Defying the Terror Hand

The Terror Hand. A lot of the longer terror boss monsters had names like Terror something. Some even included human organ names. Like Terror Hand, Terror Eye, Terror Heart, that sort of thing.

These guys were the highest-ranking servants worshiping terror, and unlike regular monsters, they were steeped deeper in terror and granted more power. That's why they showed up as bosses.

My first thought when I saw this bastard in the illustration was, Can it even do daily life with that stupidly huge hand? But then I figured, who gives a shit for a monster buried deep in the dungeon, no longer human. I'd faced it countless times in the game. I'd torn that hand to shreds plenty, and seen heroes get mercilessly crushed under it just as often.

But as playtime piled up and runs increased, I got numb to it. All that experience let me make statistical judgments even in a roguelike, predict and counter to some degree. As long as I wasn't obsessing over no-death clears, I could scrape through Zone 1 no matter how badly it went.

But actually facing it—beholding it with my own two eyes beyond the fourth wall—was a whole different story.

Clack clack clack—my teeth chattered. A bone-chilling cold pierced me. I barely managed to shift my eyes to check on my comrades. They weren't much different from me. The two who'd sworn not to yield to terror with me around were frozen stiff on their feet.

The overwhelming gap refused to let their bodies move. Before their hearts could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠break, their bodies were on the verge.

Grind—my voice wouldn't come out. To keep from kneeling, to move, I desperately resisted. I bit my barely moving tongue, clenched my teeth. Pain sharp enough to snap me awake surged with the blood.

Thanks to that, I could move just a bit more.

"Ka... ya...!"

That one word was my limit. But it was like a lighthouse beacon in pitch-black darkness where I couldn't see an inch ahead.

Grrrind—Kayas armor screamed. I saw her force her statue-stiff body to move. Her calm face ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠twisted completely.

"Shae—!"

Like passing the baton in a relay, Kaya called Shae's name instead of me as I started resisting again. Blood trickled from her lips—shed bitten her tongue like me.

"Urgh...!"

Kaya's cry to resist reached Shae too. Her knee half-bent, she propped her claymore like a cane to hold out. So her knee wouldn't touch the ground, so she wouldn't kneel to anyone but Justitia.

"Uwaaaaaah—!!"

And to protect her leader and comrade who looked at her.

To blast away the terror and lethargy rotting her whole body.

"You fucking piece-of-shit mangy mutt not even worth ignoring you tear-you-apart-scatter-you-to-the-winds worthless scum—!!!"

With Shae's profanity-laced roar I'd thought I'd never hear again...

"Thinking you're hot shit you heretic-worshiping bastard staring down at us like that I'll pop your fucking eyes you shit—!!!"

Silver radiance burst from Shae's body, pale green from Kaya's—not just resisting the darkness, but devouring it.

Now fully standing, they gripped their weapons tight, reciting phrases encapsulating their paths and faiths, advancing step by step.

The crusader emitting silver light from the lead in this lightless place. The battle vestal behind, shining warm green death on the heretics' origin. And their leader anchoring from behind, steadily supporting their convictions and resistance.

"I told you cheap tricks like this wouldn't work."

HAT—the hero party bound by sticky camaraderie after enduring dense, grueling trials and dancing on death's edge together despite two already corrupted by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠terror—successfully withstood the gap.

With the intimidation roll victory message, the darkness fully lifted.

"Impressive, unbelievers. Indeed, reaching this far proves your qualification..."

"Shut the fuck up, you impotent bastard. Head right here."

Failed to intimidate, yet still putting on airs, you fucking shit.

The 'intimidation resistance'—a cutscene in the game—was safely passed thanks to my comrades' 'miracle.' Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Rest helped, but corruption lingered—how they pulled that off, I don't know. Like Justitia reacting last night, maybe the goddesses were really watching over Kaya and Shae. A hidden element not in The Long Terror, perhaps... Anyway, a happy miscalculation. The kind I welcome anytime.

The light was gone now, but its effects lingered.

'Fuck.'

First turn meant mark it for sure, but specs first. Then I swallowed a curse. Most Zone 1 monsters were level 1, rare level 2s—with max attack 10, defense 5? HP 99? Factoring skill bonuses...

'No choice but real force.'

Raella. Justitia. Since you're watching, one more favor.

Before marking, I thought of Raella and Justitia devoutly and chugged holy water. Resistance ups popped. No attack/defense boost sucked, but gotta block CC and DoTs.

'Please let its patterns be worst-case, our attacks crits.'

Lucky. Bosses had high resistances, worried the mark wouldn't stick—glad it did. Even 1 damage precious.

"A mark. Utterly vile and displeasing. One mark from the eternal terror suffices."

"Uwaaaaaack!!!"

"Leader!"

"Leader!"

The moment that damned hand pointed at me, the world twisted, mixed, flipped wildly. Terror like I'd plummet to hell just standing. Terror that the world I saw wasn't real. The instant the mark hit, my body couldn't endure the suffocating terror beyond perception.

"Hah, hah, hah..."

"Leader! Pull yourself together!"

"Leader! Leaderrr—!"

"I-I'm fine. I'm fine."

Yeah. Headache and nausea aside, not going mad right away, and with boosted defense/max HP, taking the mark myself was truly lucky.

"Sigh, whoo, sigh, whoo. Kaya."

"Yes. Your orders."

"...Climax."

"...Hah!"

"Hah, hah, hah..."

Kaya drank holy water too, then activated climax. Couldn't do shit about her flushed face. Ignoring her underwear issues mid-battle, it was a solid self-buff. Low skill level meant minor numbers, but covered speed, damage, heal. In The Long Terror, even +1 mattered.

'Boost Kaya's speed to 6, aim for speed roll vs boss next turn. Hit for damage, random heal to sustain DPS tempo.'

Pure heals inefficient now. First turn sacrifice ok to weave damage and sustain.

After Kaya's turn, Shae's. Told her drink holy water first, then pondered.

Choice already: 'Judgment of Justice for stun, or Crusader's Tenacity for sustain?'

Shae at 13/17 HP. Not full—if unlucky crit max damage...

'Corrupted, agony skipped—straight to death.'

Realizing that, cold sweat poured. First round pivot. My call shapes the future.

'Judgment high risk high return. Tenacity mid risk mid.'

Stun success skips its turn, fail just damage. Tenacity guarantees DoT heal and counter chance, but tanks attack for sure.

'In The Long Terror, I'd pick tenacity... assuming I could tank.'

Decided. No bad moves after agonizing.

"Shae."

"Yes, Leader."

"Go show that bastard Justitia's solemn judgment."

Like Kaya, Shae followed orders. Instead of usual 'Yes, Leader,' she glanced at my face. No clue why, but I nodded instinctively.

Then Shae charged the boss without hesitation, claymore at diagonal.

----------!!!

"That's it!!! Good job! Shae!!!"

The one hating heretics most laughed brightly against the monster's scream, her smile more genuine than ever.