‹I think so. But I can’t do it alone. Hecatoncheires’s offensive stats aren’t that great on their own. It’ll still be dangerous, but I’m gonna need help from both of you to take him down next time. And a few more levels under my belt too.›
“Of course, Master Dragon! I’m always happy to assist!” Allo chirped.
‹How can I stand a chance against an enemy you couldn’t beat yourself, Master…?› Treant asked.
I nodded. ‹I get why you’re worried. But honestly, this guy feels right up your alley, Treant.›
‹R-really…?› Treant shuddered, its wings flapping worriedly. ‹You’re…you’re not planning to drop me on that giant from the top of the tower, are you?›
I turned my eyes toward the huge spire with no top in sight that Hecatoncheires guarded. I was sure that dropping Treant from that high would do at least ten thousand damage, but Treant would probably also end up as a bunch of splinters.
Allo glared at Treant. “What kind of guy do you think Master Dragon is, Treant?”
‹B-but! Miss Allo, that’s about the only thing I’m good for, so…!›
H-hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. Sure, World Treants were pretty specialized, but that was why it’d be a perfect match for Hecatoncheires.
‹You’ve got Reaper Seeds too, right?› I said. ‹Maybe we’ll try that instead this time. Otherwise, we’ll never get past that headless giant.›
Normal Skill “Reaper Seeds.” Creates plant seeds that siphon MP from those caught inside. The closer the skill’s user and its target, the faster MP is absorbed. Once its prey’s MP is completely absorbed, the Reaper Seeds will grow rapidly, destroying its prey.
If we could manage to stretch out the battle for a while, Treant could drain Hecatoncheires’s MP and kill him that way. The second part of the skill seemed terrifying—and honestly, it just seemed like a bonus, since any opponent would basically be dead once all its MP was drained—but the continuous MP absorption was powerful enough on its own. The lower the target’s magic, the stronger the effect would be, and Hecatoncheires’s magic stat was quite low for a Legendary rank. It would also force him to fight more of an endurance battle than he would otherwise, with his massive HP and MP reserves. It’d be a long battle, that much was certain. But if we could keep Treant safe, its Reaper Seeds would be a great way to chip away at Hecatoncheires’s MP.
‹I-In that case, leave it to me! The deed will be done, or my name isn’t Treant!›
‹Good deal. You can shoot your Reaper Seeds, and Allo will hit him with Dark Sphere. And I’ll keep his attention and give him the long, drawn-out battle he wants.›
My magic skills weren’t going to help. Gravidon was useless, and Hell Gate drained way too much MP; it was just too expensive to use when there was a high chance Hecatoncheires could dodge out of the way. Hitting him with Oneiros Mallet was a far more consistent way to deal damage than a big magic skill, and just smacking him with a weapon didn’t cost MP. Using Dragon Mirror to transform into a Diabolos was costly too, and it didn’t have a great payoff in terms of boosted damage, so that probably wasn’t worth it either.
‹Yes, I’m sure that will work! Gosh, I’m starting to feel like we can win this fight!› Treant flapped its wings excitedly.
‹Yeah! If I take leveling up into account, I bet the three of us could knock down Hecatoncheires’s MP by 60 percent or so!›
‹Yeah! Wait…huh?› Treant froze, then tilted its head in confusion.
“So…what about the other 40 percent, Master Dragon?” Allo asked.
‹Right now, if it’s just us three, I’d guess we had about a 10 percent chance of winning. But I have a plan.›
“A plan…?”
There were three main ways we could increase the damage we did to Hecatoncheires. One: increase our stats. Two: establish an efficient routine for dealing damage. And three: get reinforcements.
‹I think it’s about time we go hunt down that Origin Matter. I’m sure we’re strong enough to beat it now.›
My original plan had been to try going after the Origin Matter again if we ran out of other options. Now that we were higher level and more evolved, and given just how devastatingly powerful Hecatoncheires seemed to be, it made sense to go after the Origin Matter before challenging Hecatoncheires again.
Of course, unlike Hecatoncheires, the Origin Matter was a total offensive-type monster. If we slipped up or left ourselves exposed without recovering, it could kill any of us in an instant. In that sense, fighting the Origin Matter would be far more dangerous than fighting Hecatoncheires.
Still, killing it would give me a bunch more experience points. There were sure to be more kesaran pasarans around too, meaning Allo and Treant could raise their levels easily as well. But that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to fight it.
Special Skill “Time Vortex.” Seals enemy in a vortex of black light. Its victim is cut off from the passage of time. Escape is impossible.
Inside the Origin Matter’s Time Vortex, the flow of time was stopped. That meant going inside it was possibly the only way to avoid becoming a victim of Ngai Forest’s Mad God condition. If there were any former Sacred Skill users who’d let themselves get trapped inside in an attempt to escape the forest’s reach, they might be able to help us.
Of course, this was a naive hope. Maybe Time Vortex didn’t actually stop the effects of Mad God. Maybe no one else had ever thought to try it, and the Origin Matter was empty. Even if there was someone in there, there was no telling what kind of intentions they’d have. I could even end up facing a powerful, lucid foe.
But right now, this was the only chance we had. And, heck, maybe there’d be a way to raise either my or Allo’s evolutionary cap inside the Origin Matter. Either way, though, we’d never beat Hecatoncheires at our current strength. We just had to do what we could right now and go from there.