Chapter 142 - 141: Is This the Physique a Mage Can Have?
Chapter 142: Chapter 141: Is This the Physique a Mage Can Have?
’With their strength and courage, forget playing the hero and saving a damsel in distress. They’d be lucky not to get attacked by a Demon and drag the team down.’
It was no wonder Bev had such a good impression of Zelir...
"Besides..."
Mili suddenly thought of something, and her eyes began to sparkle. "Haven’t you guys noticed? Zelir is so handsome!"
"He is," Bev said with a smile.
Zelir’s looks were as outstanding as his talent for Magic.
That was part of the reason Bev had been the first to greet Zelir.
For some inexplicable reason, she found Zelir very approachable.
"..." Yanni couldn’t argue with that.
After all, his face was right there for everyone to see. It was impossible to deny.
However, whenever she remembered her father’s past, Yanni felt an inexplicable aversion to good-looking men.
’Hmph... I bet he’s a total player in private.’
"Right? Right? Let me tell you, I noticed him even before this Monster Hunting, especially when he took the Junior Mage assessment."
Mili grew animated as she spoke.
"You have no idea. A lot of girls at the Association are talking about him in private."
"Talk about what?" Bev’s curiosity was piqued.
"Things like his hobbies... and his ideal type."
Mili thought for a moment. "But very few girls have ever interacted with him. Zelir doesn’t come to the Association every day, so nobody knows much."
"Zelir is usually very busy. He’s often out on quests, so he’s not here much," Bev said.
"Ooh, you seem to know a lot about him, Bev."
Mili’s eyes curved into crescents as she leaned in closer. "Got any exclusive secrets you can share?"
"Of course not."
Bev tilted her chin slightly, a haughty look on her face.
’Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.’
...
After cleaning up, the squad set up camp as usual to rest for the night.
Valles hadn’t managed to hunt any game this time, but fortunately, the Moon Bay Basin was rich in plant life.
Marcus found plenty of delicious mushrooms, and Zelir caught some fish in a nearby stream. All in all, everyone enjoyed a relatively hearty meal.
The night passed without incident.
「Day three of the Monster Hunting.」
"So this is... the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider’s cave?" Zelir asked, looking up.
Sprawling clusters of translucent Crystal covered the area above and on both sides of the cave entrance, like a layer of frost.
In the dim forest, these Crystal clusters emitted a faint blue glow, making the cave entrance look both magnificent and perilous.
After setting out in the morning, the squad had followed the route on their map to the next Demon Creature Community.
This time, the Demon they had to exterminate was the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider.
They finally reached its lair around noon.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider was an arthropod-type Demon that lived deep within caves. It was listed as [Sequence 52] in the *Adventurer’s Association Universal Monster Atlas*, also with a [Difficulty] rating.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider possessed a bizarre trait.
Wherever it lived for an extended period, the surrounding rock walls and ground would slowly crystalize, sprouting similar Crystal formations.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider would also encase its prey—be it human or animal—in thick Crystal, where their bodies would be slowly digested and absorbed until nothing remained.
"Everyone, stay alert," Zelir instructed.
"Right..." the others replied in low voices.
The squad entered the cave.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider’s cave was incredibly spacious, like a massive natural cavern with a ceiling dozens of meters high.
The cave walls were covered in Crystal Stones of all sizes. They emitted a faint glow that lit up the cave’s interior, saving them the trouble of casting the Lighting Skill.
The group advanced about a hundred meters, treading carefully on the partially crystalized ground.
Finally, in an even larger cavern, they arrived at the heart of its nest.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider was clinging motionlessly to the stone wall in the deepest part of the cavern.
’It certainly lived up to the "giant" in its name.’
Its body was about three meters long and over a meter wide.
But its eight slender spider legs, extending from its sides, were each nearly seven to eight meters long, like sharp spears carved from Crystal.
Its body was covered in a thick, Crystalized Shell. In the gaps between the plates, one could faintly see the flesh-and-blood body underneath.
Much like the Pseudo-Mantis, this arthropod Demon’s weak point was likely its soft underbelly, which wasn’t protected by the heavy shell.
But right now, it was pressed tightly against the wall, its abdomen flush with the rock face. All its exposed parts were covered by the hard, Crystalized Shell, making it impossible to snipe its weak point from a distance.
The adventurers exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them.
As usual, Marcus would take the front to draw its fire while Zelir and Valles fell back a few paces to charge up a surprise attack.
Soon, they had finished charging. An Arcane Missile and a Thunder Arrow transformed into streaks of light, hurtling toward the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider!
But then, something surprising happened.
When the Arcane Missile and Thunder Arrow struck the outer shell, there was no violent explosion as they’d expected.
THUD... THUD...
Only two dull thuds echoed through the cave. The destructive effect was far less than anticipated; the attacks hadn’t even cracked the surface of the Crystalized Shell.
’What’s happening? This shouldn’t be possible.’
Zelir was stunned by the sight.
’Is this giant spider’s crystalized shell really that strong?’
’It was like we were just scratching an itch.’
But Zelir quickly noticed something strange.
The Magic Power overflowing from the Arcane Missile’s explosion seemed to have been absorbed by the giant spider’s Crystalized Shell...
Valles’s Thunder Arrow was no exception.
The violent Thunder Fighting Qi didn’t cause any damage. Instead, just like the Magic Power, it was absorbed as well.
