by Okina Baba
Our target this time is the Nightmare’s Vestige, a mutant taratect—stronger than an upper-class wyrm or even a dragon—said to have been left behind by the Nightmare.
Apparently, it attacked a group of adventurers and partially wiped them out, which is why we were sent in to destroy it.
“Die, hero.”
The Nightmare’s Vestige disappears from sight.
Or, at least, it moves with such ferocious speed that it seems to have disappeared.
Instantly, I grab Yaana beside me and jump to one side.
Then something cuts through the air where we were standing just seconds ago.
The two front legs of the creature’s eight morph into a pair of scythes.
I tumble to the ground, towing Yaana along.
Then I use the momentum from my roll to stand again, pulling Yaana back up with me.
“Yaana, support us with your magic, please. It’s best to assume that attacks won’t hit this thing.”
“Understood!”
Such speed. Without powerful accuracy-boosting magic, I doubt any strikes would land.
My master probably could have done it, but I can’t expect the same results from Yaana.
Master was outside the norm in many ways, after all.
My comrades move according to my instructions, and the three greater taratects set out at the same time.
Greater taratects have average stats somewhere around 2,000.
But the most dangerous monster here is undoubtedly the Nightmare’s Vestige accompanying them.
“I’ll take care of the greater taratects! The rest of you, focus on taking down the Nightmare’s Vestige!”
I shout orders as I charge the approaching greater taratects.
Jeskan aims his sickle and chain toward the Nightmare’s Vestige.
The creature dodges it by leaping upward.
Reaching the ceiling, it clings upside down.
Hawkin immediately throws a knife, but the Nightmare’s Vestige runs along the ceiling with terrifying speed, an impossible target.
The throwing knife simply bounces off the rock surface of the cavern with a dull thud.
“How the hell is it movin’ that fast on the ceiling?”
Hawkin’s voice cracks a little, but I can’t blame him.
It seems best if I finish off the greater taratects quickly and rejoin the rest of the group.
My sword fills with a holy light.
The greater taratects spray webbing at my feet, trying to slow my approach.
My shining blade severs it with ease.
Spider monsters’ silk may be dangerous, but it’s no match for my holy light.
I press my advantage to gain ground on the closest greater taratect.
The beast tries to guard itself with its front legs, but my sword slices its limbs neatly in half, along with its head.
Fluid gushes from the body of the first spider as it falls.
The second greater taratect counters immediately, leaping over the giant corpse.
But I have magic at the ready to take it out.
Holy Light Sphere. The small, floating ball of light blows the second enemy away.
The attack tears the greater taratect to shreds before it hits the ground.
One left!
As the battle continues, the effects of Yaana’s magic begin taking hold.
Magic increases all our stats while also boosting our resistance to poison.
When fighting spider monsters, the most important things to be wary of are poison…and thread!
Glancing behind me, I see a rain of silk showering down from the ceiling at my comrades.
Jeskan swings his now-flaming sickle and chain.
Spider thread is vulnerable to fire. An experienced adventurer like Jeskan isn’t likely to get caught like that.
The sickle and chain arcs toward the Nightmare’s Vestige.
But by the time the weapon reaches the ceiling, the monster is no longer there.
The Nightmare’s Vestige launches itself directly at Jeskan.
Hyrince jumps between them, stopping the attack from the Nightmare’s Vestige with his shield.
The heavy sound of the creature’s scythes clashing with Hyrince’s shield hurts my ears.
Hyrince falls back a step from the sheer weight of the assault, and the Nightmare’s Vestige leaps backward in turn, putting some distance between them.
At that moment, Hawkin slashes at the monster with a short sword.
The Nightmare’s Vestige dodges Hawkin’s blade by a hairbreadth, trying to get a bit more distance.
In these short moments, the battle unfolds like a tug-of-war.
I only spare a second to assess their struggle.
The greater taratect sees this as an opening and charges.
Its giant, poisonous fangs bear down on me.
How foolish.
The spider’s fangs crash against a wall of light right before my eyes.
It’s a Light Magic spell called Light Barrier.
Normally, it’s a thin shield only effective against low-powered attacks like arrows.
But with my stats behind it, that defense becomes much stronger.
A Holy Light Sphere bursts over the thwarted greater taratect.
I quickly turn on my heel.
The Nightmare’s Vestige isn’t looking in my direction.
Thinking it’s my chance, I strike at it from behind.
The Nightmare’s Vestige reacts to my attack so quickly, dodging my sword with ease, that it’s as if it has eyes on its back.
However, I’m prepared for this possibility.
Aiming at the Nightmare’s Vestige as it leaps back, I let loose with some Light Magic.
This—along with Lightning Magic—is among the fastest magical attacks.
No matter how quick the Nightmare’s Vestige might be, there’s no way it can dodge this.
I’m confident I’ll land a direct hit, but something blocks my strike.
