~{GM_Babel}~
Cih, why I am dealing with Tentacle again? I ducked down as one of the tentacles went by my head
Once I ducked down, I brought the RPG on my shoulder and at a nearby tentacle designated as Violas from what the Hud was trying to tell me, the same monster that attacked me on the surface. And the moment the missile arrives at the Violas it explodes to bits.
"Interesting magic weapon you have there," Finn says in amusement while swinging his Spear to nearby Violas with ease.
"Not the time, braver!" I fire another RPG at nearby Viloas. "And it's called RPG!"
After nodding to myself, seeing the Violas explode, I take a good look at the surrounding battlefield.
The whole battlefield has turned into absolute chaos as a monster named Violas has the whole Riviera surrounded. Many tentacles spew out from the ground and begin attacking the remaining adventurers, who were unable to fight because of how tough their skins were.
Even level 5 full strength was no match against a single Viola's back at the festival, but at that time, most of the adventurers did not possess a weapon because it was a festival.
Though most of the adventurers here brought their weapons, most of these adventurers use physical weapons to attack which which the Violas have a rather high defense.
Worst, they stood no chance as numerous monsters completely outnumbered the adventure by 3:1, only most of the first-tier adventure that was giving them a hard time. But everyone else was running around frantically.
I don't remember any of these events happening in the anime... Unless there were added mods, like one of those tentacle h*ntai games?
Get my ass ripped off? Just thinking it makes my body dread.
Yeah, I am not into those kinds of kinky. Maybe in the future, when I am older and wiser, but at the present time, I am not into any of it.
I switched my weapon to a sniper Rifle and fired round after round at their weak point, injuring numerous Violas as the tentacle dropped to the ground, thought it was not enough to kill them since they are rather hard to kill.
As I keep firing numerous rounds, I realize somethingis wrong. The culprit behind this mess, where was she?
I looked over the last spot she was gone.
"Damn it!" I hissed under my breath, frustration bubbling to the surface.
"Oy, Braver! Where's the culprit?!" I shouted, scanning the battlefield for him. My eyes darted to where Finn had been moments ago, only to find he was no longer there. Lefiya and Tiona, who had been standing beside me just a moment earlier, were also gone.
I can't help but curse seeing them gone. Until I noticed they were fighting the Violas up close and personal.
Finn was in the skies, spinning his body mid-air like a precision missile, his spear cutting through one of the monsters with ease. His strike saved an adventurer who had nearly become a snack for one of the Violas.
The twin Amazons, Tiona and Tione, moved like whirlwinds, protecting the weaker adventurers.
The elf mage of Lefiya and Riveria are both chanting spells, as they should be.
Seeing them fight, I begin to feel wanting to follow their lead.
A grin tugged at the corner of my lips as I adjusted my grip on the sniper rifle. "Alright, then… up close and personal it is."
I broke into a sprint, my boots pounding against the dungeon floor as I charged straight toward the swarm of Violas.
The tentacle lashed out, and I ducked low, feeling the rush of air and excitement as it cracked past my head. My grip on the rifle tightened as I sidestepped, raising the barrel in one fluid motion.
"Too slow," I said, my voice calm as I aimed at the middle of the flower and squeezed the trigger.
The shot echoed sharply, and the recoil punched back against my shoulder. The impact from the .50 caliber round tore through the creature, leaving it a lifeless husk on the ground, but there was no time to savor the hit. Another tentacle snapped toward me from the side, forcing me to roll, the gravel scraping against my gloves as I came up on one knee.
Another shot, another collapse.
Behind me, the sound of steel clashing against steel mixed with the chaotic cries of battle. The adventurers were holding their own, but just barely. I scanned the battlefield quickly, calculating my next move.
A shadow fell over me as something massive loomed overhead. I glanced up, my breath hitching for a moment. A swarm of Violas, their writhing green vines tangling together, was converging on my position. At the center of the mass, a grotesque bloom emerged, its vibrant flower glowing faintly as if mocking me. The petals parted slightly, revealing jagged tendrils inside, almost like teeth.
One of the vines lashed toward me, and I leaped back, narrowly avoiding its snapping tip. Another coiled around, trying to catch my legs. I brought the front of my rifle and fired the tentacle, destroying the vine, then took aim at the flower itself.
I pulled the trigger, and the sharp crack of the shot cut through the air. The bullet slammed into the flower, tearing through its center. The mass recoiled, vines spasming violently as the bloom sagged, but the swarm was far from done.
I was about to pull the trigger again when one of its vines managed to whip around and strike me square in the chest. The impact was like getting hit by a sledgehammer, knocking the air out of my lungs and sending me sprawling onto the ground.
