"O-okay, so...we now know that a blinding flash created using a lightning Spell is quite effective. Good to know," Remarked Rayven wryly, after a couple of minutes had passed and he and the other three Adventurers regained their sight.

Rosary had been the only one to avoid it, she’d closed her eyes the instant she realized what was about to happen.

While they waited for their sight to return, we discussed the specifics of the plan we were going to use. No major changes were made to my initial suggestion, with just a few tweaks and detailed clarifications added.

"Sorry about that, I should have thought that through," I replied apologetically.

"Nah, it’s fine, it might not be a bad thing that I experienced how effective that Spell is. Definitely worth adding to my arsenal," He responded with a grin.

"Ahh, I wish I could cast Spells, but I could never make head or tails of Magic," Sighed one of the other Adventurers.

"Yeah, I tried for a while but even at best, it took me way too long to cast even the most simple of Spells," Added another of them.

"I think that’s enough fooling around, we’re almost by where the Basilisk is," Rosary informed us.

"Unless it moved or something," Shrugged Rayven in response.

Hm, I should check...I activated my Thought Communication and focused, sensing the Basilisk. Yeah, it’s at the bottom of the lake, near where we’re heading towards.

"It’s right about here, just a few meters ahead and underwater," Remarked Rosary, as we got to that spot.

"Alright, kid, you’re up," Rayven gave me a pat on the back, before I nodded and stepped forward after taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling.

So much for the role of observer, huh? Well, the fact that I’m not going to fight the Basilisk myself hasn’t changed, I’m just providing support. I’ll just provoke it, help weaken it and then I’m hiding.

I learnt about the way Monsters are categorized, based on their threat levels. The weakest Monsters are classified under Threat Level: Common Grade. Next is Threat Level: Intermediate Grade, followed by Threat Level: Disastrous Grade and Threat Level: Catastrophic Grade, and finally, Threat Level: Demonic Grade.

Basilisks are classified as Disastrous Grade Monsters. There are hardly any Catastrophic or Demonic Grade Monsters outside of the Labyrinths, so a Basilisk is just about one of the most dangerous Monsters you could encounter.

So, yeah, no matter what happens, I won’t be joining the fray. I then locked onto the Basilisk using my Thought Communication, sending it a short but sweet telepathic ’fuck you’, as aggressively and tauntingly as possible.

I steeled my resolve as I sensed it immediately swimming up towards the surface, getting ready to signal Rosary and Rayven as the three of us charged up lightning blasts, staying calm as I waited for the right timing.

"Get ready...it’s almost there...aaaand...now!" I exclaimed, as I fired the lightning blast at the water’s surface, a Spell simply called Lightning Blast.

"Elemental Lightning: Lightning Bolt," Chanted Rosary at the same time.

"Elemental Lightning: Lightning Arrow!" Exclaimed Rayven, all three attacks hitting the water at the same time.

Lightning Bolt is considered the most simple Elemental Lightning Spell, but she fired it at a pretty high output. Lightning Arrow is a more accurate and efficient version of Bolt, so it’s likely that Rayven’s mastery over Magic and Spellcasting is superior to Rosary’s.

As for what I used, Lightning Blast, it’s a more powerful, compressed and explosive version of Bolt. There’s also Lightning Spear, which is a more powerful, compressed and explosive version of Arrow.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. As the Basilisk’s snout began to break through the surface of the water, the three of us swiftly activated the Black Mist Spell, a massive dark cloud bursting out over the surface of the water, spreading out and rising up as it obscured the Basilisk’s vision.

Alright, here goes! I swiftly extended out a pillar of earth from right below my feet while simultaneously manifesting my whip and swinging it back as it extended it and made it blunt, wrapping it around a tree further back.

I then held the handle of the whip between my teeth as I formed tiny sparks of lightning above the index fingers of both hands, compressing them rapidly. And as the mist began to clear, both sparks erupted into blindingly bright lights, the Basilisk letting out a sharp snarl before a loud splash echoed out.

My eyes were shut tight, and I wasted no time in contracting my whip as fast as I could, pulling myself back towards the trees. My feet hit the tree that my whip was wrapped around it, before I swiftly slipped behind it to get out of sight.

