「Ice Spike Proficiency EXP +100,000」
That counts as proficiency too?
So this kind of maneuver increases it as well…
Practice truly does make perfect.
There was no time to dwell on it.
The moment the giant serpent located Kanzaki Rei's position, it immediately reared its head back!
Its cavernous jaws opened wide, and dark liquid sprayed from between its fangs!
At the sight of that substance, Rei forced his battered right arm to move. He gritted through the pain and formed a spell—
Seven Fireballs hurled forward!
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!
The Fireballs collided midair with the dark liquid and detonated!
Boiling black mist surged through the air.
Poison?
Is this thing a venomous snake too?!
Whoosh!
Thud!
Another Ice Spike crashed down!
It smashed the serpent's rising head back toward the ground!
Rei hung suspended in midair.
He partially melted the massive Ice Spike embedded in the ceiling, carving out a small foothold.
That relieved the strain on his arm, which had been bearing the full weight of his body.
If this continued, his left arm would break.
One arm was already broken.
He couldn't afford to lose the second.
Ice element was truly useful. Rei coated his right arm in frost. It couldn't heal the fracture—but it could numb the pain, at least temporarily.
Boom!
Boom boom boom boom!
Four more massive Ice Spikes slammed down in succession!
They pinned the giant serpent to the ground once again.
But still—
It wasn't pierced through.
A Lord-tier creature was on an entirely different level from the monsters in the rest of the cavern.
After so many Ice Spikes crashing down, it still wasn't dead.
It was likely a dark-attribute creature.
Against dark-type monsters, light magic should be more effective.
But he had only recently learned 「Cross of Light」.
Its current level was only LV: 39.
Compared to his Ice Spike at LV: 91, the difference in power wasn't small—it was enormous.
Even with attribute advantage, that gap probably couldn't be compensated.
Ice Spike was his highest-level offensive spell.
Aside from Mana Tide, which had already reached LV: 100, Ice Spike at LV: 91 was his strongest.
Thud!
After a total of ten massive Ice Spikes smashed into the serpent's body, frost completely layered over it.
And under repeated penetration strikes, every time it tried to raise its head—
It failed.
So long as he maintained suppression, it would lose its ability to attack.
If he could kill it before his mana ran out, he would succeed.
However…
There was a second problem.
How to deal with Izz Parulut outside the door.
Izz had suddenly revealed his true face and displayed naked malice toward him.
Rei couldn't understand it.
Why did he want to kill him?
Was he feeding him to the serpent?
That wasn't impossible…
Rei's understanding of this world was still shallow. This was another world—its logic might not follow Earth's norms.
Any motive was possible.
Thud—
Two more massive Ice Spikes fell.
The serpent was fully suppressed now, its body pressed against the ground, frozen together with the stone floor under a thick layer of frost.
A Lord-tier… perhaps it wasn't as strong as it first appeared.
The initial encounter had simply carried overwhelming pressure.
Rei had now fully seated himself within the hollow carved out of the Ice Spike.
Attacking from the cavern ceiling truly was an excellent invulnerable position.
But no matter how he thought about it—
He couldn't figure out how to deal with Izz outside.
Poison…
If Izz opened the door and came in again, could poison work on him?
All of Rei's spells had been taught by Izz.
And they were only Level 1 spells.
During their struggle earlier, Rei had already realized—
His spells likely had no effect on Izz at all.
Ice Spike and Fireball were his strongest offensive methods.
The remaining Wind Blade—even if usable—would probably have negligible impact.
Better to start from this BOSS instead…
Just as Rei was calculating a countermeasure for Izz—
The half-dead serpent suddenly changed.
Its eyes lit up.
From pitch black—
They turned blood red.
The serpent's head, pinned beneath Ice Spikes, suddenly forced itself upward!
"Hissssss—!"
Rei had never imagined a snake's hiss could reach such a volume!
The entire cavern vibrated at high frequency.
His eardrums felt on the verge of rupturing!
Rei instantly raised his left hand—
A massive Ice Spike formed!
He smashed it down toward the serpent's head once more!
Boom!
But this time—
The serpent's head shattered the Ice Spike!
"Enraged?"
"Second phase?"
He had no idea what had just happened!
The serpent's tail suddenly blurred—
Bang!
In the next instant, the Ice Spike Rei was perched upon exploded into fragments!
Even the cavern ceiling was crushed into a massive crater.
And Rei—
Was already on the opposite wall, drenched in cold sweat.
In that split second, he had condensed a second massive Ice Spike—
And launched himself to the other side of the cavern.
「Ice Spike Proficiency EXP +100,000」
Heh…
That counts too?
Does proficiency increase more the closer you are to death?
The giant serpent rose again, shaking off the layers of frost covering its body.
No more room for divided attention.
Whoosh!
Its tail swung again!
Such a massive body—
Yet such terrifying speed!
Boom!
Rei pinned himself into the wall again with another Ice Spike.
The spot he'd occupied moments earlier was now a deep crater.
Frost residue lingered within it—
The remains of a shattered Ice Spike.
If he had still needed to chant before casting—
He would already be dead.
If his reaction speed had been even slightly slower—
Dead.
If he had chosen to attack instead of pausing to observe—
Dead.
This was a true—
Death threat.
Rei swallowed.
His mana continued to drain.
He had assumed that after killing it, he would still have plenty remaining.
But now…
He assessed his reserves.
Roughly 52% mana left.
It might not be enough.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Another tail strike—
And once again, Rei nailed himself to the opposite wall using an Ice Spike.
Practice makes perfect.
This method of movement was becoming increasingly refined.
And this time—
As he pinned himself to the wall—
Another Ice Spike descended from above!
Thud!
It slammed directly into the serpent's head—
The same head that had already suffered one piercing earlier.
A second penetration!
The rear half of the massive Ice Spike exploded backward—
While the front half, driven forward by the recoil force, burrowed even deeper!
Immediately after—
An intense chill surged from the tip of the spike!
Extreme cold pierced directly into the skull!
[Ice Spike — Second Penetration]
[Extreme Cold Diffusion]
The frost drove into its brain—
Assuming its brain was located there…
But at the very least—
After that strike—
The tail did not immediately lash out again.
Its movements slowed once more.
Boom!
Boom boom boom boom—
Rei was not the type to waste opportunity.
He had no intention of catching his breath while the enemy faltered.
Strike while it's down!
Five more massive Ice Spikes crashed down!
Every single one targeted its jaw and skull!
This time—
He would smash its head into pulp.
Who knew whether it would unlock a third phase—
Or even a fourth—