"Don't try to tank it! Your attributes aren't high enough for that right now!"
Lynn's voice carried a hint of exasperation. The blue light on his Moonveil flashed, and he snapped the Carian Knight's Shield into position.
The Godskin Noble swung its rapier violently. The Black Flame atop the altar erupted like a detonated explosive, surging forward in a massive tidal wave of fire. The flame was suffocatingly corrosive; wherever it passed, the very stone hissed and sizzled, emitting a foul, charred stench.
"Scatter!"
Lynn barked the command, unsheathing Moonveil in a blur. Blue mana coalesced along the edge.
"Transient Moonlight!"
He moved like a phantom, plunging toward the Black Flame. His Glintstone-enhanced blade left a trail of afterimages as he attempted to cleave through the fire. However, the Black Flame was not a solid object; though temporarily split, it surged back together almost instantly.
Aiz was the fastest to react. She kicked off the ground, launching herself sideways like a golden arrow to evade the first wave. With her saber glinting coldly, she shadowed Lynn, searching for a gap in the Noble's defense.
Lynn pivoted mid-stride, rushing to Tiona's side. The Carian Knight's Shield met the Godskin Noble's bizarre, lunging rapier with a sharp clang.
Ding!
The crisp sound of clashing metal echoed. Lynn felt a mountain of force transfer through the shield, leaving his palm stinging. But what surprised him more was the faint coating of Black Flame dancing along the Noble's rapier. Upon contact with the shield, the flame tried to creep along the surface to reach Lynn's arm.
"Black Flame enchantment? Clever bastard."
Lynn's lip twitched, but years of combat instinct allowed no room for hesitation. He flicked his wrist, and the mana within the Carian Knight's Shield surged, a blue light shimmering across its face.
"Carian Retaliation!"
The Godskin Noble clearly hadn't expected Lynn to parry in such a manner. Its rapier was swatted aside, and its bloated body lurched into a brief, vulnerable stagger.
Aiz had been waiting for this exact heartbeat. She moved like a bolt of lightning, wind magic coiling around her blade as she unleashed a golden arc, aiming straight for the Noble's flank.
Thud!
A dull impact followed. Though Aiz's strike hit precisely, it only left a faint white mark on the Noble's fatty torso. It didn't even tear the grotesque robe stitched together from human skin.
"So tough!" Aiz's brow furrowed. she could feel the massive recoil vibrating through her hilt. The "Godskin" raiment looked soft, but it possessed an uncanny, rubbery resilience.
Frustrated by Lynn's parry, the Noble recovered, its rapier becoming a blur as it lunged at Lynn again. Lynn didn't flinch, raising his shield once more to meet the steel with pinpoint accuracy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He parried three times in rapid succession. Each time, he swatted the Noble's strikes away, creating tiny windows of opportunity for Aiz. However, despite Aiz's speed, she found it nearly impossible to break through the creature's natural armor.
"His defense is too high!" Bete realized the problem. He tried to charge in, but was forced back by several Black Flame orbs hurled by the Noble.
"Lefiya! Magic!" Lynn's voice cut through the din of battle.
Lefiya raised her wand, emerald light gathering at the tip. "Arcus Ray!"
Dozens of emerald light arrows rained down on the Godskin Noble. These arrows, packed with concentrated mana, struck the creature's body with unerring precision.
Hiss—!
The Godskin Noble let out a pained shriek. Several charred holes finally appeared in its black-and-white robes, but the wounds began to knit themselves back together under the writhing influence of the Black Flame.
"It's not working?!" Lefiya turned pale. Her magic was powerful, but it seemed inefficient against such a twisted foe.
Enraged, the Godskin Noble turned its hollow sockets toward Lefiya. Its bloated body shivered, and several Black Flame orbs—larger than the previous ones—formed in its hands. Carrying an aura of pure destruction, they hurtled toward her.
"Mr. Lynn!" Lefiya cried out. She felt the shadow of death looming; with her mana suppressed, she couldn't conjure a defensive spell in time.
Lynn's gaze hardened. Lefiya's magical output was essential for the team; he couldn't let her fall. He pushed off the ground, using Bloodhound's Step to blink directly in front of her. He raised the Carian Knight's Shield, but instead of taking the hit head-on, he tilted the shield's face to guide the trajectory of the fireballs.
