Cruubi hovered above, chirping and eying the now dismantled field. I gave it a simple task; to search for the scattered remnants of my prior quarterstaff, the [Spiritstaff of the Auburn Giant], while I figured out our next move. Even finding a few fragments was welcomed, since the quarterstaff was apparently made from the trees of the Outer Region. I was doubtful on whether I’d be able to find any replacement materials any time soon.

Cruubi has a small and separate inventory than my own—so a few pieces shouldn’t pose a problem for it. Whether it actually finds anything or not though, is a different matter entirely. Well, I can only hope that it does...

Either way, it was time to consider the next plan for tackling Ossifra. I understood where our opening would be, as well as how to manage against the time limit for its [Invincibility]. Yet I still had one concern I needed to take care of.

“Is that thing just going to keep running away?! This is getting annoying! Are we even sure that bird is that strong? It definitely doesn’t feel like it.”

In a haughty tone, Zaeh joined me at the center of the field, loudly downgrading Ossifra’s capabilities as she slammed her fist into her hand.

“Maybe you should all just let me handle it alone?”

She grinned as her tail flickered. It was as if she had completely ignored the fact that her attack had absolutely no effect on Ossifra earlier. And before I could even say anything against her misjudgment, Baccas stepped forth.

“Zaeh. You shouldn’t underestimate that creature. I told you before, didn’t I? About the rumor of what had happened in Quirel.”

There was a subtle tinge of aggression seeping from his throat as he questioned her. I could see her slightly grimacing at a sudden realization as she then clapped her hands together in front of her face.

“Oh, that’s right...! Sorry about that, Baccas. It slipped my mind.”

Quirel?

From what I could remember, Quirel was a village in the northern part of Espen. There wasn’t anything special about it other than being home to a modest tribe of lesser Feliads. I could count how many times I had visited that specific area in MO on one hand.

Did something happen to Quirel that relates to Ossifra then? Maybe that’s how and why Baccas became connected to the Aarala...

If it were true, then Baccas’ eagerness in fighting Ossifra made a bit more sense now. Quirel was originally detached from the Aaralian-sphere of tribal politics, meaning they were practically a nameless tribe that kept to themselves. In MO, there were still several across Espen that included even non-Feliads, yet they were all a victim to a gradual change taking place as time went by.

“As long as you understand.”

Shaking his head in response to her apology, he then sighed and turned toward me.

“Now, human, your scheming has worked so far, but I have misgivings. We cannot allow it to continue to retreat into the sky.”

“I must agree with him. It will become a battle of attrition if we don’t figure something out soon.”

Vostoun suddenly appeared from behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder with a firm grip.

“Nevertheless, seems like trusting in your ability was the correct choice. Keep up the good work, kid.”

What are you, my father...?

All I could do was awkwardly smile at him. It was certainly pleasant to hear that I was being trusted, but it still felt a bit condescending when ‘kid’ was attached at the end of his praise. Either way, I had no intention of letting them down.

“Do not allow your ego to bathe in complacency, Wizard. If you plan on enacting a similar plan going forward, it won’t work again without struggle.”

Yojim was sitting down with his legs crossed and eyes closed, seemingly meditating as his sword sat in front of him. It didn’t surprise me even slightly that he would say something like that, since that was my lingering concern.

“So, I’m correct in thinking that, by Ossifra ascending each time, it’ll naturally become even more cautious? Is that it?”

“Not only that, but it’ll also heal its wounds the longer it remains in the sky. In a battle of attrition consisting of both sides wearing each other down—something like that will not happen by allowing Ossifra to reascend. Fighting it will only become more difficult for us over time.”

Wait, is that what ‘regaining its strength’ meant in its status? Dammit.

The abilities of a Warden in its preferred domain were vast, especially when the Class was tied to a raid boss—and even more so on a Special Beast. They were very ‘touch-and-go' even after learning how they ticked, but outside of their domain, they were essentially sub-bosses.

I was working under the assumption that it would become even more cautious, but it’s going to be healing too? Whittling it down won’t work then and that completely counters any long-term plan if it does retreat.

