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"Form ranks! Brace for impact!" Finn shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern.
The expedition had reached the 49th floor, entering the preparatory stage for the final battle against the monstrous Floor Boss.
Their next objective was to locate the Behemoth, Balor.
Then, the decisive battle would commence.
Initially, Finn estimated that locating Balor alone would take one or two days.
After all, the 49th floor wasn't a place they could easily traverse.
Their every move would be met with fierce resistance from the formidable monsters that lurked within.
But now, they had a more efficient method: Mellie's summoned familiar, Fufu.
"Stay alert! Make sure those thrown weapons from the Formors don't hit Fufu. These monsters have a potential ability close to Level 5. If Fufu gets hit, it definitely won't survive."
Mika, on Fufu's back, carefully surveyed their surroundings as he issued a stern warning.
A Level 5 monster's physical strength was immense. A single punch could shatter the ground.
"I understand!" Mellie replied, her expression equally serious as she clung to Fufu's back.
Having Mellie navigate the 49th floor atop Fufu to locate Balor was Finn's ingenious strategy.
However, it was an incredibly risky maneuver. Mellie needed a powerful escort to ensure her safety.
As Mika mentioned, the monsters on this floor were on a completely different level compared to those on the upper floors.
The Formors, with their potential ability approaching Level 5, weren't just formidable in close combat.
Their immense strength allowed them to hurl projectiles with devastating force, effectively extending their attack range to encompass the skies.
Therefore, Mika assumed the role of Mellie's protector, accompanying her on this perilous reconnaissance mission.
"But I have a better idea!" Mellie suddenly exclaimed, sitting up on Fufu's back.
"What idea?" Mika asked, curiosity piqued.
"Illusion magic, of course!"
With a flick of her wrist, a strange sensation enveloped Mika.
"What's this?"
"It's my magic. Those Formors on the ground shouldn't be able to see us now."
"Ah, that!"
Mika's eyes widened in realization.
Illusion magic was a skill Mellie had developed based on the knowledge she acquired in the Type-Moon world.
However, its effects were so similar to her "Dream Cage" ability that Mika often struggled to distinguish whether she was manipulating dreams or employing illusions.
He tended to lump them together in his mind.
But there were subtle differences between the two.
For instance, while both could conceal their presence, "Dream Cage" achieved this by manipulating an opponent's perception, creating a dream where they were absent.
Illusion magic, on the other hand, directly rendered them invisible.
In their current situation, illusion magic was undoubtedly the more effective option.
"If you had a way to conceal us, why did you pretend you didn't and drag me along?"
"What? You're not happy about it?"
Seeing Mellie's menacing glare, Mika quickly shook his head.
Satisfied with his response, Mellie's expression softened.
"Hmph! It's not like they're short-handed without you over there. It's better for you to accompany me on this scouting mission than to simply add to their already overwhelming strength."
"Yes, yes, you're right."
Mika shook his head helplessly.
He decided to let it go.
After all, Finn had entrusted him with the task of protecting Airmid and Mellie.
With the decisive battle yet to commence, Airmid was safe within the main force.
Therefore, there was nothing wrong with him accompanying Mellie and ensuring her safety.
"Since they can't see us, let's have Fufu fly faster. We need to find Balor quickly."
To maintain their stealth, Fufu hadn't been flying at full speed.
"Did you hear that, Fufu?" Mellie called out.
"Full speed ahead!"
"Roar!"
With a roar, Fufu surged forward, its speed increasing exponentially as it soared across the barren landscape.
…
"Found it!"
After an hour of flight, Mika and Mellie finally located Balor.
"That's… impressive."
Gazing down at the scene below, Mellie couldn't help but express her astonishment.
The colossal Balor, standing over twenty meters tall, lumbered across the ground.
Its massive frame, resembling a gigantic Formor, was even more grotesque due to its sheer size.
In its hands, it clutched two enormous clubs.
Surrounding Balor were hundreds of Formors, following in its wake.
Their bodies were noticeably larger and more robust than the other Formors on the 49th floor.
"These guys definitely have a potential ability of Level 5. They might even be elite-level among Level 5 monsters."
Mika eyed the horde of Formors with apprehension.
In the dungeon, every twelve floors marked a significant increase in monster levels.
However, the monsters' strength didn't increase in a sudden, drastic manner.
For instance, on the 13th floor, the first floor of the middle floors, the monsters possessed strength close to Level 2 but hadn't quite reached that level yet.
It was only after descending two or three more floors that the monsters' strength would generally reach Level 2.
The same applied to the 49th floor.
As the first floor of the deep floors, the monsters here were close to Level 5 in strength but hadn't reached that level yet.
However, the elite Formors accompanying Balor were already on par with monsters from the 55th floor and beyond.
This presented a formidable challenge for the expedition.
Standing atop Fufu's back, surveying the situation below, Mika and Mellie pondered their next move.
"Let's head back for now," Mika said finally.
"We've confirmed Balor' approximate location and its direction of travel. We just need to follow its trail."
"We can conduct further reconnaissance once we bring the rest of the expedition here."
"Okay."
Mellie nodded and steered Fufu in the opposite direction.
"We need to find a way to eliminate those Formors quickly. Otherwise, it will be difficult to focus on fighting Balor," Mellie said, her voice laced with concern as they flew back.
"Yes, I agree."
Mika nodded silently.
Shakti and the others stood no chance against those hundreds of elite Formors.
If they weren't dealt with, Mika would have to divert manpower to protect them.
