Mikoto witnessed Zephyr, who was much stronger than her, only managing to stalemate the Soldier Frog. She knew in her heart that the unprecedented creature before them had strength at least around Level 2, and attacking rashly would only put herself in danger. She had to utilize her own advantages.
Mikoto took a deep breath, her eyes focused intently on the Soldier Frog, an expression of solemnity appearing on her face.
Immediately after, she began to chant softly.
"I respectfully speak to you, my War God that can break through any thing, lead me from the precious heaven."
"Give my petty body divine power of your grand body. Rescue them light of purification, sword of crushing evil. Sweep sword of suppression, sacred sword of conquest."
It arrives here now by my order. Descend from heaven, rule the earth - shinbu tousei!"
Futsunomitama!
Purple brilliance enveloped the area where the Soldier Frog was located. A heavy pressure appeared out of thin air, suppressing it's body in place.
The Soldier Frog tried its best to break free from the restraints, but the effect of the gravity magic far exceeded the power it could struggle against. It was forced flat against the ground, completely unable to move.
Just at this moment, Lefiya's magic incantation was finally completed.
"Tinge them with flame, the lamplight of the forest. Release them, the fire arrows of the fairies. Falling like rain, burn away the savages."
Boom!
The explosion engulfed the Soldier Frog, the mucus on its skin evaporating rapidly under the intense heat, and its dark green camouflage skin began to char and peel off.
"Croak!" It let out a shrill cry.
When the explosion subsided, Zephyr was surprised by the Soldier Frog's wretched appearance. Its body was covered in charred marks, and parts of its skin seemed to be falling off, revealing the pink flesh underneath.
He turned his head to look in the direction where Mikoto was. She remained in a crouching posture, beads of sweat oozing from her forehead.
So, this was how she participated in the battle?
"Let's end this quickly."
Zephyr reined in his thoughts, knowing he had no time to waste. He once again took the initiative and charged toward the Soldier Frog.
Since the mucus on its skin had been cleared away by Lefiya's magic, now was the perfect time to finish it off.
After picking up the black greatsword that had fallen to the ground, he rushed forward. However, as his figure darted back into the effective range of the gravity magic, it's effects enveloped him as well.
This gravity magic is this intense?
Zephyr felt the heavy pressure bearing down on his body.
His forward speed was clearly suppressed, and every step required much more energy, but he couldn't afford to worry about that now.
Overheat!
Even under the suppression of the gravity magic, he maintained a remarkably fast speed and sprinted right in front of the monster.
He swung the black greatsword in his hand, aiming at its constantly pulsating abdomen, and thrust forward.
Pfft!
Without the protection of its mucus and having been scorched by the high heat, the tip of the greatsword easily pierced into the its body.
Zephyr gripped the hilt of the greatsword with both hands and slashed downward, disemboweling the Gourmet Creature before him.
Fun fact: The larger a creature, the more pressure it has to bear, and this principle applies just as well to Gourmet Creatures.
In an instant, the entrails and intestines inside the Soldier Frog's abdominal cavity poured out, and the scarlet luster in the monster's five pairs of eyes gradually dimmed.
Although he already had a very clear understanding of Zephyr's monstrous strength back when they resolved the Monster Feast, Ouka had never imagined that when fighting with full force against this strange frog, he would be this strong.
The scales that provided defense and that bright red skin from earlier, all symbolized that something was out of the ordinary.
Was this some kind of special skill Zephyr possessed?
He mostly felt like he was just tagging along. Zephyr and Lefiya served as the main force in this battle, while Mikoto provided crucial support.
As for himself?
He looked at the Soldier Frog's corpse on the ground and asked, "Is the battle over?"
"Yeah."
Zephyr turned around, his gaze shifting toward Mikoto who was covered in sweat.
To be honest, he was genuinely a bit surprised. He hadn't expected that teammates found randomly on the roadside would be such super-functional players. If the gravity magic hadn't restricted the Soldier Frog's movements, winning wouldn't have been so smooth.
"Mikoto-san" Zephyr nodded with a smile and gave an honest assessment: "Thanks to your magic, otherwise, clearing this wouldn't have been so smooth."
Was she being praised?
Facing Zephyr's sincere gaze, Mikoto's cheeks flushed slightly. She knew that her limited abilities were not worth mentioning compared to Zephyr, who was like a monster before her.
"Thank you."
Meanwhile, Lefiya walked up to Zephyr's side. When she gazed at him, her eyes were filled with anticipation.
Noticing the gaze Lefiya cast toward him, Zephyr didn't know how to praise or encourage a close companion. If he was too polite, it would make their relationship seem distant.
After thinking it over, he reined in his smile and said seriously, "Lefiya, Riveria is the strongest Mage in Orario that I have ever heard of. But you, my friend, are the strongest Mage I have seen during my time in Orario."
"Ehehe. Is that... for real?"
Nothing was more worth being happy about than the recognition of a friend. But Lefiya hadn't expected to receive such high praise from Zephyr. After all, a big reason she wanted to join the Loki Familia was because of Nine Hell.
She could feel her heart rate accelerating as she looked at Zephyr.
"Then... when we get back to Orario, shall I teach you?"
However, the invitation Lefiya had proactively extended did not receive any response. This was because all of Zephyr's attention at this moment was focused on the Soldier Frog before him.
The evaluation provided by the system clearly stated that the meat is firm, tender, and smooth, comparable to high-grade bullfrog.
The overall difficulty of cooking this stuff is actually not high. Zephyr couldn't think of a reason why this stuff could be cooked poorly.
He squatted beside the Soldier Frog's corpse and scrutinized the charred skin of the Gourmet Creature before him.
He recalled the reaction speed displayed by the five pairs of eyes on the Soldier Frog's back during the battle just now. If he could obtain this talent, it would be a qualitative leap in his combat power.
If he could rely on his visual ability to predict the enemy's attack trajectory in advance during battle, that would be a practical support effect. As long as it wasn't a mucus-related talent, he felt he could accept it.
However, the problem now was that it was not realistic to bring this extremely massive monster back to Orario in its entirety. It was over four meters in size, and the weight of the corpse far exceeded the load-bearing limit of Lili's backpack, it was estimated to weigh at least 2-3 tons. He could only select the prime cuts of the monster meat to bring back for processing.
Thinking of this, Zephyr plunged his bone-cleaving knife into the leg area, cutting along the joint connection.
The leg muscles were the most valuable part of the entire Soldier Frog.