Chapter 340
The exact specifications of the Mirror Image Homunculus were never fully understood by players.
After all, whenever it was discovered, it was always in an irreparably damaged state, as if intentionally destroyed to prevent players from using it.
Some players examined the remains for materials and functionality, but they could never reactivate it.
Who would have thought such a homunculus could copy a boss unit?
Under normal circumstances, one would suspect cheating or a game bug.
*`'Even if we block its healing, its regeneration is insane! But...'`*
Moreover, the feel of the battle is reproduced at a level not much different from fighting it in FBO, which is no joke.
But precisely because it's such an opponent, our thoroughly meta-countering tactics are proving effective.
*`'That's the first one!!'`*
The way to defeat Azhdaha is to relentlessly focus on reducing the number of heads.
Since all skill usage and attack methods are performed by the independently acting heads, the more heads we cut, the less threatening its attacks become.
That's why our entire mobilized force is concentrating their attacks on the heads, not the torso where the heart is.
It took about five minutes of continuous Neck Hunt to sever one of Azhdaha's thick necks.Time-wise, that's quite a good pace.
*`'Adamantine Battle Axe!'`*
I can see Nell nearby, swinging her halberd into Azhdaha's neck with all her might, as if felling a giant tree.
*`'Attack motion! Curse! Nell, keep attacking! Lady Esmeralda, Ingrid, intercept!!!'`*
If we could attack unilaterally, we could maintain this pace. But against a boss of this caliber, it becomes difficult to keep its attention solely on Amina's song.Hate shifts towards us dealing damage, and Azhdaha's massive body writhes as it tries to attack us clinging to it.
That motion signals the manifestation of cursed wisps, similar to what I saw when fighting the Human-Face Tree long ago.An incomparably greater number than the Human-Face Tree deploy, and these wisps simultaneously fly towards everyone attacking the necks.
Even with Rainy Devil gear resistance, we cannot completely nullify curses.Complete immunity is only to fire.We're continuously purifying with flames to prevent the cursed poison on its body surface and pollution from spreading, but skill attacks like these...
*`'Head six is initiating an attack motion! Moving behind head three!!'`**`'Head eight is attacking the base of head seven!!'`*
...and physical attacks lunging at us come our way.
Skill attacks aside, I'm impressed the necks don't get tangled as they flail about. While dispelling wisps near the base of the third head, I dodge the bite from Azhdaha's sixth head. Passing by, I hook the kusarigama's sickle onto Azhdaha's eyelid and use it to ascend to head height.
Aerial combat using Air Step is risky as it reveals us from within the flames. But when hate is分散 (scattered) like this, a person dealing damage and generating hate becomes conspicuous, allowing them to temporarily gather aggro.This creates attack opportunities for allies cooling down and reducing hate while hidden in the flames to launch simultaneous assaults.
*`'Though it makes things rougher for me!!'`*
Voicing it out lightens the burden a bit. I avoid three simultaneously fired breath attacks by pulling myself with the kusarigama chain and immediately counterattack, crushing the right eye of the third head with my spear.It will regenerate if left alone, but temporarily depriving it of vision on one side is a good advantage.
When a clearly damaging target appears, the monster's instinct is to attack it.The humans attacking its neck are annoying, but a human who severed a head is an obvious threat.
*`'Hoh! Hah! You remember surprisingly well!!'`*
Azhdaha mobilizes three heads, using breath attacks, skill attacks, and bites to try and finish me off, but I evade them all using Air Step acrobatics like an acrobat.
*`'Shadow Clone!'`*
Judging from Azhdaha's attack motions, most attacks are manageable.Combining Magic Wire with Air Step allows for even trickier movements, confusing Azhdaha.Right now, it bites the Shadow Clone it thought was me. Leaping onto the forehead of the off-guard Azhdaha...
*`'Spiral Lance!'`*
I thrust my scythe-spear, wrapped in a drill-like blade of mana, near its brow.This area is indeed hard, making damage difficult, but the skill's high penetration allows for some damage.Dealing damage draws even more attention to me.This makes it easier for those dealing damage at the neck to attack further.
The body impaled on the ground thrashes; just swinging its massive form is a counterattack using its mass, capable of dealing damage if it hits.Responding to these movements while accurately concentrating attacks on the necks and accumulating damage is an extremely difficult task.
*`'Whoa.'`*
What's even more troublesome are Azhdaha's eyes.
"Serpent Eye."
An annoying skill combining instant paralysis and a gradual petrification effect.It activates with a short "glaring" motion, making it truly fatal without countermeasures.It was about to enter that motion just now, so I used Air Step to hide in the shadow of another head, blocking its line of sight.There's usually one action before paralysis takes effect, which is manageable, but constantly evading the gaze of three heads while maneuvering is quite tough.
*`'Here, a little eye-poke.'`*
However, there's a standard counter for eye-based skills: blinding.Easy methods include flashbang-type blinding using light or tear-gas-type blinding using capsaicin.If it closes its eyelids, the Serpent Eye effect ceases, so I carry a few consumables for this.For Azhdaha, tear-gas types are less effective, so I naturally rely on light-based blinding.
