[Floor 21]
[Mission Type – Subjugation]
[Objective – Annihilate the enemies!]
Upon the mission window's emergence, jumbled beastly shrieks echoed from all corners of the jungle.
Glowing eyes soon manifested on the shadows around us.
I could feel the murderous intent emanated by the jungle's inhabitants, craving for our flesh and lusting for our blood.
The trials always found new ways to kill us the higher we climb.
"It's a bit cramped in here. Let's make some room so we can fight properly."
I said while twirling my hand.
A huge wall of flames rose around my comrades and I.
With a flick of my hand, the fire wall advanced toward the jungle and consumed our surroundings.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The flames dissipated and revealed to us a circular blackened field.
Scorched tree stumps and charred disfigured monster corpses were strewn around us.
But more enemies were emerging from the depths of the jungle untouched by my flames.
Humanoid golden tiger beasts.
Crimson-eyed horned crows with talons as large and as sharp as daggers.
Large moles with tough scales, sharp fangs, and huge claws.
And colorful spiders the size of a mature hound.
[Beastling Lv.23 x22]
[Blood Crow Lv.20 x25]
[Gatormole Lv.23 x15]
[Killer Spider Lv.20 x25]
Upon the enemies' emergence, I instructed my comrades.
"Tarran, take care of the birds. Their feathers are too thick for your arrows to do much good. Aim for their eyes under the horns or clip their wings.
"Everyone, be careful of the spiders. They can shoot out poison. Their limbs are venomous as well.
"Because of their scales, the huge moles could only be harmed through its eyes. Don't bother attacking it anywhere else.
"Be wary of the beasts' claws and fangs. They're as tough as steel. Their strong legs can make them move very fast too."
Trudy had informed me on the enemies we would face.
But it was my Heaven's Eye skill that identified the monsters' specific traits and weaknesses.
My mana was able to sense the enemies' anatomy and turned them into tactical information.
A useful ability given the variety of our opponents.
Kreee!
The monsters charged toward us.
Tarran immediately launched his arrows toward the crows.
Upon the speeding arrows, the aerial monsters quickly altered their courses and dodged the projectiles.
Our archer adjusted his aim according to the crows' new trajectories and sent a second volley.
Swoosh!
Tarran did not miss his targets this time.
A dozen horned crows fell from the sky with their crimson eyes pierced with arrows.
My other comrades then dashed toward the rest of the enemies.
Devisha summoned daggers to her hands and threw them at the giant spiders rushing all over the scorched field.
One dagger per spider.
She hit the oversized bugs accurately every time and rapidly reduced their number.
As the spiders were taken care of, Jonah threw an exploding spear to a group of beastling.
Boom!
The explosion disoriented the beasts.
Jonah and Shanny then dashed through the chaos and swiftly took down the beastling one by one.
At the same time, the shelled moles began diving underground with their huge claws.
They quickly got themselves below the surface and began traversing beneath the ground toward our positions.
It would be troublesome if they were to launch a surprise attack from beneath my comrades' feet and catch them off guard.
I would not allow them the opportunity.
With an upward wave of my hand, I seized the giant moles with telekinesis and dragged them back to the surface.
Crash!
Tarran and Devisha quickly aimed their projectiles while the moles were still hovering in the air.
The two of them killed most of the monsters in brief time.
KREEEE!!!
A terrible shriek resounded from above.
Descended from the sky was a peculiar creature.
It had the torso of a six-legged silver bear. The claws on its feet were as dark as obsidian.
It had the head of a ram with two golden horns jutting straightly above its three blue eyes.
Two black wings were expanded from its back and continuously generated strong air current which rustled the dense jungle below the creature.
I had only seen this creature in books before.
The real sight of it was quite majestic.
[Juvenile Impiana Lv.26]
Trudy and her party of instructors had a bit of trouble against this monster.
Apparently it could read our attack pattern and even predict our movement.
Those traits corresponded with the myth that told Impianas could see the future.
Prolonged battle with monotone combat tactic would be ineffective against such dangerous beast.
A fast-paced battle executed with varying sudden assaults which could overwhelm the monster would be the ideal strategy.
But I had other plan for the creature.
My mana quickly enveloped the Impiana and seized its mind.
With my compulsion spell casted on the beast, I set it loose against the other monsters.
Crash!
Kreee!!!
My comrades were able to finish off the remaining monsters with the help of the mind-controlled Impiana.
When only the large winged beast was left, I did not hurry to dispose the creature. Instead, I let it stand stiffly while being restricted with my telekinesis.
The regular floors leading to the Quintal Trial always provided some sort of clue regarding the major mission.
I would like to gather as much information as I could from the 21st floor.
We would still be returning to this floor to level up further.
But it was better to collect the mission's intel as soon as I could.
"What are you looking for, Fina?"
Jonah asked as he noticed my curious gaze.
"I'm trying to figure out why we're being deployed in Phirdaus."
I told him.
Shanny frowned.
"Should there be other reason than killing monsters? The tower loves to make us kill things."
"Every mission we had done so far was ultimately purposed to save our world. Us being in Phirdaus will serve that purpose as well."
I told her.
Our 5th floor's mission helped reduced the enemies we would face on the 10th floor.
While the 10th floor let Dunia held the momentum against the monsters by saving Loro.
On the 15th floor, we saved Prince Radjah that was crucial to Dunia's salvation.
And the 20th floor made us defeat a faction that viewed His Highness as enemy.
What would the 25th floor make us do now?
"Perhaps it'll be like on the 10th floor and we'll have to stop the monsters invading human cities?"
Tarran suggested.
"Or maybe we'll find a dangerous group hiding in this jungle and we'll have to exterminate them? Like we did on the 20th floor."
Devisha added.
Both theories were plausible.
There were a number of villages and towns along Phirdaus's border.
Monsters would often attack those locations in the last decade of Dunia.
And the Circle of Kali or Samesta's other followers hiding in Phirdaus was not such a wild thought either.
"Would it be possible for us to encounter His Highness Radjah in Phirdaus?"
Jonah suddenly proposed.
Now that was an interesting thought.
"We haven't really figured out why the prince was being hunted. But why should he come to Phirdaus?"
Shanny asked.
"Maybe the prince is trying to hide from his pursuers? Not a lot of people would look for him in this dangerous jungle."
Devisha said.
"But isn't Phirdaus too dangerous for His Highness to hide in? I heard from the Keeper that even dwarves had to tread carefully in this region."
Tarran stated.
Devisha nodded to him.
"Perhaps that's why we're being deployed here. To keep His Highness from harm."
Prince Radjah being our reason to come to Phirdaus was quite possible.
Considering my vision in Floor 0, all of our Quintal Trials likely revolved around His Highness.
But why would the prince come to Phirdaus specifically?
I doubted he would use this region simply as a hiding spot.
He had no way of protecting himself.
The monsters would kill him in his first night here, if they did not maul him when he crossed the border first.
No. He would not come to Phirdaus to hide.
If he had to come here, then it had to be for another purpose.
I was not sure what would make the prince come to Phirdaus.
But it had to do with his mission in saving our world.
Otherwise we would not be here.
"Let's go back."
I told my comrades.
With a snap of my fingers, the restricted Impiana disintegrated into tiny charred pieces through my Fourth Circle fire spell.
Familiar bluish-white light began to envelop our party.
I continued to my comrades.
"Like Alam has always said, 'if you want to know more, you need to climb higher.'"
[Stage Clear!]
[MVP – 'Serafina (★★★★)']
[Reward – 50,000G, Leather (A) x1, Beast Hide (B) x1, Hard Shell (A-) x1, Poisonous Essence (Low-Rank) x1]