NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43
Kiieek!
“Haah.”
After entering the fortress, I quickly noticed a difference from other elite dungeons as I dealt with the sporadic chimeras.
“All the monsters are chimeras.”
This elite dungeon, named ‘Aspero’s Fortress,’ would likely be a stronghold for the Demon Race, just like the forward base. Aspero must be the name of the demon who owns this place.
However, I didn’t see any typical demons. The only things wandering inside the fortress were the chimeras.
From the dog-like chimeras I had seen at the forward base, to the flying ones and even the bipedal chimeras, this seemed more like a stronghold for chimeras than demons.
Chimeras without intelligence wouldn’t have any organization. There were no fixed paths, and they didn’t call for allies. Thanks to that, it wasn’t difficult to find a route to the first tower.
I soon arrived at the lowest tower among the three I had seen from outside.
The interior space of the tower was quite spacious. It looked just right for a named battle to take place.
“I think a Level 1 Named battle is going to happen here.”
I gripped my sword tightly and tensed up.
The first tower wasn’t very tall. In real-world terms, it was about three to four stories high. However, the ceiling was quite high from the first floor. It seemed that each floor was designed to utilize the space broadly.
Finally, as I completely entered the tower, an unexpected scene unfolded before my eyes.
“Whoa.”
Wriggle, wriggle. That seemed just right to describe it.
From the floor to the walls, countless eggs filled the entire level. No, are those really eggs? Or cocoons?
Some looked like real eggs, while others resembled chunks of meat in the shape of eggs.
These were connected to a huge chunk of meat thinly spread on the floor, wriggling as if they were one body.
The whole area was damp and moist.
I cautiously approached them and organized my thoughts.
Countless eggs and cocoons. The damp space inside the tower. A fortress full of chimeras.
When I put all this together, it was easy to infer what the scene in front of me meant.
“A hatching ground for chimeras.”
Indeed, this place must be where chimeras are created in mass.
I bet a similar sight would unfold in the lower levels of the other two towers.
However, I couldn’t find the entrance in the middle and tallest towers. They were designed in a way that you could only move to the next tower through a bridge connected to the top of the lowest tower.
Directly opposite the entrance I had come in was a staircase leading to the upper level of this tower. To get there, I had to weave through the space filled with chimera eggs.
With this tiered structure, one expected pattern stood out. If I approached the cocoons close to hatching, all the connected chimeras would wake up.
Then, this area is more dangerous than fighting a named enemy. No matter how strong I’ve become, how long could I hold out against countless chimeras?
How should I approach the staircase?
Hic, hic.
I nudged a small egg that was alone near the entrance. It looked light-colored and small, suggesting it wouldn’t hatch immediately.
“Oh.”
As expected, nudging the small egg didn’t wake it.
Then what about the cocoons?
I carefully moved towards a large cocoon that was set a bit apart from the others.
Beep.
Kiieek!
As I got about three meters away from the cocoon, a chimera awoke. A flying chimera that looked like a bat swooped down rapidly towards me.
Thud, thud!
I led the chimera towards the entrance and dealt with it, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Phew, that scared me.”
Its HP was surprisingly high. It felt sturdier than the chimeras outside.
Indeed, they didn’t set this place up for me to wake them all up and deal with them.
It was then that I could finally grasp the structure of the entire tier at a glance.
Undoubtedly, while these eggs and cocoons were densely packed, there also seemed to be areas with concentrated smaller eggs.
These areas with smaller eggs clearly connected to the staircase leading up to the next floor.
“Aha.”
I envisioned the detection range of the cocoons close to hatching in my mind and figured I could navigate along the path of smaller eggs to move towards the upper levels without touching any of the hatching cocoons.
Although it looked bizarre and dangerous, looking at it this way made it not difficult at all. In fact, avoiding the scouts in the forward base was more challenging.
Things might change when I come in later, but judging by the current layout of the cocoons, I should be able to reach the staircase easily.
I took a determined step forward.
Thud, thud, walking confidently.
No, still, better be cautious.
Tiptoe.
“Arrived.”
I safely passed the stairs and moved up to the upper levels of the tower.
As expected, the lowest tower was structured with separate upper and lower levels.
If the other towers are structured like this too, I should be able to get through the mobs without too much trouble.
In the upper level of the tower, there were none of the countless eggs and cocoons from the lower level.
It was a clean space. However, the damp air lingered.
This must be where the Level 1 Named enemy resides.
Considering the structure of the dungeon filled with chimeras, I could easily predict the form of the named enemy.
“Something like that.”
I stared up at the high ceiling above.
There, I caught a glimpse of a grotesque creature hiding in the shadows.