The next second, the giant spider stirred.
All sixteen of the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider’s eyes snapped open, fixing a cold, harsh glare on the humans.
A terrifying aura, one unique to Demons, began to spread, sending a chill down the spines of the Magic Apprentices in the squad.
Then, its eight legs began to move with a series of CRACKING sounds as it started to rapidly scuttle straight down the cliff face.
"What’s going on...?" Valles frowned, his face a mask of disbelief.
Refusing to accept it, he drew another Arrow, this time fitted with a Glazed Armor-piercing Arrowhead.
He wreathed it in Thunder Fighting Qi, pouring in as much as he could before letting it fly!
WHOOSH!
A direct hit!
But the result was the same.
The Glazed Arrowhead managed to pierce a few centimeters into the shell, but the Thunder Fighting Qi clinging to it still failed to detonate.
The moment it touched the shell, all of the violent energy was utterly absorbed by that bizarre, crystalized carapace.
"Heh..."
Seeing this incredible scene, Lena’s interest was piqued.
’It seems this Crystal Cluster Giant Spider, having lived in Moon Bay for so long, has undergone some kind of peculiar mutation.’
’That’s why its Crystalized Shell can absorb energy-based attacks.’
’In other words, the power of both Fighting Qi and Magic attacks will be significantly reduced.’
’To Lena, a mutation of this level was trivial.’
’After all, her Magic Power was so immense she could easily obliterate the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider, debuff or not.’
’But for Zelir, the Magic he currently commanded would be almost useless.’
’He probably won’t be able to contribute much to this fight.’
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider quickly scurried down the stone wall. Its sixteen eyes locked onto the humans, and with an enraged hiss, it charged the squad!
"Hah!" Marcus let out a taunting Battle Cry and charged forward to meet it!
Zelir had already come to a conclusion about the Crystalized Shell’s ability to absorb energy-based attacks, so he didn’t try again.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider raised a sharp, long leg and brought it down on Marcus in a piercing strike!
SWOOSH!
Unlike a slash or a blunt strike, a piercing attack had a very small impact area, making it extremely easy to penetrate defenses.
Marcus didn’t dare try to block it head-on and dodged to the side.
The sharp spider leg plunged deep into the ground. The giant spider yanked it free and immediately swung it in a wide sweep!
CLANG! This time, Marcus managed to block it securely.
"Zelir, fall back! Let the Adventurers..."
Before Lena could finish, she saw that familiar hazy mist begin to swirl around Zelir.
Lena’s eyes slowly widened.
’Wait... what is he doing?’
A cold light flashed as a sword rang out with a clear tone.
The Longsword at Zelir’s hip was unsheathed.
He initiated a Charge.
’This Crystal Cluster Giant Spider can significantly weaken energy-based attacks, but its own offensive capabilities are quite limited.’
’It basically has only three moves: piercing with its legs, sweeping with them, or biting with its maw.’
’No problem. I can block all of them with Fog Flowing Gauze.’
’Now then... let’s see just how tough your legs are!’
"Rivaya, you take the legs on the left! Gray and I will handle the right!"
Zelir shouted assignments as he sprinted forward. "Valles, find an opening and blind it!"
"Got it!" they all shouted in response.
Each slender leg had three joints, and the connections between them were weak points, unprotected by the shell and extremely vulnerable.
Cutting through just one of those joints would be enough to disable an entire leg!
This was the opening right after the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider had finished its attack.
Zelir’s speed suddenly accelerated.
His Agility Attribute, constantly enhanced by the Magic Contract, had already reached 96. He was now even a bit faster than Gray!
He planted his foot, gathered his strength, and leaped!
Zelir’s jump carried him more than three meters into the air!
He raised the Fine Steel Longsword high, extended his body in midair, and brought the blade down in a vertical slash, using gravity to his advantage!
Reflected by the cave’s Crystals, the blade left a brilliant afterimage in its wake.
SLICE!
With that single slash, Zelir shattered the joint of the Crystal Cluster Giant Spider’s foremost right leg!
Not only the members of the Fourth Squad, but even Lena and Manlin were staring dumbfounded from the rear.
’Huh?’
’Is that the kind of physique a Mage is supposed to have?!’
SPLURT!
A thick, green fluid gushed out. The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider shrieked in pain, letting out a piercing roar!
It immediately raised its second leg on the right and stabbed viciously at Zelir!
WHOOSH!
The attack was terrifyingly fast, the sharp leg letting out a shriek as it tore through the air.
But... it was useless.
As the leg stabbed toward Zelir, all of its terrifying kinetic energy was deflected and neutralized by the Fog Flowing Gauze.
’You can weaken my Magic, and I can weaken your attack.’
Zelir’s movement faltered for only an instant. Then, empowered by his high agility, he twisted his body into a Vortex Slash!
The motion was as smooth as flowing water.
The joint of the second right leg—the very one that had just attacked him—shattered on impact!
The severed, multi-meter section of the leg clattered to the ground. The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider was forced to support itself on the stump of the limb.
At the same time, Rivaya and Gray got into position.
The Crystal Cluster Giant Spider’s attention was fixed on Zelir, creating the perfect opportunity for them.
Rivaya’s phantom-like figure became a silver storm as he executed a spinning slash with both daggers!
He cleanly sliced through the joint of the spider’s foremost left leg.