Chapter 75: Practical Dungeon Exam (VIII)
"Cough, kaughff..."
Gray coughed blood onto the stone as he held his chest in pain-
"Fuck..."
His ribs felt cracked, his back torn, but his eyes... his eyes glowed sharper than ever.
He spat to the side and forced himself to his feet.
"...Shut up. Screaming won’t kill it."
GRAAHHH!
The monster roared, claws slamming down where he had stood.
BOOM!
The ground split, and in that instant, Gray’s body blurred as he swapped places with a loose stone on the floor, reappearing several steps away.
"Listen." His voice came rough but sharp.
"We’re not killing this thing with brute force. It’s too tough. We break it down piece by piece, by using its damn dumbness against itself."
"Then tell us what to do!" Claire staggered closer, flames flickering at her arms.
"Claire, focus on its eyes. Blind it, keep it wild. Don’t stop burning."
She clenched her fists, nodding.
"Got it."
Gray turned to Selina, who was already clutching Mira’s shoulder, water magic weaving faintly around them.
"Selina, you’re defense and support. Don’t waste your mana on me unless I’m about to die. Save it for barriers and Mira."
Her lips trembled, but she nodded.
"Fine... just don’t die."
Finally, his eyes shifted to Mira, and his voice hardened slighly, after all, he , was still mad with her.
"Mira. You’re the shield. But more than that, you’ll be the cage."
"C-cage?" she stammered.
Gray smirked faintly despite the blood dripping down his chin.
"Yeah. When I say so, you trap this bastard in as much stone as you can. Don’t worry about crushing me, I’ll get out."
Mira swallowed hard but nodded, determination flickering behind her fear.
The monster stomped, broken wings scraping the stone.
Its molten eyes locked on Gray again.
"Alright..." Gray flexed his fingers, threads sharpening into long, black blades. His breath came ragged, but his grin widened.
"Time to put this fucker down."
BOOOOM!
The monster lunged again, claws outstretched.
FWIP!
Gray’s body vanished, reappearing where Claire had stood, while Claire blinked in shock, now in the monster’s direct path.
"Claire, NOW!" Gray barked.
Her hesitation lasted only a second-
FWOOOM!
Flames erupted, engulfing the monster’s face as its claws tore through the space she’d just vacated.
It screeched, blinded, clawing wildly at the blaze.
"Mira!" Gray roared.
RUMBLE!
The ground split open, jagged stone walls rising around the beast, locking its arms in place.
The monster thrashed, shattering chunks of rock, but the walls kept reforming, spikes driving into its flesh.
"Selina, reinforce it!"
SHHHHH!
Water surged, coating Mira’s walls, hardening them into slick, crystal-like barriers. The monster slammed against them, but the layers held.
"Good..." Gray muttered, threads snapping out to dig into the monster’s limbs.
Blood poured down his chest, his vision blurring, but his eyes never left the beast.
He tugged hard, pulling himself up the monster’s chest again.
His threads stabbed into its glowing cracks, carving deeper.
SHRRRIP!
The monster shrieked, thrashing harder, breaking free of one wall.
Gray was nearly thrown off, but then, he swapped places with a shard of stone, reappearing right above its head.
His threads lashed down, stabbing into its neck.
"Keep it distracted!" he roared.
Claire hurled another firestorm, Selina reinforced the barrier, and Mira poured everything into the cage, stone spikes impaling deeper into the monster’s legs.
"We’re not strong enough to kill it straight! So we’ll tear it down piece by piece, burn its eyes, break its limbs, choke it in its own prison, until I rip out its core!"
The girls nodded at his words.
GRAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!
The monster thrashed, its glowing cracks spreading wider, molten light pouring from its body as the cavern shook.
Gray’s bloody grin widened.
"Let’s make this fucker scream."
Fwip!
Gray’s threads dug into the beast’s arm, pulling him up. His ribs screamed in pain, but he ignored them.
The monster swung its other claw at him.
"Dammit."
Gray let go and dropped, swapping with a stone shard below. He reappeared on the ground, just as the claw smashed through the wall where he had been.
CRASH!
Shards of rock tore through the air as the monster’s claw smashed into the ground. Pebbles and dust hit Gray’s face, stinging his eyes.
"Claire, keep burning it!" Gray shouted.
Claire thrust both hands forward.
FWOOOSH!
A stream of fire burst out, bright orange flames wrapping around the monster’s head.
Its molten eyes hissed and popped as the blaze swallowed them, the smell of burning sulfur filling the cavern.
The beast howled, its head jerking side to side, but Gray didn’t waste the chance.
"Selina! Reinforce Mira!"
Mira planted her feet, arms trembling as she thrust them upward.
RUMBLE!
The ground split apart.
Thick stone walls erupted around the monster’s legs, jagged spikes stabbing into its flesh. Dark blood hissed as it hit the hot stone.
Selina raised her hands quickly, water magic rushing out like a wave.
SHHHHH!
The water spread across Mira’s stone walls, hardening them into sharp, glassy crystal.
The cage locked tighter, trapping the monster’s legs so deep that the cracks spread across its skin.
The beast let out a furious roar, the sound bouncing off the cavern walls.
GRAAAAHHH!
Its tail whipped around and slammed into the floor.
BOOOOM!
The ground shook violently. Claire lost her balance and was thrown off her feet. She hit the stone and rolled, coughing dust out of her lungs.
"Mira, close it tighter!" Gray barked, his chest heaving.
Mira screamed as she pulled her arms together, sweat running down her forehead.
The stone cage squeezed harder.
Spikes jutted deeper into the monster’s thighs, grinding bone. The beast roared in pain, shaking the whole cavern.
