Chapter 157: Deadly Warm-up
With no other option left to her, Seraphina enveloped herself in lightning magic and vanished from her position at the final possible moment, a deafening sound erupting as the creature's palms collided where she had been an instant earlier.
Moments later, she reappeared several paces behind it, her boots striking the ground as she slid slightly before regaining her balance and settling into a sideways stance, the tip of her sword leveled directly at the creature.
Had she not relied upon one of her most basic and familiar techniques, she would have already been crushed between its palms before even getting the chance to strike, such was the frightening speed it had displayed just now.
And yet, before she could even fully steady herself, the monster had already turned around and closed the distance between them in an instant, its battleaxe once again raised high as it swung the massive weapon down toward her with relentless force.
When did it even have the chance to retrieve its weapon, though?
She had no room to think further, so instead she met the descending blade head-on with her own sword, the power behind the impact so immense that it sent a violent shock through the corridor.
Seraphina herself did not move even a single inch under the pressure, though the ground beneath her feet cracked and began to break instead, unable to withstand the force being transmitted through her stance.
Deflecting the weapon aside almost immediately, she twisted her body and launched an attack of her own, not just one strike but a rapid barrage delivered in seamless succession.
The creature, however, managed to fend them off through a combination of its massive weapon and its growing adaptability, its movements becoming increasingly refined as it adjusted to its newly awakened senses as a true S-Ranked monster, developing a crude yet effective battle intelligence that was anything but insignificant.
As time passed, she moved throughout the narrow corridor like a fleeting shadow, one moment near the wall and the next already on its opposite side, her blade striking repeatedly as she shifted positions without pause. The distance between her and the rest of the group gradually increased during the clash, making it increasingly difficult for anyone else to offer support should she need it.
Throughout this exchange, she attempted several times to slip past the creature's attacks and cut it down decisively, yet each attempt failed due to its incredible movement speed and unnervingly sharp senses. Even so, she did not struggle without result, since she had already managed to carve several deep wounds into its thick hide, black blood now dripping steadily down its massive frame.
Naturally, the creature had not managed to inflict any serious injuries upon her, though it was undeniable that it had pushed her far harder than most opponents ever had. If this continued on much longer, exhaustion would eventually begin to weigh upon her movements.
'How troublesome!'
As another heavy attack came crashing toward her, instead of parrying or deflecting it, she dashed backward to evade it and finally allowed herself a soft breath, one that felt longer than it should have.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
Behind the creature, the once flat floor had become broken and uneven, and farther back still, the goblin her party had been battling until now had finally been dealt with.
As she regained her posture, the monster was already upon her once again, its massive presence bearing down relentlessly, which forced her to leap sideways this time around. The moment her boots touched the floor, the creature twisted its hands unnaturally and brought its weapon crashing toward her with brutal intent, attempting to crush her into the stone below, leaving her no choice but to leap away in the opposite direction once more just to narrowly avoid being smashed beneath its overwhelming strength.
'It seems the ability it is gaining must be somehow related to speed or strength. That would explain how it is growing stronger and much faster as time passes.'
Evading yet another one of its attacks with almost effortless precision, Seraphina came to a sudden halt directly in front of the towering creature and released a soft, measured sigh, her posture calm and composed as if the violent exchange before her held little urgency, "This distance should be right about enough… do you not think?"
The monster, of course, did not answer her, not that it could even if it wished to, however it responded in its own way by letting out a guttural growl before lunging at her almost instantly, its massive form surging forward with overwhelming force.
At that very moment, countless sparks of lightning began to dance wildly around her figure, wrapping her form in crackling arcs of blue light and making her appear almost unreal, like a radiant embodiment of lightning given physical shape.
The tip of her sword slowly rose and pointed directly at the charging creature as she tilted her head ever so slightly, incandescent blue flames flickering and dancing behind the visor of her helmet, her voice carrying a faint hint of amusement as she spoke, "How impatient of you!"
With that, she surged forward, and as she did so the world around her seemed to slow ever so slightly, her figure appearing right before the creature in the blink of an eye, only for her to witness its jagged weapon crashing down toward her with terrifying speed again.
'How fast its reflexes truly are.'
"But you are... too slow."
She parried the incoming blow cleanly, the clash sending sparks flying as she leapt upward immediately afterward, twisting her body mid-air before delivering a devastating downward strike that carved a deep gash into the creature's elbow. Though it proved insufficient to truly hinder it or rob it of its ability to wield its weapon, as the monster was already moving again to strike her.
