Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Escape (1)
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As the Skull Knight burrowed into the heart of the party, their formation crumbled in an instant.
Ilana, with both arms severed, let out a final scream before succumbing to the pain and passing out.
The mage standing beside her hurriedly pulled out a recovery rune and used it.
But it could only prevent the wounds from her severed arms from worsening further—no miracle like new limbs regrowing occurred.
"We have to block it!"
The shaman raised his hand toward the Skull Knight, trying to bind its body with tough vines.
But—
Schwick—! The Skull Knight swiftly sliced through every vine on the ground with its blade. Then it carved deeply into the shaman's upper body. Thanks to the shaman wrapping himself in wooden roots, the wound wasn't too severe. Yet he could feel the sinister energy emanating from the Skull Knight's sword corroding his body.
"Guh...."
Even so, as a veteran who had endured the dungeon's depths for a long time, he gritted through the pain after a brief cry. —Clang! "Arghhh!"
The Skull Knight passed the shaman and swung at the arriving mage, shattering her barrier and drawing a sharp scream. The mage's left arm fell away; though the barrier had blocked the full blow, preventing complete severance, the tendons appeared to be cut, with bone visible. The knight, having finally shaken off the undead, stepped forward to block the Skull Knight once more. But the party's formation had long since collapsed.
"Let's retreat for now!"
The knight shouted that, sweeping his sword around to repel the surrounding undead. At the same time, the shaman conjured thick branches to hold back the undead nearby. Seizing the opening, the party grabbed Ilana and retreated down the corridor they had entered from. Fortunately, the boss remained immobile, trapped in its bloodstone as phase 3 began. The Skull Knight showed no interest in their survival, not pursuing into the corridor. But— —Uuuugh...—Uuuuugh... Hordes of undead kept pouring into the corridor where they hid. They had quickly used vitality recovery runes to heal their wounds. But was it due to the boss's mental attacks, combined with the ominous energy from the Skull Knight's sword? —Mumble mumble.... The mage sprawled in the corridor began muttering incoherently, her mind unstable.
"Snap out of it!"
The shaman bellowed to rouse the mage, and she briefly regained her senses. But her recovered mind soon devolved into repeated mutterings. They could clearly feel each other's mental strength hitting rock bottom. The incoming undead weren't particularly strong, so they could hold out. But with undead waves crashing every three minutes, both body and mind wore down rapidly.
"......Sorry about this." Crunch crunch— With the shaman's feeble voice as the end, the sound of wooden vines wrapping something came from behind. The knight, focused solely on blocking the undead ahead, instantly grasped what that sound meant. For some time now, the mage's voice had been mostly unintelligible mutterings instead of spell incantations. The shaman's spells had at least aided the fight against the undead. But even those had decreased in frequency, so he had vaguely sensed it coming. The knight ceased further thought, mechanically slashing at the undead in front. As death loomed before him, it seemed a new ability awakened. Even that, with his wounded body, could only barely maintain the status quo. Squelch squelch. The knight shoved the scattered flesh on the ground into his mouth, filling his starving belly. At the same time, his wounds recovered somewhat. Thanks to the warrior's innate tough vitality, plus rapid growth in the face of death's crisis. His head clouded as if shrouded in hazy smoke, most of his reason lost, under the sole conviction to protect the party. The knight slashed and slashed at the oncoming undead once more.
How much time had passed?
By the time Ilana finally regained consciousness, it was already too late.
The mage, veins bulging on her head from mana overload, stared blankly into space, muttering to her crumbling mind.
The shaman, on the verge of madness, had bound his own limbs with wooden vines.
The knight blocking the zombie hordes was covered head to toe in wounds, slowly rotting away.
Witnessing it all, Ilana could only blame herself.
"Sor, sorry......"
No response came to her trembling, tearful voice.
Everyone had reached the limit of their mental strength and gone mad.
Yet there was no time for self-recrimination.
—Uuuuugh... The knight standing alone against the undead waves at short intervals was in a state where collapsing at any moment wouldn't be surprising. Even amid deep self-blame and loathing, Ilana found what she could do. With both hands severed, she could no longer hold her staff, limiting her miracles. Thus, she simply prayed fervently. To the god who had never once answered her voice, despite her lifelong piety. Perhaps her desperation reached him. Whoooong— Sacred wedges radiating brilliant light manifested upon her. Three wedges embedded into the party members' heads, halting their mental corruption. At the same time, her mana flowed from the wedges, beginning to heal their wounded bodies. However, that was the end of it. Beyond stopping the mental corruption's progress, it offered no solution to their dire situation. Even so, Ilana continued drawing up mana. Perhaps the undead waves would end eventually. Or maybe another party stumbling in here would defeat the boss. Ilana vowed not to give up, clinging to even the smallest hope. Even if it meant perishing while performing miracles. And so, how much time passed? As Ilana ceaselessly wrought miracles, her body withering away, Step— From ahead came the sound of footsteps—distinctly human, unlike the undead's. Ilana whipped her exhausted body, barely managing to lift her eyelids. There.
"......"
Stood a man, knight or mage she couldn't tell. Yet Ilana sensed something off about him. If he had come from ahead, he must have encountered the boss. Yet his body showed no signs of battle. Ilana wondered if she was hallucinating on the brink of death. Even so, amid her fading mind, she barely opened her mouth.
"Help... us..."
The footsteps slowly receded. Ilana's consciousness faded likewise.
"...They didn't die in the meantime, did they?"
The other party at the corridor's end looked in very bad shape.
He wanted to use a recovery rune on them, but cash shop items were all soulbound.
He couldn't use them on others.
The most he could do was defeat the boss quickly and carry them out of the dungeon.
At least the knight seemed mobile... but hauling everyone out would be a hassle.
Well, cross that bridge when he came to it.
—Uuuuugh... As he exited the corridor, undead poured from the boss room. He swiftly used Black Hole first to sweep them away. Then gathered mana at his staff's tip and unleashed Destruction Ray. —Ziiing! The condensed beam of light pierced the boss's head, slowly melting its bloodstone-encased body. Destruction Ray continued firing until mana was depleted. Thanks to the Dragon Heart's expanded mana pool, the beam fired for a long time. Kaang— When health hit zero, the bloodstone exploded from within, collapsing the boss's body.
[You have defeated Corpse Lord Golter.]
[A great feat has been accomplished.]
—Hero's Path record.
[Experience greatly increased.]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
—Current Level: 50 → 54
[Final strike reward acquired.]
—Corrupted Bloodstone
『 Corrupted Bloodstone 』
[Grade: Legendary]
[Material Item]
[The bloodstone that enveloped Corpse Lord Golter. Infuse with mana to use black magic.]
Even starting combat from phase 3 against the boss, experience rose substantially.
And on top of that.
"This'll be perfect to feed to the staff."
He pulled out the red-glowing bloodstone from the boss's final strike reward.
『 Corrupted Bloodstone 』
—Bloodstone that enveloped Corpse Lord Golter. Infuse with mana to use black magic.
Equipping the Corrupted Bloodstone allowed use of black magic typically wielded by necromancers.
Especially since it held Corpse Lord Golter's power, it enabled his spells.
Pulling enemies in or repelling them—extremely useful in many ways.
The circle of black magic accessed via the bloodstone wasn't fixed, but roughly equivalent to 3rd circle.
"Alright then."
He turned back along the path to find the four at the dungeon corridor's end.