CH 169.2

Chapter 169.2: Red Raptor

The giant crab has a tough shell rivaling that of a rock spider. Normally speaking, only berserker or the dark knight could break through those shells with ease, it was still a bit too much for Rem the 3rd who just strengthed a little bit stronger than her normal form. Nevertheless, though Arachne Rem, I, and skeletons squad could distract the third giant crab… there was the raptor’s crowd eyeing us from behind, in the forest.

Crabs at the front gate, raptors at the back gate. Though the saying sounds much better than lion and wolf, in reality, those crabs and raptors were far more terrifying than lion and wolf.

「Mei-chan, take care of the crab! Arachne, support her!」

「YES!!」

「SHAAAAAAA!」

For now, Mei-chan should be able to deal with those three giant crabs. There shouldn’t be a problem since she also got the support of Arachne Rem.

And then, with Rem-Dark Knight and Rem the 3rd as a vanguard, and skeleton squad as a meat wall, we will block the incoming raptors. These raptors were much easier to handle than those infinitely spammed high zombies.

Maybe those giant crabs appeared in the worst timing as if it had been waiting for us was to avenge their comrade who became our dinner. Well, today might simply just not be our lucky day. Since the misfortune kept coming one after another as if to prove―― Wait a minute, was this really just a mere coincidence?

「KYOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

「Let’s do it like usual, Rem. Spread, 『Rotten Bog』」

First, let’s use our usual tactic, pulling them into 『Rotten Bog』. Since I couldn’t underestimate the raptors’ jumping strength, I did my best to create the biggest bog I could make.

Both Rem-Dark Knight and The 3rd could make full use of the bog. They would disturb the monster who tried to jump over the bog. In the worst case, I could disturb their jum with black hair feeler.

As for the skeletons, though they couldn’t move properly in the bog created on the sandy beach, it was plenty enough to allow them to fight.

And lastly, I just needed to keep those raptors at bay as long as possible. I’m gonna disturb their jump with 『Blackhair Bind』, and kept them at bay with 『Redhair Twine』. And then, by loading 『Summoner’s Skull』 into the 『Fool’s Cane』, I could use 『Poison』 which could insta-kill raptor-level monster.

「Here we go. Kill’em all.」

This was the winning formula that we kept using even now. I also had some leeway thanks to an offensive skill called 『Poison』. But, the flock raptors were unperturbed by those.

Raptor who grew in the wild wasn’t a fool. They would retreat as soon as they saw us dispatching a few of their comrades with ease since they knew that the gain wasn’t worth it. Based on the previous experience, it should be about the time for them to give up but――

「KYOAAA!」

That moment, I saw a red silhouette at the edge of my field of vision.

Was it just my imagination, or else―― correction, it wasn’t just my imagination.

「There’s red-colored fella mixing in amongst the raptors.」

Was that, raptor’s sub-species? Or else, their boss? Anyhow, there was no mistaking, it really was red-raptor.

If it really was raptor sub-species, the least I could hope for it was strengthened physical capabilities, and being able to breathe fire. But, since I had no idea what kind of ace-in-the-hole it has, I had better not get closer to it for now.

「Where is that fella?」

Despite its conspicuous red color, I had a hard time finding it since it was moving way too fast. But it shouldn’t be able to hide for so long in this open spa— THERE YOU ARE!

「SHAAAAAAAAAA!」

The red raptor was, upon a closer look, not completely red, but had red stripes like a tiger. Its entire body was covered in bright red color, with long, dark brown color stripe like that of the original raptor.

But its greatest feature wasn’t its color but the shape of its head and tail.

Its head was shaped as if it was prepared to pierce through the enemy who stood in front of it with pair of sharp horns on its head. A normal raptor had no such horn growing from its head but the red fella had two horns growing from its head. There was also this thick and hard shell covering its head, making it look like a helmet.

Its tail was like that of a jagged blade. Its cutting strength might be inferior to that of knight mantis’s scythe, but its length and thickness, along with its atrocious, saw-like appearance made it look really cool.

No doubt, that fella was the boss. That appearance, that presence was definitely different from your average raptor.

I had to bring that guy down no matter what. Now wash your neck. You’re already within my 『Poison』’s range.

「EAT THIS, 『POISON』!」

Seeing the red raptor standing at the edge of the acid bog, and after making sure that it was already inside my line of sight, I unleashed an invisible curse, 『Poison』 toward it. This curse which would deliver poison toward the enemy in a straight line, in my line of sight, was supposed to be invisible to the other party―― yes, it SHOULD be invisible.

「SHA, KUAAAAAAAAAA!」

""

The red raptor’s body suddenly arched forward alongside its loud scream. And by the time I noticed, that fella had already gotten away from my line of sight.

「No way, it dodged!?」

Could it be that fella could see something along the poison wave heading toward it? Or else, did it notice in that instant that it wouldn’t hit by my curse as long as it avoided my line of sight? It would be okay if it was just a coincidence, but …

「Aaah, dammit, that fella is way too agile!」

That fella then transformed into the red gale, running around in the vicinity of the acid bog. I tried my best to take down that fella, but its running speed, and the way it was jumping around randomly, sometimes hiding into the flock of its comrades, it kept dodging all the curses aimed toward it splendidly.

Crap, my poor dynamic vision couldn’t catch up with that fella’s erratic movements. To begin with, aiming and shooting were something that I’m really bad at. It wasn’t that I hate FPS, but I didn’t like it that much either.

「SHAAA, SHAAA!」

The red raptor who slipped out of my aim then came out and unleashed a counterattack. It swung its saw-like tail toward the nearby skeletons.

Naturally, the skeleton mob which was nothing more than the weakest mob in this dungeon was crushed like cookies when the strong, saw-like tail blade struck them. The tail that swung horizontally split the skeleton in half right from its waist.

But when I tried to fire 『Poison』 using that gap when it paused for a moment after unleashing an attack――

「SHAAAAAAAAAAA!」

It failed since the red raptor didn’t stop moving after it unleashed its attack.

It skillfully dodged my aim with fluid motion, stepping onto the fallen upper half of the skeleton who just got bisected, it then kicked out with its muscular rear leg, and ran along the sandy beach.