The worms and flowers wriggled up before the female-shaped monster, spitting out Magic Stones one after another from their mouths.
The female monster extended the tendrils of the Death God Amorphophallus, greedily swallowing the Magic Stones offered by the new-species monsters one by one.
The worms and flowers that were presented with the stones instantly turned to ash on the spot.
"Could it be… is it planning to eat all the monsters?" Tiona's eyes widened.
Only now did everyone notice the reason the ground beneath their feet was gray…
It was because it was blanketed with countless piles of monster ash and remains.
"This is bad!"
"A Reinforced Species?!"
Finn's expression twisted.
Even Bete let out a strained groan.
Reinforced Species monsters could continuously grow stronger by devouring Magic Stones.
Judging by the ash covering the ground, she had probably already consumed thousands upon thousands of Magic Stones, strengthening herself to an unimaginable level!
"Attack!"
Without another word, Finn raised the spears in both hands.
If they didn't strike first, they might be the ones dying next!
But they were already too late.
Right before their eyes,
The change began.
"...Ah."
The female-shaped monster tilted back her upper body, fragmented sounds emerging from her grotesque head.
She had already consumed half the surrounding monsters, and now her upper body began twitching and writhing violently.
"...Aah."
The ugly upper body stirred.
Its flesh suddenly swelled.
In their stunned confusion, everyone watched as chunks of flesh on the monster's upper body split apart, and from the place where the original upper body had been, like a cicada emerging from its chrysalis…
A woman's body with beautiful, graceful lines grew forth.
"...Aaaaah… Aah… AAH!?!"
She released a joyous scream.
The woman who had broken free from the swollen shell of flesh straightened her upper body and looked toward the sky.
Brilliant, radiant long hair cascaded down behind her.
From her side profile, gazing toward the ceiling of the Dungeon, one could see a face of beauty rivaling a Goddess.
Green hair.
Green skin.
A green body.
Only her eyes, devoid of pupils and devoid of life, were pure gold.
The changes were not limited to the upper body alone. Even the monstrous lower body transformed, sprouting gigantic flowers and countless tentacles. The ugly monster's lower half, bearing the heavenly-beautiful upper body of a woman, let out a cry from the center of the 59th Floor.
"…Impossible."
The scene was so shocking that everyone stood dumbfounded.
Only Ais stared at the monster with overwhelming shock.
The blood within her body boiled to its limit. Accompanied by violent ringing in her ears, her trembling lips whispered again and again…
"...A Fallen Spirit!"
Every drop of blood in her body resonated with it.
This unique sensation, there could be no mistake.
It could only be that.
"What?"
"That filthy thing actually…!"
"Is it a child of the gods?"
The Amazoness sisters' eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Even Ryoji had heard rumors about Spirits.
"The Great Spirits… the Elves… who aided heroes in ancient times… But how could this be?"
Even Finn and Riveria fell into confusion.
Spirits.
Said to be incarnations of the gods themselves, beings possessing power closest to divinity.
According to legend, in ancient times, in order to eliminate the monsters plaguing the lower world, some gods sent them down to the earth.
They became guides and weapons for humanity, functioning in a role similar to Blessings (Falna).
Bearing the will of the gods, aiding the heroes of the surface, fighting alongside humankind,
Driving back the monsters that ravaged the ancient world.
This was a story recorded even in children's picture books of the present age.
Noble Spirits were existences akin to incarnations of the gods.
Although nowadays gods walked everywhere across the world and the aid brought by Spirits had long since diminished in importance, why had one become such a fallen, monstrous thing?
Danger!
Danger!
Every cell in their bodies screamed at them…
'Get away from this monster!'
To modern Adventurers, that thing was just that dangerous, that bizarre, that utterly nauseating.
"Those new-species monsters… could they be the nourishment used to evolve the female monster into this form?"
Finn narrowed his eyes.
With astonishing force of will, he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and connected the clues in his mind.
Whether worm-type or man-eating flower-type, they all shared the trait of prioritizing magical power as prey.
Perhaps that was because magical power was precisely the nutrient this monster desperately needed!
They hunted monsters throughout the floor, stole their Magic Stones, and delivered them to this monster "mother."
Until, at last, she had grown into her current form.
At least ten meters tall.
Even without counting the tentacles, nearly seven meters wide.
"...Aria! Aria!"
As though sensing the same resonance,
The creature, who had been crying out toward the sky, suddenly turned her head and shouted joyfully at Ais.
"Aria! I missed you! I missed you so much!"
At this moment, the Fallen Spirit ignored everyone else entirely.
Her fervent gaze focused only upon Ais.
"You too… come with me… let me… eat you!"
That bizarre tone wove itself into intelligible Common Speech that sent chills down the spine.
The next instant, the worms and man-eating flowers that had yet to offer their Magic Stones abruptly turned around.
Under her will, every single one of them targeted a single person.
Ais.
She had been marked as prey.
"Hey, at this scale, retreating first would probably be better, "
BOOM!
Before Miss Tsubaki could finish speaking, a massive bell-like crash erupted from behind them.
Tsubaki stiffly turned around just in time to see a gigantic mass of green flesh descending from above, sealing off the floor's exit.
"All personnel, prepare for battle!"
Even seeing their escape route blocked, Finn didn't waver in the slightest.
Facing the monster army surging toward them from a hundred meters away, he was the first to react and issue commands.
Just as always.
As though they were simply carrying out another Floor Boss conquest battle.
ROOOAAARRR, !!
Nearly a hundred monsters writhed and roared as they launched their assault against the Adventurers.
"Heh. In the end, what we've gotta do isn't any different from usual!"
Bete swung his silver indestructible dual swords and charged forward at the head of the line.
"I will take the vanguard too!" Gareth advanced without hesitation, shield in one hand and battle axe in the other.
"..."
Ais shook her head sharply, driving away the turmoil in her heart, and joined the front line.
"How could we let you…"
"...Eat Ais!"
Tiona and Tione, seemingly sharing the same thought, leapt out simultaneously.
"Lefiya, prepare magic! Supporters, provide support with magic swords!"
Finn continuously issued orders.
At the same time, his eyes never once left the enemy's body, judging their strength through the performance of the Executives on the battlefield.
Meanwhile,
Ryoji moved the instant the battle began. He transformed the blade in his right hand into a cruciform sword, then hurled it with all his strength. His special ability activated instantly, turning the cross-sword into a projectile surpassing the speed of sound.
In less than half a second,
Before the others had even charged very far,
The supersonic projectile had already crossed a hundred meters and arrived before the Corrupted Spirit.
Its target…
The center of her upper body's chest.
(End of Chapter)
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