Seeker 255

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Chapter 255. Boss Battle (2)

The colossal form of Killer Ant Queen, now raising its upper body.

It spats a substantial amount of viscous liquid toward us from its mouth.

There was almost no room for evasion.

The copious fluid engulfed me, Kazane-san, and Griffin, who were struggling against the swarming horde of Killer Ants, spreading wetly on the ground.

The sticky liquid entwined around us, hindering our movements.

"Ugh, here comes the nasty part. So slimy..."

"Kuaa..."

Even Kazane-san, who excelled in agility, couldn't move as swiftly as usual. Griffin also seemed to be uncomfortable.

Of course, I was in a similar state.

According to the Monster Encyclopedia, Killer Ant Queen spits two types of liquid from its mouth. 

One is this hindering adhesive fluid, and the other is a highly acidic liquid that inflicts pure damage.

The adventurers ahead seemed to have been slowed down by this adhesive liquid, allowing the Killer Ants to swarm them.

Indeed, it was a troublesome attack, but...

"At this level... [Three Strikes]!"

"It's gross, but no big deal! Haah!"

"Kua, Kwaah!"

We continued to repel the approaching Killer Ants with almost the same momentum as before.

It merely reduced our movement speed and agility to some extent.

If we had superior strength, there was no significant difficulty in slaughtering the approaching Killer Ants.

Of course, we would endure some attacks, but the damage wasn't significant.

My Gaia Armor could withstand attacks from regular Killer Ants, and even Soldier Ants couldn't deal much damage. 

Kazane-san, with enhanced defense from her black outfit, had no major issues.

The Griffin, with relatively lower defense, had high HP, so it shouldn't be an immediate concern.

The only problem was.

"Guu...!"

At that moment, 2 massive rock projectiles hit me directly.

They were launched by the Killer Ant Mages standing before the Queen.

"Daichi-kun, are you okay!?"

"Uh, yeah. This is nothing."

While cutting down the Killer Ant in front of me, I responded to Kazane-san's worried voice.

Dealing with regular and Soldier Ants approaching us, even with hindered movement from the adhesive fluid, was not a problem.

However, Mages attacking from a distance with magic were more troublesome.

They were positioned in a way that made it difficult for us to reach them immediately.

But we had a reliable attacker for such situations.

"Pierce! Fenrir Arrow!"

Then, an arrow of ice shot from the opening in the ceiling, piercing and eliminating one of the Killer Ant Mages.

Now, only one Mage remained in front of the Queen.

I could leave the Mage to Yuzuki.

"Kishaaaaa!"

But this time, the Queen spat a massive amount of liquid from her mouth again.

The liquid rained down on the area where Kazane-san, Griffin, I, and even the Killer Ants engaged in close combat were located.

Not only that, it also engulfed the Killer Ants we were fighting.

A sizzling sound echoed as the carapace of the deep red giant ant melted somewhat.

This liquid seemed different from the previous adhesive. 

It appeared to be a highly acidic substance.

Neither the Queen nor the soldiers caught in the attack showed any signs of disturbance.

Of course, our skin felt a stinging pain.

If diluted hazardous chemicals got poured over our heads, would it cause this much damage?

This was a type of damage mitigated by magical defense.

While the damage was considerable, it wasn't immediately fatal.

However, the accumulated damage was becoming noticeable.

I took a slight step back from the melee and began to concentrate my mind on magic.

As I did so, Kazane-san, who approached me, cut down a Killer Ant that had come too close.

Enemy attacks didn't stop.

Once again, the Queen spewed a large amount of acidic liquid from her mouth.

It targeted me, Kazane-san, Griffin, and the Killer Ants engaged in close combat, dealing further damage.

Almost simultaneously, Kazane-san and Griffin, who endured the damage, defeated the last 2 Killer Ants around us.

Looking around, it seemed Yuzuki had also taken care of the final Killer Ant Mage with an attack from Fenrir Bow.

Now, only the Queen remained.

And...

"[Area Earth Heal]!"

I cast a group healing magic, restoring the injuries of Kazane-san, Griffin, and me.

It wasn't a complete recovery.

But it had a decent effect.

Enough to nullify the damage from 1 round of the Queen's acid attack.

With our combined efforts, we had three actions against one. 

Even if the Queen lost her subordinates, trading blows with her on a one-to-one basis was overwhelmingly advantageous for us.

At this point, the showdown with the Queen was almost settled.

Once we cleared out all her subordinates, the rest was essentially a formality. 

Despite being somewhat hindered by the adhesive fluid, Kazane-san, sGriffn, and I closed in on the Queen, initiating close-quarters combat.

My [Three Strikes], Kazane-san's dual-wielding of daggers, Griffin's continuous attacks with claws and beak—each dealt damage to the Queen in succession. 

Additionally, Yuzuki contributed by firing arrows from Fenrir Bow from above.

In response, the Queen retaliated with swift consecutive attacks, using scythe-like limbs and sharp fangs. 

As a boss, both her attack speed and power were considerable. 

However, it wasn't enough to deal fatal damage with one or two hits.

It didn't pose a major problem.

It didn't take long from the start of our close-quarters combat with the Queen to the complete resolution of the battle.

"Queen's HP remaining: 48!"

"Alright, Kazane-san!"

"Roger! Haah!"

The final blow was delivered by Kazane-san, who currently had the least total experience points. 

Since we had room in the battle, we made sure not to forget experience point adjustments this time.

The Killer Ant Queen, struck by Kazane-san's continuous attack with her dual wave-patterned short swords, disappeared, turning into a magic stone. 

There were no other monster figures around. The battle was over.

The moment we defeated the Queen, for some reason, the adhesive fluid clinging to our bodies also disappeared cleanly. 

It was still puzzling, but a relief not to remain sticky.

I raised one hand toward Kazane-san, who delivered the final blow. 

Kazane-san ran over with light footsteps, raised one hand herself, and clasped hands with me.

"Great job, Daichi-kun!"

"Huh?"

For some reason, Kazane-san hugged me without warning. 

Though bewildered, I gently wrapped my arms around her back in response.

"K-Kazane-san...?"

"I'm tired~ Recharge me with some Daichi-kun essence~"

"W-Well... we need to recover first."

"Just 10 seconds. No, 30 seconds, please~"

"A-Alright."

Of course, I was happy about it, but it felt awkward without any context. Helplessly, I cast healing magic while maintaining that posture.

"Aah! Kazane-san, is this unfair!? Sneaky!"

Even when Yuzuki called out from above, Kazane-san remained clinging to me, responding only with her voice.

"Oh well. Since Hotaru-chan always sneaks in, it's okay if I do it occasionally~"

"Sure, but... Senpai, later I want a hug from you too, okay?"

"S-Sure."

It was still a daily life filled with inexplicable peach-colored situations. 

I always thought I never wanted to wake up from this dream.

By the way, Griffin also approached and snuggled up to me. 

Being touched by its soft fur was oddly soothing.

And so, we successfully defeated the Killer Ant Queen. 

Afterward, using healing magic, we not only healed ourselves but also tended to the injuries of the members of the Dawn Warriors who were still unconscious. 

Then, whether by having Griffin carry them or by me carry them.

We set out on the journey back.