laulau20
patreon
Chapter 12: Zone Clearing
🕑 Added 2024-03-08 14:52:18 +0000 UTC"Alright. Usurpation zone Code S014," the soldier muttered, pointing ahead. "It's supposed to be that way."
"It's a sports center."
"It WAS a sports center. I don't think it can serve as one without a complete rebuild," Sapphire remarked as we looked toward the ruins labeled 'sports center'. Its windows were shattered, and the walls cracked. Black, slimy substances here and there added to the horror of the usurpation zone.
"Wan-Chan, scout, please."
"Phoenix, scout too. Tell me what Anathema is there."
"On it!" I also sent Felicia in. After a few minutes of observing the sports center from the outside, the reports came in.
"It's somewhere in the twenties. We got this," Red Flame repeated what his bird told him. "Lucky! Let's storm in!"
"Wait! Wan-chan saw thirties. It's an advanced Arachnomantis. Four of them! A complete set."
"What? If it's one or two, we could do it. But four?"
"Can we bait one of them?" Sapphire asked.
"Fel, what's an advanced Arachnomantis?"
"An advanced Arachnomantis is an Arachnomantis, but the human torso has weapons. It could either have a spear, a sword and shield, a bow, or a wand. In case they have a wand, the human torso could cast a single type of spell."
"I think I could bait one or two of them..." I ventured out loud.
"No. That's dangerous," Alice denied me, but Red Flame saw the potential.
"No, that's perfect. If we use your illusion, we could bait two of them elsewhere. But we need to kill the extras first. Your illusion being killed won't affect you in any way, right?" Sapphire pondered.
"Great idea!"
"Let's finish up the extras. Wan-chan, continue to monitor the Arachnomantis' location. Inform us if they change positions. They're on the third floor. Let's clear the first floor first. Red Flame, let's do our usual formation! Black Lily, Sapphire Priest, let's go!"
We stormed into the gym's lobby, instantly met by a swarm of over fifteen Anathema. The lobby, wide and spanning three floors high, was designed to showcase the building's majesty. We pushed forward, battling through several hounds and ghouls. Flashes of light from Alice's bow, flames from Red Flame Darkness's sword, silver gleams from my naginata's blade, and dull whacks from Sapphire's staff created a symphony of chaos. I summoned two clones, each wielding my Seraph's spear and a javelin, and they joined the fray.
"Black Lily, I will suppress your notification messages. Please focus on the fight. Some of them are over level ten." Another kill chime echoed in my mind, marking my kill.
"Black Lily, the Arachnomantis is moving to our position."
"On it," I replied, summoning a clone. The clone picked up my cross spear and ran for the stairs. A window appeared at the corner of my vision, showing the clone's first-person viewpoint. However, managing the clones was Felicia's task. When the fight was over, a level-up notification briefly flashed before disappearing, dismissed by Felicia. I appreciated her consideration; the notifications were exciting at first but could become annoying and even dangerous if they obstructed my view at the wrong moment.
[You have leveled up to level 8]
[You have defeated a horde of Anathema! This is a summary of points received. Consult Familiars for more info]
[Reward: 105 Points]
[Remaining Points:411]
"Alright! The first floor is clear. Let's bail!" Red Flame shouted. "The boss is heading this way." We quickly evacuated the area and hid in a store on the left wing of the building. I made sure to place one of my magic eyes in the lobby. A tense silence filled the room, soon shattered by the skittering sounds of Anathema. I used one of my clones as bait, and through my clone's perspective, I saw them—four Arachnomantis fixated on it. I directed the clone to run outside, and they all pursued. The clone tried to defend against a scythe-like claw with its spear, but both the spear and clone were sliced in two. Another Arachnomantis lunged, and its gleaming spear aimed straight for the window, cutting off the transmission.
"Hieek!" I recoiled in shock. A fleeting echo of pain flashed through my torso before disappearing, as though it never existed.
"Lily, what happened?" Alice asked, concerned.
"Ahem. Nothing. I was just startled to see the Arachnomantis kill my clone. They all move as a group. Now what?"
"Analysis complete. Based on the strength of its swing and the stab of its spear, the Arachnomantis are estimated to be level 32," Felicia reported, joining us in our makeshift hideout in the gym's store, dispensing what felt like unnecessary information—we were already aware they were in their thirties.
"Should we bail out? We could escape through the windows?"
"No. If we don't clear this usurpation zone, 1500 people's lives in Shelter 1 will be at risk," Alice remarked, her expression stern. I nodded in agreement. It was a grim reminder of our current predicament.
"Red Flame, could you take one of them down with your signature move? I'll handle the one with the bow. I promise it will be quick; my signature is quite lethal too, you know."
