Camilla’s attack had to be the first and last of its kind, and it split the whole room into two. And I meant that literally. Her blade was so huge that everything from where she stood all the way to the wall was cut in half, including the boss. The translucent clump was now in two parts. It didn’t seem like it would be rejoining to heal itself.
For a moment, all was silent. Then, someone let out a triumphant shout, opening the floodgate to a torrent of cheers. Everyone raised their right fists in the air, confident of our victory.
‹This is Simon! We’re still detecting life-force from the target!›
‹Keep your guards up! Continue with your attacks!›
We resumed our offensive, sure that this was the final push. We were all completely focused.
I stood in the back and cast my buffs, while Camilla prepared for a second attack and shouted out orders. The two halves of the boss lost size as they were sliced and burned, and even my enemy detection could tell its life-force was dwindling.
We had adopted the best strategy we could. There was no better plan out there.
However, the rain was still pouring down on us with no signs of stopping.
‹This is Simon! The target is now silent!›
Now, we were all sure we were victorious. I could hear cheers and even applause. However, I didn’t feel happy. What was it? What was still bothering me? Was it the rain? Was it the fact we had defeated the boss so easily?
No, it hadn’t been easy. We just took care of it before it was a threat. We had prepared accordingly, and if we had faltered at the beginning, the boss would have been strong enough to cause casualties. We had only ended the battle early by overwhelming it with sheer numbers.
But…something wasn’t quite right. I tried to turn around to get a good look at our surroundings, but my feet were stuck in the water, and I almost toppled over. It was now that I realized this entire space was flooded up to our ankles.
“What is this…?”
I looked back on what had just happened. The sudden rainfall had coincided with the appearance of the boss that ambushed us. What did that mean? Under normal logic, it meant that the boss attacked us right when the storm had started.
But what if—just if—the boss on this floor had the ability to make it rain?
I shook my head. I was making a logical leap. Thinking wouldn’t solve anything. If I was going to say something, I needed to approach it from a different angle and within the bounds of an effective plan.
‹Camilla. This is Wim.›
‹What is it?›
‹The water level is rising. I think semiaquatic monsters will be more active, and they can probably move faster in the water. Our speed will be dampened.›
‹You mean we’re not out of the clear just yet?›
I gulped down some spit. ‹We aren’t.›
‹Thanks for saying something. Sorry, I let myself get carried away, didn’t I? We figured out the trick to this floor, and we’ve accomplished enough. It’s time we retreat.›
It felt…underwhelming. Camilla immediately sent a transmission to everyone, commanding them to stay focused. We got back into formation, though the water slowed our footsteps. Once the others realized the water level had risen, they all remembered our current situation. While they were still burning with excitement, the party had regained their composure.
‹Do you have any retreat plans left, boy?›
I was proud I had the opportunity to show off all my hard work from last night.
‹Yes. We can probably circumvent the water using the path to our northwest. It’s a bit far away, but the water will only reach—›
The sound of the water splashing rended the air like an explosion. Then came the vibrations. The water around our feet morphed into waves that crashed against us. I didn’t have time to block the force of the water and was knocked down on my butt. Something gigantic had fallen, that was the only thing I knew for certain. It came from the far walls.
I looked in its direction. From between the torrential rain drops, I saw another translucent clump even bigger than the previous one. It was enormous, looking like a mollusk of sorts—a slug, probably. Its translucent body was filled with water, and it had two organs on its head shaped like horns. I could see a network of veins throughout its body, and its back was swollen with what looked like a ball of sludge. A membrane extended from it, which spurt out blue-black mist at regular intervals.
It was obvious this was the real boss.
There came more splashes as more big somethings fell all around us. They were round, translucent clumps that looked just like the last boss, but there were multiple of them. They tumbled down from around the walls, surrounding us.
Transmissions were flying. We were completely flustered. Yes, we could use words to describe the scene before us, but we couldn’t understand it. We knew that we now faced extreme danger, but we had no clue on how to get out of it.
