Asuna watched with a grim expression as Asagiri summoned the Human Asura again, sending it charging once more at the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit. Her knuckles, white from the tight grip on her sword, betrayed her inner turmoil. She longed to join the fight, but the highly corrosive, dark green liquid continuously erupting from the monster, coupled with its unbearable stench, held her back. These were the reasons Asagiri kept his distance, letting his Persona engage alone.
Is this the true difficulty of the dungeon? Asuna wondered, then immediately dismissed the thought. No, this felt wrong. Normal players wouldn't even be in the first-floor hall, let alone the fifth floor.
They would encounter a floor guardian around the tenth floor, a chase and escape battle. Perhaps the Red-Clothed Banshee, captured earlier, was the actual "boss" for regular players, not this nearly three-meter-tall abomination. Asuna regretted her profession—a melee Swordsman. A ranged class like a Warlock, Mage, or Archer could provide crucial support from a safe distance, unaffected by the corrosive liquid.
"Wait a minute...This thing..." Kotoko's voice cut through Asuna's thoughts. She watched as the Human Asura crushed the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit's head, only for dark green corpse water to gush from its neck and instantly regenerate the creature. The splashback, however, corroded more of the Human Asura's body. A look of realization dawned on Kotoko's face.
"Violet, I know why that guy is attacking proactively! Because the one fighting the Human Asura right now is not its main body! Its main body is very fragile and doesn't even dare to let us get close. As long as the main body is still there, its anomalous power won't dissipate. So...we need to find its main body!"
"Main body...water tank?" Asuna immediately connected the dots, gripping her Exorcist Longsword. She turned to Asagiri, shouting, "Leader, don't get entangled with that guy here, we need to go..."
Before she could finish, the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit seemed to anticipate her words. It let out a piercing roar, attempting to break free from the Human Asura's grasp. But the Persona was faster, locking the creature's neck and tearing its head off.
"I heard what you said," Asagiri stated calmly, his back still to them. "I'll hold this guy off. You two go find its true body."
Despite her worry for Asagiri, Asuna knew this was no time for hesitation. She nodded firmly. "Okay, I understand."
As Asuna and Kotoko exited the lobby towards the water tank room, the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit's face twisted into a more hideous grimace. It bared its teeth, aiming at their retreating figures. But before it could spray its corrosive liquid, Asagiri's quiet command resonated: "Human Asura, block its mouth."
Without hesitation, the Human Asura plunged its entire arm into the creature's gaping maw.
"Ugh..." The Floating Corpse Evil Spirit retched, struggling violently, its eyes fixed on Asagiri with intense malice.
"Very anxious, aren't you?" Asagiri leaned against the reception counter, a faint smile playing on his lips as he met its gaze. "Heh heh, just be anxious. It's useless even if you are. There's no way I'll let you pass. Knowing your true body is about to turn to dust, clearly powerless, yet still trying to cling to life, refusing to accept the reality of defeat... Truly ugly."
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Meanwhile, Asuna stood before a two-meter-high metal object that dominated the hundred-square-meter room, her brow furrowed. "Is this the water tank where that guy's true body is... Necro, help me look, if it's a normal water tank, there should be..."
Kotoko didn't wait for her to finish, pointing her staff to the top of the tank. "It should be on top." Water tanks, for cleanliness and maintenance, typically had an accessible lid.
"On top, huh...Wind Blessing." Asuna wasted no time. With parkour-like agility, she pushed off the tank's outer wall, effortlessly scaling it. As expected, a lid was present, and it wasn't locked.
The moment Asuna opened the lid, an incredibly pungent, unbearable stench assaulted her senses. The tank contained about half a meter of murky water. Her heart pounded with nervous anticipation. If Kotoko's theory was correct, below lay the true form of the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit – a bloated, swollen body, unimaginable in its grotesqueness.
Asuna, despite a slight phobia of dirt, knew she had no choice. She thought of Asagiri, holding off the monster, pushing his limits, summoning his Persona again despite his exhaustion. Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself. "Leader... Asagiri..."
With a determined breath, she leaped into the foul water tank. In the dimness, she spotted it: in a corner, a body so bloated and disfigured it was almost unrecognizable as human, only black, seaweed-like hair drifting on the surface.
The next second, the tip of herExorcist Longsword pierced directly into the center of its forehead.
"Found you."
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