Chapter 294: Counter
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 294: Counter
“It feels like I’m not getting much out of this besides the Mana Cores.”
When people talk about the Spirit Species, they generally refer to monsters with a ‘Complete Spirit Body.’ Most monsters in this category are indeed Spirit Species, whereas Necro Species monsters—which one might assume are spirit bodies—usually aren't.
“So Living Mail is a possessed body, while Skeletons and Ghouls are Undead.”
“Right.”
Wraiths and Specters can be classified as Complete Spirit Body monsters because only their Mana Core has a physical form.
Spirit Species can exert physical force through the mana radiating from their Mana Core, but once the core stops functioning, their entire visible body vanishes instantly, leaving only the core behind.
For Complete Spirit Body Necro Species, their physical form is merely aesthetic; since they mostly attack using magic, there’s nothing to touch besides the Mana Core.
That’s not to say Spirit Species can’t use magic, though. In a sense, spirit-type Necro Species feel like a lower-tier version of the Spirit Species.
“It actually feels like I’m touching fur.”
“Because you are.”
“True.”
I had captured a Spirit Species monster that was mimicking a Direwolf. It was thrashing about wildly, so I put it in a headlock and stroked its back a few times; it definitely felt like it had a physical form.
When I let it go, it ran off with a little whimper. It was almost cute.
“How is a Spirit Species’ appearance determined? Can they change it at will?”
“High Spirit Species can.”
Most Low Spirit Species read the forms known to an ‘observer’ and then mimic the one that suits them best. Since most of the spirits here on the 63rd Floor are Low Spirit Species, it seems they find it difficult to mimic the powerful monsters I’ve encountered.
High Spirit Species possess their own unique appearance from the moment of their birth, but apparently, those types are rarer than one might think.
And the reason only ‘most’ and not all Spirit Species are Complete Spirit Bodies is that there are exceptions. For instance, the Snow Mountain Witch we met in the 6th Stratum was a Mid Spirit Species, but she used physical ice as her body.
“So, uh, how many of these ‘species’ are there?”
“Species?”
“Yeah. You know, Spirit Species, Necro Species... you mention them often. It seems like the Demon King’s Legion Commanders are all Monarchs of a specific species. Like the Vampire Species.”
“Humanity’s classification system cannot categorize every monster in the Demon Realm. There are countless species that the Human Species has yet to discover.”
“Ah, I see... Then how many Legion Commanders does the Demon King have? Aren't they all Monarchs of their respective species?”
I doubted run-of-the-mill bastards like a Goblin Lord could ever become a Legion Commander. They’re so stupid I’m not even sure if they have a true Monarch. They always felt more like neighborhood bullies.
“Nine.”
“That’s a lot.”
There were a total of nine Legion Commanders under the Demon King, the ruler of the Demon Realm.
Among them, the ones I knew were Iris Albresto, the Vampire Lord, and Lilith Astaroth, the Succubus Lord.
The remaining seven commanders were the Dragon Lord, Necro Lord, Spirit Lord, Beast Lord, Demon Lord, Giant Lord, and Monarch of Arthropods.
“Arthropod Species? What’s that?”
“Bugs.”
“Ah.”
So, the king of the insects. I imagined something like a Queen Ant, but even among the powerful Dragon Species, there was a Dragon Lord who was the strongest of them all. Could a bug lord really stand on equal footing with a Dragon Lord?
“He is strong. That one.”
“Roughly how strong?”
“Third among the Legion Commanders.”
“What? He’s actually that strong?”
“For the record, the Necro Species is second.”
“Holy shit. That’s a massive leap.”
In terms of pure martial prowess, Lilith Astaroth was dead last. I didn't need to be told that the Dragon Species was first. Second was the Necro Lord, the one I’d have to face next.
The Necro Species was a collective of dead souls, so they didn't really have a single 'Monarch' per se, but this one was supposedly the strongest among them.
“What about Iris?”
“...Sixth.”
“Hmm... Well, she’s still strong.”
However, there was one piece of good news: the Surface World had a much smaller population of living beings than the Demon Realm. And unlike the Demon Realm, which was crawling with monsters that were heavy hitters from birth, the Surface World was full of creatures that couldn't put up a fight.
Above all, it was peaceful compared to the Demon Realm, so fewer things died.
Iris’s opinion was that since the Necro Lord would have to command the spirits of the Surface World once it manifested there, its power would be significantly diminished.
The ranking of combat power, in reverse order, was: 9th Succubus Species, 8th Spirit Species, 7th Beast Species, 6th Vampire Species, 5th Demon Species, 4th Giant Species, 3rd Arthropod Species, and 2nd Necro Species.
