“(〖Compact Shot〗, 〖Compact Shot〗, 〖Compact Shot〗…)”
From atop a tree near the swamp, I unleash a barrage of explosive arrows at the Hydra.
Each time an arrowhead explodes, scales are torn off, and flesh flies.
But for the Hydra’s massive body, it’s just a scratch.
Its five heads turn towards me in unison, closing the distance in an instant.
“(It’s fast!)”
The Hydra tears through the swamp with the initial speed of a motorboat.
It’s coming straight at me, so I haven’t missed with my arrows, but if it were to focus on evasion, it would be difficult to hit.
“Hissua!”
“(Whoa, 〖Leap〗!)”
One of the heads spews out poison. It’s the 〖Skill: Poisonous Spew〗.
I leap to avoid the high-speed poison.
The poison hits the tree I was on just a moment ago.
The impact makes the tree shake slightly, and then it withers away rapidly. That’s the power of the poison.
The plants around here should have high resistance to poison, but the Hydra’s own abilities are on a different level.
I have to make sure not to get hit.
“(〖Rampage〗!)”
I flee into the forest, trying to escape the Hydra.
I stopped shooting the moment I got off the tree.
The Hydra, having left the swamp, chases after me, mowing down the trees in its path.
Even with 〖Flee〗, I’m losing in terms of speed, and the distance is gradually closing.
Well, as long as I can get out of the poison-infested forest, this pace is fine.
The effect of 〖Zone Control〗 is stronger in areas where it’s familiar, so I’m avoiding that.
Eventually, I entered a normal forest, but by then, the distance had closed considerably.
I was finally within its range, and one of the heads stretched out to swallow me—
“(〖Air Jump〗, 〖Replicant Form – Imitation〗, 〖Heavy Slash〗!)”
I stomp on the air, reversing my direction by 180 degrees.
Using the reaction from 〖Parry〗, along with the corrections from many 〖Skills〗, I cut through the air at a speed several times my base 〖Speed〗.
As I flew past the Hydra’s head with its jaws open, I flashed my crimson spear in that fleeting moment.
“Biaaaaah!”
While listening to its scream, I didn’t let my guard down and prepared to attack from behind.
That’s when a dark purple blur crossed my vision.
“(Guh!?)”
I’m blown away by a strong impact.
I was swept away by its tail.
The Hydra’s 〖Stats〗 are around 600 on average, and since it doesn’t have any defense-penetrating 〖Skills〗, I’m unharmed, but the surrounding trees are destroyed in a fan shape.
Just a tail strike has tremendous power.
“(That’s what a 〖Feral Beast〗 is all about!)”
I immediately take out my bow and arrow and land a 〖Shoot〗.
Due to the difference in 〖Weapon Skills〗 and the increase in the number of 〖Combos〗, the power was higher than the initial barrage.
Even so, it’s just a scratch for the Hydra, and it comes at me without any hesitation.
“(But, it seems like the spear strike had an effect.)”
Four of the heads are raising their necks menacingly, but the remaining one is cowering.
The heads are about the height of a house’s roof, but it’s a bit surreal to see one of them cowering.
“(–No time to be thinking about silly things like that!)”
It seems that the Hydra has gotten serious after being severely wounded.
With more ferocity than before, the four heads bare their fangs.
The 〖Speed〗 of a 〖Feral Beast〗. An overwhelming number of attacks, simply calculated to be four times the normal amount. The coordination between the heads due to 〖Skill: Self-Sharing〗.
The onslaught is so fierce that there’s no room to counterattack.
Just when I was barely managing to evade, I was caught off guard for a moment, and finally took a bite from its fangs.
“(Alright, 〖Hundred Poison Fangs〗 can be blocked by 〖Toughness〗 after all!)”
I pump my fist in my mind when I see the fangs stop on the surface of my body.
〖Hundred Poison Fangs〗 is a 〖Skill〗 that inflicts various kinds of 〖Poison〗 on the target it bites.
Unlike poison that directly penetrates the body, my prediction that it wouldn’t work on me since the fangs didn’t pierce me seems to be correct.
“(Lightning Strike!)”
I unleash lightning inside the mouth that’s clamping down on me.
I can’t expect much effect on a 〖Feral Beast〗, but it did loosen its jaw strength a little.
I slip out of its grasp in that gap. And then, 〖Leap〗.
“Hissua!”
“(Sorry, but I’ll pass on that!)”
I hastily jump back, and five streams of poison are spat out at the spot where I was just a moment ago.
I considered retreating into the mouth of the one biting me, but I gave up when I saw poison starting to accumulate in the back of its throat.
“(It doesn’t seem like the wound has closed, but it can still spit poison.)”
I organize the information while escaping from the Hydra.
Just now, all five heads attacked me. That includes the head I slashed with the crimson spear.
The crimson spear’s healing inhibition is still in effect, so it hasn’t recovered enough for me to engage in close combat, but one more element to be wary of has been added.
“(Ah, this isn’t going to be easy, 〖Replicant Form – Imitation〗!)”
The Hydra starts spitting poison as it runs.
I dodge with 〖Leap〗 and 〖Blink〗, and then I create two kusarigama for movement assistance.
Sometimes wrapping the chains around trees, sometimes hooking them onto trees, I evade the poison with high-speed and erratic movements.
“(This is, but, it’s still cutting it close!)”
But I can’t shake off the Hydra.
It chases me as I weave through the trees, as if there are no obstacles.
It’s right on my tail, close enough to bite, and it’s been attacking me at a decent frequency.
But so far, I’ve been able to dodge by a hair’s breadth.
Perhaps growing impatient with me, the Hydra seems to have decided to use a big move.
The 〖Mana〗 in its five heads is rapidly increasing.
And the next moment they explode, a poisonous mist is released—
“(I’ve been waiting for this! 〖Heavy Shot〗!)”
—An explosive arrow was shot into its wide-open mouth.