Chapter 67: The First Letter (67)
Chapter 67: The First Letter (67)
The response to my desperate, frantic shout was instantaneous. Though they all looked dazed, a week of hellish training had etched new instincts into their very bodies.
Swords were drawn, and the three of them formed a defensive formation to protect Senior Elsie. Even then, the Demonic Beast remained motionless, simply staring at us.
As if it found us pathetic, its gaze met mine, and threads of thought began to tangle in my mind.
Given its massive size and the example of the high-ranking Demonic Beast I’d faced before, it had to be incredibly fast. However, with a body that large, it shouldn't have been able to pass between the trees.
Would it be better to retreat into the forest to fight, even if it meant obstacles in our sword paths? No, that was a foolish thought.
The monster had already adapted to the forest. There weren't even any signs of fallen trees nearby. That meant it had some secret method—the mechanics of which I couldn't fathom—that allowed it to navigate the narrow gaps between the trees.
In that case, intercepting it in the clearing was our best bet. I immediately drew my sword and kicked off the ground.
"Senior Elsie, chant!"
"Shield!"
As if responding to my command, mana erupted from Senior Elsie’s wand like a firework. Immediately, a sturdy armor of mana enveloped my body.
This was why a mage was essential. At the very least, they could prevent an instant death.
Celine and Seria immediately flanked me. It was crucial to press the beast with a pincer movement of chain attacks. We had to use hit-and-run tactics so it couldn't focus on any single one of us.
Even so, there was no guarantee we could land a meaningful blow. The deep blue Aura gathered on Seria’s sword was our only hope. Aside from her, none of us had the power to even scratch the hide of that beast with a blade.
Our primary focus had to be on disrupting the beast's senses. Even if we couldn't pierce the hide, a blade could still sink into areas like the nose or eyes. We had to make it so the beast couldn't ignore Celine and me while we accumulated damage.
And we would leave the finishing blow to Senior Elsie. The destructive power generated by the resonance of the five rings surrounding her heart was terrifying.
If she hit a weak point, no Demonic Beast, no matter how powerful, could withstand it.
Watching Seria rush toward the beast, I turned back and shouted to Senior Elsie.
"Senior Elsie, aim for the horn!"
"Haste, Strength... what?"
Senior Elsie, who was busy casting support magic on us, reacted as if I were talking nonsense, but there was no time.
The first exchange had already begun. Seria lunged forward, carving a silver line through the air. It was a textbook upward slash. The wolf, facing it head-on, actually reared up to dodge the blade.
The creature already boasted a terrifying height. Naturally, its body length was even greater, and as it stood up, it gave the illusion of a centuries-old giant tree coming to life.
How could such rapid movement come from a frame that massive? Yet, that impossible reality was unfolding right before my eyes. There was no time for complaints.
The wolf swung its forepaw as if to crush her. Sharp claws suddenly unsheathed. It wasn't a cat, yet the length of the claws it had been hiding was considerable.
They were proportional to its massive paws—each claw was nearly the size of a sword. However, Seria was the finest sword-wielder among us.
Clang! A sound far too heavy to be a mere collision of claws and steel echoed through the clearing. Seria gritted her teeth, parrying the claws with her sword. Blue Aura blazed along her blade.
Seria skillfully dove into the wolf's personal space. The belly usually had relatively thinner hide. If she could carve through it with her Aura, even this wolf wouldn't walk away unscathed.
However, the wolf swung its forepaw again before Seria could even reach its underside. The paw was simply too large and heavy. There was a limit to how much she could parry with a sword.
At that moment, Celine lunged forward. A streak of light exploded from her hand. It was her specialty—the sword-drawing technique.
Boom! Another explosive sound erupted.
Celine’s full-power strike had the weakness of making chain attacks impossible, but its sheer power was devastating. It was enough to knock back the wolf's strike—the same strike Seria had to grit her teeth just to parry.
With that support, Seria had already slipped under the wolf. For a fleeting moment, I held the hope that we might land our first effective hit.
Whoosh. The wolf’s body twisted at a bizarre angle. Or rather, should I say it distorted?
Its body bent like a mollusk. That massive frame stretched out, carving a trajectory through the air. Before we knew it, the wolf had repositioned itself behind Celine and Seria.
Holy shit, I couldn't help but curse inwardly.
Even for a Demonic Beast, how could a wolf move like an invertebrate? What happened to its skin and bones?
The beast was practically swimming through the air just by elongating its body. It was a sight that defied the laws of physics.
That was how it had been able to roam freely through the dense trees. In fact, the more crowded the forest, the more advantageous it was for this beast.
While its opponents would be restricted in their movements, the beast could use its unique traits to navigate the woods at will.
It was the moment my decision to fight in the clearing was proven right. Of course, I wasn't happy about it at all. Celine and Seria were currently frozen in shock, and the beast had taken their rear.
By any measure, it was a crisis. I didn't even have time to run over; I had to draw the hand axe from my waist.
