Chapter 591 - 591: Turned Into Gacha?! - 591

"ROAR—!"

The roar of the Infant Dragon shook dust from the ceiling of the cavern.

Around it, a dense swarm of monsters had formed a pincer movement: three heavy-armored armadillo-like creatures curled into balls, hurtling toward her like rolling battering rams.

Two silver-backed apes hammered their chests, leaping into mid-air with shocking agility. Their claws were aimed directly at Furina, while four pig-headed orcs, standing twice the height of a man, closed in step by step, clutching crude, oversized axes.

Over a dozen imps, their eyes glinting with a cunning that far surpassed that of mere goblins, darted nimbly behind the orcs, waving short spears and launching opportunistic sneak attacks.

Even more troublesome were the Bad Bats overhead; they dived repeatedly, emitting shrill, piercing sonic waves. The high-frequency vibrations made Furina's temples throb, making it difficult for her to even focus on her targets.

"...Damn it!" Furina shook her dazed head, barely dodging the pounce of a silver-backed ape, only to hear the thudding impact of the armadillo-monsters behind her.

Mademoiselle Crabaletta, the most defensively capable of the three sea creatures, had long since moved in front of Furina.

She split off two bubbles, but the hastily formed defensive wall shattered with a muffled pop.

The armored armadillos, however, remained unscathed; they merely paused for a heartbeat before curling back into balls and charging once more.

Furina gritted her teeth.

She knew full well that one-on-one, given her current stats, defeating the Infant Dragon would only be a matter of time.

But now, these monsters were performing their roles with military precision. It felt as if they were a well-trained army.

They hadn't even reached the middle floors of the Dungeon yet, but the density of the monsters here gave her an early taste of what that level of challenge felt like.

Conditions on the ground were already dire enough; if she also had to contend with the constant interference from the bats above, she would have to consider retreating.

What surprised her, yet felt strangely expected, was that Lili hadn't run away.

Regardless of what this Pallum supporter was thinking at the moment, her presence was genuinely helping to alleviate some of the pressure on Furina.

"Lili! Can you distract those bats?"

Dodging attacks while counter-attacking whenever possible amidst the throng of monsters, Furina called out to Lili, who was not far away.

Lili's mood was incredibly complicated.

She had recognized those few adventurers who had lured the monsters over—they were individuals who hovered close to the Soma Familia and often made a habit of stealing her loot.

Though she wanted to explain this to Furina, it clearly wasn't the right time.

Knowing she had gotten Furina into this mess, she obediently fired a few arrows into the sky. Her crossbow wasn't exactly a high-powered weapon, and for the Bad Bats, dodging such slow projectiles wasn't difficult at all.

"Lady Furina! My arrows can only hold them off for a moment!"

Lili bit her lip. "And... I didn't have time to retrieve my arrows from the last monster party. The ones I have left won't last long..."

She wasn't a combat unit to begin with; as a supporter tasked with carrying supplies, her utility was limited, not to mention she lacked any skills to boost her combat effectiveness.

Hearing this, Furina gritted her teeth and stared at the surrounding wall of monsters.

"That's enough! I'll finish off these ground monsters as quickly as I can!"

The sonic interference from the sky had ceased for the moment, and she had to end the fight while she had the chance.

She retreated with the fluid, effortless steps of an opera performer, avoiding the sweeping claws of a silver-backed ape. Her wrist turned, and her long sword traced a streak of light, precisely piercing the throat of an imp that had lunged too close.

Through the gaps where the black smoke dissipated, she caught a glimpse of the two armadillos curling into balls again, charging at her from left and right.

The four pig-headed orcs had closed within ten meters, the force of their swinging axes stinging her cheeks.

"Mademoiselle Crabaletta!"

The hydro-elemental construct responded instantly. Three transparent bubbles expanded to the size of millstones, spreading out in a triangle formation before her.

With two muffled thuds, the armadillos slammed into the bubble wall. Though they weren't injured, they were deflected off course, crashing into nearby trees and showering the area in sparks.

Taking advantage of the brief obstruction, Furina flashed forward, lunging toward the pig-headed orc on the left like a released arrow.

These things were mindless monsters, yet they possessed an uncanny, instinctive coordination. If she let the armadillos and silver-backed apes readjust their formation, she would be locked in a death trap.

Seeing her charge, the orc bared its fangs and grinned. Two orcs swung their axes down simultaneously, the crossing blades forming an impenetrable barrier.

Furina didn't intend to take them head-on. She kicked off the ground with a burst of strength, her body suddenly vaulting upward. Her skirt fanned out like butterfly wings, and she stepped off the edge of an orc's axe handle to leap higher.

Having mastered the basics of the Edge of Taixuan, she adjusted her posture effortlessly in mid-air. The sword in her hand seemed to shimmer with a faint, watery light as she plunged it toward the neck of the orc on the right, who hadn't managed to defend in time.

The blade pierced precisely into the soft flesh beneath the orc's throat. With a dull roar, the massive body crashed to the ground, dissolving into black smoke.

But the other orc reacted with shocking speed. Before she could find her footing, the orc swung its axe handle toward her back with savage force.

Furina didn't have time to process the sensation of the water-like power she had just channeled; in the heat of the crisis, she subconsciously turned. The axe handle grazed her shoulder blade, nearly dealing her a grievous injury.

"Lady Furina! To your left!" Lili's startled cry rang out.

Furina snapped her head around, only to see a silver-backed ape lunging toward her, its claws aimed straight at her face.

She parried hastily with her sword, but the moment the claws met the blade, a massive surge of force sent her stumbling back two paces.

A dark premonition rose in her heart. She glanced to the side—the two armadillos deflected by the bubbles had readjusted their trajectory and were charging in again, aimed directly at her escape route.

However, Mademoiselle Crabaletta wouldn't give them that chance. Even if her movement wasn't fast, it was enough to place herself in front of the two armadillos.

Her sturdy pincers blocked the roll of one, and with perfect timing, she spat a bubble from her mouth, hitting the other armadillo square on the head.

Even with its hard shell, the concussive force left it completely dazed on the spot.

"Well done!" Furina smiled, praising her.

The silver-backed ape roared and clawed at her, while an imp nearby joined in, launching a sneak attack from her flank.

Dropping the smile instantly, Furina chose to evade the brunt of the ape's attack, stepping back while simultaneously twisting her wrist.

She wove a flourish with her sword, forcing the imp back, though it still wore a wicked grin.

But just then, the orc that had missed its first swing had prepared another strike. Another imp, using the orc as cover, darted out from behind it. It didn't rush to attack; instead, it ran straight toward Furina's retreat path.

That's too underhanded!

Seeing the silver-backed ape closing in rapidly out of the corner of her eye, Furina knew she would have to bleed this time.

Fortunately, her current mana was still sufficient to summon her Salon.

Just as she decided to retreat and tank the imp's attack, she saw a flash of fire erupt. In an instant, the imp running toward her blind spot was incinerated into ash.

What was happening? Had someone come to help?

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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL