['Bolav (★★)' is on the brink of death. His life is in danger!]
['Vallerynne (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Djhotti (★★★★)' has activated the Healing Stone!]
['Djhotti (★★★★)'s exclusive skill Flame's Blessing is activated!]
['Harisse (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! Her fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Ulrica (★★★★)'s exclusive skill Tears of Sky God is activated!]
['Tarran (★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Jain (★★)' is on the brink of death. His life is in danger!]
['Arian (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Graihan (★★★★)' has activated the Portal Stone!]
[Exclusive skill activated! 'Graihan (★★★★)' is transforming!]
The situation had definitely worsened with the fourth Quintal Trial.
We had lost two people already and the other 4-stars had been forced to unleash their full power.
But it would only get much worse from here on.
SCREECH!!!
The fully-healed chimera roared a terrible scream and resumed its rampage.
Its restored lion head continued launching dark thorns which exploded into pools of poisonous gas which then summoned more mutated Night Terror.
Its regenerated lizard head resumed spouting streams of dark pools from which emerged Dark Spawn and also shooting out eggs which hatched Deathbringer.
And its intact bull head continued breathing dark flames which mutated the Dark Spawn and the Deathbringer altogether.
[Mutated Dark Spawn Lv.17 x???]
[Mutated Night Terror Lv.19 x???]
[Mutated Deathbringer Lv.25 x???]
Darius, Devisha, and I barraged the creatures with our exploding arrows and magical assaults, obliterating them to disfigured lumps of flesh.
Swishhh….
But in mere seconds those lumps of flesh would then reformed and transformed back into the chimera's minions. They would be restored to their perfect form as if they were never hurt.
"The minions are regenerating just as well as the chimera! They heal too fast!"
Devisha shouted as she kept firing exploding arrows at the hordes of monsters around us.
Darius nodded with her.
"We can't kill these creatures! What are we supposed to do against them?"
['Bolav (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Jain (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Maura (★★)' is on the brink of death. Her life is in danger!]
['Matrias (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Ulrica (★★★★)' has activated the Healing Stone!]
Death notifications continued to appear.
The enemies' regeneration ability was too dangerous.
Their number was already overwhelming.
Now that we could not kill them had practically turned them unstoppable.
It would only be a matter of time until they would overcome us all.
[Great Mage, forgive me! But Party 4 had to abandon the altar!]
[Party 3 too! I'm sorry, southlander! But we all would have died if we had remained in our position!]
Djhotti and Ulrica suddenly reached out to me.
SCREECH!
I turned to the chimera which Jonah and Shanny kept trying to distract with their assaults.
As expected, their enchanted weapons could not wound the mutt. But their assaults still managed to penetrate its defense and made small cracks on the chimera's dark scales
[This monster is resistant to physical attacks!]
[This monster is resistant to physical attacks!]
Party 3's altar which granted us the ability to harm the chimera had been abandoned.
But the chimera remained resistant to our attacks instead of being completely immune to them.
It no longer mattered if we guarded the altars or not. Perhaps it was the cost of granting powerful abilities to our enemies.
Shingg!!!
Lights flashed in the sky. Sigyn had prepared an order for us.
[Aborting all current tactical instructions for 'Party 2', 'Party 3', 'Party 4', and 'Party 5'.]
[Modifying the raid strategy for the entire 'Main Forces' from 'Kill Priority' to 'Subdue Priority'.]
Sigyn had caught on with the situation.
They knew the altars were useless now and the rearguards no longer needed to guard them.
And they also realized it would be better if we just try to disable the enemies rather than trying to kill them.
"All party leaders, abandon the altars if it's difficult to maintain your position! Find a favorable spot to hold your ground! Regular attacks do not work anymore! Use assaults that would cripple the enemies and hinder their mobility!"
[Understood!]
I then turned to my comrades.
"Jonah, Shanny, keep distracting the chimera! Darius, Devisha, protect me as I support them!"
"How are we going to kill this thing? Our attacks no longer goes through and it continues regenerating!"
Shanny asked as she dodged a burst of dark flame from the bull head.
"I will prepare another spell to eliminate the mutt! Try finding its weak points for now! Beware of the chimera's minions!"
I replied.
Jonah nodded to my words.
"Take as much time as you need, Fina! We'll keep the chimera occupied and try finding its weakness!"
['Jordane (★★)' is on the brink of death. His life is in danger!]
['Yuxia (★★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Zecht (★★★)' has activated the Healing Stone!]
['Maura (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! Her fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Reon (★★)' is on the brink of death. His life is in danger!]
['Graihan (★★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Arian (★★★)' has activated the Healing Stone!]
['Arian (★★★)' has gone berserk!]
My comrades set out to do what I instructed.
Darius rapidly shot down the Night Terror with explosives. They might regenerate, but it took way longer when they had been reduced to small pieces.
