— This special armament, a masterpiece crafted by the top-tier blacksmith Tsubaki of Orario, possesses the attribute of magic absorption.
With the roar of the wind and the lingering heat of flames, his foot traced a blazing red arc in the air, all his power concentrated at his right ankle, as he viciously kicked towards the giant bear's neck.
Bert landed on the ground, frowning as he looked ahead: “The monsters in this area are indeed not as strong as the dragon species on the 58th floor… And, aren't there too few of them?”
That forest seemed exceptionally out of place, like a foreign land forcibly grown in the middle of the white, snowy plains, the dense green forming a stark contrast with the surrounding white world.
The adventurers held their breath in the blizzard, straining their ears to listen. Snowflakes were whipped up by the gale, blurring their vision, but at the edge of the storm, they gradually made out blurry black shadows, like a group of moving monsters.
Finn narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the figures of the monsters: “They… aren't coming for us?”
As the adventurers' gazes followed the monsters towards the forest, they saw an even more shocking scene.
At the same time, various monsters from the forest also surged out, engaging in a fierce battle with the monsters of the ice plains.
Plant-type and insect-type monsters rapidly emerged from the depths of the forest, as if summoned by some force.
The ice plains monsters surged towards the forest like a tide, while the forest's vines retaliated with swift force. The two sides collided at the border, stirring up countless ice shards and soil.
The white dire bears swept through the forest monsters with overwhelming power, while packs of wolf-type monsters darted across the battlefield at great speed, their sharp claws easily shattering the vines that spread from the forest.
However, as time passed, the situation on the battlefield gradually changed.
The number of monsters in the forest seemed endless, with vines, larvae, black butterflies, and other monsters emerging wave after wave, continuously joining the battle.
It roared, twisting its body forcefully in an attempt to break free, but just then, a swarm of larval monsters rapidly crawled up from all around.
“Bang!”
With a muffled sound, a larva suddenly burst open, and the instantly splashed poisonous liquid covered the giant bear's body.
The corrosive power contained in the liquid rapidly eroded the bear's fur and muscles, emitting a harsh hissing sound.
The wolf packs were also subjected to a dense siege. They moved nimbly across the battlefield, trying to avoid the attacks of the vines and butterflies, but as their stamina gradually declined, their movements were no longer as agile as they had been at the beginning.
The black butterfly monsters seized the opportunity to fly down, swarming towards the giant wolves as if they had received some kind of command, tightly covering them.
One by one, the monsters of the ice plains fell, their powerful stamina ultimately unable to withstand the siege of endless enemies.
And after these monsters fell, their magic stones were quickly taken away by the larvae and vine monsters. The larvae carried the magic stones to the depths of the forest, the flickering light gradually being swallowed into the endless darkness, until it completely disappeared.
The edge of the forest expanded outwards, gradually encroaching on the area of the ice plains. The dense green formed a stark contrast with the white, snowy plains, appearing particularly out of place.
“This is why there are so few monsters on the 59th floor.”
In their sight, the same situation was unfolding not far away at the border between the forest and the ice plains.
The vines and insect-type monsters in the forest spread out from the woodland like a tide, constantly invading the territory of the ice plains.
Eerie, and disgusting… This was the only feeling everyone had about this scene. Dungeon monsters rarely attacked each other, except in some special circumstances, such as firebirds that ignited forests being hunted by other monsters.
Finn's thumb throbbed with a sharp pain, a sign that always preceded danger. Just then, the forest in front of them began to shake violently, and the snowfield behind them also surged restlessly. Snow rolled, the ground cracked, and one monster after another emerged from the ground, instantly standing on the surface.
Raul's face was ashen, and he couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice: “Captain, Captain, what do we do! Which side should we fight?”
Finn calmly surveyed his surroundings and quickly issued instructions: “Maintain formation! Gares, take care of the forest side; Alicia, you go to the ice plains side!”
Finn's gaze swept left and right, taking in the figures of the monsters on both sides.
“Riveria, Emiya, Tiona, Anki, Lefiya, Raul—you go to the other side!”
His voice echoed in the wind and snow, gradually strengthening, resounding throughout the battlefield.
Even in such a tense and chaotic situation, the strongest commander in the city still calmly completed the assignment and deployment of tasks.
Alicia stood at the front of the line, summoning an Ice Giant. In the environment of the 59th floor's glacial domain, her magic was enhanced like never before.
The giant's body and armor seemed thicker than before, and a powerful chill spread from the giant's body, freezing the surrounding land.
The one-horned giant bear suddenly pounced on the Ice Giant, and the two collided fiercely. The Ice Giant's body swayed slightly, and Alicia staggered along with it.
However, although the kick hit its target, it only made the giant bear take two steps back. The giant bear stubbornly stood its ground, letting out an angry roar.