"If I could land a critical hit, maybe? But achieving that is next to impossible when they're clustered together like this."
We found ourselves at an impasse. The Arachnomantis moved in unison, and it seemed unlikely that we could defeat them. A surprise attack might allow us to eliminate two, but any survivors could easily overpower us. Their speed and lethal attacks posed a significant threat.
"Harpoon?" My gaze drifted to the toys on the store's shelves, spotting a box labeled 'harpoon'.
"It's a harpoon gun, traditionally used for fishing in bygone days. Nowadays, it's mostly for sport, firing a barbed spearhead tethered by a wire that acts like a hook, designed to catch whales and prevent them from diving deep. However, this one here is just a toy for children, using springs to launch plastic spears."
"Ah, so it's a gun." My interest waned. "Sorry, I thought it was an actual spear we could utilize."
"Actually, traditional harpoons are spears. If you're looking to unlock a harpoon gun, you'd need to access the kinetic handgun vault [common]. But a traditional harpoon is already available in the spear vault," Felicia clarified upon seeing my intrigued look.
"Harpoons originated as spears, crafted for whaling by ancient peoples. They're wielded like spears, but their tips are designed to detach upon embedding into the target, with a line or rope attached to the shaft. This allows fishermen to haul in the whale, preventing it from sinking." Inspired by Felicia's explanation, an idea began to take shape in my mind.
"I'll create the opportunity. In the lobby, I'll use one clone as bait and seize the chance to launch a surprise attack on them from the third floor with harpoons," I shared my plan with the team.
"How many clones can you produce?" inquired Red Flame.
"Up to five," I responded, though I technically could summon six, I preferred conserving mana for other uses, such as my mana eyes.
"Under level ten and you can make five? That's an overpowered ability!" Red Flame exclaimed, puzzled. Felicia then elaborated that having the capability to generate combat-effective illusions was indeed remarkable.
"For the harpoons, Felicia, what do you recommend?"
"I suggest Poseidon's Harpoon. It's equipped with a retractable mana-enhanced string, extending up to 30 meters, and can automatically retract. The mana-enhanced string can withstand a force of up to ten tons. Each is 30 points."
"Alright," I agreed, amused by how Felicia pitched the product like a seasoned salesperson. Yet, knowing the quality of Zenith-made items, I trusted her completely.
"Here you go, 2 Poseidons' Harpoons with automatic retraction enchantment," she confirmed.
"What an adorable cat! May I pet it? You're welcome to pet Wan-chan."
"Um... no, I'm not fond of dogs," I replied to Alice, perhaps too bluntly. My abruptness wasn't intentional; it's just that I genuinely dislike dogs. Alice's friendliness felt overwhelming, especially since our camaraderie was ostensibly fostered by contractual obligations. Adapting to the magical girl community has been challenging. While I understand the importance of politeness and appeasement, especially as advised by my father, Alice's eagerness for friendship only adds to my discomfort, highlighting the superficial foundation of our relationship.
[Purchased: Poseidon Harpoonx2]
[-60 Points]
[Remaining Points:351]
Twenty minutes later, the Arachnomantis retreated to the third floor, and our chance for an ambush in the lobby was lost. Through Felicia's eyes, I observed the curse seed surrounded by the Arachnomantis, seemingly in worship, as a black swirl of smoke materialized a Fomorian Hound from within it.
"Pass me the harpoon. I'll take down two of them," Alice extended her hand.
"Eh?"
"I'm currently faster and stronger. It's safer for me to perform the task. You just need to pull the spiders' attention and distract them. Red Flame will deliver the critical hit."
"What about your signature move?"
"I'll use it when they're distracted. Okay?"
"...Alright," I handed her the harpoon.
"Thanks, Yuri. I'm sorry if I seemed haughty or arrogant, but as a team leader, I must take on this risk. A single hit could be lethal for you."
The plan was daring from the start, but a compelling sense of duty drove us forward. Our role as Magical Girls mandated action; failure to act would jeopardize over a thousand lives. The weight of this responsibility weighed heavily, knowing even after this perilous task, nine more usurpation zones awaited clearance. I accessed my status screen, pouring all my points into increasing my STR in preparation.
"Charge!" Alice dashed forward with Red Flame following, his sword gleaming blue as he prepared his signature spell.
"Aura Guard!" Sapphire's spell cast a protective shield around us, enveloping us in a blue luminous film.
"Shadow!" I summoned five clones, each costing 50 mana. Holding the ends of my harpoons, I watched as Alice targeted a spear-wielding Arachnomantis, swiftly impaling it with one of my harpoons before aiming for the curse seed, exploiting the momentary distance created by the other Arachnomantis. In a panic, the sword-and-shield Arachnomantis attempted to protect it but ended up being the next victim of my harpoon, after which Alice rolled away to evade a barrage of scythe and spear attacks.
