I have the terrain advantage, now that I think about it.
There is a barrier between us. Which I can traverse at will, but the scorpion can't.
The scorpion is still banging against the walls. It doesn't seem that it noticed me at all.
So I chant the lightning bolt aria silently, targeting the monster.
:::
After some time, I wake up again.
My entire body is hurting. Where am I? What happened?
Oh, I'm lying on a staircase... Right, the scorpion. The barrier. I'm right outside the barrier.
The scorpion is at the other side of it, looking straight at me. Now I remember, I tried to launch a lightning bolt at it, but it was deflected back at me.
I was hit by my own spell. That was a bit pathetic.
I activate the Appraise Object skill again and look at the barrier.
----------
Juno's Inner Sanctum Barrier
A barrier that seals a monster-type creature.
Extra Information:
A barrier into which anyone can enter, but nobody can exit.
The barrier was created 1,328 years, 10 months, and 3 days ago.
----------
Nothing changed. Which means that even though I have access to the extra information because of my title, the information that would be normally available is still subject to the same rolls as anything else.
So the only way to get more information from analyzing it is to come in again tomorrow.
The scorpion is still looking at me. It scuttles back and forth, restless, but never turns its gaze away from me.
Maybe the only way to fight it is going inside. But starting the fight already hurt is not a good idea.
I might still use the barrier to my advantage by getting in, launching a spell, and stepping out before it gets me.
But I need some healing and rest before I do that. So it's better to get back up.
The rest of the party is only one floor above, after all.
:::
When I cross the barrier, everyone immediately looks in my direction.
Yaci jumps on me, hugging me.
"Aureaaa!! I'm so glad you're back!"
"Ouch, ouch... Calm down, Yaci. It hurts."
"I'm sorry. What happened? Why are you hurt like that? Did you find her?"
"That can wait for later. Pyatan, tend to her."
"Yes, ma'am."
:::
After I'm fully healed with magic, I tell everyone all that happened in the 'sanctum,' and then I go to bed to get some good rest.
It was a tiresome day, with all the coming and going through that museum-like place. So much information to process.
Tomorrow will bring a better outcome.
:::
"I don't want you to go alone. That monster is too dangerous."
"But no one else can enter. Only me."
"So you shouldn't go. Let's break camp and go back."
"I can't just leave her there after coming all the way here."
This convo has been happening for some time now between me and Yaci. She is not letting me go back in there.
I have the artifact that lets someone bypass the barriers, but I didn't tell them about it. That's because I don't want anyone else to be at risk.
Also, if I'm alone in the fight, I can use the amulet to simply jump out of the monster's reach.
If I put up some sort of guerilla fight, where I get in just long enough to launch the lightning bolt and then jump back, then I have a chance of defeating it with little risk involved.
But with only one amulet, that's one game that two people can't play together. We would also stand in each other's way.
The idea of having one of us outside the barrier with the amulet while the other is inside being ripped apart is not something attractive to me.
"Yaci. That's enough. She has decided to go, and I've heard the Loa trusts that she'll be able to do it."
Kwarah butted in. Thank you.
"Yes, Yaci. I'm fully able to defeat it by myself. Please, trust me in this."
"But you're just a child!! And that's a very powerful monster!"
"A very powerful, weakened monster, restricted by a barrier that I am able to pass at will but you won't."
"How? Tell me, how can you be sure you can pass it at will?"
"It's like this one. I can simply bypass any barrier created by the goddess."
Yes, I lied to her face. I had to do it to hide the existence of the amulet from her.
Otherwise she would insist on going and then try to sacrifice herself to save me or some other stupid shit.
And I won't have any of that.
"My plan is to get in just enough to cast the aria, attack it, and then jump back. And repeat it until the monster is beat."
"That sounds like a great plan."
Thanks again, Kwarah, for agreeing with my way of thinking at this moment.
"It won't even have a chance to land a hit on me.
"You promise you won't stay inside there more than needed?"
"I promise."
Yaci hugs me again, crying, then lets me go.
I walk back inside the 'sanctum,' already thinking about the experience that scorpion is going to give me.
:::
It was already waiting for me.
While I walked down the corridors and the stairs, I didn't hear any of yesterday's screeches.
When I get in front of the room, there it is. When it notices me, it immediately starts scuttling around excitedly.
I can still sense the madness from yesterday inside it, and at the same time... an insatiable hunger.
How can I even feel it from here? It's almost like there is some kind of connection between us.
I've never felt anything like this before. It's like I can almost hear its emotions.
Its emotions...
They are like a raging sandstorm raging inside her. There is jealousy, anger, betrayal, and a very deep sorrow. But, covering it all, a maddening hunger.
A hunger deep like the aeons themselves.
How long have you been in there?
I appraise the barrier again. There is a new line in the general information.
The barrier aimlessly deflects any spell that comes in contact with it.
Hm, the trigger is contact, huh? Goodbye to the idea of only putting the hands inside to cast the magic. I'll need to have the whole body inside.
So I need to time this very precisely.
Chant the aria until it's ready to launch. Jump in, launch, jump out.
Just a fraction of a second, so I'm not caught by those pincers that look like they could snap me in half.
I put my backpack down, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and cast the body-strengthening aria.
Okay, let's do this.