Faced with the Living Armor that had appeared before them, Rei and the others acted without hesitation.
"Seto, use Wind Arrow to keep it back!"
"Guruuuu!"
Seto immediately unleashed the Wind Arrow skill that had just leveled up. Behind the roaring gryphon, seven arrows of wind manifested and shot toward the Living Armor.
I see. At Level 1, the maximum was five arrows, but now the number has increased, Rei observed. The velocity is higher too, but as for the power...
Before his eyes, the Wind Arrows merely left faint scratches on the plate mail before vanishing.
I can't tell if the raw power has improved much. But the increased number and speed make it much more effective for suppression. Still...
As Rei analyzed the skill, Seto let out another roar. The Living Armor staggered as if it had been struck by an invisible force.
The Magic Eye of Shock. It was one of Seto’s more recent acquisitions; while its power was low, it possessed the excellent trait of having zero activation lag.
For creating a barrage, Wind Arrow is better, but the Magic Eye of Shock is superior for pinning down a single target... even if they're both too weak to do anything but serve as a distraction.
The Living Armor's balance was momentarily shaken by the impact, but it immediately thrust the butt end of its pole-axe into the ground to steady itself and resumed its advance. From its perspective, since its only means of offense was the weapon in its hands, it had no choice but to close the distance.
"Guruu?"
Seto paused its attack and tilted its head slightly, as if asking, What should I do?
It was obvious they could defeat the creature from long-range with little effort, but Seto had judged that doing so would inflict significant damage on the suit of armor and the pole-axe, both of which were valuable materials.
"Yeah, you're right. Just like the skeletons, its magic stone is inside that armor. If we pull it out, the thing won't be able to move anymore. I'll handle it—I've already seen how Seto's Wind Arrow performs. Seto, wait here until I call you. Elena, just in case, keep watch on the left path to make sure no other monsters show up."
At Rei's command, Elena braced her whip-sword and nodded. Normally, she would have joined the fray, but she understood what Rei intended to do and realized she would only be in his way.
As he moved past her, Rei sent a look of gratitude to Elena for her quick intuition. He then closed the distance with the Living Armor, Death Scythe in hand.
Unlike the skeletons, whose exposed bones made their magic stones easy to spot, a Living Armor's stone was hidden deep within its hollow interior. In an ordinary beast, the stone was usually embedded in the heart, making its location predictable... though many monsters had hearts in places other than the left side of the chest.
"Hyaaah!"
Rei swung the Death Scythe, which was already surging with magic power, aiming straight for the Living Armor's neck. His plan was to sever the helmet, allowing him to reach through the collar and pluck out the stone.
The Living Armor likely didn't understand his specific goal, but it reflexively swung its pole-axe in a downward arc to intercept the strike.
However...
"Too slow!"
No matter how much the spirit's power had turned the equipment into a pseudo-magic item, it was still only a mundane weapon in the end. Rei felt a momentary pang of regret over the lost value, but he abandoned any thought of preserving the pole-axe.
The Death Scythe was a product of Rei's immense magic power, and the blow was further reinforced by his sheer physical strength. Against a strike of such magnitude, the gap in weapon quality and the wielder’s skill was insurmountable.
A sharp, ringing chime of metal on metal echoed through the corridor.
Under normal circumstances, there should have been two distinct sounds: one of the pole-axe’s shaft being severed, and another of the neck being sliced through. But because of the incredible velocity of the scythe's blade, the two impacts merged into a single, piercing note.
Yet, even then, the Living Armor did not stop. It swung the severed shaft like a club, attempting to bash Rei. Since the creature was merely a suit of armor possessed by a dead spirit, losing its head was not a fatal blow.
"I know how you work!"
As the headless armor continued its assault, Rei shouted and performed a swift half-turn. He caught the shaft with the butt end of the Death Scythe, flicking it upward to disarm the creature. Without breaking his momentum, he twisted his wrists and swept the armor's legs out from under it.
As the Living Armor collapsed onto the cobblestones with a heavy metallic clang, Rei called out.
"Seto!"
"Guruuuu!"
Instinctively grasping Rei's intent, Seto lunged forward and pinned the fallen armor to the floor with its front paws. It was careful not to let its claws gouge the metal, remembering Rei's earlier comment about the armor’s value.
Despite being pinned by the gryphon's weight, the Living Armor struggled silently to break free. Without its pole-axe, it had no real means of retaliation, yet it thrashed its limbs in a frantic attempt to push Seto away. It was a futile effort; between the gryphon's natural strength and the effect of the Bracelet of Herculean Strength on its left leg, the armor didn't have a prayer of escaping.
"Good job, Seto. Hold it right there."
Rei reached his hand into the dark cavity where the helmet used to be. He fumbled around inside the hollow chest for a few seconds until his fingers closed around the pulsing magic stone. He yanked his hand out through the neck.
The moment the magic stone left the suit, the Living Armor went limp like a puppet with its strings cut. Its thrashing limbs fell against the cobblestones with a final clatter, and the torso, arms, and legs detached from one another, scattering across the floor.
"Thanks, Seto. Here."
