NOVEL NEXT WORLD The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 134
134: Floor Master・Demon God Atlanaata②
I’m the one who’s all talk, but honestly, I’m not that enthusiastic. The 20th floor’s floor master, Demon God Atlanaata, is a relatively easy boss to defeat if you know how to handle it. As a player, you don’t need that much skill, right? So, despite my bold words, my tension is quite low.
This gigantic, agile creature has venomous barbs on its feet and sticky threads. Occasionally, the human-type main body on top would cast area magic, so some preparation is necessary. The notable thing is the massive attack from its minions. Getting caught in the sticky threads and receiving a predation attack would be an instant death in the game, and probably the same in reality.
There are various ways to handle it.
“Come on, Shouma!!”
――Whoa！
Threads can only fly in a straight line and have a preparatory action before shooting out. If you take the enemy’s hate beforehand and confirm the stiffness of the preparatory action, you can easily dodge by flying sideways.
――!!
With the momentum of a triangular jump, I kick the wall and soar into the air. Due to their bodily structure, they can’t spit threads directly above. In other words, they’re defenseless against attacks from above.
I flash my slender sword, Shurukrista, and slash down at Arachne below. If I fly back into the air, I can fight in “Anji” mode, but this time, I’ll try a different approach.
There’s something I want to try――?
――Suu
I open my eyes wide, expanding my field of vision. The incoming threads. I gaze down at the massive swarm of spiders from the center, predicting their future movements based on their preparatory actions and automating my body with brain impulses.
Now, let’s go――?
This is my hidden gem――
――Maximizer!!
As I activate the skill, my body’s outline shines brightly for an instant, like sparks scattered around. At the same time, the swarm of spiders closes in. It’s an overwhelming difference in numbers, with one against hundreds. My body is easily engulfed, crushed, and sunk into the black sea of spiders. But that’s fine. If not, there’s no point in activating the skill!!
While keeping an eye on the spiders’ fangs, I use their bodies as a foothold to escape upwards. The thorns on my forearms, which are being pushed and scraped, create a radiant glow like purple lightning, and I dodge the spiders’ fierce charges like a matador. If I make one misstep, the venomous thorns will pierce me, but――it’s not a problem as long as I don’t get hit.
When I get close, Arachne won’t shoot threads. Their attacks are limited to fang-based biting and forelimb stabbing!! The former can be avoided by not getting too close, and the latter can be dodged with a burst of energy!!
The rest is a matter of time――
――Toh!!
When I dodge Arachne’s stabbing attack, I slip and fall into their swarm. Of course, Arachne will swarm me, trying to take my life.――There’s no escape technique.
Yes, normally――
――No, no……!!
――What the hell!? Shouma!! Shoumaaa!!
From outside, I hear the idols’ screams. It seems I’ve caused unnecessary worry by creating a shocking spectacle.
――Good grief.
My right arm, which has grown out of the dense swarm of Arachne, emerges with a soft squelching sound. It’s perfect――!
――Yes, I’m back safe and sound!
『Wh――!?』
――You think it’s funny that they have many legs, right? If we avoid fatal wounds and get tangled up, they’ll get stuck and stack up. And, there’s a critical flaw in the demon god Atlanaata: when their children are nearby, they won’t launch powerful attacks. Their actions are restricted, you see?
If I were to annihilate the child spiders and face Atlanaata, it would become a formidable demon god, but by leaving the child spiders alive, it would weaken significantly.
The area-of-effect lightning, the omnidirectional poisonous thorn shots, the trap-setting thread slashes, and the high-powered Gravity Press that utilizes body weight would all become unusable.
That’s why I said it’s easy.
――Kanon! Taichi! ……Just to confirm, are your friends at my feet?
――Ah, ah……!
――Is Ciel over there?
――Hmm……
Since there are other Arachne swarming around the area Kanon pointed to, I couldn’t tell which one was the rumored Ciel.……Well, if you say they’re there, that’s good enough.
Let’s set aside the minor details.
――Now, it’s time for the true power of Maximizer……!!
――Pari pari――My body is enveloped in energy, as if electricity is swirling around me.
The Command Skill 【Maximizer】 is a unique skill of my new profession (job), [Jester]. It’s not easy to use, but the power is immense. The effect is difficult to describe. The skill’s power is proportional to my technique. In other words, it’s a high-level, expert-only specification.
For 360 seconds after activating the skill――my body enters “absorption” mode. During this time, I can’t use any skills, but I can convert the enemy’s attacks into my own attack energy.
The release is only once.
However, the power is――enormous.
I’ll show you.
This is my unbeatable strategy in Legacion.
Mine alone—
My original, sure-kill technique!!
“I’m going to crush you!!”
“What’s going on?! What’s happening?!”
“Shouma-kun?!”
The liberating power becomes a single pillar. I gaze down at the trembling Atlanaata, pouring all my might into my slender sword. The attack energy absorbed from hundreds of Arachnes… Take it all on!!
This is, my…!!
“Hyper Shouma Slash!!”