And yet, that was perfectly acceptable.
Because at that moment, the lightning crackling through the air grew even more intense, the sparks multiplying rapidly until the surrounding space was filled with a blinding blue radiance, before all of that energy began gathering itself around her sword, which now hovered horizontally as she aimed its glowing tip directly at the creature's chest.
"Sir Valric, now!"
Just as the massive battleaxe was about to come crashing down upon her, she thrust her sword forward with lightning speed.
In the next moment, a blinding flash of blue light erupted throughout the dungeon, accompanied by a deafening thunderous roar that shook the very structure itself. Her blade pierced straight through the creature with ease, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
However, the shock of the lightning did not end there, as the destructive energy continued to surge forward through the corridor and struck the area where her own party should have been standing, only to be stopped by a hastily formed wall of earth created by one of her teammates.
Unfortunately, the wall proved unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure of her lightning and shattered apart, sending chunks of stone and debris flying in all directions, while even the lingering aftershock was powerful enough to force several of her companions to stumble back a few steps.
Thankfully, no one appeared to be injured, though the shock was evident on their faces as they took in the sight of the corridor, now left uneven and scarred by the sheer force of the strike.
'Good job, everyone.'
Raising her hand, she caught the weapon to deflect the incoming attack, or rather, an earlier attack, within her palm as though it was nothing.
Taking a deep sigh, she was about to throw it aside but, before she could, however, she suddenly saw a movement out of nowhere that even surprised her.
The fingers curling around the battleaxe moved slightly, its muscles tightened as well.
The creature was still alive.
As it turned out, despite taking the attack and having a massive hole torn straight through its chest, the Goblin King, or rather the newly awakened Warlord, had not perished yet.
Throwing the weapon aside, Seraphina landed on the uneven ground.
'How unexpected. I was quite certain that should have been the end of it, yet to think it not only endured my attack head-on but can still move afterward… truly magnificent.'
A dark smile formed beneath her helmet as she spoke coldly, her voice carrying genuine respect mixed with lethal intent, "Ah, I have no doubt about you anymore… you are truly of a caliber comparable to that of a demon. My deepest apologies for underestimating you earlier, but I will not repeat that mistake. You have taught me a valuable lesson, the monsters of this world are not as weak as they may appear, so I will no longer hold back either. I shall go all out."
The monster growled in response, whether from pain or from its inability to fully move its body following her earlier attack remained unclear.
Pointing the tip of her sword at the ground, she began walking toward the wounded creature with slow, deliberate steps, her presence pressing down on it like an approaching executioner, "However, I am afraid our battle must come to an end here. I do not possess the privilege to waste any more time... you see."
She vanished from the spot where she had stood as if she had never been there.
In the next moment, she unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes from countless angles, each blow landing upon the monster's immobilized body in a decisive and seamless motion as she encircled it like that of a spider net, or at least that was what the others could guess.
Soon, she reappeared calmly behind it as though she had never moved at all.
Almost immediately after, thin dark lines began to spread across its body, creeping along its limbs and torso alike.
In the next moment, its massive form was cleanly sliced apart, severed from limb to limb as the pieces collapsed behind her and piled together into a grotesque mound, black blood spilling endlessly from the remains like a fountain that refused to cease.
Seraphina sheathed her sword with an unhurried grace and continued walking forward without sparing a single glance behind her, her voice cold and composed as she spoke, "You truly gave me a good warm-up... it seemed."
---
"Hell yeah! Captain won the battle."
"Aww~ she's so amazing."
"Hell, she is... though, by the way, she was also the same person who almost killed us with her own attack."
"Hey, don't be so gloomy about it... she warned us beforehand, didn't she, that whenever she lured a monster away from us we had to prepare ourselves at any moment for the aftermath of her attacks."
"Yeah, yeah, she did say that, but was it truly necessary for her to attack in our direction... couldn't she have done it the other way around?"
"That's a fair point. However, if she had done that, it would've shown a perfect path for the boss or even provoked it even further. Haven't you noticed it yet, the boss never abandons its minions, and by that rule alone we should have encountered it far earlier... yet, we still haven't crossed paths with it. What do you think the reason might be?"
Valric spoke calmly as he rested the tip of his greatsword against the ground, his gaze sweeping across their surroundings.
