Chapter 185: Jinx (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: Jinx (5)
Anyone who'd ever been hit by a car could tell you that it all happened instantaneously and could never be undone. Just like what was happening now.
"Prepare for battle!"
At the exact same moment my shout cut through the silence, the dwarf's sword swung at a breakneck speed and dug into the wizard's shoulder blade.
Crunch!
The disturbing sound of tearing flesh was one that woke you up to what was happening around you. By the time the sound reached my ears, my body was already moving forward.
Dash.
My goal was to rescue Raven.
"Kyaa!"
Crossing the distance between us at a great speed, I pulled Raven into my arms and quickly retreated. Hans G's tank did the same to their wizard.
"Both of you, look alive!"
The blunt weapon warrior who had been standing a distance away pulled Hans G and the elven archer behind him by their necks. We naturally took up defensive formations. Numerically and qualitatively, we had the advantage. With that being the case, how would the dwarf approach this unfavorable situation?
While everyone stood there on high alert, waiting to see how this would shake out, the dwarf, who had pulled out the ax stuck in the wizard's shoulder, called someone's name.
Shoop!
"Hans Chrisen!"
We all grew tense as our eyes converged on Hans. However, Hans G remained silent and trembling.
"Do you want your secret exposed!?" the dwarf shouted again, accusingly.
It felt like my head was vibrating. The secret Hans G was hiding could only be one thing.
The dwarf pressed on. "Fine, if that's what you want, I'll expose you myself. Hans Chrisen is an evil spirit! I have proof of that in my backpack—"
"You guys! Get away from him!" I immediately issued a warning. If the dwarf had definitive evidence, Hans G's betrayal was inevitable.
"E-Evil spirit? You think I'll believe—"
I was a second too late.
Whooosh!
Hans G's lizard summons unleashed a fierce jet of fire at the blunt-weapon user.
"W... hy..." He collapsed to the ground, covered in flames.
"I-I'm sorry." Hans G winced, walked to the dwarf's side, and then turned and said something I couldn't understand. "W-What are you doing? M-Miss Meirin, come here, quick!"
"...W-What are you talking about?! You want me to walk over there after you've done such a terrible thing?!"
"Y-You're not thinking of abandoning me, are you? W-We're from the same place. W-We have to go everywhere together! I-I've handled all the dangerous parts for us!"
This was a very sudden turn of events. "Ha, you awful bastard!" As soon as I saw the way the elven archer's expression crumpled, I easily pieced the situation together in my head.
I can't believe they're both players.
Considering even the dwarf looked surprised, it seemed he hadn't known that. He had probably just discovered some evidence during night watch and threatened Hans G with it, and that was it.
When Hans G screwed her over, leaving her with no options, the elven archer stomped over to the dwarf's side. "Dwarf!" she shouted in irritation. "You'd better keep your promise and take me to Noark!"
"...Of course! Come on, help me!"
This is a proper mess now.
A headache crept in. We'd clearly had the upper hand in numbers up to this point. But now, we were on the side with one less person. Team Hans G's scout had passed out from the shock, but even if they woke up, their combat ability was zero. Besides, overcoming adversity and defeating them wouldn't solve all of our problems. A bleak future would await us after that when the five of us were forced to fight the boss battle alone.
Fuck, and there's a doppelganger among us.
We had a long and winding road ahead, to say the least. Various curses came to mind far too naturally.
Even considering the Hans effect, isn't this a bit much?
The complaints also popped into my head involuntarily but... Well, what can you do?
"Behelaaah!"
We had no choice but to try. There was no need for a lengthy exchange. The time for conversation was long gone.
Boom!
The moment I activated Giantization and ran forward, a gray vortex swirled into existence and surrounded me.
Shaaa!
This was one of the sorcerer's many attack skills. As the damage it dealt wasn't physical, even I couldn't white-knuckle my way through this without injuries. But we were a team too.
"Teirun Sheardiem."
