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Translator: Hidamarisou
Editor: Silavin
The paths converged again on the sixth point.
At this point, the height was considerable and the view was pleasant, although this pleasant view also meant even a single misstep or slip could be dangerous.
Since the area was concave, there was little threat of falling if one just walked normally, but it had happened to some people who were too focused on fighting.
It was important to always remain calm.
The monsters waiting in this area were called Sword Mantis. It was a praying mantis larger than a person and had not sickles, but sharp swords in its arms. Another thing that differed from a regular praying mantis was its wide range of movement, meaning it could attack by freely moving its arms.
Moreover, it did more than just attack at close range. This monster would slice the swords growing from its arms to throw them at its enemies, and replace them with ones that grew from the ground.
This troublesome monster came in a pair, one male and one female.
“Gyagyagyagya!”
“Uooryaaaah!”
Karan used a longsword she picked up when she reached this area to block the Sword Mantis’ fierce attack. It was considerably stronger than a Lesser Ogre, and its movements were unlike the oni-type monsters, and were very hard to read. Unlike slow golems, bug-type monsters were quick even if they had huge bodies.
“Karan!”
“I’m al… right…!”
The Sword Mantis raised both arms and swung them downwards at the same time, to which Karan responded by swinging upwards with all her strength. After a piercing metallic sound echoed, the Sword Mantis’ arms were sent flying.
Karan was happy that she won this contest of strength, but Nick’s yell cut it short.
“Watch out Karan!”
Before she knew it, Nick had put himself between her and the monster while crouching. Another metallic sound was heard, and when Karan looked down, she was surprised to see that the monster had skillfully picked up a sword with its foot and attempted to stab her. Thankfully, Nick foiled this attack.
“S-sorry…”
“Forget that. Now!”
This was probably the monster’s best trick. Make its opponent focus on its arms, and attack them from below.
Bugs’ eyes were not not the same as humanoid or oni-type monsters. Their eyeballs did not move, which made it difficult to see what their intentions and targets were. Still, Nick’s instincts put an end to its plan.
With all its attacks shut down, Karan swung horizontally at a defenseless Sword Mantis’ neck.
“Urya! Seryah!”
However, she did not stop there, and also severed its remaining limbs.
One could not relax just by cutting the neck of a bug-type monster, as it could still attack as long as its limbs could move. It was necessary to deal so much damage that it would be physically unable to move.
“Are you alright over there!?”
“This is rough! I will need assistance soon!”
Karan yelled, and Bond responded.
Bond, Tianna, and Sem faced the remaining Sword Mantis.
“Ah, geez!”
As her partners protected her, Tianna fiddled with her crossbow.
“Ah, geez! Now of all times…! I’ll have it fixed in three minutes!”
There was a malfunction at a crucial time.
The first few shots were fine, but when the Sword Mantis returned fire by throwing a longword, Tianna carelessly used the bowgun as a shield. The weapon itself was not broken, but some internal parts were bent, and needed repair.
As a result, Bond was mostly fighting the monster alone, with Sem acting as support.
“Choyah!”
Bond was skilled with the sword, but he was not all-powerful.
In the end, all he did was copy the skills of those that previously wielded him, and since his stature, sword, and field of battle differed, he could not copy their power to its fullest.
He could defend against the Sword Mantis’ fierce attacks, but not overwhelm it.
It was a deadlock, but just as Karan and Nick were rushing to help, a voice could be heard coming from the back.
“Everyone, can you move away a little!?”
Bond sensed something and stepped away.
When Nick looked back to see where the voice came from, a vivid streak of light assaulted the monster.
“…Eh!?”
Suddenly, the Sword Mantis’s body had a hole the size of a fist.
It stood still, not even budging. After a few seconds, it took a weak step back.
“W-what…?”
Tianna answered Nick’s question.
“It’s just a throwing spear.”
“Just…”
“It’s a throwing spear with its power increased by Magic Blade and thrown by a dragon person. That’s it. The principle is simple, but it’s stupidly strong.”
Tianna looked with bewilderment on her face at Bellocchio and his party, who were carrying a few spears.
“《Magic Blade: Lightning Edge》”
Bellocchio whispered, and the tip of the spear he was carrying started shining.
He handed this spear to Suisen, who stood next to him.
She took a deep breath and focused her strength. A blue shining light started emanating from her body, and it looked as though she was about to explode.
“Here goes… The second…!”
Suisen stretched her arm back, and her gaze focused on the Sword Mantis, which could barely move.
And as if firing an arrow from a bow, the spear was fired.
“Gah…”
The spear traveling at an incredible speed pierced the monster right through the center of its midsection. Its upper body was no longer being supported and fell to the ground with a big thud, followed by the lower half limply falling as well.
“Got it!”
Celebrated Suisen, as Survivors looked on with amazement on their faces.
And then, Bellocchio stood in front of Tianna.
“It seems you do not hold the monopoly on projectile weapons.”
“Master that…”
“That?”
Tianna trembled as she pointed towards Suisen.
“That’s not fair is it?”
“Is it not?”
Tianna looked frustrated while her master was joyous. He was not smug, instead, rather happy like an innocent child; happy about getting to show off a trick.
“This wouldn’t work without Suisen’s strength, would it?”
“It would not, but…”
Bellocchio took something strange out of his pocket.
It was something that resembled a thin bamboo tube or a pipe cut vertically.
“I can get some speed and distance with this spear thrower.”
Bellocchio took the butt end of a spear he picked up on the way and set it on the spear thrower.
And then, after positioning himself as though he was about to throw a ball, he threw a spear through the spear thrower.
The spear flew with a pleasant sound, but clearly much farther and faster than if Bellocchio had thrown it with his bare hands.
“…Why didn’t you use it?”
Tianna asked Suisen.
“At this distance, I don’t need it. Plus, I’m used to throwing it normally, and since I’m not used to that I might have missed.”
“But if you were used to this, it would have been better.”
Said Bellocchio calmly, and Tianna looked at the ground.
“Master… I have no choice but to admit you have got the better of me there.”
“It is nice to be honest.”
Bellocchio praised sincerely.
“Tianna, your tool also has many advantages. In my case, I have to be in a place where I can use Magic Blade as many times as I wish, but your crossbow can be used in other locations as well.”
“I still need ammo but… You’re right.”
“Yes. Also, the more complicated the mechanism is, the more prone to malfunction it becomes.”
Tianna was startled by this phrase, but did not let it show on her face.
“Yes.”
“Still, this is not a contest to see who has the better weapon.”
Said Bellocchio as he looked at the two paths leading forward.
This was the last time the paths diverged, and both led to the top.
They were called sky and earth.
Both had the same weapons, which is to say both had all the weapons that were found in this labyrinth so far. What set them apart from each other were the enemies that appeared in each path.
The sky route had enemies known as Tengu, a superior kind of oni-type monster which were capable of flight. These monsters were physically weaker than other oni-type monsters, but were agile and attacked from above. Obviously, they also threw the weapons growing in the labyrinth as they flew.
The earth route had ogres. A single ogre was strong enough to put a beginner party in danger, and here they popped up like mushrooms.
Their bodies were a degree or two bigger than Tengu’s, but they were by no means unbeatable opponents. In an environment where magic was not an option, it could be said they were easier to deal with than flying enemies.
“We will pick the sky route.”
“Of course.”
What made the Tengu difficult to deal with was the lack of a long range attack, such as magic. Obviously, this did not apply to people that could kill a Sword Mantis with a throwing spear.
“Well then. See you at the top.”
With a casual pace, Wanderers walked away from the last converging point before the peak.
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