Chapter 362: Fight To The Death

Dark Sky Stratum, the Elven Synchronized Intellect Nation (SIN).

(Mufasa: It’s here!)

Having equipped his full fishman equipment set and gained a distinct increase in speed while moving within Dark Sky, Mufasa assumed the task of luring monsters.

After all, he was the only Player who could flee from the shining monster for hours and instakill any small fry in his way. Moreover, after having assumed the path of Kengyoku, all he could wield was sword skills with no elegant special light effects and he therefore did not have to worry about other monsters coming to encircle him.

Nearby the entrance of Dark Sky, Leah, who had prepared herself beforehand was alert and waiting

After discussing about the dungeon before entering, it was decided that she would be the core of the plan-she would be ‘eaten’ inside the monster’s body and take the key before she melts away.

Being the one with the highest level of HP and defense was the reason why she could glimpse the key the last time she was swallowed by the monsters.

While the Princess Warrior-class has a halo effect that buffed everyone around her, the effect of the skill was doubtful after the buffed target was swallowed, let alone the fact of how fast the shiny monsters moved which allowed them to quickly flee its area of effect.

Therefore, letting the person casting the halo buff being eaten was unquestionably the best choice.

The other candidate, Jessica, also generously buffed her stats and casted protection over her.

Naturally, even with Jessica buffs, Leah’s own halos and HP, it was likely that she melted away before she reached the key inside the monster’s body.

And even if she did not melt off, she would still die if her HP bar goes empty.

That was why she needed stronger defense buffs and more barriers.

And who was the most adept in those skills amongst all Players?

The answer was quite simple: Eleena, Saintess-in-training.

Even if Eleena had the role of a tool and was not allowed into a deeper floor such as the Dark Sky Stratum, the quest did not prevent her from casting her skills. Therefore, just before entering the Elven SIN, Edward had Eleena give Leah a full course of buffs and various protection, stacking her until she was as tough as a robot. Indeed, she did not have to worry about any attacks bar the divine retribution of the gods.

Nonetheless, all skills lasted only a fixed period of time—even if it was casted by Eleena. Therefore, while Edward’s group had been leisurely in their first two ventures down the SIN, they were having a race against time this time.

As such, they had Mufasa who was the quickest and wouldn’t Taunt monsters excessively, while waiting for Jessica to buff Leah.

With the buffs in place, the monster soon arrived.

Just as expected, no sooner had Mufasa commented in the forums, his ragged figure appeared near the entrance to the Dark Sky.

Moments later, a shining monster that resembled a turtle and was the size of a hill showed up before them.

[Chomper the Black Toothed Turtle, LV35]

Level 35…

It was five levels above Muta the Black Dragon Python which had wiped them out before.

They could only hope that their plan worked. “Ready…” Edward called out, watching keenly as the creature glided towards them and gaped its maw.

At first, Leah was still worried that the shining monster might have a different body structure. But when Chomper opened its mouth, she promptly realized that its maw was the same as Muta’s and had grown full of meaty tentacles!

While other monsters would have different physiology, those two distinctly varied shining monsters somehow had a striking resemblance in their organs.

Edward’s hunch was right. The shining monsters was the key!

‘If Old Vanke knew, he would probably be giving me a hard time for being reckless,’ Leah thought.

But now was not the time for such stray thoughts.

Throwing away the excess thoughts in her mind, the girl took a deep breath and prepared herself mentally.

“Spread out!”

At Edward’s order, the Players who were gathered at the edge of Dark Sky promptly sped off in different directions, leaving Leah, the bait at the same spot. The shining monster did not even think-or was perhaps incapable of thinking at all-as it bore jaws down on Princess Leah and swallowed her.

“Attack! Draw its attention so it wouldn’t have the time to chew!” Edward then commanded.

Hence, the nearby Players promptly casted their variety of skills to beat up the Black Beak Turtle.

After all, protection and what not only last that long. With the monster’s size, one chew would crush most of Leah’s shields!

And just as Chomper became provoked by Edward and the others and began to chase them, Leah had managed to crawl past the tentacles and squeeze her way deep down its throat.

It was fortunate that her protection was strong enough to repel the tentacles and any pus. Otherwise, Leah was not sure if she could stay sane being in zero distance against all the gross fleshy bits and tentacles.

“Got it! I knew what I saw!”

There was no telling how long had passed when Leah finally escaped the tentacles.

All of her protective barriers were gone now, and the durability of most of her equipment were hanging by a thread due to Chomper’s digestive fluids and would break in any given moment.

Even so, she and Edward group’s effort did not go to waste: She had found the key inside the monster’s body.

It was a palm-size yellow-bronze key that resembled a doorknob, with rounds of exquisite patterns carved over it. A close look would reveal that the arcane text of the high elves was hidden in those patterns, indicating that the shining treasure was made by the high elves themselves.

But just as she was about to retrieve the treasure, a volley of infinite tentacles grew out inside Chomper’s body and streaked towards her!

As their ranks were too thick, the tentacles wrapped round and round over Leah’s body before she could evade or run.

Worse, the pus secreted by the tentacles would burn parts of her skin, leaving it pitch black while puffing out trails of white smoke.

Be that as it may, Princess Leah did not give up. She reached out with her hand as hard as she could-because dying means nothing as long as she could retrieve the key!

But it was no use. Her fingertip was just an inch away from the key, and now the tentacles were dragging her away, widening the gap.

It was a failure…

Was everyone’s effort going to waste again?

“No, it’s not over yet!” Even though half her face was missing, the girl suddenly wrung her wrist, with a whip sword showing up in her right hand, where missing flesh revealed the white bones underneath.

“This is my last…”

The sword blade extended, and the girl lashed it out as hard as she could like a whip, catching the key and pulling it to the girl.

Without further ado, the girl caught it with her mouth.

The girl only made a relieved smile when she saw (Quest item Steel Earth Key obtained] show up on her System Page, and soon vanished as endless sparkles.