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ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 342 Part 2

In the next moment, there was a huge torrent of red liquids erupting from the inside of the hole in the ground, making it look almost like a geyser. There was no doubt in our minds that the one responsible for that eruption was the Great Red Devourer that changed into a drill and dug its way into the bowels of the Earth.

Not only that. All around the village of the People of the Forest, there were pools of blood being erected one after another. And what appeared from those pools of blood, was huge, ominously-glowing red crystals, looking as though they were made from crystalized chunks of blood or something equally sinister. There were even droplets of blood dripping all over them.

No, those crystals did not appear just out of thin air. Truth to be told, they must have soared up from deep below the ground, just like that geyser of blood from before.

「QURORORORORORORORORORORO!」

Alongside that harrowing cry, the blood columns stopped appearing all over the place. It was as if something deep down below cut off their power source and stopped them from multiplying any more. But instead of that, all of the red liquids that managed to spread across the ground here started to gather up at one single point once more.

The very first thing that appeared before our eyes were the legs of this creature.

It was the process that took several stages, during which we could only stand there and watch in terror at the festival that was unfolding right in front of our eyes. First to assemble was the skeleton of the beast. The next to follow was the flesh, muscles and sinew. Then there was time for the skin to cover everything. And last but not least, the skin was covered in rows of slimy, hard and sharp scales.

What stood before us now looked exactly like the late Blue Dragon Eldranza must have looked like when it was still alive and kicking. But there was also a clear distinction. You could see the places where the damage to it body after its death was mended by something, and that something looked like red clay or other strange substance like that. So it can be said that no matter what damage was caused to it after its death, the other organism that was using its body as a host healed those wounds and made it seem almost alive again.

And above all else, there were various additional bone “parts” growing out of the dragon’s body. This could mean more or less that throughout the duration of the fight Eldranza learned to use its newly-found powers properly, because this looked a whole lot more menacing than the small fries it used to throw our way up until now. So we could not hope that third phase would be just as easy as the previous ones.

The original mouth barked and growled at us. Four additional mouths growing out of its chest barked and growled at us. Another mouth was sticking out from the newly acquired pair of wings. And there was even a mouth located close to the Dragon’s hind legs, as hostile and angry as every other mouth. …… At the current moment, what we were facing off against was a total of seven jaws that continued to growl and bark at us.

If there was any chances for us to end this fight simply by the virtue of ending our own lives ourselves, that chance was now gone for good. All because of those seven mouths before us. Their barking and growling was a clear indication that we would not be let off the hook that easily and that our deaths would be sure.

The pressure I was feeling at that very moment was so great that I thought that my skin might actually burst in flames at any moment now. Throughout playing this game I have seen quite a lot of cases when my opponents were changing forms, but this thing was actually on a completely different level. Nothing else could come even remotely close to that.

This monster…… there was not a single sign that it was playing with its prey, like in case of Luukan. There was not a single trace of sadness and loneliness oozing from its body like in case of Gravekeeper Wezaemon. There was also not a single drop of murderous intention like in the case of Goldunine.

And once again, there was not even a single trace of any organic or biological feeling emanating from this beast. For example…… Yes, that’s right. There is no malice like in the case you are meeting the guilottine’s blade or an electric chair. It did not feel like a living being at all, like Deepslaughter and I. And it was also not a monster. If I had to compare it to so something…… was it like a tool? Or a weapon? Something that was only meant to carry out specific actions or orders, without actually having any feelings regarding them. Like I said, it was a feeling that was hard for me to describe, but at the very least I was now sure of it.

「…… Deepslaugter, can you possibly shoot a recording from some safe distance?」

「I wonder about that…… But, why? The only thing that it would possibly record would be of you getting instantly…… Uwah!? It’s coming at us!?」

「Nouah!?」

「Bugeh!」

Its movements were now different from that of the first form, the one that behaved like an aquatic creature being thrown on a dry land. But it was also distinct from the way in which the second for was acting, the one who could move on dry land as if it was swimming in shallow water.

Looking at the shape of its fins really quick, you could see some parts there that looked just like degenerated legs, a symbol that was most probably meant to shout: “Look at me! I can walk on dry land now no problem!”

And right now that monster of a mass was charging straight towards where both Deepslaughter and I were standing.

A powerful amalgamation of bones and muscles rushes forward, trying to sink its fangs right into Deepslaughter. Its moves right now were sure and steady, there was not even a trace left after that dragon who looked so wobbly that it might actually fall to the ground at the next possible moment.

Even though I managed to dodge that attack at the last possible moment, a forced high-speed move like that caused me to lose my balance on the spot. I saw that Deepslaughter was actually done for, and that three jaws were already on their way towards me so that I could share a similar fate to her.

「Oi, oi! If you keep on looking at me so passionately…… Wait? What the fuck!? Why the hell is the back of your mouth glowing like that!?」

A-At least give me enough time to use Levin Trigger / Disaster Hand! …… No, even with that, I would have never made it in time. I must find some other means of escaping this breath or laser death zone!

「Kuh…… “Instant Transfer: Apport!”」

Teleporting right now even on the smallest of distances was certainly going to throw me in an awkward position and leave me vulnerable for a moment or two, but that was far better than being hit with that breath attack, which would definitely end up in an instant kill.

Moving through the void must have twisted my body quite a lot, because when I exited the transportation gate, I twisted my neck towards where the Dragon was supposed to be……

It was then that my eyes saw yet another jaw growing out of the Dragon’s tail.

「Oh fuck……」

Ah, this is not good. This is really not good.

「VOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARARARARARARARARARARARARA!!!」

There was a flash of bright crimson light being emitted by the dragon and shooting my way. And me, being up in mid-air and with no means of moving or changing my position, there was no way in hell that I would be able to avoid it.

My body is being devoured by the blinding red light, and the amount of my HP starts dropping at an alarmingly fast pace……

But alas, the Gods of Randomly Generated Numbers never smiled upon me at that moment. As a result, my HP dropped to zero in an instant. And then, my body was crushed flat like a pancake……