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Today, too, we’ll be exploring Area 5.
Because I fought the Slime Lord in the South yesterday, I’ll search a different direction today.
In the East area I discovered a huge Snake exceeding 20 meters in length: a Doppel Snake. (š) The thickness of its body was like that of a Drum.
As its name suggests, it had a Skill called Fission Creation; it allows the user to create a body double which can imitate their original Skills, abilities, and so on.
When I defeated the first Doppelgänger and it disappeared like a phantom, I was really surprised. However, because its tactics revolved around using its double from a safe distance, the main body wasn’t actually that strong.
Its fighting power didn’t really exceed that of a Demonic Beast from Area 4. Once I found the body lurking underground, the fight was finished in an instant.
I used the Fission Creation Skill immediately after obtaining it, but……
「This isn’t the body of a Sword……」
『It’s me from when I was living as a human.』
And so, the doppelgänger created by Fission Creation imitated a Human. At the same time, my thoughts were obtained simultaneously, so I was able to move my Sword and Doppelgänger body at the same time.
「Oh? If I do this, won’t I not need someone to equip me?」
『Seriously? But what’s the strength of my alter ego?』
Wouldn’t equipping myself using my double be pretty good?
Or so I thought, but it didn’t go very well.
First of all, Fission Creation has a time limit. Currently, the limit’s 5 minutes. Second, the Doppelgänger is incredibly weak. With the exception of INT, its stats all had an average of 5 — weaker than even Goblins.
Moreover, its Skills were reduced. The Doppelgänger has the same Skills as my main body, but all of its Skill Levels were 1.
With that, the Skill can’t be used. I don’t know what would happen if I leveled up the Skill, but the Doppel Snake’s Fission Creation Skill was Lv9, which made its Doppelgänger body stronger than the main body.
Other Skills obtained from the snake such as Molting, Heat Perception, and Scale Regeneration couldn’t be used, so there was only one other Skill that would be usable. It’s a Skill superior to Poison Fang called Sovereign Toxic Fang. (²) It also had the Deadly Poison Fang Skill, but this Skill’s effects are above it.
For now, the Doppel Snake was placed into storage. Dimensional Storage still wasn’t full after holding that giant snake. Its capacity is greater than expected.
In the afternoon, I headed towards the Northern area. Of course, I hunted down any Demonic Beasts along the way; after defeating them they were immediately stored.
After conquering the East, I understood that within the North, East, South and West there would only be one big Boss. I guess they would be Area Bosses? The only Demonic Beasts that I found strong were the Slime Lord and the Doppel Snake; anything else is probably just food for the Area Bosses.
So, the next area boss I would face was the one in the North.
『The Area Bosses always have strong Skills, so I’m looking forward to it.』
What was there was the smallest of the Area Bosses. A Turtle Demonic Beast; its Magic Power wasn’t at all inferior to that of the other Area Bosses.
Its overall length was only around 5 meters. From its shining black shell, 10 tubes stick out, with a thick gun-barrel protruding in the center.
『Blast Tortoise.』 (³)
As a matter of fact, I’ve defeated a lower ranked version of this tortoise. It was a Demonic Beast called a Cannon Tortoise, which absorbed the surrounding air from tubes and shot it from its compressed barrel.
「GOOOooooOooo!」
It’s a form of Demonic Beast whose chosen form of combat is long-range bombardment; its detection range seems quite wide as well. Already, its eyes have become fixed upon me.
「 Goo! 」
*BOBOBOU!*
Compressed air bullets are shot consecutively. I didn’t think that it would be possible to release those continuously. For Canon Tortoises, it could only shoot once, and left no shots in reserve. Indeed, this is a superior race.
『Arayotto!』 (⁴)
Air bullets continue to come flying at high speed. I took a trajectory to evade, but……
*BOBON!*
『Nua!』(⁵)
An air bullet unexpectedly bursts, and I’m crushed by the exploding air bullets from all directions. It dealt almost 100% damage. Is this due to the aftermath? (⁶) Or, more importantly, being able to remotely explode them remotely… What an amazing power!
*Bonn!*
『Gu! Dangerous, dangerous!』
While my escape routes were sealed, there’s also the threat of air bullets in pursuit. With a direct hit, 400 durability is shaved off. In addition, I can see more being fired.