My rifle skittered across the dirt, just out of reach. I gasped for breath, my shield flickering as I pushed myself up on one arm, my eyes darting toward the oncoming violas.
"...never mind, these plants are a monster in themselves." I slam my fist to the ground out of frustration. This was just the same situation as I was when I was fighting Shakti Varma, just worse now that there are more Violas around.
I clenched my fists tightly, taking a deep breath. I need to go all out.
"Character Usage! Darth Vader!" I roared
[Character usage: Darth Vader confirmed]
As the Violas marched, I brought both of my arms out and halted the viola's advance with the full brunt of my force.
The ground trembled beneath me as I clenched my fists, amplifying the pressure. The Violas' screeches echoed across the battlefield, a dissonant chorus of rage and pain. With a sharp motion, I pointed my arms downward, channeling the full brunt of my power.
One by one, the Violas dropped to the ground like marionettes with their strings severed. Their squirming bodies slammed into the dirt in unison.
I was about to charge forward to finish the job when, out of nowhere, a blur cut across my line of sight. A spinning blade whirred through the air like a deadly buzzsaw, slicing clean through the monsters with terrifying precision.
The blade stopped spinning abruptly, embedding itself into the ground with a metallic thunk. My eyes darted toward it, taking in the peculiar weapon—two swords conjoined at their hilts, forming a lethal double blade.
Even from where I stood, I could tell it weighed a ton. The deep gouge it left in the ground was proof enough of its sheer mass and power.
Before I could fully process what I was seeing, a figure landed lightly next to the weapon. It was Tiona. She grinned at me, her dark green eyes sparkling with excitement, and gave me a playful wink before leaving.
As I stood there dumbstruck, Before I could respond, a sudden burst of light erupted beside me. I glance over to see Riveria chanting magic as a glowing magic circle pulsating beneath her feet without me noticing it
"-You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, and bring a close to the great war. Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf!"
The spell erupted in a torrent of fire, a blazing inferno that roared like a living beast. It surged forward, engulfing the swarm of Violas in a cataclysmic wave of destruction. The heat was oppressive, even from where I stood, and the air around us shimmered with its intensity.
The Violas all around writhed and screeched as the flames consumed them, their grotesque forms disintegrating into ash. The light was blinding, the heat suffocating, and for a moment, it felt as if the entire battlefield had been swallowed by fire.
As the spell subsided, the world seemed eerily quiet. Smoke and embers floated through the air, and where the swarm of Violas had once been, there was now only scorched earth.
Riveria lowered her staff, her expression calm but weary as the glow around her faded.
"Not bad," I muttered, brushing off the soot clinging to my clothes. "Guess you've got this under control, but could you have not done that sooner?"
"Forgive me, I was trying to gauge the enemy's strength before making my move since I heard the monster has a high physical defense."
"Fair enough," I replied, strapping my sniper rifle securely onto my back. As I did, my HUD flickered to life, displaying a quick diagnostic of my current status. A small alert showed that my shield system had taken a hit, draining about 3,500 points of energy.
Still manageable since I have around [15.370 Shield]
Almost the entire battlefield had been razed to the ground by her fire magic, leaving behind scorched earth and smoldering debris.
Then there was Tiona, casually swinging that colossal double sword as if it weighed nothing. The thing had to be a ton, at least.
I shook my head with a chuckle. Maybe it's time for me to download more mods for [Character Usage] from the workshop.
I already had a few ideas in mind for what to add next—Undertale, Terraria, Minecraft, and plenty of other mods I'd been eyeing. There was no way I'd let myself get beaten by these monsters
With the Violas wiped out—thanks to the strongest mage in the world, the battlefield finally began to settle.
The adventurers around us took a collective breather, leaning on their weapons or sitting on the ground to recover from the intense battle. The air, heavy with the stench of burnt plants and charred monster remains, was oddly quiet now.
As I scanned the surroundings, my eyes caught movement. Someone was making their way over to my position, he was covered head to toe in green goo, remnants of the Violas clinging to his body. A particularly stubborn vine dangled from his shoulder, which he quickly ripped away with a sharp tug.
It was Finn.
...man he is like a doom slayer.
As he drew closer, I decided to break the silence. "Having five First-Tiers really makes a difference, huh?" I gestured to the rest of the Loki Familia, who were calmly watching the surroundings for any sign of more Violas. "But where's the culprit? You had them cornered, didn't you?"
I noticed most of the first-tier class adventure was chasing the culprit for a brief moment which included Finn, Ais, Tione, and Lefiya. Leaving behind Tiona and Riveria with the Violas.
After a few moments, they came here to deal with the Violas. And seeing as the culprit is not with them, the culprit must have escaped.
