A collective shiver ran through the small group as they laid eyes on the formidable King Airrider before them. Frozen in place, their fear was palpable as the majestic creature, with wings that seemed to stretch on forever, licked them with its snake-like tongue.
"Level B! Is it truly on par with that Midnight Flamehowler that razed my house? I doubt my reduced power in this form can withstand a direct confrontation," Finn thought, his mind racing as he assessed the peril they faced.
"What's our plan?" Creambell asked, his gaze fixed on the monstrous beast.
"I hate to admit it, but we might have to eliminate it to escape," the bandit replied, his body tense and unmoving as he monitored the Airrider's every move.
Meanwhile, the Airrider exhibited peculiar behavior, as if attempting to vomit. Creambell, bewildered, questioned, "What is it doing?"
"I have no idea," the bandit admitted, his focus still riveted on the unpredictable creature.
"I won't be felled by a lesser beast without putting up a fight," Creambell declared, determined. Finn nodded in agreement. Creambell raised his staff, gripping it tightly, while Finn extended his hands, both readying themselves to cast a spell. Unbeknownst to them, the Airrider, appearing distressed, regurgitated its last undigested meal—an upper body of one of the bandits. The gruesome sight materialized before Creambell, startling him.
Reacting impulsively, Creambell inadvertently launched a fireball towards the Airrider, previously prepared for self-defense but now becoming an accidental attack. The fiery projectile merely irritated the colossal bird, provoking a thunderous screech that resonated on their faces.
"Why would you do that?" the bandit exclaimed.
"I didn't mean to!" Creambell protested.
The Airrider, responding to the provocation, charged at them. Panic seized everyone. However, Finn, drawing on his experience combating formidable creatures, acted swiftly. He shot sticky threads at the bird's legs, entangling them and causing it to crash to the ground. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Finn coated the Airrider in a deadly slime and used his drill spike ability to pin its feathers to the ground, rendering it immobile.
Seizing the chance, Creambell and the bandit unleashed a relentless assault. Creambell hurled a barrage of fireballs, while the bandit skillfully launched knives that returned to him after inflicting damage. Finn, employing his sonic blast ability, added to the onslaught. Together, they forged a coordinated assault, determined to overcome the monstrous challenge before them.
In an instant, a dense veil of smoke enveloped the Airrider, shrouding the battleground in obscurity. The trio, uncertain of the creature's condition, ceased their assault, believing they had inflicted enough damage. As the smoke dissipated, they were met with a surprising revelation – the Airrider had shielded itself beneath its colossal wings, its feathers now gleaming with an almost metallic luster. With a swift movement, the creature unfurled its wings, revealing dragonfly-like eyes that glared ominously at the trio.
The moment stretched, and then the Airrider rose to its full height. The slime, drill spikes, and sticky threads that once confined it lay discarded on the ground. A collective gulp echoed among the trio as the Airrider emitted a bone-chilling screech, signaling its renewed determination. It lunged at them with formidable speed, prompting the trio to scatter in different directions, hoping to divert its attention.
The Airrider, seemingly fixated on the bandit, charged after him relentlessly. The terrified bandit, running for his life, cried out in panic, "Why are you after me? Attack those two! They've hurt you the most!"
Despite the bandit's desperate plea, the Airrider closed in rapidly, the bandit's futile attempts to escape only intensifying his fear. However, as the moment of an inevitable attack approached, it never came. The bandit, bewildered, continued to run and scream until he belatedly realized he was no longer being pursued. He halted, turned around, and saw that the Airrider had shifted its focus to Finn.
Observing the unfolding spectacle, the bandit remarked nonchalantly, "The Pixie is quite adept. Leading the bird on a chase behind his golem is commendable." He then directed his attention to Creambell, who had just caught his breath, and added, "Impressive. It seems he effortlessly controls the golem while launching a diverse array of attacks."
Meanwhile, Finn continued his assault, but the Airrider, undeterred, swatted away the incoming attacks. Aware of the peril to his doll body, Finn hesitated to jeopardize it further. Without any defensive abilities at his disposal, he pondered the precarious nature of his situation, knowing that any harm to his doll form would force his return to the Serpent Forest.