“And 1st is the Dragon Species.”
“Yes.”
A Dragon Lord certainly sounded powerful. That would mean the one called the Demon King was even more powerful than that dragon.
And it seemed the three Heroes, including the Emperor of Sinew, were the ones who had sealed such a Demon King.
“Where would I rank right now?”
“Tenth.”
“But I beat Lilith Astaroth?”
“This is not the Demon Realm.”
“Man. Talk about stingy.”
It meant that even if she had pulled her Treasure from the Demon Realm, I still couldn't fight on equal terms with the actual Succubus Lord as she existed in the Demon Realm. Then just how powerful was the Emperor of Sinew?
“For now... let’s head up. Doesn't look like there's much else to see here.”
* * *
The 7th Stratum had even less to do than I expected. Or was it just like this for everyone? Perhaps I had been blinded by my own preconceptions.
“Does a Stratum... not necessarily have to be divided by combat power?”
Ultimately, wasn't a Labyrinth determined by the authority of the one who designed it? This forest of Spirit Species was essentially at a similar or slightly more difficult level than the 1st Stratum, but the Labyrinth Master could have placed it in the 7th Stratum simply because they had the authority to do so.
“Thinking about it this way actually puts my mind at ease.”
Rather than worrying that I was missing something, it was best to just accept it for what it was and move on.
Or so I thought.
“Is this a Mid-Boss?”
The 65th Floor. A female entity that looked like a Dryad—clearly a High Spirit Species—appeared. With her slightly pointed ears, she almost looked like an Elf. Come to think of it, what was the relationship between Elves and the Spirit Species?
“Hey, can you understand me?”
“....”
I couldn't tell if she was refusing to speak, couldn't understand me, or was simply mute.
Saaaa....
As the nameless High Spirit Species channeled magic from her fingertips, a nearby tree—standing about five meters tall—bent its trunk like a bow.
“Whoa.”
No, that was a literal bow. It looked like she was twisting the tree to use it as a weapon. Before long, green vines descended from the top of the tree to wrap around the base, and it fired a massive branch like an arrow.
Fwoosh!
The speed wasn't that great. Considering its size, the impact seemed to be around the level of a standard ballista, but it certainly wasn't the kind of power that lived up to the reputation of the 7th Stratum.
Thwack!
“I get that you’re hostile, but I don't think this level of power is going to cut it.”
Naturally, it was at a level I could easily swat away with my exoskeleton-clad arm. Since the spirit had her eyes closed, I couldn't really read her expression.
“Iris, step back for a moment.”
“Are you going to eat it?”
“...No. Don't say it like—"
An arrow flew in while I was talking to Iris. Just like before, I swung my arm—clad in Queen Arachne's Exoskeleton—to swat it away.
Creeeeak..!
“What the—?!”
The moment the massive seed, which was embedded in the tip of the arrow like a head, touched the exoskeleton, it germinated instantly and drove its roots beneath my skin.
“Guh...?!”
As if trying to suck the fluids from my entire body, the roots pierced through muscle and bone in an instant. I immediately severed my arm and hurled it away.
Crackle....
Using the severed arm as nutrients, a new plant grew at an incredible speed. The arm quickly became mummified and crumbled away, and once the medium it used for nutrients was gone, the plant drove its roots deep into the ground.
And before long...
‘What the hell is that...?!’
When the plant that had grown from my severed arm bloomed, a nearby deer-shaped Low Spirit Species was absorbed into the flower. Soon, the plant grew into the shape of a deer.
Thud, thud....
The deer shook its legs, tearing its roots from the ground, and immediately began to charge at me.
“Is it a type of Ent...?!”
It wasn't large. It was about the same size as it had been as a spirit, but the problem was...
‘It’s covered in those seeds from head to toe.’
Those hideous seeds that grew by sucking out bodily fluids upon contact. They hung in clusters from the deer’s antlers like fruit on branches.
Like a real deer, it lowered its seed-laden antlers and began to charge at full speed.
“Fire is the only answer for Ents...!”
KRA-BOOM—!!!!!!
A massive blue flame engulfed the plant-deer. But surprisingly...
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!!
“What kind of plant is immune to fire...?!”
The plant-deer showed no signs of injury. Just as before, it continued its charge toward me with its seed-covered antlers lowered, its speed not slowing in the slightest.
“Iris! Get back!”
I made Iris retreat, as it could be dangerous. No matter how I looked at it, this thing was the natural enemy of a biological being like Iris.
It felt like a monster created with the terrifyingly perfect purpose of ‘countering’ animals. If the reason such a thing existed in the Labyrinth was, as I suspected...
‘It’s telling me to overcome it...!’