Chapter 75: Awakening (6)
Chapter 75: Awakening (6)
The Stone Beasts surrounded Han Shin and Grace, slowly tightening their circle.
Earlier, before the gap could close further, Han Shin and Grace had charged straight ahead to neutralize the leopard-shaped Stone Beasts. However, immediately afterward, the giant-shaped Stone Beast had hurled a massive boulder. While they were busy evading it, the other Stone Beasts had managed to close the distance even more.
Han Shin and Grace both realized they needed to break through a single point again. Standing still and focusing solely on defense was not a viable option. In the worst-case scenario, they would be pinned down by these smaller Stone Beasts, only to be caught in the impact of another house-sized boulder thrown by the giant.
Furthermore, they had to account for the fact that the giant-shaped Stone Beast was slowly lumbering toward them.
Thump! Thump!
Though the massive giant moved slowly, its stride was so enormous that its approach could not be ignored. Grace decided they needed to put distance between themselves and the giant, judging it best to break through in the direction they had originally been heading.
"Han Shin, we need to break through toward the right—the way we came."
"Right."
Han Shin, who had been thinking the same thing, nodded in agreement without further word. Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on the handle of his silver-glowing warhammer, preparing to plow through the monsters.
K-Boom!
Just as the two were about to move, something plummeted from above, crashing directly onto the Stone Beasts blocking their path. The vibration was as intense as the impact of the house-sized boulder the giant had thrown earlier. A small shockwave rippled out, hitting Han Shin and Grace head-on.
Feeling the impact against his skin, Han Shin blinked.
"What was that? Oh..."
He was confused for a moment, but he quickly realized who it was. It was Laysia. She had climbed up earlier to secure a vantage point and prepare for any ambushes from above.
Having faced Stone Beasts in her original world, Bürg, she had recognized the threat faster than anyone. However, Stone Beasts had also awakened on the cliffs where she was stationed, and clearing them out had delayed her from joining Han Shin and Grace immediately.
Laysia knew that the Stone Beasts' weakness was their Core, and having fought them many times, she possessed the specific techniques to destroy them.
Crushing Blow.
It was a technique that sent a shockwave into the target's body upon impact, shattering their internal structure. It was the perfect skill for dealing with Stone Beasts; there was no need to pinpoint the Core's exact location. As long as she landed a Crushing Blow anywhere on their body, the shockwave would find and shatter the Core. Provided she had the strength to spare, neutralizing them was a simple task.
Because of this, Laysia had made short work of the Stone Beasts that lunged at her. During the process, she had been careful to lure them away from the edge, ensuring the falling debris wouldn't accidentally strike or hinder Han Shin and Grace below.
Just as Laysia finished clearing the monsters atop the rocky plateau, a massive explosion echoed from below. Moving urgently, she spotted the giant-shaped Stone Beast in the distance. Like Han Shin and Grace, she immediately surmised that it was the Boss Monster.
However, her priority was confirming the safety of her companions. Standing at the edge of the cliff and looking down, the first thing she saw was the debris of a shattered boulder scattered everywhere.
That thing must have thrown a rock.
Though she hadn't seen the act itself, Laysia deduced the situation from the aftermath. Not far from the debris, she spotted two figures clad in silver armor that reflected the light.
Thank goodness.
She had worried they might be injured, but seeing them moving normally brought a sigh of relief to her lips.
"Whew..."
Relieved that Han Shin and Grace hadn't been crushed or seriously hurt, Laysia turned her attention back to the battlefield.
Thump! Thump!
She could see the giant-shaped Stone Beast, still some distance away, dragging its massive body toward them.
I have to join them immediately.
From her high vantage point, she could see the tactical situation clearly: Han Shin and Grace were surrounded, and the Stone Beasts were inching closer. She judged that her immediate intervention was necessary.
