Chapter 261: The Annoying One
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The Gnome — the Earth Spirit with a secondary humanoid female form clad in earthy-toned garments designed by Amy — exulted in triumph. With arms raised high, fists clenched in victory, it mirrored the stance of a champion boxer reveling in the applause of an adoring crowd.
In stark contrast to the foreboding atmosphere of the eighty-first layer, the eighty-second had unfurled before them like a classical painting that sought to capture the biblical heaven in strokes of light and ethereal grace. Here, monsters born of the light element roamed in abundance; though only a handful had ever faced them so far, they were already recognized among Explorers as formidable adversaries.
These monsters possessed an inherent resistance, wreathed in defensive waves of light that halved the effectiveness of any attack that did not specifically exploit their weaknesses. Some were even nigh impervious to physical damage. Knowing the enemies’ weaknesses was not merely advantageous; it was necessary — and in the case of light, the only elements they were weak against were darkness and earth.
Of the two, dark-elemental attacks were the most potent. However, Jobs that had access to such skills were few — and Absolute Helix had none among their ranks. The burden, therefore, fell to the second option: earth-elemental magic, possessed by two of their comrades: Leleia the Spiritualist and Gnome the Spirit of Earth.
Despite practically being the last resort, Leleia’s power was nothing to scoff at — she had access to all types of Spirit Magic, and her excellent synergy with the Gnome did wonders for their collective damage output. Gnome, though its form was humble, wielded immense power; when contracted with Tsutomu, it would create a secondary body — a humanoid female form more suited to combat, capable of inflicting devastating blows.
With the battle won, the Gnome darted toward Tsutomu, its wide eyes gleaming with a yearning for approval. Tsutomu’s gaze drifted down to the Gnome’s true body — the terracotta statuette nestled on the girl-shaped body’s shoulder — before lifting his eyes to Daryl, whose towering frame seemed even more conspicuous now that he was standing right next to them.
“Wouldn’t you get more power if you grew bigger? …Like, to his size?” Tsutomu suggested.