NOVEL NEXT Chapter 168
168. A Crafted Strategy
“Behemoth!? Damn, this is bad…!”
That monster is a real pain to fight head-on!
Last time, the giant Behemoth didn’t attack, so I had time to fire off a
“Roooaaarrrr!!”
The Behemoth slithers along the ground, charging straight at us.
We split to the sides to avoid the attack and watched it closely.
If we were going to power through, we’d need Laura. Raize must know that too.
But still—I can’t think of a way out of this! There must be some plan—
“Arx! Give me a hand here!”
Just then, Raize shouted from the other side of the Behemoth.
“You have a plan!?”
“If you can call it that—honestly, it’s pretty much no plan at all!”
I almost wanted to say, “What the heck,” but Raize was staring at me with serious eyes.
It was unlike her, but her expression seemed confident, almost as if her sharp mind had already calculated something.
“You can do it, right!?”
“Yeah. As long as I’ve got you!”
“Alright! I’ll leave it to you!”
Hearing her response, I decided to place my fate in her hands.
She might actually have no plan at all. But I’m as blank as she is.
In that case, I have no choice but to trust my partner!
“Arx, take on support for me!”
“…Huh?”
I couldn’t believe it. She, who usually volunteers for support, was putting herself on the front line.
“This must be what Mila-san meant about trusting your instincts!”
With a lighthearted tone, Raize declared, and began sprinting straight toward the Behemoth!
“What are you doing!? Are you insane!?”
The Behemoth roared ferociously, attempting to crush her with its front legs.
But—she nimbly dodged, slipping into its defenses with elegant footwork.
“Generate flames in an instant and release!”
Exploiting the Behemoth’s opening, Raize enveloped her leg in fire and unleashed a spinning kick.
I’d never seen her use this technique. The moment her kick connected with the Behemoth’s side, sparks flew, followed by a small explosion.
“Grah!?”
Perhaps caught off guard by the unexpected blow, the Behemoth let out a startled cry and lost its balance.
Raize didn’t miss a beat. As she landed, she pressed both hands firmly to the ground.
“Destabilize the ground!”
In a flash, the ground under the Behemoth’s feet rose, throwing it off balance.
Her earth magic took effect, making the terrain uneven and preventing it from launching strong attacks or defending itself!
“Arx, are you ready!?”
“I’m on it!”
With the Behemoth’s weakened stance, it was easier to aim. Now’s my chance to hit it with a powerful spell!
But, magic takes time to cast! If I don’t hurry, it’ll escape!
“If you want to speed up the casting, split the magic circle into multiple parts! That way, each part takes less time to form!”
Her advice struck my ears. I immediately understood.
By splitting the magic circle, each individual part has less power, but together, they create a strong attack!
So, that’s how Raize balanced her agility and magic!
Alright, I’ll reduce the mana intensity, lower the power of
“Behold,
I held out my palms, and two magic circles formed, sending lightning bolts straight at the Behemoth.
The impact was so strong, I was blown backward.
But as I looked up, the Behemoth had been pierced by lightning, two holes blasted into its body.
Victory. The Behemoth was dead, and Raize and I were safe!
“What?! The Forest Behemoth was defeated!?”
Tsudotos was the one who panicked. He hadn’t expected the Behemoth to be killed, and was visibly shaken, shrieking frantically.
“Better hold still, pal. This guy might talk a lot, but he’s got the skill to back it up.”
“…”
A Guardian who had taken down the other apes held Tsudotos from behind.
Standing next to him was Talk, bow aimed at Tsudotos’s head.
All his soldiers were down, and an arrow pointed at the king’s head.
Checkmate. There was no way for him to turn this around.
“Now, Tsudotos. If you value your life, you might want to show a little respect.”
“Eek!?”
Tsudotos leaped from the tree, pressing his forehead to the ground in a groveling apology.
“I… I’m terribly sorry! I… I admit defeat!!”
Gone was his arrogant tone; Tsudotos shrieked, cowering on the ground.
Apparently fearing for his life, his body trembled, and even his manner of speech changed. I stood before him.
“So, what’ll it be? You picked a fight with us, so I assume you’re prepared to die?”
“Eeeeeek!! P-please! Spare my life!”
Apologizing with a voice almost like a scream, Tsudotos begged. His pathetic display was almost laughable.
“So, you called yourself the king of the forest? Then you must know your way around the forest’s food sources.”
“Y-yes! If I give the orders, I can obtain any food you want!!”
“Then, from now on, you’re to provide us with food every day. Or else—you get it, don’t you?”
“Y-yes! I won’t ever oppose you again, so please, just spare my life!”
Tsudotos, thoroughly terrified, bowed repeatedly. Maybe I overdid it?
—And so, the battle with the king of the forest concluded, with food offerings secured, as our complete victory.