A veil of mana covered my skin, a spell referred to conveniently as Mana Shield in the game. This was why wizards were important in Player vs Player battles. They may have been inefficient with their mana and thus wasteful while hunting, but that wasn't the case when fighting against people. Mana consumption would be high on both sides.
Whooom.
When my vision cleared, the dwarf was in front of me.
Boom.
He jumped high with his short legs and slammed his shield into my face. The damage itself wasn't significant, but my Giantized body was helplessly pushed back thanks to his skill, Polar Shield. It gave the user a knockback bonus for pushes and reduced impact for blocks.
Drip.
Immediately after I was pushed back, leaving behind long footprints in the ground, the beast warrior came out stabbing. The most likely target was my delicate eye.
"Oh no you don't!" Missha, who was hidden behind me, jumped out and parried the beast swordsman.
Okay, then I'll leave him to Missha.
Whiiip!
Blocking the arrows flying in from the front with my shield, I brought my mace down on the dwarf's head as he landed on the ground. But what was this?
Klang!
I had activated Swing for this blow. Even if he was protecting his head with a shield, the shield should have been crushed entirely. That was what had happened with his doppelganger too. So why was his shield intact?
Goddamn it.
I quickly identified the cause. His earrings emitted the same light as the shield.
No. 2988?
Of course—it was only natural that the attack had worked differently on the doppelganger. A numbered item could not be copied. With a premium item like that, the difference was like night and day.
"...Of course! Come on, help me!"
This is a proper mess now.
A headache crept in. We'd clearly had the upper hand in numbers up to this point. But now, we were on the side with one less person. Team Hans G's scout had passed out from the shock, but even if they woke up, their combat ability was zero. Besides, overcoming adversity and defeating them wouldn't solve all of our problems. A bleak future would await us after that when the five of us were forced to fight the boss battle alone.
Fuck, and there's a doppelganger among us.
We had a long and winding road ahead, to say the least. Various curses came to mind far too naturally.
Even considering the Hans effect, isn't this a bit much?
The complaints also popped into my head involuntarily but... Well, what can you do?
"Behelaaah!"
We had no choice but to try. There was no need for a lengthy exchange. The time for conversation was long gone.
Boom!
The moment I activated Giantization and ran forward, a gray vortex swirled into existence and surrounded me.
Shaaa!
This was one of the sorcerer's many attack skills. As the damage it dealt wasn't physical, even I couldn't white-knuckle my way through this without injuries. But we were a team too.
"Teirun Sheardiem."
A veil of mana covered my skin, a spell referred to conveniently as Mana Shield in the game. This was why wizards were important in Player vs Player battles. They may have been inefficient with their mana and thus wasteful while hunting, but that wasn't the case when fighting against people. Mana consumption would be high on both sides.
Whooom.
When my vision cleared, the dwarf was in front of me.
Boom.
He jumped high with his short legs and slammed his shield into my face. The damage itself wasn't significant, but my Giantized body was helplessly pushed back thanks to his skill, Polar Shield. It gave the user a knockback bonus for pushes and reduced impact for blocks.
Drip.
Immediately after I was pushed back, leaving behind long footprints in the ground, the beast warrior came out stabbing. The most likely target was my delicate eye.
"Oh no you don't!" Missha, who was hidden behind me, jumped out and parried the beast swordsman.
Okay, then I'll leave him to Missha.
Whiiip!
Blocking the arrows flying in from the front with my shield, I brought my mace down on the dwarf's head as he landed on the ground. But what was this?
Klang!
I had activated Swing for this blow. Even if he was protecting his head with a shield, the shield should have been crushed entirely. That was what had happened with his doppelganger too. So why was his shield intact?
Goddamn it.
I quickly identified the cause. His earrings emitted the same light as the shield.
No. 2988?
Of course—it was only natural that the attack had worked differently on the doppelganger. A numbered item could not be copied. With a premium item like that, the difference was like night and day.
Bang!
Just then, a blast occurred at the rear of the dwarf's camp thanks to an explosive arrow from Mr. Bear. Hans G summoned an Earthberg right on time, avoiding any casualties, but as their defenses began to crumble, Raven's magical onslaught continued.