No one answered him after noticing it was him who had interrupted them suddenly.
So, he continued himself on a darker tone, "Either the boss failed to reach the first floor through the teleportation circle, though judging by the shriek we heard earlier that seems unlikely. So, there could be only one remaining possibility... it had evolved and grown far thicker or larger in size, to the point that it could no longer pass through the gate where the teleportation circle lies, which caused it to be separated from its minions. That explanation fits the situation far too well."
Standing a short distance away, Serow narrowed her eyes slightly, her dagger hanging elegantly at her waist while her arms crossed loosely over her chest as she spoke, "The boss should be capable of sensing spells before they are fully formed. However, to determine the correct direction, the spell would need to be aimed at the creature itself, meaning any attack directed toward the opposite side of the corridor would still be perceived as targeting it."
She paused for a moment, then allowed a cold smile to curve her lips as she continued, "Even so, while it may be trapped and unable to leave through the gate, that does not mean it cannot dig its way here from below. That is why she cast her spell in the opposite direction, preventing it from sensing where we are positioned. As expected of our beloved Captain... how clever of her."
Valric turned his head toward her with an amused smile, nodding slightly as he said, "Ah, Serow, was it? You have shown quite impressive insight and skill for a mere A-rank adventurer, enough to nearly impress me with this alone. It is no wonder Captain entrusted you with so many of her commands."
Serow glanced over her shoulder and returned his gaze with a polite smile, "I am honored by your compliment, Sir Valric."
Valric released a small sigh and answered in a neutral tone, "Just Valric will do... there is no need for such formality, especially when I am only but a mere rank above you. That said, I would appreciate it if you considered wearing something far more appropriate in the future. Before you misunderstand, it isn't a criticism of your character or intentions... it is simply that such attire offers little resilience on a battlefield, and there is a real risk of suffering severe injuries even from ordinary attacks. You understand what I am saying, don't you?"
'What a kind and wholehearted man...'
Her brows twisted slightly, but her expression softened into something faintly wistful as she said, "I certainly do. Please, don't trouble yourself over me, though. My attire has no bearing on my capabilities, at least not in the way most would think. No one truly does, really. Besides, this was given to me by someone precious to me, and so I intend to wear it at all times. Even when I die, I wish to die wearing it."
Valric tilted his head a little, studying her quietly before responding, "If that's your wish, then so be it."
'...unfortunately, he had to die as well. What a cruel world this is.'
A dark expression crossed her beautiful face, her silver eyes gleamed slightly.
'Ah, I can't believe it... I actually succeeded.'
---
Sometime later, Seraphina approached the adventurers, her footsteps light yet confident even amid the scattered rubble. The faint sound of her boots brushing against broken stone was enough to draw everyone's attention almost instantly, their scattered murmurs gradually fading as her presence settled over the area.
Without wasting any more of her time, she ordered in a firm and controlled voice, "Everyone, take some rest first. Considering the boss is blocking the teleportation circle, there hardly seems to be any chance of encountering additional monsters at the moment. Still, remain on guard, as we cannot predict what may occur inside a dungeon. Keep that in mind, we will be departing in fifteen minutes."
The response came almost in unison.
"Understood."
Soon, the adventurers dispersed a short distance away, placing their weapons aside as they settled down, some choosing to sit back against broken stone while others remained standing, exhaustion written clearly across their faces, with a few greedily drinking water to ease their thirst.
Although the first battle had not lasted very long, they still appeared to have grown somewhat tired, which made this brief window of rest all the more necessary. Ironically enough, this moment of respite had been granted by the very monster they would soon be facing again.
How strange that irony truly was.
At that very moment, Valric stepped forward, his gaze lingering on the motionless bodies of the fallen monsters as though he were searching for something unseen, before he spoke in a calm and measured tone, "You look tense, Captain? Is there something troubling your thoughts?"
'He cannot see my face, though.'
Seraphina let out a quiet sigh, her voice remaining indifferent as she said, "You have witnessed it yourself, have you not? The monsters within this dungeon have proven to be far more overwhelming in strength than we initially anticipated. It appears that when a high-ranking monster evolves here, it gains not only enhanced abilities but also a form of battle intellect. Furthermore, there is a significant possibility that these creatures can evolve on the spot as long as they remain inside the dungeon."
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(Chapter Ended)