BOOM──!
BOOOOM───!!
A relentless barrage from the TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher.
But unfortunately, the one-sided massacre didn't last long.
Before I knew it, some beasts and monsters had already caught up to Horus, sticking right behind him.
They were monsters I knew well.
Grade-2 Aerial Beast: Red-Winged Wyvern.
Grade-2 Rock Monster: Demon Statue Gargoyle.
These were the ones I had clashed with before but hadn't finished off. Now, they had shown up again.
Of course, the wounds I inflicted back then weren't minor—the Red-Winged Wyvern's wings were full of holes, and the Demon Statue Gargoyle's body was riddled with cracks.
"Yeah, we still have unfinished business."
Honestly, I'd been regretting letting them go last time, but they just showed up on their own, practically begging to be killed.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the leisure to deal with them right now.
They weren't the only high-ranking beasts chasing after me.
'That one...'
Grade-1 Aerial Beast: Sky Megalodon.
The Ruler of the Skies, appearing right in front of me.
'Didn't see that one last time... Must be a new addition to the pack.'
It wasn't that Queen Bee was the only Grade-1 flying monster.
Most of the other Grade-1 flyers either weren't interested in me or were too far away to be drawn in by aggro, so I hadn't encountered them before.
'It's definitely tricky... but not as bad as the Queen Bee.'
That didn't mean the Sky Megalodon was weaker.
If I were to compare raw power, the Megalodon would be on a completely different level.
But the biggest difference between the Sky Megalodon and the Queen Bee was leadership.
The Sky Megalodon was immensely powerful, but precisely because of that, it usually operated alone.
As long as I exploited that trait, there were plenty of ways to hunt it down.
Unlike the Queen Bee, who constantly hid behind her swarm, the Sky Megalodon never shied away from a fight.
"Alright, let's do this."
I turned Horus around, aiming straight for the Sky Megalodon.
It was time to show the true ruler of the sky who was boss.
What is the most dangerous beast or monster to the Ark?
The first would obviously be Grade-2 or higher high-ranking monsters.
Unlike beasts, high-ranking monsters typically possess some level of intelligence, and even within the same grade, they are generally considered far more dangerous.
For instance, the Grade-2 Phantom: Doppelgänger, while relatively low-ranking, played a significant role in the destruction of the Black Line.
The second would be high-ranking beasts.
While beasts are generally considered less dangerous than monsters, it doesn't mean high-ranking beasts are any less of a threat.
In fact, many high-ranking beasts possess raw power that surpasses monsters of the same grade.
The most common example among these high-ranking beasts would be the colossal beasts.
Colossal beasts are massive, capable of crushing the Ark's walls, and they often possess thick, resilient exoskeletons, making them extremely difficult to kill.
For instance, the Mossback Kupf, a Grade-6 Behemoth, would have posed a significant threat to the Ark's frontlines despite its relatively low grade.
Finally, the third and most crucial threat would be flying-type beasts and monsters.
Even if their grades are relatively low, flying types can directly attack the Ark without being hindered by its walls, making them incredibly dangerous.
Additionally, their agility and mobility often force the Ark to waste firepower, making them exceedingly troublesome enemies.
When listing the most dangerous threats to the Ark, the first two categories are far too difficult for me to handle alone.
The efficiency of hunting them is simply not worth the risk.
However, the third category—flying-type beasts and monsters—is different.
They pose a significant threat to the Ark, but they're not too difficult to take down if I use the right tactics.
That's why I risked coming all the way here.
'The goal here is to take down as many flying beasts as possible.'
I steered Horus directly toward the swarm filling the sky.
["Are you insane?! What are you doing?!"]
Esther screamed.
It was reckless, and even I had to admit it looked suicidal.
500 meters.
300 meters.
100 meters.
50 meters...
The distance between us and the beasts rapidly closed.
Right before collision—
['Ankelenth's Roar' has been activated!]
The bone tendrils extending from Janus started to vibrate and resonate.
[KROOOOOOOOAAAAR────!!!]
A deafening roar echoed through the sky, and the movements of the charging beasts momentarily froze.
Even the Red-Winged Wyvern, a Grade-2 Aerial Beast, and Sky Megalodon, a Grade-1 Aerial Beast, were no exceptions.
This momentary gap—I wasn't about to waste it.
Click—
Normally, it's nearly impossible to hit flying-type monsters with the TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher.
But with this opening, even a slow projectile would be enough.
FWOOSH───!!!
Five shots.
That was the number of triggers I could pull during the gap.
Streaks of light traced through the air.
Three of the rockets struck the Red-Winged Wyvern square on the head, while the other two hit nearby beasts.
BOOOOM───!!!
A massive explosion erupted, and in the midst of it, one of my most persistent adversaries finally lost its wings and crashed pathetically to the ground.
[You have slain the Grade-2 Aerial Beast: Red-Winged Wyvern.]
[Damage against Grade-2 Aerial Beast: Red-Winged Wyvern, increases by 0.05%.]
The beasts and monsters, which had been momentarily stunned, let out furious roars, turning their attention back to me.
I was fully exposed right in the heart of enemy lines.
'I can't use Ankelenth's Roar again right away.'
Like any powerful ability, Ankelenth's Roar placed a considerable strain on Janus.
[KRAAAAAH!!!]
[GRAAAAAAARRR...!]
Beasts and monsters charged from all directions, leaving no room to escape, no matter how fast Horus was.
"Esther!"
["You reckless idiot of a master!"]
