Chapter 692: Descend

Mina finally caught a glimpse of what lurked behind the black clouds. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the silhouette for a brief moment. The frequent flashes allowed her to make out its general shape, even though the swirling clouds still concealed most of the details.

It was strangely humanoid. It had a bald head, two arms, a torso, and two legs. Its proportions were almost human, but something about its silhouette felt wrong. There was no way that thing could be a human, no matter how closely its body resembled one.

The creature hovered high above the ground, suspended in the raging storm. It remained motionless, its indistinct head facing downward. Toward her.

Mina couldn’t explain how she knew but she felt certain that the creature was watching her. Its attention seemed to weigh on her from above, even though she couldn’t see its eyes through the darkness.

Judging by its silhouette, the creature stood roughly ten meters tall.

Mina had expected something much larger. After hearing those monstrous roars and witnessing the storm, she imagined an abomination hundreds of meters tall, perhaps something so enormous that its body would stretch across the entire sky.

Instead, the creature was only ten meters tall.

That was still enormous compared to her but it wasn’t quite as terrifying as she had thought.

Mina tightened her grip on her daggers. She wasn’t afraid, exactly. She had fought too many monsters to let just their appearances intimidate her. However, uneasiness lingered in her chest as she watched the creature hovering above the settlement.

There was no doubt that it would come for her. And with Clyde still occupied by his ritual, she would be the one fighting it.

Mina reached into her storage bag and retrieved a potion. She pulled out the stopper and drank the contents in one gulp. Warmth spread through her body almost immediately, followed by a familiar surge of energy.

The exhaustion from her previous battles faded, her breathing steadied, and the pain in her side and shoulder disappeared as her injuries healed.

She rolled her shoulders and flexed her fingers around the dagger handles, testing her body for any remaining discomfort. Good enough. She wouldn’t have to face it while exhausted and injured.

Mina raised her head and looked toward Clyde again.

Through the transparent surface of the dark dome, she could still see him standing at the center of the ground. His expression was blank, his eyes unfocused, while his lips continued moving as he recited something.

He hadn’t reacted to the storm or to the monsters she had killed, either. Whatever experience he was undergoing, it had completely consumed his attention.

Mina sighed. She didn’t really know what Clyde was trying to accomplish except for trying to reach the hidden dimension. He had explained enough for her.

One thing was obvious, though. Whatever Clyde was doing had triggered this disaster. The storm, the monsters, and now the enormous creature hovering above had all appeared while he performed the ritual.

She had no idea how much longer she would need to protect him. The creature above them might be the final threat, or it might only be the beginning of something worse.

Either way, she wasn’t going to abandon him. Clyde had saved her life when she had been helpless during the Selection Stage. He had guided her, trained her, and given her the opportunity to grow stronger. Without him, she never would have made it this far.

She owed him more than she could repay with a few words. And even if she didn’t owe him anything, she would still stand beside him.

Mina turned her attention back to the sky and adjusted her stance. She held one dagger forward while keeping the other close to her body.

Then the creature finally moved. The enormous silhouette descended from the clouds.

The wind howled as it dropped toward the settlement, the lightning around it intensified, illuminating its vaguely humanoid body in a series of flashes.

Mina narrowed her eyes and lowered her center of gravity. "All right. Come on, then."

The creature descended from the clouds, tearing through the darkness as it approached.

The surrounding clouds parted, revealing its true form beneath the frequent flashes of lightning.

Mina’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. What she saw was far more horrifying than anything she had imagined.

The creature didn’t resemble a human at all. Its entire body was covered in overlapping black scales that glistened beneath the lightning. Hundreds of tiny eyes and mouths covered its body, scattered across its torso, limbs, and even its bald head.

The eyes blinked rapidly and independently, while the mouths opened and closed, revealing rows of crooked teeth.

Some mouths stretched wide, splitting the surrounding scales, exposing dark flesh beneath them. Some mouths were small, twitching as though whispering something inaudible. Its fingers extended into twisted, claw-like appendages.

A chill crawled down Mina’s spine. She had seen countless monsters since the Selection Stage began, but this thing made even the most grotesque abominations seem ordinary.

"Shit."

The creature hovered above her, its countless eyes turning toward her in unison.

Mina felt its attention settle on her like an invisible weight. Before she could decide whether to retreat or attack, its right arm began to extend.

The limb stretched far beyond its original length, descending toward her, as though the creature intended to pluck an insect from the ground.

More mouths emerged along its arm. Their lips peeled apart, exposing rows of sharp teeth that snapped at the air as the limb approached.

Mina’s instincts screamed at her to move. She activated Crimson Step and darted away, simultaneously channeling her magic into one dagger. A dark green sheen spread across the blade as she imbued it with poison, concentrating the effect along its sharpened edge.

The creature’s arm swept toward her.

Mina jumped and slashed. Her dagger struck the black scales, producing a sharp scraping sound as the poisoned blade cut through the outer layer. A thin line appeared across the limb, and dark fluid seeped from the wound.

Crimson Step carried her backward just as the enormous arm slammed into the ground. The impact shattered the stone road beneath it.

Mina landed several meters away, her daggers raised as she watched the creature lift its wounded arm.

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