But its strength wasn’t gone.
With a violent swing, it smashed its massive arm through one of the walls.
CRASH!
Chunks of stone exploded outward.
The monster tried to pull free.
Gray vanished in a blur, swapping with a broken shard near its shoulder. He appeared above its neck, his body twisted midair.
"DIE YOU BASTARD!"
His black threads lashed down, stabbing into the glowing cracks along its throat.
SHRRRIP!
Flesh tore as sparks of molten light burst out. The monster shook wildly, trying to throw him off.
Its claws slashed upward, cutting through the air.
Gray swapped again in an instant, reappearing behind Claire.
His knees buckled when he landed, blood dripping from his chin to the stone floor.
"Claire... I-its chest! Burn it now!"
Claire pushed herself up, jaw tight.
Her fists clenched, flames building around them until her whole body glowed with heat. She screamed and slammed both hands forward.
FWOOOOM!
A huge fireball burst from her arms and smashed into the beast’s chest.
The impact shook the cavern.
The molten cracks along its torso widened, glowing brighter and brighter, steam hissing out as if its whole body was boiling.
The monster reeled back, its howl tearing through the stone walls.
GRAAAAAHHHHH!
It swung its claws everywhere, wild and blind, ripping through stone pillars and sending rubble flying in every direction.
Every swing sent shards of rock flying across the cavern. Claire raised her arms to shield her face, the heat from her own flames burning her skin.
"Mira, hold it down!" Gray yelled, blood dripping from his mouth.
"On it!" Mira grit her teeth and slammed both hands down.
RUMBLE!
The floor split apart again, massive stone pillars shooting up around the monster’s arms and chest.
The walls locked tight, pressing hard against its body.
The beast thrashed, but Mira screamed and pushed harder.
The stone closed like a vice, stabbing deep into its flesh. Black blood gushed out, sizzling as it hit the molten cracks.
"Selina, reinforce now!"
"Ugh...!" Selina’s voice shook, but she pressed her palms together.
SHHHHHH!
Water poured out, coating Mira’s stone with a crystal sheen. The whole cage hardened, shimmering like glass, cutting into the monster’s body every time it moved.
The monster roared, the sound tearing at their ears.
GRAAAAHHHHH!
Its body glowed brighter, the cracks across its chest opening wider, light spilling out like fire through broken stone.
Gray’s eyes locked on it.
He finally could see the core glowing inside.
"That’s it... the core..." he muttered, panting.
He staggered forward, then blurred. In an instant, he swapped with a loose stone shard wedged in the monster’s chest.
He reappeared right above the open crack, threads snapping out of his arms.
STAB!
SHRRRIP!
The threads tore deep into the wound, pulling it apart. Heat scorched his skin, but Gray didn’t stop. He yanked harder, widening the split.
"CLAIRE!" he screamed.
"Burn the core!"
Claire’s eyes went wide.
"DIE YOU STUPID MONSTER!!!"
She gathered everything she had left, her body trembling. Fire built up around her arms, brighter and hotter than before.
She roared and hurled a blazing sphere straight into the monster’s chest.
FWOOOOOOM!
The fireball slammed into the exposed core, exploding inside its body.
The beast shrieked, the sound deafening. Its molten light flickered wildly, the cracks spreading all across its form.
"MIRA! SEAL IT OPEN!"
Mira let out a cry and threw both arms forward.
BOOOM!
Stone spikes shot straight through the monster’s torso, pinning the chest wide so the core remained exposed.
Gray clenched his teeth, blood dripping from his chin. His threads stabbed directly into the glowing orb inside.
Crack...!
The core shattered.
The monster let out one last roar.
GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!
KAAAA-BOOOOOOM!!!
Its whole body erupted in molten light. The cavern shook as if the world itself split. Fire and steam blasted out in every direction.
Gray swapped at the last second, reappearing on the ground beside the others as the explosion ripped past him.
They all covered their faces as heat seared the air.
When the smoke cleared, the monster’s body lay broken in the ruins of its own cage. Its molten glow had gone dark, its limbs twisted and still.
Silence filled the cavern.
"Hagh... dammit, ugh..."
Gray staggered to one knee, gasping, blood running down his chin. His threads retracted, disappearing into his gloves
He looked at the corpse, his eyes burning with exhaustion.
"It’s... dead," he said hoarsely.
Thud...!
Mira collapsed onto her knees, trembling. Selina sank to the ground, covering her mouth with shaking hands. Claire fell back, flames gone, chest heaving as she stared at the ruined beast.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
Only their ragged breaths filled the silence.
At last, Gray gave a weak, bloody grin.
"We won."
"You call this winning? We’re half-dead." Selina let out a rough laugh, but it cracked into a cough.
"But... we’re alive. That’s what matters." Claire shook her head, still breathing hard.
"I... I thought it was going to crush us. I... I almost lost control of the stone." Mira’s voice came out weak and shaky.
Gray looked at her, blood still dripping from his chin.
His smile faded as his eyes grew cold.
"But you didn’t. That’s the only reason we’re still breathing."
Mira swallowed and lowered her head.
"...I’m sorry."
"Don’t start blaming her now. We all pushed everything we had into that fight. None of us could’ve done it alone," Selina clenched her fists, glaring at Gray.
Gray held her stare for a long moment, then sighed, leaning back against the wall.
"Yeah. Maybe. But the next one won’t give us time to argue."
[Gray, I’m sorry to interrupt your little rest, but...]
Jasmine’s voice echoed in his head.
"...But?"
[There are at least five more of those monsters coming towards you.]
His eyes instantly widened at her words.