Esther let out a panicked scream, unleashing Ether in all directions.
[Shield?]
[Shield. Shield. Shield. Shield. Shield...]
[Protect...]
The sudden ether barrier held back the advancing beasts, but only for a brief moment.
Crack, crack—!
The sound of the barrier shattering rang out, and the surrounding ether screamed in agony.
[AAAAAAAHHHHH────!!!]
[Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop...]
[Stop it alreadyyyyy!!!]
But this was exactly what I had been waiting for.
"Horus!"
Though Janus was too strained to use another ability, Horus was different.
['Sonic Disruption' is activated!]
The bone tendrils protruding from Horus vibrated in unison, releasing a massive, piercing sonic wave.
[BEEEEEEEEEEP────!!!]
["Sigh... But I can't help you. I'm completely out of energy right now. I need to rest for a bit."]
"That's enough."
Even if it was just for a moment, Esther had managed to block hundreds of flying monsters.
If it were the old Esther, it might be different, but given her current weakened state, it would be stranger if she had any strength left.
Amidst the chaos, I faced the Grade-1 Flying Beast, the Sky Megalodon, which was glaring at me.
"What are you looking at?"
As I locked eyes with the Sky Megalodon, a massive roar erupted as if it had been waiting for this moment.
ROOOOAAAARRRR!!!
The thunderous roar almost made me flinch instinctively, but only for a brief second.
With the combination of fortified serum and countless effects, my fighting spirit stat had now surpassed 20, refusing to let me shrink back.
It's coming.
Although both are Grade-1 Beasts, the Sky Megalodon is different from the Queen Bee.
If the Queen Bee is a commander,
the Sky Megalodon is a vanguard.
It never retreats.
That's the nature of the Sky Megalodon, a beast that possesses the sheer power to enforce its will.
That's why I had set up this battlefield as well.
Right now, there weren't many beasts left that could interfere with my fight against it.
'The number of giant bees is clearly inferior compared to the other beasts.'
In other words, it was essential to end the fight with the Sky Megalodon as quickly as possible.
'There's nothing to hesitate about.'
If I left the Grade-1 Flying Beast, Sky Megalodon, unattended, it would undoubtedly inflict significant damage on the Ark.
There were more than enough reasons to take it down here and now.
I gripped the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun.
The reason I didn't pull out the TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher despite facing such a massive opponent was simple.
One of the biggest misconceptions made by Ark soldiers encountering the Sky Megalodon for the first time was thinking that it would be sluggish due to its enormous size.
Moreover, its overwhelming bulk naturally gave the impression that it would require immense firepower to take down.
But that was a clear mistake.
A Grade-1 Aerial Beast.
Among them, the Sky Megalodon—known as the "Ruler of the Skies"—boasts not only a massive frame and a sturdy exterior but, most fearsome of all, an absurd speed and destructive power that allow it to dominate the sky.
In other words, hitting it with a TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher was practically impossible.
Whirrrrrr...
The barrel of the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun began to rotate roughly.
Though the Sky Megalodon was astoundingly fast, it couldn't completely dodge the concentrated hail of bullets from a focused NOA-8.
After all, I had thoroughly grasped its movement patterns.
Countless flashes of light erupted in flames, surging toward the Sky Megalodon.
RATATATATATATA!!!
The Sky Megalodon, a beast with such keen senses and reaction speed that it could visually evade incoming flashes, began evasive maneuvers.
But even that had been accounted for, as I meticulously lured it into specific movements.
SCREEEEE!!!
As the colossal beast weaved around, evading the onslaught, numerous other monsters collided with it and fell helplessly to the ground.
Getting struck by that enormous body moving at such speed left them in no state to survive.
[You have slain the Grade-8 Aerial Beast, Black Feather Executioner.]
[Damage to the Grade-8 Aerial Beast, Black Feather Executioner, has increased by 0.05%.]
[You have slain the Grade-6 Aerial Beast, Green Feather Tribe Harpy Raider.]
[Damage to the Grade-6 Aerial Beast, Green Feather Tribe Harpy Raider, has increased by 0.05%.]
[You have slain the Grade-7 Rock Monster, Cursed Bird Statue.]
[Damage to the Grade-7 Rock Monster, Cursed Bird Statue, has increased by 0.05%.]
.
.
.
[You have slain the Grade-8 Arthropod, Giant Fly.]
[Damage to the Grade-8 Arthropod, Giant Fly, has increased by 0.05%.]
The distance between me and the Sky Megalodon closed at a shocking speed amid the storm of gunfire.
Its massive size was almost deceiving, like a gigantic boulder rushing toward me.
'No, just in terms of size, it's only slightly larger than the Sky Whale...'
The problem wasn't its size, but the sheer power it possessed beyond that.
["W-What are you doing?! At this rate, you're going to crash!"]
"That's the plan."
["Wha—?!"]
Before I knew it, the distance between us was reduced to nearly nothing.
I could have avoided it, but I saw no reason to.
BOOOOM!!!
A tremendous impact reverberated.
Fortunately, I had braced for the collision beforehand. Otherwise, I might have been flung right out of Horus.
Falling from this height... Even with Janus and Aether, given the surrounding flying beasts, it would've been as good as dead.
Still, this was a risk worth taking.
With my current firepower, I can't take down the Sky Megalodon from a distance.
There was no need to worry.
If I couldn't shoot it down from afar, I would just take it out up close.
["W-What are you—"]
Leaving Esther's terrified scream behind,
I leapt straight onto the back of the Sky Megalodon.