Importance of Reliance
『Shaaaaa...!!』
The serpent's body glowed.
It's activated Martial Arts Skill [Qi Clad] to raise its Attributes.
The real battle begins now huh. I'm gonna power up with Energy Control too.
『Sharuaaaaaa!!』
"Daryaaaaaaa!!"
The serpent's Extended Mana Fangs collided with my Mana Blade Rev.
One Mana Fang broke apart, but not the other. Guess stopping both is a tall order.
Currently, both the serpent and I have around 2000s Strength.
The biggest differences would be the serpent's higher Res and my higher Luck
High Resistance makes you resistant to abnormal status so flash bang won't blind this snake. It can probably endure Lightning Pepper shoved down its mouth too. Loud sound to break its hearing is pointless since it's got heat and smell sensors.
Having all effective debuffs completely negated against a stronger foe is debilitating.
In contrast, I only have my Luck with its vague effects.
Luck in combat affects [Spur of the Moment], a very hazily defined factor that may or may not turn the tide of combat.
For example, when I'm up against a swordsman, their sword may break from wear and tear, or they might slip up during crucial moments resulting in a fatal opening.
...In this case, those fangs are constantly in a perfect condition, and this serpent's HP and MP were at max when I ran into it. I'm doubting if my Luck is even at work.
Solely relying on Luck isn't gonna get me anywhere. I gotta think up a way to beat this thing somehow---!
『Shagwaaaaaa!!』
"Kuh...!"
Damn, this bastard undulated the majority of its body to increase the number of moves.
Each move has enough power to turn ten trees into sawdust.
It shot out five, six of this move every second.
The attack speed itself is slower than Oni-sensei's.
But dealing with this barrage at its size gives me no room to counter attack.
Doing so will open me to a direct hitting counter instead.
『Shaaaaaa!! Gishaaaaa!!』
As if making doubly sure, the serpent blindly fired Mana Fang Farslash in conjunction.
But it cannot seem to hit me accurately due to its undulating body, all the strikes kept missing me by a breadth. What's it doing?
...!? H-huh? The Farslash aren't disappearing? Heck, aren't they stopped mid air?
<<Piercing Fang Arts Skill Lv7 [Mana Fang Crescent Moon]: An ability that fixes unleashed slashes in place. The stopped farslashes deal damage to anything that touches it. Mana is consumed while the ability is in effect, but there is no time limit as long as mana is supplied.>>
Oh crap, I've been caged in farslashes before I realized what was going on.
But the serpent will get damaged by those farslashes too if it attacks me now. Wait, no way.
『Sha!!』
The serpent concentrated a huge quantity of mana in its head for a brief moment before shooting it at me.
<<Dragon Skill Lv3 [Quick Dragon Breath]. An ability that shoots out a high speed mana bullet. It possess a lower area of effect and power than Standard Dragon Breath, however it boasts superior speed and explodes upon impact.>>
Boom. Then comes an intense impact.
"Uwaaaaaaaa!!?"
The breath blow up right as I finished reading Menu's explanation.
The power was so high even though it wasn't a direct hit. I'd likely lose all my HP if I didn't wrap myself in a thick Mana Cushion + Armor.
The impact was severe enough to blow me out of Forest of Toxin.
Dangit, I managed to barely escape with my life but this thing's far stronger than I thought!!
What the heck was 'I don't feel like losing'! Dumb me! Gotta quit getting so conceited just cause I raised my level some!
This is obviously not an enemy I can face by myself!
『Shagyaaaaaaaaa!!』
Seemingly noticing my survival, the serpent chased me outside of Forest of Toxin.
What a persistent fella. It won't stop going after a prey it's locked on huh.
...They're already in range it seems. This thing hasn't noticed.
I'm going all out!
I'll use up all my remaining Stamina to buff my Attributes!
Raising them to around 3000 will only last me a few more minutes but I'd lose anyway if this kept up. I'm going short and decisive.
I converted some of my Mana into Stamina, recovering 20% just to be safe. So now I'm left with only half of my MP, gotta pay attention.
Using Mana Flight, I flew all around the serpent at high speed.
『Shi, sha!? Shaaaa!?』
Unable to keep up with me who moved while ignoring gravity and inertia, the big snake was getting flustered in confusion.
I also put out mana heat decoys and hit it with the explosive great hammer when it focused on them.
I wrapped the hammer with a mana rope mixed with life force and energy, hammer throw mode ready to go.
I kept making the hammer explode and lengthened the rope to boost the centrifugal force even further.
Pay attention now or your head's gonna be in a world of pain!