It’s been canceled out by a Dark Magic spell cast by the Nightmare’s Vestige.
“What?!”
I can’t contain my shock.
The fact that the creature uses magic isn’t surprising in itself.
As soon as I realized it understands human speech, I could tell it’s very intelligent.
That being the case, it’s no wonder it can use spells.
But how can it dispel a hero’s magic? Against a technique that activates in an instant, no less?
It must have stats that rival a high-class wyrm—or maybe even a dragon.
Sweat drips unpleasantly down my forehead.
The Nightmare’s Vestige dodges Hawkin’s throwing knife only to be met with Jeskan, who swings a flaming sword at it.
Jeskan can employ all kinds of different weaponry, depending on the situation.
Usually, he favors a giant ax, but he appears to have opted for a sword in this instance to match his opponent’s speed.
However, the Nightmare’s Vestige avoids even Jeskan’s blade, proceeding to slice at my comrade’s body with its scythe-like front legs.
“Ngh!”
Jeskan drops to one knee with a short grunt.
The Nightmare’s Vestige turns to attack him again, but Hyrince stands in its way.
“Yaana!”
“Right!”
Yaana responds to Hyrince’s cry.
She hurries toward Jeskan to heal him.
Aiming for the moment when Hyrince stops the attack from the Nightmare’s Vestige with his shield, I cast another spell.
This time, the monster doesn’t bother dispelling it, simply reading my movements and ducking the attack instead.
But I’m prepared for that as well.
I cast again, aiming in the direction the Nightmare’s Vestige is leaping and tapping into magic that I’d prepared simultaneously.
Light Magic level 10—Light Field.
Against an enemy this fast, the best approach is an attack with a wid
e effective range that gives the target nowhere to run.
Light Field is exactly that kind of spell. It bathes a broad area with light and causes damage.
Even the Nightmare’s Vestige couldn’t avoid it if there was no chance to escape.
Still, at top speed, that thing might manage.
Which is why I forced my prey to dodge my initial attack—to throw the beast off-balance when I cast this one.
The light envelops the Nightmare’s Vestige, just as I planned.
It was a perfect strategy.
And yet a poisonous fog spreads out, eclipsing the light. Poison Magic.
The Nightmare’s Vestige launched a counterattack, even as the light seared it.
“Ugh!”
Pain assaults my whole body.
I can feel my HP rapidly decreasing.
Such a powerful poison. My resistance should be heightened thanks to Yaana’s magic, and yet…
“Julius!”
All at once, the pain eases. It isn’t Yaana. Goyef?
“This is the best I can do, but poison is my strong suit. Leave it to me!”
Apparently, Goyef saved me with some kind of detoxification magic. Thank goodness.
I look back. The Nightmare’s Vestige is crawling out of the light.
It’s definitely wounded, but its injuries are far from fatal.
Not only that, but the monster seems to be gradually healing. Maybe it has HP Auto-Recovery or some kind of recovery magic?
Either way, it seems like ordinary methods won’t be enough to bring down Nightmare’s Vestige.
“Good grief. Our attacks rarely connect, and when they do, they barely make a dent. Really brings you down, doesn’t it?”
Hyrince’s casual observation makes me smile.
In reality, the situation is far too grim for such light commentary. Hyrince must know this, so he plays it off as an attempt to keep the party’s mood from becoming despairing.
If the Light Magic attack with the broadest effective area won’t slay it, then my only option is to use even more powerful spells.
I do have something stronger than Light Field.
The strongest spell in my arsenal: Holy Light Magic level 7—Holy Light Beam.
However, while this magic is powerful, it only deploys in a straight line.
How can I land a hit…?
But I’m not fighting alone.
My friends will create an opening for me.
Trusting in my companions, I begin preparing the spell, when I notice something strange.
The Nightmare’s Vestige is behaving oddly.
Is it afraid of something?
Whatever the cause, it’s the perfect opening.
Jeskan restrains the immobilized Nightmare’s Vestige with his sickle and chain.
As if coming back to itself, the beast starts moving again, struggling to escape.
Then it’s pierced by one of Hawkin’s throwing knives.
Hawkin’s weapon carries an attribute that inflicts paralysis on its victims.
The Nightmare’s Vestige spasms and stops flailing.
That’s when I cast the spell I’ve prepared—Holy Light Beam.
“Excellent work.”
Goyef’s praise seems to be coming from far away.
Looking around, I only see the members of our party.
What in the world made the Nightmare’s Vestige seize up like that?
If that hadn’t happened, we might have lost this battle.
“Julius, I know you might be concerned, but we won. Let’s just focus on that for now.”
I nod slowly at Hyrince’s words.
He’s right. There’s no use getting hung up on things I don’t understand.
Why did the Nightmare’s Vestige target me, the hero?
Why did it suddenly stop?
Why did I feel so uneasy, despite the fact that we won?
I have no way of unraveling any of this, so there’s no use worrying about it.
