Slei started running diagonally.

I changed my position so that I could catch the enemy in my sight.

However, the Human-Faced turned and is hiding itself from my sight.

The corpse shield is always facing towards me.

It might be simple, but it’s an effective countermeasure.

Now that Pigimaru’s tentacles couldn’t be used, my range has become quite short.

Therefore, I need to make sure that I get close enough that it’s within my range.

Line of sight.

Range.

I must acquire both of these conditions together.

Schwwiinnggg!

A cluster of light were shot towards the skies from the other side of the coprse shield.

Multiple particles of light gleamed and burst open in mid air.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang——–!

Just like a rain of arrows, lasers began raining down from the skies.

A heat ray brushed against my shoulder.

However, the laser didn’t deal that deep of an injury.

I somehow managed to evade the other lasers with some maneuvers from Slei.

Is it detecting out position based on the sound of our movement…?

Though I said that, there’s still this rain going on right now.

Detecting the sound of our footsteps through this rain should make it slightly less accurate.

In fact, there’s no pinpoint accuracy from that rain of lasers.

However, they know the approximate area where I am…

[…………………..]

That laser attack just a while ago was also this guy’s action huh.

Those stinging attacks were fired while hiding behind a safe zone.

Moreover, this guy didn’t mind dragging in the other monsters that had gathered near me in its attack.

So that’s how it is…

[Perhaps, their weak sense of camaraderie could be beneficial for me…]

…………………..

However, this situation is a bit bad.

The enemy has a long range attack.

It could attack from outside the range of my Abnormal State Skill.

At this rate, I will only end up being one-sidedly attacked.

What should I do?

Could I use that additional effect from <Berserk>’s level up earlier?

I check my status display again.

……Ah, now that I think about it.

It’s not specified but, I wonder if it’s possible to designate things “other than humans and monsters” as their  targets of attack?

For instance, I could target a stone or a tree—

[No……]

At any rate, it would be meaningless if it’s not caught within my range.

And it’s hardly within the maximum range of my skill.

If I can’t think of a way to shrink our distance——

[Shinshinishinshinshinshiiiiiiiiiiiiiii——————–nnnnnnnn! Nn!]

Light began fluttering about in mid-air again.

A rain of lasers.

Even if I were to somehow avoid them, I will not be able to conduct a counterattack in response.

At this rate, my situation would become getting worse and worse.

[Pigimaru, I’m sorry… but could I entrust one final job to you?]

It’s a bit dangerous though.

[Pii!]

Poke poke!

Pigimaru began poking my peck.

As if he’s pushing away the hesitation brewing within me.

His protrusion turned into the affirmative color, green.

[I’m in your debt, partner.]

▽

It’s already the third time that the monster has released its laser.

Immediately after…

Rumble… Splash… Rumble rumble rumble!

An object vigorously rolled on the mud.

It’s the Fly King’s mask.

The Human-Faced reacted to that fallen “head”.

“Cutting the head into multiple pieces.”

[——Shinshin!]

However, a change immediately appeared from the monster on the other side of the corpse shield.

The Human-Faced sharply turned.

It doesn’t appear to be lured in by “head” decoy.

However…

[Piggggyyyiiiii!]

The slime continuously screamed.

Slei is also already moving.

Yes…

Towards a position where I could see the Human-Faced’s figure.

It’s great if I could make even just a moment of opening.

However…

I was only just a bit slower than it.

The turning speed of this Human-Faced is slightly faster.

An underhanded scheme of distracting it with my Fly King’s mask and going around the enemy’s blind spot.

And that’s how we arrived in this plan of recovering from this hopeless situation.

 

[——-<Paralyze>—-]

[Eh!? Shhiii….nnn!?]

Even if you notice it now, it’s already too late.

———criiiccckkklleee, crraaaccckkkllleeee———–

What’s certain though…

[ I’m up here. ]

I threw a fake head as a decoy and made the Human-Faced think.

“This is a plan in which I would go around to the side while making use of decoys.”

However, this is actually a three-layered plan.

Pigimaru and Slei’s role was “to take a roundabout path”.

