Since Penpen had managed to craft the bombs and various potions we needed, I decided it was time to challenge the Elementalion—the Great Turtle.
Though I called it a "challenge," I was fully prepared to win. I didn't have the slightest intention of losing. If worst came to worst, we would just tuck tail and run. We already had a proven track record of escaping the thing, and we’d leveled up since then.
If Tria-chan was on her own, there was no way she couldn't get away.
"But being the only one left behind makes me feel so lonely... it’s painful-ssu..."
"It can’t be helped, Penpen. You just don't have the escape speed..."
"Escape speed, huh? I guess I’ll have to dive deeper into my Alchemy Skill to see if I can craft some getaway items-ssu."
"But don't boss monsters usually block you from running?"
"That’s a classic trope, isn't it? The 'No Escape' battle-ssu."
Well, we already knew from experience that we could run from the Great Turtle.
With that, I took the bombs and potions from Penpen and headed toward the rocky mountain. It was on the exact opposite side of the map from where the Great Boars lived, requiring a half-day trek... but I decided to skip all that with Fast Travel.
"Alright, let's go, Alto!"
"You betcha!"
It took half a day in-game, but only five seconds in the real world to reach Tria-chan’s starting point. We had set out in the middle of the night, so it was midday by the time we arrived.
I wonder if the Great Turtle is here? It has to be. My heart started racing...
"Whatever. Compared to the swarm of complainers I deal with daily, this thing is nothing!"
"Don't compare the real world to the game. Anyway, let’s head to the top of the cliff where we first spotted the turtle."
If that spot was its nest and it was just relaxing there, it would make for an easy preemptive strike. If we were lucky, Alto could just pick it off from above with her gun.
I led Alto toward the cliff, but when we arrived... nothing. It wasn't there. Where could it have gone? There were a few Young Turtles scattered about, but—wait, is that a shadow?
"...Above us!" Alto shouted.
"What?! Rolling Dodge!"
Alto and I threw ourselves forward in a somersault just as the Great Turtle came crashing down on the spot where we’d been standing.
A massive roar of dust and a violent tremor shook the earth. The very edge of the cliff began to crumble beneath us.
Could this turtle actually fly?!
"Gubumooooo!!!!"
"Hey, hey, hey! It’s destroying our footing! Tria, what now!?"
"Alto, provide cover fire as a harasser! I’m switching with Tria-chan to draw it in!"
The Parent Turtle didn't make a sound until the very moment it ambushed us. It really knew the basics of combat!
Alto and I glared at the Parent Turtle as we all slid down the collapsing cliffside together. I noticed its right eye was still bloodshot from our last encounter.
"...This time, I’ll make you offer that eyeball up to Lord Spirit...!"
"I'm betting everything on Tria-chan's combat sense!" I called out.
"Good thing we didn't bring Penpen! Take this!" Alto yelled.
It was a bit pathetic to admit, but Tria-chan was much stronger when I let her move instinctively than when I tried to control her directly.
Alto’s gunfire—which hit with the force of stones flung from a catapult—was striking the Great Turtle’s head with unerring accuracy. However, the beast only shook its head slightly; it didn't seem to be taking much damage. Numbers like 5 and 8 popped up—single digits. I had no idea how much total HP it actually had.
"Tch! I'm barely making a dent!"
"Enchant Thunder! Alright, let’s do this! Oraaa!!!"
"Yes. Understood."
We landed safely in a plaza at the base of the cliff near a shallow pond. Tria-chan neutralized a passing Young Turtle with a lightning-enchanted punch... but it was surprisingly tough! She followed up with a kick to finish it off. Based on the damage numbers, the Young Turtles had somewhere between 50 and 150 HP.
I wondered how many times more the Great Turtle had. Ten times? A hundred?
"Ha! I can at least kill these little ones! Don't you dare hide in that shell! What are you, a damn snail?!"
Alto chased down a turtle that had retracted its head, shoved her gun into the shell's opening, and blasted it to death. It was best to clear out the minions first.
"Gruoooooooaaaaa!!!!"
"Oh? Are you pissed because your kids are getting killed? Goraaa!!"
Alto rained fire down on the Great Turtle. Every shot hit its mark on the beast’s head, but it still didn't seem to bother the monster much.
Listening to her, though, it really sounded like we were the villains here.
"It’s too damn sturdy! Can't I compress the shots to increase penetration or something?!"
"You probably need something called a cartridge for that."
"Then we’ve got no choice but to find some ancient ruins! We’re lacking too much info!"
The Great Turtle pulled its head in and began to spin violently.
"Gah! Is it going to use a whirlpool for area suppression?"
"No, it’s coming straight for us! Jump!"
"Got it! Rolling, Tria-chan!"
Just as Alto predicted, the Great Turtle charged forward like a runaway truck, spraying water while maintaining its high-speed spin.
"Hah!"
"Damn, you're pretty fast for a turtle! Was that how you were flying during the ambush?!"
Tria-chan and Alto split to the left and right, flanking the beast as they evaded. Even while dodging, Alto kept up her relentless barrage. If it weren't for that Ancient Gun having infinite ammo, she wouldn't be able to be this reckless... wait, every single shot was still hitting. She was aiming right for the hole where the Great Turtle's neck had retracted. Her aim was terrifying. Is this the legendary power of a salesperson?
"Aren't you drawing too much aggro?" I asked.
"No, it's weird—it's only looking at you! I can't get its attention at all!"
"...What?"
The Great Turtle, having finished its slide down the cliff, poked its head out and glared directly at us. It completely ignored the rocks Alto was bouncing off the back of its head.
"Is it that mad about its eye?"
"Actually... this equipment... it's made from the turtles, isn't it, Lord Spirit?" Tria-chan asked calmly.
"Oh. That’s it."
From the Great Turtle's perspective, I was wearing armor made by skinning its children and sewing them together. Actually, it wasn't just "like" that—it was exactly that. No wonder it was fixated on me.
"...Turtle. I’ll turn you into equipment just like them. Come at me."
Yeah, we were definitely the bad guys in this scenario.