Chapter 568: Three-Headed Basilisk Subjugation Battle (4)

After the team in charge of the left head, composed of Cha Yuri, Do Sihee, and Do Yehee, destroyed one of its heads with linked magic.

The battle of the other three people in charge of the right head was still proceeding busily even after that.

Kang Hye-eun on the front line, Cheon Jihee as the main dealer, and Han Min-ah providing support.

Unlike the three people for the left head who were hastily assembled on the spot, the personnel in charge of the right head had years of experience working together, so it didn’t take much time to get into formation and start the battle.

There was just a little bit of friction regarding the approach to fighting a monster they were encountering for the first time, which was different from what they were used to.

Just like the left head using fire magic and the middle head using venom, the right head could also utilize its own special attacks.

The right head’s characteristic was using ice magic to perform various unconventional attacks and defenses.

Since all three were close-range hunters, one might think it would be relatively easier to deal with compared to fire or venom. Unfortunately, reality was far from simple.

If the other two heads of the Three-Headed Basilisk were specialized in ‘attack’, the right head, conversely, showed solid performance when it came to ‘defense’.

-Crackle!

“Nngh…!”

Cheon Jihee’s kick, aimed at the opening created by Han Min-ah, was deflected outwards again this time, failing to inflict damage on the main body.

The Basilisk’s right head showcased solid defensive magic, returning the impact back to her instead.

The monster would wrap its head in an ice helmet every time Cheon Jihee attacked, using the durability of the ice to defend itself.

Han Min-ah, seeing Cheon Jihee’s attack blocked in a similar way for the third time already, urgently suggested changing the plan.

“I don’t think this will work like this, Jihee Unnie!”

“…I know!”

Regardless of knowing, the fact that she couldn’t do anything was making Cheon Jihee feel even more frustrated.

The power of her kicks itself wasn’t that weak. Cheon Jihee had already regained the kicking power of her prime through her relationship with Sung Taekyung, and had even adapted to even greater strength since then.

However, no matter how strong a single strike was, it only had meaning against an opponent where damage could accumulate.

Cheon Jihee couldn’t help but feel increasingly anxious at the sight of her strikes being constantly blocked by disposable helmets made of ice magic every time she swung her leg.

Because she couldn’t escape the pressure of being the only one on the three-person right head team who could land an effective attack.

Kang Hye-eun’s awakened ability, specialized in defense rather than offense. And Han Min-ah, a beast-type hunter capable of drawing the monster’s attention but unable to deliver a powerful blow.

Therefore, breaking through this thick ice barrier and destroying the monster’s head inside was solely her role to fulfill.

However, her awakened ability was strongest only on the very first strike; it wasn’t a very suitable ability for consecutive attacks.

Only when needing to perform consecutive attacks against the same target did she have to spend some time to exert similar power.

The time it took for her to gather her stamina and breath for the next attack was sufficient time for the right head to create new ice armor.

‘If it weren’t for this damn ice armor… I would have finished this long ago!’

If only I could somehow land a strike directly on the head inside, I could definitely defeat it.

As the hunt entrusted to her by Sung Taekyung was being delayed, she felt increasingly ashamed to face him.

Even though there were other members like Cha Yuri who could have handled the dealer role sufficiently, the main dealer role had been entrusted to her out of trust, and failing to perform even that role was quite shameful for Cheon Jihee.

The thought that she might not be able to face him again due to that guilt, if things went wrong, flashed through her mind unconsciously.

Of course, before that, it was questionable whether they could all escape this dungeon together the moment they failed to defeat this Three-Headed Basilisk.

-Swoooooosh…!

“It’s ice breath again! Min-ah! Jihee-ssi!”

“Got it!”

“…Nngh!”

-Fwoooooosh!!!

In the end, Han Min-ah and Cheon Jihee retreated behind the shield again, unable to attempt a proper attack.

The two, having temporarily dodged the ice breath behind Kang Hye-eun’s giant shield, started a strategy meeting for a short time.

Regarding a way to deal with that bothersome ice armor.

“What should we do? For now, I think we need to deal with that ice armor somehow.”

“…Is there a way? As you probably know from seeing it several times already, my attacks can only break one thing at a time. Whether it’s ice, or that guy’s head.”

“It’s difficult for you too, Min-ah, to break through that thickness, right?”

“Of course I can’t… Can’t you do something with your Shield Bash, Kang Hye-eun?”

“…I did summon a Giant Shield experimentally before, and I think it might work somehow if I collide with it….”

