“Yee-haw! I’d die if I had to do that a few more times!”
Shaking out her right hand, Linfa Neville landed on the tiled roof of a house.
“But… I managed to cancel it out!”
[UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!]
Suddenly, a cheer erupted that rivaled the previous explosion.
It was a massive roar of support from the people visiting the Sleepless City from other countries.
“I don’t really get it, but it looks like that monster isn’t invincible!”
“My Explorer level is definitely gonna go up if we take that thing down!”
“Hell yeah! Let’s go, boys!”
“Hey! Those who can’t fight, help carry the ones who collapsed!”
The reckless Explorers began to draw their weapons in unison.
“The carriages are this way! Prioritize those who have collapsed! Women and small children first!”
“We’ll provide supplies too!”
Traveling merchants moved their wagons, and street vendors began handing out supplies to the Explorers.
A single strike from a single Explorer.
That was all it took to show a light of hope to the Sleepless City.
Those who had surpassed Explorer Lv. 8 were, in name and reality, the hope of humanity.
Seere furrowed his brow, his eyes narrowing with irritation.
Kaguya dispelled the magic she had been about to manifest and watched the movements of the Explorers who were beginning to surround the massive shadow of the Beast Curse.
“Koka! Give us orders! If it’s your lead, we’ll all move! We won’t hold it against you!”
“Okey-dokey! Then everyone, let’s do our best to take that thing down! Here we gooooo!”
“Hey, that’s not an order!!”
The Explorers looked at each other as Koka began a full-throttle charge with nothing but a shout of encouragement.
Just as the countless Explorers were about to descend into a chaotic, uncoordinated battle, a female Explorer raised her voice.
“I-I’m so sorry about our leader! That person just can’t do ‘orders.’ I’ll take over instead!”
“Leader… that means you’re from [Furin Senka – Wind-Bell Immortal Flower]…”
Fan, a mage whose trademarks were her pigtails and glasses, bowed repeatedly while adjusting her slipping frames.
“My name is Fan! I’m in charge of the party’s command!”
“O-oh! That’s a huge help!”
Lv. 8 Explorer Linfa Neville’s party, [Furin Senka]. For an Explorer, that name alone was enough to earn their trust. Even if it wasn’t, time was of the essence, and there was no luxury to be picky.
“When attacking a single target with everyone, make sure to maintain enough space between each other! Mages, gather near me; we will focus our spells on the same spot! Friendly fire is strictly forbidden! Vanguard classes, gather around Miao! Healers, over to Reimei’s position!”
The one called Miao was a pugilist girl dressed in a china dress similar to Linfa Neville’s. True to her energetic appearance, she punched her left palm, showing off a snaggletooth.
“Alright, let’s go! Offense is the best defense, right!?”
As the girl dashed off at full speed, Fan added a quick note.
“She’s also the type who takes after our leader, so if you think it’s dangerous, run away immediately!”
The vanguard Explorers carrying swords, spears, and axes all gave wry smiles and clanked their armor as they chased after Miao, who had run off without a second thought.
“Reimei, I’m counting on you for the lifeline again.”
Reimei, who was entrusted with the task, nodded firmly, her loose robes swaying.
“I’ll leave the orders to you, Fan-chan.”
“This many people is a heavy burden… but I’ll manage somehow. Everyone, I’m looking forward to working with you!”
[OOOOHHHHHHHHH!!]
The establishment of a chain of command. For them, it was the most welcome thing possible. The moment they achieved what was indispensable for both dungeon exploration and demon subjugation, their movements changed completely.
To Kaguya, looking down from the Night Heaven, the difference was clear as day.
[GYUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!]
The howling of multiple beasts struck their eardrums in layers.
Though they winced at the unpleasant sound, the Explorers continued to fulfill their roles.
“People started collapsing after that last roar! There’s no guarantee what will happen next! Don’t give it any openings!”
“You got it!!”
Under Fan’s direction, the vanguard units led by Miao surrounded the giant shadow.
In this battlefield where coordination was difficult, everyone first secured their own reach to draw the Beast Curse’s attention.
They fought desperately to halt the feet of the Beast Curse as it tried to build momentum for a charge.
As if swiping away swarming gnats, the four-legged beast swung its front leg in a wide, agile sweep.
“Now!!”
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Immediately after, a countless number of spells impacted the shadow.
[—————OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!]
The shadow howled in pain, but it didn’t stop.
Using the momentum of its leg sweep, its two rampaging tails lashed out, striking the Explorers.
Explorers were blown away, crashing into buildings, slamming into the ground, or being launched into the air.
But immediately after, a green light enveloped their bodies.
“My, my. Explorers really have to be daredevils, don’t they?”
Reimei healed the Explorers who had sustained near-fatal wounds in a single blow, her expression serene.
“Come on now, once you’re healed, get back out there. No time to be daydreaming.”
The sight of her sending Explorers back to the brink of death made her look like both a saint and an ogre.
[OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!]
At that moment, an especially loud roar thundered from the shadow’s mouth.
What resulted was a violent gale.
Clad in a storm around its claws and tail, the Beast Curse increased its speed.
Kicking off with its hind legs, the beast raised its Sundering Claws to trample the capital.
“Leader!!”
“Leave it… to ME!!”
At equal or greater speed, Linfa Neville, wreathed in flames, lunged forward.
Leaving scorched marks on the street and trailing fire, she wound up a full-power kick. Linfa’s right leg collided with the Beast Curse’s front leg with a shattering force.
Once again, a flash of light and a thunderous roar followed.
The Explorers quickly reformed their formation, facing the threat with their makeshift cooperation.
The cycle repeated over and over again.
At a glance, they were successfully preventing it from roaring.
But gradually, a gnawing anxiety began to take root in their hearts.
It was the same anxiety Kaguya had felt.
“Wait… is this even… doing anything!?”
Linfa Neville blurted out what everyone had felt but kept silent so as not to break morale.
By now, Linfa’s limbs were covered in wounds, dripping with blood.
It was only natural. If she kept neutralizing magic equivalent to Lv. 8, it would be strange if her body didn’t start breaking down.
The word “Limit” was beginning to weigh heavily on the Explorers.
“Fan! We’re short on vanguards!”
Miao shouted while desperately blocking one of the lashing tails.
“The speed at which casualties are appearing is too fast for healing to keep up… Sorry, Fan-chan.”
Sweat beaded on Reimei’s forehead as she continuously cast healing magic, her complexion growing paler by the second.
“Over here too… my mana is almost…”
Behind Fan, who was breathing heavily, Explorers were collapsing one after another from mana depletion.
Even so.
“Everyone, take a rest!!”
Linfa Neville continued to dive in valiantly, halting the manifestation of magic and restricting the Beast Curse’s movements with a relentless assault that gave it no time to roar.
It was a brute-force push fueled by her abundant mana and cheat-like physical abilities.
But even so, she could tell.
The Beast Curse—had no concept of stamina.
It was a complete mana construct.
One could call it a [Curse Spirit].
It was like a machine that would keep moving as long as it had mana.
No matter how much force they threw at it, there was no sign of it slowing down.
The fact that the Explorers didn’t know was that the Beast Curse’s resource was negative mana accumulated over thousands of years. A war of attrition was impossible from the start.
Furthermore, the demon laughed.
“Good work. You must be tired by now. Shall I take away your will to stand up as well?”
Seere snapped his fingers, activating space-time magic.
It was nothing complicated.
He simply teleported the “Fifty Mid-Tier Demons” he had been keeping stored within himself into the area surrounding the Explorers.
“You!!”
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