Chapter 32
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Floor 4 - Lv. 325 Barbaroi (1)
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Sir Dusburn, ever the one who knew his place, had of course provided our party with enough intel to formulate a plan.
Unfortunately, contrary to my hopes, a Clan Master-level Vampire Lord was lurking there.
Barbaroi was a fixed NPC, but like Trdongt, he didn't always appear in the same state.
For starters, his class within the mage lineages varied each time.
With our current party's strength, the worst case would be if he was from the illusion-hypnosis school.
We had no real way to counter it.
On the flip side, the more firepower-focused he was, the better our chances opened up.
When the spec gap was this wide, raw firepower meant little. Whether hit by one spell or another, death was the same outcome.
Most problems arose when the enemy had superior utility.
If a wide-area charm spell dropped on our party—which had almost no magic resistance—it'd be instant wipe.
So, I took point.
Recruiting the youngest as our tank had been prep for when low-level mobs tried to overwhelm us with numbers.
Against high-level, elite humanoid foes like this, tanks didn't mean much.
A few spells drawn out would reveal his lineage roughly enough.
If it was illusion-hypnosis, I'd immediately shove him off on Sir Dusburn and bail.
An enraged Sword Master was scary, but the swamp castle wasn't exactly faction war territory.
The stairs were open.
We just had to reach them.
The youngest wore an expression like he wasn't sure if he should be thrilled or pissed.
Sure, it was a safe spot, but being sidelined as unnecessary clearly irked him.
A bit further in, I readjusted positions again.
"Urraaagh! Come at me!"
I slammed the solid log door against the floor.
The crumbling old castle wouldn't shake from that.
But it was a motion brimming with such force that it felt like vibrations rippled out.
The skeletons charging in felt it too.
Skeletal undead were generally dumb as rocks. No brains, probably.
Such a forceful display pulled aggro, skill or no skill.
Human skeletons flooded the corridor, arms outstretched, too many to see the far end.
Their weapons were pathetic, but a hit still meant death or injury all the same.
The youngest moved his shield just as I'd taught him—minimizing lethal damage.
Thanks to mastery effects, he handled that heavy door with decent freedom.
Most efficient against hordes? Magic.
But we didn't have a mage yet.
So, we dropped them one by one.
"How long do we gotta do this grind?"
The Girl called it 'grinding' instead of combat, clearly annoyed at the situation.
With her specs, she could've swung wild through slightly higher-level skeletons no problem.
But that wasn't party play. Relying solely on personal power hit limits eventually.
I had to teach her that.
"Until it's not reckless. Those skeletons are under vampire control anyway."
She pondered briefly.
The vampires we'd seen earlier had been too fast and got squashed too easily.
No enemy was dumb enough to miss that.
"...Got it."
I'd figured she'd push back more, but she complied smoothly.
Maybe something from Floor 2 had sunk in.
A breath weapon was shocking at first sight, after all.
But calling it grinding wasn't wrong.
Even the Hunter had swapped bow for mace behind the youngest.
The kid was accumulating minor scratches all over but carried out his role silently.
Back on Floor 1, I'd pegged him as spineless, but this diligence was unexpected.
Gofer roots? Or maybe he'd survived a harsher parallel Earth than mine.
Minor cuts from dull blades.
Enduring for near-strangers took grit.
Among the rabble, odder-looking ones started mixing in.
The Girl nearly spasmed.
"Ugh... uuuugh."
"Okay, fall back and chill."
The Hunter drew his bow too. All bones in a swamp was too unnatural.
Corpses sank below, air-sealed, slow to rot.
Perfect natural mummies. Better preserved meant stronger.
Swamp traits meant high poison chance.
And visuals? Grotesque.
For the Girl to react that way, the youngest just frowning was weirder.
This guy wasn't first-run either.
At least boredom was off the table now.
We couldn't see what Sir Dusburn was doing, but combat noise echoed nonstop.
Seems our bait party didn't satisfy the vampires.
Sir Dusburn's Night Crow squad was surely clashing with them.
Instead, all low-tier undead swarmed us.
Mummies made it a brutal melee.
But we finally reached the castle's heart.
A grand hall, majestic despite decay.
Boards blocked shattered stained glass to seal out light.
Hunter sprayed potion to stop trailing undead ambushes.
The Girl summed it up shortly.
"Feels like a boss is about to pop."
"Spot on."
A ornate, lavish coffin sat center.
Stairs to the next floor? Right behind it, of course.
Or rather, layouts like this were common.
Sigh, really.
Against Sir Dusburn's intent, our party faced Barbaroi after all.
Or maybe the Sword Master expected us to take him down.
Deep thinker for a blade master.
I sighed first.
Then drew Akasha's Eye.
Had to use it.
Clan Master-grade with our power? Near impossible by force.
If illusion-hypnosis, I'd bait and evac everyone.
Mentally resist maybe?
Not my style to gamble low odds.
Creeping unease, dark feelings swelled.
The Girl jacked difficulty way too high.
"Uncle."
She slipped her hand into mine slyly.
Déjà vu hit.
"When you two dating?"
'Lord of Chaos, she's a minor. A kid.'
"By that logic, so am I."
'That's crossing lines.'
"Fucking punk. Show some respect."
'Candies galore once we hit the kingdom.'
"Blessings on your path."
Barbaroi still sleeping was a boon.
Hunter and I quickly tore down light-blocking boards.
Noise followed.
Blood gathered.
This game usually started boss fights no-warning, no-cutscene. Vampires? Different.
