MTLNOVEL Chapter 122: Five seconds!~~
But... what greeted him were her empty, lifeless eyes, and tears streaming from their corners...
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The abnormal situation happening on Crystal Street was noticed by Finn and Riveria, who were leading the adventurers of Loki Familia against the monsters when the Violas, parasitized by the Fetus, let out screams carrying waves like mental pollution.
Not only the two of them, Tione, Tiona, and Lefiya also noticed it.
But with the relentless siege of countless monsters, none of them had any hands free to go help over there, they could only worry in frustration!
After slashing apart yet another reckless Violas, Tiona blinked and looked at her sister.
"What is that?"
"An octopus?"
Tione snorted, her dexterous twin curved blades whirling like slaughtering knives. Black flashes cleaved in arcs, linked in succession, tearing through enemies with speed, cutting them down with ease.
Breathing steadily, she leapt back beside her sister, shielding Lefiya.
"Octopus? Whatever it is, I've never seen something that disgusting."
Just as the sisters said, it indeed looked like some kind of octopus monster.
Beneath its body, like the gnarled roots of a great tree, the parasitized mass of roots twisted together, those were the merged roots of the Violass.
After parasitism, these things that once acted only on instinct suddenly seemed to move with a will of their own, writhing and twitching incessantly.
And above, from the flower bud, the site of the parasitism, something had already finished evolving.
It was the figure of a woman, but eerily without a face, her flat visage had no features, yet her body shape revealed her as female.
To describe it more clearly: a half-human, half-tentacle abomination, an octopus-like monster that could drain one's sanity just from a glance.
On a rooftop not far away, Gareth and Finn, stationed as reinforcements, also sensed unease.
The pallum warrior furrowed his brows, closing one eye to focus on the direction from which the piercing shrieks came, his heart heavy with a strange premonition.
"I've got a bad feeling about this… it's been a long time since my thumb ached like this…"
Finn's face grew grim. Holding his spear with one hand, he surveyed the battlefield, mind racing.
"If I recall, Ais and Fron ran off in that direction…"
"Ah, so it must be that… they've run into trouble there."
"In any case, we should hurry and finish clearing these monsters, then rush over to help."
"Yeah."
...
With one arm holding Ais in his embrace, staring at the girl's dazed, lifeless face and her hollow, deadened eyes, Fron's rage burned uncontrollably.
Always calm no matter the danger, his expression darkened for the first time.
"Your target… is this, isn't it? Incredible… what a monster. Something so revolting."
Lowering his head slightly, eyes hidden in shadow, he gently stroked Ais' golden hair, softly trying to soothe her.
"Damn it… all that effort wasted…"
When he raised his head again, all trace of his usual smile was gone. His indifferent gaze was chilling as ice as he fixed his eyes on the red-haired woman, Revis, the freak.
"My companion has ended up like this… you and that thing have really pissed me off."
The woman lifted her gaze with a tilted smile.
"Oh-ho, your aura's changed. That's quite a nice expression."
"As for angering you… so what? You're just a measly Lv. 4."
Fron wondered if he'd been keeping too low of a profile, did these ignorant fools really have no idea of his reputation?
He was the man who, at Lv. 2, had defeated a mutated Lv. 5 floor boss head-on. Even if the gap between levels widened drastically at higher tiers, he still had the strength to briefly stand against Revis.
"Have you ever seen my full power?"
"--?"
The woman's expression stayed still, only her head cocked aside in mockery.
A simple gesture, more insulting than damaging.
Crack, the staff tapped the ground. Holding it in his right hand, Fron extended his left, slowly raising three fingers.
"Five seconds."
"Five seconds, to defeat you."
His golden eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke words that dripped with crushing pressure.
"?"
Revis' expression shifted, first surprise, then disbelief, then a sneer.
"Five seconds? Don't underestimate me. With that pathetic state you are in!?"
Watching his opponent's body, seemingly fully recovered, as if never injured, Fron took a deep breath.
"Next… you'd better pay attention. This move… I've never used it before. Its power is hard to control. But since you turned my woman into this… I can't let you live."
His lips curled into a mocking grin.
"I said, don't underestimate me!!!!!!"
Revis was finally provoked, growling as she kicked off a shattered wall, her figure vanishing in an instant.
Whoosh, the terrifying speed closed the distance between them in a blink, her presence suffocating.
Her strength and speed fused into one deadly charge.
As the enemy neared, Fron still did not move. He had even thrown his short sword aside.
"B-be careful… Fron…"
The weakened blonde girl struggled in Lulune's arms, wanting to rise and help, but her powerless body betrayed her.
"This is the price of underestimating me. Die!!"
In just seconds, Revis crossed half a street, descending upon Fron.
With a massive leap, blade raised high, she brought it slashing down!
Ripping through the air, black light from her blade clashed with the gleam of her jade-like eyes, her killing intent poured into this all-out strike.
BOOM, crimson-black lightning flames erupted, shooting skyward in a spiraling pillar of fire.
A gigantic dark-red magic circle unfolded around Fron without warning, magical particles whirling madly, forming a vortex and gathering power.
The crimson blaze condensed into a single piercing cannon of light, erupting between Fron and his staff!
His palm raised, the slow-turning magic circle reflected in Revis' emerald eyes, widening in horror.
"What, ??????"
"Impossible, you're casting magic without chanting?! You've got to be kidding me!"
"[Advanced · Sword of Victory (Rea Laevatein)]!"
"[Advanced · Sword of Victory (Rea Laevatein)]!!"
"[Advanced · Sword of Victory (Rea Laevatein)]!!!"
Three times he roared its name, from deep, to steady, to exultant.
The crimson magic circle shrank, gathered, condensed, flaring three times in succession!
The strike pierced and cut across the endless crystal-blue ceiling above, shaking the very foundation of the 18th floor!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM,
The vision reflected in Revis' emerald eyes was painted entirely crimson, a hellscape of flames. Her face twisted with shock and fury.
"Th-this is… impossible!!!!"