episode_0020

White’s attack pattern is similar to that of a scorpion.

Swinging its modified forelegs and thrusting its leg, which has transformed into a shape similar to a scorpion’s tail, as if it were a spear.

“Cyaaaaa-!”

Of course, real scorpions don’t swing their pincers like whips or spew corrosive venom upon contact.

…Or do scorpions in this world behave differently?

Anyway, since it mainly engages in close combat, its tactics were quite straightforward.

“If it doesn’t hit, then stop!”

That’s right. Just watch carefully and avoid getting hit.

Huuuuung!

The fierce sound of its front legs flying through the air. I swiftly bent my upper body and dashed forward, letting the claws miss and leave deep scars on the dungeon wall. Broken bricks scattered like a fountain.

“Kyak!”

Followed by a tail attack. The sharp, calloused tip of White’s foot aimed for my forehead. I raised my sword above my head and intercepted the tail as it came down.

Kardddeuk!

An irritating scraping sound. Steel and carapace licked each other’s flesh, igniting intense sparks. A heavy impact reverberated through my shoulders.

“Haaaat!”

Twisting my body halfway, I added a spin to the tip of the sword. The creature’s tail slid along the blade and slammed into the dungeon floor.

After dragging the tail, I immediately pulled the sword and thrust it towards the exposed side of White.

Pueeeok!

With a sensation akin to stabbing a fork into a tomato, the gleaming blade tore through White’s flesh, creating a fist-sized hole and splattering putrid blood like a fountain, staining its armor.

“Gyaaaak!”

A scream filled with hatred echoed throughout the corridor.

“Ugh…!”

Feeling a stifling sensation in my ears, I furrowed my brow and lightly bit my lip.

Quite the general, indeed, a true general.

It was so loud that my helmet seemed to buzz incessantly.

“Krieaaac!”

Enraged, White unleashed an even fiercer onslaught.

Like a tantrum-throwing child, it wildly swung its arms in all directions, while simultaneously thrashing its tail as if possessed.

The ground, walls, and ceiling shattered and burst into pieces, shooting dust-mixed fragments like a sandstorm.

“This is nothing…!” Without pause, I stepped to evade its tail, blocking the rapid strikes of its forelegs with my sword.

“Ha-aah!” Whenever an opening appeared, I thrust my sword like lightning, piercing sizable holes in its torso.

It wasn’t an easy fight. Among mediocre opponents, strength reigns. I too was still trapped in that truth.

“Kkweut…!” Each time I parried a foreleg, my entire body was pushed backward.

Though I tried to dissipate the impact as much as possible, my remaining strength was barely enough to keep my waist from bending.

“Tsk. This isn’t easy…” A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Arms wielding whip-like force akin to a mace, and a tail capable of penetrating from forehead to abdomen in a single strike. Add to that intermittent venomous secretions.

…I understand why solo adventurers avoid confronting it.

Thanks to Bolton’s buff, at least my attacks were effective. Otherwise, I’d have been forced into a bloody brawl.

– Clang!

“My shield!!”

“Why are you blocking it? You should dodge!”

“It’s fast! Dodging is difficult!”

Like party members struggling against a single White a dozen meters away.

They were also engaged in a battle no less intense than mine. Kikel threw away his broken shield, rolling on the ground while wielding his claws and axe, while Amy, from behind, hammered the creature with the “Invisible Hammer” spell.

“Kaaak!”

“Poison incoming! Help!”

“O Elia’nel, shine upon us!”

Bolton seemed to have exhausted all his “Punishing Arrows,” focusing on the defense against the venom with a divine barrier.

Chiiing…!

The dazzling light barrier repelled the venom, emitting black smoke. Quite an impressive sight.

While I rolled on the ground, flipping dirt and dust to avoid it, they seemed to block it effortlessly.

Kuuuuung!

Of course, there are limits to what the venom can be blocked.

When White’s foreleg struck the barrier of light, the entire barrier shook violently and was deeply engraved.

“Yikes! Is this safe?!”

Amy, who was inside, exclaimed in surprise.

“No problem! Such a worm wouldn’t be able to break through the sacred barrier protected by Lady Elianel…”

Bolton tried to reassure Amy, but then,

“Kriaaaaac!”

Crash!

As White screamed and lashed his tail downward, the sacred barrier shattered with a sound like breaking glass, scattering shards of light in all directions.

“It broke!!”

“Oh no, it seems my power wasn’t enough!”

Amy and Bolton shouted urgently as they fled backward.

“Kriririeec…!”

Having broken the sacred barrier, White let out a laughter-like scream and reached out his forepaw to grab Amy and Bolton, intending to tear them apart.

However,

“Look at me-!”

With a thunderous roar, Kikel leaped up and thrust his axe into the creature’s tail.

Whooosh!

Flesh and bone splattered like a fountain. Enraged, White twisted his body and struck Kikel’s torso with his right arm.

“Kahak…!”

Kikel groaned, bending at the waist, exhaling a breath of pain. Due to his substantial weight, he didn’t get thrown back but was pushed enough that his facial features contorted in agony.

“Kikel, are you okay?!”

