Metal Slime 238
Chapter 238: Limit TL: Cnine ED/PF: Part 1 The massive scorpion was wreaking havoc through the dungeon with its swift and erratic movements.
Chapter 238: Limit
TL: Cnine
ED/PF:
Part 1
The massive scorpion was wreaking havoc through the dungeon with its swift and erratic movements.
A swipe of its scissors could easily tear human bodies apart, and its sharp legs could pierce through flesh as if it was made of tofu. Its poisonous tail stinger could inflict venom upon piercing flesh, causing many seekers to scream in agony before they died.
「Dammit!」
Kayla raised her greatsword, holding her ground against the serkat (giant scorpion).
But the serkat was surprisingly agile, making it difficult to land a clear strike. While Kayla was chasing it around, more and more of her fellow seekers were killed by the serkat.
「Fight me! Monster!」
Kayla screamed angrily with bloodshot eyes. Yet the serkat ignored her and targeted the Indian seekers first.
Kayla became more and more frustrated since the serkat acted as if it knew who the strongest opponent was.
「In that case...」
Kayla shifted her gaze to the bracelet on her left hand. As she poured her magical power into it, two magic gems shattered.
A gigantic amount of "magical power of wind" erupted around Kayla.
Kayla kicked the ground beneath her, scattering a cloud of dust and charging straight toward the serkat.
The moment Kayla’s greatsword and the serkat’s pincers clashed, a shockwave spread through the area, followed by a gale.
The serkat stood its ground, while Kayla did her best to hold hers.
She clenched her teeth and gripped her greatsword tightly.
「UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!」
Once again, she created an explosive gale beneath her feet, moving at high speed. Despite delivering repeated slashes, she couldn’t inflict any damage on the serkat.
She failed to break the wind barrier even with her vacuum magic.
Seeing Kayla fight desperately, her fellow seekers tried their best to assist her, but――
「YOU FOOL! STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!」
Kayla screamed in vain as the serkat's tail swept past the incoming seekers.
One seeker was killed immediately, while the other two were gravely injured.
The serkat then aimed at the injured seekers to finish them off.
「NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!」
Kayla intervened, blocking the serkat's venomous stinger attack with her sword. She managed to fend it off, but in doing so, created a chink in her defense.
She was mercilessly struck by the claws and sent flying all the way to the edge of the floor, slamming into the wall.
Cough
Kayla's body rolled on the ground as she coughed blood, staring at the ceiling.
Realizing that this might be the end of her journey... Strangely enough, Kayla didn't feel bad at all. She had accepted her death.
However, she asked herself if she had really made a difference.
Kayla asked herself over and over again, slowly planted her feet on the ground, raised her head, and glared at the serkat.
――I'll take them down even if it's the last thing I do!
Kayla stood on her feet, braced her unsteady legs. She held her sword in a firm stance, carefully observing her opponent's movements.
The serkat charged straight toward Kayla.
◇◇◇
「Dammit!」
Akito swung Gae Bolg and stepped back. Before him stood a monster from the deep floor, Sol Mantis, wielding sharp scythes.
Akito was frustrated since his attacks barely hit their target.
Rui was facing the Sol Mantis as well.
Rui's flame sword was more than enough to kill his opponent in one hit. However, none of his attacks landed on the Sol Mantis, leaving Rui struggling as well.
Moreover, another Sol Mantis stood before Yuuma as well.
Multiple Sol Mantises showed up on this floor, meaning that Anik and the members of Makamayuri (Peacock King) along with the other Indian seekers were fighting against Sol Mantises as well.
Everyone was having a hard time.
Seeing Yuuma's hesitation, the Sol Mantis before him jumped at him.
The monster closed in swiftly, swinging its scythe while unleashing powerful "Wind magic" at the same time. Yuuma deployed a wind barrier to block the attack but got sent flying backward due to the overwhelming power behind the monster's attack.
Although he managed to brace himself and endure it, the Sol Mantis had already arrived right in front of him.
「Guh!」
He tried to counter with a pickel infused with wind magic, but he couldn't fully block the opponent's attack and was sent flying backward.
Seeing that, the Sol Mantis retreated carefully.
