Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: A Change in Plans
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When Adel requested I act as her guard, I had already noticed something was off with the Crown Arachne.
I moved instantly to save her, but I felt a twinge of unease.
My movements had been faster than I intended.
‘If I hadn't moved that fast, I wouldn't have been able to save her.’
If anyone questions it, I'll just say the life-or-death situation brought out some superhuman strength.
Yeah. That should work.
Thud! Thudud!
I continuously blocked the Crown Arachne's fangs and forelegs as I retreated.
With Adel in my arms, of course.
Facing the giant spider was incredibly difficult, but I didn't feel too bad about it.
"I suppose pain and pleasure really do come hand in hand."
I muttered the pointless remark to myself, but she didn't react.
From her expression, she seemed to be in considerable shock.
It made sense. A monster this huge had charged right at her; it would be strange if she wasn't shocked.
With that thought, I quickly pulled back.
Meanwhile, Ellington and Kamil rushed in to draw the Crown Arachne's attention.
But just as I was about to set her down in a safe spot, I heard Adel Richter's listless voice.
"Unbelievable... My analysis was wrong."
Wait, what?
She wasn't shocked because she almost died, but because her strategy failed?
‘She looks normal on the outside, but she's not all there, is she.’
Just as that thought crossed my mind, there was a strange movement up ahead.
"Kerrk! Kwargh!"
The Crown Arachne's body began to transform.
Despite having its head pierced by Ellington's sword, it looked perfectly fine.
Clang! Clang!
The team members focused their attacks, but they had little effect.
Just then, the gleaming insignia of a demonic spirit caught my eye.
"Huh? Did you just see that?"
Adel, who seemed to have seen it too, tugged on my arm and spoke.
"The insignia, you mean?"
"Yes. Earlier, I heard someone say it briefly turned silver. I thought they'd just misseen it, but..."
"It's definitely not a typical third-rank spirit. Didn't that Anselm guy say it wouldn't be easy?"
In the first place, a druid being controlled by a Blue Tower mage was strange enough.
Suppressing the mind of such a powerful human would be no easy feat.
How it went berserk is also a mystery.
"In any case, the background doesn't matter right now."
"Right. Taking that thing down is the priority."
"You stick with Mac. From now on, you're his guard. Circle the arena and call out the timing for attacks."
"Isn't that different from what we agreed? You were supposed to follow our command."
"If you can handle that thing right now, be my guest."
I gestured with my chin toward the transformed Crown Arachne.
The creature boasted a completely different appearance, exuding a terrifying aura.
The crown-shaped pattern was more pronounced, and its entire body had turned white.
Most notably, it had grown about one and a half times its previous size.
Kk-d-duk! Kk-d-duk!
Moreover, its four protruding fangs had also become much larger.
"Ah..."
Seeing the creature's fearsome new form, Adel let out a soft gasp.
Even without any information on her opponent, she could instinctively tell.
That if they continued with their current strategy, they would surely lose.
"Alright. Are you going to intervene actively from now on?"
"Who else is going to solve this if not me?"
"...Overconfidence can ruin even a sure thing."
"Then let's just call it confidence."
"Wow! You just can't lose an argument, can you."
"I can be pretty competitive sometimes. From now on, factor me into your strategy."
Despite this, Adel Richter hesitated.
This way, Ellington wouldn't get the spotlight as originally planned.
But in this situation, there was no other solution.
The team members who had been pouring on the attacks were already getting crushed.
Kwagwang! Thuuump!
It slammed its forelegs into the ground, creating a deafening roar like a magical explosion.
Simultaneously, two large craters formed, sending Frixon and Curtis flying.
"Ugh!"
"Khk! Why did it suddenly get so strong?"
Even though they had raised their aura to the maximum, both suffered considerable internal injuries.
The force of the impact was just that powerful.
That's how formidable the power of a druid evolved to a fourth-rank spirit was.
"There's no time to analyze. It's time to move on instinct."
"...Understood. We'll manage somehow."
"Good. I'm going in."
"W-wait! You have to at least give me a general idea of what you're going to..."
Adel's flustered voice trailed off, but I was already running toward the Crown Arachne.
‘Just command them according to my movements.’
In a situation this urgent, who needs a plan?
I had no choice but to improvise as I went.
Of course, Adel Richter probably wasn't used to this method.
But what could I do?
This was the only way to win now.
"Move!"
Tadadadat! Kwaching—!
As I charged straight in and swung the Black Dragon Sword, Ellington and Kamil split to the left and right.
Then, they glanced over at Adel, who was in command.
Their eyes seemed to ask why the formation had changed so suddenly.
Soon, her clear voice rang out.
"Lord Ellington, Lord Kamil, move to the flanks! Pin down its legs as best you can!"
The moment Adel Richter's order was given, the two of them moved without hesitation.
Kamil's reaction was expected since I'd told him to follow orders, but the third prince's movement was surprising.
