Indeed, the Ankelenth's Domain doesn't work on beasts and monsters above a certain level.
That applies to Ouroboros, the master of the region and a Beyond Grade beast, as well.
'But I can still create a brief opening.'
As proof of that, Ouroboros, who had been rampaging as if about to crush me, paused its movement—albeit briefly.
That brief opening was all I needed.
Tadadak─
I rushed toward Ouroboros.
It was a calculated decision, knowing that simply running away would not last long.
[W-Wait! What are you doing now?!]
Esther's panicked voice echoed in my ears, but I didn't stop and continued moving toward Ouroboros.
[Summoning 'Ankelenth's Spear'!]
[Summoning time available: 10 minutes 5 seconds.]
A pitch-black spear extended from my left hand.
Coincidentally, it was the same color as Ouroboros' scales.
[Kiiiii...]
A vicious glint filled Ouroboros' eyes once more.
But I had no intention of missing this opportunity.
[Kyaaah!]
Ignoring the scream in my ears, I leapt onto Ouroboros' body without hesitation.
Climbing up with bare hands would have been impossible due to the slippery scales, so I used both the bone armor and Ankelenth's Spear to grip and hold on.
[Kiiiiiieeeee...]
No sooner had I mounted Ouroboros' body than it surged violently.
The effect of Ankelenth's Domain had worn off.
['Ankelenth's Domain' has been deactivated.]
[Time remaining: 19 minutes 25 seconds.]
Keeping the domain up any longer would just waste time, so I dismissed it and focused on clinging to Ouroboros' body.
'...The duration I can cling to Ouroboros using Ankelenth's Domain is about eight seconds.'
During that chaotic moment, Esther shouted.
[W-Why are you clinging there?! Get down right now!]
Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury to answer that whining.
[Kieeeeeee!!!]
As if trying to shake me off, Ouroboros thrashed its massive body, carving scars into the earth.
Kwaang!
Kwakakang!
A walking disaster.
The sheer size and dominance were overwhelming, yet I stubbornly gripped the scales, slowly climbing higher.
[Kieeeeeeeee─!!!]
Ouroboros' movements grew fiercer.
If it flipped its body now, I would undoubtedly be crushed to death, so I used Ankelenth's Spear as a climbing pole and pushed myself upward.
"...Kugh!"
While scaling Ouroboros' body, I finally saw what I had been searching for.
A conspicuous scale pointing the opposite way.
'Reverse Scale.'
Normally, reverse scales are only found on dragon-type creatures.
However, despite not being classified as a dragon, Ouroboros still possessed this peculiar feature.
Some user communities speculated that Ouroboros might actually be an 'Imoogi' striving to become a dragon, but the truth was never confirmed.
'That's not the point right now...'
As with other dragon-type creatures, the reverse scale was a fatal weak point for Ouroboros.
Unlike the other scales, this one protruded in the opposite direction, making it relatively easy to tear off.
Ouroboros' scales were harder than Ark alloy and as sharp as a plasma sword, but once the reverse scale came off, it became a glaring weakness.
[You... No, master, you're not actually aiming for that, are you?]
Of course I am.
Instead of answering, I gripped the spear tightly and leapt upward using the force.
I left Ankelenth's Spear stuck below me, but it didn't matter.
[De-summoning 'Ankelenth's Spear'.]
[Summoning time available: 9 minutes 35 seconds.]
[Summoning 'Ankelenth's Spear'!]
[Summoning time available: 9 minutes 34 seconds.]
De-summoning and re-summoning.
It was a highly useful technique for this type of equipment.
[Kieeeek!]
While I was maneuvering, Ouroboros' movements became even more frantic.
Bang!
Kwakakak!
Ouroboros thrashed about, tearing apart the surroundings.
Despite the chaos, I held on desperately by embedding Ankelenth's Spear between the scales and reinforcing my grip with bone armor.
But even that wasn't enough.
As if determined not to tolerate it any longer, Ouroboros started flipping its body.
'...Damn it.'
There was no time to rest.
Matching Ouroboros' movements, I reached out, trying to avoid being crushed to death.
Griiind... Griiind...
Responding to my will, the bone parasite created a makeshift bone ring around Ankelenth's Spear.
Like linked chains, I gripped the spear tightly.
['Bone Javelin' activated.]
Fwooooosh!
With a piercing sound, Ankelenth's Spear, powered by my full physical abilities and bone armor, shot forward.
'Even with Ankelenth's Spear, it's uncertain whether I can pierce the living scales of Ouroboros.'
Therefore, I aimed at the gap between the scales.
Fortunately, the spear embedded itself there.
Grasping the bone rings attached to the spear, I climbed higher up Ouroboros' body.
Then suddenly—
Swiish!
The part of Ouroboros' body I was clinging to soared into the sky.
[You... You!]
Like riding a roller coaster, I was pulled along as Ouroboros slammed its body to the ground.
Kwaaaaaaang───!!!
A massive shockwave burst forth, scattering thick dust in all directions.
It was a living, breathing catastrophe.
"Kugh!"
Naturally, hanging onto it like that, I wasn't completely unscathed.
Although it appeared as if Ouroboros was just slamming its body into the ground, the impact reverberated throughout.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ouroboros repeatedly pounded its body into the earth.
'Damn snake bastard...'
Using Ankelenth's Spear, embedded between the scales, as a foothold, I steadied myself and gripped the Ark-15 anti-materiel sniper rifle.
My target was Ouroboros' eye.
Even if I hit it, given Ouroboros' size, it wouldn't deal significant damage.
But it might at least calm the rampaging beast for a moment.
Clack.
I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Shoooong!
The bullet traced its path, and when it struck Ouroboros' eye, the A-985 explosive round detonated.
Kwaaaaang─!!!