I pierced a small hole through the bark of the tree with my whip, to use as a peephole, since I want to see how this goes. Looks like the others are bringing out their Soul Weapons.

Rosary’s venom clawed gloves look pretty cool with her adventuring get-up. Those other three Adventurers, their Soul Weapons are a staff with spikes all over it, a bow and arrow, and dual wielding blades. And as for Rayven...

"Manifest Soul Weapon: Glob!" He chanted, before a sword formed in his right hand.

Huh? That looks mostly like a normal sword, but...the blade is a translucent light blue, and it’s kinda glossy too.

Rosary then shot towards the Monster, leaping onto its body and digging her claws into it, piercing through its scales and eliciting a pained roar from it as she slid down and her claws dragged down through the leathery, scaled skin, blood trickling out through the cuts.

She then sprang off of it as the other three Adventurers shot forward and raced around the body of the Basilisk, slashing at it repeatedly and leaving small cuts all over it.

It’s trying to resist Rosary’s paralyzing venom, its movements are stiff and rigid, but it’s still moving, despite being unable to open its eyes thanks to me blinding it.

Rayven then stepped forward, raising his blade...which suddenly expanded to a large, gelatinous mass and shot forward, going in through the Basilisk’s mouth and then burst out from inside its body in the form of several spikes.

Woah...so, that blade is made of a slime-like liquid that he can manipulate and control at will? That’s kinda terrifying, he can probably use it to suffocate and drown his opponents.

He then violently yanked his blade back out, the Basilisk letting out a weak growl before collapsing onto the ground with a loud thud, its lower half still in the water. Hm? Wait a second...

"That’s it? Huh, this wasn’t as difficult as I thought it’d be."

"Yeah, I expected more from a Disastrous Grade Monster."

"Guess we were worried for nothing."

No, something’s wrong here...!

"Watch out! It’s still alive!" I exclaimed urgently as I could still sense it clearly through my Thought Communication, right as the Basilisk’s tail burst out of the water and rapidly swung towards the three Platinum ranked Adventurers.

The one with the dual blades leapt out of the way in alarm, the tip of the tail hitting his back and sending him painfully skidding along the ground before coming to an abrupt halt as he crashed onto a tree with a sharp gasp of pain.

But the other two were slow to react...the one with the spiked staff got hit on the full, a loud crunch echoing out as it shattered his bones upon impact, before he crashed onto the one with the bow and arrow, she let out a cry of pain as her left arm snapped like a twig and they both got sent flying across the air and crashed onto the ground, sliding across it as puffs of dust rose up from their trail.

The Adventurer with the staff died instantly, and the woman with the bow and arrow is unconscious, that was an incredibly powerful amount of force.

Rosary then shot across to its left, starting to change her trajectory as it finally managed to open its eyes again and glanced in her direction. She reacted swiftly, but her right leg suddenly stiffened and she collapsed onto the ground, staring at her leg in alarm as she struggled to move it.

Her entire body then collapsed as the Basilisk wasted no time in turning its gaze onto her fully, its jaws starting to open before Rayven suddenly pierced through its neck with his Soul Weapon, standing up on the air.

He then raced across while repeatedly using the Black Mist Spell to keep himself out of the sight of the Basilisk, repeatedly attacking it with his Soul Weapon and attack Spells, slowly but surely damaging it further and further.

How the hell is it this durable, it should be dead already! I have to run away, or I’ll end up dead too. So, why the fuck am I still here!? I...I can’t bring myself to leave...

As Rayven continued chipping away at the Basilisk, it suddenly raised its tail up high...and then swung it down towards the water with immense force, crashing into it with a deafening splash, the water rising up incredibly high following the impact, a rainbow forming in the air as the countless drops began to rain back down.

Rayven was forced to halt for just a brief moment...and that’s all the opening that the Basilisk needed to lock its gaze onto him, paralyzing him instantly.

He was still up in the air, using his Air Walk Skill to keep himself up there instead of plummeting down to the water...but at that height, he’s still well within the reach of the Basilisk.

And the Monster was rising up towards him, narrowing its eyes at him as its blood trickled down its body from the injuries he’d inflicted on it. I then felt a drop of water hit the bridge of my nose, as a drizzle began pouring down, slowly but surely getting heavier and heavier. Huh, Rayven was right...it really did start raining...

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