The fourth Quintal Trial went on.
Jonah clenched at his spear and forcefully thrusted the enchanted weapon into the chimera's scales.
Zooom! Krchh!
The shepherd's powerful assault did not create a gaping hole like it usually would.
But his spear managed to penetrate the firm scales and struck the monster's flesh, right in its joint.
The chimera slightly turned limp because of Jonah's pinpoint assault. Even if it was only momentarily.
['Jonah (★★)'s Insight has levelled up to level 4!]
"Eat this, you bastard!"
Shanny shouted as she leaped and swung her sword toward the lizard head's throat.
Her rage must had been quite high since the blade of her enchanted sword was slightly glowing.
['Shanny (★★)'s Savage has levelled up to level 5!]
Slash! Krch!
The former maid's attack went through.
It did not just penetrate the scales, but the blade was also halfway from cleaving the lizard's neck off.
Around them, Devisha was rushing about to intercept the minions charging toward Jonah and Shanny.
The Tsahanam assassin twirled her scimitars and struck down four mutated Dark Spawn.
She unsummoned her scimitars and called her daggers.
The veiled-woman proceeded to throw the projectiles toward six Night Terror charging in behind her.
As she approached a Deathbringer egg, Devisha called her scimitars once more and destroyed the round object in one smooth sweep.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Switching has levelled up twice to level 5!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Basic Dual-Swords Technique has levelled up to level 9!]
Kroaahh!!!
A couple of Deathbringer burst out from their eggs.
They were immediately obliterated by exploding arrows.
Boom!
Darius rapidly fired his arrows and intercepted the minions that Devisha could not reach.
His arrows rained down on the rise like a storm, decimating multiple enemies each second.
['Darius (★★★)'s Basic Archery has levelled up to level 9!]
As I was about to provide more support to my comrades, I suddenly felt another surge of power within me. My fatigue swiftly dissipated.
The chimera and its minions started moving slower. Their strength waned slightly.
Only one reason came to mind as to why these happened.
['Party 2' has occupied the third altar.]
[The third altar's powers are taking effect.]
[Master, the Goddesses' blessing has been strengthened!]
[All heroes' stats have increased by 20%!]
[All enemies' stats have decreased by 20%!]
[More special power has been granted to the vanguard!]
I turned my gaze toward the square where Party 2's objective was located.
As expected from the notifications, Zecht and his comrades had occupied the third altar.
The ogres had been reduced to charred mangled corpses.
The masked woman with the two crossbows was now lying on the ground. Her corpse was riddled with arrows.
While the tattooed man with the battle-axe had been beheaded. His torso had also been separated from his waist.
"Good work, Zecht! Now make sure the enemies never reached the altar again!"
I told the Party 2 leader.
[Understood, Serafina! We'll do our best!]
Soon after his reply, the ground beyond the third altar turned into lava. All the enemies standing on the molten surface were immediately decimated.
Yuxia definitely served his purpose as an elementalist.
Sigyn did well choosing Party 2 as the third rearguard.
The elementalist would be able to freely unleash his spells on that vast square.
Shinggg!
Peculiar lights flashed in the sky.
More orders from Sigyn.
[Modifying battle instructions for an enemy type.]
[Enemy Type 1: Cursed Abomination Lv.52]
[Combat Tactic: Active Suppression]
[Combat Directives: aggressive coordinated confrontation, medium mana-cost magical attacks, physical direct attack, physical projectile attack, injure priority, medium exertion cost]
One new directive had been added to Master's combat strategy against the chimera.
I immediately casted a Second Circle spell and shot an intense torrent of flames toward the three-headed beast.
SCREEECH!!!
My fire burned the chimera. Its scales were torn by my assault, scorching the flesh beneath.
The chimera was vulnerable to magic. Finally!
[Maha Visphot]
I quickly casted a Fourth Circle fire spell on the chimera.
Crimson glow manifested under its skin.
Boom!
A fiery explosion burst from inside the three-headed beast. It was immediately engulfed in an intense pool of raging flames.
Screeech!
My fire consumed the chimera. It burned the beast's flesh, incinerating every matter to the bone.
One would had thought our victory was close at hand.
Unfortunately, the chimera somehow remained standing.
New flesh rapidly grew from the chimera's bones, forming into firm muscles which reconstructed the chimera's frame.
My intense fire tried to battle the regeneration ability.
But the chimera kept regenerating and regenerating despite the incinerating flames raging on its entire surface.
Its muscles formed new skin and from the new skin formed dark substance which hardened into firm dark scales.
In less than ten seconds the chimera managed to restore itself back to its unharmed state.
Screech!!!
"This monster is insane!"
Darius shouted after he witnessed the chimera's full recovery.
I could not help but nod at him as I emptied the other half of my first mana potion vial.
"It survived a Fourth Circle spell. With its regeneration ability, I doubt even a Fifth Circle spell could kill it."
The reformed bull head snorted dark gaseous matter from its nostril again.
It opened its jaw and unleashed more black fog which swiftly covered the entire rise.
[All members of Party 1 have been inflicted with poison!]
The lion head shot out more golden thorns from its mane and from them hatched more winged creatures.
The lizard head also resumed creating monster-spawning pools and shooting out giant-hatching eggs.
[Night Terror Lv.15 x???]
[The Dark Spawn are evolving!]
[Mutated Dark Spawn Lv.17 x???]
[Deathbringer Lv.23 x3]
This was getting annoying.
My magic would not be able to kill the chimera because of its regeneration ability.
And my comrades would not be able to injure the chimera properly because of its scales.
We needed to be patient.
The chimera would not be killed anytime soon.
The addition of the chimera's magic vulnerability was only to buy us time until the final rearguard arrived.
Yes. It had to be.
[Hampadam]
I manipulated the air current once more to drive out the black fog that the bull head unleashed.
With the poison gas cleared, my comrades and I immediately consumed an antidote to nullify its negative effect.
[All members of Party 1 are no longer inflicted with poison!]
Time to adjust our strategy.
Our priority should be to suppress the lizard head which summoned most of the minions as well as the bull head which released poisonous fog that enhances the Dark Spawn.
"Jonah, Shanny, keep attacking the chimera! Divide your assaults between the lizard head and the bull head this time!
"I will destroy the chimera's scales so your weapons could harm it!
"Darius, Devisha, the two of you will take care of the minions and support the three of us!"
I proceeded to open a large dimensional portal connected to the magic hall.
Darius and Devisha would not be able to take on all the chimera's minions on their own. Especially since I would focus my assaults on the chimera itself now.
They would need help.
Dun! Dun! Crash!
Rushed forth from the pathway were five giant golems, each one the size of an ogre.
They immediately went on a rampage throughout the rise and killed every minion in their path.
Crash! Boom!