Dddddd! Kablam!
A lightning bolt split into dozens of smaller lightning bolts which all proceeded to fall to the earth. One of them struck Hans G and knocked him off his feet. But not for long, of course, because there was a priest over there.
Whooosh!
In just a few seconds, Hans G regained consciousness and used his summoned beast to fire a jet of flame. The target was our back line. Raven had just used a spell and I wasn't at an angle where I could stop the attack either, so Mr. Bear's summoned beast, Bear, just absorbed the blow with his body.
"Woom!" Bear howled like this was no big deal to him. Soul Beasts had high Mana Resistance stats.
Whew, at this level, team battle is on a different scale.
Afterward, the priest of Karui finished his preparations and began calling forth summons in earnest.
"Grrrrrr..." An army of undead began pouring out of an ominous-colored portal that appeared in mid-air. Coincidentally, we had the perfect person to handle this.
"Behelaaah!" Without needing any orders from me, Ainar rushed forward wielding her greatsword.
Bang! KABLAM! Bang!
Each time she used Repeated Slash, explosions followed, and sparks flew. Plus, if she was injured, she healed herself with Wings of Greed. Of course, using skills without restraint like this would usually leave her with no MP, but...
[Ainar Fenelin has killed an opponent. Satiation has activated, and Soul Power is restored.]
Ainar had specialized in massacres with the Slayer Imprint, you see.
Bang! Ddddddd! Whooom!
Attacks were hurled from all directions, causing a cacophony of sounds. Each person wasn't just facing one specific opponent. We had to step back to help out our teammates at times. Thus, a fierce battle where the winner was indiscernible raged on.
"You know something?" I took another knockback blow to the face from the dwarf as he spoke to me for the first time this entire battle.
I wanted to just ignore him, but I replied anyway. "That you're going to die soon?"
"No. You are the core of your team."
Wasn't that obvious? With each chance I got, I ran from side to side, destroying formations and inflicting damage on the enemy while shielding against all arrows and spells that crossed my path. The dwarf, on the other hand, just followed me around as I did that to keep me from going too wild.
"In other words, if you and I disappear at the same time, we'll have the advantage."
"...What?"
The dwarf grinned and shouted, "Jainen! Now!" Jainen was the priest of Karui's name. The dwarf always shouted out loud to give orders, as their team had no one to cast a voice control spell for them.
[You have entered the special terrain Crossroads of Fate.]
My surroundings, which had just been full of firework-like flashes, grew dark. In addition, the sound of fierce combat vanished as everything grew quiet. That made me laugh.
I was wondering what you were going to do. Did you use Crossroads of Fate? You dwarven bastard, do I look that easy to you?
Crossroads of Fate, a unique ability only a priest of Karui could use, was simple. It sent two designated targets to a separate dimension. For reference, this skill could only be activated when the designated individuals were enemies, and only when one person was victorious or the power was cut off from the outside could they return.
Bang!
Just then, a blast occurred at the rear of the dwarf's camp thanks to an explosive arrow from Mr. Bear. Hans G summoned an Earthberg right on time, avoiding any casualties, but as their defenses began to crumble, Raven's magical onslaught continued.
Dddddd! Kablam!
A lightning bolt split into dozens of smaller lightning bolts which all proceeded to fall to the earth. One of them struck Hans G and knocked him off his feet. But not for long, of course, because there was a priest over there.
Whooosh!
In just a few seconds, Hans G regained consciousness and used his summoned beast to fire a jet of flame. The target was our back line. Raven had just used a spell and I wasn't at an angle where I could stop the attack either, so Mr. Bear's summoned beast, Bear, just absorbed the blow with his body.
"Woom!" Bear howled like this was no big deal to him. Soul Beasts had high Mana Resistance stats.
Whew, at this level, team battle is on a different scale.
Afterward, the priest of Karui finished his preparations and began calling forth summons in earnest.