Then, I threw it. The hand axe spun through the air like an arrow, aiming for the wolf's flank.
I hoped it would at least hit near that wide-open maw as it prepared to pounce on Celine. And as always, my throwing skills did not disappoint.
Clang! The spinning hand axe collided with the beast's teeth and bounced off. Teeth are packed with nerves; even the toughest creature is bound to feel pain if hit there.
The wolf let out a mournful skre-eee and twisted its jaw. It crashed into the ground, narrowly missing Celine.
It was a close call. But a Demonic Beast wasn't going to stay dazed for long just because it got hit in the teeth with a hand axe.
"Get away!"
At my shout, the startled Celine and Seria immediately scrambled away from the beast. The wolf's forepaw swept through the space they had just occupied. Its arm had elongated like a whip.
Schlick. The sound of the air being sliced echoed out. It was a chilling sound. It was proof that even while its head was slammed into the ground, it had been aiming for a surprise attack with its paw.
If they had stayed there, Celine and Seria would have been cleaved in two. As soon as they were clear of the beast, they regrouped by my side.
They looked pale. They had heard that Demonic Beasts possessed strange traits, but they clearly hadn't expected anything of this level.
The beast was already compressing its elongated body back down. Like air being pumped into a balloon, it returned to its muscular, massive form.
"Does anyone know a strategy for this thing?"
"...How about running away?"
That was Celine. Her face was drained of color. She had just survived a brush with death, after all. It was only natural for her to be shaken, given her lack of real combat experience.
Of course, my answer was already decided. I silently shook my head. If we ran, that beast would surely hunt us down.
In the meantime, Seria had retrieved my bounced-off hand axe and handed it back to me. Having gone on Demonic Beast subjugations before, she seemed more composed than Celine. And she was the most skilled among us.
Yet even she looked grim. With a serious gaze, she offered a bleak outlook.
"I think we have no choice but to rely on Senior Elsie."
That was fine by me. In that case, we had to buy time. I hooked the hand axe back onto my belt.
It was then. Without any warning, the wolf’s body launched forward like a cannonball.
Seria instinctively threw herself out of the way, but Celine was still dazed. I lunged at her, shoving her aside.
Thud! An impact vibrated through my entire body.
Come to think of it, the high-ranking Demonic Beast I assumed was this thing's offspring had done the same thing. A body slam of terrifying speed, with no detectable telegraphing.
I felt like the secret was finally being revealed. The damn thing could shrink and expand its body at will. Naturally, it could crouch its muscles so tightly that no movement was visible before it launched.
My body smashed through a couple of trees before slamming into the ground. I heard the crack and snap of the trees splintering.
Gasp. The air was knocked out of my lungs. The impact had bypassed the Shield and rattled my insides.
"Hey, are you okay—!"
"Don't worry about me and just keep, urgh... keep chanting!"
Senior Elsie called out in a panic, but every second counted. In the clearing, Seria and Celine were already exchanging blows with the beast.
Once again, the beast was using its stretching and shrinking to launch erratic attacks. Thanks to the Shield, I had avoided instant death, but my stomach was churning.
Pui. I spat out a mouthful of blood. I had only allowed a single hit, and I was already in this state.
I slapped my trembling arm with my other hand, forcing it to steady. Then, I immediately sprinted back into the fray.
"Ian, are you—!"
"I'm fine, just fight!"
Senior Elsie was already deep into her chant. Some time had passed, but we needed to buy a little more. Since she couldn't chant support magic while focusing on this, we had to assume the Shields were gone for good.
I awakened my senses to the maximum and clung to the tail of the elongated wolf. Then, I thrust my sword with all my might.
Thuck. I felt the tip sink in, but there was no sensation of piercing the hide. Still, it must have stung, as the beast howled at the unexpected strike. Taking advantage of that opening, Seria, who had been under assault, slid under its chin and slashed her sword.
Splurt. A small amount of blood sprayed out. As expected of Seria. Even a named-level Demonic Beast seemed to take damage from her Aura.
The beast seemed confused about whether to attack me for stabbing its rear or Seria for landing the first effective hit. At that moment, Celine’s sword found an opening and struck the beast.
Boom! Even though it was a sword strike, it sounded like an explosion. It meant she hadn't properly pierced the hide, but a strike infused with all of her exceptional mana could become a blunt weapon in its own right.
The beast howled in pain and then stretched its hind leg out. It looked like an earthworm on a rainy day.
Then, it lashed out at Celine, who was clinging near its flank.
"Aah!"
With the sound of a whip cracking, the Shield surrounding Celine’s body shattered. The claws of the hind leg had dug into her Shield.
Celine tumbled across the ground. It was then that Senior Elsie’s voice rang out.
"Pin it down somehow! It's coming now!"
Celine was still down; only two of us could carry out that order.
Seria and I locked eyes. Simultaneously, we both kicked off the ground. The beast glared at us with even more ferocious eyes.
