Riding the Winds of Death
Sky Mantas are easy to kill.
In reality, they are nothing more than giant stingrays.
Of course, the fact that they are massive and fly makes them a bit different.
But unlike harpies or insect monsters, they are incredibly slow.
Whooooosh!
However, once you climb onto their backs, it's a different story.
Out of all the mantas flying toward me to swallow me whole—
Tap!
I leap onto the largest one.
I don't kill it right away.
Instead—
Rumbleeee!
I wait for the Sky Manta to soar high into the sky in an attempt to shake me off.
And the moment it reaches its peak height...
Stab!
I plunge my blade in.
According to my Execution Eye, the Sky Manta's weaknesses are its eyes and tail.
Its underbelly, where the gills are located, is also a weak point, but that's only viable if you're attacking from below with arrows or magic.
For someone riding on its back like me, targeting the belly is impossible.
So, naturally, I have to go for the eyes first.
The tail is a similar weak point, but since it controls their flight, cutting it off would cause an immediate plunge.
For someone like me who doesn't possess a flight skill, that would be nothing short of suicide.
But even if their eyes are pierced, they can still fly.
Whoooooosh!
Its flight path becomes unstable from that point on, though.
I glance around.
But it doesn't matter.
I'll be 'transferring' soon anyway.
Swoooooosh!
The ground is dizzyingly far below.
What happens if I fall from here?
Instant death, obviously.
So the key is to make my way down step by step.
Whoosh!
Timing is everything.
I wait until another manta flies close, then—
Shring.
I drive the Calamity Sword right between the manta's eyes.
And then...
Slaaaash!
I charge toward the tail.
Spurt!
The Sky Manta's hot blood erupts like a tidal wave.
"Hahaha!"
I run across its back like a child playing in a playground.
Riiiiiip!
The Sky Manta's body splits into two.
Once I completely sever it all the way to the tail—
Leap!
I jump toward the next incoming Sky Manta.
In the meantime, the severed Sky Manta draws its last breath.
Killing Time
Thud!
Using the slowed time from Killing Time, I land safely on the next beast.
Stab!
I immediately pierce its eyes.
From then on, it's an infinite loop.
Of course, it wasn't this seamless from the start.
There were times when I stumbled during a landing, causing Killing Time to run out.
But once you get the hang of it, it's easy.
Now, it just feels like riding an amusement park attraction.
Stab!
Pierce.
Slash!
Carve.
Leap!
Jump.
Repeating this cycle, I eventually reach the ground.
After slaying the last Sky Manta, I take a moment to catch my breath.
"Whew..."
As Killing Time expires...
Thud!
Crash!
Boom!
The carcasses of the dead Sky Mantas 'finally' rain down onto the ground.
A shower of hot blood is a bonus.
Gulp, gulp.
I chug a potion while watching the spectacle.
At this rate...
I could probably head straight to the next floor.
My landings are flawless now.
Well, no time like the present.
The clear sky of the 55th floor.
Inhale...
I take a deep breath of the fresh air and exhale.
This peace is only temporary.
Soon, the Poison Mantas will appear.
Whooooosh!
They will spew toxic mist in every direction.
Hiss...
Just like now.
"Hup!"
I immediately hold my breath.
Whoosh!
I target one of the Poison Mantas leaping out from the Abyss.
Splurt!
As it soars into the sky, the Poison Manta begins spraying a thick, yellowish-green mist.
Once again, I wait for the creature to reach its peak altitude.
And then...
This is the last of the clear sky.
When dealing with Poison Mantas, you have to move much faster.
Shhhk!
Unlike the Sky Mantas, these things have poison stingers on their tails.
Dozens of them, in fact.
Thwip!
Thwip!
Sure enough, the tail arches stiffly over its back and fires a volley of stingers.
Step!
I dodge the stingers by running across the Poison Manta's back.
This is more annoying than I thought.
I feel a strong urge to sever the tail first.
But doing so would mean a straight drop down.
Let's stick to the textbook method.
Stab!
I pierce its head.
Slash!
I carve through its body.
Tick...
Killing Time
In the slowed-down world, the Poison Manta's movements become crystal clear.
How its fins move.
Which direction it spews its poison.
Got it.
I leap from the back of the faltering Poison Manta onto the back of the next one.
Sliiiip!
Perhaps because the size is different, my landing point is slightly off, so I adjust my position using Echo Walker.
Before the poison mist can drift over—
Stab!
This time, I skip the eyes and drive my blade straight into its skull.
Tick...
I had some breathing room with the Sky Mantas, but speed is of the essence with these Poison Mantas.
Hummmmm!
Stacking Killing Time, I repeat the chain of slaughter endlessly!
...There are far more of them than the Sky Mantas.
Are they making up for their smaller size with sheer numbers?
Well, that works for me.
It just means more things to kill.
Tremble!