‹Focus yourselves!› It was Camilla who barked us back into shape. ‹Form one big group and take up the defensive formation!›
Her commands caused my body to move. I needed to stop thinking and just move.
I was thankful Camilla had such a broad presence, as I could see her despite the poor visibility. I dragged through the water in my soaked, heavy clothes and ran to my position, which was right behind her.
Somehow, we managed to get in formation. But what do we do now? The answer was obvious—run.
We were up against the real boss and multiple of its minions. Nachtlibelle was the best party in all of Filburn, but even we couldn’t stand a chance against their numbers.
“Hey!”
But our escape routes were blocked. Did that mean we had to fight? How long could we last? Would we find a way to retreat? Would the boss chase after us?
“Wim!” Someone slapped me on my back. I looked up to see Mark, the tank. “Keep your eyes ahead of ya, you hear?! A skilled guy like you can’t be lookin’ so glum. Look around!”
I did as he said. Everyone looked tense, but none had lost hope. It was mayhem, but they were focused on fighting back. There were over a hundred members in Nachtlibelle, and I was the only one panicking.
“Right!”
I shifted my focus. There was no guarantee we could overwhelm our opponents, but we weren’t at a disadvantage. We had plenty of manpower. Yes, we were in danger, but there hadn’t been any casualties. We would all make it out of this alive.
Take a good look around you, figure out what you need to do, and do it!
That’s what I told myself as I refocused on what lay ahead of us. The boss writhed in the rain. That meant something must be coming. Our orders were to defend—in other words, look for any openings for counterattacks and figure out how this enemy operated.
I cast buffs on the tanks. We would be golden with their defense. Give it all you’ve got, slug!
From the boss’s body, countless tentacles shot up into the air, wriggling and multiplying in an instant. And it wasn’t just the boss—tentacles burst from its minions too.
‹Everyone, prepare for an incoming attack! Once we make it through, we go for the big one!›
Camilla barked out her orders, and we waited anxiously for a strike that could come at any moment. I held back my fear and told myself I got this. Then, I upped my focus.
But the attack never came, even once I had maximized my focus and let it wane. Only a moment had passed, but the attack felt delayed. I instead directed my attention to the multiplying tentacles.
Aren’t there a little…too much?
Someone had muttered that aloud. It was a tasteless comment, but it made me realize that it spelled a reality that would be difficult for us to endure. There were simply too many. They didn’t number in the dozens, but the hundreds, and the amount far exceeded what Nachtlibelle could physically defend against. In a mere moment, we had been completely overrun.
Instead of the rain, it was tentacles that pelted us. I had no choice but to unsheathe my machete and fight back myself. I sensed someone repel an attack headed my way, and I cut down tentacles headed for my comrades behind me in turn, one after another. Some managed to get through, striking me straight on.
This was a storm we needed to weather, and if it hadn’t been for the orders to defend, we would have all been goners. I was incredibly thankful for Camilla’s commands.
Still, Nachtlibelle was on the edge of ruin.
More than half of us had collapsed on the ground. A few of the members near Camilla and the tanks had made it through, but those who were still standing had sustained heavy damage.
The torrent of tentacles had subsided, but the attacks continued, as if the boss was trying to make sure we couldn’t rest.
I couldn’t believe the scene before me. We had predicted a worst-case scenario, and we had come this far prepared to face whatever that was. We had plenty of manpower and training, and any bigger expedition would have been the size of an Abenteurers’ Guild-wide hunting quest the likes that hadn’t been seen for decades.
And yet, we were in shambles.
There wasn’t any logic to the labyrinth, so being prepared for anything was meaningless. A full-fledged retreat with everyone in tow was no longer up for discussion. Our enemy was just too strong—much more than any boss before it. There was absolutely nothing I could do to help. This was the type of floor where the first group that encountered a boss would be decimated.
‹Boy.› Suddenly, I got a call from Camilla.