*`'Decoy Shadow Clone!'`*
Furthermore, since I can use decoy skills like this, I can avoid it relatively well.
While buying time like this, one of the heads chasing me convulses violently, stops moving, and slowly begins to fall.The second one.
The one who took it down was our main attacker.Nell, the merchant who outputs firepower surpassing pure attackers, severed the second head.She managed it with debuffs from Claudia, and it was quite fast.
That leaves six heads remaining.Thanks to Amina's choir, it can't spread curses, so it can't recover.The body is impaled and immobile, constantly scorched by the surrounding flames.Damage accumulates; the number of heads decreases.
Just when I thought we might win like this...A sharp *crack* sound echoed.A sound like something cracking.It was audible even amidst the fierce battle.
*`'Hm?'`*
Evading attacks while searching for the source, I found it continuously coming from around the stakes impaling the body.A quick glance showed unnatural cracks gradually spreading across its entire form.
And then.
*`'Ah.'`*
With a decisive *snap*, the Mirror Image Azhdaha's body split cleanly in two.Chaining from that, its body began losing color, transforming into a dull, leaden liquid.
Stunned by the sudden event, everyone participating in the attack took distance, watching the transformation.Weapons remained ready, prepared for anything.
But as if to say such worry was unnecessary, Azhdaha's body kept shrinking.Burned by the flames, all that remained was a liquid metal-like substance, the original form of the Mirror Image Homunculus.Having seen the remnants when it was damaged and abandoned in FBO, I recognized it.
The mirrored monster was defeated.
An abrupt ending. I was confident we could win, but I estimated it would take more time.Amidst that, the Mirror Image Homunculus suddenly ceased activity, as if it had reached its limit.
*`'Did we win?'`**`'I'm not sure.'`**`'It seems to have stopped functioning.'`*
Perhaps copying Azhdaha was possible, but when drawing out its full performance, the Mirror Image Homunculus had an operational limit.
Landing in the flames, I approached the burning Homunculus. It offered no resistance, simply burning.Lady Esmeralda, Nell, and Ingrid couldn't hide their confusion at the sudden end to the battle.I poked the Homunculus with the tip of my scythe-spear, but there was no reaction.It was completely silent.
*`'Perhaps it was near miraculous just to mimic such a monster.'`*
Claudia, who had been watching, stood next to me, crouched, and touched a fragment of the Homunculus.
*`'One could call this the end result of reaching for power beyond one's grasp.'`*
Before her hand could even touch it, the Homunculus—as if signaling it had exhausted itself, not just from burning—turned into a sandy substance and vanished.
*`'Does this mean it would have crumbled soon even if left alone?'`**`'No, it's precisely because of our fierce assault that it reached its limit early. Had we done nothing, it would have undoubtedly caused extraordinary damage.'`*
Realizing it self-destructed, Lady Esmeralda posed the question.Though it's just hindsight, Claudia stated that stopping to fight properly had meaning.I agree with that opinion.
Even if we knew it would break, we would have fought the Mirror Image Azhdaha to minimize damage.
*`'In the end, we got a practice battle and it ended faster than planned. Let's consider it a gain.'`*
The Barrier Towers still have plenty of mana left; the flamethrowers can still fire.The stakes for pinning down Azhdaha should also be reloaded.
*`'It's good to look at things positively.'`*
The anticlimactic end threatened to create an air of "Was it all for nothing?", but I firmly denied that.It was a copy of Azhdaha, albeit a mirrored one.The experience gained from this battle against the real major boss, which we shouldn't have been able to experience twice, is invaluable.
*`'Well then, we've managed to defeat it before the real Azhdaha revived, putting us in a position to take the offensive.'`*
The situation reversed from dire straits to one where we can go on the offensive.From Azhdaha's perspective, it probably planned to let the Mirror Image run rampant, break the seal, and revive as a complete entity. That plan has completely failed.The Boldrinde faction that would aid its revival is annihilated. Only enemies remain at the sealing site, and an environment completely disadvantageous for Azhdaha is prepared.
Somehow, looking towards the ruins, now melted and formless, I sense an atmosphere of panic. Is it just my imagination?Monsters shouldn't understand concepts like magical tool limits or usage conditions.It's certain that the cornered Boldrinde used it as a last resort, a low-certainty judgment thinking it *might* work. So, even if it broke while going all out for revival, it's understandable.Yeah, even in FBO, players occasionally broke items and messed up, so I understand that feeling very well.
*`'It didn't get to rampage enough, so this is just perfect.'`**`'There's no reason to leave danger unattended.'`**`'Fatigue is minimal. We can continue fighting without issue.'`**`'We're going forward with this!'`*
But that's *your* problem. We have absolutely no need to care.The high morale of our female members is contagious. Genjiro, Clarice, and the others nod, signaling they're ready.
*`'Well then, shall we proceed to break the seal?'`*
You rang the bell for the first round.We'll ring the bell for the second round ourselves.