Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 048
Chapter Title: The Wraith Lingering in the Tale (1)
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"It's not a three-way fork but a four-way one—first time for that."
Greg stroked his beard as he spoke.
They'd been tackling the rabbit hole for a full day now, but a four-way split was new.
"Regan. Can you pick the right path like before?"
"Like before?"
"At the three-way fork, you held the torch and spotted the enchanted one, right?"
"Hmm. Let's give it a try."
It was worth a shot.
Regan took the torch and began scouting all four paths.
"Doesn't seem to work."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. Nothing changes. None of the paths reveal anything with this method."
At the three-way fork, they'd used the torch to find the reward room.
All they had to do was follow the path where the flame went out.
But not this time.
The torch couldn't reveal which path was special.
'If my memory's right, there should be a reward room here too.'
The layout wasn't much different from the three-way fork.
Two paths with moles, one with the reward room.
And apparently, one more with the ancient wraith.
'The torch not reacting means... the reward room's prize might be different from before.'
The video uploader hadn't properly explored the reward room, so its contents were unknown.
But given the different reaction from the previous plaza... the reward was likely something Regan didn't know about.
"No need to overthink it."
Alice stared at the fork ahead and continued.
"There are four paths. And we number four."
"..."
"We split up and enter. If trouble arises, I'll teleport in to support."
"Teleportation magic...?"
"Before entering, I'll cast communication magic on everyone. Then I can jump to whoever needs help."
"..."
It was an efficient call.
There was some risk, but it brimmed with confidence that they'd pull it off.
'Not a bad plan.'
Regan and Greg were a bit worn out, but handling a few moles solo wasn't tough.
It might take time, but Alice would back them up if needed.
"What if all four of us enter one path together via teleport?"
"That'd be tricky."
Alice shook her head with a cool expression.
"Time's short as it is."
The rabbit hole vanished after 30 hours.
Before then, they had to find the three-way fork, activate the portal, and leave—or slay the boss inside.
'I wasn't fully sure until now, but this rabbit hole's boss is probably the ancient wraith.'
Meaning, now that they'd reached here, they had to defeat the ancient wraith to escape.
Fail that, and... all four would die when the rabbit hole closed.
If they wanted to live, they had to take down the ancient wraith somehow.
"You said a full day has passed since you entered. We'll face the ancient wraith here... Can't waste mana on group teleports."
Alice's concern was the fight turning into a prolonged battle.
She needed to conserve mana for that.
Checking paths with group teleports, as Greg suggested, would make the boss fight harder.
"Investigator Captain."
"Speak."
"Do you know how to tackle the ancient wraith?"
Regan asked one final thing to confirm.
Even if they followed Alice's lead, he wanted to know if she had a solid plan.
"Honestly? No proper strategy."
"What?"
"But when the kingdom sent me here, they believed I could handle it."
Alice continued with an unshaken expression.
"So I'll follow orders. No matter what it takes."
One of the kingdom's top mages and a loyal soldier to boot.
Regan nodded, seeing the same steadfast woman from the game.
No strategy was disappointing, but her resolve passed muster.
He'd cleared DAT with the same "get it done" mindset.
"Let's go in. I'll report if anything happens."
He'd approach it with the same determination.
Find a way through, whatever it took.
'It has field boss-level power, but it's not technically a field boss. No phases means... it should favor a war of attrition.'
No, Regan was already piecing together a strategy in his head.
Drawing from the minimal info in the video, he was devising the optimal approach.
* * *
"It's communication magic. Rub this rune and speak—everyone will hear."
A magic circle etched onto the back of his hand.
It wasn't much different from the formulas Regan used in scrolls. He could even parse it somewhat.
'Most magic circles are standard spells, so they're not hard to grasp.'
Spell formulas and circles were a spellcrafter's bread and butter, after all.
Regan stared at the communication circle thoughtfully.
'Might as well memorize it. Plenty of uses.'
He'd need practice.
His level might not suffice to cast it yet, but it was worth learning.
Communication magic shone brightest in parties.
"Then we enter in order."
Path 1: The knight order member.
Path 2: Greg.
Regan stood before Path 3.
Alice took Path 4 last.
"Our goal is the ancient crystal orb. We achieve it and get out."
As everyone nodded, Regan thought.
'I'll get out alive, no matter what.'
