Chapter 162: Desperation
Soon enough, a barrage of arrows tore through the air with incredible speed and descended upon the creatures lunging at him. Most of them failed to pierce deeply, their shafts deflecting off the dense fur as though striking hardened leather, but a few managed to sink into softer areas such as the eyes and mouths, drawing out shrill, furious cries.
"Mister, here! Use it."
Hearing Asphy's voice, he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a sharp weapon hurtling toward him at tremendous speed, its pointed tip aligned almost perfectly with his shoulder as it gleamed faintly beneath the dungeon's light.
He smiled slightly.
As the weapon closed the final distance and threatened to tear through flesh and bone alike, he shot his hand forward and caught its grip firmly in his palm.
'It's a strange weapon.'
It resembled a dagger, but it was too long to fit comfortably into that category, and too short to be called a sword. The blade bore several deliberate curvy cuts along its surface, the tip curved outward with a design that seemed intentional rather than damaged. The grip was soft and smooth, blended black and green together in a twisted pattern that mimicked the scales of a serpent. The cross guard itself seemed shaped like the open maw of a snake, while at its center a sculpted serpent coiled tightly as though guarding the weapon's core. For reasons unknown, the blade felt eerie in his grasp, unnatural in a way that sent a faint chill along his spine.
'I should be grateful that she entrusted me with her weapon in the midst of a battle like this, when we barely know each other. Anyway, I am not that accustomed to fighting with daggers, though a blade remains a blade nonetheless, and understanding the fundamentals of wielding one should be enough to survive. In the worst-case scenario... I will simply have to place my trust in the twisted tattoo, I guess.'
After studying the weapon for a brief moment, he raised his voice so that it would carry across the spacious hall, "Captain! The Star-eyed Digger King is about to use its third ability. Although I am not quite sure what kind of ability it might be... but it seems to be connected to its minions somehow. How should we counter it?"
Driving her blade through the thigh of a creature, Seraphina twisted her body in a fluid motion and struck another attacker behind her with the pommel, sending the creature a few meters away. Her silver hair fanning out in a sharp arc that made her presence unmistakable even amid the turmoil.
Without hesitation, she answered in a cold and commanding tone, "Keep eliminating your enemies before they overwhelm you. The longer this continues, the more their numbers multiply at once. We are unaware of the nature of its last ability at this moment, therefore cease wasting time on speculation and focus on survival. Stick together, steady your minds, and keep fighting."
For a brief moment, the adventurers hesitated, their eyes meeting one another as understanding passed between them. Then a thunderous roar erupted from their ranks as they hurled themselves back into the fray with renewed ferocity.
"We will secure victory for our town!"
"None of these monsters will escape and harm my children outside!"
"Die! Die! Die! You fuckers!"
What Kael had failed to notice earlier was that nearly every adventurer positioned along the frontline was already surrounded by multiple creatures at once, their backs pressed against one another as claws lashed from every direction, while only those stationed in the rear retained even a sliver of breathing space. The leaders fared even worse, each of them encircled by seven or more beasts that attacked in relentless coordination. To make matters far worse, the boss monster had somehow manipulated the battlefield itself, isolating certain members and forcing them into clustered engagements much like his own situation.
Serow was now besieged by at least five creatures, her blade flashing desperately as she struggled to maintain ground. Valric stood some distance away, holding back dozens entirely on his own, his greatsword rising and falling with brutal momentum as broken bodies crashed against the stone floor in rapid succession.
Both Seraphina and Mistwalker were running all across the battlefield like drifting mist and a fleeting shadow, each of them positioned at the exact opposite side of the spacious hall as though they had silently agreed upon such a formation beforehand, waiting for the boss to finally reveal itself while at the same time easing the burden pressing upon their comrades' shoulders by cutting down the lesser creatures that dared to cross their path during their swift movements.
The rear parties, of course, offered every ounce of support they could muster, but it wasn't enough yet, since only the archers can shoot arrows.
Overall, the situation might have appeared far worse at a glance, but it was being handled with careful coordination and stubborn resolve. Although it certainly was not progressing in their favor either, because several of the adventurers had already sustained injuries, some of them minor but troubling, some of them painful enough that another direct strike would likely turn them grievous.
