Chapter 207


    Sorry for the dy, I moved across the US from the west coast to the east coast over the weekend. : 3 Yes it was as chaotic as it sounds, but also a much-needed change for mental health reasons. Now, whether that change is good or bad, remains to be seen.


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    Two weeks have passed since the Minebyrinth subjugation was started. It took a long time to get here. Even beyond the clean spring after the undergroundke, the open field section continued deeper. But, that will be over soon. In front of me blocking the passage over the undergroundke was a white gate supported by white pirsabyrinth gate.


    Simr to thebyrinth gate that I have seen many times, it had a carved sculpture and a throne ced in the upper center. A battle between those who live in the natural world against the monsters and demihumans created by thebyrinth. A monster sat on the throne, looking down. The snake-long body dances as if wrapped around a throne, flowing from the back to the front.


    However, I saw no head whatsoever. It has no eye, ear, or nostriljust one extremelyrge maw, almost asrge as its torso. A worm It was a high-ranking worm called Lambton Worm. I cant tell from the sculpture of the small throne on the gate, but ording to the information in the museum, it should be a huge earthworm-shaped monster that is several tens of meters long.


    If this is the master of the Minebyrinth, I wonder what is waiting at the end of this gate? The gatekeeper room is usually pretty spacy, but nobody can see anything behind the gate. A mysterious purple smoke drifted up like a wall that blocked the view, obviously acting as a border.


    Then there is no choice but to proceed. I pushed the gate open and stepped inside.


    This gatekeeper room was muchrger than usual. Then, as soon as I stepped in, I felt a sense of difort. Looking at my feet, I found that the entire gatekeeper room was submerged. The water level is soaked up to the ankles, but I dont know if its the whole room. It reminded me of Wolfbyrinth. The gatekeeper of thatbyrinth was also a water-based monster. However, I didnt see anything here no matter where I looked.


    Keeping the UMP 45 ready, I carefully proceeded while looking around. The water level, initially only ankle deep, got deeper the further I went. Rightthe map showed a dot wandering around the gatekeeper room. But its nowhere to be seen. Maybe an invisibility skill?


    Thinking so, I switched to FLIR mode, andstill nothing.


    Something with a clear amount of heat is moving around in the water, which is only high enough to immerse the knees. Its small perhaps the size of a puppy?


    Returning back to normal view mode and observing, I could see slight sshes on the water. Following the movement closely with UMP45 sight set on it, I fired a three-round burst as a greeting. At the same time as the muzzle shes, a water column spouted around the moving gatekeeper.


    However, the movement speed of the gatekeeper did not change. Did it evade the bullets? And when I put my finger on the trigger again, the direction of the gatekeeper changed.


    itsing at me.


    The speed at which the gatekeeper moved underwater further increased, and a small amount of water sshes violently bounces off as its heading straight toward me. Was it a small aquatic monsterif it is, it would be difficult to shoot at it urately by aiming from chest height.


    Its a different story if I can see it, but I couldnt at this moment.


    While matching the crosshairs to the approaching water droplets, I lowered my posture and increased the area where the rays ovep as much as possible.


    If I keep this low-profile stance, I should be able to hit itagain I aimed at the hidden gatekeeper and fired a short burst. However, once again, the UMP45 .45 ACP bullet did not hit the gatekeeper directly. It didnt evade ita number of fast-spinning water shields appeared in front of the gatekeeper as it swam.


    Those circr shields repelled the bullets.


    Does that mean its immune to bullets? No, if it does, then it wont repel it. It simply recognizes the bullet as dangerous enough to be repelled.


    It didnt matter if it was repelled by the water shield, I continued to shoot in controlled bursts. At the same time, the gatekeeper prevented the ammunition with its circr shield, changing its linear movement into a meandering movement as it approached me.


    The number of remaining bullets of UMP45 in my virtual interface reached zeroI turned the slingthe band attached to the UMP45, to quickly put it on my back, I pulled out the grenade ax and swung it down. I swung down a blow that blew off the water at my feet, but just before that, the gatekeeper jumped out of the water and passed by me, and I dodged backward.


    And I saw itthe puppy sized gatekeeper.


    The gatekeeper wasa frog? Not exactly. The head resembled a frog, but it had no legs. Instead, it has a finned tail and small bat-like wings. The body was covered with slimy ck and fine spots, like a tadpole. The moment the gatekeeper passed by me, its red eyes that popped out of its head seemed to scream at me.


    Whats with this fellow?


    I willed the TSS to activate, essing, and operate the disy monitor at high speed. While looking back and following the movement of the gatekeeper, select the demon beast pictorial book that was screen-captured at the museum and find out what that flying frog is. This is aquaripper? A carnivorous aquatic monster that could control water at will. Its intelligent and has many dangerous skills, fighting it alone would be suicidal. is what was written on the note.


    The aquaripper was swimming in the water around me, keeping its distance from me.


    It pretty much stayed underwater all the time, and once it became wary of an attack, it would form the water shields. There were four shields. The circr shield that rotates at high speed, while flying water dropletsy parallel to the water surface stretched over the floor, suddenly elerated and flew. This attack was simr to the water magic Aqua Dance that Ive seen before in any case, it might be dangerous if I dont evade.


