Chapter 159
Meanwhile, in another part of the area on the 19th floor, Michalis leapt from tree to tree, utilizing his high agility stats to their fullest.
Dimitra had instructed him to scout ahead and report any nearby monsters.
Not far behind, Dimitra and Clair followed, with Dimitra in the center and Clair guarding their rear.
This strategy allowed them to hunt freely while remaining vigilant against potential ambushes.
As Michalis scouted, he found it puzzling that he hadn’t spotted any monsters yet.
Draco had mentioned that the forest was teeming with them, so it felt odd to see nothing.
However, it didn’t take long for him to find out why.
A few meters ahead, he spotted a large cluster of black mushroom-like creatures, causing him to halt.
Their caps heaved as if ready to release a cloud of poisonous spores at any sign of danger.
Recognizing them as Dark Fungus, despite this being his first encounter, Michalis slid down a tree trunk to approach Dimitra and Clair.
“It’s some Black Fungus,” he reported quietly.
“What should we do? Try to take them out or change direction?” Clair asked, turning to Dimitra.
As the team's leader, it was Dimitra's responsibility to make that decision.
Dimitra sighed, considering their lack of abnormal resistance.
Engaging the Black Fungus in melee combat would be unwise.
She pondered whether to test their durability and spore range with her arrows.
It was a tough call; she didn’t want to risk anyone being incapacitated by poison, but she also wanted to gain firsthand experience dealing with them.
“Today, we’ll change direction,” Dimitra decided after weighing the options.
She determined it wasn’t worth the risk, at least until they had a better understanding of the area.
This way, she could experiment without worrying about their path of retreat or potential ambushes from other monsters.
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Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing against a hard material echoed through the area where the group had split up on the 19th floor.
Draco and Vasileios hadn’t ventured far before being ambushed by some Gun Libellula’s.
Initially, Draco wanted to dispatch the monsters quickly, but a sudden idea for an experiment crossed his mind.
Vasileios was equipped with a spiked shield and a short sword, along with numerous defensive skills.
While his setup was effective against ground opponents, he had few options for dealing with airborne and ranged attackers.
The Gun Libellula’s fit that description perfectly.
Therefore, Draco decided to have Vasileios confront them alone to see how he would handle the situation.
…………………………………………..
The air was thick with tension as Vasileios confronted the swarm of Gun Libellula’s, their iridescent wings glinting in the dappled blue light that filtered through the forest canopy.
Draco had stepped back, giving Vasileios the opportunity to test his skills against these aerial foes.
The monsters resembled oversized dragonflies, with sharp, elongated bodies and lethal stingers, buzzing menacingly.
Their wings created a sharp sound that echoed like a war drum.
Vasileios gripped his spiked shield tightly, feeling its familiar weight against his arm.
It was his first line of defence, having protected him in many battles.
Yet today, it felt almost like a burden, as he faced enemies that danced just beyond his reach.
His short sword was sheathed at his side, designed for close combat, but these adversaries thrived in the air, far beyond his melee range.
Moreover, they were just outside the range of his taunting skill.
Even if they were within range, there was no guarantee that they would all swoop in for a melee attack, instead of attacking from a distance.
So, he decided to hold onto the skill in case of a potential ambush from other monsters, uncertain of Draco’s willingness to intervene.
Suddenly, Vasileios noticed a few Gun Libellula descending within his attack range.
With a swift motion, he jumped, unsheathed and thrust his short sword forward, attempting to catch at least one of the creatures off guard.
Unfortunately, the sword collided with empty air as the targeted Gun Libellula darted aside with surprising speed.
They were much quicker than he had anticipated, ascending higher and evading his strike.
“Focus, Vasileios! You need to find a way to counter their speed and range!” Draco called from a distance, watching intently.
Gritting his teeth, Vasileios shifted his stance, knowing he had to think strategically.
However, before he could devise a plan, the Gun Libellula’s decided to attack.
Vasileios suddenly heard an ominous sound, looking closely, he noticed that it was the sound of their stinger projectiles being loaded.
With a sudden whoosh, a volley of stinger were ejected in his direction.
Vasileios reacted instinctively, raising his shield just in time to deflect the projectiles that shot from their abdomen.
The impact reverberated through his arm, but he gritted his teeth and held firm.
Peeking from behind his shield, Vasileios expression turned sour.
‘Tsk, my counter skill didn’t activate,’ Vasileios thought, noticing that his shield wasn’t glowing.
