At the End of One's Rope

"Ugh..."

Firona reached up to knead the hard, icy bridge of her petrified nose. Sweat streamed down her face as she gasped for breath.

(How did this happen?)

(This Clown's ability can petrify others directly through someone else's "line of sight." She doesn't even need the target herself to notice her presence...)

(I've never heard of such an absurd ability trait before! I've never encountered anything remotely like it!)

Then, as she felt not only her nose but even her lips gradually falling to petrification, Firona could only feel bitterly helpless and regretful that she had realized the true nature of Jupetz's ability only now.

Had she understood it sooner, Firona could have relied on sound to pinpoint her opponent's location and fought Jupetz in a prolonged "blind" battle. Who would ultimately prevail would still have been uncertain.

But Missile Hunter had discovered it too late in the end.

At this very moment, Firona's nose, mouth, and even her entire face were rapidly being completely invaded and claimed by petrifying power.

That meant she was about to enter a suffocating state where she could no longer breathe, and it also spelled out that Firona was destined not to last much longer.

To fight Jupetz in a battle of attrition in her current condition would undoubtedly end in inevitable defeat for Firona.

Then, from the far end of the beach, footsteps approached in a light rhythm.

Firona knew that was the signal of Jupetz drawing close again.

Without a second thought, she ordered Hidden Kill Bastion to fire at once. The six silver-white steel plates fitted with Queen Bee Repeating Sniper Rifles erupted with an invisible rain of bullets, sweeping their firepower toward the source of Jupetz's footsteps.

Amid a series of sharp whooshes through the air, Firona's barrage immediately set