‘Oh? So he promised to follow her command unconditionally. Interesting.’
No matter how skilled she was as a strategist, trusting her completely was a stretch.
After all, Ellington's status and skill were far superior.
Yet, for him to respond so swiftly, it seemed Team 2 already had a solid chain of command.
A very solid one, at that.
"Time to show what I can do."
The berserk Crown Arachne's strength and speed were beyond imagination.
On top of that, an unknown energy was flowing through its entire body.
If I struck carelessly, the repulsive force would cause significant damage back to me.
But I paid it no mind and unleashed my sword strikes freely.
Kagagagang—! Thuuump!
It was as if I was completely unaffected by the druid's energy.
The reason for this was simple: my aura was far purer than my opponent's.
‘Even a fourth-rank spirit is no match for the Demonic Soul.’
Neutralizing the repulsive force was something that happened internally anyway.
There was no outward sign of it.
People would just think I had a lot of guts.
"Kwik?"
It was a simple move from the first half of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword, but the opponent's reaction was violent.
The Crown Arachne leaped up, seemingly in great pain.
Quickly shooting a web, the creature fled to the iron bars on the ceiling.
But just because it went somewhere out of reach didn't mean it was safe.
"Lady Sophia! Lord Mac! Attack!"
Team 2 had two members capable of long-range attacks, after all.
"Inferno!"
"Go, Noes."
Fwoooosh! Thwack! Thwack!
Sophia shot crimson flames from both hands, while Mac used arms of rock that rose from the ground to perform swordsmanship.
‘Oh, that's pretty good.’
The sword held in the spirit's hand was a lump of unrefined metal.
Because of that, it looked more like it was swinging a club, but one effect was certain.
It could clear away all the webs filling the air.
Furthermore, Sophia's fire blast was hot enough to melt the Crown Arachne's exoskeleton.
"Kwik! Kwiii!"
Shwoooosh! Thud!
In the end, the creature couldn't withstand the relentless assault and had to come down to the ground.
If it landed among the Team 2 members, they would be forced to stop their ranged attacks.
But this place was like an antlion's pit.
The Black Dragon Sword, brimming with a chilling aura, was waiting for its prey.
"Nice delivery!"
Sphiiing—! Jjeojeojeojeong!
As a series of sword strikes exploded against it, the Crown Arachne staggered back.
It seemed it was having a hard time withstanding my frontal assault.
In fact, that was inevitable.
I wasn't projecting an aura blade, but my sword strikes were on par with one.
‘There are too many eyes watching. I should tone it down a bit.’
I intentionally reduced the power of my aura, giving the other team members a chance to act.
Of course, its exoskeleton was so tough that it didn't have much effect.
Still, I was able to erase the impression that I was single-handedly overwhelming the Crown Arachne.
But, at a point when the battle was proceeding smoothly...
"Kwaaaaaak!"
A heavy shriek erupted from the creature's mouth.
At the same time, a silver energy enveloped its exoskeleton.
And...
"I-it's standing?"
"Is that even possible with a spider's anatomy?"
To everyone's surprise, the Crown Arachne stood up tall on its four hind legs.
Then, it began to wave its forelegs in a complex pattern, as if conducting an orchestra.
The Team 2 members looked momentarily bewildered by the creature's strange behavior.
But the assault, which had paused for a moment, quickly resumed.
"We can't give it time to recover. Keep attacking!"
Adel's shout brought everyone back to their senses.
"Right. This is no time to hesitate. Let's go!"
"Who cares if a spider stands up! That's not important!"
They shouted and rushed forward, but I remained still.
I felt a strong sense of unease.
Sure enough, the movements of the team members rushing toward the enemy slowed down dramatically.
I furrowed my brow at the phenomenon, which felt as if time itself was stopping.
‘What is this? And what is it trying to do with a trick like this...?’
Glancing up at the ceiling, I realized something.
The people outside the arena were moving at their normal speed.
"Damn it."
Sensing something was wrong, I shot forward to get past my teammates.
But my body also began to slow down.
It was as if invisible threads had caught me, controlling me like a marionette.
"Hah!"
But a mere trick like this couldn't stop me.
I let out a sharp cry and raised my aura, and the Demonic Soul stirred, releasing an immense amount of energy.
Tzzt-tzzt-tzzt!
The invisible threads wrapped around my body evaporated in the intense manifestation of my aura.
Twooong—!
I then surged toward the Crown Arachne at tremendous speed.
But where the creature should have been, there was only a small cloud of dust.
"Huh?"
Suddenly looking up, I found where the spider had vanished in that brief moment.
It had climbed its web with incredible speed and was clinging tightly to the ceiling.
It clicked its four fangs, as if mocking me.
‘That bastard?’
Just as I was about to leap up after the Crown Arachne, a sharp noise echoed throughout the arena.
Kaaaaang