254 Chapter 254: Inferno Kong (2/2)
”Harrison! Take Craig away and run!” I shouted. ”I'll hold the Inferno Kong off for as long as I can!”
”But…” Harrison, like any natural leader, was hesitant about leaving a teammate behind. Even so, he could see that Craig was in pretty bad shape. If we continued to battle, it was highly likely that we would advertently draw the semiconscious spearman into our fight and he was in no condition to evade or fight back.
”Trust me! If there's anyone who can defeat a rank B monster, it's me!”
Harrison regarded me for a moment, digesting my words. He was very aware of my reputation for taking down high-ranked monsters, having heard of me nuking three rank B Crastrates at once and even witnessed firsthand my subjugation of the Silver Skeletal Wolf. He probably also heard of me destroying two rank A dragons – the Hellfire Drakes. Of course, I had help in the two latter cases, working together with Harrison, Craig, Theodore and the rest to slay the Silver Skeletal Wolf, while Troy King and the Sword Saint Kureha assisted me in exterminating the two Hellfire Drakes. If it weren't for my reliable teammates, I would never have lasted long enough to kill either of them.
”I can't nuke the Inferno Kong if you guys are still in the area,” I reminded him gravely. As if I ever intended to nuke the Inferno Kong – that would start a forest fire, which would go out of control as well as drew the attention of not just the other students but other monsters to me. By then I would have used up all my mana and wouldn't be able to fight them off.
Not that Harrison needed to know that. and before readers started complaining and calling me stupid for bravely sacrificing myself for my friends and seemingly to walk to my death, allow me to remind you that I could still kill a rank B monster without needing to rely on a spell of mass destruction. That was how I slew the Silver Skeletal Wolf, remember?
”Aquila!” Even as the Inferno Kong managed to knock Black Tortoise and Canis Major aside, I summoned a new Constellation spirit. ”Altair!”
The giant eagle soared through the air before releasing a devastating torrent of crimson energy that sliced through the clearing and struck the Inferno Kong with full force, knocking it aside. Stunned, the Inferno Kong tried to roll back up to its feet, its chest bleeding profusely, but Canis Major fired off another Sirius spell that engulfed it.
Visibly, it seemed that I was winning. Just a few more spells here and there and I might finally be able to finish it off. It might be a gradual process, but anyone could see that I was slowly but surely chipping away at its health. I should be able to finish it off before long.
That was the appearance I wanted to give, anyway.
Fortunately, it was enough for Harrison to accept my proposal. He slung Craig's arm over his shoulders and hefted him up.
”Don't die. I forbid it.”
”Hah! Who do you think you're taking to?” I scoffed. ”If anyone dies, it'll be the Inferno Kong.” As if to punctuate my statement, a combined volley from Canis Major and Aquila, casting their Sirius and Altair at the same time, slammed into the Iron Kong and knocked it off its feet, engulfing it in a maelstrom of destruction.
Black Tortoise then unleashed a waterfall to crush the seemingly hapless Inferno Kong.
Harrison flashed me a smile, but he knew as well as I did that the Inferno Kong wouldn't go down so easily. Already the waterfall was transforming into steam as the rank B monster boiled it with its incredible flames.
Even if I could prevail over the Inferno Kong eventually, it would only be after a long, grinding battle. And the rest of my teammates couldn't afford to wait that long. Craig was injured, and the students we had just rescued were also hurt and being escorted by Theodore and Lily. The groups that were spectating earlier had been eliminated and killed by the Inferno Kong, their charred corpses callously discarded to the side.
Karma was a bitch.
Aware of my predicament, and knowing that it was not realistic for me to waste too much time and energy on defeating a single opponent especially when there were so many other enemies to keep an eye out for, Harrison issued another instruction.
”Our objective is not to kill as many monsters as possible. It's to survive until the end of the Spiritual Road. Once we're clear and retreated to a safe distance, withdraw. Leave the Inferno Kong, and try to catch up with us.”
”I'll do my best,” I replied, deliberately being vague. There was no way I was going to let the Inferno Kong live. Not because I was seeking revenge for the ten students it had slaughtered, but because it had attacked me. Of course, it wasn't just because I was being petty. The Inferno Kong was going to hunt us down, and being a highly intelligent rank B monster, I was sure it would continue to pursue the puny humans who had dared hurt it so badly until it wiped all of us out.
It would be too dangerous to let the Inferno Kong live past this battle. Not after I had caused so much damage to it. It would definitely want vengeance for the wounds I had dealt it.
But Harrison didn't need to know that.
”Go on ahead. I'll catch up with you guys later.”
Harrison studied me, his instinct for some reason informing him that I wasn't quite telling the whole truth. But with the weight of a teammate on his shoulders – quite literally – he couldn't afford to quibble. Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
”You had better.”
Then he was gone, along with the rest of my teammates and the people we rescued. Turning to the Inferno Kong, who was still flailing against my three Soul Beasts, I grinned and raised a hand to finish casting one final spell. Golden mana swirled violently as it coalesced around my right arm and extended to cover the rest of my body.
”It's just you and me now.”