Chapter 160: Huntress's Insight
Moments later, Mistwalker's katana collided with the creature's thick fur, sparks of light bursting into the air as the sharp sound of metal striking against an unyielding surface echoed throughout the chamber.
The fur proved to be far tougher and denser than expected, making it impossible for her to cut through it in a single strike like she had done with the creature's minions earlier, but that did not render her attack meaningless, though. The impact forced the creature's arm to shift slightly, and as a result, the wound inside the man deepened just enough to draw a sharp breath from him.
Not long after, the creature attempted to lift the man in its grasp and slam him into the wall, or at least that seemed to be its intention, yet for reasons unclear, it failed to do so, and instead the man was hurled into the air like a discarded ragdoll.
Fortunately, Seraphina was already close, so she dashed forward without hesitation, catching the man by his shoulder before he could crash into the ground. His legs slid roughly across the floor as he leaned against her hand for support, releasing a deep breath before finally lifting his gaze.
As soon as his eyes met hers, he blinked a couple of times, then a few more, before giving her a long, surprised look. In the next moment, though, he offered her a smile, yet almost immediately after that, his expression shifted into a long, furious glare, as if he were silently asking, 'why are you touching me?'
Or perhaps it was something else entirely.
In any case, she let go of him indifferently. Soon, his head crashed awkwardly against the floor, though instead of protesting, he appeared strangely content with it, as if the discomfort itself had pleased him in some inexplicable way.
'What a weird guy!'
She sighed softly, and with that sigh came something strange, something familiar, a faint sensation she could not quite place, but she had no time to dwell on it right now, so she pushed the thought aside.
She narrowed her cold eyes toward the creature and said, "Go… join the other parties… if you wish to live, that is."
There was a brief silence, then the man spoke hesitantly, "I can't walk, though."
Seraphina gave him a long look before waving her hand elegantly through the air, "You don't need to either."
"What do you mean?"
Before he could say anything else, two young men rushed toward them, and just as quickly as they arrived, they hoisted the injured man onto their shoulders and retreated almost immediately, causing the man's jaw to drop in clear disbelief.
Meanwhile, Mistwalker unleashed a barrage of lethal, precise attacks upon the creature all at once, but it somehow managed to withstand them and even retaliated, its counterattacks carving deep grooves into the floor, though neither side appeared to have suffered a single scratch yet. Still, with its attention fully occupied, the moment appeared ideal for an ambush while it remained distracted.
At least, that had been her intention.
The moment Seraphina dashed forward, however, the creature vanished from where it stood, as though it had never been there at all, leaving Mistwalker suspended in mid-air, her blade cutting through nothing but air.
Coming to an abrupt halt, Seraphina scanned the hall once more, yet there was still no sign of the creature anywhere.
The other leaders were doing the same, and by now it was clear that they had begun to grasp the nature of their opponent, preparing themselves for any sudden assault or ambush that might come without warning.
Valric positioned himself at the front with his party, forming a solid barrier, while Valentina secured the rear with hers, together creating an almost circular defensive formation with the leaders standing in the middle of the groups. Inside it, the wounded were being healed slowly by the secondary healers. Although the process was not particularly fast due to healing being a secondary element to them, it was still proving to be quite effective.
Soon enough, Mistwalker approached Seraphina with graceful steps and came to a halt beside her, then spoke calmly, her voice strangely soft, "The creature is quite peculiar in nature, do you not think?"
Seraphina frowned slightly, "It is a strange kind, I agree… though not enough to surprise me compared to the ones I've faced throughout my life. Why do you ask?"
Mistwalker extended her katana forward and studied its gleaming blade, several parts of it still stained with black blood. After a moment of quiet observation, she said in a neutral tone, "Not comparable, really? You never cease to amaze me at times. As to why I asked, it is quite simple… you have discerned its abilities and capabilities, have you not?"
