Chapter 236: Prisoner
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 236: Prisoner
‘I suppose Palladium Grade isn’t just for show.’
Thanks to Grokk’s swift intervention, the Snow Mountain Witch was prevented from fleeing into the distance. Moving far faster than the creature, he overtook it and cut off its path. Melt followed suit, taking up a position that effectively hemmed the monster in.
—Shaaaaaa!
Still, the opponent was a mid-boss of the 6th Stratum; it wasn't a monster that could be handled easily. Finding its escape route blocked, it began to attack ferociously. It seemed the primary reason it had tried to run in the first place was the influence of the mana I was exuding.
As Grokk and Melt launched an aggressive offensive, the Snow Mountain Witch shifted its focus toward them, concentrating its attacks on the pair.
—Cr-crack…
‘This isn't easy.’
I was currently using only a tenth of Horus's mana to match the movement speed of a Palladium-grade explorer. Because the output was low despite requiring high concentration, the effects weren't particularly dramatic.
I glanced back, but Iris was doing absolutely nothing. Kanna Belfos held a longbow, providing constant covering fire against the Witch, while her maid was busy casting enchant skills on her mistress.
“Hey! Pull your weight!”
Since Kanna was the employer, she technically held the title of party leader, but in actual combat, Grokk’s Palladium-grade status gave him the loudest voice. Perhaps because he felt he was carrying the entire team, his tone had become quite abrasive.
“Yes, yes, I understand!”
I wasn't sure what he found so dissatisfying about my positioning, but he had plenty of complaints even though he had a mage standing in the vanguard.
* * *
—Clang!!
A rare metal two-handed sword, infused with powerful mana, surged toward the Snow Mountain Witch. While he lacked the finesse to manifest an Aura Blade, Grokk possessed skills that significantly boosted his physical strength, making him an explorer with formidable combat power.
‘I just need to drive it that way…!’
Grokk hadn't expected the Snow Mountain Witch to attempt a retreat, but he used the situation to his advantage. Under the pretext of naturally cutting off its escape route, he positioned himself on the opposite side of Yoo Eon.
If he unleashed wide-range attacks or used brute force to push the Witch toward Yoo Eon, he could put the man in a life-threatening situation without drawing suspicion.
Of course, that was merely Kanna’s objective. Grokk was taking it a step further—he intended to kill Yoo Eon and then force himself on Iris.
“Melt! Hold it for a second!”
“Understood!”
Grokk took a moment to steady his breathing and gather his mana. While he was momentarily vulnerable, Melt dropped his mace, gripped his greatshield with both hands, and stepped in front of Grokk to shield him.
As a member of the Spirit Species, the Witch was sensitive to mana; it was well aware that Grokk was preparing a powerful blow. However, what bothered it even more was the direction Yoo Eon was standing in.
Yet, from the Witch's perspective, Yoo Eon wasn't being particularly aggressive despite the distorted mana residue wafting from him. It decided to focus its attention on Grokk for the time being.
—Shaaaa…!
Massive, sharp chunks of ice coalesced in the air. Icicles imbued with a bone-chilling cold capable of flash-freezing a body began to spin rapidly, before being launched at Melt, who was guarding Grokk.
—Boom!!
However, the attack—which the Witch had managed to prepare despite the interference from Kanna Belfos and the maid—was rendered futile by a simple manipulation of mana from Yoo Eon.
—Shaaa?!
Using a tenth of Horus's mana, Yoo Eon conjured a powerful gust of wind that diverted the trajectory of the icicles. By the time they reached Melt, they had lost so much momentum that he could easily swat them aside.
Clang—!!
“Good! Now move!”
At Grokk’s command, Melt quickly snatched up his dropped mace and cleared the area. Grokk, his two-handed sword shrouded in an ominous aura, flashed a sinister grin at the Snow Mountain Witch.
‘I’ll carve that bastard up along with it…!’
Yoo Eon happened to be standing directly across from him. Grokk launched his attack, intending to graze the Snow Mountain Witch while directing a portion of the massive output toward Yoo Eon.
“Uoooohhhhh—!!!!”
Grokk’s strike boasted impressive power, befitting his Palladium Grade. It narrowly missed the center of the Snow Mountain Witch, carving a deep wound into the side of the statue-like creature, but the shockwave didn't stop there. It surged forward toward Yoo Eon on the other side.
‘Die…!’
The mana-infused sword-light advanced in a crescent shape. Though it had been partially neutralized by the impact with the Witch, a direct hit would certainly kill an ordinary Cobalt-grade explorer.