Besides, there seemed to be no visible end to the endless wave of incoming monsters. Exhaustion would eventually creep into their limbs no matter how determined they were to keep fighting. Perhaps the boss was waiting precisely for that moment when fatigue would dull their blades and cloud their thoughts before striking with calculated cruelty.
Moreover, the creature did not appear concerned about conserving its mana at all, since the dungeon's rules had been broken beyond its natural boundaries, so it was entirely possible that the entity possessed a near-endless reserve of mana, though no one could say anything with certainty.
'Damn! We can't win at this rate. There just aren't any possibilities opening up yet... unless we somehow manage to stop the endless incoming horde of monsters... not that it's possible, actually. Just what the hell are you thinking, darling? Do you still believe we can achieve victory? No way!'
His gaze drifted toward her distant figure which seemed almost blurred amidst the ruthless battles, but there was an unmistakable confidence in the way she moved, as though she were not merely fighting but performing a silent dance among blades and claws, cutting down the creatures with a grace that resembled a noble maiden at a grand festival rather than a warrior surrounded by death.
Suddenly, a faint laugh escaped his lips, 'I guess, I have my answer. So, I'll trust you with this one, dear.'
Holding the dagger backward in front of him, he cast the creatures advancing toward him a cold murderous gaze. Dark flames seemed to dance in the depth of his gray eyes as he shrugged, "Come at me, you wretches. Let's have a taste of training, shall we?"
Of course, he had not forgotten the true reason he had chosen to step into this place in the first place, since his goal had always remained unchanged and unwavering, which was to attain greater strength at any cost. But he was also fully aware that simply fighting some abominations within a twisted dungeon would never grant him the power he desired so desperately. What he sought was strength sufficient to defeat Queen, who stood far above him in both rank and raw power, and even imagining a victory against her in direct combat felt almost absurd.
So how could he hope to bridge that impossible distance by cutting down mindless creatures here, truly? Would that not be a foolish... almost laughable decision when viewed from a rational perspective?
Even if he were to develop new techniques with the blade, refining his precision, sharpening his instincts, improving his proficiency in every possible regard, such progress would still fail to elevate his true strength or speed to a level that could threaten someone like her. Besides, those attributes required something deeper, something that could not be borrowed or improvised within a single expedition.
Gaining incredible speed in particular was no trivial matter either, because it was never something that could be achieved through sheer will alone, but required true physical training that demanded years of relentless effort which he did not possess the luxury to spare. So was everything he was doing meaningless then, was he merely gambling with his life without any tangible reward awaiting him at the end?
Obviously not.
He was not reckless without reason, nor was he someone who would willingly step into certain danger without expecting something in return, after all. Even though he did not possess a concrete plan yet, he intended to devise one when the opportunity revealed itself, though.
Regardless, the sole reason he had come here was to accumulate genuine experience, to expose himself to battles against opponents far stronger, far swifter, far more dreadful than himself, and to temper his mind within the heat of such disparity. That was precisely why he had chosen not to bring his usual weapon along with him, not that circumstances would have allowed him to carry it easily even if he wished to, because he desired to challenge himself in the most unforgiving manner possible, to cast himself into a desperate struggle where only intricate intuition and sharpened senses would keep him alive, and where a single miscalculation would lead directly to death.
Without a reliable weapon in his grasp, he forced his mind to accelerate beyond its usual limits, compelling himself to search for solutions amidst battle while also channeling his mana with greater depth and clarity than before, which was born not from comfort but from sheer desperation.
When a person reaches such a desperate state, mistakes are indeed common, but when life itself hangs by a fragile thread there are moments when the body reacts in ways even the mind cannot fully comprehend, surprising its owner with actions that surpass expectation. So, was he entrusting everything to mere luck then?
Unfortunately, he was, but for a good reason at that.
'If I couldn't win against some mindless swarm of abominations, then how can I call myself worthy enough to confront that bitch directly, huh? How can I, really?'
Grinding his teeth, he deflected the incoming barrage of attacks aimed at him from several directions, knocking them aside one by one and sometimes several at once while shifting his body through the water with deliberate, controlled movements to evade the rest.
Each impact that met his blade carried frightening weight behind it, sending faint tremors up his arm, and even when he managed to redirect them, the sheer strength behind those claws made every exchange feel heavier than the last. Evading them was no easier task either, since he was nearly surrounded on all sides, their grotesque silhouettes closing in without pause as though they had already decided he was prey that simply had not fallen yet.
