“Fufufu…”

I kick, slash, thrust, and kick again at the Giant Apes, finishing off the paralyzed monsters lying around.

Though I can’t get close to the core in their chest, I consistently deal damage with quick dives from above, followed by immediate retreats.

The Giant Ape tries its best to land an attack on me, but it struggles with upward strikes. The stones it occasionally throws don’t even come close to hitting me and are easily avoidable.

Honestly, at this rate, I could probably take it down. But managing to disable both its arms this time was pure luck. It’s unlikely things will go this smoothly in the future.

“…Alright. It’s about time, isn’t it?”

Checking the timer, I see that the cooldown for 【Danrem’s Thread】 is about to end.

Still, I should give it a little more time before making my move, just to be sure.

“Alright… This is the moment.”

After a few more minutes of relentless kicks, I glance at the timer again to confirm the cooldown is complete. I also check the 【Burning Orb】 firmly gripped in my right hand.

Alright, let’s do this!

“Ho!”

The Giant Ape attempts to intercept me as I charge straight at it, but its arms, still incapacitated, fail to lift in time.

Frozen shoulders, maybe? Poor thing.

“Hah!”

Using the momentum of my charge, I deliver a powerful kick. The Giant Ape’s short, thick neck doesn’t allow the force to fully reach its brain, so it doesn’t get a concussion, but it does leave the creature vulnerable for a moment.

That brief opening is exactly what I was waiting for.

“Take this!”

With a flick of my wrist, I toss the 【Burning Orb】 directly at its head.

Though I’d mocked the Giant Ape for its weak throws earlier, my own throw isn’t much better. Still, precision matters more than power right now. This isn’t about inflicting damage but making sure the orb hits.

The result? A perfect hit to its face.

As the orb makes contact, the wrapping dissolves, and its contents spread over the targeted area. The viscous liquid clings tightly, and after a brief pause, smoke rises, followed by sudden flames.

◇

“Whoa…”

I might’ve gone too far.

Watching the chaos unfold, I can’t help but let out a groan.

The Giant Ape, now engulfed in flames from the 【Burning Orb】, tries to smother the fire by clutching its face, but its arms won’t cooperate. Desperately, it collapses to the ground, rolling in an attempt to extinguish the blaze.

Even after enduring injuries to its arms and my relentless attacks, it hadn’t shown signs of faltering. But now…

I can’t help but feel a bit cruel.

Well, I did set it on fire after tormenting it for so long, so that tracks.

…Anyway!

The Giant Ape has completely forgotten about me in its panic.

If its face suddenly burst into flames, that’d be enough to throw anyone into a frenzy.

Especially in a dungeon where fire is an entirely unfamiliar sight.

“…Wait! This isn’t the time to be spacing out!”

No amount of rolling or scratching can extinguish these flames. But I don’t have the luxury to sit back and watch, either.

I need to finish this.

Taking about 10 meters’ distance, I position myself at the Giant Ape’s side and activate 【Danrem’s Thread】.

Though the creature is hunched over and relatively still, there’s a chance it might suddenly move or roll in an unexpected direction. From the side, I have a clearer shot.

“Alright… Here goes!”

With careful aim, I fire at the crouching Giant Ape.

The sound of the thread striking the ground echoes across the chamber, accompanied by a thick cloud of dust kicked up by the impact.

“Whoa! Ah… Phew. Let’s see now…”

I quickly ascend to avoid the debris and check if the attack worked.

No response.

Success.

The Giant Ape is down.

It seems that if 【Danrem’s Thread】 lands directly, it’s strong enough to take down even a Giant Ape.

Still…

To think that just one additional item would make such a dramatic difference, allowing me to defeat an opponent I’d almost given up on…

Sure, disabling both arms this time was a stroke of luck, but even without it, I’d likely have managed the same result.

Giant Apes… They’re pretty tough, but still.

“…Huh?”

As I reflect on the Giant Ape’s final moments and bask in a faint sense of emptiness from the victory, I feel a tug on my left sleeve.

It’s the Red-Eye. What does it want?

I turn to face it, but—

“Whoa!?”

The moment I move, something strikes 【Wind Cloak】 with a loud impact.

Though 【Amber Shield】 remains intact, I instinctively reinforce it and reposition myself.

Looking toward the source of the attack, I see several ogres glaring in my direction.

Ah… They respawned.

It’s been about 30 minutes since I first defeated them, after all.

Damn it! Just as I was feeling sentimental, they had to interrupt!

I’ll crush them!

With renewed determination, I activate all my blessings and buffs, readying myself for battle.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Seria ・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】・13 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・28 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・8 cards