Seraphina swept her gaze around them once more, but the creature was still nowhere to be seen. "Yes, I believe I have. Its first ability mirrors that of its minions… it can sense spells before they are fully formed, most likely through changes in mana density around us. It also appears capable of tracking our location without needing to look back. I am not entirely certain about the latter yet, but it seems to sense presence on a level deeper than spell detection, something far more profane in nature. This creature, I believe, can sense one's mana core, and it does so with terrifying precision."
Mistwalker remained silent for a moment, then tilted her head slightly and asked with quiet curiosity, "And how can you be so certain of that?"
Seraphina turned toward the opposite side and searched the surroundings for a few moments, her gaze calm and distant as though she expected nothing to reveal itself even if she stared longer.
Eventually, she shrugged with visible indifference and said, "I suspected it earlier, based on the fact that it ambushed the rear first and then retreated the moment it encountered you, but think about it... why would it do that? Obviously, because you are the strongest one among us, however, that was merely an assumption at the time. I became more certain after noticing that the man it struck first possessed the least amount of mana among us, or perhaps he was capable of concealing his core so well that sensing it became difficult. As such, he became its first target."
Mistwalker placed the tip of her katana into the ground and leaned against it for support, and despite the lack of effort in her stance, her posture appeared naturally elegant, refined by long years of discipline. After letting out a soft sigh, she said, "I see. Then what about its second ability?"
Sensing something through her intuition out of nowhere, Seraphina sharply turned her eyes toward that direction, only to find nothing once again. Then she spoke in a cold tone, "That matter is complicated, even by my own standards. Still, I believe its second ability seems closer to shifting itself around the area rather than being a pure teleportation ability, though there is a chance that I could be wrong. It may also be related to concealing its presence entirely, including its massive body, something akin to vanishing itself from perception."
Her tone grew even colder as she continued, "If we consider the former, then it would make sense, given how it appeared to transport my attacks back onto myself, or at least that was how it seemed at the time. However, that alone does not fully explain how it was capable of hiding itself from us over such a long period, though. But, if we consider the latter instead, then its concealment makes sense, but in return, the spell redirection no longer does."
Mistwalker studied Seraphina for a while, though there was nothing visible to read on her face since it was hidden beneath her helmet... half-helmet to be precise.
So what exactly was she looking at?
Eventually, her glistening brown lips curled upward ever so slightly, though it did not resemble a quiet smile at all, as she spoke, "So, our famous Sword Princess is actually capable of feeling confused as well. That is quite an unexpected sight to behold, honestly. Still, I would advise you not to dwell on it too deeply, because attempting to rationalize this place through basic logic will only complicate matters further. You may be the most knowledgeable among us, familiar with countless monsters, their abilities, and their weaknesses through years of relentless study, yet even your books have limits. They were never meant to contain everything."
She extended her hand forward and studied her black glove for a moment before continuing, "I realized this not long ago myself. Regardless, have you ever questioned why this town, despite being nearly useless to the kingdom, still receives some level of support, even if it is minimal? Is it because of its unexpected population? That is not the case. The kingdom does not truly care about its people, and in fact, they were ready to abandon this place long ago. So why have they not done so yet?"
Seraphina gave her a long, surprised look, but she could not find an answer to that question.
Mistwalker pointed her katana into the ground and lowered her head before speaking again, "It is because of this dungeon, or more precisely, because of the boons it occasionally drops. On the surface, the magic stones obtained here appear identical to ordinary ones, but in truth, they are far rarer than anything else, and the difference is almost impossible to notice. To the point that a magic stone from the upper floors is capable of curing curses considered incurable, doing so with astonishing ease at that."
