Earth Dungeon 42.2

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Chapter 42.2. Mothman Queen

A gust of wind sweeps through the surroundings, accompanied by a manifested blade of wind launched toward the center of the smoke. The blade scatters the smoke with the gust, intending to cut the girl within it to pieces.

The grass dances in the wind's blade. Despite being torn apart, the girl draws a knife from her waist and hurls it towards me. I dodge the incoming knife by tilting my body and spinning around, and the Mothman Queen rejoices.

If it was a human, it would have worn a hideous smile. Mothman Queen determines that the enemy's bullets have run out. Even if it still has some left, there can't be many.

"Shiiiiiiiii!"

It attempts to crush the girl by emitting shockwaves, but she leaves an afterimage, accelerates, and evades its attack. It seems she still has mana remaining. In that case, it should defeat her in close combat, where she cannot evade even if she accelerates. It flaps its wings, boosting its speed.

Mothman Queen's proboscis is supple and flexible, yet its tip is sharp like a spearhead. The legs extending from its body are as hard as iron and have the sharpness of a sword. 

Queen of Moths prepares to finish the battle swiftly. It uses wind magic to boost its wings and charges forward. Empowered by the wind, Mothman Queen sweeps through the grass like a wave, closing in on the girl. It stops flapping its wings and switches to hovering, transitioning into close-quarters combat.

The enemy's strength has been greatly weakened, and even if there is any remaining, it judges that it won't be enough to break through its [Next Generation Inheritance] skill.

She was the human who defeated it so thoroughly. Before killing her, it will torment her, filling her heart with fear and despair. It lets its aura flow through its body.

[Iron Leg Fierce Blade]

Hardening its legs like iron, Mothman Queen closes the distance between it and the girl. It swings its four legs fiercely like sickles, intending to cut her to pieces. The sound of the wind cutting echoes multiple times, creating a symphony, and my legs, transformed into high-speed blades, approach the girl.

[Accelerator]

[Hard Skin]

[Shadow Clone]

The girl uses several techniques to counter the deathly blades, awkwardly pressing a knife against the approaching blades to alter their trajectory. Twisting her body, leaving after images, she evades the next attack and tries to create distance by performing a backflip and getting out of the way while spinning backward.

It kicks the third leg, which was about to pursue her, and tries to step back further using its recoil. However, within a few meters, she's still within Mothman Queen's range.

[Proboscis Penetration]

It swings its long, whip-like proboscis at the girl with the speed of slicing through the wind. However, that attack only dispels the girl's clone, and she had been aiming for a counterattack. She throws a knife.

Instantly enveloping its body with wind, the knife deflected by the wind gust in a different direction. Amused by its lack of power, Mothman Queen becomes even more exhilarated, having gauged the limits of this human's physical abilities.

It's certain its strength and agility far surpass hers. That throw was too weak in both power and speed. She's just a mere human.

[Shadow Clone]

She continues to use clones, and while she's slightly surprised by the seemingly endless mana, it is futile. The clones are like fragile mirages. If it strikes them with its aura, they'll disappear instantly.

[Release Aura]

Thinking of the girl's face contorted in despair. Mothman Queen feels joy as it releases her aura throughout the surroundings. The aura emanates from Mothman Queen's body like waves, spreading to the surroundings.

The surrounding area was thrown into chaos by its aura, causing disturbances and completely disrupting the doppelgängers, which vanished like mist.

[Proboscis Penetration]

With a final strike, it thrusts toward the girl with incredible speed. The frail girl, unable to keep up with that speed, manages to shift her body slightly and avoid a direct attack on her heart, but her shoulder is pierced instead.

It intended to absorb bodily fluids from her shoulder, but the girl clenches the proboscis, obstructing its absorption. It chuckles at her futile resistance. It raises its legs to cut off the hand gripping its proboscis, but...

"It's over."

It halts its movement as she lowers her head and mutters those words. It wonders if she's begging for her life. It attempts to observe her with its compound eyes, but the girl lifts her head, wearing a smile as if her mischievous plan succeeded.

"What about it? Your mere three years of life? It would have been perfect if you asked me about that. But I suppose bugs can't help it, can they?"

Upon witnessing her nonchalant demeanor and incomprehensible words, it instinctively recoils, feeling an unfathomable sense of fear emanating from the girl before it.

"You... Dungeon bosses possess intellect. You understand human language, and your thoughts are similar to humans. I believed in that. I thought if I created multiple clones, you would quickly adapt. The easiest way would be to scatter aura in the vicinity and prevent you from creating clones. I commend you for adapting on the second attempt."

There was something in her eyes that gave me a sense of unease. Something felt off about why she was speaking to me.

"Release of Aura. If you use that, I won't be able to sense small fighting spirits anymore, right?"

In an instant, it realizes the girl's intention. It tries to pull back its proboscis and swing its legs to cut her hand, but she releases her grip and creates distance.

However, losing the advantage of proximity is not a problem. If the girl intended to divert my attention from her focus on the surroundings.

"Checkmate. Let's exterminate the pest."

Then, a man clad in black stands in a distant location. He appeared without giving any indication of his presence. His aura is faint, concealing himself successfully, and it realizes this fact a bit too late. Too late.

Mana begins to erupt from the man's body, visible enough for it to perceive, and understand what he's about to do. It attempts to unleash shockwaves, but...

[Unleash]

With a snap of his fingers, dozens of slender pillars of fire, a few centimeters tall, rise from the grass. The scent of burning fills the air, and it comprehends that all hidden eggs have been incinerated.

[Hyper Blitz]

It feels its body being shattered by bullets from behind.

As the dismembered Mothman Queen watches its body fall to the ground, it catches a glimpse of the girl, bloodstained, sporting a faint smirk.

She's ignoring her tattered body.

With a chilling smile.

Mothman Queen ponders upon what it witnessed.

This girl continued to act without hesitation, even while injured.

Was this girl a human?

And then, consciousness fades away.