As the Gun Libellula’s began to reload for another attack, Vasileios took a moment to assess his situation.
“Think, Vasileios,” he muttered under his breath.
He needed to find a way to counter their aerial advantage.
His counter skill reflected a portion of damage taken from the front while wielding his shield, but from his observation, it didn’t seem effective against ranged attacks.
The Gun Libellula’s were known for their speed and ranged assaults, and his short sword offered little in terms of retaliation.
As the Gun Libellula’s sent another volley do stingers, Vasileios decided to evade instead of blocking.
He observed that the Gun Libellula’s were stunned for a small window of time after each attack.
Diving to the left, Vasileios successfully evaded all their stingers.
In the next moment, he saw the vulnerability and capitalized on it without hesitation.
Taking a gamble, he hurled his spiked shield toward one Gun Libellula, aiming for its body as it reloaded to strike again.
The shield hurtled through the air, spinning like a discus, and connected squarely with the creature's side.
“Eh, was that a shield throw?” Draco exclaimed in shock upon witnessing Vasileios's unexpected action.
‘Is this boy crazy? What if he missed or was attacked by another monster?’ Draco thought, his concern palpable.
Just as he was about to intervene, he was astonished to see the shield strike was effective.
The impact sent the Gun Libellula spiralling downwards, crashing into the ground with a thud.
Vasileios felt a surge of triumph, but he couldn't dwell on it.
The rest of the Gun Libellula circled above, clearly angrier now, their shrieks piercing the air as they prepared for another assault.
‘Okay, that worked. But I need to be quicker,’ he thought, his mind racing.
He had recalled a story that Draco had shared in the past about a hero who used a shield in battle.
It mentioned a skill called ‘Shield Throw,’ which Vasileios found quite similar to the game called ‘frisbee’ that Draco taught them in their younger years.
He had never expected himself to gamble with such an untrained skill in this tense moment.
Apparently the skill was meant to be both offensive and defensive, allowing him to maintain pressure while retreating to safety.
He needed to refine it in the heat of battle.
Quickly finishing off his opponent, Vasileios retrieved his shield just as the Gun Libellula’s launched their third volley.
Vasileios managed to evade in time, feeling the rush of air as the stinger passed.
He needed a more effective way to draw the aerial foes down to his level.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in Vasileios's mind.
He scanned the area around him and noticed a cluster of low-hanging branches nearby.
If he could lure the Gun Libellula’s into a position where they would lower their altitude, he might have a chance to strike with his sword.
“Come on, you overgrown insects,” he taunted, raising his shield and shouting at the creatures.
The Gun Libellula’s, observing the challenge, began to circle more aggressively, their wings buzzing loudly in response to his provocation.
With a quick motion, Vasileios sprinted toward the trees and positioned himself under the low-hanging branches, hoping they would follow.
Gun Libellula’s didn’t have hearing, so they mostly relied on sight, they simply followed Vasileios because of his visual body language, not due to his auditory taunts.
Just as he had hoped, the first Gun Libellula that followed after him miscalculated its trajectory and became entangled in the branches above.
It let out a shriek of surprise as it struggled to free itself.
Vasileios wasted no time; he lunged forward, drawing his short sword and striking at the trapped creature.
The blade sliced through its delicate wings, sending it crashing to the ground in a flurry of defeated flaps.
The victory was brief, however, as the remaining Gun Libellula’s shrieked and descended upon him.
Vasileios ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding another volley of projectiles.
He knew he had to keep moving and use his environment to his advantage.
He darted toward another tree, using the sturdy trunk as a barrier against the onslaught of stinger projectiles.
The Gun Libellula’s were relentless, their attacks now coming in sequential succession, but suddenly the ranged assault stopped.
‘Hmmm, why did they stop?’ Vasileios thought, a bit confused.
Peeking out from the side of the tree, he observed that the lower abdomens of the Gun Libellula’s appeared to be deflated.
‘Ho! So they don’t have unlimited ammo. This should be easy,’ he thought, stepping out from his cover to test his theory.
Of course, he kept his shield up; he couldn’t risk getting hit.
Sure enough, the Gun Libellula’s had exhausted their magic.
He could easily tell because they were now diving at him for a melee attack. Vasileios made quick work of them; without their ranged advantage, they posed little threat.
However, he felt a twinge of disappointment.
He had expected much more from them, considering they were the first monsters to pressure him in a while.