She took a few steps back from the edge, then sprinted forward and leaped into the air. The cliff she stood upon was about twenty meters high. At such a height, even an Awakener would find it a daunting drop to take recklessly. No matter how much stronger an Awakener's body was compared to a civilian's, they weren't immune to injury or the sheer force of impact.
Furthermore, considering the terrain was a hilly area made of jagged rocks and stones, the risk of serious injury was high if the landing spot was uneven.
But for Laysia, it didn't matter. She was a Martial Artist, but she was also a Priest who served Tiamat.
As she plummeted, Laysia cast an Enhancement Spell and a Shield Spell on herself in quick succession. Then, she aimed her landing directly at the torso of a large, crocodile-shaped Stone Beast.
Her landing was far from ordinary. She channeled the Divine Power of Tiamat into her legs as she descended, releasing a burst of energy upon impact that sent a powerful shockwave through the area, obliterating the surrounding Stone Beasts.
The ground cratered as if a bomb had gone off. Naturally, the crocodile-shaped Stone Beast beneath her feet was ground into dust.
"Laysia!"
Han Shin called out, his voice a mix of surprise and relief. He hadn't expected her to join them in such a dramatic fashion.
"Let's move to a more open area first," Laysia urged.
"Yeah, that was our plan too."
Thanks to Laysia obliterating a whole cluster of the monsters, the three of them were able to break through the encirclement and begin exiting the corridor-like terrain.
The Stone Beasts pursued them, flinging rocks and stones. These creatures possessed a strange, innate hatred for living things. Whether it was because they were non-biological entities or because of their very origin, they were relentlessly hostile toward life. It was the reason why the hills they inhabited were so utterly desolate.
Trapped within the Dungeon and infused with mana, their aggression had only intensified, making them obsessively fixated on Han Shin, Grace, and Laysia.
Han Shin realized this wouldn't be easy. Before they knew it, more Stone Beasts began appearing ahead, blocking their path.
Slam!
Since there were only a few so far, they weren't enough to halt their momentum. Without slowing down, Han Shin swung his hammer, shattering the torso of a lion-shaped Stone Beast. Stone fragments sprayed in all directions with a clattering sound.
Though he had neutralized the monster cleanly, Han Shin felt no joy or particular interest. Their immediate problem was the giant-shaped Stone Beast still pursuing them. As the presumed Boss Monster of this Dungeon, it was a foe they absolutely had to defeat.
Thump—! Thump—!
The sound generated by the giant echoed in their ears—a massive, heavy noise that was impossible to ignore. The rhythmic thud of its footsteps, composed of dense, solid rock, carried a weight that pressed down on their very spirits.
The three of them finally cleared the canyon-like terrain and reached a wide, open expanse. As they moved, boulders the size of small houses—similar to the one that had nearly hit Han Shin and Grace earlier—flew toward them.
Having prioritized the giant in their awareness, the three did not miss these attacks. Fortunately, the giant-shaped Stone Beast couldn't help but make a tremendous noise whenever it reached down to pick up and hurl a piece of the environment.
Sigh... but how do we deal with that thing?
How to take it down was their greatest concern. Laysia, who had experience with such creatures, knew that in Bürg, massive armies were usually deployed to handle Stone Beasts of that scale. Because of its sheer size, a standard Crushing Blow was ineffective.
The Core at the center of such a giant was much larger than those of the smaller variants, and the sheer mass of its body made it incredibly difficult for a Martial Artist's Qi to reach deep enough. Attempting to silence a giant Stone Beast by using Crushing Blow blindly would consume far too much energy.
If Laysia had been in peak condition, it might not have mattered, but...
Currently, all three followers of Tiamat were unable to exert their full power. Laysia, the strongest among them, was in a particularly difficult spot. Clearing the monsters on the cliff alone and then using a significant amount of Divine Power to make her rapid descent and join the others had drained her considerably.
To defeat the giant, she needed to get close and strike as near to the Core as possible, but given her current exhaustion, that seemed like a distant prospect.