“That’s it!”

“B-but even I find it too heavy, and it takes an incredibly long time to swing once! Even with a monster that huge, I could never hit it with my speed!”

“…I’ll lure it somehow. Make the monster shove its head into your Shield Bash willingly.”

“Th-that’s dangerous! What if you get hit by mistake?!”

“Hey, Kang Hye-eun. I’m Han Min-ah. Luring the monster while dodging your Shield Bash is child’s play for me, you know? Besides, there’s no other way in the first place.”

“……”

“Taekyung went out of his way to ask us to handle this after entrusting it to us. What if something goes wrong with the plan because of us?”

“…Fine. Just… don’t get hurt. It’s really dangerous.”

“Okay! Then the plan is set. Jihee Unnie, you know what to do without me saying, right?”

“If Hye-eun breaks that ice wall, I just need to attack against it, right?”

“That’s correct, Jihee Unnie.”

A brief, improvised plan made within the constraints of limited abilities and means.

It was a considerably dangerous plan even for the three people who had worked together for a considerable amount of time, but they had no choice but to push through now, as circumstances didn’t allow otherwise.

Because it was even less possible to expect support from the others who were busy dealing with the other two heads.

If only for Sung Taekyung’s sake, who believed they would somehow take care of one head.

-Taaat!

Just like before, Han Min-ah rushed in first, drawing the right head’s attention.

Thanks to the quick movements peculiar to beast-type hunters, and her ears and tail that further drew the monster’s attention, the Basilisk’s right head began to shift its gaze again, chasing Han Min-ah.

As soon as Cheon Jihee and Han Min-ah moved forward from behind her, Kang Hye-eun began generating a giant shield using her awakened ability.

Her awakened ability, Warrior of the Guardian Shield, involved directly creating a shield with her own stamina to engage in battle.

The 2-meter shield created by her awakened ability gradually began to grow in size to a massive scale.

Kang Hye-eun began endlessly using her stamina to increase its size until she could make the shield touch the Basilisk’s head.

3 meters, 5 meters, 7 meters….

After increasing the shield’s size up to 9.5 meters, the maximum size she could stably swing.

Kang Hye-eun, lifting the giant shield several times her own height with her whole body, began to use Shield Bash, using all her remaining stamina.

-Boom… Boom boom….

“Nnnngh! Aaaargh…!”

Kang Hye-eun’s shield tilted forward with a roaring sound, as if a massive building were collapsing.

Since it was a shield made using her stamina, its weight was minimal, but even so, moving the giant shield could not possibly have been effortless.

Her Shield Bash, truly used with all her strength and stamina, began to collapse and fall without a set destination.

“This way…! It’s this way…!”

And to make Kang Hye-eun’s one-chance strike successful, Han Min-ah was also busily moving her feet behind her.

She lured the Basilisk’s right head towards the center of the giant shield she was swinging.

Just before impact between the shield and the monster’s head, she narrowly succeeded in escaping.

-CLAAAANG!!!

It was the moment the biggest, slowest, and heaviest Shield Bash struck the ice helmet.

Kang Hye-eun’s giant shield, having struck the lizard’s crown, eventually scattered as if shattering into pieces, due to Kang Hye-eun having used all her stamina.

Then, along with the sound of thick chunks of ice cracking continuously, the ice helmet wrapping the right head also began to break.

-Crack! Crackle! Crack-crack-CRACK!!

‘Kyaaaaaaak!’

The Basilisk’s right head screamed in pain as the ice helmet wrapping its neck and face shattered into pieces instantly.

And Cheon Jihee could not possibly miss the opening the monster created like that.

Fitting the awakened ability called ‘Giant’s Strike’, her kick, put forth with all her strength, landed powerfully on the back of the Basilisk’s head.

-Kwadadadaduk!!!

‘Keee…!’

-Kwoong!

It was the moment the Basilisk’s head, unable to even fully let out a scream, fell onto the floor.

It was a sight where the head itself had been completely separated from the neck, truly fitting the description ‘torn off’.

The three close-range hunters, who had barely won the battle after a few strikes, collapsed onto the floor, continuously exhaling sighs.

“Haa, haa, haa….”

“Hngh, huff, hngh….”

“Huk, huck…. Huh-huk….”

Truly exhausted, as if unable to get up anymore, the three people shifted their gaze to the final battle between Sung Taekyung and Lulusia.

What they could do was all finished now.

Now, all that remained was the final conclusion by the two of them.