Chapter 59: Phoenix
Wingspan’s gotta be five or six meters… incredible, massive bird. But what’s most striking? The fact that it’s not even solid.
Body made entirely of pale blue flames, background visible through it. Activate鉴定...
Phoenix
Spirit Species Level 2981
HP 2140/2140
MP 8320/8320
Strength: 1418
Defense 1265
Magic Defense 2547
Agility 6486
Skill: Dexterity 1080
Intelligence 18652
Luck 3284
Spirit kind... never seen this notation before... I’m just thinking that when I hear a few of the members behind me readying weapons to attack the phoenix.
Not every member of the Vermilion Bird was equipped with qi techniques or magic swords effective against monsters. Those who weren’t got issued weapons made of demon steel—apparently called "magic iron" in China—and fought with those.
The members hurled spears, bows, and short swords made of phantom steel all at once—straight at the phoenix!
But it just slips right through the phoenix. Yeah, no physical form—guess physical attacks don’t work.
Magic might work… but using it here? Hmm… Before I could finish thinking it, the phoenix circling above suddenly spread its wings wide and let out a loud, threatening cry!
Is she mad ‘cause I threw a spear? The phoenix flaps her wings, frantically. Tiny blue flames leap from the feathers—flying straight at me. The fragments explode into massive flames, raining down at terrifying speed!!
Exploded on impact, flames shooting up! Even the “Suzaku” members are freaking out.
"Me and Liu—handle this! Everyone else, back off!!"
Wang shouted, stepping forward with Deputy Commander Liu, weapons raised as they blocked the descending phoenix!
Even if she was strong, fighting a foe immune to physical attacks would be a disadvantage... I was about to rush in to help when Wang’s staff slammed the phoenix down!!
Liu wasn’t as strong as Wang, but he wrapped his body and weapon in “qi (aura).” His spear strikes seemed to be affecting the phoenix too!
So that qi really does work like magic. The level difference is huge, but still—she’s holding her own.
Every time the phoenix tried to rise, Wang smashed it back down. Every time it hit the ground, Liu’s spear struck!
"Could this… actually work?"
The moment I thought that, the phoenix blazed with light and exploded!! Wang and Liu were sent flying!
Stunned by the sudden turn, I watched as the phoenix soared high into the sky, spreading its wings wide and launching dozens of fireballs straight at the "Suzaku" group! Explosions erupted everywhere—team members caught in the blast!
"Sorry, but I can’t let you go any further..."
I raised my right hand, gathering power.
"Gravity Crush (Gravity Press)!!"
The phoenix was slammed into the ground! Even if it was just flame, gravity would still affect it.
Trapped, unable to move, it let out a sound like a scream, desperately trying to resist—but I’ll finish this right here!
I brought both hands to my chest, compressing space with force!
"——Gravity Collapse Space (Gravity Cube)——!!!"
The space around the phoenix warped under extreme gravity. It screamed without sound, flames vanishing completely.
"Teim!"
The magic circle appears, light stretching upward into the sky... I check the listboard in my right hand...
"Wait!? It failed! Why—??"
Weird. Why did it fail? At that moment, a small light rises into the sky... The light blazes with intense brilliance, transforming once more into the blue-flamed phoenix!!
"What the hell is this thing!?"
I take another look with "Identify," checking the stats again. I hadn’t properly examined the [Skills] earlier...
In the [Unique Skill] section, several entries are listed. One catches my eye—I focus on it, scrutinizing it further.
UR
Cannot die.
"What?! It can't die!?!"
If it can’t be killed, then obviously it can’t be tamed. What now...? I don’t have a way to knock it down. No way to catch it. Nothing at all.
The phoenix circles high above, then vanishes with a mocking flicker.
Wang and Liu stagger toward me. They must’ve used Qi to shield themselves during the explosion—avoided fatal wounds.
The "Vermilion Bird" members are littered with injuries, but no one’s dead.
"Gojo… what happened to that flame bird?"
Wang asks me while casting Healing Magic on himself. He’s clearly battered.
"Escaped. Chasing it seems impossible…"
"Ah… right…"
Wang speaks weakly, his exhaustion impossible to hide.