She lifted her gaze toward Seraphina with a strange expression, or at least that was how it appeared, and continued, "What I wish to convey is simple, this dungeon is bizarre. Do not be surprised by anything you witness here. Applying basic logic here will only lead you astray as well. Monsters and their abilities are incomprehensible by nature. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that the abilities it gained through evolution are unrelated to one another, and they may exist independently. From what I have observed, it did not teleport your spell, instead it merely altered the direction of it, that is all. Do not ask me how, since I cannot answer that myself. Also, it does possess the ability to hide its presence flawlessly, but it does not have the ability to teleport itself. Believe it or doubt it as you wish, but what you witnessed was simply the creature's natural speed."
Seraphina blinked a couple of times behind the visor of her helmet.
It was not because she felt genuine surprise, but because such a possibility had only just crossed her mind moments ago, and although the thought itself was not difficult to reach, she required more observation before she could accept it as a certainty. Still, for some reason, she felt as though she could have reached that same level of insight much earlier if her perception had been sharp enough, but it clearly had not reached that level at present.
'So this is the insight of an experienced huntress. How curious.'
Seraphina touched her chin lightly and murmured in a calm tone, "The creature is capable of concealing itself through an ability that suppresses its presence while relying on exceptional speed to remain mobile. That must be how it sustained its concealment for such a long duration... that does make sense. But how long does it intend to remain hidden from us? Several minutes have already passed, haven't they?"
Mistwalker tilted her head slightly and interrupted her, "Oh, the creature has been gone for quite some time now."
Seraphina blinked again, more sharply this time, "What? Gone? Explain yourself. Where has it gone, and by what means?"
Mistwalker pointed her katana toward the intricate pattern of the carved circle upon the floor, her lips curving into a smile that appeared pleasant, yet lacked warmth, "To the lower floors, naturally. It escaped through the teleportation circle. Otherwise, why would I spend my valuable time engaging in idle conversation with you? What... did it really never cross your mind?"
'I'm not quite sure whether that was meant to be a joke or not, but she is definitely terrible at it.'
Seraphina stared at the carved circle for a few moments before shaking her head faintly, "Why didn't you inform us earlier then? And here I was foolishly trying to sense the creature the entire time. How unbecoming."
She lowered her head slightly as a brief look of surprise crossed her face.
Come to think of it... how had Mistwalker known that the creature had been gone for such a length of time when its presence was impossible to sense? Was she perhaps capable of detecting the creature's presence in some way? She had to be, otherwise there was no clear explanation for her certainty. Could it have been nothing more than speculation? That seemed unlikely, especially when considering how confident she sounded while speaking.
Then again, why was she allowing her thoughts to spiral so needlessly? If she sought the truth, she could simply ask... could she not? It was not as though Mistwalker had any reason to hide such information or outright refuse to answer. If she really did possess the ability to sense the creature, then that knowledge would be invaluable to them in the upcoming battle, after all.
She hesitated briefly.
Mistwalker then let out a quiet chuckle that felt strangely sincere, "I know what you are thinking, girl. But do not get your hopes up. I do not possess the ability to sense its presence clearly enough to predict its movements or appearances. That said, I won't deny that I can sense it in a way, although it is quite different from what you are imagining. When I entered this hall earlier today, my intuition kept telling me that something here felt out of place the entire time, but when the creature vanished earlier, that sensation disappeared entirely. That was how I knew it had left."
'That is reasonable.'
Seraphina frowned slightly.
Mistwalker fell silent for a moment before taking a slow and measured step forward, her soft blue hair swaying gently through the air. When she spoke again, her voice had grown noticeably colder, "As to why I did not inform any of you earlier, it is because there was no purpose in doing so. Believe me."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow beneath her helmet. "Elaborate?"
Mistwalker shrugged casually, "The creature did not retreat out of fear toward any single individual, but rather because it found itself overwhelmed by our numbers. In response, it chose to seek reinforcements from the lower floors to correct that imbalance, or so I believe. If I were in your position, I would not remain idle, though. Since its intention is already apparent, we cannot prevent its return, nor do we know which floor it traveled to. It is also safe to assume that when it arrives again, it will remain hidden from our perception, leaving us vulnerable to attack from any direction at any moment. Its concealment ability will prove to be one of the most troublesome challenges you have faced thus far. All that I am capable of doing is confirming the moment of its return."
