[Warning!]
[The Cursed Abomination is evolving into its final form!]
Screech!
The chimera unleashed a deafening scream which echoed throughout the rise and beyond.
Suddenly the golden thorns on the lion head's mane grew dark in color.
Once they turned as black as night, the lion head launched the transformed thorns all over the rise.
Whoosh! Boom!
The thorns exploded into pools of black fog upon clashing onto firm surfaces. Even from afar I could sense the fog was the same kind as the poisonous fog the bull head would unleash from time to time.
Moreover, from the black fog emerged winged creatures covered in dark scales.
[The Night Terror are evolving!]
[Mutated Night Terror Lv.19 x???]
Screech!
The bull head suddenly roared.
It opened its jaw and unleashed fierce torrent of pitch-black fire.
Whoosh!
The dark flames created black smoke which was as poisonous as the black fog from earlier.
[All members of Party 1 have been inflicted with poison!]
They seared the black pools and eggs that the lizard head released.
Their interactions gave birth to monstrosities belonging in nightmares.
[The Dark Spawn are evolving!]
[Mutated Dark Spawn Lv.17 x???]
[The Deathbringer are evolving!]
[Danger!]
[Mutated Deathbringer Lv.25 x8]
Scaled Dark Spawn emerged from the black pools.
Burst from the eggs were Deathbringer which had grown long black thorns all over their scales.
I immediately opened another dimensional portal connected to the magic hall.
Another five giant golems rushed into the battlefield and faced the chimera's enhanced minions.
Crash!!!
But there was still the poisonous smoke spread throughout the rise. My comrades could not fight properly as long as they were still inhaling the awful gas.
And the chimera was now spreading the poisonous gas rapidly through the black flames and the black thorns.
I would not be able to swipe them away like earlier. The gas would simply reappear seconds after.
Another method would be needed.
So I attached my threads of mana on my comrades and began casting enchantment for all of us.
An advanced wind spell which continuously repels the poisonous fog and constantly purifying the air around our immediate vicinity.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Intermediate Enchantment has levelled up to level 9!]
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Intermediate Wind Magic has levelled up to level 9!]
A thin layer of rushing wind formed around each of my comrades and I. The layers pushed off the poisonous fog reaching us.
Having secured the air we breathed, each of us immediately grabbed an antidote and gulped the vial down.
[All members of Party 1 are no longer inflicted with poison!]
I then grabbed another enchantment stone and activated its spell to prolong the current one casted on our party.
['Serafina (★★★★)' is casting temporary enchantment.]
[Elemental Attribute, Penetration]
[Party 1's strength, agility, and stamina have increased by 15 for the next 10 minutes.]
With renewed power and without the poisonous fog holding us back, we continued fighting the chimera.
Darius nocked his arrows and the frame of his bow channeled electric energy to his projectiles.
The archer launched his electric arrows to the black pools where the mutated Dark Spawn were emerging.
Swoosh! Kraaa!
His projectiles burst into electrifying wave which scorched all the mutated Dark Spawn standing within the pools.
The archer nocked more arrows and channeled fire energy into them.
Swoosh! Boom!
A series of fiery blast exploded all over the rise, obliterating the mutated Night Terror all around us.
Devisha summoned a bow and a quiver of explosives to herself.
The Tsahanam assassin proceeded to shoot the projectiles at the three mutated Deathbringer in front of her.
Boom!
Her exploding arrows shed the thorny scales on the giants, as well as disoriented them with the explosions.
Devisha then unsummoned her bow set and called a heavy sword to her hands.
She charged in and beheaded the first giant with her large weapon.
The second Deathbringer tried attacking her, but Devisha unsummoned her heavy sword and called a small dagger.
She threw her dagger at the giant's eye and caused its assault to miss her.
Crash!
Devisha leaped and summoned her battle axe.
Swoosh!
She beheaded the second Deathbringer mid-air.
The Tsahanam assassin proceeded to throw the battle axe at the third Deathbringer, injuring its right shoulder.
She then summoned her spear and rushed to the crippled side of the giant.
Devisha swiftly thrusted her weapon through the Deathbringer's head before it could swing its far-side other arm at her.
Krch!
After killing the three giants, Devisha unsummoned all her weapons and charged on to engage other groups of Deathbringer.
Shingg!!!
Bluish-white light pierced through the remaining clouds expanding below the rise.
The clouds immediately dissipated upon the light's emergence.
[Field formation is complete!]
[Master, the rearguard can now be deployed.]
[Extend a helping hand to the heroes in distress!]
A huge rocky hill rose from the dissipating clouds.
There were multiple paths slithering along its slopes. They went in and out of the caves scattered about on the hill.
[Pirate Lv.16 x146]
[Pirate Captain Lv.19 x16]
[War Hound Lv.14 x26]
As expected, enemies were guarding every step of the paths.
And their purpose was to prevent anyone from reaching what was at the peak of the hill.
The numerous paths eventually merged at the top of the rocky hill where a fortified garrison stood.
I could spy the goddesses altar right at the center of the garrison.
Like the previous ones, this altar was also guarded by formidable opponents.
Giant ape-like beasts carrying man-sized iron maces.
A muscular woman wielding a large steel flail.
And a scarred woman holding two dagger-tipped whips.
[Tamed Forest Lord Lv.22 x3]
[Danger!]
[Velga the Bone Crusher Lv.26]
[Danger!]
[Kronien the Merciless Dominator Lv.26]
With the emergence of the rocky hill, the battlefield of the twentieth floor had become whole.
The giant pillar where we were fighting the chimera on its peak stood at the center. While the labyrinth, the harbor, the town square, and the rocky hill stood around it. Beyond those regions expanded a vast raging sea.
The Fourth Quintal Trial had made us invade the base of the Storm Soarer mercenaries.
And soon we would be completing that mission.
[Choose the rearguard.]
[Designated Parties - Party 1 (on the field), Party 2 (on the field), Party 3 (on the field), Party 4 (on the field), Party 5]
[You have selected 'Party 5'.]
[Party Composition - 'Graihan (★★★★)', 'Arian (★★★)', 'Reon (★★)', 'Darille (★★)', 'Jain (★★)']
[Would you like to deploy them?]
[Yes (selected)/ No]
A pool of bluish-white light emerged at the bottom of the rocky hill.
Appeared within the light were the lycanthrope, the Kutub hunter, and the spirited boys of Party 5.
Shing!
Peculiar lights flashed in the sky and descended as a glowing arrow in front of Graihan's group.
The glowing arrow then slithered through one of the hill paths, into the caves, until it reached the garrison at the top of the hill.
I immediately reached out to the lycanthrope.
"Graihan, follow Master's signal! Your objective is the goddesses altar located at the peak of the hill in front of you! Get there quickly!"
[Don't worry, daywalker. Being fast is kind of our group's specialty.]
The lycanthrope replied confidently.
"Be wary of the enemies guarding the altar! You'll become easy prey if you're not careful around them!"
[Haha! We'll see who will turn out as prey in the end.]
I then heard him talk to his comrades.
[Let's begin our hunt, everyone! We're running straight to the top! Don't stop until I say you could!]
Party 5 then began their charge toward their objective.
Graihan led the formation by being at the forefront. Arian followed closely behind him. While their comrades guarded the flanks and the rear.
['Djhotti (★★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Harisse (★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Ulrica (★★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Zecht (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Norn (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Zecht (★★★)' has activated the Portal Stone!]
The situation had turned even fiercer with the rearguards.
Just hold on a bit longer, my comrades.
Our victory was nigh.