It was already my aim to prevent another retreat, but Ossifra was constantly showing signs of keen vigilance. It continued pulling back, each time without fail, after its ability wore off. I was dubious about pinning it on just standard survival instincts, since it was a winged beast with a notable advantage over us—flight. I was more convinced that it was likely that Ossifra was abiding by its curated wits and experience.

It took on the Higrant Giants, so there’s no telling what else it fought against and what it learned. That means...there’s no other choice for us.

“I see. It’s better to hear that before dealing with Ossifra again than learning the hard way. That was helpful. And if that’s how it is, then it’s simple.”

I looked around, meeting everyone’s eyes but Yojim’s. I wanted to make sure I had everyone’s attention. And then I settled my line of sight on the mediating man himself. He would be our ace in the hole. I couldn’t help but smile at the idea that came to mind.

“Yojim, how do you feel about getting sent flying again?”

❖

“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

An ear-piercing bellow upon arrival, one akin to a fearsome battle cry, was followed by Ossifra’s plunge toward the center of the arena once more. An easy dodge as I relied on [Force Push], yet the distance between the two of us was meager compared to before. And that was fine, since we were all on the same page of expectations—working off a theory involving Ossifra’s next move that was further solidified as truth upon using [Divination].

“Zaeh! Baccas! Casting—”

The overall group was already given their directions on what to do ahead of time, and that was the signal for the duo to move. One that told them that the theory was correct as Ossifra began to lift from the shattered ground. It wasn’t preparing for a full retreat, but it was creating some distance instead. It was readying to switch to ranged attacks now.

“—[Mark of the Quarry], [Phantasmal Touch]!”

Two preemptive spells out of three used. I held out my stave in Ossifra’s direction, silently praying that what I had in mind would work against it.

Will it go through...? Ah...!

It worked despite Ossifra’s [Invincibility] already being activated. Neither of the two spells were damaging spells to begin with, meaning that the ability didn’t prevent abnormal statuses from being applied. It made sense in theory, given that Ossifra was constantly under the effect of [Subjugation], but I wasn’t a hundred percent certain of that until that very moment.

All right! Now, I’ll leave it to those two. I need to prepare.

❖

“Got you!”

Zaeh’s wand-like whip extended and attached itself to one of Ossifra’s talons. It didn’t go without notice as the bird began to kick downward, still hovering within the arena. Yet she laughed, not caring about the juddering and swaying even a bit as she began to swing along with the momentum created by Ossifra.

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You won’t get rid of me that easily, you plumy bastard...!

“Skill: [Unbridled Fall]!”

An aura coated her lengthened whip as Ossifra’s body jolted down slightly due to the additional weight. She was told earlier that, if it was affected by the sudden weight shift, then she could proceed to the next part of the plan. It meant that anything without ‘damage’ was still effective.

That human... He’s crazy to even think about using my Psionics like this. But...

Her grin reached her ears as she thought about Albel’s idea. It had never occurred to her before that she could use her whip in such a way. She was practically given a new toy to play with, and she always welcomed anything that furthered her abilities. After all, strength was everything to her.

“Skill: [Psi-Ethereal Body]!”

Her body was covered in a thin layer of aura as she became weightless. According to Albel, along with the wind’s resistance, it would prevent her from shooting beyond the targeted area. That meant she could now manipulate any high-speed movement, controlling where she stopped without dealing with the extra momentum.

“Here I come!”

She didn’t even hesitate to proceed forward, retracting her whip immediately after her skill. Her body shot upward with an incredible pace. She then released the hold around the talon, which allowed for her to catapult toward Ossifra's chest due to the lack of momentum from being weightless.

“Skill: [Psi-Flash]!

The faint aura that once coated her body now brightened tremendously, blocking Ossifra’s vision entirely and preventing it from seeing anything for a few seconds. Canceling her prior skill, her body’s weight returned as she quickly whisked her whip behind her and targeted a beard-like patch of hair under the bird’s beak.

“Baccas, you better hurry and get your ass up here!”

Ossifra was thrashing about in the air, eyes still shut as the pull of its beard suddenly forced it to strike forward and toward Zaeh with its beak. Barely managing to avoid it, she circled around to the back of Ossifra and landed on its head using the sudden momentum of its movement. She still held a grin on her face as she looked down toward Baccas.

