Chapter 278 - What The Hell It's Doing!?
ROAR!
As if answering Mahiro, Udaeus let out a roar distinct from before—a long, piercing wail like a war horn echoing through the deep canyon.
Crack! Crack!
Pale bone claws burst from the earth, starkly different from Udaeus's frame.
These claws clawed upward, as if something beneath the ground strained to break free.
Hundreds of skeletal warriors, each about two meters tall, erupted from the ground.
These Level 4 monsters resembled miniature versions of Udaeus, their hollow eye sockets flickering with blue fire.
Clutching swords, they surged toward Mahiro like a tsunami.
"Looks like Udaeus is taking this brat seriously, summoning that many skeletal warriors all for him," Bete said, smirking at the sight of Mahiro swallowed by the horde.
Despite his taunt, he was inwardly stunned.
Summoning skeletal warriors was one of Udaeus's abilities, though rare.
The number of monsters it called forth typically scaled with the number of adventurers.
Hundreds of skeletal warriors was a response the Loki Familia had only seen when their entire first-class team faced Udaeus.
Yet here was Mahiro, alone, provoking such a massive onslaught.
"Maybe our intel was off," Finn said, his eyes never leaving the battlefield.
"Udaeus doesn't summon based on numbers—it scales with the threat an adventurer poses."
Monsters, stripped of most reason, relied on primal instincts sharper than any adventurer's.
This wasn't the flight response of a cornered beast but a relentless drive to eliminate a perceived danger.
"Are you saying this bastard could actually take down Udaeus?" Bete asked, his face souring as if he'd bitten into something foul.
If Finn was right, it meant Udaeus saw Mahiro as a greater threat than their entire first-class team.
The idea was absurd.
"No one can say for sure until it's over," Finn replied, shaking his head.
"But there's a good chance we'll witness another miracle from Mahiro today."
"I believe he'll win," Tiona said confidently.
"He hasn't even used magic yet."
Her words hung in the air, silencing the others.
So far, Mahiro had fought purely as warrior.
After repeated surprises, the Loki Familia could only wonder what else this enigmatic man might reveal.
The grating clatter of bones filled the canyon, a chilling sound that set nerves on edge.
These two-meter skeletal warriors, smaller and nimbler than Udaeus, moved with eerie precision.
As Level 4 monsters, their strength was formidable, rivaling seasoned adventurers.
Unlike the chaotic monster hordes Mahiro had faced before, these skeletal warriors attacked with disciplined coordination, like a trained army of hundreds.
The onslaught posed a real challenge.
Compounding the threat, bone spikes would occasionally erupt from the ground, catching Mahiro off guard with sudden ambushes.
One slip, and the horde could overwhelm him.
Yet Mahiro danced through the chaos, his movements fluid as he dodged a flurry of swords.
His weapon flashed, carving a streak of light through the skeletal warriors ahead.
Slash!
With surgical precision, a skeletal warrior's frame was cleaved in half, collapsing into ash.
The horde showed no fear, instantly filling the gaps left by their fallen kin, pressing their orderly siege without pause.
Mahiro moved like a leaf in a storm, bobbing and weaving through the monstrous horde.
He advanced, retreated, darted left, then right—never letting a single weapon graze him.
Every few seconds, his strikes shattered another skeletal warrior, reducing it to dust.
Huh?
A sudden surge of power jolted Mahiro's focus.
He'd been methodically cutting down the skeletal warriors, but now he spared a glance toward Udaeus.
The Monster Rex loomed, its sword raised, the tip aimed coldly at Mahiro.
Its shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints glowed like burning meteors, radiating an ominous purple light.
The air around Udaeus compressed, swirling with gusts of raw force.
"What's Udaeus doing?" Tiona asked, her eyes widening.
"A new move? How could Udaeus have a hidden trump card like this?" she added, stunned.
"This strike might decide it," Riveria said, her voice trailing off.
Even from the sidelines, the power Udaeus was amassing sent a chill through her.
Could anyone block such a blow?
And even if Mahiro survived it, would he have the strength to keep fighting Udaeus afterward?
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