[Field Instruction: Seizure]
[Description: Suppress enemy forces present and take over the area!]
There it was. The rearguard objective.
Something bounded to happen if Party 4 could reach the statue. Something that would aid our battle against the chimera.
"Djhotti, follow the path Master just marked! You'll eventually find the goddesses statue! Your party must reach it as soon as possible!"
[Understood! We're on our way!]
I then could see from afar Djhotti leading Party 4 into the labyrinth.
The dwarf powerfully wielded his massive halberd and struck down eight to twelve pirates at once. Nothing could stop Djhotti's fierce charge.
Vallerynne's golems fiercely stormed into the enemy ranks, wrecking their formations so the other Party 4 members could advance and clear the path further.
I made another careful gaze over to the battlement where Party 4 was headed.
There were tall humanoid bull-headed beasts guarding the goddesses statue. Each of them was carrying a large sledgehammer the size of a grown man.
[Tamed Minotaur Lv.22 x3]
Other than the new type of monster, there was also a couple of odd-looking pirates acting as guards.
A tattooed woman wielding a large scythe and a thin bowman wearing an eyepatch.
[Danger!]
[Zamera the Heartless Executioner Lv.26]
[Danger!]
[Alastor the Eagle Eye Lv.26]
These pirates likely ranked among the higher ups in the Storm Soarer mercenaries. Some of their best combatants, certainly.
Made sense that they would show up for the Quintal Trial.
"Be careful, Djhotti! There are formidable enemies guarding the statue. You must not underestimate them."
[Understood, Great Mage! We'll proceed with caution!]
Screech!!!
The chimera's scream grabbed my attention.
Devisha constantly leaped throughout the rise, avoiding all the assaults the three-headed beast launched at her.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Nimble Movement has levelled up to level 5!]
Jonah kept himself just a few distance from her.
He swiftly intercepted the Dark Spawn charging at Devisha. The shepherd even aided Darius and I by shooting down a number of Night Terror with his throwing spears.
['Jonah (★★)'s Spear Throwing has levelled up to level 6!]
Screech!
The lion head set out to unleash more thorns. It seemed like they would fly off all over the rise, not just toward Devisha's direction.
"Look out!"
I warned my comrades.
Tratatata!
The thorns darted off to all directions, as expected.
I raised a shield before Darius and I to intercept those coming our way.
Shanny had strayed a bit from us that my shield could not reach her.
['Shanny (★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 5!]
['Shanny (★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Jonah (★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up twice to level 6!]
A thorn managed to graze Shanny's left thigh.
I looked around and discovered Jonah and Devisha managed to survive the wave without harm.
"Tch! This is getting a little annoying."
Shanny said as she poured a healing potion on her small wound.
I proceeded to intercept the eight Dark Spawn coming the former maid's way to let her recuperate briefly.
"Just be patient. I'm sure we'll find our chan--"
Shingg!!!
['Party 4' has occupied the altar.]
[The altar's powers are taking effect.]
[Master, the Goddesses' blessing has been activated!]
I suddenly felt significant amount of power surging up within me.
My fatigue was swept away, my power replenished. I could see the same thing happening to my comrades.
At the same time, the monsters all over the rise started moving a bit slower. The force of the chimera's assaults had slightly lessened as well.
[Power in full effect!]
[All heroes' stats have increased by 10%!]
[All enemies' stats have decreased by 10%!]
I immediately turned my gaze beyond the rise.
As expected from the notification, Party 4 had reached the battlement where the goddesses statue was located.
All the three minotaur guarding the statue had been reduced to mangled corpses.
The tattooed woman with a large scythe had been cleaved in half on her waist.
Djhotti was standing right next to the woman's corpse with his halberd stained with dark blood. Hers, most definitely.
Meanwhile the bowman with an eyepatch had been crushed under one of Vallerynne's golems.
They managed to reach the objective in less than two minutes. Quite incredible considering the enemies guarding the statue.
"Good work, Keeper."
I told the leader of Party 4.
[Not a problem, Great Mage. The enemy formations were the exact same as the ones you presented us in the War Hall. Master also helped our party getting here quickly. I assume everything's turning well with Party 1?]