However, I’m not riding behind Slei.

When I distracted it by the mask filled with water acting as the “head”, took my feet off the stirrup.

Slei made me jump up to the sky.

The sound generated from being flung was erased under Pigimaru’s shout.

I could see understanding from the face of the Human-Faced.

[You finally understand huh—- Yeah, it’s exactly as you thought.]

As expected, this guy is one clever chap.

[You’re blocking my skill by not letting me see you.]

However, at the same time, whatever we were doing while you’re behind that corpse—–

[You also weren’t able to see.]

On the other hand though, there’s a higher risk for Pigimaru and Slei.

There’s a possibility that they would receive an attack.

Before that even happened though, I was able to decide the outcome of this battle.

Drop dead. I invoke Berserk towards it.

Before I landed on the head of the Human-Faced, I fired that certain skill towards him.

Splat!

Blood began spouting out from below me.

[————————–]

I wonder if I could do that even if I couldn’t see them?

I looked at the Human-Faced with the corpse shield.

However, my attention has already switched to the remaining two.

[———-Tsk. Sh*t……!]

Spear-shaped protrusions came flying towards my direction.

They’re aiming—- towards where I’m about to drop down.

The moment when you’re landing.

It’s one of the moments where evasion becomes extremely impossible during battle.

Aiming for that moment when battling is already an established tactic.

There’s a monster lurking somewhere.

At the moment I jumped towards the air, they thought about attacking this way huh.

Facing towards the direction of the incoming protrusion, I crossed my arms and assumed a defensive posture.

I don’t know the penetrating ability of these protrusions.

However, I don’t have any choice but to rely on my Defense status correction……!

Thump!

Baaaaaaammmmm!

One after another, spears were piercing through flesh.

[————————Slei.]

The spear-like protrusions stuck on Slei’s flank.

She leapt right at that moment and shielded me from the protrusions.

Moreover…

[Bu… ru…… ruru…… uuuuu…… Guruuuaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh———–!]

Is she trying to keep the monsters away from me?

Rather than faltering from her wounds, Slei releases an intimidating roar just as she drops down on the ground.

I inadvertently grind my teeth.

[……………………]

From the spear stuck on Slei’s wound, blood began dripping down and mixed along with the rain—-

[Hyorimmmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuuuususususususuzuuuoooohhhhhhhhh!!]

It appeared in the opposite direction from where the spear came from.

The other monster—- aside from the spear throwing monster.

Followed with a distorted scream, that guy sprung out.

The body of a wolf.

A large wolf.

Only its head had the shape of a human’s.

An angry Human-Faced.

It slowly approached without even rustling the nearby leaves.

I can’t even hear the sound of rain falling on its body.

It was quite faint, but I had perceived its presence.

I’ve already conjectured its distance from me.

However—– There should still be quite the distance away from us.

I see.

Did it manage to reduce that distance with just a few steps?

That means…

The two remaining enemies were launching simultaneous attacks.

The three monsters who waited until the end before moving.

All of them were like fishermen waiting to reel in the fish.

All three of them were searching for the timing most advantageous to themselves.

That monster with the corpse shield is probably the one who lost its patience first.

[———————–]

My line of sight turning to the side, I checked Slei’s condition.

Her red eyes were looking towards me.

Eyes brimming with strong will.

Eyes holding strong trust.

And those red eyes were clearly telling me.

They’re telling me to fight.

[Yeah, Slei……——–I understand.]

I look towards the direction from where the spear came flying from.

I would put an end to this fool who injured you.

[——–<Berserk>——-]

After finally landing on the ground, I immediately invoked <Berserk> to the Human-Faced wolf.

[Hyoriiiiiiiimmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioogeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhh!]

Measuring the timing, I jumped.

As that Human-Faced wolf lunged closer, I jumped on its back.

[Go.]

I frantically grasped on its fur so that I won’t be thrown off.

[<Berserk>]

For the current <Berserk>, it’s now possible for me to designate even things other than humans and monsters as targets.

Forward.

I designate my target towards a “tree” just within my range.

When we were about to reach that place, I <Release> my <Berserk>.

