Piercing the Shell
Once the 【Radiance】 effect faded, Nayoon came to her senses and asked what my plan was. She looked out of breath. I knew it was a high-risk move. Even so, it had to be done.
“Got… some kind of good idea?”
“Not exactly a good idea, but it feels like a way might open up. First, we need to regroup with the others behind us!”
“Got it!”
Even though I was acting recklessly, Nayoon simply trusted my words. As we moved, I kept explaining.
“Remember when I cut the Acid Tentacler just now…?”
“It felt like I was dreaming, but yeah, a little.”
“Good. Wasn’t it different from the first time we fought it?”
“……Now that you mention it, this one felt softer!”
That confirmed it. The Acid Tentacler’s defenses had weakened. It seemed to realize the same thing and wasn’t pressing the attack. Any creature would turn defensive when weakened. We used that opening to rejoin the others. Thanks to Nayoon and me holding the line, the injured had safely retreated to the rear.
“Dohyun oppa!”
Everyone called out happily, but I looked straight for Seorin, the most important person here.
“Seorin!”
“Wh-what…?”
“Can you still cast magic?”
Startled by how loudly I’d shouted, Seorin thought seriously for a moment before answering.
“Three small ones, or one at full power… I can manage that!”
“Then get ready for full power!”
That single shot was crucial. Even at full power, though, it wouldn’t be enough to finish the Acid Tentacler. Not even a weakened one. Before the magic could work, we had to strip away its defenses first. Besides Seorin, could Nayoon or I actually break through…?
Nayoon had already proven it was impossible for her. Even with 【Radiance】, she couldn’t do it. A few more strikes on the same spot might work, but the monster wouldn’t give us that chance. That left me. I needed a method too… If only I had something like the lightning Seorin used… I wish I had magic like that!
——Wait, I do have magic!
It wasn’t as flashy as Seorin’s, but I had a spell that could drop heavy objects from above.
“Yeah, that’ll work. There’s no rule saying 【Skills】 can only be used the way they’re meant to be!”
If this were really a game, 【Skills】 would have to be used exactly as intended. But this isn’t a game! It’s reality, so 【Skills】 hold endless possibilities. The skill I had in mind was 【Material Warehouse】. Its current storage capacity was two tons—more than enough.
Nayoon reacted to my muttering.
“Did you think of something, Dohyun?”
“Yeah, I think I did!”
Daon and Jaehun decided to stay in the rear. Nayoon ordered Jaehun to look after the injured and asked Daon for the same. Only Seorin, Nayoon, and Sohyun stepped forward to face the Acid Tentacler again. Where was I? On the rooftop of the building beside it, looking down at everything. The height was enough to see the monster’s massive body clearly. I stared at its dark, mottled back and picked my target.
“That spot looks good!”
The creature remained still even with the three of them in front of it. I looked at them; they looked back at me. Too far to read expressions, but the signal that we were ready was unmistakable. Time to execute the plan. Above the Acid Tentacler’s back, I opened the entrance to 【Material Warehouse】 as high as possible from the rooftop. Inside was a single two-ton concrete block I’d prepared earlier. Pulled by gravity, it plummeted and slammed exactly where I’d aimed.
BOOM——!
The impact of concrete against the caterpillar-like body rang out like thunder. Its scream was an added bonus.
『Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik——!!』
Even that wasn’t enough to pierce its shell. It only managed to dent it. Just how strong was Nayoon? She’d left scratches with her greatsword…… This thing was ridiculously tough……! It might not have broken through, but it should have weakened the armor. I’d deliberately struck a spot that would be easy for the others to attack.
“Nayoon——!!”
Before I even finished shouting, she was already moving. The Acid Tentacler belatedly extended its tentacles to counter, but Nayoon was far faster. She wasn’t usually this slow; maybe shedding its skin wasn’t something it took lightly. Seorin’s magic that forced the shed was no joke either. Everyone’s so enviable!
“Go, Nayoon————!!”
All I could do from up here was cheer, so I cheered with everything I had. Nayoon kicked off the wall, leaped high, and in one stroke slashed the wound I’d created. The dented spot split even deeper. Still, it wasn’t enough. We couldn’t see its blood yet. How the hell does something like this even exist——?! At this point I wanted to file a complaint with the monster for not dying already. Honestly, I’d planned to expose its flesh and let Seorin finish it. The operation had gone smoothly up to now, but the outer shell was thicker than anyone could have imagined. Nayoon tried to follow up with a second strike, but the Acid Tentacler apparently decided one hit was enough; it blocked with its tentacles.
“Kgh……?!”
Nayoon’s follow-up failed. We couldn’t afford to waste this chance. We had to break through its shell somehow. Sohyun…… wouldn’t work. It had to be me! The monster was focused on the people below and hadn’t noticed me yet. My body moved before I could think. I climbed onto the railing, reversed my spear so the blade pointed down, and gripped it tightly.
