NOVEL NEXT Chapter 64
Right after Pernia untied the knot.
THUD!
‘It’ was released from its seal.
“GRRRR…!”
From the mouth of a head resembling a cow, blood-mixed foam bubbled up.
While still maintaining the appearance of a ‘Minotaurus,’ it flailed wildly, letting out a monstrous roar.
“KUUUUUUU-!”
An extremely alien and unpleasant roar.
After that, it wriggled in intense hunger.
I’m hungry.
So hungry that I can’t stand it.
I want to shove something living into my mouth and chew it up right now.
“KA-AAAAA!”
Desire ignited like fuel, propelling it forward.
The sweet scent of life grazed its heightened sense of smell.
GUUUUURRGRR-!
Saliva dripped down as it sprinted in search of prey.
What caught its eye at last was—
“What, what is that?!”
A blonde girl.
She emitted a delicious scent.
I wanted to gnaw on that body right away to fill my empty stomach.
“Minotaurus… but something seems off…!”
The girl who had become its prey.
Angela squinted her eyes and analyzed the situation.
‘This is no ordinary monster!’
Its body, which should be muscular, was so emaciated it looked like mere skin and bones.
Its eyes bulged excessively, exuding a twisted atmosphere.
Above all else.
“Ugh…!”
The ‘fear’ felt on an instinctual level.
It was a vastly different, deeply unfamiliar kind of fear than simply facing a strong monster.
As if I felt I was witnessing something that shouldn’t exist in this world.
Even being in the same space caused my legs to tremble.
“Hiss!”
Amidst being engulfed by fear.
The small snake slapped Angela’s cheek.
“Hiss! Hiss!”
It continued to awaken Angela as if saying to get a grip.
Thanks to it, the tension eased a bit.
“Thank you.”
After expressing brief gratitude.
She cautiously stepped back, sword in hand.
To confront it head-on now would be foolish.
‘For now, I’ll observe the situation….’
That’s when it happened.
THUMP!
“…Huh?”
What charged in at an unbelievable speed was—
The Minotaurus was a bipedal monster.
But now, that thing was—
‘It jumped on four legs…?’
Like a frog’s movement.
Using its legs and arms as springs, it closed the distance in an instant.
Impossible.
Every creature has its own suitable form of movement.
Just because a human can run on four legs, it doesn’t mean they’ll be as fast as a dog.
Even Minotaurus shouldn’t be able to move at this speed.
Right.
If that truly was a ‘Minotaurus.’
‘What is that…?’
In the gap of time that flowed slowly.
Angela saw.
The arms and legs of the Minotaurus twisted and elongated, transforming into frog-like front limbs.
‘Has it transformed its body?’
I had never heard of a monster capable of such a thing.
So it was only natural that I couldn’t respond in time.
“Ah… ugh!”
At the moment the huge beast was about to bite down on Angela’s head.
“Danger-!”
Someone leaped in from the side, quickly wrapping around her waist and pulling her to the ground.
The attack just barely missed its target.
CRASH!
The Minotaurus’s massive body slammed against the dungeon wall.
“Ouch… are you okay?”
“Who are you…?”
Angela widened her eyes as she looked at the person who saved her.
“Haha, that was close.”
Jane forced a relaxed smile.
“Get a grip. This is all for real.”
“Yes, yes….”
“Tsk. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have held back at the tournament.”
Considering the unexpected incident, Jane looked surprisingly composed.
“Um… are you okay, senpai?”
“Hmm? Ah, I was a bit startled, but I’m fine.”
Even she didn’t foresee falling into a place like this after a sudden floor collapse.
However, with her experience in various real-life situations and ‘gaps,’ she managed to respond calmly.
“Just staying dazed won’t get you anywhere; it’ll just get you killed.”
There are two kinds of events in this world.
Things that cannot happen and things that can.
The former is not worth considering.
As for the latter, there’s no reason to dwell on it.
If it has happened, you must do something about it.
That’s why she was the head of the group.
“Come on, get up. Junior.”
Jane extended her hand, helping Angela to her feet.
“That thing is coming soon.”
“…Yes!”
Angela nodded vigorously, gripping Jane’s hand to stand up.
SWISH!
She drew her sword from her waist.
Although she couldn’t display overwhelming might like when fighting Rienna.
‘It’s different from the past when I was utterly powerless.’
Now she was a proper swordswoman classified as ‘combat-ready.’
CRACK…
Debris from the walls fell to the ground.
The grotesque creature slowly stood up, twisting its neck to look at them.