Furthermore, if the target was a mage, there was no way they could survive such a blow without a proper defensive spell.
“Uh-oh.”
Yoo Eon let out a short exclamation as the sword-light collided with him.
‘Heh, pathetic fool…!’
Just as Grokk began to let a cruel smirk spread across his face—
Thump—!!
“What the fuck? How?!”
As if he had struck a solid block of iron, the sword-light shattered and the mana evaporated into nothingness. Yoo Eon looked at the stunned Grokk and let out a deep sigh.
“Mr. Grokk. I’m fine, so please focus on the fight.”
“U-Uh, right…!”
The others, with the exception of Iris, were equally shocked. That strike had been powerful enough to leave a significant wound on a 55th-floor mid-boss like the Snow Mountain Witch.
Yet this man, a mere mage, had taken it head-on without a scratch—and he hadn't even appeared to be using a barrier.
Kanna Belfos, who had previously asked if there was a way to put Yoo Eon in danger, seemed to think that last attack had crossed a line.
“Hey!! Grokk?! That was way too much—!!”
“N-No, wait…!”
Kanna had thought her intended toy was about to be broken. Of course, Yoo Eon was very much alive and didn't even look injured.
However, in the brief moment the sword-light had flown toward him, Kanna had been certain he was dead, prompting her to scream at Grokk.
“No, it’s fine. Don’t argue and just focus on the battle. I mean… the Snow Mountain Witch.”
“R-Right, got it!”
Grokk didn't understand how it had happened, but his attempt had failed. Afterward, Melt tried to naturally draw aggro toward Yoo Eon, and Grokk attempted to "accidentally" deflect the Witch's ice attacks in his direction.
‘Dammit…! What is that guy…?!’
Every time, Yoo Eon either moved with startling speed to dodge or used what looked like simple magic to veer the attacks away. Nothing went according to Grokk’s plan.
—Cr-crack…!
In the end, the subjugation of the Snow Mountain Witch was completed with much more effort than a typical four-person raid. Grokk brought the creature to the brink of destruction, leaving only the final blow.
“My Lady, just strike the mana core here and it’s over.”
“Okay, I got it.”
Grokk was skilled enough to precisely set up a kill for someone else. In this industry, the ability to not accidentally kill a target is considered an essential talent, as failing to do so can derail plans.
“Hmm.”
Watching from the side, Yoo Eon remained indifferent. He didn't care if "point insertion" was a shady practice. From what he’d seen of Grokk’s performance, the man’s combat skills were pathetic, making his Palladium Grade seem like a joke.
“It seems Lady Iris does not fight?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, about that. Iris is currently out of mana.”
“Hmm?”
Iris possessed a level of mana control so sublime that no one could detect it.
The claim that she was out of mana was merely an excuse Yoo Eon made to explain her lack of participation.
‘What, so she’s just dead weight?’
Hearing this, Grokk and Melt decided they had no choice but to resort to their final plan.
—Grind…
“This is the Ice Tear.”
“Ooh, it’s really cold, isn't it? Well, good job. Now all that’s left is to head back.”
Unfortunately, the plan to make Yoo Eon feel indebted to them had failed, but Kanna Belfos still had one more scheme up her sleeve.
‘I’ll just offer him a reward and bring him to the family estate…!’
Her family had vast fields of wheat and corn, a clear river teeming with fish, plenty of serfs, and a great location. She planned to flaunt the prestige of the wealthy Belfos family.
‘Hehe, a commoner will be totally hooked, right?’
Once she brought him to the estate, a commoner like Yoo Eon would surely want to stay. Once he tasted the luxury, he wouldn't be able to go back to his old life.
Grokk, however, had different ideas. He had no intention of simply returning to the surface from the 55th floor.
“I’m going to finish harvesting the remains. Go ahead to the sled and wait a moment.”
“Hmm, alright. I thought we took everything worth taking, though?”
“I’m just curious to see a few things.”
Yoo Eon said he wanted to look over the remains of the Snow Mountain Witch a bit more. He told the four-person party and Iris to head toward the sled they had parked in the distance.
Sensing his chance, Grokk exchanged a look with Melt and slowly approached Iris, who was walking a short distance away.
—Grab…!
“Stay quiet. We aren't the type to go around killing people for no reason.”
“Okay.”
Melt closed the distance in an instant and grabbed Iris from behind. He drew a knife from his waist, pressed it against her throat, and smirked.
“Iris. Your body is so cold. I think I should warm you up a bit.”
It was the moment the Vampire Lord was taken prisoner.