Chapter 93: Can We Celebrate Now?
Emily slowly stood up, still covered in mud, while breathing heavily.
She looked at her hands and then at the lake.
"Why the hell didn’t my power work?"
Liam crouched beside the shore and picked up a handful of the mud covering the swamp floor. He squeezed it between his fingers, examining it carefully.
At first glance, it looked like ordinary mud.
Wet, dark, and unpleasant-smelling.
Liam let it fall.
"I don’t notice anything strange."
Chuck popped another bubble with his chewing gum.
Pop!
Liam glanced at him.
And then, an idea came to him.
"Wait."
Emily raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Liam pointed at the ground.
"Normally, wet mud should be a pretty good conductor of electricity."
Emily looked at the mud.
"You want me to use my power on this?"
"Yes. Try to make the electricity travel through the mud on the ground."
Emily hesitated.
"I’m not sure that’s a good idea."
"Neither am I."
Liam smiled.
"But I think it’s worth trying."
Emily sighed.
"Alright."
The woman extended her hands.
Electricity began coursing through her arms, forming small arcs around her fingers.
Then she placed both palms on the mud.
The lightning disappeared.
Emily opened her eyes.
"Nothing happened."
Liam stared at the ground.
’That confirms what I thought.’
"The mud in this dungeon isn’t like the mud in a real swamp."
Lydia approached.
"What do you mean?"
"It probably has different properties. Maybe it absorbs or blocks electricity."
Liam pointed at the remains of the alligator’s armor.
"That would explain why it was so difficult to break through. It wasn’t just a thick layer of mud. That thing was protected by the properties of this dungeon’s material."
Chuck spun one of his knives between his fingers.
"Then we have a problem."
"Why?"
"Because I’m already ready to throw another bullet."
Liam smiled.
"Perfect."
Chuck reached into the pocket where he kept the gem bullets.
"What do we do now?"
Liam looked at Lydia.
"Can you use your Acid Bubble?"
Lydia nodded.
"Of course."
"Then I have an idea."
Chuck raised an eyebrow.
"One of those ideas of yours that ends with everything exploding?"
"Probably."
"I like it."
Liam pointed to an area between Chuck and the alligator.
"I want Lydia to launch an Acid Bubble right there. I don’t know exactly how the gem will react, but I want you to throw the bullet through the bubble before it reaches the boss."
Chuck smiled.
"Then the gem will absorb the acid."
"I hope so."
"And it’ll probably enhance the attack."
Liam nodded.
"That’s the idea."
Chuck laughed.
"That’s a great plan."
Liam turned toward Lydia.
"Are you ready to attack again?"
Lydia flexed her slime arms.
"Whenever you’re ready, honey."
"Perfect."
Liam looked at Emily.
"Get ready for a big attack. We’re going to strip that boss of its armor."
Emily was using water from the lake to wash the mud off her arms and face.
She looked up.
"I’m really looking forward to finishing this shit."
Liam let out a small laugh.
"Then get ready."
◇◆◇
The giant alligator writhed in the water.
Its enormous black body slammed against the surface as it tried to hide beneath the swamp again.
Lydia’s acid was still destroying the remaining mud covering its skin.
"We have to hurry!"
Liam shouted.
"Before it gets back underwater!"
Lydia raised one hand.
[Acid Bubble]
A green bubble appeared in front of her.
It slowly floated through the air until it reached the exact spot Liam had indicated.
Chuck pulled out one of the gem bullets.
"Here I go."
He assumed his throwing stance.
The alligator roared again.
Chuck threw the bullet.
The small projectile passed through the bubble. The gem immediately absorbed the acid’s energy, and its color changed. It stopped being transparent and took on an intense dark green hue.
Lydia’s eyes widened.
"It worked!"
The bullet continued forward.
The alligator barely had time to raise its head.
The gem struck its body.
The energy from the acid began to release.
The mud remaining on the monster’s skin began to bubble.
Part of it peeled away.
Then the rest of the armor covering its body.
The alligator began thrashing.
"RRRRAAAAAAA!"
Its roar made the trees of the swamp tremble.
The mud armor finally broke apart and fell into the water in enormous chunks.
They could now see the boss without its protection. Its body was completely black. No visible scales covered it. Its skin looked thick and rough, but it was completely exposed.
"We did it."
Emily finished cleaning the mud off her arms.
Liam looked at her.
"Emily."
The woman raised her head.
"Yes?"
"It’s your turn."
Emily smiled.
"Whatever you say, boss."
Liam froze for a moment.
’Boss...’
That word reminded him of his usual group of hunters.
Lucas, Steve, Harper, and the others.
Lately, they had all started treating him as if he were some kind of leader.
And he still hadn’t gotten used to it.
’I don’t know why being called that bothers me so much.’
But there was no time to think about it.
"Do it!"
Emily brought her palms together.
She extended both arms toward the alligator.
Electricity began accumulating between her hands.
Her muscles tensed.
"AAAAAH!"
She slightly separated her hands.
And then slammed them together again.
CLAP!
The clap produced an electrical explosion, and a massive yellow bolt shot from her hands.
It tore through the swamp and struck the alligator’s exposed body directly.
Then the electricity began coursing through every inch of the creature.
The monster’s limbs convulsed violently.
Its tail slammed against the water.
Its jaws opened.
"RRRAAAAAAA!"
The lightning traveled through its neck, back, legs, and finally reached its head.
The alligator’s yellow eyes began blinking.
And finally...
They turned completely black.
The boss’s body went rigid.
Then it fell onto its side, sending water into the air around it, and the enormous creature was left floating upside down.
Emily slowly lowered her hands.
The electricity disappeared from her body.
She smiled.
"Can we celebrate now?"
Chuck looked at the alligator.
"I think we can this time."