"Grrrrrr..." An army of undead began pouring out of an ominous-colored portal that appeared in mid-air. Coincidentally, we had the perfect person to handle this.
"Behelaaah!" Without needing any orders from me, Ainar rushed forward wielding her greatsword.
Bang! KABLAM! Bang!
Each time she used Repeated Slash, explosions followed, and sparks flew. Plus, if she was injured, she healed herself with Wings of Greed. Of course, using skills without restraint like this would usually leave her with no MP, but...
[Ainar Fenelin has killed an opponent. Satiation has activated, and Soul Power is restored.]
Ainar had specialized in massacres with the Slayer Imprint, you see.
Bang! Ddddddd! Whooom!
Attacks were hurled from all directions, causing a cacophony of sounds. Each person wasn't just facing one specific opponent. We had to step back to help out our teammates at times. Thus, a fierce battle where the winner was indiscernible raged on.
"You know something?" I took another knockback blow to the face from the dwarf as he spoke to me for the first time this entire battle.
I wanted to just ignore him, but I replied anyway. "That you're going to die soon?"
"No. You are the core of your team."
Wasn't that obvious? With each chance I got, I ran from side to side, destroying formations and inflicting damage on the enemy while shielding against all arrows and spells that crossed my path. The dwarf, on the other hand, just followed me around as I did that to keep me from going too wild.
"In other words, if you and I disappear at the same time, we'll have the advantage."
"...What?"
The dwarf grinned and shouted, "Jainen! Now!" Jainen was the priest of Karui's name. The dwarf always shouted out loud to give orders, as their team had no one to cast a voice control spell for them.
[You have entered the special terrain Crossroads of Fate.]
My surroundings, which had just been full of firework-like flashes, grew dark. In addition, the sound of fierce combat vanished as everything grew quiet. That made me laugh.
I was wondering what you were going to do. Did you use Crossroads of Fate? You dwarven bastard, do I look that easy to you?
Crossroads of Fate, a unique ability only a priest of Karui could use, was simple. It sent two designated targets to a separate dimension. For reference, this skill could only be activated when the designated individuals were enemies, and only when one person was victorious or the power was cut off from the outside could they return.
Click.
A switch clicked and the space around me lit up. I was standing on top of a stone statue the size of a building dozens of stories tall. Well, to be more precise, I was in the statue's palm. When I looked up, I could see the statue's face looking down in my direction—the face of the evil god, Karui, which I had only ever seen in books.
"You're not surprised," the dwarf muttered about ten yards away from me, his tone sedate.
I couldn't stand it, so I had to ask. "What kind of confidence did you have to bring me here?"
"...Do you know about this place?"
Of course I did. This was a sort of dueling ground, a location cut off from the outside world where you had to fight using only your individual skill. And he brought me here?
"How ridiculous."
Spotting the look on my face, the dwarf frowned. "You think too highly of yourself, barbarian."
So, you genuinely assumed that surviving against me was doable. That if you kept me tied up here, the team you have outside would eventually be victorious and let you back out.
Smirk.
I thought about saying something but doing so would be a waste of time. I couldn't find any reason to, either. I could just show him with my actions like any other barbarian.
"Behelaaah!" No need for questions and answers. Ending the chitchat there, I charged at my opponent.
Dash!
The dwarf stepped back, suggesting he had made up his mind to hang out here. It was a pointless endeavor, though. How fast could he possibly run with those short legs? Even he seemed to realize that that wasn't an option and picked up his shield.
Voom.
He swung the shield with the intention of pushing me away, but the only reason I let that move hit me earlier was because his teammates kept distracting me.
Whip.
Twisting my body slightly to avoid him, I slammed down my mace.
Clang!
A clear ringing sounded as it met the shield the dwarf had raised above his head. Of course, that was no problem.
Clang!
If once wasn't enough, then twice.
Clang!
If not twice, three times.
Clang!
Wow, this was like playing whack-a-mole or something. No matter how many times I slammed my mace down, the dwarf's shield remained sturdy.