    I tried to move sideways one step to avoid the iing water circle, but the water caught my foot and slowed my movement down.


    One bit into my left hand, cutting through the riot shield. The shield durability instantly went down to zero, just from that one blow. The riot shield that has been cut in two immediately dispersed into light particles.


    Thats some powerful attack there


    While catching the situation on the edge of my sight, I stopped, then avoided the remaining three discs that flew towards me by jumpingstill in reverse in the air, I aimed the grenade ax and matched the trajectory to the aquaripper. It swam very fast, so I had to predict where it was going to go before pulling the trigger. Deviation shootingA shooting technique where one predicts the moving position from the opponents speed and direction, and shoots on it in advance. Its an indispensable technique fornding slow-moving shots such as grenades, and its also a basic FPS technique used to shoot invisible enemies through walls.


    I aligned the parab and the circle indicating thending point with the predicted movement position and pulled the trigger. Along with a faint sound of airing out, Inded back on the water while watching the grenade fired at the target position, then I jumped again without killing my momentum.


    In the air, I reloaded the grenade ax grenade and aimedI could see the spouting water column and the stunched aquaripper in front of me.


    Judging the situation in a short time while staying in the airthe first shot seems to have hit as intended. The Aquaripper was screaming and flying in the air due to an unexpected explosion and severe pain. Its slimy ck body was sttered with ck blood, and the sharp fangs were lined up as its mouth was left open, but its long tongue stuck out as it spews body fluid.


    This is it!


    Predicting where the aquaripper wouldnd back, I lined up the trajectory again and fired another grenade.


    The grenadended right on top of the falling aquaripper, striking it like a beanbag shellthen exploded in a blooming ze. Once Inded back on the solid surface, I immediately did a slide jump to close the gap with the aquaripper. The two bombings had erased the water shield that floats around the aquaripper, exposing its unprotected body. I aimed at its torsothe moment I found the right distance with a second slide jump and was readying to attack, the aquaripper suddenly halted itself in the air while sprinkling fresh blood, pping wings that resembled bats. I made a sudden stop.


    !!


    Its seemingly shouting something, I could tell that much, but theres no sounding out. Aquarippers strange shout was probably magical in nature, and it was directed at me.


    But thats it.


    Perhaps the shout was some sort of magical attackbut it didnt work on me, unfortunately. I swore I could see the confusion in the aquarippers red eyes when its magic roar didnt do anything to me. Inded from my slide jump a momentter and swung the grenade ax at the exposed belly. But I saw the aquaripper swelling its cheeks.


    Somethingsing.


    At that moment, what jumped from its mouth was a long tongue that turned purplea spear with steel-like hardness, piercing my right hand as I swung the grenade ax.


    Kuh!


    The blow pierced right through my palm and shattered the grenade ax handle. In addition to that, a strong electric current coursed through my body from the stricken spot. But, now its right in front of mewith the aquaripper releasing its tongue from my right palm, I reached out with my free left hand, grabbing its throat and choking it so that it couldnt open its mouth.


    I only noticed now that our battle had brought us near the border wall. I cant afford to let the aquaripper get in contact with water again, else it will recover its shields. This means I have to attack as isbut I havent reloaded the UMP45, and the grenade ax was lost after the handle was shattered. Even if I try to use the Phase Rifle, its size is not suitable to engage the enemy at such a close range. Meanwhile thebat knife is not that strong, and my right hand was wounded. I had no means to attack itwhen that realization dawned on me, I chose to m the aquaripper against the border wall.


    And dragged it across.


    The aquaripper dexterously wrapped its tail around my left arm, tightening the grip with each passing moment. However, my current body was that of a skeleton. No matter how hard it tries, it wont be able to tighten itself too much on my thin arm. I mmed the aquaripper against the wall once more, then ran while dragging its head against the wall. Its outer skin was harder than I expected, but I pressed on. The border wall was not that t after all.


    The rugged, undting walls scraped down the aquarippers outer skin like a natural grater, leaving bright red streaks along my path. The aquaripper still tried to strangle my left arm with its tail, in addition to making many low-pitched growls. No matter how resentful its red eyes were, I would never stop. My skeleton face, whichughed back while continuing the wall run, would probably look considerably distorted.


    The ring aquarlippers head began to give off heat and sparks from friction. Sparks  Seeing that I came up with an idea. As I ran, I reached for the pouch on my waist and took out a TH3 incendiary grenade with my right hand. Pulled out the pin and shoved it into the aquarippers mouth which opened slightly. A long time agoremembering the y of childhood-feeding frogs with firecrackers


    Three. Two one


    Three seconds after pulling the pin, I tossed the aquaripper to the ceiling, while at the same time jumping away from my current position. At the same time as Inded on the water, the ck body surface of the aqua lipper turned red from the inside near the ceiling, and from both protruding eyesa me of 2000 degrees Celsius spewed out from the big mouth. It became a big fireball as it fell back down.