Chapter 91

I stepped forward toward the monster, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the letter containing the secret that my mother had given me.

Then, the monster turned its countless palms toward me—once again, those black lightning bolts were unleashed.

『『『【Black Lightning】』』』

However, just before impact, the lightning veered away to avoid a direct hit. It struck a distant mountain, exploding and reshaping the ridgeline. The resulting gale blew me away, but in the end, it only scorched the surface of my skin.

────It seems I won this one bet.

That creature has now decided not to kill me. Its conflicted mind, wavering between whether to spare or slay me, has settled, and it has chosen to capture me, now alone and separated from the others.

I used the debris flying through the air from the blast as a foothold and jumped toward the monster, whose countless eyes were fixed on me.

『『『────Gah, Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah』』』

As I approached to a distance where its tentacle-like arms could almost touch me, I could tell the monster was laughing with delight.

This creature understands that the small being that has thrown itself into its path is now powerless, nothing more than food. It knows that once separated from the troublesome others, I am completely defenseless. Therefore, it mocks and laughs at me, seeing me as a foolish prey that has thrown itself into its mouth.

That understanding and mockery are correct. As the monster thinks, I am very weak. Helplessly powerless, I cannot even hold a sword properly, and of course, I cannot do anything on my own here. Unless I catch it off guard as I did earlier, I would be crushed in an instant and thrown into its mouth, a worthless existence.

I know that too. That's why I came here. I am nothing but prey now.

Just bait to draw it in. So, I should let it continue to laugh. That is my role right now.

『『『────Gah』』』

The monster opens its huge mouth and extends its countless thick arms. I cannot resist. I have no way to avoid it.

『『『────Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah, Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah Gah 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