Chapter 467 - 467: The Serpent Monster

Before Bell's shout had even faded, a violent impact shook the entire cavern.

The crystal walls were already covered in cracks and scars. Under the crushing force of something enormous, they rattled and groaned, and within the shattered blue crystal, a massive shadow was reflected.

It had terrifying, blood-red jaws lined with fangs, and three pairs of eyes as pale and ghastly as bone.

The colossal serpent coiled along the wall, nearly as tall as the seventeenth floor's Floor Boss, while the rest of its body ground the crystal behind it into fragments.

The instant it appeared before them, the cavern trembled and the ground roared. Another [Lambton] burst out from beneath Ryuu's feet.

Rubble, earth, crystal, everything that had been on the ground moments ago was swallowed by the terrifying bulk of the giant serpent.

"!"

Thanks to Bell's warning, Ryuu kicked off the ground and avoided the sudden attack.

She knew Jura was a Tamer and had stayed alert the whole way, but even so, a rare monster from the Deep Floors exceeded her expectations.

Without the boy's timely warning, or if Bell had not been here at all, even if Ryuu had managed to avoid Lambton's attack, bringing Jura to justice would have been difficult.

In the worst case, the serpent monster might have dragged her down to the floors below.

"Cranel-san..."

Ryuu's thoughts churned.

The boy must have noticed Lambton's traces on his way here.

For Ryuu's safety, he had deliberately put on that act just now and prioritized taking out the Tamer. Without Jura's commands, Lambton's threat naturally dropped by a great deal.

For a moment, Ryuu did not know what to say.

"We'll deal with the monsters first!"

Bell quickly moved away from the shattered crystal wall.

He did not charge in recklessly. Instead, he ran toward Ryuu and Bete's position. "Move!"

"You little brat, I know that without you telling me!"

Bete bared his teeth in a grin and charged forward.

His silver boots crushed the ground as he leaped high into the air. Like a warrior's slash, a fierce blade-like kick slammed sideways into Lambton.

The kick collided with the serpent's hide, and the force of the impact made Bete click his tongue.

"So it really is an Enhanced Species?"

Bell regrouped with Ryuu while calmly observing the battle.

Normally, with Bete's strength, a single blow should have been enough to finish off a monster from the Deep Floors. Yet his kick had only left a dent in the black scales.

The main reason was likely not only that the monster itself had devoured Magic Stones and undergone enhancement, but also the crimson collar around the giant serpent's body. Otherwise, with Jura's combat ability, there was no way he could have tamed two monsters like this.

Lambton opened its blood-red maw and rampaged wildly through the vast cavern.

Thanks to Bete's attack, the two monsters were split onto separate battlefields, giving Ryuu and Bell room to dodge.

"Cranel-san, please be careful!"

Ryuu used herself as bait to draw the monster's attention.

After losing its Tamer, Lambton seemed to go berserk. It ignored Ryuu's counterattacks completely and charged at her again and again.

Neither Ryuu nor Bete could find the timing for a decisive blow.

Without someone giving it orders, the serpent monster itself was not much of a threat. Its sharp venomous fangs could be dodged easily. But Lambton was like a massive fish thrashing on land, using its hard shell and tremendous speed to struggle violently around the cavern.

"Ryuu-san, keep its attention on you. I'll destroy the collar on the monster!"

Bell made his decision at once.

Lambton could burrow beneath the ground, so bombardment Magic would have little effect. On top of that, Jura and the others had planned to use Kaenseki explosions to destroy the floor. If they carelessly blasted the ground apart, they could easily fall right into Evilus's trap.

They had to cut it with a blade.

And to make absolutely sure, the strike needed enough power behind it.

Bell gripped the [Goddess's Blade] tightly and began to sound the chimes.

White light gradually gathered along the pitch-black blade. Bell kept his gaze fixed on Ryuu and the serpent monster as their figures crossed back and forth, waiting for the right moment.

[Argonaut] placed an enormous burden on weapons.

Bell had asked Ais about it before. During the battle against the Black Goliath, the greatsword that delivered the final blow had come from the thirty-seventh floor's Floor Boss, [Udaeus].

Even a weapon of that caliber had turned into dust after being charged by Argonaut.

Bell could not rely on luck in every battle, using someone else's weapon to unleash his trump card. So he decided to use this chance to test the potential of the Goddess's Blade.

Chime.

Chime.

The sound of bells echoed beside his ears.

This was a living weapon. Bell could feel the Goddess's Blade dancing and singing within the surrounding chimes.

If she reached her limit, she would surely warn him before it was too late.

Thirty seconds.

Sixty seconds...

Time passed slowly.

Bell watched the rampaging giant serpent and prepared to activate [Argo's Ship]. Once the charge was complete, he would use Magic to enhance his [Strength], seize the opening, and deliver the critical blow.

Clang.

Clang.

The bell chimes became the thunderous tolling of a great bell tower.

The pure white particles of light shone brighter and brighter.

When the charge reached three minutes, the Goddess's Blade in Bell's hand stirred.

This was the limit the weapon could currently endure, not the maximum length of time the charge itself could reach.

"Ryuu-san!"

Bell stopped charging and sprinted toward the giant serpent ahead.

Ryuu had heard the bells long ago. In perfect sync, she turned aside and opened a path, creating an opportunity for the boy's attack.

A second earlier, the giant serpent had still been chasing the elf girl. It had no time at all to turn its head.

"Advance."

Just as he was about to reach the serpent's body, Bell recited the short chant.

He did not intend to activate [Argo's Ship]. He was only using it to amplify his strength. Even with Argonaut's support, the monster's potential was enough to withstand a Level 5 attack, so he needed to increase his power further to reduce the risk.

The instant he swung the short blade, pure white light burst open.

"..."

Ryuu's vision was swallowed by light. By the time she came back to herself amid the roar, the enormous serpent monster had already turned to smoke.

It was not just the collar. Lambton's entire body had been severed, and the Magic Stone at its core lay shattered on the ground.

"Tch..."

Bete sucked in a sharp breath.

The boy was only Level 3, yet he had unleashed a blow with that much destructive power.

What the hell was he doing?!

The one dragging his feet, the weakling here, was him!

Bete drew a short sword from his waist. Its crimson blade matched his silver boots perfectly.

In the next moment, the short sword shattered into countless fragments. In its place, the topaz set at the center of his boot began to coil with crimson light.

A moment later, the silver boot that had absorbed the magic sword's power annihilated Lambton with a single strike.

The disturbance subsided.

The entire floor fell silent.

"..."

Bell's thoughts, however, did not calm down.

When he activated [Argo's Ship], he had felt something strange. It was as if the one beside him had not been the short blade, but another girl.

Could the [Goddess's Blade] have other effects as it continued to grow?

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