In the center of the battlefield, Riveria unleashed the group amplification magic [Elf Ring], the dazzling magic aura providing amplification for the elves. The mages raised their staffs and began chanting magic, preparing to provide powerful support for the team.
“Ahhh, my weapon is melting!”
Raul's voice was filled with terror as he watched his weapon being melted by the corrosive slime spewed by the insectoid monster. The shiny metal made a "sizzle" sound, emitting white smoke.
“What?! This monster's corrosiveness can even melt a great twin-blade Urga!”
Tiona stared blankly at the incomplete weapon in her hand.
“Damn it, this is troublesome!”
Anki could only helplessly discard the longsword that had been corroded to only half its original size. She drew her spare weapon, looking at the approaching monsters with regret in her heart.
“Trace, On!”
Three longswords streaked across the sky like shooting stars, flying towards Tiona and the others. Without hesitation, Anki reached out and grasped the hilt of one of the swords. Feeling the surging magic within the sword, her heart stirred, and she immediately began to wield the sword.
Not far away, Emiya did not stop. He stood beside Riveria, quickly drawing back the bowstring, the tip of his fingers shimmering with magical light.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Explosions sounded one after another, and fire and tremors covered the entire area. The monsters screamed, turning to ashes in the explosions.
Under the amplification of the [Elf Ring], Emiya continuously projected arrows and magic swords, displaying the overwhelming destructive power of “one man as a thousand troops.”
When these larval monsters were blown apart, corrosive solutions splattered out, landing on other monsters. The intense corrosiveness caused those monsters that touched the liquid to howl in pain, even collapsing directly.
However, not all monsters were so easy to deal with. Some monsters with higher defenses or special abilities rendered Emiya's arrows ineffective.
The [Heavy Hero] Gares's two heavy axes had also been corroded beyond use in the fierce battle with the monsters, but he was not discouraged. He creatively turned his attention to a giant tree beside him.
And outside the adventurers' lines, an even more chaotic situation was unfolding.
Giant wolves wrestled with vines, flying insects fought with giant bears, and the monsters of the ice plains and the forest fearlessly pounced on each other, sharp teeth and claws, venom and flames crisscrossing the battlefield.
[Immerse myself in the ego of the heart's sea, conceive myself in the desire of the heart's sea—fate descends.
Grasp fate, conquer fate, trample fate!]
With the magic of the fire javelin, Burt dove towards the ground on a cloud of fire, his target the gray-white giant bear ahead.
"Bang!"
The loud crash echoed across the ice field along with the giant bear's miserable roar. The giant bear flew back like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the cold ground, kicking up a cloud of ice and snow.
The adventurers had been walking for a long time, but they only encountered a few scattered monsters, which made them feel a faint sense of unease.
The group continued to move forward, the wind and snow gradually lessening, and the outline of the forest in the distance became clearer and clearer.
"Everyone, stop first."
Finn's voice spread through the wind and snow, with a hint of doubt and alertness.
"The sound… it's not right."
"Finally, is the monster horde coming?"
The adventurers all gripped their weapons tightly.
However, the monsters' behavior was beyond their expectations—they were not charging towards the adventurers, but heading straight for the forest.
Everyone watched the monsters' movements with suspicion. The huge ice field monsters seemed to be driven by some kind of force, running towards the forest without hesitation.
In the forest that rose from the ice and snow, countless thick vines came to life at this moment. They broke out of the ground and writhed wildly, like countless hideous tentacles.
The ice field monsters also didn't seem to have any intention of retreating. They roared and charged towards the forest, as if to confront the forest head-on.
225
Chapter 225: Monster Feast and Fallen Fairy.
In the early stages of the battle, the ice field monsters had a clear advantage.
The ice-attribute white fox monsters were the nightmare of the forest monsters. They opened their bloody mouths and spewed out bone-chilling frost breath. Wherever they went, the moisture in the air instantly condensed into ice. Plant-shaped monsters were frozen to the ground, and black butterflies lost their ability to fly in the icy mist and fell one after another.
A giant bear was entangled by dozens of vines from all directions. The vines tightly constricted its limbs like poisonous snakes. The giant bear struggled desperately, trying to tear the vines with its claws, but its tightly bound body could not move.
The larvae wriggled as if possessed by some kind of frenzy, quickly climbing onto the giant bear's body. They clung to the giant bear's fur, emitting a slight tremor. Then—
The giant bear let out a shrill roar, struggling in pain, but as more larvae exploded, green venom quickly covered its entire body.
Just as a white wolf shattered a tree root monster with its claws, several vines suddenly shot up from the ground and entangled its hind legs. The giant wolf was suddenly pulled by this unexpected force, lost its balance, and fell heavily to the ground.
