Chapter 136: Killing Is Not As Fast As Living

Surrounded from every angle with no openings, the red-haired woman had no chance of escape unless she possessed the ability to burrow underground.

"I didn't expect to be pushed this far," she remarked calmly. Despite being at a clear disadvantage, her expression remained unchanged.

She slowly raised her head, and a strange glint seemed to flicker in her eyes.

"Viscum—"

Viscum? What is that?

Before Irelia could make sense of it, the ground beneath her feet trembled violently.

Sensing danger, she swiftly shifted her stance, surrounding herself with her Relic Stone Blades as a protective barrier.

From beneath the earth, a massive monster erupted—a larger, more menacing version of the plant creatures that had been wreaking havoc in Rivira. Its towering form loomed, with a flower at the top that looked distinctly different.

The monster's emergence sent Irelia flying, along with shards of broken rock that cascaded from above.

Her body hurtled uncontrollably toward the cavern's ceiling, but with a thought, two Relic Stone Blades halted mid-air behind her. Using them as footholds, she stabilized herself and regained control.

'So, the red-haired woman had been hiding her ace—this enormous monster lying dormant on the 18th floor.'

As the massive creature revealed itself, rows of smaller piranha-like monsters sprang forth, charging fearlessly at Irelia.

With a calculated flick of her mind, several Relic Stone Blades formed an intricate, impenetrable web around her. The smaller monsters couldn't approach; the instant they touched the shimmering net, they were shredded into pieces.

"Tch," the red-haired woman muttered, frowning as she realized the swarm tactic wasn't working. Her eyes shifted toward Haruhime and the others.

Since they had come as a group, attacking Irelia's companions might force her to split her attention.

Countless piranha flowers reappeared, swarming the area like an endless tide. Their numbers seemed limited only by the space available in the cavern.

Her plan worked—far better than she had anticipated. 

Irelia immediately sent some of her Relic Stone Blades to assist her companions, clearing dozens of piranhas in an instant with precision strikes. 

But this redistribution of her weapons gave the red-haired woman a glimmer of hope. She had initially intended to retreat, but now she saw an opportunity to fight back.

Perhaps she could even take Ais with her.

Casting aside the broken sword hilt, the red-haired woman clenched her fists and charged directly at Irelia. 

If she could neutralize this troublesome enemy, the severely injured Ais wouldn't stand a chance against Viscum and the remaining swarm of piranhas.

The red-haired woman didn't even spare a glance at Haruhime and the others. She assumed they were too weak to pose a threat, especially since Irelia had been prioritizing their protection.

As the red-haired woman's assault began, Irelia had no choice but to focus her efforts on her.

The woman's punches came with incredible force, the wind from her strikes grazing Irelia's face. They were far more difficult to handle than when she had wielded her sword.

Could the sword have been holding her back?

The red-haired woman's body was unnaturally resilient. She fearlessly used her fists to clash against Irelia's blade, sustaining only superficial wounds from the strikes. Even when the Relic Stone Blades managed to connect, they couldn't inflict deep injuries, and the woman dodged any precise attacks with calculated movements.

Her rapid regeneration rendered shallow wounds meaningless.

This woman was using her recovery ability recklessly, as if pain or injury were irrelevant.

Despite her efforts, Irelia couldn't fully concentrate on the fight. The monsters were still attacking her companions in the rear, forcing her into an increasingly precarious position.

That massive, peculiar flower didn't look simple, and with so many piranha flowers surrounding them, Irelia wasn't sure if Lulu could hold her ground.

Although Lulu was also a LV5, she was primarily a support. Her magic wasn't particularly effective for clearing out swarms of enemies.

"I need to finish this quickly!"

Irelia made up her mind and stopped holding back. Her movements became instantly sharper and more fluid.

All the Relic Stone Blades that had been floating around returned to her side and launched an all-out attack on the red-haired woman in front of her.

With the Relic Stone Blades supporting her assault, the intensity of Irelia's offensive surged.

After several exchanges, the red-haired woman's body was nearly drenched in blood, her skin marred with visible wounds.

Yet, those wounds began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The damage dealt moments ago had vanished in an instant.

If it weren't for her tattered leather armor bearing witness to the battle, it would've seemed like nothing had happened.

"So this is what it feels like to fight an opponent with a strong regenerative ability...

"It's utterly frustrating."

It became clear that this wasn't a fight that could be resolved anytime soon.

Irelia silently apologized to Lulu and Haruhime in her heart before diving back into battle.

The rear lines were under siege, and asking Lulu to apply buffs to herself at this point would be unreasonable.

Not only would it fail to help, but it might also end up distracting Lulu—something Irelia couldn't afford.

"What are the Loki Familia members doing? Are they seriously this useless?"

While the battle with the red-haired woman didn't require Irelia to exert too much effort mentally, it was evident that neither side could gain the upper hand.

Meanwhile, over in Rivira, the members of the Loki Familia were locked in combat with piranhas controlled by a creature known as the "Seed."

The creature itself had taken on a humanoid form—though its appearance was grotesque. Its face bore no discernible features other than a wide mouth.

Still, its shape was vaguely human.

What's more, the creature's strength was formidable, and it possessed the ability to summon even more flow that looks like piranhas to fight on its behalf.

In their efforts to minimize damage to Rivira, the Loki Familia members were forced to split their focus, protecting the town's resident adventurers while battling the creature and its swarm.

It would take time to eliminate the endless wave of piranha flowers bursting forth from the ground.

They had to hold the line until reinforcements from Rivira could arrive to take over the battlefield.

Not far behind Irelia, Lulu was already locked in a fierce struggle.

Initially, her mission had been a simple support operation—no one had anticipated such chaos to erupt.

With her shining wand in hand, Lulu managed to hold her ground and clear out monsters in front of her. But the sheer number of enemies was overwhelming.

No matter how many she struck down, more kept coming.

"I can't kill them faster than they keep spawning! What am I supposed to do?!"