"Carian Retaliation!"
With a low shout, the blue light on the shield flared. A powerful mana vortex formed instantly, drawing the Black Flame orbs into the shield's center. A heartbeat later, the absorbed flames twisted and reformed on the shield's surface, transforming into Glintblades that shot back at the Godskin Noble at even greater speeds!
BOOM!
The Glintblades struck the Noble squarely in the chest. The impact made the bloated creature shudder and stumble back several paces. It let out a roar of fury, and its fatty body began to expand visibly. The human-skin robe stretched tight, looking as if it might burst at any moment.
"Watch out! It's going to roll! Everyone, get back!"
Lynn shouted the warning. He knew this move all too well—this was the start of Phase 2.
The Godskin Noble's body continued to swell. The white skin mask on its face distorted, revealing the blood-mottled reality beneath—a face stitched together from countless smaller visages, a tapestry of agony and despair.
"WAAAAAAAGH!"
The Noble let out an inhuman roar. A powerful shockwave erupted from its center, sending waves of Black Flame outward. Its frame became even more bloated, yet, paradoxically, its speed didn't drop. Instead, it became even more agile.
"It... it got fatter, but it feels stronger!" Tiona exclaimed, feeling the massive pressure radiating from the creature.
The Godskin Noble roared again, and its massive body began to spin. It tucked itself into a ball and started rolling across the floor like a giant tire, trailing Black Flame as it barreled toward the group.
The bloated body spun frantically, crashing through the circular hall like a runaway steamroller. Despite its size, it was terrifyingly fast. Every bounce carried the weight of a falling mountain, making the ground tremble and sending magma splashing everywhere as the Black Flame raged.
"Scatter! Don't try to stop it!"
Lynn's voice echoed through the hall. He moved with practiced ease, narrowly dodging the rolling path of the Noble. The searing heat grazed his cheek, leaving a stinging sensation. This wasn't a joke; even with his experience, a direct hit from that mass would leave him in pieces.
Bete followed suit. Though he was swearing under his breath, his movements were precise. Using his werewolf agility, he leaped between the rock pillars at the edge of the lava, narrowly avoiding the "Steamroller" again and again.
Tiona moved like an acrobat, climbing the stone walls to stay clear of the rolling death and the flames on the ground. Lefiya, pale and trembling, kept backing away, desperately trying to maintain distance. The mana suppression made every spell an uphill battle, but she kept her grip on her wand, waiting for an opening.
Aiz kept her eyes locked on the Noble's trajectory. Unlike Lynn, she couldn't instinctively predict exactly where the "ball" would bounce, so she relied on her superhuman reflexes. She stayed low, performing a perfect side-roll to evade a charge. However, just as she tried to reposition, the Noble suddenly skidded to a halt. Its fatty body coiled like a spring, and it slammed its rapier into the ground!
BOOM!
The impact triggered a massive eruption of Black Flame from the tip of the sword, forming a ring of fire that expanded outward from the Noble. The ring surged forward, completely trapping Aiz within its circle.
"Miss Aiz!" Lefiya screamed.
Surrounded by Black Flame, Aiz felt the very air distort from the heat. Every breath tasted of ash and char. The flames formed an invisible wall, pinning her down. She tried to slash through the fire, but it had no solid form; her blade passed through it harmlessly, yet the heat remained undiminished.
"Dammit! What the hell is this thing?!" Bete roared, trying to charge through the flame to reach her, but the corrosive heat forced him back.
The Godskin Noble didn't give them a moment to breathe. It resumed its "Death Roll," and this time, its target was clear: the trapped Aiz. The bloated mass, shrouded in Black Flame, bore down on her with unstoppable momentum.
"It's going to crush her!" Tiona shrieked.
Lynn narrowed his eyes. He knew Aiz was powerful, but with her attributes suppressed and trapped in a circle of corrosive fire against an unblockable physical charge, he couldn't leave it to chance.
"Greatblade Phalanx!"
Lynn sheathed his shield, drew his staff, and summoned four massive Glintblades.
"Lefiya! Suppress the flames!" Lynn shouted. Simultaneously, he sheathed Moonveil.