"I told you... I can hold out."
Your breath is getting choppy, though. Anyway, I guess this is where you placed your bets. How unfortunate. I never thought you'd actually get baited by the feint.
Clang!
After I slammed the mace down thirteen more times, I faked like I was going to do it again and swiftly reached my hand out.
Voom!
I pulled on his earring. There was no way a numbered item could be damaged by a force like this, but flesh didn't count.
Riiip.
The fragile earlobe tore and the earring came off.
No. 2988: Mark of the Guard Corps.
It didn't come with special stats or effects, but wearing it increased the shock absorption of a shield by a whopping 50 percent. I never thought I'd get this critical item here.
"...Give it back!" The dwarf reacted a beat later and rushed at me like a madman. Of course, all I could do was offer him a big, strong macing.
Bam!
An exciting clanging rang out from the shield that was reflexively protecting his head. Whew, that was more like it. I could feel my sinuses clear up, like a breath of fresh air.
On that note, let's do one more.
Bam!
The dwarf staggered considerably, holding the half-crumpled shield.
Crunch!
Taking advantage of his lowered guard, I brought the mace down on the crown of his head. The dwarf dropped like a fly, marking the end of our fight. However, seeing as this pocket dimension hadn't disappeared yet, it wasn't an instant fatality.
Did he pass out?
Whatever the case, he had one hell of a sturdy body.
Anyway, that's good.
I dug through the dwarf's bag and pulled out an item. It was none other than the Magic Vial containing the Manticore's essence. Looking at this, I was suddenly reminded of the line this guy said during the dice roll earlier.
"Luck is on my side."
That was a line a guy like me could never say. It was a bit ironic, though—the guy who had said that line was now doomed to die soon, while I was in the opposite position. Perhaps luck foreshadowed incoming misery.
"To think the Magic Vial remained intact in the expandable bag." I smirked. "Luck is on my side."
This much luck should be fine. Everything else, I'd worked hard to achieve myself. I chugged the essence into the Magic Vial.
[The Essence of the Manticore is being absorbed into your soul.]
Dddddd!
Right at that moment, I felt vibrations run through the entire space. No wonder—he hadn't died yet. But he was finally dead.
The corpse will return to its original place, so I can clean that up later...
When I closed my eyes and reopened them, I saw a familiar forest. I quickly scanned my surroundings. Not even five minutes had passed since I was whisked away.
Kwaaang! Craccck! Pop!
The battle was still raging. However, it seemed a retreat had taken place since my disappearance because the battlefield had moved slightly to a location about seventy yards away from where I stood. I could tell with a single glance that I needed to join my struggling teammates as fast as possible.
Hmm, this distance looks just right.
Thus, I activated my newly acquired ability, the active skill found in the yellow Manticore essence.
Leap.
Feeling my body grow lighter, I jumped up in one vigorous bound.
[Your Jump Power stat increases by x10 for one jump and you inflict a powerful shockwave on the surrounding area upon landing.]
My body flew in a steep parabola and aimed for the middle of Team Dwarf's formation.
CRASH!
I finally got myself a transportation ability.
Click.
A switch clicked and the space around me lit up. I was standing on top of a stone statue the size of a building dozens of stories tall. Well, to be more precise, I was in the statue's palm. When I looked up, I could see the statue's face looking down in my direction—the face of the evil god, Karui, which I had only ever seen in books.
"You're not surprised," the dwarf muttered about ten yards away from me, his tone sedate.
I couldn't stand it, so I had to ask. "What kind of confidence did you have to bring me here?"
"...Do you know about this place?"
Of course I did. This was a sort of dueling ground, a location cut off from the outside world where you had to fight using only your individual skill. And he brought me here?
"How ridiculous."
Spotting the look on my face, the dwarf frowned. "You think too highly of yourself, barbarian."
So, you genuinely assumed that surviving against me was doable. That if you kept me tied up here, the team you have outside would eventually be victorious and let you back out.
Smirk.