Yuuma stood up, his face contorted in pain. His shoulder was bleeding due to the slash he received from the Sol Mantis.
「Dammit, that hurts!」
Part 2
He placed his hand over his shoulder and cast healing magic. Warm light spread, and the wound healed rapidly. The Sol Mantis crouched and readied its scythe once again.
――Akito and Rui might stand a chance against these guys, but that doesn't apply to me...
At that moment, Yuuma saw Kayla fighting a short distance away. She was battling a giant scorpion and seemed to be in a tight spot.
The Indian seekers were trying to assist her but were getting killed by the said giant scorpion instead.
Yuuma made a decision. He shouted toward Akito and Rui without taking his eyes off the Sol Mantis before him.
「Kayla and co are in a tight spot, we have to save them!」
Akito brandished his spear while looking at Kayla and co.
「Leave it to me! I'll save them after taking care of this fella!」
Akito released even more intense lightning from his body, launching a fierce assault on the Sol Mantis. However, he struggled to land a decisive blow, and once again, he failed to defeat it.
Rui was pretty much in the same situation.
At this rate, Kayla and the Indian seekers would be killed. Once that happened, it would become even more difficult to advance to the lower floor.
「I'll use 『Metallization』 and save them! Akito and Rui should go to assist Anik-san.」
Akito reached out his hand toward Yuuma, who had already sprinted.
「WAIT! IT'S STILL TOO EARLY!」
Akito's warning fell on deaf ears. Yuuma took a breath, clenched his fists, as his skin slowly transformed into metallic black.
The Sol Mantis jumped toward him.
His body hadn't fully come under the effect of 『Metallization』 yet, but a large part of his body had already transformed into metal. Yuuma didn't waste time and invoked Bloody Ore immediately.
His body became lighter, and his feet started moving at incredible speed. Though the Sol Mantis swung its scythe at an alarming speed, it looked like slow motion from Yuuma's perspective.
Yuuma channeled magical power of wind into his pickel.
The moment Yuuma and the Sol Mantis crossed paths, the latter's body tore apart, disintegrating into sand without the chance to regenerate.
Yuuma wasted no time and ran as fast as he could toward Kayla.
◇◇◇
The pincer wrapped in wind armor was fast approaching.
Kayla barely managed to dodge the incoming pincer, only to see the tail coming from above — it was a double-layered attack. She stepped aside, barely avoiding it. The ground sizzled when the tail was raised from the ground as green liquid dripped from its tip.
Kayla stepped back, readying her greatsword while adjusting her disordered breath.
――Strong! So this is the power of the 【monster from the deep floor】 near the bottom floor. Not to mention it's a bad match since the wounds from my attacks heal up almost immediately.
Kayla considered the option of retreating, but then she looked at the seekers behind her over her shoulder.
She saw the other seekers also having their hands full fighting other monsters. Thus, retreating here would mean that the giant scorpion before her would turn its target to the other seekers.
That must be avoided at all costs.
Thus, as the responsible leader of the party, Kayla tightened her grip on the hilt of her great sword, 【Kanda】.
The Serkat (giant scorpion) wrapped in an eerie aura was fast approaching from the front.
If she dodged the monster's attack, it would charge straight toward her comrades. Thus she was prepared to stop the giant scorpion in this place.
She broke the magic gem left in the bracelet. An explosive wind swept through the area, and the wind magic gathered in Kayla's greatsword.
She parried the incoming right pincer swung by the Serkat with her greatsword and deflected the left scythe that followed with a precise swipe.
But her stance wavered slightly, leaving her unable to respond to the descending tail strike from above.
「Guh!」
The deadly poison needle loomed over her head. Kayla could only close her eyes, bracing herself for death.
However, nothing happened even after a while. There was no impact on her head; instead, a sharp metallic sound echoed. The sound of metal clashing against metal.
Kayla opened her eyes slowly.
In front of her was a back. Someone stood in front of Kayla, stopping the Serkat's tail with just one hand.
Kayla's eyes opened wide upon realizing the identity of the person before her who stopped the incoming tail with a bare hand.
That person was none other than the seeker whom she had labeled as weak... Mitaka Yuuma.