The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Zalan rolled backward and crashed into a rock formation behind him, grunting in pain. The flame-web explosion's resulting blast damaged Zalan in ways he wasn't lucid enough to understand. Zalan's senses were in a delirium, refusing to either give him sight or sound while his mind raced. He felt they had just lost their one shot at killing the Mind of Madness in a massive explosion. He had already gathered all the webs he could from the floor of the room in the mines.

Last he saw, the monster was drifting toward Rep. Zalan blinked several times in frustration, desperate to get his eyes working again. It wasn't until seconds later that he realized there was no source of light for him to see from. He emitted Elemental Power brightly from his hands, desperate to see anything, not afraid of the consequences of attracting attention from his light.

Zalan's eyes cleared up enough for him to see the nebulous blob of the Mind of Madness blasting black beams of light from its eyes. The attack focused on some form that Zalan couldn't make out, looking somewhat human-like in his vertigo-inducing vision.

"Rep! No!" Zalan screamed.

He focused the Elemental Light to a fine point and drove it into the base of the Mind of Madness. Zalan could see his focused light burning into it like a fine laser. The monster quickly cut off the flow of dark energy from its eyes and swiveled in place, looking directly at Zalan. Zalan's eyes finally cleared up and he could see the hate emanating from the Mind of Madness.

"Rep?" Zalan called, not concerned for the creature looking at him.

"I am unharmed! I hid behind something as it blasted," Rep said.

Zalan breathed in relief.

"My Elemental Light actually did a little bit of damage to it!" Zalan called. "It's vulnerable to regular attacks!"

Rep immediately unleashed a wave of flame as the Mind of Madness turned away from him. The flames turned and surrounded the creature in a massive tornado. Rep didn't need to be told to go all out. Zalan had confirmed that it wasn't an invincible creature. Arachulas rushing around the walls fell at the slightest lick of flame, curling into a ball of ashen death.

The Mind of Madness began to float through the torrent of flame, undisturbed. Zalan was the new target, and the flame didn't leave the slightest mark on it. Zalan frowned in disappointment.

"Fire doesn't have any effect!" Zalan reported.

He began to run, trying not to think what would happen if it attacked. He could feel the Mind of Madness creeping up behind him. He threw blind blasts of light behind him, hoping to strike something significant enough to stop it in its pursuit. He turned back to look at its two sunken massive eyes staring him down. He blasted one of them with all the energy he could come up with while scrambling in a run.

The Mind of Madness stopped and turned away.

Zalan took the brief opportunity to dive behind a mound of rubble. He considered reducing his Elemental Light, then quickly doubled down. He imbued his entire body in light. He hoped that the dark beams from the Mind of Madness would be fought off by his own energy. Desperately hoping he wouldn't have to test his quickly formed theory, he pushed himself tightly against the rubble.

"It is coming on your left!" Rep called out.

"How close?" Zalan called.

"Above you!"

Zalan didn't even waste the instant it would take to look at it. He dove out from behind the rubble and fired Elemental Light wildly behind him. He felt the overwhelming energy of the Mind of Madnesses' blast pass right by him. Heart-wrenching cold zipped through his blood, as he was hit with a sliver of the beam of darkness. He was certain now that the Elemental Light he imbued himself with gave him a slight shield, as he still felt in control of his mind. But with the effect that an ounce of its power had on him, he knew there was no way it would block out a direct attack.

Rep was waving Zalan over frantically, silently calling him back to the overturned cart. Zalan shot a glance over his shoulder and saw the Mind of Madness leering down where Zalan had been lying behind the rubble. It wasn't quick to chase him for reasons unknown. He picked up his pace and ran into Rep who pulled him down behind the mine cart. Zalan caught his breath and looked over at Rep and Finnegan. He gave Finnegan a double take.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"What are you doing out here?" Zalan asked.

"If I am going to die, I am going to die trying," Finnegan said, his voice shaky with fear and determination.

"Okay, uh… Cool," Zalan said.

His mind was too frazzled. He had no idea how Finnegan was going to be able to help them. Plans failed as quickly as they came.

"The Mind of Madness does not move when it attacks," Rep pointed out.

"What? Are you sure?" Zalan said, thinking back.

"It is what I have seen. I believe it must either choose to move or to strike with its beams. Otherwise why would it need to draw so close? It could swing its beam at a distance and strike us rather than pursue," Rep determined.

