36. Boss Area Reconnaissance (2)

“That guy’s the boss of this Dungeon, huh.”

Chloe said. The group had arrived at a lakeside. If the center of the Dungeon was a lake, the boss monster that would appear was obvious. An aquatic monster.

“A Kraken, huh. A tricky magical beast. And disgusting-looking too.”

A monster resembling a giant squid, the Kraken. Aquatic monsters were troublesome in many ways.

The water was a battlefield disadvantageous to humans. Plus, those guys would run away into the water at the slightest disadvantage. Not that they were particularly strong in attack power or durability.

But this Kraken was a Rank 2 magical beast. And if it was a powerful, territorialized boss like this one, it would have overcome even those weaknesses.

‘Good thing this is just reconnaissance.’

Giant tentacles occasionally appeared on the surface of the lake. Suddenly, Chloe, who had been staring at them, flinched.

“What’s wrong, Chloe? Are you scared facing a Rank 2 boss magical beast? If the mental contamination is too severe, you can skip the last part of the reconnaissance.”

Indeed, perhaps because it was a boss magical beast, the magical energy felt extremely thick in the area.

Chloe and Rosette. Those two wouldn’t have been able to come this far if I hadn’t been there to keep them mentally stable.

Confusion is contagious to a party. But if even one party member is okay, they can alleviate that confusion to some extent. Because they can rely on that okay companion like a guiding light.

“Ah… no. Thanks to Count Yulian-nim, I can withstand the magical energy… haa…”

But her reaction was a bit strange. Chloe was stifling a voice that sounded almost like a moan. I looked at the wriggling tentacles on the surface of the lake and quickly realized why.

‘She must have developed some weird kinks back at the atelier.’

My nude drawing of Chloe with tentacles. It seems she awakened to some strange proclivities after seeing that.

An erotic young lady reacting to tentacles. Judging by the way her crotch was twitching, she seemed to be quite aroused.

For a moment, I wanted to scold her, but I let it go. It was partly my fault, after all.

“If you have any medicine that clears the mind, why don’t you take it.”

“Ah, that’s right. I have a medicine made by refining mint chocolate tea.”

Chloe took out a pill from her uniform pocket and offered it to me and Rosette.

“It’s a highly concentrated elixir made from very expensive mint chocolate tea. It will help you withstand the magical energy.”

Chloe didn’t seem to want to give it to Rosette, but when I gave her a look, she handed the pill to Rosette without complaint.

As soon as I swallowed the pill, a refreshing sensation like a ten-fold concentrated toothpaste hit my head.

“Ugh… spicy!!”

But bitter medicine is good for the body. I asked Chloe.

“How long does this medicine last?”

“Normally, it’s enough to clear your mind for a full hour. But since we have to withstand the boss’s magical energy without divine power, maybe 10 minutes will be the limit.”

“We need to hurry. The tactics are as I said on the way here. I’ll draw the magical beast’s attention directly. And each of you will take your positions and provide as much support fire as possible. After that, retreat as soon as I signal. It won’t take the full 10 minutes, so concentrate as much as possible!”

Both of them answered my words energetically. Rosette rode her magic wand around the outer edge of the lake. Chloe did the same.

“Let’s go.”

I walked straight towards the front of the lake. Still plenty of reward Mana to spare. I used that Mana to freeze the surface of the lake.

I offset the disadvantage of the terrain by creating an ice path. The boss, the Rank 2 magical beast Kraken, noticed me quickly approaching and let out a ferocious roar.

Kuaaaaaaak-

Coming all the way to the boss area, the group hadn’t been caught by the subordinate magical beasts even once. So this guy, the boss of the Dungeon, seemed extremely angry to see us suddenly appear.

‘If it’s a territorialized magical beast, there must be some among the subordinates who act as messengers.’

He must be pissed to see his subordinates’ dereliction of duty with his own eyes. That anger and hostility were focused on me.

A large magical beast over 10m tall, the size of a building. The guy revealed himself from the water and swung his tentacles down at me.

---

I barely dodged it.

As befitting a Rank 2 magical beast, its reaction speed was different from the Rank 3 magical beasts I had faced.

Puhpuhpuhpuhpung-

The sound of an exploding torpedo echoed across the lakeside. It was a giant tentacle the size of a telephone pole. But the speed at which it struck was as fast as a whip.

If I had been hit by that, my flesh would have been torn to shreds and I would have become fish food. I instinctively surrounded my Mana Heart with Mana to sharpen my senses.

Puhpuhpuhpuhpung-

The Kraken didn’t give me a chance to catch my breath. The second attack came right away. I narrowly dodged again, vividly feeling the danger of a Rank 2 magical beast.

‘As expected of a boss, it’s different. Is it still too much to take on a Rank 2 with Rank 3 skills?’

I momentarily recalled the contents written in the Pantheon’s tactical manual.

The level at which you can take down a Rank 2 magical beast with a coordinated attack is at least Rank 4. To be able to take down a Rank 2 magical beast solo, you need to be at least Rank 5, capable of using Aura or True Magical Power.

So, that meant that three Rank 3 cadets couldn’t directly face this magical beast.

‘But I can’t retreat like this.’

I had already reached the boss area, so I had achieved a Rank 1 reconnaissance. That alone was enough to qualify for the position of squad leader.

But if I could directly confront the boss like this and learn about its attack patterns and power, I could be evaluated with a reconnaissance rank higher than Rank 1. That was called Rank 0.

‘It’s not something usually done. The reconnaissance team is just a reconnaissance team, after all.’

And having come all the way here, it would be a waste of time to just observe the boss’s appearance.

Even if it was an artificial Dungeon, it was still a Rank 2 magical beast. If I could experience its power firsthand, the proficiency I could gain would be enormous.