I channeled my remaining mana into the harpoon, causing the string to reel in rapidly. As it tightened, the barbed hook at the harpoon's tip dragged the two Arachnomantis, forcing them to fall.
"Red Flame!"
"No need for instructions! Fatal Slash!" His sword emitted a glowing light as he cleaved through an Arachnomantis, slicing it from the right shoulder down to the left waist, instantly killing it. A kill chime resounded, signifying his successful strike. To provide Red Flame with a moment to regroup, I sent one of my clones to charge at another spear-wielding Arachnomantis while engaging in a tug-of-war with the knight-like Arachnomantis. My remaining clones joined the fray.
"Wan-chan, buy me ten seconds. Distract that archer Arachnomantis."
With a strategic formation, I encircled the knight Arachnomantis. As my clone attacked from behind, I pulled on the harpoon to halt its pursuit, allowing another clone to strike its abdomen with a spear or javelin. Despite my enhanced strength, resisting the pull from the Arachnomantis as it grasped the connecting line was a struggle.
"Shining Breaker!" Alice's command heralded a burst of light, transforming her arrow into a white meteor that pierced through an Arachnomantis, leaving a gaping hole in its humanoid torso. Despite the severe injury, the creature persisted, its spider portion continuing the pursuit.
"Fel, take control of one clone and retrieve the harpoon from the fallen Arachnomantis by red flame," I telepathically instructed my familiar. Promptly, one clone broke from formation to execute the task, and I passed the harpoon's shaft to another clone while I advanced with my naginata. Gaining momentum with a spin, I executed a powerful downward slash, severing one of the Arachnomantis's legs with the sharp gleam of my glaive.
The Arachnomantis roared, dropping its shield to grasp the harpoon string, pulling it with immense force. This action sent a clone hurtling towards it, which it cleaved in half with a scythe swing, causing blood to dissipate into particles of light. Taking advantage of the distraction, I delivered another slash, severing another leg and significantly slowing the creature as black ichor oozed from the wound.
"Die!" meanwhile, Sapphire's staff connected with a Fomorian Ghoul and Hound. Despite multiple bites and scratches, her superior level allowed her to shrug off the attacks that merely grazed her shield aura, enabling her to crush their skulls with raw force.
"Black Lily!" echoed through the air, accompanied by the familiar sound of a kill chime, signaling another Arachnomantis had fallen by her. A line of light shot towards the Arachnomantis, originating from Alice. With greater force than I could ever muster, she yanked the spider towards her. Its compromised stability, due to the loss of two legs, caused it not just to stagger but to topple over completely. My clones and I encircled the prone creature, delivering a relentless barrage of stabs.
"A little help here!" called out a voice.
"On it!" Another line of light crossed my vision as another hook latched onto an Arachnomantis. Mimicking my strategy, Shining Arrow exerted a pull, sending the creature into a stumble, perfectly setting up Red Flame for a counterattack. His blade carved a deep wound across the spider's body.
The battle turned into a deadly dance with the ropes from my harpoon and Alice's magical strings for about two minutes until our foes lay defeated, their demise confirmed by a triumphant kill chime.
"Yes! Woohoo!! We killed FOUR Arachnomantis! This must bump us up to D or high-end E rank! Promotion! Here we come. I've gained three levels of experience from this fight alone! Yeah, take that! We're on a roll!" Red Flame celebrated with an energetic dance, showcasing a fatigue-free spirit that was both admirable and amusing. The sound of shattering echoed as Sapphire independently took it upon herself to destroy the cursed seed.
[Quest Completed! -Usurpation Zone S014 Cleared]
[Description: Congratulations! You have cleared usurpation zone S014 in under three hours.]
[Difficulty: Medium]
[Reward: 100 Points]
[Quest Ongoing! Clearing a Path for Southern District Shelter 1]
[Description: A shelter is running low on resources and will soon open its emergency barrier. Prepare for a rescue mission by clearing nearby usurpation zones. (1 out of 10 completed)]
[Difficulty: Hard]
[Reward: 400 Points]
"Congratulations, Black Lily. There are more notifications pending, but I've taken the liberty of suppressing them for now; they would make for a long list. Let's discuss them later, in a more relaxed setting. I must congratulate you again. It's rare for a Magical Girl to defeat an Anathema more than twenty levels above their own at such a low level, even with the help of Shining Arrow's assistance."
Comments
laulau20
i want to ask. do you prefer seeing blue table, white table, or this grey table?
