Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Lord Warrior (1)
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“Was the Shock Wave originally this powerful...?”
The archer looked around in surprise.
He could feel the unpleasant orc mana had temporarily vanished from the surroundings.
In other words, at least all the orcs around here had been killed in one hit.
It meant they had a brief moment to catch their breath.
“Scrolls don’t all perform the same.”
“...Hah. So it was an advanced scroll.”
“Yes.”
Hadn’t he always said it?
The only reason they didn’t use them more was because the materials and resources required were overwhelming, but once prepared, no other class could match it.
Advanced scrolls made from banshee leather were one of the elements that boosted a spellcrafter’s combat power.
“Advanced scrolls increase the efficiency of magic, right?”
“Yes. Around 30 percent in numerical terms. It boosts it by exactly that much.”
“...That’s insane.”
Magic wasn’t simply firing mana.
It involved colliding mana together or using it as a lubricant to create new effects—that was magic.
To increase the efficiency of such magic by 30 percent.
That alone made advanced scrolls more threatening than casting spells with mediocre mana.
‘...Well, the materials are just as hard to obtain.’
Even these advanced scrolls he had now were barely made from the ones he’d received from the association previously.
Banshees weren’t hard to hunt, but acquiring their leather was even tougher.
Since they were the type that turned to ash, there was no way to farm it if they didn’t drop items.
“I don’t have many advanced scrolls either. I can use Shock Wave at most three more times.”
If they were heading to the Witch’s Garden, he would have brought more.
He would have spent every last coin to gather more banshee leather.
“Even so, three more gives a bit of reassurance. It means we get even this short break.”
“That’s true.”
The archer gulped down a potion and caught his breath.
His bloodshot eyes began to recover, and the fingers torn from drawing the bowstring started healing too.
“...But it doesn’t look like we can rest for long.”
Thud thud!!
The sound of orcs charging again echoed.
Chiiiik chiiiik!!
The tiresome cries assaulted their ears.
The gladiators and Greg gripped their weapons tighter and refocused.
Regin and the archer also began preparing to hold out as long as possible.
Boom!!
It was at that moment. A dull thud accompanied something flying through the air.
“Krgh!!”
“...Seria!!”
Seria flew out from the green mist, blood spilling from her mouth as she crashed to the ground.
“Was it the clone?”
“...”
Seria shook her head as she wiped the blood and stood at Greg’s question.
“I thought it was a regular orc and tried to take it out quick... but there was a weird orc mixed in.”
“A weird orc?”
“...Sorry, Regin. I think I lost the clone.”
Regin’s mind raced.
‘...If it was definitely a regular orc, it couldn’t have sent Seria flying like this.’
Regin looked toward the direction she’d come from and spoke.
“It seems the Orc Warriors have started coming.”
It meant the level of orcs appearing was beginning to rise.
* * *
After Seria was sent flying to the center by the Orc Warrior’s charge.
The situation began to unfold worse than expected.
Crunch!!
“...Damn it!”
Out of every five orcs, one was an Orc Warrior.
No matter how fiercely Greg swung his axe.
No matter how precisely Elsilva slashed with her sword, they didn’t die right away.
‘Does that mean we have to hit them at least four or five times?’
If it were just the Orc Warriors, they wouldn’t be this anxious.
Kwaaang!!
“Urgh!!”
The problem was the clone hiding in the mist and firing magic.
Because Seria had lost it and come to the center, they’d lost the one marking the clone.
‘...It’s not that powerful. But it’s still Fire Buster. Magic at the end of stage 3.’
It couldn’t target them precisely either, so the magic’s size and power were lacking.
Still, repeated explosion-like attacks were inevitably fatal to the gladiators with low magic resistance.
“Everyone, duck!”
Regin made a bold call.
He’d blow away this smoke once more and check the clone’s position.
Kwaang!!
He tore a bomb scroll and hurled it into the air with all his might.
A powerful explosion with wind pressure erupted in midair.
At the same time, the mist cleared, and the moment Regin’s group regained their vision temporarily.
“...This is crazy.”
The whole group let out exclamations.
“...There’s even an Orc Lord?!”
It was because they spotted a massive figure approaching from afar amid the orc legion.
The moment they realized it wasn’t ending with Orc Warriors—they had to face an Orc Lord nearly 3 meters tall.
‘Did it take longer than I thought?’
Regin was just as flustered.
It had started when the Orc Warrior appeared. It was earlier than he’d calculated.
‘I was timing it based on the Holy Shield duration... where did it go wrong?’
Countless playthroughs flashed through Regin’s mind.
‘No way.’
Regin’s gaze swept the surroundings.
No matter how he thought about it, he hadn’t miscalculated the time. It wasn’t the timing for an Orc Warrior yet.
So the variable was elsewhere.
Having finished thinking, Regin spoke.
“...Seria. Track the clone again.”
“Got it.”
Regin told Seria as he confirmed the clone’s position.
“And if there’s an opening, I’ll come help too.”
“We have to take it down before the Orc Lord arrives, right?”
“Yes. Killing it won’t make the Orc Lord disappear, but it’s better than facing both at once.”
“Is it possible? The gladiators have been struggling since the Orc Warriors showed up.”
“...I’m betting on one possibility.”
“A possibility?”