Bolton hurriedly attempted to perform a healing miracle. However, as if nothing was wrong, Kikel raised his head and shouted toward them.

“Now, do it!”

Since he was holding onto one of the creature’s legs, they should take advantage of this opportunity.

“Good, keep holding on! Ignis Sagitta!”

“Here’s our chance! Haahap!”

Amy, quick-witted, sent a flaming arrow, scorching White’s tail, and then Bolton thrust the spear he was holding, piercing the creature’s snail-like head.

“Kyaaak! Keigaak!”

White shrieked in a dialect-like cry, trembling like a patient being tickled.

The tail, which had been half-severed by Kikel’s axe, melted away in the flames and dropped with a thud, while the snail-like head impaled on the spear oozed greenish fluid like tears.

“Crackle, crackle! It’s hot. It feels good!”

Ki-kel, feeling elated by the flames, grinned and swiftly lodged an arrow in White’s forearm, using it as a support to wrench the entire arm out.

With a squelch resembling a locust’s front leg, it was forcibly pulled out, splattering putrid blood in all directions. White, now missing an arm and tail, writhed desperately like a starving child, wailing.

…Looks like I’ll manage to catch it somehow.

As expected, when three faced one, there was never a time they couldn’t win.

◆◆

They fought for nearly ten minutes.

– Kuwoong…!

“Kakak! It’s done, I killed it!”

“At last!”

“We’ve won…!”

We finally achieved victory. The three of us… no, two of us and the lizardman, after a fierce battle, brought down one White and immediately joined me without a moment’s rest.

What followed was an indescribably gruesome scene of group violence. White, already riddled with holes from my sword, couldn’t endure much longer as the violence from the other three party members added up, and it fled in tatters.

“Haa… haa….”

Right after confirming its death, I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

It was a tough fight. My arms were so sore they felt hot, and my lungs seemed to be filled with fire.

“Water, I need to drink some water at least….”

I rummaged at my waist and pulled out the water pouch, tearing off the mouthpiece of the helmet and gulped it down eagerly.

Gulp. Gulp.

The water inside the pouch was tepid, almost lukewarm, but to me, it felt cold and sweet, like icy chilled water.

I drank for a while, until the pouch was empty.

“Phew… I think I’ll survive now.”

“Are you really thirsty? Want some of mine?”

Amy offered her water pouch.

“Oh, thanks.”

There was no reason to refuse. I took her water pouch and drank deeply, despite just finishing a fierce battle, the water she handed me was surprisingly cold.

It wasn’t just a perception, it was actually true.

Anywhere, anytime, it was a pocket where I could drink cold beverages. If the price wasn’t so expensive, I would have considered getting one for myself.

“Here, you drank well.”

“Don’t mention it.”

After draining about a quarter of the water pouch, I handed it back to Amy. I wanted to just finish it all, but it wouldn’t be polite to drink more than half of someone else’s water.

“Are you okay, Hilde? If you’re injured, please let me know. The miracle of ‘Minor Heal’ still has a few uses left.”

Bolton, who had been using the sacred miracle of “Minor Heal” to treat Kikel’s injuries, approached me and inquired about my condition.

“Can it also heal muscle pain?”

My arm felt like it was about to fall off from the intense muscle pain.

“Well… yes? Muscle pain is also caused by partial muscle tears, resulting in pain.”

That’s a relief.

“Then, can you please treat these two arms of mine… and here, can you see the torn area on my side? Please treat these areas.”

I pointed to the injury on my side. Inside the tattered quilted armor, white flesh was torn, oozing blood.

It was a scratch from White’s fingernail.

Due to exhaustion, I couldn’t react in time to avoid it properly. If I had been a little more tired, my side would have been completely split open.

“Oh, yes. I will treat it right away.”

Muttering a brief prayer, Bolton brought his left hand near my injured side. As the beam of light emitted from his hand seeped into the wound on my side, the pain began to subside rapidly.

Subsequently, Bolton infused the healing power into both of my outstretched arms, just as he did with my side.

“It’s done. It will take about half an hour for the side injury to fully heal, but ten minutes should be enough for your arms. If you massage them appropriately, they might heal even faster.”

“Thank you.”

Half an hour. I guess the recovery speed is awfully slow for ‘Minor Heal.’

After nodding in gratitude, I rested as he advised, crossing my arms. The party members also gathered around, catching their breath and passing the time.

“My shield… my shield is gone…”

“Shouldn’t we just buy a new shield with the commission fee? With that money, you could buy a new shield and still have some left over.”

Kikel gloomily stroked the shattered remains of his shield, while Amy comforted him, suggesting that it might be time to just buy a new one.

…Is comforting really the right thing to do? Anyway.

“Elianel, may this glory be unto you… Protect us and grant us unwavering courage…”

Bolton knelt in a corner, murmuring a prayer, neatly arranging parts of White’s corpse in front of him.

…Praying while gathering pieces of a rotting corpse. It was not your usual sight of sanity.

He seemed to be trying to express gratitude with a devout attitude, attributing this victory to the grace of the goddess, but… Devout my foot. Perhaps due to the overwhelming visual of White’s remains, instead of being devout, he seemed more like a braggart showing off some kind of trophy.