Chapter 64

At first glance, it looked exactly like a river slime.

It was about the size of an empty barrel, and except for the spherical part, there seemed to be no significant difference.

However, there was one decisive difference that anyone could immediately notice.

The ball of water was floating silently at the height of an adult's face.

The raindrops intensified and fell incessantly from above.

But strangely, not a single ripple, let alone a splash, appeared on the surface of the red sphere.

It remained stationary in mid-air, displaying an eerie presence, as if it were a large raindrop that had missed the ground.

Its appearance, which set it apart from other monsters that had mutated from living beings, made Thor speak aloud what he had realized.

"Could it be... a Red Water Wraith?"

"That's exactly what it is, Thor. Listen, back away slowly... don't let it notice you."

"No, it seems to be too late. It has already noticed us."

Thorns that were not there a moment ago began to emerge all over the surface of the sphere.

It seemed that the wraith had detected the restoration of Dyalgo's fighting spirit.

Thor, having made up his mind, quietly reached for the hilt of his sword.

When it comes to the threats feared in the Bloodflow River hunting grounds, many adventurers mention the giant crab with pincers that can cut through iron or the rampaging hippopotamus.

However, those with extensive experience in the river unanimously agree on one thing.

"If you see a ball of water floating, never approach it. It's the worst."

The Red Water Wraith is a monster that appears in the Bloodflow River area during rainfall.

It is classified as a spirit-type, with the attribute of water.

This spirit-type is not derived from living beings but is said to be born from the combination of natural phenomena and miasma.

Therefore, its appearance takes on a unique form, but there is a strange contradiction in that higher-level species often take on a humanoid shape.

Since it originates from natural phenomena, it does not have a predatory instinct, but instead has a troublesome property.

It attacks when it senses a person's fighting spirit or magical power.

One of the troublesome characteristics of spirit-type monsters is that they are almost immune to attacks from regular weapons.

Since they are made of air or water, changing their shape slightly is not effective.

The only way to defeat them is to destroy the part called the spirit core.

If using offensive magic, it is possible to stop them by interfering with their magical power.

However, the red-iron level adventurers active in the Bloodflow River hunting grounds are only at the mid-branch level.

The only offensive magic that is effective is the fire user's "Fireball," "Heat Ray," and "Explosive Flame."

However, since the opponent is a water-based entity, the compatibility is extremely poor.

Therefore, the conclusion when encountering one is only one thing.

Run away as fast as you can.

And if, by some chance, you get entangled, the conclusion is similar.

Endure until the rain stops.

However, that is an extremely difficult task.

Because—

Suddenly, one of the thorns on the surface of the Red Water Wraith shot out at an incredible speed.

The water thorn, extending like a spear, approached Thor with the speed of an arrow.

Thor's iron sword, drawn with maximum sharpness, met the thorn head-on.

The thorn, having its tip cut off, was retracted, having lost its target.

As Thor moved forward to counterattack, he saw two new thorns extending.

His mantle, which he quickly raised for defense, fluttered.

However, one of the thorns easily pierced through the mantle and impaled Thor's thigh, pinning him to the ground.

Three more thorns followed in quick succession, aiming to finish him off.

Thor's arm moved at a speed that could not be seen, and the iron blade cut through the air with a flash.

The approaching thorns instantly turned into water splashes, and the thorn that had impaled his leg lost its form a moment later.

While stopping the bleeding from his thigh, Thor stepped back and maintained his guard without letting his guard down.

"You guys, don't interfere. I can't protect you."

"That's reckless, old man!"

"Damn, back up!"

The range of the water thorns is over ten steps.

Moreover, they have the power to pierce through a mantle as strong as iron armor, and can be fired in multiple directions simultaneously.

Even a slight touch to a vital point could end things quickly.

There is no opportunity to get close and use a weapon.

As Thor struggled to find a way to attack, the sound of a bowstring being drawn echoed without warning.

It was the work of Tapa and Tari, the Turu Feather clan, who were in the tent.

The accelerated arrows dodged the water thorns and pierced the wraith's body one after another.

However, the ball of water showed no sign of movement, and as it silently moved toward the tent, it dropped the arrows that had pierced it to the ground.

"Run!"

At Thor's shout, a large number of water thorns were fired.

The two of them jumped back in a hurry.

Sharp thorns pierced the spot where Tapa and the others had been just moments before.

The tent, which had been hit by the water thorns piercing through the wooden frame, collapsed under its own weight.

The sound woke up Moe, who had been dozing behind the stove.

The drowsy child, rubbing his eyes, looked up at the strange red ball floating in the air.

The Red Water Wraith, having noticed a new target, mercilessly fired water thorns.

"---Sora!"

"Okay!"

Moe, hit by a water thorn with tremendous force in the chest, flew through the air and landed on the ground.

He rolled a few times and finally stopped when he hit a tent near the embankment.

Under the watchful eyes of Thor and the others, who were holding their breath, the child quickly stood up and began to wave his arms in anger.

"Hey, that scared me! What did you do to Moe!"

"Are you okay? Young one!"

"Are you hurt? Young one!"

The child, being carried away by the twins who had rushed over, made Thor sigh.

Noticing Sora's "Reversal," he glared at the monster approaching them.

Thor's teeth ground together with a click.

"Sora, let's go all out."

"...Okay."

Holding his iron sword loosely, Thor began to walk steadily toward the wraith.

Without a moment's delay, water thorns were fired.

The sword flashed, and the tip of the thorn was silently cut off and flew away.

Then three more.

They were cut off in the same manner.

As soon as he was within five steps, the number of water thorns increased.

At the same time, Thor's sword cut through the air at an incredible speed.

However, he could not handle all of them, and several thorns pierced his shoulder and legs, grazing his torso.

But Thor's steps did not stop.

He continued to move forward, restoring his body as it was pierced.

And when the main body was within the range of his sword.

Countless water thorns attacked Thor.

But Thor was not the only one waiting for this moment.

---"Reversal."

---"Reversal."

---"Reversal."

---"Reversal."

The consecutive magic skills changed the trajectory of the thorns, creating gaps in the attack.

Thor's body slipped into the gaps.

The blade hummed, bisecting the water mass.

Then two more.

And again, two more.

The blade moved freely, slicing the monster into pieces in mid-air.

Eventually, the monster, having its weakness struck, dissolved into the air, scattering red water.

When he realized it, the rain had stopped.