Once he was sure the armor was truly dead, Rei tossed the magic stone toward Seto.
"Guruu!"
Seto caught the stone in its beak and swallowed it whole.
[Seto has learned the skill Power Crush Lv. 1]
The announcement message echoed through Rei's mind.
"Huh, two new skills in a row. Either we're lucky, or this is just the right place and time. Either way, it's a win."
"Oh? From the looks of it, you've acquired another skill," Elena said, stepping closer. "What is it this time?"
"Power Crush. Given that it came from a Living Armor, it makes sense."
"Guruuu!" Seto gave a happy trill. It understood that skills augmenting its physical ability were extremely useful, especially since they were subtle enough to be used in front of strangers without drawing unwanted attention. However, one thing troubled it.
"Guruu?"
Seto tilted its head. It had just absorbed the Desert Lizardman magic stone to level up Wind Arrow, and now it had taken the Living Armor's stone as well. It looked at Rei with its round, innocent eyes, feeling as though it was being given too much.
Noticing the look, Rei gently stroked the gryphon's head.
"Don't worry about it. Like I said, we've already got another lizardman stone for later. And since this whole floor is filled with undead, we're bound to run into more Living Armors anyway."
"Gurululu..." Seto purred, though it sounded a bit reluctant, accepting the explanation only because Rei was the one giving it.
Rei smiled and pulled his hand back, then stored the scattered remains of the Living Armor—helmet and all—into the Misty Ring.
"Alright, let's keep it moving. If we hang around here too long, the stench is going to soak into our skin."
"Kyu!" Iero, who had been hovering at a safe distance, gave an impatient cry as if to say, Let's go already!
"Fufu. You and Iero are right, Rei. I'm not particularly fond of lingering here either. Let's move on."
Elena smiled, and they set off toward the right-hand path, which the map indicated led to the stairs. They traveled in formation: Seto and Iero in the vanguard, Rei and Elena in the rearguard. After thirty minutes of walking, they reached another junction.
"Again? ...Elena?"
"The center path... but wait."
"Gurululu."
Even before she finished her sentence, Elena turned her gaze toward the right-hand passage. Rei, noticing her reaction, did the same. From that direction came the unmistakable sounds of combat.
Normally, that wouldn't have concerned them, but the noise was rapidly drawing closer.
"What do you think? Based on the sound, I'd say adventurers have run into a monster they can't handle and are making a break for it."
"Probably..." Rei hesitated for a moment before deciding. "We'll intercept them here. If we take the center path now, there's no guarantee they won't end up funneled into our passage and bring the mess right to us."
Logic dictated they would flee toward the small room with the magic circle and stairs, but panicked people rarely followed logic. Elena nodded at his reasoning. They stepped back from the intersection and prepared for a fight.
Iero flew to the rear as usual to stay out of the way. Rei glanced back at the dragonet and considered his options.
A wide-area spell? No, I might hit the adventurers. He needed something contained.
"Flame, burn my enemies according to my will."
He chose a basic spell with a short incantation. A 30cm Lump of Flame manifested at the tip of the Death Scythe's blade. Beside him, Elena used her wind magic to coil a small tornado around her hand.
Just as their preparations were complete, four adventurers burst out from the right-hand corridor amidst a cacophony of shouting and clashing steel.
It wasn't a tactical retreat; it was a desperate rout.
One of the four had lost their right arm at the shoulder. They were stumbling along, leaving a trail of blood on the cobblestones while being hauled forward by the left arm by one of their companions. The remaining two were at the rear, frantically swinging a sword and a spear to ward off their pursuers before turning to scramble for more distance.
Chasing them was a horde of skeletons.
Adventurers who reached this floor are running from skeletons? Rei wondered, maintaining his spell. But when he heard the thunderous clack-clack-clack of hundreds of bony feet, he understood. It was a matter of sheer volume.
As the skeletons poured out of the corridor, their numbers continued to swell. Once the count passed thirty, even Rei and Elena exchanged a wary look.
The timing was now or never. Rei glanced at Seto.
"Guruuuu!"
Seto let out a thunderous roar to get the attention of the fleeing four. They looked at the gryphon with expressions of pure despair, but then they saw Rei and Elena preparing their magic. Realizing they were about to be caught in the crossfire, the adventurers scrambled to the sides of the corridor.
"Fireball!"
Rei's 30cm fireball streaked into the mass of skeletons and detonated, incinerating the front rank. Simultaneously, Elena’s wind blades whistled through the air, shearing through those that had escaped the blast.
Seconds later, nothing remained in the passage but charred fragments and severed bones.
[Seto] Skills: Water Ball Lv. 3, Fire Breath Lv. 3, Wind Arrow Lv. 2, King's Intimidation Lv. 1, Poison Claw Lv. 4, Size Change Lv. 1, Tornado Lv. 1, Ice Arrow Lv. 1, Optical Camouflage Lv. 2, Magic Eye of Shock Lv. 1, Power Crush Lv. 1 (New)
Power Crush: Increases the destructive force of a physical strike. While it normally causes recoil to the user, Seto's superior physical ability allows it to use the skill with almost no backlash.