『Sha, shaaaaaaaaaa!!!』
The hammer only slightly grazed the serpent's head, gouging it. However, that seemed to hurt its brain a lot.
『Shaaaaaa!!』
As a retaliation, the serpent charged mana in its head to shoot another breath at me, full of opening after swinging my hammer. How many times would this be.
I can't stop or intercept the serpent's breath right now.
Me, that is
"Alma!!"
"【Extended Mana Blade】 【Grand Blade】!!"
『Hagya, aaaagagagaaaaaa!!!?』
Alma came out of shadow and stabbed the serpent's mouth with a combination move of Swordsmanship and Magic Sword Skills.
The serpent stopped charging breath attack at the sudden sword crammed inside its mouth. Is that yummy? Chew on it real well.
Now that we're out of Forest of Toxin, Alma's group can join in the fight.
They had rapidly closed in through Shadow Dive and been waiting for the right time to attack.
The serpent can't detect their smell or heat signatures inside shadow. Neither can it sense their mana, hence it failed to anticipate the ambush.
『Gyashagagagaaaaaaaaa!!!』
『Cluuuuuuuuuck!!』
The serpent shook its body to attack Alma, but Hiyoko used up all its energy to explosively raise Attributes to max and deflected the attack with Extended Mana Claw.
Hiyoko's firepower matched the serpent if only for a few seconds. More than sufficient to buy us time.
"Tyeeeeeeeeeryaaaaaaaaaa!!"
Reina used Quick Step to run up the Grand Blade and stabbed the serpent with her 'Lightning Tiger Dagger'.
It's a very simple yet highly powerful move using a combination of Energy Buff and Mana Control-powered [Mana Blade].
Her dagger easily pierced deep in the serpent's head.
『Habagagagagagaaaaaaagaagaga!!?』
"Uwawatto!?"
The dagger's additional lightning damage hit the serpent from inside out, paralyzing it as it convulsed.
Reina got thrown off in the process but she suffered no damage as she retreated into shadow before she crashed.
Considering the serpent's RES, the paralyze should only last for a moment.
The dagger isn't big enough to kill it for good either, yet this is the best. She's done well.
This has given me the chance to smash Minimum Jormundgandr right in the head.
As the last attack was dodged, my great hammer has amassed an even greater centrifugal force from more spins.
The firepower is even higher than that time with giant crab. Now then, have you said your prayer? Eh, not yet? I see, I see. Die.
"This clinches it, goruaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
『Shi, shi, shahyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagabogyu!!!?』
A stupidly powerful swing of my hammer hit the serpent right in its head, dagger and all.
It screamed loudly and let out a weird voice the moment its head burst open when the hammer hit.
Its poison-laced flesh scattered all over the place, but Alma's group had taken shelter inside shadow already. They're safe.
I can feel my HP and MP fully restored. A sign of level up, it's dead for sure. RIP.
...It was such a hard fight alone yet a cinch 3 + 1 like this. There's only so much you can do by yourself.
"...Great job all around, girls. Thank you."
"Good work, Hikaru. I'm glad you're unharmed."
"T-that was a really big snake. I was afraid it'd swallow me whole."
『C-cluuck, cluuuuuck!!』
"You did great too, Hiyoko. Can't believe you stopped that snake's attack... Hm?"
Hiyoko's body is growing bigger.
Its feather changes color from ashen iron to lustrous silver too.
Looks like finishing the fight let Hiyoko evolve into Silver Cock.
"Ooh, you've gotten even bigger now."
"Feathers, glittering. Very beautiful."
"Carrying you is gonna be a challenge when you're this big... What's up? You don't look happy about it."
『C-c-cluuck...』
"Ah, you're famished from using up all your energy huh. Here, let me get your lunchbox out, eat up."
『Cluck... Pi.』
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
Hiyoko turned into chick using Larval Camouflage.
It started eating lunchbox at incredible speed leaving afterimages behind. Don't choke on me now.
"Ah! My dagger flew off somewhere when you split that snake's head open!"
"...Oh right, that was still stuck in its head."
"Finding that, is going to be hard."
"Ah, I still have the fruit picking commission to finish. You can do it."
"No no no no, Kajikawa-san you were the one who broke that snake's head! Help me find my dagger!"
Oh man, the power of friendship is amazing.
Defeating that big snake would have been impossible without these girls.
Yup, Alma is right, rushing headlong alone is never a good thing. You should always rely on your companions.
So yeah, I'll leave the dagger search in your hands. Go at it.
It's fine, it's fine, I mean the dagger's mana seems to have grown way strong, I'm sure you'd find it in no time hahaha.
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