kscans

Chapter 90 - The Path of Calamity 5. The Hunt (Part 1)

"...There it is. In the shade of that tree."

As they approached the area where the carriage was thought to have been attacked, Yuri warned Kudol. Though they were getting closer, there was still plenty of distance. It was uncertain whether the monster, the Tyrantbot, had spotted them yet. There was ample opportunity for a preemptive strike.

"...Where?"

"Look, that tree... a little way off the road, the one with the thick trunk for its height..."

"...That one! ...Now that you mention it, there’s some kind of unnatural shimmer... How did you spot it so clearly, Yuri?"

"Because I’ve seen it once before. If I’m not careful, I’ll be the one ambushed. If that happens, someone like me would be done for in an instant, so my vigilance is a matter of life and death."

The others had their objections to his "done for in an instant" comment, but they had enough sense not to bring it up now. In any case, if the enemy was there, all they could do was prepare.

"...Looks like even Appraisal is being deflected. I can’t tell its attributes or its strength."

"You should assume that direct magical attacks won’t get through. It really depends on its attributes, but right now we don't know what they are. It deflected the fire magic from ‘Red Sandstorm,’ so it must have the fire attribute, but what other attributes it might have..."

"A surprise attack in this situation... isn't that difficult?"

"Dalia, can you kill it with your bow?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t even see its exact position. Besides, according to Yuri-kun’s explanation, its long, tough fur protects it from bladed attacks, right?"

"It’s not completely ineffective, but it’s certainly hard to get through. Piercing attacks are relatively effective, though."

"Don’t expect my bow to have that much penetrating power. It might be enough for a distraction, but I can’t deliver a fatal blow with the first shot."

"What about blunt attacks? If it’s like wearing armor, then a blunt attack should get through, right?"

"Who’s going to get close and hit it?"

"It’ll notice us before we get close, won’t it?"

"Yuri, what about your earth magic?"

"That thing is sensitive to the movement of magic. A magical attack from a long distance will definitely be detected."

Faced with this depressing explanation, Kudol made a decision.

"A surprise attack while we’re hidden is impossible. We’ll quickly surround it and take it down with coordinated attacks. Katra, just keep firing magic and expose its attributes."

Yuri might be able to pull off a surprise attack, but he couldn’t let him do something so dangerous. Kudol opted for a head-on fight.

*

"Tch! What a tough bastard!"

"Fall back, Kudol!"

Although they were a C-class party, Kudol the swordsman was the only one in "Lucky Footsteps" who handled close-quarters physical attacks. The scout, Fray, was a beastman with excellent physical abilities, but his weapon was a dagger, which put him at a disadvantage against the Tyrantbot. Dalia’s bow was serving as nothing more than a distraction, and Katra’s magic wasn't getting through. The Tyrantbot’s attributes had been revealed, and it turned out to have three of them, fire, wind, and water. For Katra, who specialized in fire and wind magic, it was a natural enemy. For now, she was sharing the defensive duties with the tank, Orban, and holding on, but it was clear that if this continued, they would be slowly worn down and overwhelmed.

"...Kudol-san, can you draw its attention for a little while?"

"Huh? I can manage that much, but?"

"Please. I’ll try to land a surprise attack somehow."

By the time Kudol could ask what he meant, Yuri’s form had melted away as if dissolving. He instinctively looked around, but there was no trace of him, not even a presence. So this is what a surprise attack is, he thought, marveling at Yuri’s stealth skills. With this, he could probably fool the Tyrantbot’s eyes and ears and get close.

"Whoops... For that to happen, we’ve got to do a good job as decoys."

Kudol and the others pulled themselves together and challenged the Tyrantbot once more. The Tyrantbot, having lost its patience, tried to break away and escape, but the coordinated movements of "Lucky Footsteps" didn’t allow it. But...

"Guh!"

"Fray!!"

As he tried to retreat, the scout Fray’s foot caught on a tree stump, and he lost his balance. The monster’s vicious claws, not missing the opportunity, lunged at the scout.

"Fray, no!!"

Just when all seemed lost, a stone wall appeared between the two at the last second, attempting to block the Tyrantbot’s claws... and was promptly destroyed. The earth magic defense couldn't stop the Tyrantbot’s attack, but it had bought precious time... or so it seemed.