After all, no matter what happens next, I’ll have to keep fighting as the hero.
“Well, looks like our job here is done.”
“Indeed. Let us leave this place as quickly as we can.”
“Ah, there’s a spider behind you!”
“What?! Where? Where is it?!”
“Sorry, my bad. I was just seeing things.”
Yaana puffs up her cheeks in rage at Hyrince’s teasing.
Jeskan looks on blandly, and Hawkin gives a dry smile.
They’re all their usual selves.
Right. I might not feel 100 percent reassured, but everything is fine.
Now the Nightmare’s Vestige can’t cause any more harm.
Protecting the people’s safety is the hero’s duty.
So our accomplishment should be cause for celebration.
In the wake of the battle, we’re able to leave the Great Elroe Labyrinth without further incident.
“Was it quite to your liking?”
“Hmm? Well, it seems like one of them got a false start, so I’ll have to deal with that…”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, it’s all right. Nothing to do with you, so don’t even worry about it.”
“Very well, then…”
“More important, what would really please me is if you’d make some headway on your own work, y’know?”
“As you wish, O Demon Lord.”
WYRM? NOT FISH?
Man, I knew I had a bad feeling about this.
Because apparently, sea horses are wyrms.
Yep. It’s a lesser version of that earth dragon’s species.
Guess that would make it a kind of fire dragon?
I mean, if earth dragons exist, fire dragons must, too…
There aren’t any in the Middle Stratum, are there?
Let’s hope not.
Okay, I’m getting a little off track here. Time to seriously focus on dealing with the immediate issue at hand.
Status: HP: 461/461 (green) MP: 223/223 (blue)
SP: 218/218 (yellow) : 451/466 (red)
Average Offensive Ability: 368 Average Defensive Ability: 311
Average Magical Ability: 161 Average Resistance Ability: 158
Average Speed Ability: 155
Status Appraisal Failed
>
That’s the monster swimming slowly through the magma right now.
For a low-ranking wyrm, its shape resembles a catfish more than anything else.
The name “seven” doesn’t really suit it, either.
Not that griping about the naming system in this world will do me any good.
That huge, catfish-like mouth is definitely its most notable feature.
If it catches me with that…yikes. At my size, it’d definitely swallow me whole.
It’s great that status Appraisal worked, though.
The probability is usually about one in three.
So I’m lucky it came through this time.
It’d be way too dangerous trying to get past this thing without knowing its exact stats.
All the Middle Stratum monsters I’ve run into have been weak, but this is definitely the strongest so far.
If possible, I’d like to just ignore it.
But it’s swimming around right next to my path.
Going by experience, chances are high that it’ll attack me.
Hmm. What should I do…?
I mean, if I try to run away, I’m pretty sure I could outpace it given my speed, but it’d be a pain having that thing chasing me for ages with its crazy-high red stamina gauge.
And even if its yellow gauge is smaller, it’s still
several times the size of mine.
Most importantly, I can’t see its skills.
If the catfish has a high-level SP Reduced Consumption skill or something, I may not be able to outrun it, after all.
I doubt that’s the case, but still…
It’s a bit strong to consider a straight fight.
Should I run away after all, then?
Yeah. I don’t wanna push it.
Things have been going pretty well lately, but every time I get overconfident, it always ends poorly for me.
See, I’ve learned a thing or two by now. I know better than to get carried away.
I have to proceed with the utmost caution!
And so, I’ll start moving slo-o-o-wly.
If it sees me, I’ll just take off at top speed.
Now…wait. Another catfish just emerged from the magma nearby.
Eh?
What?! This wasn’t part of the deal!
I didn’t get carried away this time, but I still wound up in trouble?!
The catfish locks eyes with me. After staring blankly for a moment, it opens its huge mouth.
Backstep!
The catfish’s huge mouth clamps shut on the spot where I was just standing.
It keeps advancing, sliding up on land.
The damn thing has limbs. I didn’t notice in the magma.
Not only that, but its whole body is covered in dragon-like scales.
By all appearances, it’s extremely well protected.
Yep. I’m gonna run for it.
Geh?!
When I turn in the direction of the escape route I’d mapped out, I see the other catfish crawling onto land.
Wait, now I’m flanked on either side! How am I supposed to run away?!
What do I do now?!
Oh geez, my only choice is to beat the one in front of me to the punch!
I wrap poison thread around the catfish’s body.
I already confirmed while I was training that Poison Attack enables me to add poison to my threads.
Not that it’s much use here, since they burn up right away!
But even so, hopefully it’ll poison this guy some in the process!
Of course, the thread catches fire right away.
I check the catfish’s HP to see if the poison is having any effect.
It worked. Its HP has gone down a little.
In which case, I just have to poison it properly.
The catfish opens its mouth wide.
And charges right at me.
Nooo! Scaryyyy!
But I have to hang in there as long as I can!