By the way, thanks to Airflow Vision, I can see the incoming colorless and transparent air bullets. If I didn’t have that, it would have been difficult to avoid anything.
For the time being, I need to break through. I descended using Telekinesis Catapult to avoid an air bullet, and zigzag at maximum speed while continuing to dodge the barrage of air bullets.
『Don’t get cocky!』
I occasionally receive damage, but I gradually approach the Tortoise.
『I’ve got you!』
If I get this close, it’s my win. My blade plunges into the exposed neck of the turtle ー not.
『Ah?! Don’t run away!』
With a speed impossible to imagine from the slow movements of a Tortoise, it retracts its neck and legs. I attack the shell out of vexation, but it’s only cut a little. If I attack multiple times, I might be able to break through but……
『As if I’d permit such a thing!』
*BOBOboBOboboBO!*
The Tortoise who had retracted its neck began to rotate at high-speed. (⁷) Really, it’s just like Ga**ra. (⁸) And, like that, it scatters air bullets indiscriminately.
Precisely because it’s not directly aimed at me, it’s difficult to read, and thus difficult to avoid.
All around me air rends the ground, but even if I take distance there would still be air bullets in the sky.
I try to move to the blind spot directly above it, but because of the perception Skills that the tortoise possesses it simply distributes the air bullets above.
『Ohtto! Dangerous!』
If the top is hopeless, then perhaps the bottom would be a better choice. It might not be able to attack on its underside, after all.
I play with my Status a bit while dodging the air bullets fired off by the Tortoise.
I managed to avoid the bullets while changing my Status without a problem due to the Thought Division Skill.
Using my left over Self-Evolution Points, I achieve Ground Magic Lv4; that’s when it becomes legitimately usable.
This fellow will be on the receiving end of this Skill, as I’ve become able to tunnel using the abilities I’ve obtained.
『ーDig dug!』 (⁹)
I dive into the hole dug with magic; the ending of the tunnel is directly below the Tortoise.
『Dig dug! Dig dug!』
But that’s not all. Casting the magic consecutively, I hollow out holes at the feet of the Tortoise. The ground, which couldn’t tolerate the weight of the Tortoise, sinks in, causing its big body to be swallowed into the ground.
『All according to plan!』
Furthermore, because I had dug the holes at an angle, the Tortoise does one rotation and falls upside down.
The Tortoise struggles to get up, but I sandwich it in place using Ground Magic.
Kukuku. It won’t be able to escape in this state.
Then, The Tortoise takes its neck and legs out, only to attempt to return back inside. But didn’t miss that chance.
The fastest blow that struck down even the Slime Lord resulted in an explosion of the head of the Tortoise.
After all, it’s nothing more than a Tortoise. It wasn’t a match against me. (¹⁰)
『Victory!』
However, that was quite dangerous. Again, Area 5 is to be reckoned with.
Piercing into the Tortoise’s shell through the head-portion’s opening, the Magic Stone on the side of its heart was acquired one way or another.
Of course, I also store the Blast Tortoise; the storage still isn’t filled.
『Now there’s one less Magic Skill remaining. Let’s head back for now.』
The search of Area 5’s Western region will be put off until tomorrow.
I still want to inspect the Skills I got from the Tortoise for now.
After returning to the Pedestal, I try out the Skills; compressing the air as well as firing two air bullets seems possible. It went well, because the two Skills seem useful.
Air Bullet Discharge strengthens the surrounding air, thus “casting” the bullet. It seemed that through sucking air into the inside of its shell, the Blast Tortoise gained the ability to fire continuously.
As for me, if I use Airflow Manipulation in conjunction with Wind Magic, repeated shots also seems possible.
Air Compression can be used to compress air; at first it looks plain, but it’s actually quite interesting.
For example, I can add strength to the bullet fired from Air Bullet Discharge, or can make a compressed wall of air around myself as a shield. It could be said that alone it’s weak, but when used with multiple Skills it becomes quite strong.
『I’m happy that there’re a bunch of good Skills, but〜 in order to utilize them, more training is required.』
Strong Skills are pretty hard to master.