The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 235

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 235

‘They cut mushroom stems to use as tents to live in. Even when they came out of their tents to wander around, they wore cut mushroom stems on their heads.’

The reason the gremlins built their nest in the poisonous mushroom swamp, which was dangerous even to themselves, was because the monsters of the Black Forest were more dangerous than the toxic spores.

They hid and thrived in the poisonous mushroom swamp where large and powerful monsters rarely approached, hunting in packs to prey on creatures weaker than themselves or of similar size.

Mostly small monsters or animals. Occasionally, as a rare delicacy, creatures like humans.

After hearing from the artificial spirit that the leader-like large gremlin wore a necklace made of woven children’s skulls, Rita abandoned any hesitation and decided to exterminate them all.

After considering various strategies, she chose the toxic spore drop operation as the fastest and simplest way to end it.

[Opinion: The techniques the user employed in this operation were by no means simple when listed out.]

[Analysis: The technique of colliding defensive rounds with each other to create a barrier in mid-air. According to this artificial spirit’s records, this is the first time it has been used in actual combat rather than simulation or trick performances. The scale of the barrier makes it unprecedented.]

[Analysis: The ricochet shooting technique of colliding matan with the barrier. While there are quite a few Arcane Gunners who utilize ricochet shooting, the user is probably the first to do such a thing with a defensive barrier that only lasts about 3 seconds.]

[Analysis: The technique of firing 112 matan rounds in rapid succession along different trajectories within 3 seconds. Even though the trajectories were calculated in advance and the bullets were prepared beforehand, it’s an absurd feat of skill. Honestly, I didn’t think the user would succeed in pulling this off in actual combat on the first try.]

‘It was only possible because you helped with the trajectory calculations. It was an operation we prepared together for three whole days.’

[Opinion: …In any case, such a high-difficulty composite technique deserves a proper name. How about Ultra Reverse Golden Meteor Shower of Fireworks? The abbreviation would be—]

Rita was momentarily speechless, then hastily cut off the artificial spirit’s words.

‘Let’s just call it Ricochet Meteor Shower.’

While she chatted leisurely with the artificial spirit, the gremlin nest had turned into hell.

The toxic spores that should have fallen slowly over several years all came crashing down at once from the impact of the raining ricochets. The spores piled up like heavy snow, melting even the tents and umbrellas made from mushroom stems.

As a result, all the gremlins burst out screaming and ran toward the outside of the swamp to survive.

Monsters with wrinkled, thick gray skin, elephant-like broad ears, small stature reaching about human waist height, and hook or shovel-like claws on their hands and feet screamed piercingly as they pushed and shoved each other.

Most melted from the spores while running, but a few lucky ones and some who successfully used their kin as shields managed to reach the gorge entrance alive.

What greeted them was the matan of the Arcane Gunner waiting outside the entrance.

While waiting for the gremlins, Rita blocked the dark green toxic gas that emerged before them with rapid magic cast by Minewg.

Judging by Jurlene’s reaction, the detoxification and poison resistance magic of year 821 seemed unable to overcome such deadly poison, but the poison resistance magic from the Ash-covered Era—200 years after even 1770, when such techniques were extremely developed due to the war against monsters—made this level easy.

It wasn’t monster poison mixed with corrupted mana that would collapse any crude magic, and natural mushroom toxins could be sufficiently blocked even with Arcane Gunner-level rapid magic.

‘The poison does seem to have some mana mixed in, but this level is still natural… Wait, mana?’

Rita looked down at her shoulder. Sure enough, the small black dragon was stretching its neck and sniffing with its mouth wide open.

“Even if it has mana mixed in, it’s basically deadly poison. Will you be okay? I suppose you’ll be fine since you’re a monster?”

She had rarely seen cases where wild poison affected monsters. They were beings with fundamentally different body structures from ordinary creatures.

After pondering for a moment, she gently pushed the black dragon’s back.

“If you want to eat it, go ahead, Gid. If you feel something strange in your body, stop. You understand, right?”

With permission granted, the black dragon spread its thorn-like wings and flew up, opening its mouth wide in front of the dark green smoke.

