Chapter 142


    <em>Saaaa—</em>


    The Gergos scanned the surroundings once more.


    Lina, Danya, and Elena were frozen in ce, trembling and unable to move.


    A Grade 4 Danger Species


    The fear ingrained in human instincts affected everyone.


    ‘Damn. I didn’t expect it to have the [Fear] effect!’


    The passive skill ‘Fear’ is present in somerge-scale threats.


    ‘Fear’ is a debuff skill that can slow down orpletely immobilize targets of rtively lower levels.


    No matter how much experience Lina or Danya had, it was nearly impossible for them to escape the ‘Fear’ of a Grade 4.Three out of the four party members werepletely immobilized.


    ‘… Wait. Why am I okay?’


    Ian quickly deduced a simple conclusion amidst his brief contemtion.


    Killing Richard Pierce.


    In this game, when you kill a higher-ranking entity, your rank follows suit. In other words, Ian’s current rank was no different from Richard Pierce’s.


    Even so, being the only one able to move was not a good situation.


    ‘… I let my guard down.’


    It finally came to him.


    In Fanta X Aca, there was an early strategy where you hunt weaker yet higher-ranked enemies to level the heroines.


    Ian bit his lip.


    To be caught in such a crisis due to his own foolishness.


    Of course, it wasn’t that there was no way out.


    ‘If I can just hold them.’


    He could break the fear state.


    All he could do was hope that the creature wouldn’t attack in the meantime.


    Ian took a step towards Danya, who was the closest.


    ◆


    A gigantic size that couldn’t be taken in at a nce.


    The rough vibrations felt from the floor due to its immense weight.


    The moment she recognized the presence in front of her.


    Danya waspletely frozen in ce.


    ‘… My body, my body won’t move… Nyah.’


    Due to being in heat, her highly sensitive senses were fully absorbing the ‘Fear’ emanating from the Grade 4 threat, Gergos.


    The scariest part was its breathing.


    With every inhale, it seemed to be checking the state of its prey by sucking in the air of this vast space.


    When it exhaled, the entire cave responded and vibrated.


    The breath of aplete predator.


    ‘Somehow… I have to get away.’


    Her instincts were screaming.


    She barely managed to hold onto her mind, which was about to bepletely blocked out. And she put all her effort into taking a step.


    Of course, she couldn’t move at all.


    She was just preparing her mind to ept the gradually encroaching fear.


    She was going to be eaten.


    That thought alone filled her mind.


    At that moment.


    <em>— Step</em>


    The sound of footsteps echoed in the cave.


    Compared to the monster in front of her, it was an incredibly light sound.


    But.


    To Danya, those footsteps felt heavier than anything.


    Her gaze naturally turned towards him.


    Ian was moving.


    As if this was nothing, he was walking towards her.


    Against the backdrop of the gigantic monster, Ian’s gradually approaching figure…


    It was like the arrival of a savior.


    The ck fear lifted.


    A corner of her heart stirred.


    He stopped just a step in front of Danya.


    Ian’s deep ck eyes met hers.


    For a moment, she felt as if she was being drawn into them.


    “No other choice. Just hold on a bit.”


    With Ian’s words, Danya’s vision went dark.


    “…!”


    She realized she was being hugged when her face touched his solid chest.


    <em>Snug</em>.


    She could feel Ian’s strong arm over her back.


    The air around her filled with Ian’s scent.


    The happiness that enveloped Danya was enough to make her legs give out.


    <em>— Sway</em>


    She naturally broke free from the ‘Fear’ state.


    “Are you okay now?”


    “…Yes.”


    “Then go hug Lina. I’ll wake Elena.”


    Ian chuckled lightly as he approached Elena.


    Unconsciously, Danya almost reached out to him.


    ‘… Don’t go.’


    She wanted to hold him a little longer.


    She wanted to feel his skin against hers.


    Her hands were sweating with excitement.


    She wanted to cling to Ian right then.


    She wanted to embrace him and satisfy her desires.


    But Danya clenched her fists tightly.


    ‘I’m not an animal.’


    She wasn’t so out of control that she would lose herself to lust in any situation.


    Even in a state of arousal, she wouldn’t pounce on someone without their consent.


    Danya calmed her heightened senses and hugged Lina.


    Lina’s frozen body soon rxed as well.


    Danya summoned her magic bow.


    She knew the perfect way to channel her heated, excited body.


    ‘I’ll show you, Ian.’


    ◆


    The Gergos watched Ian as if observing something intriguing.


    It was fortunate for Ian.


    He had managed to free his party members from their fear without taking any damage.


    He even had enough time to brief them.


    For example, about this pattern.


    The battle had reached its midpoint.


    The creature inhaled a massive amount of air as if preparing to unleash a breath attack.


