“(No way…)”
My jaw dropped. Well, I don’t actually have a jaw since I’m a slime, but it’s a metaphor.
“Is that Fiss…? How did she get so strong in such a short time…?”
“I don’t think you’re one to talk about ‘short time,’ Kouya-kun… Apparently, she was apprenticed to a super strong adventurer.”
“A super strong adventurer, huh… that’s amazing…”
I couldn’t help but mutter something stupid as I observed Fiss.
It seemed like her body warmed up with the first strike, and her movements improved drastically with each subsequent attack.
At this rate, she should be fine over there.
I need to focus on what I have to do.
Meanwhile, the area the “Demon Lord” was handling had turned into a natural disaster, with his subordinates being blown away like scraps of paper.
There’s absolutely no need to worry about that side either.
“(No need to worry, but… how long is this going to last? This 〖Royal Authority Skill〗…)”
I approached Chaos, inflicting shape definition and slashes while pondering.
Neither mine nor the “Polar King’s” 〖Royal Authority Skill〗 had ever lasted this long.
Is it because attack-type and summon-type skills have different properties, or is Chaos’s skill special?
Whatever the reason, if this continues as long as there’s 〖Mana〗, it’s bad news.
Chaos’s 〖Mana〗 is bottomless like its 〖Life〗, and it won’t run out anytime soon.
The “Demon Lord” is fine, but Fiss, who mainly fights in close combat, might run out of stamina somewhere.
“(If we can solve the root of the problem, that’s the best. Shape definition, ‘Charge Slash’!)”
I sped along the path of the bundled lightning I released and swung my Ancient Spear.
Beyond the trees of Chaos that I had cut down was the origin point of the 〖Royal Authority Skill〗. It was the base of a massive pillar-like collection of plants.
“(Shape definition, 〖Wave Slash〗!)”
I aimed for the trees that were continuously creating the collection.
The slash wave released from the Ancient Spear swept through the base of the pillar.
The pillar was much thicker than my diameter, but the defense-ignoring slash wave cut through it in one strike.
“(So, that’s how it is.)”
I thought it was over, but then another black pillar rose about a kilometer away.
It was like plugging a leak only to have water gush out from another spot.
From the start, Chaos doesn’t have any clear parts.
This 〖Royal Authority Skill〗 can probably manifest anywhere.
“(For now, I’ll just crush the black pillars one by one.)”
There was a slight time lag between destruction and generation. It’s better than doing nothing.
But I know that this is just a temporary measure.
The best way to stop a 〖Skill〗 is to kill the caster.
“(That’s the problem, isn’t it? 【Thunderous Cycle of Rise and Fall】!)”
I changed my approach and released a lightning strike that returned the 〔Soul (Arche)〕 to the earth.
But of course, it couldn’t instantly kill Chaos. If there was a chance of success, I would have done it from the start.
“(This feeling… the strength of the 〔Soul (Arche)〕 is beyond that of the ‘Ancient King’.”)
The “Ancient King’s” was like an impenetrable iron wall, but Chaos’s was even more so.
It was a feeling of being overwhelmed by something incredibly huge, like I had no chance of defeating it.
“(It’s more realistic to just keep cutting them down… Shape definition, 〖Wave Slash〗!)”
I destroyed the second origin point of the 〖Royal Authority Skill〗, but this time a pillar appeared deep within the Great Forest Sea of Chaos.
Focusing on the pillars makes me neglect the stalling, but I have no other choice, so I head towards it.
From then until the sun began to set, the cycle of cutting down and regeneration repeated endlessly.
It was a slow, back-and-forth battle.
Both I, who was dealing damage, and Chaos, who was continuing to advance, were getting closer to achieving our goals, but… the progress was just too slow.
“(It doesn’t seem like there’s a time limit on the 〖Royal Authority Skill〗, this is seriously bad.)”
Thanks to Fiss being here, Chaos isn’t able to accumulate power by using its subordinates behind the stalemate.
But that’s only as long as Fiss’s stamina holds out.
She doesn’t seem to be tired despite constantly moving, but her stamina and 〖Mana〗 must be decreasing.
A quick resolution is desirable.
I renewed my determination, something I’ve done countless times in the past few hours, but my impatience only grew, and I couldn’t come up with a solution.
All I can do now is spam my 【Unique Skill】 to increase its proficiency.
I don’t have the means to break through this predicament.
“—Kouya, are you alright right now?”
If it were anyone other than me, that would be a different story.
“Sage! I’m getting bored of Chaos’s attacks, so I’m fine… what’s up?”
“The artifact we were working on has just been completed.”
“Seriously!?”
It was one of the least reliable plans I had considered, completely relying on others.
Whether it could be realized was a gamble, so I had treated it as non-existent, but if it was completed, it would be a very effective move.
“(Innovation of the Day!)”
~Skill Details~
Innovation of the Day: Allows access to information about artifacts in the Akashic Records. Constantly provides a bonus to intelligence regarding information about Mana Crystals and Artifacts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I connected to the archive where information on all the artifacts in the world was gathered and extracted the necessary information.
Since there aren’t that many artifacts made in the first place, I found the information I needed without having to narrow down the candidates.
“(Thanks, Thanasis. I’ll use it, 〖U (Update)〗!)”
Thanasis, who I was indebted to in the Underground Kingdom, had been working with other scholars for the past week to develop this artifact.
I thanked him in my heart and began to transform my body into that artifact.
Soon, a complex artifact glowing emerald green appeared at the center of my body.
It could even be called an altar.
Six plate-like Mana Crystals arranged in a circle, like a failed dome, were the core of this artifact.
“(Analysis complete… the functions are perfectly reproduced. Well then, let’s get this party started, 【Thunderous Cycle of Rise and Fall】!)”
I activated my 【Unique Skill】 towards the branches that were closing in on me, taking advantage of my pause in attacks.
The next moment, a blinding flash of lightning ravaged everything.