“I’ve seen it from afar, but… that thing is no ordinary monster, right?”
Even just standing still, it looked repulsively bizarre.
Jane swallowed, seriously uttering her thoughts.
“A monster that can transform its body.”
If her prediction was correct.
That monster was far beyond level four.
‘Right.’
Deep within the depths.
Each individual was classified as ‘boss’ level.
“Level five…!”
At least it must be that level.
GIGIGIGIG!
Tentacles sprouted from its body.
Its original form tore, sending a black liquid splattering in all directions.
“AAARGH…!”
Its host.
The final gasps of the Minotaurus echoed.
CRUNCH!
The mouth emerging from the tentacles devoured a cow skull whole.
“…Ugh!”
“Ugh….”
Jane and Angela barely swallowed their nausea.
It was that grotesque.
A creature whose entire body consisted of black tentacles.
Drool dripped from its mouths, which had suction cups like those of an octopus, along with its sparse, beast-like eyes which seemed to be spinning around.
This was the twisted outer existence.
Chimera.
Blades sprouted from several tentacles.
GRRRRAAHHH!
The Chimera, emitting a disgusting wail.
It swung its tentacles widely.
CLANG!
“Gah?!”
Raen’s brows knitted as he swatted away a tentacle.
It was faster and stronger than anticipated.
‘Even with reinforcement.’
His hands throbbed painfully.
Without even a moment to stabilize his stance.
SWISH!
Countless tentacles lunged simultaneously.
Each one akin to an orc’s claw, a gargoyle’s fang, a troll’s fist, and more.
Tentacles transformed in various ways attacked her from different directions all at once.
“…Ugh! This is giving me a headache!”
Although she knew it could transform its body.
She never expected it to approach her in such a tedious manner.
‘It’s like I’m facing so many various types of monsters at once.’
Jane grit her teeth and slammed her sword into the ground.
「Demon Sword Style」
What she was about to unleash was a large-scale technique.
Something she’d never do out of embarrassment otherwise.
But this was no time to hesitate.
“O blades of the earth! Manifest as a miracle that protects me and vanquishes the enemy!”
VROOOOM!
The magic responded to her incantation, trembling in resonance.
“Blade Land!”
A massive amount of energy seeped into the ground.
Simultaneously.
BOOM!
Countless rocky blades shot out from the earth.
The technique, Blade Land, which attacks a wide area simultaneously.
It’s even more magical than the usual sword techniques with magic elements.
CRACK!
The dozens of tentacles slithering up were sliced to ribbons.
However, a few remaining tentacles charged toward them still.
“Ugh… was that too much to handle?”
“Leave the rest to me!”
In a momentarily drained state, Angela leaped forward in front of Jane while holding her sword.
SWISH!
Much weaker than her previous attack.
But the moonlight, born purely from Angela’s power, glimmered at the blade’s tip.
「Moonlight Style」
The blade sliced sharply through the air.
SWOOSH!
The remaining tentacles were severed simultaneously.
“Y-yes… it worked…!”
Angela felt a little pride before she could even relish in her success.
“Hiss!”
The small snake made a warning sound.
The reason was simple.
SLITHER!
All the severed tentacles of the Chimera were regenerating en masse.
“Cough! What the?! Is this for real?!”
Jane exclaimed in astonishment.
After going through such trouble to eliminate the tentacles, they regenerated that easily.
Moreover.
“It even grew longer!”
From a single tentacle, multiple segments branched out.
“That… we can’t win.”
An objective conclusion.
Given that they were already at a disadvantage with raw power, the difference in stamina was overwhelming.
In a war of attrition, there was no question this would lead to a crushing defeat.
“Junior, let’s run!”
“Wha-? Ah… yes!”
Fighting any longer would only elevate their risk of death.
Jane and Angela quickly turned to flee.
CRRRK!
At that moment, the Chimera began to reshape itself once more.
Long legs and arms.
Though it had the form of a human, it was a giant with no head, but eyes on its belly.
It won’t… let us… escape.
‘That thing!’
Jane gasped in shock at the Chimera’s stance.
‘It’s mimicking my running posture!’
That thing was learning human behavior.
It’ll catch us… and swallow us…!
Its knee joints bent as it lowered its body.
GAAAAH!
It sprang off the ground and charged forward with all its might!
“This is-…!”
An expletive slipped out.
KYAHAHHHH!
Just before the Chimera could grasp them in its claws.
THWACK!
Someone appeared before them.
“…Kong’s Kill (罡殺).”
There was a power beyond measure that defied the monster.
“Open Sword (開劍).”