Having consumed a fresh batch of terror, the Calamity Sword shivers with delight.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
I descend, carving through one Poison Manta after another.
My breath...
I'm starting to run out of air.
It's one thing to hold my breath while standing still, but constantly moving makes me winded much faster.
...Let's wrap this up.
Thanks to my relentless descent, the ground is close now.
Time to finish them off.
Whoosh!
I leap forward quickly.
"Puhah!"
I toss the empty potion bottle aside and immediately pop open another one.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
I must have inhaled a bit of the toxic mist at the very end. My eyes are stinging, my nose is burning, my throat is raw—it's a total mess.
Gulp! Gulp!
Is this what chemical warfare training feels like? Damn it.
Splash!
Drinking it wasn't enough to clear the sensation, so I pour it directly over my face.
Washing my eyes with the cold potion makes me feel a lot better.
This new potion really does wonders...
Whew.
I thought I was going to die.
Fortunately, it was just the tail end of the toxic mist, and the stats I've built up in my Constitution carried me through.
They say the Poison Manta's venom is potent enough to kill a wyvern.
"Snort."
If all it cost me was a few tears and a runny nose, I got off cheap.
"Ptooey!"
I rinse my mouth with the remaining potion and wipe my wet face.
Flash!
Two reward boxes appear.
It seems I succeeded in clearing the floor in record time once again.
Click.
Click.
One Auto-Clear Ticket and one Resurrection Herb.
Even though both are incredibly rare items, I've gathered two or three of each while climbing through the 50s, so they're starting to look ordinary to me now.
They could fetch astronomical prices on the market, but I have no intention of selling them, so I'm just hoarding them.
Once I get a few more Resurrection Herbs, maybe I should hand one over to the potion research lab?
A resurrection potion won't just pop out of thin air, but they might be able to craft an incredibly potent recovery potion with it.
I glance at the scattered carcasses of the Poison Mantas.
"Bell."
Shuck!
Bell emerges from the shadows.
Just like with the insect monsters, I could have left the mantas to Bell.
But the reason I didn't was to keep my edge sharp.
And, of course, to raise my level while I was at it.
...Level 45 is just around the corner.
Imir had warned me.
He said the clone on the 50th floor would be different from the one on the 30th floor.
Well, I doubt it'll be that much stronger, but just in case, I want to raise my level and acquire new skills before facing it.
Having Bell around is convenient, but he doesn't raise my level for me.
In the end, only running on my own two feet...
...will actually improve my skills.
Having Bell clear the floors for me was so comfortable that I almost got a bit lazy lately.
Still, I shouldn't let my guard down.
The same goes for the wyverns I'll encounter soon.
They say the demons of the 60th floor are on a completely different level from the monsters I've faced so far.
The knowledge I gained from Alteon's memories also warned me about the demons.
The only reason I managed to subjugate Imir was because he was a 'clone,' not the main body.
He was bound to be weaker than the original.
Well, that might change if I collect his 'fragments' and feed them to him, though.
Stare...
I lock eyes with Bell, who is waiting for orders.
"...Ah."
His lifeless eyes are staring intently at me.
I got lost in thought for too long.
"Go cut off the tails of the Poison Mantas."
In the case of the Sky Mantas, their fin leather can be put to good use.
However, the fin leather of the Poison Mantas melts away upon death.
Instead, their tails, which are tipped with poison stingers, can be harvested.
These sell particularly well in Japan and Taiwan.
Swish!
Bell vanishes instantly.
While he harvests the tails, I look around the area.
"..."
Unlike the other floors in the 50s, this place features a sea-like expanse known as the 'Abyss.'
Splash...
It is a place where pitch-black water, dark as the void, crashes in waves. In a way, this sea is far more dangerous than the mantas.
Just letting the waves touch your feet is said to inflict mental abnormalities like madness, chaos, and confusion.
Of course, thanks to the World Tree's Blessing, my body is completely immune to mental status ailments.
Which is great, since it lets me inspect it like this.
Strangely, even after successfully clearing the 50s floors, many Hunters ended up drowning in this 'Abyss.'
They say they walked into the sea as if possessed.
Some hypothesized that the seawater clinging to the Poison Mantas splashed onto the Hunters, triggering mental abnormalities.
However, others countered that if that were the case, Hunters should have been jumping into the sea at the very beginning of the fight when the Poison Mantas first appeared.
Regardless, that is why the golden rule for the 54th and 55th floors is to return immediately upon clearing them.
Whoosh...
It looks just like an ordinary sea.
What on earth is this place?
Could it be related to the fragment of Imir on the 50th floor?
Or perhaps...
Thud!
While I am lost in thought, I hear the sound of Bell dumping a massive pile of poison stingers onto the ground.
"...Oh, good job, Bell."
I snap out of it and look up.
"Shall we head back?"
Without even realizing that I had taken a step closer to the Abyss.