Chapter 198: Scylla Assault and Chaotic Beast (1/2)
“Myaaaaaaah!!”
It suddenly appeared.
No, it might have been there to begin with. It was hiding deep inside, huh.
The nest that’s dome shaped had the cry echo through the whole area. It is as if it pierced through my entrails… That kind of hard to describe cry made us understand that there was something completely different from the Lamias here even if we didn’t want to.
*Zazazaza*
The sound of something sliding against the ground resonated.
The Lamias stopped their movements, and it seems like they are directing their attention in that direction.
(It is showing up with this timing, huh.) (Hikaru)
I could see that since I have Night Vision.
A giant body one size bigger than the Lamias, at over 3 meters tall.
Its upper body is the appearance of a woman just like the Lamias, but it has blue skin and unnaturally long arms, moreover, her abdomen was split, and there were beast fangs lined up from that open space.
The lower half is even more abnormal. Wriggling tentacles like the legs of an octopus were asserting their presence.
It is in the same category as a Demon Lord.
It is truly mixed; a Chaotic Beast.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Is it bad luck…or maybe good luck?
The strongest monster of the 4th Floor.
The Scylla has entered the stage.
“W-What is going on here?!” (Rifreya)
Rifreya was looking around restlessly.
She still can’t see that since she doesn’t have Night Vision.
“It is the Scylla. I did hear that there would be times when she would come out from the Lamia Nest, but…what should we do? Should we break a Barrier Stone?” (Hikaru)
“No, we came here with the intention to defeat her to begin with. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a feel of how strong it is. Also, it would be a bad move to use a Barrier Stone here. We have to at least return to the entrance before using it or we would be leaving Full-chan behind.” (Jeanne)
“So we will be retreating little by little then…” (Hikaru)
Jeanne is calm, but her voice is trembling.
We have been advancing little by little as we fought in the Lamia Nest, so we have gone almost to the very center of the nest. Returning to the entrance would require us to run with our backs turned which holds a risk of its own.
And most of all, the pressure of the Scylla is strong to a painful degree, and…even if not to the point of being impossible, I don’t have the courage to take my eyes off her.
“Mimimimimimi—!”
It let out a weird cry while her tentacles were transforming.
The purple thing looked like the legs of an octopus, but it has changed into a giant wolf head.
“Gaaruaaaaaaa!”
As if the wolf head had a will of its own, it growled, and rushed towards us with bloodshot eyes.
The pressure of a giant monster that makes even the air itself tremble. Even as someone who has faced a Demon Lord, my back was shuddering here.
Even the usually headstrong Jeanne had her knees go weak a little there.
Now that the battle has begun, it is most likely impossible to run away already.
It may be possible to use Barrier Stones to take refuge temporarily, but this is the Lamia Nest. In the time we are cooped in the barrier, the Lamias will increase in numbers, and it would be clear that our escape would be made even more difficult.
We are at the very center of enemy territory.
“…No choice but to do this. We came here with that intention to begin with, right, Kuro, Reya?” (Jeanne)
“No, I would have wanted to do this after defeating all the Lamias.” (Hikaru)
“Don’t ask for such luxury here. It is a monster that sometimes doesn’t even show up when looking for it, you know?” (Jeanne)
“Yeah, I get it.” (Hikaru)
We don’t have the time to be complaining here.
We did come here to fight the Scylla, so we have researched info of her properly beforehand.
No matter how strong of a monster it is, a monster that already has the information on how to win against it isn’t that much of a threat…in theory.
We know that it doesn’t use Spirit Abilities.
We know that it doesn’t jump.
We know its attack range.
Know its element.
Most of all, we have more than a hundred instances of battle information of when it has been defeated.
If our levels are reasonable, even if there’s a difference between information and actual combat, the chances of losing decrease greatly.
“…That said, the Lamias are a hindrance.” (Hikaru)
The problem is that there’s still a lot of Lamias. It is way too much to fight at the same time.
Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Scylla and the Lamias are coordinated here, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are both aiming for us.
“Hikaru, what should we do?!” (Rifreya)
“Kuro, what do we do?!” (Jeanne)
Seeing the whole battlefield and giving orders is my job.
For now, I would like to avoid getting pushed from all sides.
“Rifreya, reduce the number of Lamias as you have been until now! Jeanne, keep the Scylla at bay! I will assist you two!” (Hikaru)
“Okay!” (Rifreya)
“Got it!” (Jeanne)
The Scylla opens up her tentacles as if spreading open wings, and shrieks.
It is an action like that of a wild animal that has identified you as an enemy and is intimidating you.
“A giant boss battle, huh. My blood is boiling!” (Jeanne)
The eyes of Jeanne were burning and she faced the giant monster that’s several times her size.
She puts up her shield and takes on the whip-like attack of the Scylla’s tentacle.
“Myaaaaaaaah!!”
The inhuman scream of the Scylla.
She backsteps the bite of the wolf head, and she was protecting herself behind her shield from the sweeping attacks of the many tentacles that were sending everything along with the Lamias flying away.
It is obviously going to be difficult to switch to the offensive there, but in terms of defense, she is dealing with that ferocious monster in higher than equal footing.
“[Darkness Fog]!” (Hikaru)
I cut to the back while defeating the hindering Lamias, and activate the dark fog on only the upper half of the Scylla. The Scylla is not a snake woman like the Lamias. In other words, there’s the chance that the darkness works on her.
It is also because I could tell from the battle just now that she was following the movements of Jeanne with her eyes.
The Scylla let out an annoying cry while blindly swinging her tentacles.
You might get hit by it if not careful, so this in itself is still dangerous, but if you properly take distance, she is harmless in this state.
Several Lamias were being caught in this blind rage of the Scylla and were being torn apart.
It is an outrageous strength. If I were to get hit by that, I would be dead before I even have time to heal.
“Rifreya, darkness works on the Scylla! For now, defeat the Lamias at a safe distance from her! Jeanne, take distance and deal with the Lamias first! I will handle the Scylla! Try not to get close to the Scylla! The range of the tentacles is wide!” (Hikaru)
If darkness works, it would be better for me to be its opponent.
Seeing that Jeanne took distance from the Scylla, I spread the range of the Darkness Fog.
I take out a Spirit Energy Potion and drink it.
“Close, [Dark Coffin]!” (Hikaru)
Scyllas are monsters without much movement speed.
Also, its big body.
Dark Coffin is strong but slow in its activation, so it is a good ability against this monster.
“Aa—Ami—Aaa—……”
A dark coffin of 20 sides seals the giant octopus woman inside the darkness.
(…Did it work? But…it doesn’t look like it will be hanging for long.) (Hikaru)
We are dealing with a monster that has mighty strength.
It most likely surpasses the Demon Lord we fought before in terms of plain strength.
My Spirit Energy is being sapped away at outstanding speed just from maintaining the ability.
“Full! I will summon the Dark Knight here! We won’t be able to put our strength in watching out for you there, so if a monster comes, break the Barrier Stone without hesitation!” (Hikaru)
Sound travels well inside the cave.
Full, who was sneaking peeks inside the cave from the entrance, responded with an ‘understood-nyan’, and I immediately began channeling my Spirit Energy.
A Barrier Stone costs 1 Point, so it is a decently valuable item, but this is the time we should be using them.