I thought about saying something but doing so would be a waste of time. I couldn't find any reason to, either. I could just show him with my actions like any other barbarian.
"Behelaaah!" No need for questions and answers. Ending the chitchat there, I charged at my opponent.
Dash!
The dwarf stepped back, suggesting he had made up his mind to hang out here. It was a pointless endeavor, though. How fast could he possibly run with those short legs? Even he seemed to realize that that wasn't an option and picked up his shield.
Voom.
He swung the shield with the intention of pushing me away, but the only reason I let that move hit me earlier was because his teammates kept distracting me.
Whip.
Twisting my body slightly to avoid him, I slammed down my mace.
Clang!
A clear ringing sounded as it met the shield the dwarf had raised above his head. Of course, that was no problem.
Clang!
If once wasn't enough, then twice.
Clang!
If not twice, three times.
Clang!
Wow, this was like playing whack-a-mole or something. No matter how many times I slammed my mace down, the dwarf's shield remained sturdy.
"I told you... I can hold out."
Your breath is getting choppy, though. Anyway, I guess this is where you placed your bets. How unfortunate. I never thought you'd actually get baited by the feint.
Clang!
After I slammed the mace down thirteen more times, I faked like I was going to do it again and swiftly reached my hand out.
Voom!
I pulled on his earring. There was no way a numbered item could be damaged by a force like this, but flesh didn't count.
Riiip.
The fragile earlobe tore and the earring came off.
No. 2988: Mark of the Guard Corps.
It didn't come with special stats or effects, but wearing it increased the shock absorption of a shield by a whopping 50 percent. I never thought I'd get this critical item here.
"...Give it back!" The dwarf reacted a beat later and rushed at me like a madman. Of course, all I could do was offer him a big, strong macing.
Bam!
An exciting clanging rang out from the shield that was reflexively protecting his head. Whew, that was more like it. I could feel my sinuses clear up, like a breath of fresh air.
On that note, let's do one more.
Bam!
The dwarf staggered considerably, holding the half-crumpled shield.
Crunch!
Taking advantage of his lowered guard, I brought the mace down on the crown of his head. The dwarf dropped like a fly, marking the end of our fight. However, seeing as this pocket dimension hadn't disappeared yet, it wasn't an instant fatality.
Did he pass out?
Whatever the case, he had one hell of a sturdy body.
Anyway, that's good.
I dug through the dwarf's bag and pulled out an item. It was none other than the Magic Vial containing the Manticore's essence. Looking at this, I was suddenly reminded of the line this guy said during the dice roll earlier.
"Luck is on my side."
That was a line a guy like me could never say. It was a bit ironic, though—the guy who had said that line was now doomed to die soon, while I was in the opposite position. Perhaps luck foreshadowed incoming misery.
"To think the Magic Vial remained intact in the expandable bag." I smirked. "Luck is on my side."
This much luck should be fine. Everything else, I'd worked hard to achieve myself. I chugged the essence into the Magic Vial.
[The Essence of the Manticore is being absorbed into your soul.]
Dddddd!
Right at that moment, I felt vibrations run through the entire space. No wonder—he hadn't died yet. But he was finally dead.
The corpse will return to its original place, so I can clean that up later...
When I closed my eyes and reopened them, I saw a familiar forest. I quickly scanned my surroundings. Not even five minutes had passed since I was whisked away.
Kwaaang! Craccck! Pop!
The battle was still raging. However, it seemed a retreat had taken place since my disappearance because the battlefield had moved slightly to a location about seventy yards away from where I stood. I could tell with a single glance that I needed to join my struggling teammates as fast as possible.
Hmm, this distance looks just right.
Thus, I activated my newly acquired ability, the active skill found in the yellow Manticore essence.
Leap.
Feeling my body grow lighter, I jumped up in one vigorous bound.
[Your Jump Power stat increases by x10 for one jump and you inflict a powerful shockwave on the surrounding area upon landing.]
My body flew in a steep parabola and aimed for the middle of Team Dwarf's formation.
CRASH!
I finally got myself a transportation ability.