The dragon inhaled the toxic gas until its cheeks puffed up, then closed its mouth and chewed before swallowing it down. Then immediately opened its mouth wide again. Its tail wagging behind showed it seemed to be in a good mood.

‘It must taste good.’

Rita chuckled and leisurely loaded bullets into her revolver. Beyond the pouring toxic gas, the surviving gremlins were rushing toward them with horrible cries.

When even gremlin-type monsters were like lottery prizes for Beacon, mere gremlins that weren’t even monsters but just small creatures…

Honestly, she could have probably taken on three hundred of them head-on by herself. She just didn’t because it would take long and be troublesome, plus the people who came with her might be in danger.

The cylinder rotated with the sound of metal clicking into place. Rita aimed her silver muzzle into the dark green smoke. Though not yet visible to the eye, she detected enemies with her senses and fired.

With a bang that echoed through the air, the gray monster running in front collapsed in the toxic gas. Even so, the terrified gremlins continued running toward the entrance, trampling over their fallen kin.

Gunshots rang out in succession, and the fastest ones fell first. Gremlin corpses bleeding from their foreheads began piling up at the gorge entrance.

Nevertheless, the gremlins cried out desperately trying to climb over the pile of corpses. The ones lagging behind were all melting away from the toxic spores.

While the small black dragon wagged its tail and happily filled its belly with the mana-mixed toxic gas, Rita shot and killed the gremlins emerging from the entrance without moving a single step from her position.

The pile of corpses and thick toxic gas served as a kind of cover, so the creatures couldn’t even see her figure until the very end. It was a battlefield that effectively compensated for an Arcane Gunner’s weaknesses.

As a result, despite one human facing hundreds of monsters, the outcome was closer to a massacre than a battle.

After a while, the surroundings became quiet.

[Alert: Complete annihilation of combat targets confirmed. Elimination complete.]

Hearing the excited artificial spirit’s declaration, Rita lowered her heated muzzle.

When she looked up to check the hill above, her eyes met with the people who had been looking down at her. They all looked stunned.

She had worried that the gremlins covered in toxic spores might climb up the hill in their terror, but since they all flocked to the entrance, that didn’t happen. Everyone was safe enough to have the luxury of being stunned.

“There’s still toxic gas remaining, so don’t come down and wait there!”

She called out loudly, then layered her own poison resistance magic several times over the artificial spirit’s poison resistance magic before stepping over the pile of gremlin corpses.

Going inside revealed a horrific scene that would make anyone with a weak stomach vomit and unable to look directly at it.

Dark green toxic spores falling like heavy snow from the black poisonous mushrooms covering the sky. The corpses of gremlins that had melted to death. Mushroom stem tents and gray flesh chunks that had melted and mixed together.

Rita, who had seen many more gruesome sights than this, remained unshaken. It wasn’t even death composed of humans, and this scenery wouldn’t last long since everything would eventually melt into swamp.

Her attention focused on the operation’s objective.

‘Quickly, before the mana stones melt too.’

As she walked hurriedly, she noticed her shoes melting from the overflowing swamp. She frowned and lifted her foot to cast additional poison resistance magic when something tapped her leg.

Turning around, she saw the black dragon, now grown to about horse size, standing with its chest puffed out and tapping her with its tail.

“You want me to ride you?”

The black dragon nodded its head up and down with the corners of its mouth raised. She smiled slightly and climbed onto the back of the dragon that had lowered itself.

When Rita climbed on, several spines near the black dragon’s neck stood up. They were positioned as if to serve as handholds.

[Opinion: A mount is certainly more useful than a pet monster. This lizard definitely seems more suited to this role than that Crown Prince brat.]

Rita let the artificial spirit’s resentful muttering go in one ear and out the other as she gripped the black dragon’s spines like reins. Even without her saying anything, the black dragon understood her intentions from her gestures alone and moved in the right direction.

It felt strange that the relationship between Gid and her, who used to understand each other’s intentions through just eye contact or small movements, seemed unchanged even though one of them had become a monster.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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