184. Apostle of the Dream Demon (4)
184. Apostle of the Dream Demon (4)
CRASH—!!
The moment the bastard let out that howl, demonic energy surged with a ferocity incomparable to before, raging violently.
'One Slash, Two Halves'
Slashhhhhh—
Crackle-crack!
I hastily threw myself backward while launching Sword Qi, but the storm of demonic energy wasn't pierced.
'Hmm, well, this is fucked?'
No matter how I looked at it, the situation was so absurd I couldn't help but laugh.
I knew this scene. It was exactly the cutscene where the Jukai Forest boss transitions into Phase 2.
'It just suddenly awakens like this?'
The aftermath of that intense energy—you couldn't possibly believe this was the same pathetic bastard from just moments ago. This was the majesty of the "real" boss I'd seen in the game.
'I saved the client, unlike the original, and thanks to that, he showed up looking all pathetic, so I figured this would be a breeze...... But instead, the situation got even more tangled.'
The original plan had been to stall as long as possible in Phase 1 until the party members arrived. But the bastard was far weaker than I expected, so I pivoted and decided to handle him solo.
'But now I'm stuck dealing with the original Phase 2 all by myself. Does that make any sense......?'
And the person who turned the bastard into that in an instant was undoubtedly the blue-haired woman with the expressionless face still hanging onto my back right now.
"Ichikaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! I will avenge you!!!!!! Graaaaaaah!!!"
See? He's screaming her name full of bitter resentment.
I turned my head and stared pointedly at her with accusatory eyes. Yet Ichika still clung to my back like a cicada, showing no intention of letting go. Although, she did seem to have some awareness that the current mess was her fault, because she subtly averted her gaze as she opened her mouth.
"This is all, because that incubus made me fall into carnal desire."
"......."
"It was irresistible force. An unavoidable matter. Mm-hmm."
What are you nodding proudly about?
Her words felt even more shameless because of her characteristic blank face and monotone voice.
"......So, you can't detach yourself on your own?"
"Right, this isn't my will. It's your fault for being handsome."
Squeeze, squeeze—
Rather, as if she'd finished rationalizing it all in her head, Ichika's groping of my chest grew even more blatant.
'Even if I pry her off by force, she'll just cling back on, won't she?'
If she suddenly interfered and got in the way while I was in the middle of a fight, there'd be no bigger nuisance.
'Should I just knock her out like before?'
I briefly considered the idea of knocking her out like a moment ago, then luring the bastard far away by myself, but soon shook my head.
Earlier, I'd been confident I could fend off attacks aimed at her even while fighting the bastard. But I couldn't be so sure against him now that he'd properly awakened his power. And wasn't this guy displaying a terrifying obsession with Ichika? Even if I forcibly separated her, there was a high chance he'd just charge straight for her.
So that method was out too.
'Hoooh....... Is there truly no way other than fighting like this, with her on my back?'
In the end, it seemed I had no choice but to fight this worst-case battle while carrying this dead weight on my back.
* * *
Kaaaaaaang—!!
"Kang Do-hee, now!!!"
Lee Yu-ri's voice burst out.
Crunch!
Crunch!
Crunnnnch!!!
Thud.
"Hoooh......."
Kang Do-hee, having slaughtered the monsters whose attention Lee Yu-ri had held, cracked her neck side to side and let out a rough breath.
It was a fight they'd already repeated far too many times to count. The Utopia Party wasn't taking any damage from the combat itself.
The problem, however, was the speed.
'Getting through a single fight took over thirty minutes...... I had no idea. That Jin Yu-ha's absence would be this huge.......'
Lee Yu-ri bit her lip hard. Monsters that should've been dealt with inside ten minutes were taking twice as long.
Jin Yu-ha was Utopia's Sub-Damage Dealer.
One might be tempted to say he was merely one supplemental Damage Dealer, nothing more. But the void they felt was beyond imagination.
Utopia's basic combat doctrine was: Lee Yu-ri draws the monsters' aggro at the front, and in that gap, Kang Do-hee, boosted by Im Ga-eul's Acceleration, breaks through deep into the enemy lines.
And in Jin Yu-ha's case.
Holding the party's center, he handled cleanup duty, finishing off the monsters Kang Do-hee missed. He served as ambush countermeasure, dealing with enemies that attempted surprise attacks on the Support and Healer in the rear. On top of that, he even read the overall flow of the party and issued commands.
In short, his role was a flexible link operating between the front and rear lines.