Faction obsessed with flair had theatrics.
Coffin blood swirled crimson.
Vampiric mana fouled the air.
Per my orders, everyone spread under sunlight pouring through the collapsed ceiling.
Not full safezone, but vampires burned in it.
Blocked blood heal at least.
I [Stealthed] to coffin-back.
Spreading mana weakened stealth, but opener ambush into [Abyss] banish possible.
Plan A.
Failed spectacularly.
"Humans really can't grasp sleeping hours?"
Shockwave rippled from coffin, shredding stealth, hurling me.
Quick [Dash] or I'd be mangled.
But not illusion-hypnosis. That wave screamed firepower focus.
Hunter loosed springwater-drenched arrow.
Vampire Lord's casual block-arm ignited.
"This foul liquid... an Exile, eh."
Magical flames roared.
Fist clenched, fire-infused.
Melee spell-fighter?
Strength/Intel hybrid ultra-firepower melee mage.
Graze meant death, but melee kept range short. No utility.
Wait, this matchup good?
Youngest got my signal, retreated fast.
He was horde-mob card, not boss star.
Overwhelming DPS rendered defense moot; potion shuttle at best.
Good ammo: explosive fruits, springwater, sunlight.
Next instant, Barbaroi blurred out.
At the Girl.
Standard pattern: highest-spec target first.
She didn't block, twisted away.
Hall wall exploded.
Fist-end mana burst into flame tsunami, sweeping behind.
No counter-window before follow-up roundhouse.
End-tip mana erupted again. Girl soared like a feather.
Barbaroi couldn't pursue.
"Exile, carrying something very dangerous, are we?"
Failed stealth violet dagger sliced his side.
Spilling guts rewound to pristine.
One-shot Girl-prepped [Blink Dagger] chance wasted.
Spec gap too vast?
Just one hit, please!
Each swing a near-instant death.
Exploding mana warped the hall's foundation.
Ranged blasts would've been worse, but his kill-up-close greed kept me alive.
Probing arrows/daggers flew constant.
Thick spring scent deterred body-blocks.
Natural attack gaps.
Surviving CQC? Not sensing/dodging.
Melee master Barbaroi patterns known from experience; two-beat precog evasion.
Speed gap huge, but predictive movement near-future sight.
Hair's-breadth survivals.
"Useful one. Become my thrall?"
Scout offer appreciated. Thrall? Pass.
Post-failed opener, tossed Akasha's Eye to Girl.
One stab in a gap...
If ambush procs!
I make the gap: Plan B.
Vampire Lord's annoyed face froze briefly.
Red mist spread.
Ditched direct hits. Quick wipe incoming.
I hurled potion vial to shatter.
Hunter fired explosive arrow.
I [Dashed] back.
Arrow blast smashed vial. Mist-form Barbaroi misted thoroughly.
"Gaaaaaaah!"
Re-materialized screaming.
Enlarged mist surface soaked evenly.
Groggy pain for sure.
Girl charged.
[Dash]-boosted mad speed.
Toward back.
But he'd recover.
'Lord of Chaos.'
'Yes.'
Time stopped.
Blurry Girl, exposed Barbaroi.
All frozen.
Me too.
Dice dropped before me.
Two d6s rolled.
Should be unknown, but...
"One of three uses spent."
Jet-black chains surged.
Bound pale-faced vampire.
God's power ignored spec gaps.
World time resumed.
Girl stabbed bound, pained Vampire Lord's back.
Or tried.
Bound Barbaroi gritted, ripped out his own heart.
Damn, not ambush.
Mana sense detected rear.
Akasha's Eye failed.
Prepped heart-stab backup, but self-destruct foiled.
Barbaroi vomited blood.
Lesser vamp would've died on extraction.
Lord truly monstrous.
Girl smashed her potion vial.
Holy flames ignited unbound flesh.
Plan C. Ambushes fail.
No one-shot with Akasha's Eye?
Burst during chain bind.
Best anti-undead DPS: springwater, equal damage.
All vials flew.
Barbaroi engulfed fully in blue flame.
Die! Just die!
Bind ended; ashing Vampire Lord hurled his heart.
Girl grimaced, flung weapon.
Miss.
I charged, lobbed both remaining explosive fruits at heart.
Multishot three explosive arrows timed to delay.
Massive blast, shockwave.
Already warped hall collapsed.
Youngest dashed, shield-up.
Batted falling debris.
Girl and I bolted to corridor.
Hunter covered with bow.
"We get him?"
"Ah!"
"Don't jinx it!"
Girl and I snapped in unison.
Hunter looked baffled.
Blood pooled again.
Inflowing blood shaped human form amid rubble.
Paler Vampire Lord, fury-twisted face.
"First time pushed this far by humans. Thrall offer off table. All die."
Flames wreathed body.
Shit. HP at 30%?
Odds gone.
Plan D.
Ditch all, stairs.
Barbaroi clocked it.
"Where to, fleeing?"
Gesture flung collapsing ceiling at stairs.
Dust cloud; he blocked path.
Need another divine power spam.
'Lord of Chaos?'
No reply. Overuse knocked him out?
Should've bolted post-bind.
Now what.
Then.
"Heads down, Exiles!"
Girl and Hunter ducked fast; I yanked youngest by collar.
Massive mana orb whooshed overhead.
Barbaroi couldn't ignore.
Flame-wreathed hand clutched crescent sword beam.
Brief clash; beam shattered, spraying destruction.
"Bit late. Still, you held way better than expected."
One-eyed swordsman charged, sword beam-wreathed.