Chapter 611 - Earth-Shattering
The special effect of my Nia-made outfit, [El-Gran Stasia], called [Stasis Rabbit], is simple to explain in words.
It stores accumulated damage.
It's a scaled-down version of the Threatening Freeze boasted by [Epel, Great Ice Spirit Guardian], an incomplete ability that shouldn't even be viable on its own.
Why is it incomplete? Because unlike the Great Spirit, it can't nullify an opponent's power 'before' taking a hit; it can only suppress it 'after' the fact.
Furthermore, what it can nullify isn't the damage itself, but only the time of its impact.
And even that isn't forever—only for twelve seconds. It's a severely limited ability… Normally, under ordinary circumstances, it's nothing more than a way to postpone death for twelve seconds while being pummeled.
However, there is one exception in this virtual world who can make ridiculously effective use of this ability. The reason being, the damage release action for [Stasis Rabbit] is—
recalculated as self-destruct damage before being unleashed.
"—Gubebaraaah?!"
Even a body that massive is bound to be sent flying when it takes the combined force and impact of its own full-power, rage-fueled punch and grinding stomp. But this was merely the result of a trade.
In the end, I was just caught in the damage release, and the epicenter—me—couldn't escape the immense devastation that once again assaulted my avatar. So, on to emergency measure number two.
Activate [Flash Traveler].
Still bound by the stun that naturally occurred from the onslaught of impact effects, my body, sent flying at tremendous speed, vanished just before slamming into the wall.
A short-range spatial teleportation. Thanks to the skill that lets me place my body anywhere within my line of sight, completely ignoring my previous situation, I, having landed what I believe were about six blows, managed to stick a safe landing and—
"Ubek."
Unfortunately, I couldn't dodge the debuffs. My paralyzed body collapsed to the floor with a splat, thanks to the massive vibration from the great dragon crashing into the opposite wall.
Not the smoothest landing, but I'm alive.
My HP was blown away, down to a clean ten percent, but the crown shining above my head swallowed the future where I would have died from the self-destruct—that's right, self-destruct damage equals self-inflicted damage.
It falls under the nullification effect of [Crown Crown].
…And with that.
"Alrighty then…"
I've played several trump cards and managed to land a solid blow, it seems, but…
"What do I do from here…?"
I looked at the status bar of the [Feidran Tyrantinus] as it let out an angry roar and got back up, full of vigor—its remaining health: twenty-three bars, flat.
It was, as always, in high spirits and peak condition.
My own condition was disastrous: one-tenth of my health, most of my emergency escape options on cooldown, and my right hand immobile as the price for forcing a path open. Did I play my hand too thoughtlessly, knowing I couldn't win anyway?
I hear it all the time… “You rely too much on momentum and gut feelings to handle situations,” says a certain invincible samurai. I’m well aware of it, so mind your own business.
In any case, my strength lies in being able to brute-force my way through with sheer numbers, no matter how carelessly I play my cards.
"Senten."
I activate my right bracelet, covering my disabled right arm with countless shadow threads. Even if my body can't move, the threads respond to my thoughts, so I can at least attach a weapon and swing it around crudely.
I then sent a shadow thread over to my spear lying in the distance and reeled it in. All good. We're both in high spirits. Until I land the remaining four blows—
"Sorry, but you'll have to put up with me a little long—… Huh, what…?"
It's only now that I notice.
My counterattack landed, the dragon was sent flying, and the chamber shook.
That's all fine, a natural phenomenon. But the beast, which has long since regained its footing and is now glaring at me with hatred, has stopped moving, and yet…
Why does it feel like the shaking hasn't stopped?
SCREEEEEEEEEEECH…
"Eh, whoa, what the—?!"
Who noticed and let out a confused voice first, the boss or me?
My mind immediately jumped to the mysterious anomaly that triggered the start of this battle, caused by something unknown. So, naturally, I looked down at my feet—
and the moment I realized the source of the tremor was approaching not from below, but from the side,
"—Heeeeeave-hooooooo!"
Along with a cheerful and energetic voice completely out of place on this tense battlefield,
"Huh, you—what the hell?!"
"Alright, found Har-kun! Your backup has arrived!"
The [Traveler] smashed through the wall with a spear of raging wind and leaped onto the one-on-one stage.
Right. May I ask one thing?
You came to help, and I'll set aside the “why” for a moment—
"Hey, you…!"
This pack of what appear to be extremely enraged Feidran Tyrantinus that you've brought with you,
"Which part of this is supposed to be 'backup'?!"