With Isis joining the fray, the pressure on Altaïr eased considerably.
The Chameleos was not a Monster with overwhelming offensive power. What truly troubled High Rank Hunters were its invisibility and terrifyingly potent venom.
Now, surrounded by three Hunters, the Chameleos struggled to vanish completely and break through their encirclement. The Blademasters also interrupted its attempts to spew toxins at every opportunity, gradually forcing it onto the defensive.
Realizing that it was at a disadvantage, the Chameleos changed tactics and focused on defending itself.
It held its head high to keep it beyond the Blademasters' reach while using its claws, wings, and massive tail to deflect their attacks and buy itself room to breathe.
If Altaïr and Isis had been its only opponents, this turtle-like defense would indeed have given them trouble. Nadia, however, was still there.
Wielding the Rathling Phoenix, Nadia was the real source of their offensive power.
While the Chameleos grappled with the Blademasters, her Bowgun never fell silent. Under the relentless barrage of Flaming Ammo, large burns had spread across its body, especially its tail.
Because it was concentrating on protecting its vulnerable head, the Chameleos could only leave its enormous tail exposed to the Gunner's line of fire. As long as it remained pinned down by the Blademasters, it was little more than a living target in her sights.
The longer the battle continued, the more favorable the situation became for the Hunters, yet they still did not dare lower their guard.
Given the intelligence the Chameleos had already displayed, it had to understand that remaining on the defensive would only bring about a slow death.
It had to be planning something and waiting for an opportunity to break through their encirclement...
Suddenly, it drew its body inward and spread its broad wings over its head and upper torso. It even curled its scarred, fleshy tail around to shield the vulnerable areas of its chest and abdomen.
Altaïr and Isis immediately assumed that the Chameleos was preparing some kind of powerful attack.
They were about to rush forward and interrupt it with an all-out assault when Nadia's warning reached them. "Fall back!"
Although they did not yet understand why, they trusted their senior's judgment and retreated at full speed.
The Chameleos suddenly spewed a thick plume of white mist toward the ground. Altaïr stared in surprise. Had it not already exhausted its internal water reserves and lost the ability to produce mist?
Or had it been conserving what little remained solely for this one breath?
There was nowhere near enough mist to conceal its enormous body. Its mist, however, did more than camouflage it; it also carried toxins.
The realization told Altaïr what it intended to do. "Deadly poison! Get your antidotes ready!"
His guess was close, but not entirely accurate.
The mist pouring from the Chameleos's mouth turned a peculiar yellowish green rather than the dark purple of its deadly venom.
Within two or three seconds, all the mist surrounding it had taken on the same hue. The Chameleos abruptly spread its enormous wings, and the resulting gust dispersed the yellow-green cloud in every direction far faster than the poison mist before it.
One look at the cloud's speed and range was enough for Altaïr to abandon any thought of evading it.
While the Chameleos was still beating its wings, he followed Isis's example and slipped an Herbal Medicine into his mouth. The instant he was poisoned, he could bite through the wax seal and neutralize the toxin immediately.
With that precaution in place, Altaïr accelerated toward the target again, determined not to let the Chameleos use this opening to break free.
Isis did the same. Eager to resume suppressing the Chameleos as quickly as possible, she decisively activated Blast Dash.
In the distance, Nadia opened her mouth to warn them, but she was already too late.
Propelled by shellfire through the yellow-green mist, Isis's movements immediately went awry. She failed to carry the momentum of Blast Dash into her usual powerful sweep and instead slammed shield-first into the Chameleos's face...
Even so, the thrust of Blast Dash and the sheer weight of her equipment sent the Chameleos staggering.
When Isis dropped back to the ground, she could not keep her footing at all and landed hard on her backside.
Altaïr fared little better as he sprinted through the mist. Under the effects of the yellow-green toxin, he felt every ounce of strength drain from his body at once.
It was as though Gordon had drilled him all day, only for Hayata to catch him immediately afterward and force him into a sparring match. Every muscle in his body ached too badly to move.
He promptly bit through the wax seal and swallowed the Herbal Medicine. The toxin was neutralized, and the unbearable soreness rapidly began to fade.