And without that Jin Yu-ha.
Kang Do-hee, who always obliterated enemies with exhilarating force, now had to spend considerable time finishing each and every one perfectly, which directly led to a drop in their pace.
It was the same for Sofia and Im Ga-eul, who usually focused solely on healing and supporting the party members from the rear. Without the Sub-Damage Dealer who'd always protected them, they ultimately had to defend their own bodies, needing to use skills appropriately while also defending—it felt like even having two of each of them wouldn't be enough.
But the one feeling her own inadequacy most keenly here was none other than Lee Yu-ri.
'Vice-captain, my ass.......'
When Jin Yu-ha had passed over the far better-known Kang Do-hee and entrusted her with the role of vice-party leader, she'd puffed up her chest with a sense of fulfillment at being acknowledged by him.
However.
The pride of someone who had once cleared numerous dungeons while leading her own party was shattered to pieces after just a single battle here.
'......How on earth does Jin Yu-ha lead Utopia?'
Each and every member of the Utopia Party possessed a destructive power so formidable you'd rarely see it anywhere else.
But using them "well" was a matter of an entirely different dimension. Their individual personalities were just that distinct, and their weaknesses just as clearly defined.
'All this time, I never even knew our Utopia had these kinds of weaknesses.......'
Kang Do-hee could shatter enemies in an instant with her compact, stylish hand-to-hand combat. But she was oblivious to her surroundings, prone to drifting far from the party the moment anyone took their eyes off her.
Im Ga-eul's Acceleration and Slow didn't have very long durations, and those skills had cooldowns, so someone had to decide the optimal timing for each.
And in Sofia's case, her arrow accuracy dropped significantly when moving, so someone had to secure a safe location first, predict a spot within her arrow's range, and direct her into position.
She had to handle all of that while simultaneously fulfilling her own role as Tank. The sluggish pace of the subjugation was a natural consequence.
"It's not even that many monsters....... If my hoobae were here at a time like this......."
"......Still, it seems like the mental attacks aren't coming anymore......."
"There's still no trace of Jin Yu-ha."
"Sunbae, Acceleration dropped."
"Ahh, s-sorry! Acceleration!"
Stifled by the growing sense of Jin Yu-ha's absence and the impatience of making no progress in their search, the Utopia Party's atmosphere was growing heavier and heavier.
Step.
Step.
That was when.
"......Huh? Wait. Everyone! Attention!!"
Lee Yu-ri, who had been walking at the front, cocked her head as she stared at a particular spot.
"......Hm? Is this a mark from the battle just now? No, I think it's a bit different?"
At that, the Utopia Party members also turned their heads toward Lee Yu-ri. The place she was pointing at was the base of a tree trunk.
There, a mark was carved, as if scratched by something sharp.
"......This isn't a monster's mark. Monster claws and talons can't leave a trace this narrow and keen. ......This looks like it was cut by a sword."
The one who spoke was Kang Do-hee, who possessed the most extensive knowledge when it came to combat.
"!"
"!"
"!"
The party members all turned to look at one another, eyes widening.
"Oh, th-there's a similar mark over there too! On the p-path we came through!"
"......There's another one a little further ahead. Sword scars at regular intervals......."
"These are marks left by Yellow Dog."
Kang Do-hee spoke in a bright voice, her first such tone since entering the forest.
"That's a relief. Seems we didn't take a wrong turn. So, Yu-ha hoobae is waiting for us over that way, right?"
The previously sagging atmosphere instantly soared at the expectation of finally being able to find Jin Yu-ha.
"All party members. Attention."
And Lee Yu-ri, regripping her shield, turned to the party members and spoke.
"From now on, we're changing formation. Kang Do-hee on point, then Sofia, then Ga-eul sunbae after her."
A firm strength filled Lee Yu-ri's voice.
"Kang Do-hee will break through the front line, Sofia concentrate your heals on Kang Do-hee. And Ga-eul sunbae, cast Acceleration on everyone except me."
"Th-then, what are you planning to do, Yu-ri hoobae......?"
Caught off-guard by the sudden formation change, Im Ga-eul asked in a flustered voice.
"I'll bring up the very rear and draw all the monsters' aggro. From here on, you all focus only on heading straight for Jin Yu-ha as fast as possible. I'll tie down every monster in the area."
Because rescuing Jin Yu-ha was their top priority above all else, no one voiced any objection to Lee Yu-ri's words.
"Right then, from this moment, we rescue Jin Yu-ha! Move out!!!"