And that would undoubtedly hinder their efforts to defeat Balor.
---
"Is that the situation?" Finn frowned, listening intently to Mika's report.
Although they had obtained information from the Guild, their encounters with Balor had been extremely limited.
Or rather, they had always avoided direct confrontation upon spotting the monstrous Floor Boss from afar. Thus, even Finn had no knowledge of the elite Formors guarding Balor.
"I agree with Mellie. We need to eliminate those elite Formors first. Only then can we engage Balor without distractions."
Turning to Riveria, Finn said, "This task falls upon you, Riveria."
"I understand."
Riveria nodded solemnly, her expression grave.
She, too, recognized the gravity of the situation.
"Let's move! We need to reach Balor's location quickly!"
With their plan finalized, Finn and the others, already prepared for battle, switched to assault mode.
Ottar, the strongest among them, led the charge alongside Hedin, tasked with clearing a path through the monstrous horde.
Allen, Hogni, Finn, and Gareth flanked the group, protecting their sides.
Mika and Riveria brought up the rear.
Airmid and the others remained in the center, providing magical support.
"Don't get cocky!"
Mika, wielding his Dual Spears, swiftly intercepted the monsters flanking their formation.
Facing the Formors, whose strength rivaled Level 5 adventurers, Mika dispatched them with swift, precise movements.
"What a masterful spearmanship, Mika!" Riveria exclaimed, impressed by his skills.
As Finn was once Orario's foremost spearman, Riveria possessed a deep understanding of spearmanship.
Therefore, she could appreciate the true extent of Mika's abilities.
His swift, precise, and ferocious spear techniques struck the monsters' vital points, their magic stones, leaving them no chance to retaliate.
"It helps that they're monsters with such an obvious weak point," Mika chuckled.
Monsters born from the dungeon possessed incredible vitality.
But they all shared a common weakness: their magic stones.
Shattering a monster's magic stone was the quickest way to defeat it.
However, most magic stones were hidden deep within a monster's body. Unless an adventurer frequently hunted a specific type of monster and knew the precise location of its magic stone, achieving a one-hit kill was extremely difficult.
Moreover, since a shattered magic stone turned to dust, rendering it worthless, few adventurers bothered practicing this technique.
For most adventurers, an intact magic stone represented their reward.
Shattering a magic stone?
That was an extravagant luxury!
Even the wealthiest adventurers wouldn't waste time honing such a skill.
But Mika could afford to be different.
With his "Transparent World," a monster's internal structure was laid bare before him.
He could see everything with perfect clarity.
Fortunately, the current expedition wasn't interested in collecting magic stones. Therefore, Mika could freely target them without any repercussions.
"Perhaps a bow and arrows would be more suitable in this situation."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Mika, having dispatched another Formor, retreated to the center of the formation.
"Airmid, give me a bow and arrows!" he called out, sheathing his dual Spears.
"Here you go!"
Airmid retrieved a bow and arrows from their supply pack and tossed them towards Mika.
"Thanks!"
Mika slung the quiver over his shoulder, nocked an arrow, and drew the bowstring taut.
The next moment, invisible energy enveloped the arrow.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his finger, the arrow, enhanced by his energy and now incredibly sharp, shot forward, piercing a charging Formor.
The arrow struck the Formor's magic stone with pinpoint accuracy, instantly ending its life.
"Excellent" Riveria praised, having witnessed Mika's actions.
Few people knew that Riveria, aside from being Orario's most powerful mage, was also an expert archer.
Her archery skills were equally impressive.
That was why she was so astonished by Mika's archery prowess.
During their brief time together, Riveria had witnessed Mika employ various combat skills: swordsmanship, knife fighting, spearmanship, shield skills, and now archery.
And he displayed exceptional skill in each discipline.
This perplexed Riveria. How could someone so young, barely a teenager, master so many different Skills?
Unlike her, he wasn't an elf with an extended lifespan.
Even for a prodigy like Riveria, it had taken her decades to reach her current level of mastery in archery.
But Mika?
He had accomplished it in a few years.
Hearing Riveria's praise, Mika couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
"I'm proficient in all forms of combat!"
With a confident grin, Mika continued to draw arrows from his quiver, firing them with deadly accuracy.
One by one, the monsters flanking the formation fell victim to his arrows.
Soon, he shifted his focus to the monsters on both sides.
Due to their rapid movement, Mika and Riveria, positioned at the rear, rarely encountered monsters approaching from behind.
Their primary targets were the monsters that slipped past the vanguard or flanks and flowed towards the rear.
Therefore, Mika and Riveria had the lightest workload.
After all, while Mika possessed incredible combat abilities, he was only Level 4.
Riveria, a Level 5 mage, was less adept at close combat compared to the others.
Thus, the easiest task fell to them.
However, Mika wasn't content with simply fulfilling his assigned role. He wanted to contribute more.
Focusing on the monsters on both sides, he rained down arrows, eliminating them before they could reach the rear.
As a result, Riveria suddenly found herself with nothing to do.
"What is this stressful feeling of ease?"
Despite having no immediate tasks, she couldn't relax.
The sensation of being surpassed by a younger generation weighed heavily on her.
"I can't let this stand!"
Driven by a surge of determination, Riveria retrieved her bow and arrows, unleashing a volley of shots.
However, lacking Mika's ability to pinpoint magic stones with his "Transparent World" and enhance his arrows with energy, she couldn't match his efficiency.
This only added to her frustration.
Suddenly, a shout echoed from the front lines.
"We've spotted Balor!"
...
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