“Manannan and his group might still be alive. If they join us... I can focus on the clone too.”
“...Understood. I’ll mark the clone right away.”
“I’ll head there soon.”
Seria dashed toward the clone.
Regin watched her back, then looked up at the sky.
Because the clone had Manannan’s pendant, he’d ruled them out for now.
He’d thought the chance of survival was low.
But this monster wave adjusted difficulty proportional to survivors.
Screeech—!
He tore a scroll and shouted into the air.
“Manannan! If you hear me, follow the orcs!”
Magic Shout, which temporarily amplified voice volume.
If the clone and its group were in a state to fight, he needed his help.
He didn’t know where they were or what they were doing, but if they heard, come here—that was the moment he shouted.
Swoooosh—
Amid the fog refilling the air. Something began to appear from the sky.
The archer reflexively drew his bowstring, but Regin stopped him and spoke.
“They must’ve been nearby.”
A flying carpet slicing through the air.
‘No wonder I didn’t see them. Manannan must’ve farmed it.’
A small smile tugged at Regin’s lips.
Besides the holy book, there were a few things to get from the Skeleton Tombstone, one of which was the flying carpet.
‘It can fly through the air, even if only for a very short time.’
Thanks to him farming it, they could fly through the air like this to reach Regin.
“...Regin!!”
The face of the man sitting atop it came into view.
The man maneuvered the carpet toward the center where Regin and the group were.
“Manannan!!”
The first person he’d seen after entering this world, the one he’d explored with first.
It was the moment of reunion with his friend, the mage Manannan.
“...Where are the other party members?”
“...”
Only two people got off the carpet. Manannan and the swordsman Bern.
“It’s just us two. The rest...”
Regin gritted his teeth and nodded.
He’d known the reunion wouldn’t be entirely joyful.
“...They’re dead.”
“Yeah.”
But he hadn’t expected it to be this devastating.
He could tell without being told—they’d been circling the air to avoid the witch and preserve their two lives.
“There’s a lot to talk about, but for now, let’s focus on those things. Bern, we’ll need your help too.”
Regin looked at him with a serious expression.
He needed the slayer’s help.
Even among swordsmen and gladiator classes, slayers were known for the highest attack power.
“Please block the Orc Warriors’ advance here with Manannan. I’ll get you out alive.”
“...”
“And I’ll help honor your fallen party members.”
Was this really the same Bern he’d seen before? His face was so dyed in despair.
But at the mention of his party, a bit of that previous glint returned to his eyes.
“...I’ll stake my life on it. This time for sure.”
* * *
Manannan and Bern.
He hadn’t expected all the other party members to be dead, but having even these two was fortunate.
“Ice!”
Crack!
Manannan, who hadn’t left for three months straight. He’d already become proficient at casting spells.
True to an elemental mage, his Ice magic efficiency surpassed Regin’s.
The orcs with frozen feet under them had their movements restricted.
Slash!
Bern swept roughly here and there like a true slayer, swinging his sword.
Every sword technique was sharp.
...As if determined not to leave regrets this time.
Swoosh—
Regin watched them and tore one scroll.
‘Now I can step away for a bit.’
He’d also activated the fourth Holy Shield, and their joining created a little leeway.
Now was the timing.
It meant a chance to help Seria take down the clone.
‘Ghostwalk magic.’
A scroll he’d received from Paphoni at the Spellcrafter Association.
Its advantage was turning a person’s body ghostly temporarily, but it was rarely used normally.
‘But right now, nothing beats this.’
It was the only way to avoid drawing orc aggro and pierce the clone’s detection.
Regin felt his body lighten as he ran.
He passed right through his companions and leaped past the orcs blocking the path.
Clang, clang—!!
In this place filled with all sorts of noises, he had to focus on just one sound.
‘Two consecutive attacks. The sound of Seria swinging her twin daggers.’
If a fast, sharp sound rang out twice in a row, it could only be Seria.
She was the only one here using twin daggers.
In this place thick with green fog, Regin desperately followed the sound.
Concentrating mana in his ears to not miss it.
“...Seria!”
Finally, the clone and Seria entered his vision.
Seria was clashing with the clone at a speed hard to follow with the eyes.
‘She’s already torn the holy book four times... meaning she’s been fighting the clone nonstop for 40 minutes.’
One wrong magic hit and her life was at risk.
Boom!
“Hup!”
Seria deftly dodged all those attacks while pressing the clone.
If it weren’t for Seria with her unique speed and reflexes, who else could fight the clone like that?
“You’ve done well.”
Regin looked at Seria and said curtly.
“Now...”
It was time to end it.
Crack—!
The moment the clone’s mana shield broke under Seria’s attack.
The clone quickly chanted to deploy a new shield.
It was unbelievably fast and precise magic—hard to believe it was only a tenth of the witch’s skill.
Screech!!
‘In a speed contest, I won’t lose.’
He’d said it countless times.
Spellcrafters were free from casting speed limitations.
“Lightning Spear.”
A massive current gathered before Regin.
Empowered by the advanced scroll’s bonus, the current warped the air slightly before forming a single spear.
Flash!
It was by a hair’s breadth.
— ...!!!!
Just before the new shield formed, the lightning tore through the air toward the clone.
— No!!
The current spear embedded in her chest began ripping through her entire body.