"Wind Walker!"
The moment the shield failed, Roy activated his boots' effect, boosting his Agility to Rank B. He blurred into a gust of wind, desperately weaving through the cavern.
Boom! The blue fire followed him like a hungry ghost. Roy didn't dare stop. A single lick of that flame would cause his state to plummet. He tried to lure the attacks toward the cave entrance to blast the rubble away, but Amphisbaena was smart; it only aimed at the walls above the exit, melting more rock to bury the tunnel even deeper.
After five minutes, the blue fire finally ceased—the dragon's fuel was likely depleted for the moment. Roy was panting, drenched in sweat. If not for the stamina potions, he wouldn't even be standing.
"ROOOOAR!"
The dragon's heads let out a bone-shaking roar. Roy's face paled. He remembered Amphisbaena had the ability to summon minions. Sure enough, the walls shattered as dozens of monsters emerged, and more shadows rose from the bottomless lake. The horde was even larger than the one the Mermaid had controlled.
"Luminous Wind!"
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Starting with an Elf (271 Chapters, Ongoing)
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Suddenly, a clear voice echoed. Countless emerald orbs of light blasted through the blocked exit, tearing through the rubble. The orbs flew past Roy, vaporizing the surrounding monsters with surgical precision.
Only one person had that kind of "friendly fire" accuracy.
"Mr. Roy!" Ryuu charged through the opening, with Daphne and Cassandra close behind. Roy wasn't surprised. Ryuu would never abandon a comrade.
Seeing the three of them alone, Roy gave a cold smirk. "Where's the rest of the party?"
Ryuu noticed his look and explained, "Once you killed the Mermaid, the charm broke, and they all fell unconscious. Mr. Bors is taking them back to the 18th floor."
Good, Roy thought. Bors had his hands full protecting a group of comatose men through the upper floors.
"ROOOOAR!" Amphisbaena's rage reached a fever pitch. It had been ignored while these humans "played house" in front of it.
"Amphisbaena!" Ryuu's face was grave. Her Familia had killed this boss many times, but they had nine Level 4s and two high Level 3s then. Now, they had one Level 4, one Level 3, and two rookies.
"Roy, take Daphne and Cassandra and leave! I'll hold it off!" Ryuu commanded.
Roy frowned. "And you?"
"I know its patterns. I can escape once you're clear!" she said, trying to sound confident.
Roy scoffed. "Don't lie to me." He knew a Level 4 alone wouldn't survive this.
"Take them and go, please!" Ryuu gripped the corner of Roy's shirt, her face showing a rare, pleading vulnerability.
Roy's eyes flashed with anger. "Do you want to die that badly?"
"I told you... I will protect you all!" Ryuu's voice was firm. She saw these newcomers as the future of the Astraea Familia. She was the "old guard" ready to sacrifice herself for the new blood.
Roy took a deep breath. "No. We are going to kill Amphisbaena."
Ryuu was stunned. "What are you saying? That's impossible for us!"
"Enough, Ryuu! I am the commander of this expedition!" Roy barked. It was the first time he had ever spoken to her with such harshness. "If you're too afraid, leave! I'm staying until this thing is dead. I'm going to show the world that the Astraea Familia's justice is still alive!"
His voice filled the cavern, drowning out the dragon's heavy breathing. Amphisbaena seemed to sense his resolve and stopped its minion summoning. It knew this human was its true opponent.
"Bring it on!" Roy's eyes were wild with excitement.
[Luck] activated! His stats, recovery, and luck began to surge.