Finn's expression darkened slightly, his usual calm demeanor giving way to a trace of frustration. He sighed and then met my gaze. "... We gave chase, but she managed to escape quickly. But Luckily the damage was minimal at best."
"Huh... the fact that it managed to escape your grasp means the adventure is either level 5 with escape skill or... the adventure is a level 6."
Man, if I had known the quest was going to involve such danger. I should have prepared a lot more.
"Yes…" he nodded slightly. "But that's not the reason I came to you."
I raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"This has been on my mind since you revealed your ability," Finn continued, his tone firm and probing. "Does your skill have limits?"
My stomach tightened, though I kept my expression neutral. He had to be referring to Connor's ability, the one I had used to rewind certain events as long as there were signs or proof left behind.
He must be poking around in order to find a clue as to what the culprit is looking for
"...What kind of limit are you referring to?" I asked cautiously
Finn crossed his arms. "The item Hashana has" his sharp eyes were fixed on me, clearly trying to probe for more information. "Does the ability tell you what kind of item Hashana brings or the location of the item?"
I exhaled slowly, trying to maintain my composure. "...Sadly, the skill only works under certain conditions and specific events," I replied with a shrug, injecting a touch of nonchalance into my tone. "It could only recall the event because there were several pieces of proof left behind by the culprit. Since we are limited by the evidence left behind and the context of the event, I can't know what the item was.
In truth, I want to drop this topic entirely. After all, I already have the quest item, and I can't risk drawing too much attention to myself. There could be an accomplice lurking nearby, listening in on our conversation.
"I see... that's too bad," Finn responds, though his expression suggests he might not fully believe me.
Maybe I should have learned how to lie better, but whatever.
Just as I was about to steer the conversation elsewhere, Finn's expression shifted, as if something had just crossed his mind. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small yellow object.
"Oh, before I forget..."
"Hm?" I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued.
Finn held out the item toward me. "We found this on the 24th floor. Was this yours?"
My eyes widened slightly as I took the object from him—a single, used bullet casing.
"Ahh," I muttered, inspecting it closely. "Yeah, you're right. This is ammo for my gun. Fifty cal, to be precise."
Without hesitation, I casually tossed the bullet casing to the side. It clattered against the dungeon floor, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.
"It's a single-use item," I explained nonchalantly. "After it's fired, it's useless. And yeah, I was indeed on the 24th floor at that time."
Finn watched the discarded casing with a neutral expression. "...I see," he said simply, though I couldn't tell if he was satisfied with my explanation or just filing the information away for later.
Before either of us could say more, a voice called out from behind us.
"Finn! Can you come here for a second!"
Finn glanced over his shoulder, his sharp eyes immediately zeroing in on the source of the voice. He gave me a quick nod. "I'll leave you to it for now," he said before striding off toward the person who had called for him.
As he leaves, Paddy slowly materializes beside me.
"Alert, the enemy is a level 5 adventure. Proceed to the surface immediately."
I shook my head, my tone firm. "No, if we leave now, we risk being spotted by the enemy that's after the quest item. We need to move carefully; let's wait around a bit before proceeding to the surface."
"Affirmative. Suggestion: tending the wounded adventure before proceeding to the surface."
"That will do," I said with a nod, turning my gaze back to the adventurers who are lying on the ground everywhere. "Say, do you have any intel on abilities that allow someone to control hundreds of monsters?"
Paddy responded instantly, his mechanical tone unyielding. "Report: The ability to control monsters is classified as 'Tamer' according to the database. The most widely recognized practitioners are members of the Ganesha Familia. However, reports suggest that Ganesha Familia members can only control a limited number of monsters at a time."
So... whoever the culprit is, a level 5 and has a tamer ability that can control hundreds of monsters.
I frowned, digesting the information. "That's bad, huh? If it's not Ganesha Familia, then it means someone's using a higher-level or unconventional method to control that many monsters..."
Paddy paused briefly before continuing. "Hypothesis: A unique skill or magical artifact could be responsible. Further investigation is required to narrow down the source."
"Right," I muttered, scanning the surroundings. My mind raced with possibilities, trying to figure out what kind of person—or group—would have the means to pull this off.
It can't be Ganesha since he already told me, that Freya is also possible but most of their first-tier adventure is a male, and the Loki famila could be possible but most of their first-tier adventure was fighting the tamer.
And I don't think there is a single person with a girl named Revis.
...huh, that means we have another first-tier adventure that does not exist. I don't know if I should be worried or calm about hearing about another first-tier adventure.
Well, this world is huge. So I am sure we miss one or two.
"For now, let's secure the injured and move before the enemy catches up to us."
/
ANDD CUT!
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