Everyone staggered and even standing still was difficult, not to mention turning around to distance themselves from the central hole.
Everyone could only kneel on the ground and lay flat on their stomach, trying to reduce the "earthquake" impact.
The "earthquake" lasted for a few seconds before the central hole suddenly burst into another explosion without fire.
Boom!
Sand and dust rose to the ceiling like a huge pillar and the central hole expanded in size, almost devouring the entire arena as big as half a football field!
Because the hole was expanding and the ground was made of sand, the hole sucked the surrounding sand, inadvertently sucking the people standing on the sand as well.
"Hang on!! Don't get sucked into the hole!!"
Castra grabbed Cecily's small body and protected her while digging his feet deep into the sand.
Even Garfin clutched Castra's neck with his claws so tightly that Castra felt like he was about to die before he got sucked.
Not that he ever got sucked, hehe.
The spirits were fine as they could "float" if they wanted just by spending a little mana but the summoners...they were not so lucky.
Mario, who didn't have Castra to protect him, almost got sucked if not for the boar and wolf spirit biting the man's pants and clothes.
At the cost of losing almost all of his clothes being torn to pieces, Mario finally survived the "black hole".
The group barely survived when they caught sight of something enormous emerging from the hole amidst the clouds of dust and sand.
The thing was still slowly rising from the hole—
1 meter.
2 meters.
3 meters.
4, 5, 6...
Fck. Fck. Fck. Just how big is that thing?!
Everyone looked up at the thing that had already risen halfway towards the ceiling, at least ten meters tall, as tall as a three-story building!
This monster is at least a D-rank, right?? No, maybe even higher!
The gut feeling immediately came like a tide.
BEEP. [Passive skill Gut Feeling is triggered.]
[Gut feeling: Ah, this must be a big boss. How does someone fight such a monster?]
[Let it go~ let it go~ close your eyes and choose a good tomb Feng shui!]
Alongside the intense churning in the stomach that seemed to rip Castra apart, Castra felt a familiar pressure akin to the sky falling.
He fell on his knees helplessly and his body was even close to being crushed to the ground by the mere aura alone.
At this rate, he's going to die even before he sees the true identity of that thing!
Garfin saw Castra's pale face and his body that was slowly hunched over.
Only then did he notice the grave situation.
"Meow, meow! Puny human! What's wrong with you??"
"G-garfin...the...pressure...aura..."
Garfin, who didn't feel the pressure at all, slapped his forehead with his paw.
"Meow! I forgot you're weak, meow!"
Garfin immediately slapped Castra's forehead with his paw and the "seal" he planted glowed in a sacred holy light, slowly enveloping Castra's whole body.
Castra, who was like being drowned in the ocean, slowly felt the burden on his chest becoming lighter.
His heavy body also slowly became light, as if the restriction put around him was gone.
"Fuah!" Castra let out all the breaths that he was holding in.
His entire body was soaked in sweat mixed with a little golden blood, definitely a sorry state.
If Garfin didn't coat Castra with his own aura that he stored in the "mark", Castra would really have died with his eyes open.
But Castra wasn't the only one affected.
Cecily, an E-rank summoner, was also under pressure. It was only thanks to her natal spirit being a healer that she managed to get by.
On the other hand, Mario was already foaming with his mouth open while the boar and wolf spirit trembled on the spot, but both of them didn't back down.
They bared their teeth at the looming shadow in front of them, ready to fight to the death.
That thing slowly crawled out of the hole and soon, a dense rustling noise of insect's legs rubbing each other came out of the hole itself.
As the clouds of dust and sand slowly subsided, the enormous thing's figure also slowly came into everyone's sight, along with the densely packed army behind it.
...is this the end?
Not to mention that enormous thing, even the army of dung beetles behind was enough to make them kick the bucket and drink a pot.
Garfin didn't pay attention to the "small mobs" and just stared at the enormous dung beetle monster.
It had golden tweezers and a golden shell, definitely different from the rest of the dung beetle monsters.
"Meow, this dung beetle leader...doesn't feel right."
The boss of the herd would definitely be one level higher than their cronies, but Garfin had never seen a dung beetle with golden tweezers and shell.
Not to mention that such a strong pressure wasn't that of a D-rank monster at all.
If this was a D-rank, Castra would have kneeled in front of Archie and the two beast spirits, but it didn't happen.
This monster…
A light bulb suddenly lit up in Garfin's mind and he subconsciously hissed,
"Meow, everyone, be careful! That monster might be a mutated monster!"
!!
Everyone, including Mario who had just passed out, instantly turned into the "scream" painting.
Mario: "W-what?? A mutated monster?? How could such a monster come all the way to the arena? They should be deep in ruins or dungeons!"
Cecily: "A mutated monstel is lale, even lalel is a boss monstel who has mutated!"
This boss monster might be a D+ rank monster or the worst case scenario...a C-rank monster.
If that's the case, no one would be able to leave this place alive, not even Castra, the miraculous spirit.
Even Poo had already started to pick a coffin for Castra and typed the will of inheritance.
[It's nice to work with you, host. I won't forget the time we spent together...please, rest in peace! ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ ]
Castra wanted to slap Poo away, but he didn't want to get his hand dirty, so he restrained his anger while staring at the huge monster that was slowly approaching their group menacingly.
[Poo, I know the system is omnipotent. Is there a way to deal with this boss?]
[Just the boss or the mobs too? ʘ‿ʘ]
[...both.]
[ (ㆁωㆁ) Well, there's actually one way...]
Poo's unexpected answer also made Castra bite his tongue.
! There is a way??
[How?? Quick! Quick! Tell me!]