The glycogen that the toxin had forced his muscles to convert into vast quantities of lactic acid, however, could not simply turn back into glycogen.
His equipment felt as heavy as a mountain. After struggling forward for a few more steps, Altaïr could no longer support its weight. His knees buckled, and he dropped to one knee.
Nadia was far enough away to remain outside the area blanketed by the toxin and had escaped its effects. She let out a quiet sigh.
The two youngsters were skilled, and their combat strength had unquestionably reached High Rank. Perhaps because they had grown so quickly, however, they still lacked experience. At their age, they were also a little too reckless.
She understood that they had taken the risk to prevent the Chameleos from escaping, but the situation had not yet become desperate enough to warrant such a dangerous gamble.
Besides, she had prepared a backup plan...
Just as the Chameleos began considering its next move after felling both Blademasters, it felt a sharp, needle-like pain stab into it from behind.
Nadia had replaced the high-capacity drum of Flaming Ammo with the more powerful Piercing Fire Ammo.
The high-velocity rounds bored into the burned wound on the Chameleos's tail. The superheated projectiles easily pierced its thick layers of fat and drove deep inside.
The Chameleos extended its long tongue in retaliation, but Nadia evaded it with a nimble side hop without breaking her rhythm of fire.
Realizing that it could not quickly defeat her and would be in real trouble once the other two recovered, the Chameleos decisively abandoned its attack. It spread its wings, took to the air, and left the forest battlefield, flying off in a particular direction.
Nadia watched the Chameleos retreat for a moment, then lowered the red-hot muzzle of her Rathling Phoenix and walked toward her two disheveled young companions.
Altaïr was actually in fairly good condition. He had merely been poisoned while charging through the mist, and taking medicine in time had neutralized the toxin before it could do further harm. His stamina was now severely depleted, but some high-energy food and a short rest would be enough for him to recover.
Isis, on the other hand, had suffered some injuries. Blast Dash might look simple, but it demanded extremely precise control of the body.
The stamina-draining toxin had struck Isis in midflight, inevitably throwing off her movements and causing her to crash headfirst into the Chameleos's face. She had therefore suffered injuries from both the collision and the recoil.
Altaïr accepted the Energy Drink Sajji handed him and drained it in one gulp.
Kral had recommended that they carry this concoction. Its generous Honey content helped Hunters recover stamina quickly, while the Nitroshroom sharpened their focus.
After catching his breath, Altaïr braced his hands against his knees, struggled to his feet, and made his way over to the still-dazed Isis.
Looking deeply worried, Clawdia poured a Potion down Isis's throat, immediately followed it with an Energy Drink, and then administered an Antidote G, as though terrified that some trace of toxin might still remain inside her.
Nadia knelt beside Isis and examined her injuries. After a moment, she smiled. "Nothing serious. She'll be fine after a short rest."
"Sorry, Senior Nadia. We were too reckless and let it escape." Altaïr lowered his head as he admitted his mistake.
Nadia waved dismissively and stood. "There was no way for you to evade that water mist once it was mixed with the stamina-draining toxin. Its escape was inevitable, so this wasn't your fault.
"Still, you need to be more careful. Even when you have a targeted countermeasure, you cannot afford to be reckless against an Elder Dragon. One mistake can easily prove disastrous."
"I'll remember that." Altaïr nodded earnestly.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he asked, "Judging by the direction the Chameleos flew, it must be heading toward the sinkhole. We're already too late to stop it from replenishing its water reserves.
"The next battle will be even more difficult. What should we do now?"
Nadia smiled at the question. "You two worked hard to keep it pinned down for so long, but I wasn't idle either.
"That Chameleos is badly wounded. I used Flaming Ammo to burn the sensory organs on its tail, so it can no longer become completely invisible.
"That still isn't enough. We need to destroy its ability to camouflage itself altogether. Once it loses its greatest advantage, it will be far more likely to retreat."
"...You mean?"
"Prepare for a frontal assault. That's what you two are best at, isn't it?"
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This chapter was translated through YourTL.app, which can also translate novels for readers when no English version exists.