Chapter 42: The Main Body in the Water Tank
Asagiri summoned his Persona again.
The Human Asura materialized behind him and charged straight back into the hall, barreling toward the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit as if it had never been dissolved a moment ago.
Asuna's expression turned grim. Her right hand clenched the sword hilt so hard her knuckles went pale.
She wanted to rush in and help, but the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit kept spewing bursts of dark green liquid. It was so corrosive it could melt even the Human Asura in seconds. On top of that, the stench pouring off it was unbearable even through a mask.
If it were not for those two things, Asagiri would never have kept her back and let the Human Asura fight alone while he watched from a distance.
Is this the true difficulty of the Dungeon?
No. That was not right.
In a normal run, Players would not even need to come to the first floor lobby, and they would never reach the fifth floor in the first place. They would probably encounter the floor's guardian spirit somewhere around the tenth floor and be forced into a desperate chase, running and hiding until the time limit ran out.
It was even possible that the Red Clothed Female Ghost they captured at the very start was the strongest Banshee the Dungeon was supposed to throw at them. The normal route might never have brought Players face to face with this nearly three meter tall Floating Corpse Evil Spirit at all.
For the first time, Asuna truly regretted the class she had drawn. A melee Swordsman.
If she had been a Warlock, a Mage, or an Archer, she could have supported the Human Asura from a safe distance, far enough to avoid the dark green liquid.
But she was not.
"Wait… this thing…" Kotoko murmured.
Asuna followed her gaze.
The Human Asura seized the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit and crushed its head with brute force. Yet the monster did not dissipate. Instead, dark green corpse water gushed from its neck like a fountain, and in an instant, its head reformed as if nothing had happened.
Worse, the splashed corpse water ate into the Human Asura's body again, corroding more of its frame.
Kotoko's eyes sharpened with sudden clarity.
"Violet," she said quickly. "Now I understand why it attacked us proactively. The one fighting the Human Asura isn't its main body."
Asuna's breath caught.
Kotoko spoke with certainty, her tone crisp. "Its main body is fragile. It doesn't even dare let us get close. As long as the main body still exists, its Anomaly power won't disperse. So we need to find its true body."
"True body… the water tank?" Asuna's mind snapped into place.
She tightened her grip on the Exorcist's Longsword and called out toward the lobby.
"Leader, don't get dragged into a fight here. We need to go…"
Before she could finish, the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit seemed to understand her intent. Its mouth split wider and it released a piercing, savage roar, trying to tear free from the Human Asura's hold and charge toward them.
But the Human Asura was faster.
It locked an arm around the creature's neck in a clean, standard hold, then wrenched hard and tore its head clean off.
"I heard you," Asagiri said.
He did not turn around. He stood with his back to Asuna and Kotoko, voice calm, as if he were discussing something trivial.
"I'll hold it here. You two go find the main body."
Asuna's chest tightened with worry, but she knew this was not the moment to hesitate. She nodded sharply.
"Okay. Understood."
Asuna and Kotoko sprinted out of the lobby and toward the equipment room.
Behind them, the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit's face twisted into something even more hideous. It bared its teeth, its gaze locking onto their retreating figures with frantic malice.
It tried to vomit that corrosive liquid again.
Asagiri's voice cut through the air, quiet and absolute.
"Human Asura. Block its mouth."
The Human Asura moved without hesitation. It thrust its entire arm straight into the monster's gaping mouth.
"Ugh…"
The Floating Corpse Evil Spirit made a gagging sound, its bloated body thrashing violently. Its eyes, fixed on Asagiri, burned with warped hatred.
"Getting impatient?" Asagiri leaned back against the reception counter, staring into those eyes with a faint smile.
"Heh. Go ahead. Be impatient. It won't help."
His smile sharpened.
"Your true body is about to turn to dust. Powerless, yet still clinging to life, refusing to accept defeat."
"Truly ugly."
......
On the other side, Asuna stopped short in the equipment room.
A massive metal structure dominated the space, nearly two meters tall and so wide it seemed to swallow the entire room, which had to be close to a hundred square meters.
A water tank.
Asuna's brows knit tightly.
"So this is the tank where its true body is…" She glanced at Kotoko. "Necro, help me check. If it's a normal tank, there should be…"
"It's on top," Kotoko said at once, already raising her staff to point upward.
Hotels did not rely on filters alone to keep their water clean. The source tanks were cleaned regularly from the inside. That meant the tank could not be fully sealed. There had to be an access lid for maintenance.
"On top…" Asuna steadied her breathing. "Wind Blessing."
She activated the magic, her body growing lighter.
Then she moved.
With parkour like precision, she scaled the side of the tank, kicking off the outer wall and landing on top without wasting a second.
There it was.
A lid.
And it was not locked.
Asuna walked to it and pulled it open.
The moment the lid lifted, a brutal stench surged up, so sharp it stabbed into her throat even through the mask. Inside the tank, murky water pooled to about half a meter deep.
Her heart thudded.
If Kotoko was right, then inside this tank was the true body of the Floating Corpse Evil Spirit.
Its real corpse.
Bloated. Swollen. Soaked for who knew how long.
Asuna had always had a faint fear of filth. In the past, there was no world where she would have willingly stepped into this foul, corpse tainted water.
But now…
"Leader… Asagiri…"
She pictured him in the lobby, stalling that monster, already drained, still forcing himself to summon his Persona again and again.
Asuna clenched her teeth.
Then she jumped.
Cold, filthy water swallowed her legs. The stench hit like a wall. In the dim gloom, she saw it.
In a corner of the tank, a body floated, bloated and swollen beyond recognition. Only strands of black hair, like seaweed, drifted on the surface.
Asuna did not hesitate.
The Exorcist's Longsword flashed.
The tip drove straight into the center of the corpse's forehead.
"Found you."
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