They were not giving him any proper chance to rest or even catch his breath, pressing him relentlessly without a single moment of hesitation, which meant he had to be painfully precise about every next move he made. If he failed to sense the location of even one enemy or misjudged the rhythm of their movements, then he would truly become the victim of a surprise attack from these mindless creatures. If that were to happen, then this time there would be no narrow escape waiting for him at the edge of death.
He narrowed his eyes sharply, forcing his awareness to expand outward despite the pressure building inside his chest.
'Incoming three to the left... three to the right and one at the back it seems. Which means, I have to be extra careful of the creatures at my back the most.'
He dashed forward in a sudden burst, deflecting two incoming attacks from the right with swift, calculated parries before thrusting his blade toward the neck of the last one on the right just as it prepared to strike.
However, the creature reacted with unnatural sharpness and intercepted the dagger with another claw, the force of the impact almost shaking his hand to its core before it retaliated with its free hand in the same breath, its claws tearing through the water aimed directly at his collarbone.
At the very same time, the two monsters beside it launched their own attacks, their claws gleaming faintly as they sliced through the water and closed in on him from different angles, attempting to trap him within a storm of coordinated strikes.
'Damn! Their coordination has improved far more than I anticipated. So, if I try to dash back now, then I would definitely find myself surrounded from all sides since the three on the left are already closing in. And of course, how could I forget about the one at my back waiting patiently for me to step into its reach? And the rear parties are busy supporting the others, so they seem unable to lend a hand right now. Therefore, no matter what, I have to defeat them all alone it seems. As such, I can't let these creatures take advantage of me and overwhelm me so easily, not in my life, not in hell either.'
Leaning backward as far as his body could maintain balance, he twisted his torso just enough to let the first wave of claws pass by his face before throwing the dagger upward at the very last moment, the blade spinning above him in a brief silver arc.
The first attack sliced through nothing but air, but the other two continued their descent without mercy despite failing to land cleanly at first. One claw slammed into the floor nearby, missing him by barely an inch and cracking the surface beneath, while the other adjusted mid-swing and redirected its path straight toward his eyes, the sharp tips glinting as though eager to crush his skull in a single blow.
His eyes widened, 'Crap! Has their ability proficiency increased perhaps?'
Before the claws could reach his face, his head shifted sideways in mid-air at the last possible moment, not through luck but through the sudden release of wind pressure beneath him that altered his trajectory by the smallest but most crucial margin, allowing him to evade the strike by a hair's breadth.
In the same flowing motion, he forced an even greater burst of compressed wind into the floor beneath him, the pressure exploding outward and lifting his torso upright with astonishing speed as his shirt fluttered violently around him.
Without wasting that momentum, he drove a devastating punch straight into the grotesque face of the third creature before it could complete its attack. The impact was amplified by the wind pressure surging through his arm, which sent the monster flying several meters ahead of him before it crashed into another of its own kin that had been occupying Serow at some distance, unintentionally granting her a sudden and valuable opening.
Turning his body smoothly as though this battle were nothing more than an elaborate dance, he reached upward and caught the falling dagger with practiced precision, rolling it across his fingers in the air for a few brief moments as though he were merely entertaining himself rather than fighting for his life.
"Wow! That was really way too close, wasn't it? I must say, you guys almost had me there for a sec. You guys truly know how to be a good training partners, don't you?"
Sidestepping another incoming strike with measured calm, he allowed the attack to graze past him before dashing forward again and stabbing the blade deep into a creature's shoulder.
"To be honest, I never knew I can actually be quite good at using a dagger sometimes too, though I only had a little hunch before and was not fully sure back then, so it remained an option of risking to try it out of sorts, you know. But as it turned out, my assumption was actually correct."
At the same time, another creature lunged at him from his blind side, its claws tearing through the air as it attempted to rip him apart without warning. Because of that, he was forced to abandon his attempt at harming the earlier creature, twisting his torso sharply as he redirected his momentum to deflect the incoming strike instead.
"Then again, there isn't much of a difference between a sword and a dagger, though. So, it could just be my actual sword skills mixed with dagger techniques, letting me move the dagger very swiftly, almost as if I had always been a dagger-user to begin with. So, it's really hard to tell which one it is that I'm truly better at, since I had been kind of considering switching my weapon. Not anymore, though."
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(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...