‘The mint chocolate medicine’s effect is supposed to last 10 minutes. Those two should be okay until then.’

As I quickly dodged the tentacles, the Kraken raised its second tentacle and struck down at me. My body reacted, but the Kraken’s attack speed was too fast.

Chachachachachachang-

So I created an alchemical ice wall with the overflowing water around me to block the attack. If I had reacted even a little later, I would have been hit by that attack.

As I hurriedly escaped from between the ice walls, I heard the sound of lightning striking.

“Yulian! Get as far away from there as possible!!”

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang-

The sound of thunder echoed all around. At the same time, a bright yellow lightning bolt flashed and struck the Kraken directly.

A powerful lightning magic that exceeded the standards of Rank 3. It was literally a lightning strike created by Rosette.

“What! That squid! I poured Mana into it properly!”

But the Kraken was briefly paralyzed, then withstood the lightning as it was. An attack using elemental advantages. But as befitting a territorialized magical beast, its elemental resistance seemed high as well.

Geuowaaaaaaaaaaak-

Rather, that attack became the trigger for its berserk state. It thrashed wildly.

At the same time, it swung its tentacles into the air and shot poisonous needles everywhere. I shouted to the two of them.

“Dodge! If you get hit, you’ll die instantly!”

I dodged the arrow-sized poisonous needles and cut down a few.

And just as the Kraken was about to send a giant tentacle flying towards Rosette, who was floating in the air.

“Over here! Giant squid!”

I surrounded the Imperial Sword with refined Mana and launched White Night at it. A dazzling white flash cut the Kraken.

Kuaaaaaaak-

There was definitely a reaction. Part of its tentacle was cut off.

“Count-nim’s attack worked!”

Chloe, who was on the opposite side of the Kraken, shouted. The Kraken withstood Rosette’s high-powered lightning magic with its bare body. So it was no wonder she was surprised that I had landed a hit on it.

“Chloe! Don’t let your guard down and take position behind the Kraken. And keep up the support attacks!”

But I didn’t let my guard down.

As expected, the Kraken quickly regenerated the tentacle that had been cut by me. And the blade didn’t penetrate the two giant main tentacles.

‘As expected, a Rank 2 is a Rank 2. White Night doesn’t even work. This isn’t easy.’

Still, I don’t necessarily have to defeat it. I just need to identify the attack patterns it can use and the buffs it has.

In other words, all I have to do is keep drawing its aggro and stall for more time.

“Yulian! It’s dangerous to confront that squid barehanded! Dodge!”

As the battle progressed, the magical beast’s buffs were amplified more and more. And the Kraken’s body was also warming up.

If this continued, it was obvious that I would be defeated by the magical beast. But this was just the beginning of the battle. I needed more time to see all the attack patterns.

Chijijijijijijik-

In the meantime, sparks flew from the hidden weapon that Chloe had planted on the Kraken’s body. As expected, an alchemical attack with lightning attributes. The Kraken’s tentacle attacks became slightly duller due to that elemental advantage attack.

I barely dodged the main tentacle attack towards me once again.

“Let’s hold out for just 5 more minutes! And don’t waste too much Mana on the Kraken, because we need to save Mana for the escape!”

I shouted to the two of them. The reconnaissance mission wasn’t over yet. The reconnaissance mission would only be complete if we safely returned to the entrance of the Dungeon.

So, we had to save enough energy to return alive.

“5 minutes is impossible! It’s too dangerous for Count-nim to keep that Rank 2 magical beast’s attention all by yourself!”

“Chloe’s right, Yulian! For you to hold out against that Kraken alone…”

“I’m fine. Just keep up the support fire like you’re doing now! Both of you!”

Chloe wasn’t wrong. 5 minutes had already passed since the start of the battle. The buffs on the Kraken were increasing as time went on.

The berserk state from earlier. And the curse of magical energy was getting stronger all around. That meant that the difficulty of the remaining 5 minutes was completely different from the previous 5 minutes.

‘It would be too much for those two.’

I’m fine because I’m receiving the protection of Rosario.

But the concentration of magical energy all around was so high that those two would be mentally contaminated as soon as the effects of the mint chocolate medicine wore off. Moreover, if I, who was directly facing the Kraken and drawing its aggro, were to be defeated.

It was obvious that the formation would collapse in an instant.

‘Besides, this giant squid. It’s huge, but the accuracy of its attacks is too high.’

If I didn’t have Reinhard’s sensitive senses, I would have been killed by that tentacle a long time ago. I had received Chloe’s help just a moment ago.

Geuowaaaak-

And that clear murderous intent directed at me. That magical beast’s unique murderous intent towards living beings became much stronger as the rank of the magical beast increased.

As if it wouldn’t leave a single living creature in Islend. I felt a strong malice.

‘As expected, high-ranking magical beasts are different. We have to survive against these guys, huh.’

That murderous intent was so intense that it could kill people even without magical energy.

But the magical beast I had to face in the fall was a much higher rank than this squid. And I had to complete a full-scale attack, not just reconnaissance.

So, I had to laugh off this level of murderous intent.

I took that murderous intent as it was with my bare body and thought about the next move. I wasn’t just going to hold out against that Kraken for 5 more minutes without thinking.

‘The enhanced Incubus trait. Is it time to use that in a real battle?’

I activated a new skill with the system.

---

[The trait has evolved.]

• Trait: Evolved Incubus (B+)

: You have begun to freely interpret dreams. The power of erotic dreams increases.

New skill available

• Echo of Dreams

: You can faintly leave traces of dreams in reality. Can only be used by the Incubus himself.

---

Right at that moment.

The Kraken’s tentacle attack, which had become even more ferocious due to the magical beast’s buffs. That attack came right up to my face.

I reflexively used the newly acquired skill.