I focus on the hellhound in front of me, as the smoke in the back finally clears.
There’s nothing there, so this really is the main one.
“I’ll fight this one. Kaina, look after Mia and Chris.”
I ask her just in case, and put the shield in the Item Box, switching from defense to offense.
Yes, every time I swing my sword, the monster strengthens itself with magic energy.
However, it only protects one spot, and leaves everything else exposed, so when I attack with the sword and magic, or with the sword and throwing knives, one of the attacks hits.
Do Sera and Rurika have the advantage here, because they dual wield? I feel like it’s the weapons themselves that have a lot of offensive power.
I can tell it prioritizes blocking the sword when I attack. But still, I defend against its attacks, and I feel like I’m slowly cornering it.
Also, it seems it has to gather up magic energy to summon monsters, so if I keep attacking it up close, it can’t do that.
And when Sera and the others join me, the hellhound is pushed fully on the defensive, and the fight ends.
“I didn’t feel like it was all that hard.”
“This one wasn’t, but we can’t pass judgment after the first one.”
I tell everyone what I saw on Appraisal. I know its level, but who knows if this was one of the stronger or weaker ones.
We’re just going to have to keep going and find out.
As I think that, Hikari runs over to me, looking pleased.
“Here!”
She gives me hellhound meat, and I silently put it away in the Item Box.
We’ll have to look up how to cook it when we get back.
“What now? Should we keep going?”
It doesn’t feel like anyone’s tired, but fighting a new monster makes us more nervous than usual.
In this case in particular, there’s a lot of firsts, so we might be mentally tired.
“I think I just need a break and I’m good to go.”
“Yes, no problem.”
“I wanna fight another one to get used to it.”
If the vanguard is all right, I guess we can go. Mia, Chris, and Kaina seem fine too.
“How about we rest to recover magic energy, and then keep going?”
I already have mine back, but Rurika and Sera need some more time.
As we wait, we talk about the fight with the hellhound, and say what we’ve noticed about it.
“Chris, can you shrink the area of effect when you attack?”
“It will be less powerful, but it’s doable.”
“Then do that next time. And we’ll use that opening to attack.”
Says Rurika.
Is the idea that it will focus on guarding against magic and become weaker against everything else?
If they can coordinate with the magic, that could be effective. That seems harder on Chris, but she’s still raring to go.
I guess it’s because she doesn’t get to do much after that first attack. Maybe she’s not happy about that, but Mia is also mostly playing a support role, so…
Mia can actually use her staff as a weapon to fight at close range, or rather, for self-defense, but I think that would be hard with this level of monster.
I think supporting is enough, but she might want to do a little more.
Mia was trying out close range fighting until around the thirtieth floor, but has refrained from it since.
I think her physical abilities are going up, but her technique hasn’t caught up.
Also, I think she can hold her own against most adventurers, but that’s because she’s used to mock battles with people like Rurika and Hikari.
Maybe things would be different if we were still fighting humanoid monsters.
“Should we get going?”
They’ve recovered their magic energy, so we’re on to the next floor.
Again, we start the seventy-second floor with magic and skills.
Only one monster emerges from the smoke this time, and it charges at us looking not very damaged.
However, its magic energy reaction is weaker than when we squared off.
I hold up my shield and use Provoke, but feel a stronger impact than the last monster.
…Level eighty-seven…
Its level being higher doesn’t just mean it’s stronger, it’s faster too.
Because of this, the others try attacking when they see an opening, but it dodges every time.
The only hits it takes are from Hikari’s Projectile Slash and Chris’ spirit magic.
That spirit magic is an area of effect attack, but also less powerful and more focused on speed. And yet, it only hits when the timing is just right.
“This one’s trouble.”
I keep throwing knives while using Provoke, but I can’t hit it when it’s running all over the room.
But I’m also blocking its attacks, so it’s a stalemate.
If the hellhound summoned monsters, there would be more of them, but their level might go down. I’m thinking that might get things moving, but it doesn’t do that even when I purposefully give it the room.
I’ve come to understand another thing. Hellhounds regenerate magic energy.
…I guess the same goes for us, so it’s not that strange for a monster to regenerate, but is this going to prolong the fight even more?
I call Hikari to tell her that, and ask her to tell the others.
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Thank you and Happy second Christmas day!
Thanks for the treat.