Zalan peeked his head around the cart. The Mind of Madness had started to turn back toward them.

"Yeah, okay, it makes sense," Zalan agreed. "Otherwise it wouldn't have taken so long for it to turn back around."

Zalan ran his hands through his hair and Rep nibbled at his lip. Finnegan was uncomfortable with the quiet and considered rushing back under the mine cart. The trio could feel the Mind of Madness creeping their way once more.

"Okay, I have an idea," Zalan said finally, with some hesitation in his voice.

Rep and Finnegan turned his way quickly.

"I'm gonna need you to run distraction. Then, I'm gonna cut it through with an imbued sword," Zalan said.

Rep looked skeptical. Finnegan was terrified.

"How can we be sure this will work?" Rep asked.

"When I focus the attack, my Elemental Light hurts it. I'll hone it down to a fine point on the edge of my blade. With my Strength on top of that, I should be able to cut through. At worst, I'll just do whatever damage I can to its eyes. That should be enough that we can at least run away," Zalan said.

"If you blind the Mind of Madness, you could save everyone who might ever be hurt by its beams in the future," Finnegan said in slight awe.

"Yeah, don't count on it until we actually do it," Zalan said.

"I wish to help blind it. How do we distract it?" Finnegan asked.

"It ignored Rep's fire, so I think it needs something more physical. Try throwing rocks at it. Maybe flame-imbued rocks," Zalan said.

"Very well," Rep said. "Be careful."

"But what if…" Finnegan trailed, a dozen questions of indecision trying to emerge at once. Zalan could see the Mind of Madness getting closer behind him.

"Split!" Zalan said quickly.

Rep and Zalan rushed away from behind the cart. Finnegan tried to rush one way and the next, but was frozen with doubt. Even so, he scrambled along the ground near the cart and grabbed rocks. Before he even gathered the courage to look around for the Mind of Madness above, Finnegan twitched in fear at the sound of the Arachulas on the walls. He gripped the rocks tightly. They were his only weapons in case the creatures charged at him.

Zalan looked over at the Mind of Madness as he ran. It was turning his way. He wouldn't be able to strike at a close distance so long as it threatened to blast him with direct darkness. Zalan would be mindless before he even had the chance to stab. He leveled his blade, regardless, imbuing it with the focused light. He hoped Rep would be able to pull its attention in time. The Mind of Madness drifted his way, gaining ground quickly when there were no obstacles in the air.

It suddenly stopped, struck by sparks in the back of the giant, monstrous head. Rep imbued several rocks with flames and pelted them one after another at the Mind of Madness. The monster didn't look to be taking any damage, but it began to turn toward Rep. Rep's face went pale with fear.

"Zalan?" Rep asked in a panic.

"I got it!" Zalan said.

Zalan sprinted at full force to catch up to the moving creature. He imbued his blade with all the energy he could, feeling the searing hot power emanating off of it. He rushed frantically, all of his focus on the Mind of Madness. It stopped. He could feel it preparing to attack Rep. His friend had absolutely no cover. Rep would be blasted by the full force of the Mind of Madness.

Zalan ran up the corpse of the Giant Arachula, and leapt off without a second thought. He soared over the mine. Rep's eyes grew wide with horror.

"Zalan, wait, it is not immobile!" Rep called.

Zalan was already in the air, and raised his sword high. Rapidly, the Mind of Madness swiveled in place. It looked directly at Zalan with its wide sunken eyes, its full attention on him. Zalan's heart dropped as he flew straight toward the monster.

The monster flew forward toward Zalan, bashing him like a meteor falling from the sky. Just barely, at the same time, Zalan was able to get a hit in, sinking his sword into the bottom of the Mind of Madness. Coughing, the air driven out of him, he went flying the other way as he was bashed aside. But his sword remained lodged in the monster.

Zalan fell down hard, blood spilling from his forehead and arms. He looked up at the Mind of Madness, imbuing himself in what little defense he could provide. He knew there was no escape, terrified to be overwhelmed and have to see his worst fears on replay until he died.

Just then, a fiery rock struck the back of its gray cranium and the uncanny monster retaliated instantly. Making a quick pivot, it turned toward Rep.

The Mind of Madness blasted Rep with the full force of its agonizing darkness.