Chapter 145

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Hiro continued to run while looking back to check if the Jorogumo was still after him and Noah.

His heart was beating rapidly from running and the anxiety of what awaited them if they got caught. Behind him, Noah’s face had reddened from forcing the limit of his energy to keep running following Hiro’s instruction.

On his hands burned flames that became the only sources of light for the two in the pitch-black tunnel. Fortunately, there was only one straight path, so they didn’t need to worry about running into something.

“Keep running! Hahh… we’re almost there.” Hiro saw a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. Despite his words, he actually wasn’t sure whether or not they would be able to get there before the boss got them.

Running after them with its four pairs of legs, the spider monster was extremely fast.

“Jump!”

“What?!”

Hiro jumped out of the tunnel with all his strength and successfully got back to the previous location, the giant round space embellished with stalactite-like ice crystals, with Noah right behind him.

Immediately after, he spun his body to attack the monster that would reach him in seconds.

[Predicio]

Hiro saw an image of himself move before him, jumping forward at the same time the Jorogumo jumped out of the tunnel. However…

Screech!!!

Before the blade of his greatsword reached the monster, it hissed in pain and hastily retracted itself back into the tunnel.

Even though it was only an image, Hiro was sure that he saw smoke come out of the Jorogumo’s legs when they touched the frozen ground.

‘What was that?’

Before the boss reached them, Hiro slashed the ice crystal-like ground at the spot where the monster stepped.

The moment he broke the ice, the shards that flew his way caused his skin to burn.

“Arghhh!”

Hiro immediately jumped away.

“What the hell are you doing?” Noah was startled when Hiro suddenly screamed and groaned in pain with smoke coming out of his skin.

Meanwhile, Hiro stayed silent. He felt lame for only realizing it now, but at the same time, he felt excited for finding the bright spot he should’ve noticed from the very beginning.

“This place will be its tomb.”

Hiro swiftly ran back to the tunnel, causing Noah to look at him full of disbelief. This time, he chose not to go after him.

“What are you up to?!”

“Pull her!” Hiro shouted while intentionally blocking the Jorogumo, who was already near the tunnel exit.

Hiro lifted his greatsword high and positioned himself ready to attack. Meanwhile, the Jorogumo promptly halted its steps when it saw Hiro there.

Pew!! Pew!!

The Jorogumo shot hot green mucus from its lips, but at that moment, Hiro evaded and simultaneously dashed forward to steal an attack.

Splat!! Clank!

Even when the woman-like body was slashed, the blood that came out of its body was a smoking green mucus.

“Damn it.” Hiro jumped back. “Come here, unsightly lady!”

Hiro intentionally walked backward slowly, and the Jorogumo followed. He planned to completely pull the monster into the room behind him. There was no way he would allow just its legs to step into the place.

But how was he supposed to do that? Hiro wasn’t strong enough to kick or pull the monster into the room.

Screech!

The Jorogumo seemed angered, but it had quickly regenerated the part Hiro just slashed. This time, it looked like it really wanted to clench Hiro’s body with its eight legs.

Whoosh!

The creature abruptly dashed forward like a rocket. It directly attacked Hiro with its two forelegs, but he managed to parry with his greatsword’s blade.

“You’re really aggressive, spider lady.” Hiro used all the strength he could muster to not get flung from the monster’s powerful push. His arm muscles hardened and he had to use all his energy to hold the Jorogumo.

Bwoosh!

Behind Hiro, Noah had already created a giant fireball and was ready to shoot it anytime. However, Hiro stopped him.

“Not now, Noah. Wait until I bring her there.”

Noah was confused, but he still complied. Besides, the fireball he prepared with both of his hands was too large. If he released it now, he would probably burn Hiro along with the Jorogumo.

Clank!

Bam!

Hiro managed to throw the long legs back and landed a harsh punch right at the woman’s face. Before those fully black eyes opened back to look at him, Hiro had run closer to the border between the tunnel and the room where Noah was.

“Come here.”

Like a bull ready to rush at a flag whipped by a matador, the Jorogumo scratched the ground with its forelegs. In a matter of seconds, the creature once again rushed toward Hiro, who was holding the Blood-Eater Vampire horizontally at chest level.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The moment the Jorogumo was about to strike him, Hiro leaped into the air.

The Jorogumo was surprised, but it couldn’t stop its eight legs fast enough. The sunken part on the ground formed by Hiro’s slash not long ago caused the monster’s forelegs to slip, and because it was running very fast, its body spun 180 degrees from the tunnel to where Noah was waiting.

“Now!”

Booomm!

Noah’s giant fireball successfully burned the monster’s now-squirming enormous body.

The boss’s HP bar quickly decreased. Still, just that wouldn’t be enough to finish it.

While the skin of his hands felt like it was burning from Noah’s fireball that melted even the layers of ice in the place, Hiro once again jumped and slashed the ice crystals that were stuck right above the Jorogumo.

Crashh!!

Splat! Splat! Splat!

The sharp ice crystals resembling natural cave stalactites struck down on the Jorogumo’s body.

Boomm!!

All of a sudden, the fire that almost went out burned even more fiercely and became bluish. In just a second, the Jorogumo’s HP bar dropped to zero.

Ding!

[Boss has been defeated]

[Congratulations! LostSoul’s Party successfully cleared the hidden dungeon [Cursed Icy Cave].]

Noah looked at Hiro with disbelief. In the meantime, Hiro had already stabbed his greatsword into the icy ground. He fell to a kneel with scalded arms and legs.

“We did it?!” Noah still couldn’t believe that it would be so simple to finish the boss. He couldn’t hide his smile.

But Hiro’s vision began to blur. He could no longer feel his body, and it felt as if everything was burning him.

Ding!

[Your body is in a terrible condition due to the Holy attribute’s effect]

[You might lose your consciousness]