"Transient Moonlight!"
The magical wave from Moonveil shot forward, accompanied by the Greatblades.
Splurt!
The magic-infused slashes finally tore through the Noble's resilient hide. The creature let out a shriek of agony, its momentum coming to a jarring halt as it slumped to its knees.
The previous attacks hadn't been in vain. Lynn could practically hear the invisible chime of a Poise Break.
The Godskin Noble let out a pained groan, struggling to stand, but its body seemed to have lost its structural integrity, sagging helplessly. The ring of Black Flame imprisoning Aiz vanished, and her silhouette emerged from the smoke. She looked disheveled, but she was unharmed.
"All out attack! Now!" Lynn barked, swinging Moonveil at the Noble's bloated head.
Aiz's gaze sharpened. Ignoring her fatigue, she wreathed her blade in wind magic and became a golden whirlwind, lunging at the creature. Her saber flickered like a serpent's tongue, piercing the Noble's vitals with surgical precision.
"Die, you fat pig!" Bete seized the opening, his metal boots whistling through the air as he delivered a brutal kick to the Noble's flank.
Tiona wasn't to be outdone. With the wild ferocity of an Amazon, she slammed a heavy fist into the Noble's face. The skin-stitched mask shattered, revealing the raw, bloody mess of faces beneath.
Though her mana was low, Lefiya poured everything she had into a barrage of emerald arrows, striking the wounds to prevent them from knitting shut. Tione focused on suppression, her heavy blows striking the Noble's limbs to keep it pinned to the floor.
Under the combined assault, the Godskin Noble's body convulsed violently. Its roars grew faint, the Black Flames flickered and died, and with one final, mournful wail, the creature grew still. Its massive frame crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lynn watched the Noble's body begin to dissipate, letting out a long sigh of relief.
[Runes +14,000]
Lynn looked at the system prompt, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. The harvest wasn't just runes; there was a pile of loot on the ground that hadn't vanished with the body.
He stepped forward and picked up the thick, heavy rapier. The blade glinted with a cold, sinister light; despite the bloodstains, its craftsmanship was exquisitely bizarre.
[Obtained: Godskin Stitcher]
The weapon radiated nobility. Lynn gave it a casual flourish; the balance was excellent, though it was far too large to be considered a standard rapier. It was a Heavy Thrusting Sword through and through.
Next, he found a piece of parchment on the body, covered in obscure script—the incantation for Noble Presence.
An incantation? Is this the first one I've picked up in Orario? Lynn wondered. He didn't have a Finger Seal yet, so he'd have to see if he could use it later.
Finally, he reached into the shredded remains of the Noble's robe and pulled out a charred, secret letter. The paper had been singed by Black Flame, and much of the text was illegible. However, using his heightened senses as a Tarnished, he managed to decipher several key phrases.
"Volcano Manor... Orario... conspiracy..." He muttered the words, his brow furrowing deeper.
Volcano Manor was a power from the Lands Between. How could they be involved with people in Orario? Was it like the survivors of the Three Fingers? Moreover, the letter implied collusion with "unidentified figures" within the city. This was becoming much more complicated than he had anticipated.
"What does it say?" Aiz asked, her golden eyes full of curiosity.
"Something... that might be linked to the people behind the sabotage."
Lynn closed the log and handed the charred letter to Tione. He knew she was the most "official" member of the Loki Familia party. Tione took it, looking at Lynn with confusion before focusing on the parchment. As she deciphered the blurry text, her expression grew increasingly grim. Aiz, Tiona, and Lefiya huddled around her; though they couldn't read the script, Tione's reaction told them everything they needed to know.
"It says... that forces from 'Volcano Manor' have made contact with certain figures in Orario. They are... planning something."
Tione's voice carried a hint of a tremor. This intelligence clearly unsettled her. Volcano Manor was a completely alien name, but the word "planning" was enough to spark alarm.
"Volcano Manor?" Bete frowned. He clearly hadn't heard of it either.
Lynn nodded and explained, "It's a faction from my homeland. They have ties to the Black Flame here in the Dungeon. Normally, they don't expand outward. I don't understand how they got involved with people here, but clearly, this isn't a small matter."
