“I feel like these could be bosses.”
Several people nod in agreement with what Argo said.
Three-eyed kijin use multiple abilities. Some can use the abilities of one-eyed and two-eyed kijin, and some use completely different things.
It says here that they can appear in front of you instantly. Is it like Transfer? Gale?
They can get stronger as they fight. Like Strengthening?
They can regrow lost limbs? Other monsters have similar abilities, but not as powerful as to regrow something that’s lost.
More importantly, it feels like these abilities aren’t even about magic eyes anymore, but I don’t think the others care about that.
“I can see why people prefer to stay away.”
“It makes sense when you imagine how hard it must be to take out a single one. They don’t all have magic eyes, so it’s easy if you get lucky… Or maybe not? The normal ones also have high physical abilities.”
I listen to Argo and Guilford as I think about what’s the most troublesome magic eye power.
The emissions from two-eyed ones could be it, because they can kill, but my vote goes to fascinate used by one-eyed ones.
Being attacked by friendlies while fighting kijin would be the biggest threat. Especially in this group where everyone’s strong, and it would be hard to capture someone alive rather than just defeating them.
I say that, and…
“Ah, Sora’s right.”
“I wonder what the effective range of magic eyes is.”
Rurika says that fighting them in groups could make things harder, and Chris says that depending on their range, we might be able to attack them one-sidedly.
It will be fine if we can beat them one-on-one, but we don’t know how strong they are without their magic eyes.
“I think we’re going to have to make use of the corners in the passages.”
“And can you deal with the one-eyed ones, Sora? Maybe it would be too much for you… Three-eyed ones also use the same powers as one-eyed ones.”
“…Sora, can you make equipment to block fascinate?”
Equipment to block fascinate… It’s in the Creation list, but I don’t have the materials.
Apparently I need materials from dryad and alraune.
It looks like it can also be made from kijin eyes, so maybe I’ll ask the guild if it has any in stock.
Should I ask the merchant guild too? Even if I can’t make it in time to use it here, it might come in handy later.
“We could also suspend it here. It’s not like we need to complete the dungeon now.”
Argo has a point. The dungeon will remember that we reached the tenth floor, so we could come back when we have enough items.
“Let’s hunt near the entrance first and see how it is. I’ll fight alone at first.”
I have the barrier from Spatial Magic, Time Stop from Space-Time Magic, and Transfer, so I should be okay.
I also have resistance to status effects.
I can’t get too overconfident, but I’m definitely the one that’s better equipped to fight them and try them out.
Once we know what powers they have, the others can join in.
One-eyed and two-eyed ones only use one power.
“But what if they don’t have magic eyes?”
Asks Argo with an awkward smile, but I’ll be fine even by myself. I have that much confidence.
In the end, we decide to rest for one day, and then enter the tenth floor.
◇ ◇ ◇
The tenth floor. Let’s first check if Map is working.
…Yes, it’s fine. I use Presence Detection and Magic Energy Detection, and the reactions appear on Map.
But… There are no people. Monsters are rare too, and all the reactions I see near the staircase are alone.
“Let’s go around here. Gil, Rurika, and Hikari, watch over our surroundings.”
Says Argo, and they nod.
I can see monster reactions on Map, but we always do this because relying on it too much is dangerous.
We cautiously advance, until we get close to the nearest reaction. Beyond this corner, there’s a kijin.
“What a great sense of presence.”
Says Rurika, and Chris and Mia nod.
Yes, it’s very clear that something’s there, even without using skills.
I hold up my shield, and cast a barrier on myself. No, let’s cast it on everyone else too. And use Presence Obstruction and Covert.
Mia also casts buffs.
“Here I go.”
I take a step forward, and see the back of the kijin a little further away.
It hasn’t noticed me yet.
I use Firestorm, sending flames crawling through the passage that engulf the kijin.
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Thanks for the treat.
Thanks for the update, as always well worth the read. 😎👍