Seraphina contemplated her words for a moment, 'Can a creature truly be capable of backing away from a battle and then wandering off on its own just to gather more reinforcements, all so it could return with strength equal to its enemy? I honestly do not know if anything still has the ability to surprise me today.'
Even so, Mistwalker had been correct about those observations. None of them were genuinely capable of sensing the creature's presence, let alone grasping its movements or attack patterns with any level of precision. It had already displayed an extraordinary ability to read the battlefield far better than any of them, along with a clear understanding of when and how to make a move that would secure victory. Naturally, it would not repeat the same tactic again, and instead it would most certainly attempt something different.
If additional creatures were to arrive, the situation would grow far more dreadful. The other adventurers would be forced to engage the minion creatures, while the leaders would be struggling to search for the main creature throughout the hall, perhaps attempting to confront it or eliminate it, assuming it even chose to engage them directly. Adventurers already tied down in combat would have no chance of saving themselves from sudden ambushes in the middle of a fight, especially not against a monster as terrifying as this one.
The leaders might be able to assist several groups at once, but even they had limits, since they could not be everywhere simultaneously. Because of this, the idea of saving everyone already seemed painfully unrealistic. There was also the disturbing possibility that the creature might summon more high-ranking monsters rather than simple minions to support it in battle. If that were to happen, then what would follow afterward?
Seraphina did not want to imagine that outcome just yet.
Even so, all of these problems could be alleviated to some extent if they managed to counter its hiding ability, or at the very least gained some method to sense its presence or track its movements. That alone would prevent them from moving completely blindly or relying purely on assumptions regarding the creature's behavior, allowing them to observe its nature more thoroughly and react accordingly. Even if such a method proved unreliable, it would still be enough to save at least some lives.
'How can I create such a countermeasure?'
Her gaze swept slowly across the hall, then over the gathered adventurers, before finally lingering on the corridor.
She paused for a moment, her thoughts aligning, and then gave her order, "Deron… block the doorway till knee-height."
At her command, one of her teammates immediately cast earth magic, causing the corridor entrance to rise and seal itself with a wall reaching knee height. He appeared visibly surprised by the sudden and unusual order, though he did not question it.
A cold smile formed on Seraphina's face as she spoke again, her voice cold and unfeeling, "Mistress of Waves… let a flood wash over this dry floor."
Valentina stared ahead briefly, then nodded softly. "As you wish."
Moments later, something stirred at one corner of the hall, and water began pouring out from nowhere, surging outward in every direction and spreading across the floor in a matter of seconds.
Soon, the entire hall was flooded, though the water level remained low, barely reaching the first joint of their legs.
If the water had risen any higher, their movement speed would have been severely restricted, making it impossible to fight at their peak performance. Even at its current level, their mobility was slightly hindered, though not enough to become a serious drawback, and they could afford that small sacrifice in exchange for a tactical advantage.
Her plan itself was not particularly complex, but rather quite simple in nature, though.
Whenever the creature vanished, it was as though it had never existed at all. Despite its massive size, it produced no sound or discernible footsteps while moving under the effect of its ability. It was only natural that they would be unable to sense it even through the water, since whatever power it possessed seemed to block sound entirely.
But that was never her intention to begin with.
It seemed that while the creature used this ability, it could not actively attack anyone, likely due to a restriction tied to the skill itself. That meant the moment it chose to strike, it would be forced to reveal itself. The soundproof effect would no longer function, and it would have to step into the water, and given its size, it would be impossible not to create ripples or waves. That was how she intended to counterattack this creature at this very moment.
In addition to that, she had learned from Mistwalker that it was capable of twisting one's very spells back upon their caster and turning them against them, or perhaps even redirecting them elsewhere by subtly altering their direction itself, but could it truly accomplish such a feat with the water spell Valentine had cast? Should it not be capable of sending it outside the hall entirely, preventing the group from sensing its presence and ruining her plan along with it in one decisive move?
