Chapter 167: The Statuette of a God

Chapter 167: The Statuette of a God

A deafening roar, far more intense than before, echoed through the underground space.

The already massive Leoarachnid increased in size after devouring the demihuman.

More blood oozed out of Its swollen body, saturating the air with a pronounced metallic odor.

“It’s evolving!” Seven informed Sein from above.

“This doesn’t seem like a normal evolution based on the evolutionary patterns of magic beasts I learned in the divine tower courses. Could it be triggered by the demihuman it just devoured?” Sein pondered with a serious face.

“SHOOT, SHOOT!”

“FIRE!”

Commands to open fire echoed around them.

Earl Krue, witnessing such an extraordinary transformation for the first time, eagerly commanded the deployment of their heavy artillery.

The magic beast, clearly in the midst of an incomplete evolution, was trapped in its current form as a quasi-ranked magic beast.

At this point, it was in a state of frenzy, lacking the human-like judgment and rationality that Seven demonstrated.

All three Demon Breaking Crossbows found their mark, inflicting serious wounds on the Leoarachnid’s legs and waist.

The rounds from the Black Flame Cannons also struck the side of the beast.

While the explosions were not quite as powerful as Sein’s simplified version of the magic cannon, these attacks were comparable to advanced magic spells in their impact.

“We must stop it from evolving! For now, it’s only a frenzied quasi-ranked magic beast. Let’s launch an all-out attack!” Sein declared firmly.

As a spellcaster with nature akin to a black magic initiate, Sein did not favor casting spells from a safe distance like most mages.

He preferred close-quarters combat, leveraging proximity to amplify the effects of his spells. This was a unique aspect of his combat strategy.

The risk involved did not deter him.

His leadership and the cries of Seven galvanized the knights and mercenaries.

The mercenary groups employed by the Gypson Dukedom consisted of elite fighters, a standard that extended to the soldiers within the dukedom’s own army.

After all, none of them wanted to be outdone by a woman in combat.

“Hold on, I’ve got a spell to try,” Sein interjected.

He began the incantation for Solar Eye spell, while Sev ceased attacking and returned to protect him.

The elemental energy in the air gradually intensified, impressing even the most seasoned knights in their midst.

Everyone, including the leader of the Scarlet Scales Mercs, was looking at Sein.

This divine tower mage seemed to be more powerful than they expected!

As soon as Sein completed the incantation, six golden eyes materialized around him.

He directed a potent golden beam of energy toward the raging Leoarachnid below.

Light immediately engulfed the area and banished the darkness, as if the sun itself had risen underground.

* * *

Once the dust settled, the gruesome aftermath was laid bare, marked by a field of scattered remains.

The majority of these scattered remains belonged to the underground demihumans, with some belonging to human knights, mixed with parts of the Leoarachnid.

Following the release of Sein’s Solar Eye spell, the Leoarachnid, severely disfigured and missing much of its head, erupted in a violent explosion upon its death.

The powerful blast claimed the life of a nearby senior squire, and the dispersal of corrosive remains caused additional harm to mercenaries and soldiers in proximity.

Sein surmised that the explosion was not an intentional act by the Leoarachnid, but rather a consequence of uncontrolled elemental energies running amok within its body after its brain was destroyed.

This chaotic release of energy was particularly concentrated at the junction between the lion and spider parts of its body, reinforcing Sein’s hypothesis.

After the battle, Sein investigated the Leoarachnid’s remains, searching for every relevant clue he could gather.

His attention was drawn to an unusual black stone.

It appeared to have once been the statuette of a god, but its features were now marred by the corrosive effect of the Leoarachnid’s stomach acid, rendering its face unrecognizable.

From what Sein could make out, it had a humanoid form with what appeared to be the lower half of a spider.