Chapter 281: Stelle Draws Aggro
The brief interlude managed to slightly ease the oppressive atmosphere that had nearly frozen the air solid. Venti's added intel, however, was crucial; it had illuminated the path to final victory.
The special attack squad's objective was now crystal clear. First, they would concentrate their power to destroy the three secondary cores on the monster's arms and chest, weakening its energy supply and external defenses. Finally, they would find a way to shatter the seemingly indestructible carapace on its back and obliterate the abyssal core deep within that sustained its immortality.
"Move out!" Dan Heng's voice was low and sharp, like a sword being drawn from its sheath, cutting through the momentary calm. "Stick to the plan. Two groups, attack the arm cores. Welt, you're on support and containment!"
With a shared understanding that bordered on telepathy, the five of them moved as one. They dissolved into five streaks of colored light, their speed far surpassing that of ordinary mortals, and swiftly circled around the rugged terrain to flank the colossal beast. From the rear, they began searching for the perfect angle, the ideal point of use.
Lumine and Stelle were assigned to the left arm core; Dan Heng and March 7th, the right. Welt remained positioned in the center, ready to unleash the power of the Star of Eden and conjure a simulated black hole at a moment's notice. His role was to precisely swallow the explosive debris from the destroyed cores, preventing the escaping abyssal energy from further poisoning the already traumatized lands of Natlan.
Each of them found their advantageous position and began to gather power.
In an instant, the canyon howled as elemental energy and the power of the Paths surged with stunning violence. In Lumine's hand, the Prototype Rancour began to glow with a brilliant, heavy golden light, as if the very might of the earth was condensing at its tip. Stelle raised her lance-like sword once more, the aura of Destruction coiling around it, its surface flickering with an ominous black light.
A translucent water dragon materialized around Dan Heng's Cloud-Piercing Spear, its eyes cold and piercing. The longbow of crystalline ice in March 7th's hands was already drawn taut, the Six-Phase Ice crystal on her arrow's tip shimmering with a dreamy yet lethal light.
Yet, just as these five powerful energies—each one potent enough to threaten the stability of the beast's cores—peaked in unison behind its relatively vulnerable back, a primal sense of crisis finally pierced through its abyss-addled consciousness. Its most basic instincts for defense and counter-attack flared to life.
"ROOOOAR—!"
A terrifying bellow, loud enough to shatter the canyon walls, erupted from its throat. Its massive body shook violently, sending rocks and debris tumbling down from the cliffs on either side. The dark crystals at the juncture of its shoulder blades and back seemed to pulse with a life of their own, spreading, multiplying, and reshaping themselves at an incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, two impossibly thick, arc-shaped pauldrons, lined with hideous barbs, had formed above the arm cores. Like a pair of giant shields, they smoothly covered and protected the pulsating lights within.
At the same time, its massive right foreclaw, encased in a shell as durable as refined steel, swung backward. It tore through the air with a piercing whistle, slamming down with immense force toward the area where the energy fluctuations were strongest—right where Stelle and Lumine were positioned.
Even before the giant claw arrived, the terrifying wind pressure it generated had already crushed the gravel on the ground into fine powder.
The group's coordinated assault, once perfectly aimed at the cores, was instantly forced to change. Four streams of power, though hastily redirected, merged into a torrent of energy capable of reshaping the landscape. The combined blast slammed head-on into the palm of the descending claw.
BOOM—!
An explosion, many times more violent than Stelle's solo attack from before, detonated.
The point of impact erupted in a blinding flash, followed by a shockwave that spread out like a physical tsunami in a perfect, expanding circle. The beast's giant claw, which could have easily crushed a mountain peak, was thrown high into the air by the coordinated, albeit rushed, strike.
Even its mountain-like body staggered, losing its balance. Its thick, pillar-like hind legs stumbled half a step back in a clumsy retreat, stomping two deep craters into the earth as it narrowly avoided toppling over completely.
"It worked! We stopped it!" March 7th shouted excitedly through the swirling dust.
Although they had failed to destroy any cores as planned, their devastating combined attack had successfully halted the creature's unstoppable advance. More, it had completely drawn its attention, locking its gaze firmly onto the five "insects" behind it—insects who were not only annoying but also possessed the power to pose a genuine threat.
Their first strategic goal—preventing the beast from reaching the Holy Fire Arena—had been preliminarily achieved.
Seeing this, Stelle took a deep breath. Against an enemy with such despairingly high defenses, a sustained barrage of high-frequency attacks aimed at its weak points and energy nodes would likely be more effective than a single, all-out strike.
But she had no intention of skulking in the shadows like an assassin, waiting for an opportunity. As the "tankiest" and most resilient member of the team, she had a self-taught knack for drawing enemy fire. In fact, she found a certain unique pleasure in it.
"Hey! Big guy! Over here! Your opponent is me!" Activating her personal flight gadget, Stelle pushed her mobility to its limit, zipping and weaving in rapid, unpredictable arcs right in front of the beast's massive head.
From time to time, she would lash out with her sword, sending several sharp beams of golden energy flying. While these attacks weren't powerful enough to break its defense, they were like precise surgical scalpels, aimed squarely at its eyes.
The beams of sword light only stirred faint ripples of energy against its ocular shields, but attacking the eyes—the most sensitive and fragile part of any creature—was the ultimate, unbearable provocation.
The beast shook its heavy head in irritation, letting out an enraged hiss as it spat a corrosive, dark purple mist from its maw.
Stelle only grew bolder. She precisely seized the moment the monster opened its giant mouth again to let out another deafening roar. A condensed beam of golden sword energy, infused with the aura of Destruction, shot like a reverse meteor straight into its unprotected, bottomless throat.
A muffled thud echoed from within. Although the attack still failed to cause any visible damage to its tough internal tissues, the intense discomfort and stinging pain of having a foreign object of pure energy impact its throat completely ignited its fury.
It abandoned its original directive to advance, locking all of its frantic attention and destructive desire onto the tiny figure buzzing in front of its eyes—the one who constantly harassed and provoked it.
In a manner that was both roguish and extremely effective, Stelle had firmly pulled all the aggro onto herself.
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