Duty first for them, but not for him.
Alice was probably ready to sacrifice her life for the mission.
She might even try carrying the orb out alone if everyone else fell.
Regan had no intention of going that far.
'I'll survive, somehow.'
A similar attitude to Alice's, but their biggest difference.
That's why he was racking his brain for a survival strategy again.
Swish—
He entered Path 3 torch in hand.
The others had already headed into theirs.
Alone now, Regan immediately pulled out a scroll and tore it.
Whumm—
Tier 1 Mana Shield.
One he'd crafted based on what he'd learned directly from Karina.
'Not at Tier 2 yet... but that's fine. I bought some Tier 2s from her too.'
Without hesitation, he tore another.
Mana Shield's strength was stacking tiers.
The Tier 2 Mana Shield from Karina enveloped him.
She'd offered them free, but he'd paid since he needed a lot.
'Two Mana Shields at once, Tier 1 and 2. This should block most attacks.'
In raw defense, it might even surpass Greg's armor.
But Regan stayed alert.
'Moles are one thing... but ancient wraith attacks? Unknown.'
The ancient wraith packed lycanthrope-level firepower.
Even the video's user—with decent specs—had struggled to tank it.
'Still, even if it matches a lycanthrope... it's no field boss.'
Lycanthropes hit hard, but their health regen was the real pain.
Plus, as a field boss, it had multiple phases.
Diverse patterns, in other words.
The ancient wraith, though, had relatively simple patterns, as he recalled.
'That's why I figured it was a bug or dummy data.'
Back in his DAT-playing days, that's why he'd dismissed the ancient wraith as a glitch.
No way devs would design such a powerhouse without proper patterns.
He'd assumed it was stray dev data that popped up by accident.
"...Turns out it's not."
If he'd known the spawn condition earlier, he'd have farmed combat experience in DAT too.
Regrettable, but no helping it.
He'd one-shot plenty of bosses before, so he'd focus and strategize carefully.
Grurrrk—!
'Not my path, then.'
Shield up, he advanced—and saw moles approaching.
—This is Greg. Mole plaza here.
Greg's voice came through the communication magic.
His path was moles too. That left the knight and Alice.
He was about to activate comms to share intel.
—...Captain.
The knight from Path 1's voice trembled through.
—...Thank you for everything. I...
Regan's face twisted at the words.
'...Path 1 it is.'
He didn't know the details, but trouble for the knight was clear.
Likely met the ancient wraith—and got hit mid-comm.
One down before they even started.
—Chris.
Alice's voice cut in then.
—Hold out for one minute.
Her tone was ice-cold.
—I haven't ordered you to die yet.
Flash—!
Alice appeared before Regan.
Her red hair whipping as she grabbed him.
"Regan Petricio. Prep your Mana Shield scrolls if you have them."
"Yes."
"I'm fetching Chris with the dwarf."
Flash—!
She teleported twice more.
Thus, Alice brought Regan and Greg to Path 1's plaza.
Before them: the knight collapsed and bleeding.
And...
—...
The ancient wraith, emitting eerie sounds.
"Listen up. Battle starts now. Objective: Kill Skelji... and save Chris."
* * *
Ancient Wraith Skelji.
It wore a massive robe, bones and skull visible within.
Evoked a skeleton mage.
'First time hearing the name... but its type's obvious.'
Whumm—
"...Kuhk."
The knight's face blurred as he bled out, his essence sucked into Skelji's hand.
Soul drain, like.
The classic Life Drain skill.
"Fireball."
Roooar!!
A massive fireball erupted from Alice's staff, halting Skelji's Life Drain.
Close call.
The knight had been on the brink.
"Regan Petricio! Secure Chris! Greg, tank Skelji up front!"
Alice issued crisp orders.
Cold, precise judgment in a split second.
Regan dashed and grabbed the knight Chris.
'...Damn.'
His muscular knight's frame was gaunt now.
Barely clinging to life.
"Potion. It'll sting."
Regan poured it into his mouth without delay.
"Kugh...!!"
Not a physical wound, so potions might do little—but at least it would stave off death.
'We need to recover Chris somehow.'
Regan quickly recalled what he'd overlooked in DAT.
This rabbit hole's boss raid required all four to enter.
Perhaps all four alive... was key to clearing it.