“W-wait, what are you trying to do……?!”
I heard Seorin’s voice. I couldn’t make out the words.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but don’t do it.”
Seorin’s one shot had to end this. If we failed to kill it in one go and it shed again, that would be the end. Whether it could shed repeatedly like that was questionable, but these monsters had already broken common sense multiple times. Better to assume the worst and make sure. I looked at Seorin. She seemed to be saying something, but I didn’t even try to listen. We always bickered, but I knew her words right now were worry. I could just make excuses later that this was the best option!
“I don’t plan on dying either!”
Resolved, I jumped without hesitation. Aiming exactly at the spot Nayoon had cut, I drove the spear in using the force of gravity. The spear finally pierced the shell; blood sprayed out as proof. Acidic blood splattered across my entire body.
“Kuaaaaaaaaak——!!”
I wanted to run away immediately, but the wound was still too shallow. The pain made it impossible to put more strength into it. If I let go, the creature’s slightest thrash would dislodge the spear.
“Sohyuuuuuuuuun——!!”
“H-huh……?”
“Run! Run and hit the spear! I’ll block the tentacles!”
Nayoon understood first and explained to Sohyun. Once she got it, Sohyun started running.
“Fine, whatever!”
Tentacles lashed toward both me and Sohyun, but Nayoon blocked them all, even using 【Radiance】 again.
“Haaaaaaaah——! ——Die!”
For a moment I thought I saw blood in Nayoon’s eyes. She’d already used a high-consumption skill twice in a row. Everyone besides me was risking their lives too. Thinking of that, I endured the pain and kept my grip on the spear. At the perfect timing after I held on, Sohyun’s fist came flying in.
“【Full Power Strike】!”
When her fist struck the butt of the spear, it drove even deeper into the monster’s body!
『Kieeeieeeieeeek——?!』
The Acid Tentacler thrashed violently, spraying more blood. My flesh burned, but 【Pain Resistance】 leveled up once and the pain eased slightly. Using that strength, I shouted.
“Kgh…… Everyone, retreat now!”
This wasn’t running away. It was a strategic withdrawal!
“O-oppa……?”
“I can get out on my own!”
My role was over. I released the spear and jumped down. Of course, a tentacle came swinging. Sohyun managed to dodge, but my reaction was too slow; it struck my back and sent me plummeting to the ground. This……? I thought I was dead, but Nayoon snatched me out of the air.
“N-Nayoon……?”
“You’re stronger than me, yet you’re still this annoying!”
“You… didn’t you leave? Then why……?”
“Just felt like I should, that’s why!”
“Then run……”
“Running away is beneath me!”
Even in this situation, the crazy woman wanted to keep fighting. She was drenched in acid just like me…… If our stats hadn’t far exceeded normal humans, neither of us would have lasted this long. I couldn’t stop her like before. I had no strength left. My mind grew hazy……. In that state, I unconsciously muttered.
Damn……!
“It hurts……”
Just as Nayoon was about to charge the Acid Tentacler again, she froze at Dohyun’s words. The monster swung its tentacle; Nayoon dodged while still carrying him.
‘Why can’t I move forward……?’
The question lasted only a moment. Nayoon did as Dohyun wanted and withdrew. It wasn’t fleeing. She simply didn’t want the burden she’d worked so hard to save to die.
“Huh……?!”
Once she left the fight, Nayoon could finally cancel her 【Skill】. She was so dizzy she could barely breathe, but she still managed one sentence.
“Good work, Dohyun… Thanks to you, everyone gets to live……!”
She used what little stamina remained to escape. Last was Seorin.
“Hurry, get out!!”
She shouted roughly and gathered every last drop of mana she had left. Even the Acid Tentacler shuddered at the sheer amount. It tried to use its remaining tentacles to block her, but words were faster than any movement.
“【Thunderbolt】!!”
A deafening bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck the spear still embedded in the Acid Tentacler’s back. The lightning traveled through the spear and into the monster’s body. For that single moment, the outer shell that had blocked every attack was useless. Its flesh and organs fried from the inside; blood poured from every orifice, the acidic blood melting even its own body. It had dreamed of a brilliant future, yet it was stopped by a handful of humans. The creature wept.
『Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii——.』
“Wh-what……?”
Sohyun, the least injured among them, coughed up blood while watching the noisy Acid Tentacler. Seorin couldn’t even stand from dizziness. Nayoon caught her breath. Dohyun clung to consciousness and watched the monster’s final moments. Black smoke rose from the Acid Tentacler’s body. No matter how abnormal the monster was, this was definitely death.
You have defeated the Acid Tentacler (Juvenile) and obtained 17,500 coins.
“We did it……”