Grrrrrrr.
A low rumbling roar echoed.
Depending on what kind of creature the chimera was based on, its shape and sounds varied. However, the roar I just heard felt like…
“It sounds like something from a monster movie or a dinosaur flick.”
Nodding, I understood.
As I approached the center of the upper level of the tower, the dark figure began to move.
Thud, thud.
A massive red mass suddenly appeared right in front of me.
“Oh.”
I thought it sounded like a dinosaur roar from a movie, but it actually looked like one?
With its massive legs firmly planted on the ground, it balanced itself with its long, powerful tail.
The only thing different from a dinosaur was the utter absence of front legs. Did they evolve away? One couldn’t argue it was definitely a chimera and must’ve drawn inspiration from dinosaurs.
The body looked like a dinosaur, but the head resembled that of an angler fish. Its jaw, filled with sharp teeth, seemed ready to crush and tear apart anything that entered.
It looked grotesque. Well, since its head was that of an angler fish, can I just call it an angler fish?
I soon confirmed my thoughts through a Named status interface that popped up before me.
The massive angler fish, completely revealed, let out a menacing roar.
GRAAAAWK!
[Level 1 Named]
[Level 40 Blood-Red Angler]
[HP 4,000,000 / 4,000,000]
Thud, thud!
I joyfully unleashed a Starlight Slash towards the massive angler. Indeed, unlike the swift humanoid named Zarkan, this colossal named enemy served wonderfully as a sandbag.
GRAAAAWK!
The angler fish let out a feral roar and lunged towards me with its massive mouth wide open. Boom, boom! I easily dodged the angler’s jaw strike with my swift movements.
It was trying to gulp down my tiny body whole. Its sharp teeth seemed perfect for chewing.
Given the form of its attacks, blocking wouldn’t be possible. And its speed was quite fast. Yet it wasn’t so fast that I couldn’t dodge.
During the next attack pattern, I tried a counterattack by circling behind it.
Clang!
As soon as I used the counterattack, I swiftly blocked the angler’s swinging tail and broke out in a cold sweat.
This was reminiscent of the attack pattern of the 1st Level Named Wyvern from the Demon’s Tomb. However, unlike the wyvern that had to spin its whole body to swing its tail forward, this creature swung its tail without even turning around to check on me.
Was this a rear attack pattern? It feels similar to what demons do.
Regardless, if I’m aware of it, it won’t be that threatening.
The early part is an exploration phase. I’ll check the basic patterns one by one.
Having reacquired the angler’s attention, it suddenly coiled its body tightly.
Swish, swish!
A body rotation pattern.
Clang!
A strong impact hit my sword in quick succession as I executed a guard.
Two full rotations. It was a perfect opportunity for a just guard.
GRAAAAWK!
The angler opened its huge mouth again, striking down at me. Boom, boom!
I couldn’t allow myself to take that hit. In this game, HP doesn’t mean much once you enter an Elite Dungeon. It’s more about whether you die in one shot or enter a near-death state.
I’d dodge the regular patterns while dealing damage and hold off on the counterattacks for now.
The angler coiled its body again. It was preparing for the two rotation pattern.
Clang!
I blocked the first rotation precisely at the right timing.
Whoosh.
Using a counterattack, I dodged the second rotation.
An ethereal light enveloped my body as I successfully executed a just guard. At the same time, I slashed the angler’s body with a Starlight Slash accompanied by a vitality buff.
Bam, bam, bam!
GRAAAAWK!
Marks of injury appeared on its crimson body, and the HP of the named enemy rapidly dwindled. The angler screamed in anguish.
[Level 1 Named]
[Level 40 Blood-Red Angler]
[HP 3,054,516 / 4,000,000]
The regular patterns were easy. Compared to Zarkan’s multitude of diverse patterns, this was child’s play.
But it was about time to be on the lookout for special patterns. I momentarily halted my onslaught, tensed my body, and focused on slicing the angler.
The moment the named enemy’s HP dropped to 75%, just as I expected, the angler’s movements changed.
GRAAAAWK!
“Huh?”
The angler suddenly turned its back to me.
Thud, thud, thud.
In a blink, the angler swiftly distanced itself from me, climbing up the wall with ease despite its massive body.
Before long, the angler had stuck itself to the ceiling.
I stood there, mouth agape, watching the spectacle.
Ah, so that’s how it goes up and sticks to the ceiling.
No, more importantly, if it’s up there, I can’t attack it, right?
Here it comes again. During the special phase, named enemies can attack freely while I’m left scurrying around like my feet are on fire, how annoying!
“This… Ick!”