Desperation clawed at Finn as he continued to flee from the relentless pursuit of the Airrider. Panicking, he queried Manual, "Manual, do I have any defensive ability?" The urgency in his voice was palpable.
As the monstrous bird closed in, Finn received his answer—Mirage, a newfound ability acquired through a pact with Orochi. Swiftly, he invoked the power, creating ten ethereal copies of himself, all interconnected by threads of light. The Airrider, confronted with the sudden proliferation of Finns, hesitated, its confusion evident as it attempted to strike down one of the illusions with its scorpion-like tail feather, only to find it passed through harmlessly.
Seizing the advantage, Finn sought more information from Manual about the Mirage ability. "Mirage can produce copies of yourself based on your magic power. They're all linked by threads of light, enabling you to see through their eyes and switch places with any of them. However, the copies lack emotion and can only move as directed," Manual explained.
Emboldened by the protective shield of his illusions, Finn skillfully maneuvered his copies, constantly eluding the Airrider's attacks. Frustrated by its inability to harm any of the illusions, the Airrider reverted its metallic feathers to normal, taking to the air and creating a powerful cyclone with its wings.
The cyclone bore down on Creambell and the bandit, forcing them to cling desperately to nearby structures. For Finn, lacking human-like fingers, the situation posed a unique challenge. Swiftly, he resorted to switching places with his copies, maintaining a strategic advance against the raging winds.
However, the relentless use of his magical abilities drained Finn's mana at an alarming rate. Manual's warning echoed urgently, "Low Mana! Low Mana! Stop using Mirage or your dead control ability will end." Alarmed, Finn checked his mana, finding only 500 MP remaining. He promptly deactivated the Mirage ability, causing all the copies to vanish.
"Damn!" Finn exclaimed as he was propelled backward through the turbulent winds. His team members observed, concern etched across their faces. Meeting Creambell's worried gaze, Finn, although incapable of conveying emotion through his expressionless face, silently prayed, "Just be safe, my little pixie friend."
As Finn's hope dwindled during his involuntary flight, an unexpected salvation materialized. A firm grip halted his airborne trajectory. Turning his head to identify his savior, Finn saw Kestrel, her non-bionic arm securely holding him, while her bionic leg anchored her against the cyclone's force.
Utilizing her bionic limbs, Kestrel steadily forged ahead through the tumultuous winds. Crow, walking closely behind Kestrel, avoided the direct impact of the cyclone. Their coordinated movement and Kestrel's resilient bionic limbs proved to be a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.
The Airrider, observing that its cyclone had no effect on the resilient trio below, halted its assault. However, it continued to hover ominously in the air, fixating its gaze on the determined enemies beneath. The momentary respite allowed the team to regroup, their collective strength and resilience ready to face the formidable foe once more.
Kestrel, Crow, Finn, Creambell, and the bandit stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a united front against the formidable Airrider. A tense standoff unfolded as both sides prepared for the impending clash, the very air pregnant with anticipation.
Examining the creature, Kestrel remarked, "So, this is a lower beast."
Crow, his eyes trained on the Airrider's majestic form, added, "Yes, but this is the first time I have seen a beast in the path of flowers."
The bandit, wearing a confident smirk, commented, "Lower beasts have a threat level C, and we were only 2 people. Now that we are 4 people, I guess we can easily defeat this beast."
Finn, in his silent contemplation, couldn't help but mutter to himself, "2 people! I'm also a people, man. Not a golem." Disappointed, he wished he could convey the creature's true threat level to the others.
Little did Finn know that Kestrel possessed the ability to discern the level of any creature. Slowly removing her eyepatch, her bionic eye emanated a blue glow. As she focused her enhanced vision on the Airrider, her heart quickened. "We should run away," she urgently advised, her tone betraying genuine concern, startling the rest of the group.
Curious yet apprehensive gazes turned toward Kestrel. "Why?" questioned Crow.
"That's not a level C creature," she responded, her eyes fixed on the imposing bird. A gulp of fear escaped her as she continued, "That's a level B. Which means…"
Before Kestrel could finish her warning, Crow's gaze followed hers, and he completed the sentence with a grave realization, "It's an Upper Beast." The gravity of the situation sunk in, casting a shadow over the previously confident expressions of the group. The revelation marked a pivotal moment, signaling a formidable challenge that required careful consideration and strategic planning.