The Dungeon of Fire - 9

"Everyone, get back..."

Before I could even shout, the monster rose and charged straight at me.

I instinctively tried to avoid a direct collision, but in the end, I couldn't dodge completely—my right leg ended up crushed beneath the beast.

A sickening crack echoed from deep within my body, followed by a searing pain.

I couldn't even scream from the agony, but there was no time to worry about it.

The tsuchinoko-like monster turned toward us and opened its mouth wide. If this continues, I'll be eaten.

I tried to escape using magic, but before I could, a shadow passed over my field of vision.

Alex swung his battle axe upward from beneath the tsuchinoko's lower jaw. The blade didn't cut through the tough scales, but it did deflect the monster's head off course.

In that moment, Kenny pulled me away from the tsuchinoko. My legs were already turning crimson. Enduring the pain, I hastily used a healing crystal. The pain gradually subsided.

Healing crystals have a significant drawback: the more severe the injury, the more temporary the recovery becomes. For instance, if you heal a broken bone with a healing crystal and immediately resume strenuous activity, the bone will fracture again—possibly worse than before.

I can't afford to make any more reckless movements in this battle.

"Taro, I'm going to use a gun. I need to keep my body firmly fixed. What do you think about using a magical tricycle?"

Clara suggests.

It's true I shouldn't move around any further. But I still have to keep dodging attacks.

I signaled to Clara, and we both jumped onto the magical tricycle. Clara mounted the rear platform and readied her gun. She secured herself and the weapon firmly, bracing for impact.

The magical tricycle began moving.

Alex and Kenny scattered, drawing the monster's attention as they moved around. Meanwhile, we slipped behind the beast.

Clara aimed carefully, channeling magical energy into the gem embedded in the gun. The barrel gradually heated to a red glow.

With a thunderous roar, the bullet was fired.

Though the bullet flew at an unimaginable speed, the target was moving, and the intense vibrations made the trajectory—intended for the head—hit the monster just below the neck.

Yet, unlike any previous attack, no matter how powerful, which had only barely cracked the scales, this bullet clearly pierced through the scales and inflicted damage.

The tsuchinoko's furious expression stared directly at them. It howled with a sound that shook the very air.

"Clara, next round!"

"The barrel's still too hot! We can't load the powder and bullet like this!"

Averting their face from the scorching red barrel, they shouted.

Undeterred by such circumstances, the demon beast charged forward.

With one hand steering the arcane tricycle, I drew out a wind crystal with my other hand and pressed it against the barrel, generating wind to cool it down.

The demon beast pursued us.

Yet we were not alone here. Alek launched a full-force slash at it.

Alek actively targeted the areas where his attacks landed, steadily piling up damage.

The demon beast charged again with its signature high-speed dash, aiming for the magic tri-wheel. But its movement was halted abruptly as a massive rock struck its face.

It was Kenny who threw it. Of course, such a blow wouldn't even scratch the demon beast.

With the time gained, the barrel had cooled sufficiently. The next round was fired.

Aiming not for the small head, but at the body to ensure solid damage.

Perfect hit.

The bullet struck the large gemstone at the center, visible in its abdomen, shattering it and piercing through.

The demon beast writhed, clearly affected by the attack. Then it rose to its feet, glaring at the attacker.

The demon beast wasn't going to take it passively. It prepared its next move, as if to say just that.

To my astonishment, the demon beast leapt into the air. It must have risen at least three to four meters, even from its lowest point—clearly aiming to land directly on the magical tricycle.

I pushed the magical tricycle at full speed, narrowly avoiding impact, but the reckless maneuver, combined with accumulated damage from earlier, caused the rear axle to snap.

Clara and I were thrown clear of the magical tricycle.

Kenny slid into cover, blocking the incoming charge, while Alex countered with a strike.

Clara and I kept cooling the barrel without giving up. We managed to cool it down once more, and the next round fired. The bullet struck the one eye, blinding me.

I'm fine—definitely dealing damage.

Both sides froze, locked in a tense standoff.

One wrong decision, and life could be lost in an instant.

The tsuchinoko monster moved first. It opened its mouth wide and tilted it downward.

What on earth is it trying to do?

From the downward-pointing mouth, a thick cloud of white mist poured out. Was that poison mist created by the monster!?

The white mist, like a heavy gas, moved slowly and began pooling at ground level. Clara quickly covered her mouth, while Kenny held his breath—but since he'd already been short of breath, he soon started breathing heavily again.

The poisonous mist lingers mostly around the chupacabra, but it's still being emitted in massive quantities. Soon, it will fill the entire room.

Receiving such a large dose of poison would kill in an instant... Think! What do we do?!

The toxic fog is rapidly approaching. All three of them are frozen, unable to decide what to do. Wasting time in worry won't help.

We have to act—otherwise we'll die!

I pull out both wind crystals and activate them. Gradually, wind begins to form, spreading evenly and creating a hole in the white mist that stands like a wall.

I’m using the generated wind to push back part of the toxic fog, but that’s not enough to repel all of the poison mist spreading through the space.

More! I need something stronger—larger whirlwinds that suck in the surrounding air, massive storms like typhoons, towering columns of wind like tornadoes.

Focus on this image and keep pouring in the wind.

More! More! More!

The sounds around you fade away.

Concentrate intensely only on the thick mist before you and the wind you're creating, amplifying the image even further. Stronger wind!

Gradually, your awareness drifts away from what you can see. You can still see things, but your mind no longer focuses on them. You think only of generating wind.

Taro doesn't notice.

The geometric patterns spilling out from the magic stone he had created, the powerful wind emanating from it—bright white and far surpassing the wind he had shown before—

The others looked at each other in turn.

The geometric patterns on Taro’s magic stone, the white mist being devoured, the massive swirling vortex tinged white—

“This… this is…,” “Incredible… this is magic…,” “…uhh…,”

The mist that had spread throughout the space was completely swallowed, and the massive vortex was slamming into the tsuchinoko's monster. The vortex was pulling air from every corner of the room, creating an eerie, mysterious current.

Clara had been staring in awe, but suddenly realized and raised her gun. The enemy's monster, immobilized by an unimaginable wind speed, was now completely still.

Taking careful aim, she fired.

The bullet was drawn into the demon beast.

The bullet became intensely hot, and that heat spread to the toxic gas.

Apparently flammable—within moments, it ignited and spread rapidly, causing the white mass to expand several times its original size.

The mysterious airflow within the room ceased, and intense heat and explosive force erupted outward.