Master kept summoning quivers of exploding arrows and other supplies through the dimensional portal. Though Darius could summon his projectiles through his enchanted ring.
And in order to follow Master's strategy, the archer had also adjusted his firing.
He aimed and lodged his arrows to the monsters' joints, locking their movement and turned their limbs immobilized.
Suppressing their movement instead of eradicating them. That was our new tactic given by Master.
Devisha also followed suit.
Master had summoned a bludgeon through the dimensional portal upon the Tsahanam assassin's request.
She proceeded to use the blunt weapon to break the Deathbringer's legs and crushing the Dark Spawn's body all over.
She did not kill the monsters. But her assaults crippled them and caused them to fall on the ground, impeding their charge.
The injured minions still tried to advance toward us by crawling.
Even so, their regeneration ability was much slower in healing these types of crippling injury rather than the big gashing wounds.
It was the suitable strategy against enemies that could not be killed.
Screech!
But the real problem lied with the chimera.
Our mission would not be completed if we could not kill it.
We would eventually be overrun by the enemies if we do not finish this mission soon.
The question would be how to kill this mutt.
It had resumed regenerating and our assaults were no longer as effective as before.
One thing to do was to overwhelm the chimera with our own power despite its current enhanced state.
Could we overwhelm it?
We just had to try.
"Jonah, Shanny, focus your attacks on a single spot on the chimera! Channel all your strength into your assaults! The three of us will try to kill the chimera together!"
If we could not find a weak spot, then we simply had to make one.
[Davah Jwala Haljantarr Jalagnih Shashanam]
A blinding crimson orb of lava manifested above me. Lightning flickered about along its globe surface.
Thump!
Sharp pain suddenly waved through me.
My mana vessel was contracting.
Casting the Fifth Circle fusion spell earlier had already taken a huge toll on me.
It bounded to be difficult to cast it again.
But I had to anyway.
['Shanny (★★)' has gone berserk!]
[Ring of Malaikat (A) is taking effect!]
The former maid charged toward the chimera's flank. Jonah sped alongside her.
As their enchanted weapons were shining brightly with tremendous power, the two of them forcefully struck the chimera.
[This monster is resistant to physical attacks!]
[This monster is resistant to physical attacks!]
Screech!
Despite the notifications, the chimera screamed in suffering.
My comrades had successfully broken through the mutt's scales and exposed its flesh within.
Time to do my part.
[Come forth!]
I chanted.
A burning serpent burst through the orb of lava.
['Unified Grand Magic 'Hellstorm Dragon (★★★★★)' has been activated!]
[Caster - 'Serafina (★★★★)']
The magic conjuration swiftly flew through the rise, obliterating the chimera's minions in its path, and reached its target.
Screech!
My magic assault struck the chimera where Jonah and Shanny had wounded it.
Electrifying decimating flames devoured the three-headed beast, reducing it to its bones.
[This monster is resistant to magical attacks!]
The powerful flames of my Fifth Circle fusion spell could not obliterate the chimera completely.
New flesh soon grew from its charred bones. Black substance poured from its surface, which then hardened into firm dark scales.
The chimera restored itself in mere seconds after my assault.
Screech!
"Shit! Why won't this thing die already!"
Shanny said as the fierce energy faded from her.
['Shanny (★★)' is no longer berserk!]
['Reon (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Jordane (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Unified Grand Magic 'Scorching Earth (★★★★)' has been activated!]
[Caster - 'Yuxia (★★★★)']
"The chimera's regeneration is too strong! Fina, can you perhaps cast a bigger spell against it?"
Jonah asked.
I nodded.
"It's the only way. Give me some time to--"
THUMP!
A terrible pain shot throughout my body.
It was so painful that my mind became numb and my knees gave away.
['Serafina (★★★★)' is experiencing mana overflow.]
"Fina!"
Jonah screamed as he saw me kneeling on the ground.
"I'm fine!"
I immediately calmed him down as I grabbed a mana potion.
"Don't mind me! Pay attention to the chimera and--"
Kreee!!!
A couple of mutated Dark Spawn managed to break through Darius and Devisha's defensive line.
They immediately charged straight at me.
I had to intercept them.
First Circle fire spell.
[Maha A--]
Thump!
Another pulse of pain. It impeded my casting.
Damn it!
As my bundle of fire was still gathering on my palms, the Dark Spawn leaped and poised their claws to strike me.
I needed to shift my body so they would not strike my vitals.
Swoosh!
Suddenly one of the Dark Spawn was struck by an arrow, felling it down.
Darius rushed in and kicked the other Dark Spawn away as it was about to strike me.
But that stunt put Darius in a vulnerable position.
The first Dark Spawn quickly rose on its feet and swiped its claws at him.
Krcch!
The Dark Spawn's assault went through and severed the archer's left hand.
['Darius (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]