    <em>— Guooooo!</em>


    “Elena! It’s the poison pattern!”


    “Yes, Brother!”


    Barely before Ian’s shout ended, the creature spewed green saliva from its mouth.


    <em>— Sssszzt!</em>


    Ian used Lunar, his Dishwashing and the Snowke Sword to initially block the poison.


    Yet some of the green saliva still went beyond Ian’s protective range.


    “Hyah!”


    Elena quickly summoned a protective shield using her holy power.


    — Ssszzt!


    Ultimately, the Gergos’s most troublesome pattern, the poison discharge, passed without causing any harm.


    The battle continued thereafter.


    Ian and Elena defended against Gergos’s attack patterns.


    <em>— Whoosh!</em>


    Lina and Danya unleashed ranged attacks from a distance.


    Most of their attacksnded effectively.


    But a Gergos, being a Grade 4 threat, was a formidable opponent.


    The reason was simple.


    It possessed a monstrous regenerative ability.


    Even if Lina’s mes burned its arms or legs, it was only momentary.


    <em>— Crack!</em>


    With a chilling sound, the creature quickly regenerated the burned parts.


    It wasn’t enough to simply burn parts of it.


    They had topletely sever them.


    Cutting off arge area would limit its regeneration capabilities.


    “Danya! Severing Shot!”


    At Ian’smand, Danya readied her bow.


    But the Gergos seemed to have learned from experience.


    It immediately changed its pattern and mmed its tail down violently.


    <em>— Boom!</em>


    The ground shook, and dust and rubble fell.


    Ian barely managed to raise his berserker shield to block the attack.


    ‘Damn it.’


    This creature’s strength was truly terrifying.


    Even though he blocked it, it felt like being hit by a dump truck.


    If he hadn’t reinforced his body immediately, he would have been crushed.


    <em>— Sssss!</em>


    The creature flicked its tongue, looking down at them.


    It seemed to think, “How could they block this?”


    “Predictable, you b*stard.”


    When dealing with massive monsters, always beware of the tail.


    It’s a basic piece of knowledge for any veteran yer of Fantasy X Academy.


    Meanwhile, Danya, who had been watching from behind, dashed forward.


    ‘This is my chance to embed the Severing Shot in the tail!’


    During the briefing, Ian had said that cutting off this creature’s tail would make the fight much easier!


    From the front, the tail was in the blind spot, making it impossible to target.


    ‘Notice me more, Ian!’


    With that thought, Danya slid forward, positioning herself ahead of Ian.


    She was now at the rear of the Gergos.


    Close enough to see the slimy texture of its skin.


    Danya immediately fired the arrow bound with Severing Shot into the Gergos’s tail.


    And then, she fired the arrow lit with the me Lina had prepared.


    <em>— Boom!</em>


    With a sound like exploding fireworks.


    <em>Thud!</em>


    Gergos’s tail was severed.


    “I did it!!”


    Danya’s cheer was short-lived.


    <em>— Guooooooo!</em>


    An ear-splitting roar filled the cave.


    The Gergos’s tail quickly began to regenerate.


    Its bulging eyes scanned precisely for Danya’s location.


    “… Nyah?”


    Separated from her team due to targeting the tail.


    <em>— Swish!</em>


    An enormous tail, moving horizontally like a sweeping scythe.


    There was no way to dodge it, even by jumping.


    ‘I’m going to die like this… I’m sorry, Ian.’


    Danya closed her eyes tightly.


    <em>— Thud!</em>


    An immense impact filled her ears.


    Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt.


    ‘Did I die before I could even feel the pain?’


    She somehow felt Ian’s warmth.


    Even in death, she still cherished Ian.


    His scent filled her mind.


    Her body grew hot on its own.


    … Wait a second. Can you feel such things even after death?


    Danya opened her eyes a sliver.


    A massive back filled her vision.


    His broad, muscled shoulders and back were straining beneath a sweat-soaked shirt.


    “I… Ian?”


    Ian had raised his shield to block the Gergos’s tail.


    <em>— Sssssszt!</em>


    His feet were being pushed back by the force of the tail.


    Torn clothes, tiny veins bursting out.


    Despite the apparent pain of blocking the Gergos’s attack, his voice remained steady and unwavering.


    “This is your chance. Aim for its neck.”


    Danya instinctively drew her bow.


    <em></em>


    <em>Swish. Thunk!</em>


    The Severing Shot embedded itself around the creature’s neck.


    Lina seized the opportunity and unleashed her mes.


    Simultaneously.


    <em>— Boom! Boom! Boom!</em>


    With a tremendous noise, the Severing Shots carved a long gash.


    <em>Screeeech—!</em>


    The Gergos’s death cry echoed through the cave.