Aiz's golden eyes flashed with a sharp light. "This must be reported to the Guild immediately!"
Tione agreed. "Exactly. This letter is the best evidence we have that the anomalies in the Dungeon aren't accidents."
Bete, for once, didn't argue. He glanced at Lynn, his lip twitching, before finally grunting out, "I guess... you get the credit for this one."
Lynn shrugged. He knew that for Bete, those words were a high form of praise. The discovery of the letter made them realize the scale of the incident was far beyond a simple monster rampage. It explained the heightened activity and pointed toward a hidden base within the city—a conspiracy linked to the Lands Between.
"Alright, we have the lead. Let's head back."
Lynn looked around; there were no further paths leading deeper into the cavern from this hall. Everyone agreed. After such an intense battle, their stamina and mana were nearly spent.
Lynn led them back to the altar, where a Site of Grace waited. He touched it, and a gentle light enveloped the group. Their fatigue vanished instantly, and their mana and strength were restored.
"Whoa! Mr. Lynn, this 'Grace' thing is way too convenient!" Tiona cheered. she felt revitalized, and even the burn marks on her fists had disappeared. Bete looked surprised as well, feeling the surge of power. Though he didn't say it, the wariness in his eyes had lessened, replaced by a touch of curiosity.
After recovering, Lynn showed them the Godskin Stitcher and the incantation book. "These are the spoils. See if anyone can use them."
Tiona took the Stitcher and gave it a few swings, looking awkward. "This thing is too thin for me. It doesn't suit my style." She flipped through the incantation book and looked blank. "What is this? I can't read a word of it."
Lefiya tried as well, but like Tiona, the ancient script was gibberish to her. Tione and Aiz also examined the items, but found the weapons and magic radiated a strange, alien aura that didn't fit their existing systems.
"These are spoils from my homeland. The power system is different," Lynn explained with a smile. "The Stitcher is a Heavy Thrusting Sword; it requires specific techniques. The incantation needs 'Faith' to cast."
"If we can't use them, they're just junk," Bete huffed dismissively.
Lynn didn't mind. These were rare treasures to him. Since they didn't want them, he wouldn't stand on ceremony. The sword and the book were excellent additions to his collection.
"Let's go. Back to the 18th floor." Lynn took the lead.
On the way back, Tiona didn't stop talking, excitedly recapping the fight. "Mr. Lynn, that last flash of light was so cool! And that shield—you actually reflected the Black Flame!" She gesticulated wildly, sounding like Lynn's number one fan. Lynn just listened with a smile and a nod.
Aiz remained thoughtful, her gaze lingering on Lynn as if she were contemplating something. Bete occasionally Chimed in to critique combat details, showing he now had a completely new level of respect for Lynn's strength.
The party soon reached the 18th-floor base. Bete, walking at the back of the group, suddenly called out to Lynn.
"Hey, Lynn." His voice was low and a bit awkward.
Lynn stopped and turned back. Bete took a deep breath, looking as if he were making a monumental effort. "About before... I was wrong. I admit, I underestimated you." He paused, then added, "Your strength really isn't tied to your level. If you ever need a hand with something... just let me know."
Having finished, he looked away, as if the admission had drained all his energy. Lynn smiled warmly.
"Sure," Lynn replied simply, his tone sincere.
Aiz walked up to Lynn, her golden eyes meeting his. "Lynn... next time, let's go into the Dungeon together again?" Though her tone was calm, her expectation was unmistakable.
Looking into those clear golden eyes, Lynn nodded. "Of course." Aiz's eyes brightened instantly.
Tione approached as well, looking relieved. "Mr. Lynn, we really owe you for this. We'll report the intel to the Guild immediately. I'm sure they'll take this very seriously."
"Yeah. Hopefully, they can find the mole in Orario," Lynn said thoughtfully.
With their fatigue gone but carrying heavy spoils and vital intel, Lynn and the Loki Familia party left the Dungeon and returned to Orario. The sky was already beginning to pale with the coming dawn.
When he reached Eina's cottage, the lights were on. Eina was standing by the window, clearly having waited for him. Seeing him return, she let out a long sigh of relief, followed by a look of mock-annoyance.
"You're back."
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Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (Simulpub – Ongoing)
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