"Yes. Now be sure to guard the statue. The enchantment might wear off if the enemy reclaims it."
I told the dwarf.
[Don't worry, Great Mage. We've received an order from Master to do the same. Party 4 will prevent the enemies from reaching the altar.]
"Very well. Be careful, Keeper."
[Same to you, Great Mage.]
Having ensured matters with the dwarf, I now reached out to my pupil.
The enchanter herself was standing by the goddesses statue which was now glowing brightly.
From there she was aiding her other three old comrades on the stairs fending off the other pirates trying to get to the battlement.
"Vallerynne."
[What? I'm busy!]
It was now possible for all raiders in the same squad to communicate with each other. Not just between party leaders or party members.
There was also simultaneous broadcast method where we could speak to several or all heroes in the squad at once.
"Remember what I told you in training, Vallerynne. Don't spend too much of your own mana too early. Rely on the enchantment stones and golem cores for your spells. Only use your own mana supply once those have run out."
We all would be fighting for quite a long duration.
It was important that we, mages, did not burn ourselves out before the crucial stages of the mission.
Our magic support might be the decisive factor to our survival and victory in this fourth Quintal Trial.
[Don't worry. I remember. Now get out of my head so I can focus!]
Screechh!
The three-headed beast suddenly cried in what I sensed as frustration.
Thanks to the altar's blessing, my comrades were able to maneuver through the chimera's assaults more easily now.
We no longer had problems anticipating the thorns. Due to the status reduction, it was easier for us to perceive the thorns' trajectories.
The battle went on stably for the next couple of minutes.
"Devisha, withdraw back to us! Jonah, take over as the chimera's decoy! Shanny, protect him from the Dark Spawn!"
I ordered my comrades.
Darius and I proceeded to shoot down all the Night Terror hovering between us and the chimera.
With the air secured from the winged creatures, Shanny began making her way toward Jonah that was now battling the three-headed monster.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The former maid charged through the hordes of Dark Spawn blocking her way.
She struck down four to five creatures at each stroke of her blade.
['Shanny (★★)'s Power Charge has levelled up to level 3!]
Devisha used the clear path Shanny created to retreat back to our position.
We successfully shifted our formation once more.
"That blessing really helped. I would probably gotten seriously hurt by the chimera if it never came."
Devisha said while striking down two Dark Spawn attempting to ambush me.
"Even so, it would only be a matter of time until we get tired again."
Darius stated.
The archer continued after he shot down three Night Terror chasing Jonah.
"It would be pointless if we can't do anything to the chimera. And I don't think we'll be able to tire it out either."
"Did you find anything while fighting it, Devisha? Any weakness or vulnerable points?"
I asked the Tsahanam assassin while shredding ten Night Terror with a wind spell.
Devisha shook her head.
"Not at all. I tried attacking it everywhere. But nothing could get through."
I turned my gaze and observed Jonah fighting the chimera.
[This monster is immune to physical attacks!]
[This monster is immune to physical attacks!]
This was different than the guardian I fought in the Advent Dungeon.
My assaults could still penetrate the guardian's defense to some degree. Even if it was a low level spells.
But in terms of the chimera, nothing went through whatsoever.
I doubted the chimera would be harmed even if I casted a Fifth Circle magic.
Its defense was simply too perfect. Too absolute.
This had to be the rule of the twentieth floor's mission.
The Quintal Trial would not allow us to harm the chimera straight away.
A certain condition would need to be fulfilled before we could penetrate through the chimera's defense. Just like the blessing activation after Party 4 secured the goddesses' altar.
Yes. That had to be it.
"We'll maintain our patience and keep on observing the monster."
I told my comrades.
"If we endure the battle long enough, I'm sure we'll find a way to kill this monstrosity."
The five of us then kept on fighting the chimera and its minions.
Thanks to the altar's blessing, we were able to easily endure the chimera's powerful assaults for a while longer.
Screech!
The chimera made a strange noise again.
This time it came from the lizard head on the chimera's tail.
29 minutes had now passed.
We were about to face another dangerous episode of the fourth Quintal Trial.
How would we fare against it this time?
[The Cursed Abomination is evolving!]