Immediately after, we begin rushing forward towards another “tree” that I designate as a target—–

And now, I’m using this Human-Faced wolf’s speed to advance.

I repeatedly this technique of invoking <Berserk> and shortly releasing them

I glared towards the direction of my objective.

[Your type of attacks also bring along some risks—- risks the same as a sniper would have. After you release your first shot, that would also release you bastard’s position…… ———You f*cking fool.]

Mounted on this Human-Faced wolf…

A monster with jumping power and speed that could reduce a long distance with just a few steps…

………………….

Will that monster who shot those protrusions leave its previous place?

I don’t think so.

I won’t let it have any time to escape.

Cutting through the wind, the flickering sceneries around were washed away behind my back.

[———–Reach…]

I could see a shadow standing behind the thin veil of rain.

[Gyooeeh…. Eeehhh!?]

I’ve finally arrived where I could clearly see the monster that has thrown those spears towards Slei.

It’s a monocular monster.

This monster looks quite surprised.

Is it because of surprise?

Its eye swollen like a peeled egg.

The monster has four legs.

Compared to the other monsters, it should be medium-sized.

I could see lots of hole-like organs in its body where it emits those protrusions.

Astonished, it immediately shifted to counter-attacking.

Its eyes began to glow red.

There must have been something like a charge time before it could emit those protrusions again.

It’s just accumulating something there.

The speed of those protrusions it released——- were certainly fast.

However…

It’s also already within the range of my <Berserk>.

I don’t have any other skills I could choose to use right now.

I need to designate the next target of the Human-Faced wolf.

If I don’t designate anything, the Human-Faced wolf would attack the nearest being nearby, me.

In that case, I…

—will do my final <Target Designation>.

[<Ber—“Stab!”—serk!>]

Screams rang out as the two monsters roared.

The confused ones nearby were violently mixed in with their battle.

The Human-Faced wolf bit the monocular monster and tears it apart.

And as the monsters raged—

[——Tsk…….]

There’s a spear-shaped protrusion stuck on my left shoulder.

This is because of the monocular monster’s counterattack that it managed  to release before I could fully invoke my final <Berserk>.

An attack that was originally performed for a really long distance was released at a close distance.

I was also in the middle of skill activation.

There’s no time for me to avoid it.

[……..Tsk.]

Grinding my teeth from the sharp pain I would feel, I pull out the pointed tip buried within my flesh.

Splat!

I already expected that I would bleed from that wound, but it’s not gushing out as bad as I imagined.

Sometimes, it’s indeed better to keep something stabbed into you since you may bleed out a lot if you pull it out…

However, I could suppress the bleeding thanks to the benefit of my HP status correction.

Thereupon, I realized it.

My HP status correction…… How is it going?

Now that I think about it…

[Since I’ve released my connection with Pigimaru, I just put it away.]

It may just be slightly, but that translucent status display is still obstructing my sight.

[Status Open.]

HP: +135 / 6051

It has fallen lower than I thought… I was surprisingly in danger at that time huh.

I almost emptied out my correction value.

It appears that it’s quite difficult to receive the benefits of my HP status correction.

I began dealing with the dying monocular monster and the Human-Faced wolf with the paralysis & berserk combo.

<Your level has increased>

<Lv 2017 → Lv 2019>

The numerical values of my HP status correction should have moved now.

HP: +135 / 6051

HP: +156 / 6051

Is it just recovering little by little unlike the MP?

When you level-up, it seems that I would get that so-called “regeneration”.

I don’t know if this regeneration would have an effect even on my wound unless I wait for it myself.

[…………………]

From around the area, I could feel the presence of monsters disappearing.

[Hmm?]

I suddenly noticed.

I turned towards the notifications of my status display.

<Your skill level has increased>

It seems that <Paralyze>’s level has also risen at that time.

Now then, what kind of additional effect would I get this time—-

[What?]

Placing my hand over my mouth, I frowned as I stared at the notification display.

[This is the “advanced” skill of <Paralyze>, you say……?]

<An advanced skill has been unleashed.>

<Slow>