“She’s having the time of her life.”

Baccas looked over his arm as a faint glow radiated over him. He could feel his body’s ability to move being far greater than before. After all, Albel had buffed him with a [Self-Accelerate] via [Sundered Boon].

I won’t let it escape from here today.

He ran toward Ossifra with enhanced speed and began preparations. Removing the sealed wrapping that covered the opposite side of his twin-blade, it suddenly fluttered against the wind while appearing like a now fragile, grayish and old strand. And then it became violent, imbued with a gleaming streak, darting around in search of something—until that something was found.

It’s been a while, Næġling.

The strand twisted around Baccas’ arm, as the tip of the blade sank into his skin. A Soulkindler, one that held a power source of the Primal, intertwining and invoking the ancestral spirit of his weapon. His body pulsated and tightened upon the connection. He could feel the power flowing through him as he held onto the hilt of the blade and readied the opposite end to strike.

I won’t fail alongside you and Hrunting!

The name of his twin-blade, Næġling and Hrunting, now altered and were empowered by each other as they combined into one. Spectral teeth-like nails made their way up the single blade as a strengthened Baccas shot into the sky and toward an occupied Ossifra.

“Took you long enough, Baccas!”

“Skill: [Soul Fang]!”

The waning coat of [Invincibility] wavered as Ossifra met the sudden attack with its beak mid-air. The time limit was over as the two connected, yet the enemy still held the advantage. Even if it remained in the arena, it was still considered to partially be in the sky. But their job of keeping Ossifra busy wasn’t over as Zaeh had immediately jumped into the air upon their impact. Focusing her psionic energy at the bottom of her foot, she shot downward.

“Skill: [Psi-Salvo]!”

As she descended back onto Ossifra, she slammed her foot down, causing its head to lower while it was still countering against Baccas’ attack. And syncing with Zaeh’s assist, Baccas spun his body around as he then shredded the teeth-like nails against the right-eye of the Bone Eater.

“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!!”

Joining Zaeh atop Ossifra’s head, the two held onto the feathered foe as it began thrashing around while airborne. It writhed in pain, attempting to shake them off to no avail. And then, it finally gave up.

“Baccas! It’s heading up!”

“Yeah, our job is done for now.”

They released their hold, pushing off the head of the Bone Eater and fell freely. Considering how well the plan had gone thus far—and taking their personalities into account—they surprisingly held complete faith in leaving it to the rest of their group.

“I won’t let you leave! Skill: [Aegis Projection]!”

Vostoun shouted from below as he held his hand outward and above. Half-blinded, Ossifra was heading directly into their trap as it slammed against a barrier that prevented it from going any further. Yet, it kept trying, rampantly throwing its body up and against the layered shield. Repeatedly, exhausting itself out and that was the best-case scenario for them.

“My shield isn’t so weak that such a weakened beast will be able break through it so easily! Now fall! Skill: [Runic Rebound]!”

“KHAAAAAAAA—!!!”

Ossifra’s retreat was rejected as it came falling to the ground. It then quickly attempted to rise and reascend. It was purely focused on retreating and recovering now, until it noticed something across from it with its single, usable eye. A man holding a spectral quarterstaff, clad in black priest-like robes. And for some reason, it decided to take the bait.

❖

“Unfair? I mean, I sent you flying once compared to your two times when you used [Haling Wind] on me. If anything, just think of this as us getting even.”

“You’re not listening, Wizard. I really don’t think you sending me into the arena wall is in any way equivalent to what I—”

“Regardless! We’re up next, so get ready.”

“...”

We stood beside one another, far behind Ossifra, as we patiently waited for our turn to come. After having Zaeh use [Psi-Flash], I used [Self-Hide] to make sure that Ossifra’s attention was completely removed from me. Any ranged attacks would have been ignored like last time, so I allowed the ‘brute force’ duo to get up-close-and-personal instead. And by giving Baccas enhanced mobility, that would make it less likely for Ossifra to respond quickly.