[Why are you doing that again...?!]
[Keeeeeeek!]
Ouroboros let out a scream filled with rage.
Unfortunately, despite the intensity of the scream, the damage wasn't that significant.
Even though it was an A-985 explosive round, the fact that it was fired from an Ark-15 made it difficult to inflict substantial damage on a Beyond Grade beast.
'But I managed to create a brief opening.'
Though Ouroboros was still rampaging, it was much calmer than before.
This was enough to move.
'Then...'
I drew out a bone tendril.
Normally, to activate the Domain of the Spiked Totem, the sacred object must be driven directly into the ground.
That restriction applied to the bone armor that absorbed the Spiked Totem as well.
To declare Ankelenth's Domain, I had to pierce the ground with a bone tendril.
But did it really have to be driven in directly?
I already knew the answer to that.
['Bone Javelin' activated.]
The moment the launched bone tendril embedded into the ground—
['Ankelenth's Domain' declared!]
[Time remaining: 19 minutes 24 seconds.]
Ouroboros' body froze once again.
Based on my previous observation, the time Ankelenth's Domain could hold Ouroboros in place was about eight seconds.
Seven seconds.
Gripping Ankelenth's Spear firmly, I set my sights on the reverse scale of Ouroboros.
'At this distance... I can do it.'
Six seconds.
[No, what on earth are you planning to—]
Five seconds.
Crack, cr-rack—!
I tightened my grip on Ankelenth's Spear and fixed my aim.
['Hardening' activated.]
['Bone Javelin' activated.]
I also concentrated the ether into it.
[Throw it...]
[Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!]
[Kiiiiiiik!]
['Discharge' activated.]
I had done everything I could.
There was no need to hesitate.
I hurled Ankelenth's Spear with all my might.
Fwoooooosh────!
A fierce sonic boom erupted.
A single streak of darkness shot forth like a flash, piercing right between Ouroboros' reverse scales.
But that was all.
I failed to tear off the reverse scale.
'Was it not enough?'
Two seconds left.
There was no time to de-summon and re-summon Ankelenth's Spear for another throw.
'If that's the case...'
I raised the Ark-15 anti-materiel sniper rifle and aimed at the spot where Ankelenth's Spear was lodged.
'Between Ankelenth's Spear and the reverse scale.'
With my target locked, I pulled the trigger.
Shoooooong!
A small flash erupted from the muzzle as the bullet was fired.
One second left.
The fired bullet struck the gap beside Ankelenth's Spear, exploding and causing the precariously attached reverse scale to fall off.
[Kieeeeeeeek───!!!]
For the first time, Ouroboros let out a scream filled with pain rather than rage.
"Now it's your turn."
[Ha... Unbelievable.]
One of Esther's specialties was amplifying a specific emotion within a target.
Among the emotions flooding through Ouroboros right now, the one Esther needed to amplify was obvious.
'Fear.'
Ouroboros would now feel it.
The emotion of fear.
[Kiek, kiiiiiik!]
Ouroboros' movements changed.
Moments ago, it was intent on killing me, but now that its reverse scale had fallen and its weakness was exposed, its attitude shifted.
[What are you doing?! Get down from there! Are you planning to get crushed to death?!]
"...I know."
Barely clinging to Ouroboros' scale using the bone tendrils, I leaped off without hesitation.
From that dizzying height, easily tens of meters above the ground, I didn't worry about falling to my death.
'Catch me.'
[Kieek!]
Bone tendrils sprouted from my entire body, wrapping around me.
Not just that, but the ether moved as well, slowing my descent.
[Catch you?]
[Catch...]
Thud!
Thanks to that, when I landed, I took virtually no damage.
'Not that I'm completely unscathed, though.'
My body felt like a mess, probably from the impact earlier when Ouroboros repeatedly slammed itself into the ground.
"Cough! Cough!"
But that wasn't the crucial part.
[Kiiiiiii...]
Even though I had reached the ground, Ouroboros didn't swing its tail or attack me.
Instead, it turned away, heading back to its den.
[...It actually worked. Just who the hell are you? How did a human manage to...]
"Just finish it properly. If it comes back, we're done."
[I know! What do you think I am, suicidal?]
Of course, that wouldn't happen.
Ghost-types, perhaps due to their innate immortality, tend to have an overwhelming attachment to life.
Or rather, they're extremely sensitive about maintaining what they consider naturally theirs.
In fact, the reason Esther surrendered to me relatively easily was because her utmost priority was survival.
'Well, it's finally over.'
I watched as Ouroboros' massive form faded beyond the horizon and finally collapsed onto the ground.
"Phew..."
If I had handled it even a bit more sloppily, I wouldn't have survived.
Meeting a regional master outside the Ark had that kind of risk.
'I guess it's fortunate Esther was around...'
Then again, without Esther, Ouroboros wouldn't have awakened in the first place, so I supposed it balanced out.
[You have repelled the Beyond Grade beast, Ouroboros!]
[It is an unbelievable feat for a mere human! Souls will praise you.]
[Ether Sensitivity has increased.]
[21 -> 22]
[Acquired trait: 'Fear Rounds'.]
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[Fear Rounds]
—A certain chance to inflict the status ailment: Fear.
"View Details"
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'Oh-ho...'
[Fear Rounds] was a far more useful trait than it seemed.
Especially in this damned world, where monsters and beasts roamed everywhere.
And that wasn't the only reward.
'Let's see... I think it flew around here somewhere.'
Wandering around the scarred and churned-up ground, I eventually found what I was looking for.
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[Reverse Scale of Ouroboros] [★★★★★★★★★ (9-Star)]
—The reverse scale of the Beyond Grade beast, Ouroboros.
—Distinct from ordinary scales.
"View Details"
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