'We shall see about that.'
At that moment, Mistwalker's brown lips parted slightly as she stared at her own faint reflection within the water and spoke neutrally, "Ah, what a peculiar idea… as expected of you. I believe it should resolve some of our disadvantages, at least temporarily. That said, I am not quite certain how you intend to sense the creature itself. Considering that the other adventurers and monsters will soon be engaged in battle here, there would inevitably be countless ripples in the water. So, how do you plan on identifying the correct one among so many? I find myself unable to grasp it clearly, so I have merely grown curious."
'Does she always seek out flaws, or is this simply her nature?'
Seraphina did not feel pleased after hearing those words. If anything, an inexplicable urge to strike her face crossed her mind, though she dismissed it immediately. She had suspected earlier that this woman might harbor some form of grudge against her, or perhaps simply did not like her very much, but after speaking with her more recently, it did not truly seem to be the case. In fact, Mistwalker appeared to be approaching her with something close to friendliness, which was, in its own way, a reassuring realization.
'I can be more certain of it… can I?'
Eventually, Seraphina shrugged, "How else could it be accomplished? We have you by our side, remember. You shall be responsible for locating the correct ripple. That much, at the very least, should be within your capability."
Mistwalker stared at her for several moments, then continued to do so a little longer, before releasing a slow sigh, "You are capable of jesting as well, it seems."
Seraphina allowed a faint chuckle to escape her, though her tone remained composed, "I am not jesting."
Mistwalker shook her head with a trace of indignation, "I am well aware. Regardless, I can attempt to locate the creature. Just ensure that you do not lag behind me or interfere."
'Such confidence.'
Seraphina considered her words briefly, then stepped forward, her posture unwavering, "Are you certain that only the two of us would suffice to deal with it?"
Mistwalker answered without hesitation, her voice steady and assured, "I am confident. Although it appears that our uninvited guests have finally arrived. Prepare to offer them a proper welcome. It would be impolite to keep them waiting."
At that moment, the water rippled violently, and with it, the glowing circle beneath erupted in incandescent light as dozens of creatures manifested simultaneously.
They were unmistakably minions of the boss, at least the majority of them. Their faces were grotesque, their eyes concealed behind two star-shaped formations of tentacles that covered much of their faces, their fur thick and dark, and their claws distinctly ratlike. If there was anything unusual about them, it was the tentacles themselves, which now emitted a dim, unnatural glow.
The boss itself was nowhere to be seen, though that did not mean it was absent. It remained hidden somewhere nearby, patiently waiting for the moment it could strike its prey without warning.
Seraphina did not move, though the water around her legs stirred faintly, her cloak still remaining just far enough away to avoid becoming wet, which spared her any concern. She raised her voice calmly and commanded, "Break formation, temporarily. Sir Valric, you shall take command of the frontline units and engage the minions immediately. You must not allow them to reach the rear under any circumstances. Valentina, you shall oversee the rear units and support the frontline as much as possible. Your foremost priority shall be the preservation of your stamina and your own safety. You are an invaluable asset in this battle. Now, move. We shall achieve victory."
Suddenly, Mistwalker added, fixing her gaze upon Seraphina for several moments, "And our highest priority will be to ensure that they can fight without any interruption."
Seraphina lifted her sword slightly and gave a measured nod, "Well spoken."
Mistwalker prepared herself to dash forward, the tip of her sword angled backward with its point grazing the ground, before she added calmly, "Before we proceed further, as a fellow swordswoman, I have a piece of advice for you."
Seraphina's eyes glistened faintly beneath her visor, "Advice? For me?"
Mistwalker glanced over her shoulder, incandescent purple flames dancing behind the visor of her helmet as she spoke with quiet authority, "You have dulled, girl."
'What?'
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(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...