I didn’t expect him to partially blind it though. And that sword of his... I’m glad I didn’t let him use it in our fight after all.

With [Investigate], I could tell what it was. A Mythical weapon, or to be more exact, two weapons made to become one. It was far different than what I could remember from MO, since they were originally separate there. They both were two rare drops from a raid boss in Espen—the ‘War Wolf’, Biuul. I was incredibly curious about another peculiar aspect too; the reaction of the blade after he unwrapped it.

I definitely need to ask him about it after—

“Wizard. It’s time.”

Ossifra was now rushing toward the apparition created by the [Necklace of Coupled Illusion]. It was an item that I took from Guil after our fight, one that allowed the wielder to become concealed, hiding behind a realistic body double. Along with casting [Mark of the Quarry] and [Phantasmal Touch], I had already set the field with a bit more than that.

Now, how well will it work?

The Bone Eater’s eye would only see me standing there. Abandoned and alone, quivering while I held out my quarterstaff in flimsy defiance. It would be an enticing sight for a predator of its nature, but underneath that false image was an [Elemental Spirit: Flora]. Of vines and spores, it was a mid-tier spirit imbued with the abilities of the forest-kin. It was an inspired spell created from seeing Eru’s magic from when we were in the ruins.

“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

It was as if it were under duress, throwing caution to the wind in a feverish assault. It attacked, striking with its beak without any hesitation—and I was ready. Dozens of vines began wrapping around Ossifra as the Spirit was hidden within the rubble—the cracks and fissures. It further pulled the battered bird toward the ground, embracing it in place.

“Yojim!”

“Aether Skill—”

His body was hunched over as he readied a peak skill. He kept his blade sheathed, waiting to be drawn with unmatched speed within a split second. I was initially under the impression that he had used all available Aether Skill usages during our fight—to which I was only partially correct.

His Unique SKILL, [Zen Channeling], also increases the daily cap of his usages. I’m surprised he was even willing to tell me that.

The use of Aether Skills was limited after all, restrained to a daily restriction. It was even less than my Divination usages without my [Necklace of the Ardent Prayer], which raised my usages from four to eight. He had used three in total during our fight earlier.

But I’m glad. This probably wouldn’t work without the use of Nether Magic or Aether Skills. And I currently have neither due to my Class choice and specialization...

It was something that only our ace in the hole could manage. Placing my stave behind Yojim, I immediately used my final preemptive spell. A staggering force to drive him forward.

“Casting: [Divine Gale]!”

Amid my shout, Yojim leapt into the air as the sudden and potent drag of the wind then carried him toward Ossifra. He kept his eyes shut, body twirling slowly inside. And then his body became flat, back toward the ground as he could seemingly feel his arrival. His entirety flipped upright with draw of his blade.

“—[8th Facet – Rivers of Crossing Severance].”

Above Ossifra, the wind that ferried him across the field suddenly dispersed as he stood atop the downed beast. He was already in the process of sheathing his sword before I realized what had happened.

“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

In a single sideways stroke, Yojim had partially clipped both wings now forcing it to remain grounded. The Bone Eater struggled in place, but still couldn’t break free from the entangling vines. The energy from its damaged wings became drained, only twitching occasionally.

“Finally, we're done here...”

Ossifra was seemingly giving up all together now as everyone began to converge at the bird’s location. Yet the closer I got, the more I could hear it. A deep hissing noise was coming from Ossifra, but that alone wasn’t so alarming.

“Yojim...? What is he...?”

Yojim still had both of his hands on his sheathed sword while looking down on the Bone Eater. And then it happened.

“Keep your distance! It’s not over yet!”

He leapt backward, re-enabling everyone’s guard immediately after. And suddenly, I couldn’t feel my [Elemental Spirit: Flora] anymore either as a slow, acidic ooze began to flow outward from Ossifra’s surroundings. Its feathered body radiated, and it seemingly couldn’t stop itself from flailing around.

“KHAAA! KHAAA! KHAAAAAAAAA!!”

Don’t tell me...

It was something that could only occur to me upon witnessing it for myself. And I had yet to see anything like it in this world until now.

“You’re kidding... Are you telling me this bastard has a second phase?!”