A few minutes must have passed since the Boss Monkey’s roar.

A swarm of monsters came charging at us from the depths of the dungeon.

They were primarily large magical beasts—boars and cattle.

Those weren’t too much trouble.

As the saying “headlong rush” implies, they simply charged straight at us. While there were many of them and they were stronger than the ones we encountered on the upper levels, they were manageable.

The real problem was…

“Ha!”

I caught the neck of a great deer with the 【Ankle Bracelet】, leaving the finishing blow to my snake companions. Then, I quickly retreated.

“Whoa!?”

Even though I had pulled back immediately, a wolf had already sunk its fangs into the spot I had just vacated.

Though I wore armor made from demon king-class materials, being bitten was still something I wanted to avoid.

While the 【Shadow Sword】 and 【Scarlet Bee Stinger】 packed sufficient power, they required close combat.

Fighting a few or even small groups wasn’t an issue, but it was nearly impossible to defeat this horde without creating openings and retreating safely.

Rushing in carelessly would only result in being swarmed by the monsters coming up behind them.

“Here goes!”

Paying close attention to my surroundings, I clung to the back of a monster with the 【Ankle Bracelet】. After my snake companions attacked, I pulled back once more.

It’s like hopping across a fleet of ships, except there aren’t any ships here.

Since I couldn’t land the finishing blow, I couldn’t earn any cards, but safety was my priority.

“Sera! Get back!”

“?!”

At Luban’s shout, I hurriedly distanced myself from the swarm of monsters. In the next instant, a red beam of light pierced through the gap I’d left.

“Whoa…”

The single blast engulfed more than ten monsters, yet reinforcements continued to pour in from deeper within the dungeon.

Most of them were magical beasts, though occasionally smaller creatures like goblins were mixed in. Regardless, there were just too many.

I focused on taking down the bigger ones, but quite a few slipped past us. Not that it mattered much…

“Gah!?”

Fiora swiftly eliminated the monsters that had slipped through using her magic—a spell that burned with intense heat, cutting through them like a fiery blade.

It wasn’t like Zighart’s blinding flash or my flashbang technique, as it wasn’t meant to dazzle the enemy, but it was still overwhelming to look at directly.

Any surviving monsters were methodically taken out by Teresa, who was guarding Fiora.

This side seemed secure. While the monsters were swarming, we were handling them with composure.

The only real concern was if I let my guard down and got hit.

Fighting monsters this strong in chaotic combat wasn’t ideal.

And while retreating upwards was an option, I decided against it for now… More importantly…

“It’s time for an update. I’m pulling out for a bit!”

First, I cast 【Prayer】 on us. Next, I focused on the group facing the Boss Monkey.

◇

The battle against the Boss Monkey was unfolding steadily but without much flair.

Alec was drawing its attacks, August was whittling it down, and Zighart was keeping it in check from a distance.

I wasn’t watching them the entire time, so I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed their priority was to lure it closer to prevent it from escaping.

We still didn’t fully understand this dungeon level, so if the Boss Monkey fled at full speed, we might not be able to catch it.

Despite facing what could be a demon king-class enemy, they were impressively composed.

…Maybe it’s a matter of experience?

“Sera?”

“I came to cast 【Prayer】. How’s it going, Zighart?”

Though Zighart kept his eyes fixed on the Boss Monkey, he seemed to notice my approach.

How does he always realize I’m here?

“Not bad. If we just wanted to kill it, its core is probably the black spot on its chest. Piercing that should do the trick, but it would vanish if we did that. Since you’re here, I assume you’d prefer to take it all back, right?”

“Exactly.”

Despite being demon king-class, the Boss Monkey was still a dungeon-born monster. If we destroyed its core, it might drop relics, but the demon king-class remains would vanish.

“That said, we lack a decisive blow. We’d like to sever one of its limbs, but rushing it might provoke it into fleeing, and we can’t afford that. August is handling most of the offensive for now.”

“I see…”

Alec blocked an arm strike with his shield, creating an opening for August to slash at its left leg. They seemed to be targeting that spot, but the damage was still shallow.

We didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger, but…

“It has its own blessings. Cutting off a limb might be possible, but if it becomes too cautious, we’re in trouble. All I can do from here is try to keep it in place.”

Zighart muttered, sounding slightly frustrated.

Fighting a strong foe while holding back to preserve its remains… What a hassle.

“Should I try creating an opening?”

“Just one move is enough. Think you can manage?”

“I’m not sure, but I think I can.”

Having observed the fight for a while, I had a vague sense of its movements.

Though we called it a Boss Monkey, its body was closer to a gorilla’s, and it stood about three meters tall when upright.

While it occasionally moved on two legs, it was much quicker when using its arms.

This meant its attacks came primarily from either the left or right arm.

Simple but powerful.

Alec countered these strikes with 【Strong Blow】, deflecting them with his shield. However, the creature’s back was wide open during its attacks.

If we exploited that opening, August might have the chance to unleash one of his powerful techniques.

“Both sides still have plenty of stamina. Don’t push yourself too hard, but I’m counting on you.”

After glancing at Teresa and the others in the rear, Zighart encouraged me.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sera・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】【Blessing of Mira】【Floating Orb】【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Stinger】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lungs】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Snake’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】・60 cards

Seriana・【Range Identification】・【】・28 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】・1 card

Alec・【Strong Blow】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・2 cards