Chapter 143 (2/2)
At that time, Hibiki couldn’t use the same SSS-Class defensive magic and couldn’t maintain magic spells of a lower level for long due to her low Mana capacity.
We were not fools, so we instinctively knew that the Lich had to be killed first, but we couldn’t move beyond the wall of monsters despite our desire to move forward and fight it openly.
Additionally, it was Angelica who had the ability to use long-ranged attacks other than Hibiki, but her firepower was not overwhelming enough to drive the Lich to a corner.
However, the situation was a lot different in my current life.
“Squeal!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
Boom! Boom! Crush!
It didn’t matter how the monsters surround us caused chaos. Hibiki’s magic was safely defending us all.
Of course, her Mana was wearing out quickly because it was such a considerably powerful spell.
[Mana Legacy!]
However, Euclid was prepared to refill her Core even before it could show any signs of revealing its bottom.
Thanks to that, the other party members were able to aim for the Blood Lich from afar, calmly and leisurely.
[Sephirot Guardian Bow]
I took out my ranged weapon from the snake inventory.
The SSS-Rank artifact in my hand not only increased the strength of my ranged attacks by 25% but also created arrows made out of Mana the moment I willed it to existence.
Creak!
As I pulled the bowstring backward with great strength, causing the bow to bend, the metal string resounded with a warping sound. A blue arrow was then formed out of thin air, already nocked on it. Twenty shots, loaded.
I released the bowstring right away.
Loose!
Paht!
– No…?!
Boom! Boo-boo-boom!
The Lich wrapped himself in a red shroud. The arrows that hit the target exploded and shook. I could see its Mana being chipped off.
That wasn’t where our bombardment ended, either.
– He turned his body into undead? However, he failed while trying to be greedy when he did not have enough ingredients. Just die here! K-hahahaha!
Genograche, who understood his opponent’s nature, used various sword movements that allowed him to fire out sword energies, creating a storm out of it. After that, Nate summoned his multi-caliber cannons and fired cannonballs made out of light intensively at the floating undead.
– How dare you, bastards?!
The Lich’s bafflement was evident on its mental waves.
He changed the kind of chimeras he created. That time he made a protective meat shield that flew around his body to keep himself safe.
However, our attacks accurately only hit localized areas, and they were dealing tremendous damage to its body faster than it could rebuild the chimera that would fall down after it died.
As that process was repeated nonstop, the Lich seemed to have quickly decided. His eyes glowed red.
‘It is faster than in my previous life!’
The second reason why the Last Five struggled at that time was that the Blood Lich even transformed in that state.
It was almost as if it was casting a powerful curse upon itself, accompanied by a limitation.
The spell temporarily made him gain more power in exchange for a blurred reason.
“Screech!”
As it must have realized that it was no longer useful, he seemed to have cut off the cord of life connected to the chimera without second thoughts.
The bizarre monsters that had no Cores in their hearts fell as they screamed in unison.
The abominations it created then started rolling around.
Their shape began to change.
Bubbling!
“Ugh!”
Euclid puckered her face once again.
The flesh of the fallen things on the floor melted, and their bones broke.
The Chimeras’ bodies boiled and bubbled to the point where it became difficult to recognize their shapes.
They quickly flocked to the center like a torrent sweeping through the shallow riverbed. The Blood Lich waited for them at that place.
Goooooo!
The appearance of the Blood Lich, who was flying around with only its torso intact, disappeared, and a colossal monster wearing body fluids and flesh of melted monsters appeared in its stead.
While it was in that form, wide-area spells would no longer work against it.
We had to destroy the life vessel hidden deep in its disgusting body with a precise and decisive blow to kill it permanently.
I had to get as close as much as I could and deliver that one blow!
Kyaaaaa!
The bizarre monster recited spells as if it was what its instincts were telling it, considering its cold logic had already collapsed.
While my colleagues were covering me, I charged forward, emanating sword energy.
Not long after, its spell collided against my sword energy!
Swish!
The monster pulled itself out in an instant with a Blink spell. A curse then began to stream out of its red eyes, but…
– The [Status Effect Resistance (Rank: SSS)] skill has resisted the [Curse of the Boiling Blood (Rank: SS)] skill!
Kaaaaargh!
The attempt to kill me by boiling the blood cells flowing through my veins all at once was executed in vain.
I shot a purple light ray towards him.
Genograche and I blocked every retreat route it could take from either side of it as we charged toward the atrocious being.
‘In my previous life, Randy was the only party member that could handle battles revolving around close-quarters combat.’
However, as I had said, the situation was far different from my past life.
Rumble!
The sound of thunder rang. Genograche’s sword energy was intertwined with the lightning, which was an item-effect, drawing a firm straight line. As the Lich’s body was pierced, it stiffened for a moment.
I used that opportunity to rush in from behind it.
Swaaaaaa!
The moment I thrust my sword forward, the surrounding became filled with blinding brilliance.
Purple rays ran through the air in front of the path of the devil’s sword. But the glow was not the same as before.
The advantage of [Arta’s Sword Dance], which I loved as much as I had trained for the longest time, was its abnormal movements, which couldn’t be distinguished between dynamic and static movements, and the power it accumulated over time.
However, that texture that I just made while stabbing was different.
I superimposed the incomparably potent energy without borrowing the repeated movements and power of time. I then unleashed all of it all at once.
And with that one attack, I could feel its Mana being taken away in chunks.
Soon after that, the sight that everything was dyed with purple had disappeared.
– …!
The scene that greeted me was the life vessel in the place where I had stabbed, vanishing without a single trace.
Gooooooo!
The meat chunks that formed its colossal body began to collapse slowly, turning mushy and even liquefying as they fell to the ground.
The battle was over.
– What?
In the place where the Lich’s body disappeared, a golden armor was looking at me through the fluttering darkness.
There was no expression, but through its telepathy that followed, it showcased the baffling emotions that filled it.
– Hey. You… Did you just…
I nodded.
“Yes, I’ve tried to imitate it a bit.”
From the 50th floor all the way to the 95th floor, Genograche was stirring the battlefield like a fish in the water.
His sword movements were diverse, deep, and powerful.
Remembering that everything didn’t make one perfect, there was also a lack of absolute time to train it. Therefore, I had to focus only on [Arta’s Sword Dance] when it came to sword movement skills accompanied by body movements.
However, as our climb to the top of the Tower followed, and as I watched on the feast of the devil’s luxurious skills… Some kind of enlightenment had built inside of me as well by itself, and I reflected on it little by little while hunting. Although Genograche, who was too busy killing for its own excitement, wouldn’t have noticed.
And at that moment, I unfolded the first completed ‘Grain.’
-… Did you perhaps improve the [Arta’s Sword Dance] by yourself? Of the Lord Arta’s sword?!
I nodded quietly, and the devil’s sword murmured something along the lines of “This absurd bastard.”
“Now, then.”
I looked at my companions and addressed them.
“There aren’t much for the floors left for us to Clear. We head straight to the 100th floor in this way!”