lich.
"Anyone who feels like explaining the reason for this, raise your hand."
In the distance stood something flapping massive violet wings. Two large horns were wreathed in flames that burned a bright purple.
"The faster and more of you raise your hands, the better."
In his right hand, he held a massive greatsword enveloped in a blue aura.
—Roll...
Four familiar-looking heads rolled from his left hand. They had already said their goodbyes to their bodies.
"Because I don't particularly enjoy killing."