If we took the next hit, it was over. But the only way out was to take the beast down. We had no choice but to be aggressive.
The beast’s body was compressing again. Now I knew. I knew why it had to return to that solid, muscular form.
It was preparing another body slam. Seria and I locked eyes once more.
She gave a silent nod.
If we didn't stop that body slam, we couldn't land Senior Elsie’s magic. That understanding formed between us.
Seria immediately stepped in front of me. Since she still had her Shield magic, it was the only choice to minimize the risk.
Immediately after, the sound of the collision erupted.
Bang! Compressed air exploded outward, sending my hair whipping wildly. Even Seria found it difficult to deflect the momentum from that massive frame, and her body was pushed back, her feet dragging through the dirt.
The beast faltered for a moment. Sensing that something was wrong, it tried to stretch its body again, but it was too late.
I surged forward like a rising tide. Close quarters—a distance where even the wolf's paws couldn't easily reach.
At that moment, I drew the hand axe from my waist. And then, with all my strength, I brought it down right onto the bridge of the wolf's nose while it was still processing the situation.
Thwack! The axe buried itself deep into the flesh. I wanted to slam its snout into the ground then and there, but the beast's strength was too great.
Blood sprayed across my face.
Having achieved my goal, I threw myself to the side. Overcome by the sudden, sharp pain, the wolf couldn't resist its instincts and jerked its head upward.
The hand axe, unable to withstand the recoil, flew into the air. The beast's blood traced a crimson rainbow along the blade.
A mournful scream erupted with overwhelming volume. I had to cover my ears against the noise that rattled my eardrums. In the next moment...
The world turned white.
It wasn't a metaphor or a joke. Literally, the world erased the scenery like a blank canvas. Sight and sound gradually lost their boundaries.
It was a thunderbolt. A spear of lightning cast from the heavens bleached the world.
The ground exploded, and a hot wind shook the trees violently. Even though it was just the aftershock, the shockwave sent me tumbling across the ground again.
It was Senior Elsie’s magic.
The 'Judgment of Light,' a 5th Circle lightning spell.
Its power was terrifying. Even though it was a piercing-type spell aimed at a single point, the surroundings were in chaos as if a bomb had gone off.
As my hearing returned, a high-pitched ringing pierced my brain like an earworm. I staggered to my feet.
If this kind of power hit a weak point, no matter how terrifying the monster, it couldn't possibly be fine.
With that conviction, I crawled over and grabbed my hand axe, which was rolling on the ground. It was crackling with residual electricity since it was a conductor, but I endured it.
Only then did I look toward the beast.
The beast, its snout still tilted upward, was motionless. It was as if it had turned into a stone statue.
The crackling remnants of the lightning were still permeating the air. Relief began to spread across the faces of Seria and me as we tensely observed the beast's condition.
Until the beast lowered its head and glared at me again.
Its horn was glowing white with blue electricity. As if the mana had reached its eyes, its pitch-black pupils were now shining a brilliant blue.
No matter how you looked at it, this was not a creature on the verge of death. Rather, those murderous eyes were closer to those of a predator facing its prey.
As I stared blankly into the beast's bright blue eyes, Senior Elsie screamed.
"Lightning resistance! That bastard has lightning resistance!"
Wait, this wasn't supposed to happen.
My mind went blank. I had come all this way believing the horn was the weak point. But it was perfectly fine even after taking a direct hit to the horn?
The horn looked incredibly sturdy. It seemed impossible to cut through it with Aura, let alone hide.
Then why, exactly...
Time seemed to stop as I locked eyes with the beast's blue pupils. My gaze slowly scanned the beast's horn.
My hyper-sensitized senses scoured the area around the beast's forehead. Then, I caught it—a very minute crack.
Between the horn and the hide, I saw it. A gap.
Time began to flow again. I gritted my teeth and rolled away. The beast's forepaw scraped the spot where I had just been.
I didn't care about dignity. I rolled through the dirt until I was covered in it, retreating to the rear.
Senior Elsie was visibly panicked. Her face was deathly pale, and her teeth were chattering. She seemed to have judged that there was no longer any chance of victory.
I shouted to her.
"Senior Elsie, one more time!"
Despite my demand, Senior Elsie only shook her head. A voice soaked in fear leaked from her lips.
"Wha-wha-what are you talking about... I told you, that thing has lightning resistance! My magic is useless no matter how many times I fire it—eek! Okay! I'll do it! I'll do it, okay?!"
Of course, Senior Elsie’s resistance didn't last long. It was because I had subtly shown her the hand axe I’d retrieved while rolling on the ground.
However, she wasn't convinced. Not just Senior Elsie, but Seria and the now-recovered Celine were also looking at me as if wondering what I was thinking.
What was I going to do?
"Celine, Seria! Buy me time again!"
It was the thing I excelled at after that week I didn't remember.
In other words, a crazy stunt.