The butterflies' wings seemed to contain some kind of mysterious poison. The moment they came into contact with the giant wolf, the giant wolf twisted its body in pain. However, those wings kept piercing into its skin like poisonous thorns, eventually subduing it completely.
After such a round of fighting ended, the surrounding battlefield gradually returned to calm. The originally intense sounds of battle gradually dissipated, and the wind and snow once again became the only background noise, howling across the vast ice field.
At the junction of the ice field and the forest, the adventurers had now arrived at a ring of moist, black earth. The loot from the monsters killed in battle was scattered in the dark soil.
Wemiya looked at the scene in front of him and said softly.
Countless larvae monsters poured out of the forest in a continuous stream, attacking the ice field monsters in groups, their numbers so large that counting became meaningless.
And the strong ice field monsters were defeated one after another in this violence of numbers and strange abilities. Their magic stones were plundered, and their bodies turned into ashes.
The scene before them completely exceeded their common sense and understanding.
The moment these monsters were born, they sensed each other's aura, and then they rushed towards each other without hesitation. The adventurers were caught in the middle of the two forces, and the monsters' roars echoed in the wind and snow, as if the end of the world had arrived.
"Monster Feast—"
Finn murmured, his eyes solemn. What they were facing was two waves of [Monster Feast] erupting at the same time.
Anqi glared at him: "Idiot, since they are monsters, of course we hit them all!"
[Heavy Jack] Gresta is a Level 6 adventurer with a strong physique and amazing strength; and Alicia, who controls the Ice Giant, is the second strongest vanguard in the Loki Familia at this stage.
"Ais, Bert, Tiona, Lunoire, Croire—the five of you join Alicia's side to fight against the ice field monsters!"
The [Commanding War Cry] skill took effect, and Finn's command spread widely in the chaos of the battle, allowing all adventurers to hear his orders in times of crisis.
The scene suddenly became extremely chaotic, with adventurers, ice field monsters, and forest monsters intertwined in a melee. Each side was attacking the other, with no clear distinction between friend and foe, and the entire battlefield was in a state of chaos.
But opposite her, the leading ice field monster was not afraid at all. It was a giant bear monster larger than other white bears, with a horn on its forehead and angry blood flashing in its eyes.
At this moment, Burt suddenly jumped off the Ice Giant's shoulder, the ruby on his metal boots flashing blue light, and kicked hard at the giant bear's chin.
The first-level adventurers, as the main force, joined the battle and engaged in fierce confrontation with these powerful monsters.
The other side of the forest was equally chaotic.
"Haa!"
[Great Severance] Tiona picked up the great twin-blades Ulga and swung her weapon at the insect-shaped monster coming towards her. Her usual tactics made her chop without hesitation.
But when Tiona heard his shout, it was too late to stop.
The moment her great twin-blades cut into the insect-shaped monster's body, the insect's body suddenly seemed to explode, spraying out a corrosive mucus that adhered to the great twin-blades, and the weapon quickly began to melt, making a harsh sound.
They had seen from afar the scene of these larvae monsters corroding the ice field monsters after self-detonating, but no one thought that even precious weapons could be corroded so easily.
"That was… the sword that Shirou-kun polished for me—"
Just then, Wemiya's voice resounded across the battlefield: "Catch!"
"Haa—!"
Accompanied by Anqi's roar, the magic power in the long sword erupted, and a storm accompanied by thunder swept out. The powerful force knocked back and killed those approaching monsters.
His eyes were sharp as an eagle, aiming at the large number of larvae monsters surging in front of him. In an instant, dozens of magic sword arrows flew out like raindrops, traveling at high speed in the air, and then exploded in the larvae group.
Although the corrosive properties of the larvae monsters were very troublesome, their defense was quite low. Wemiya easily cleared these enemies with the amplified magic power, becoming the nemesis of these corrosive monsters.
Magic swords continuously drew fiery light in the air, exploding into brilliant fireworks on the battlefield, and large swaths of larvae monsters were blown to pieces, with black liquid splashing everywhere.
These chain reactions continued to expand like dominoes, making the already chaotic battlefield even more of a mess.
At this time, the other adventurers would not hesitate to step up, using magic swords, skills, and martial arts to defeat these powerful enemies one by one.
The dwarf warrior pulled out an entire big tree and swung it around at will, the huge tree trunk sweeping across the battlefield like a weapon.
Whenever the big tree was corroded or broken, Gresta would pull out another one to continue fighting.
The ice field monsters and the forest monsters tore and fought each other. Their battles were more cruel and bloody than the adventurers'.
Many monsters even ignored the existence of the adventurers, heading straight for their nemesis.
Lose form, strip fangs, transform into a king snake.
Penetrate the sea, traverse the land, subvert the world.
—Instant petrification!]
