Seems like Piggymaru and Munin encountered one of the mid-sized eucharists that were released into this labyrinth. It might have been tough for the two of them to handle it on their own. I’m just glad that I found them in time to head off the worst-case scenario. Being able to find these two so quickly is huge.
“Squeee~!” Piggymaru cried once it was all over. The slime jumped from Munin’s shoulder over to me and settled into its usual space.
Seems like the little guy could use some love. Piggymaru must’ve been worried, huh? It did a great job trying to protect Munin.
I praised Piggymaru for its actions, and the slime seemed even happier than usual to receive the compliment.
Not just happy… Emotional.
“Squee…♪”
“I feel so relaxed when you’re here~” I could almost hear the slime say.
We got back on the move.
“Thank you for your help, Too-ka,” said Munin as she walked beside me.
“The biggest worry I had about this labyrinth was that I might not be able to find the people I needed… It really is a relief that I found you and Piggymaru so quickly.”
Lokiella doesn’t think this is likely…but if she’s wrong and Vicius really has managed to cast Dispel Bubble on her disciples, having Munin of the Kurosaga Clan at my side, with her Forbidden Magic, will be a crucial advantage.
“Where is Lokiella?” asked Munin.
“I haven’t found her yet.”
Munin and Piggymaru hadn’t seen Sogou or the Takao sisters either.
At least the three of us have found each other for now.
“The closer you are to someone in the entry order, the more likely you are to end up somewhere near them.”
Maybe that really is what happened…but it’s not guaranteed. Those are just the odds. None of this is certain. Sogou and the Takao sisters might be a long way away from us… And Lokiella and Seras might be too.
We walked through one of the labyrinth passageways.
I don’t sense anyone else. No—wait.
“Something’s coming.”
I ducked into a different passage from the one in which I’d felt the approaching presence.
“Keep an eye on what’s behind us, Piggymaru.”
I had Munin hide herself, staying quiet and low behind me.
…Should I activate Slow to prevent an ambush? That’s an option, but given my limited mana pool, I’d rather use the usual MP-saving combo to take care of this.
I stayed hidden, waiting to see what would emerge from the passage in front of me. Then it appeared.
A mid-sized eucharist. I should count myself lucky it’s not a disciple, I guess? Or would I rather have had the opportunity to take one of them out here?
What—is that more beings I sense?
One by one, the eucharists emerged, a line of them marching through the labyrinth.
Seems like we’ve come upon a cluster of them. It’s kinda like one of those hordes you see in zombie movies. But even in these numbers, my status-effect skills can deal with them.
“Tch.”
More of them are entering through another passage. Don’t tell me they’re rolling through this labyrinth in waves, trying to take us out one by one?
Piggymaru poked at the back of my neck with a tentacle. The eucharists were gathering in the passage behind us too. The room ahead of us was connected to three paths—all of them now blocked off by the flow of incoming eucharists.
Do I link up to Piggymaru to deal with them all?
Should I really use that now?
The moment I start fighting, they’re going to focus on me and attack from three directions at once. I’m confident I could take them on my own, but…
I looked over at Munin. She had her staff gripped tightly in both hands as she returned my glance and nodded.
I’ll fight too, her nod seemed to say.
…The problem with a horde is that each of these monsters have varying degrees of strength. I just want to make sure Munin doesn’t get hit while I’m not paying attention to her side of the battle.
“As soon as I sense danger, I’ll use Slow to help us escape—or I could defend you as we go in search of a place that will be easier for you to fight. There should be a building or something around. But if more of those damn eucharists come piling in from behind us…they might just be able to get to you through sheer strength in numbers.”
There’s almost no way for me to restore my own MP in this labyrinth. That’s why I want to avoid using Slow if possible, given how much mana the skill consumes. I can’t risk holding back now and losing Munin as a result, though.
Having her turn herself into a crow is an option, I suppose, but…
I looked up for a moment, only to see the sky blocked off by a white ceiling above me.
With no way to escape, that doesn’t seem like a great option. I suppose finding a building somewhere and having her hide herself as a crow in there might work…although that depends on the eucharists not seeing her transform and then tracking her movements. Anyway, we need to move.
“Piggymaru, I need the Blade of the Lord of the Flies.”
“Squee!”
Piggymaru created the sword for me, and I took the slime weapon in hand. It was the same red-grooved black blade as last time, but now double-edged and simpler in design, without the serrations.
“First, we need to break through that group that are approaching us from behind. Then we’ll find a position where it’ll be easier for me to fight while protecting you, Munin. Piggymaru, harden yourself to protect Munin if she looks to be in danger. Munin—focus on protecting yourself.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s move.”
I used Paralyze on the eucharists that were approaching our rear and charged toward them, cutting the motionless creatures down with my Lord of the Flies blade.
The eucharists in here are twice as large as they usually are… The most I can take down with a single slash is two. This blade might lose its edge if I try and extend it any further. When I took two of them down with that last strike, it felt like my swing could keep going—Piggymaru’s adjusted this sword to be just right.
“…Here they come.”
The eucharists from the other passages seemed to have noticed me. When I turned to look over my shoulder, I saw them closing in.
I don’t know if they know the range of my skills—but some of them are holding bows, ready to fire from just out of range.
“Leave them to me!” Piggymaru squeaked, as soon as the slime saw them. The eucharists fired their arrows at Munin, but Piggymaru hardened to shield her from the attacks.
That enhanced toughness from Piggymaru’s third stage of enhancement is really coming in handy.
I continued to cut down eucharists, mixing in the Paralyze/Berserk combo as we rushed down the passage. I also mixed in Sleep and scattered some Poison just in case.
I can take on a few of them at a time like this. I can manage, but…these numbers. Because of how big they are, I can’t cut them down in one swipe. They might start to pile up and surround me. If they all come rushing in at once, there’s a danger I might hit my target limit when dealing with them.