Chapter 23: Level Up (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Level Up (3)
I inserted the torch into the groove carved onto my helmet and tied it tightly with a rope. I called this Barbarian Candle Mode.
...It was kind of humiliating, but it was a practical method used by other adventurers.
Ainar brought her hand to the flickering flame and exclaimed, "Oh, amazing! It really isn't hot!"
That's because it's a magical tool.
Measuring in at only the length of a palm, the torch did not reduce the user's mobility, and it was a useful item that could be maintained for about three days once lit. The crossbow group had used it too.
The average price was about ten thousand stones, though...
I suddenly missed Erwen.
"But where are we?"
Slowly, Ainar started to take in her surroundings, looking around.
Even though there was a huge gulf between the 2D pixel graphics I was familiar with and the world I could see in front of me, it was easy to figure that out this time around. The black ground that slurped with every step, the remnants of stone ruins that could be seen everywhere, and even the mournful cry that could be faintly heard in the distance...
"This is the Land of the Dead."
"Ah, so this is where the ghouls and the death fiends come out!"
That was true. To be precise, the monsters that appeared here were elder ghouls, skeletons, banshees, and even a type of intermediate boss-like monster, dullahans.
"I will take the lead."
The combat power of the monsters in the Land of the Dead was much higher than in the Goblin Forest. But as for which was trickier, I'd say the Goblin Forest took the win.
It was a lot darker here, but... at least it didn't have any traps. This kind of place was much more well-suited for two barbarians working together.
"It's a ghoul."
Before long, we encountered monsters. Their numbers were less than three. Of course, by the third day, the spawn rate would increase to three times what it was now.
Yet another reason to move.
"Bjorn, there is a mana stone!"
"Take whatever you see. You don't have to report every item to me. We can distribute it later. Let's speed up."
Unlike in the Goblin Forest, I immediately left the beginning of the map and continued to move north.
Then, I heard a scream nearby.
"Kyaaargh!"
"B-B-Bjorn?!"
"It's a howling banshee. Just ignore it. They rarely attack first."
"O-Okay... But shouldn't we kill it? It could be dangerous."
Well. Not unless there's an Erwen nearby who can control an elemental.
Two physical-type adventurers would never be able to catch a banshee, no matter what we did. And even if we did manage to catch it, that was a problem in itself.
"If you attack a banshee first, you will be cursed."
"Cursed?"
"It is a curse known as the Mark of Resentment. The banshee will continue to chase after you until you escape the labyrinth."
Unless you were planning to hunt solely banshees for the next ten days, it was best not to touch one at all. If experience points were the goal, a common strategy was to take down just one or two on the very last day.
"You are a very wise warrior. I'm glad I followed you."
Thank you for the compliment.
She tried not to show it, but it was obvious that these sorts of things scared her.
But that was neither here nor there.
"Kyaaah!"
Crush!
Please stop clinging to me every time something makes a sound, I thought. It was uncomfortable, but most importantly... it felt like my arm was breaking.
"L-let go... It's a skeleton."
At the same time, a group of skeletons appeared, making a rattling noise. There were ten of them. Even on the first day, the skeletons appeared in large numbers, fitting for a monster that boasted high reserves. Nonetheless, the total number of mana stones you could receive from a group of this size was only three or four.
"Ahem! I will get rid of them!"
Maybe she felt embarrassed about being scared of the banshee's screams because Ainar jumped forward.
Tsk tsk, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
"Ainar! If you look between the ribs, you'll see their essence. To take down a skeleton with a sword, you'll need to aim for that, but—"
Crunch!
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"...I didn't say anything. Don't worry about me."
Crunch! Crack! Crack!
Who cared about weaknesses? Whenever Ainar swung that enormous greatsword, the skeletons were mercilessly crushed, never to rise up again.
***
[You have killed an Elder Ghoul. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton Warrior. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton Archer. EXP +1]
***
We moved north like that for about eight hours. Naturally, we encountered a variety of new monsters. An elder ghoul that was twice as large as a normal ghoul, and skeleton warriors and archers were classified as mutants.
We hadn't come across a wizard yet, so I couldn't be sure, but everything had gone pretty smoothly so far. Since it was only the first day, the number of monsters was small, and my combat power had significantly increased compared to the previous trip.
Smack!
That much was obvious just by looking at our current equipment.
I had only been able to use the heartstealer's two-handed hammer with a short grip due to its center of gravity. Now that I was holding a mace about thirty inches in length, however, I could smack monsters from a distance. It was much safer and much more powerful.
Most importantly...
Klaaang—!
I now had armor. Because it was vest-shaped, metal sheet armor, my forearms were exposed and defenseless, but the area that I needed to protect under my shield was significantly reduced by the vest alone. As a result, I was able to engage in much more ferocious combat. It felt like my shackles had been lifted.
"Bjorn, be careful! There is also a skeleton archer!"
The iron helmet I was wearing had a T-shape design that revealed only the eyes, nose, and mouth, and protected the most important, most vulnerable parts of the head. Of course, I'd still be in trouble if I were hit directly by something like a crossbow bolt, but it easily deflected arrows shot with a busted bow.
"You are a very wise warrior. I'm glad I followed you."
Thank you for the compliment.
She tried not to show it, but it was obvious that these sorts of things scared her.
But that was neither here nor there.
"Kyaaah!"
Crush!
Please stop clinging to me every time something makes a sound, I thought. It was uncomfortable, but most importantly... it felt like my arm was breaking.
"L-let go... It's a skeleton."
At the same time, a group of skeletons appeared, making a rattling noise. There were ten of them. Even on the first day, the skeletons appeared in large numbers, fitting for a monster that boasted high reserves. Nonetheless, the total number of mana stones you could receive from a group of this size was only three or four.
"Ahem! I will get rid of them!"
Maybe she felt embarrassed about being scared of the banshee's screams because Ainar jumped forward.
Tsk tsk, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
"Ainar! If you look between the ribs, you'll see their essence. To take down a skeleton with a sword, you'll need to aim for that, but—"
Crunch!
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"...I didn't say anything. Don't worry about me."
Crunch! Crack! Crack!
Who cared about weaknesses? Whenever Ainar swung that enormous greatsword, the skeletons were mercilessly crushed, never to rise up again.
***
[You have killed an Elder Ghoul. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton Warrior. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton Archer. EXP +1]
***
We moved north like that for about eight hours. Naturally, we encountered a variety of new monsters. An elder ghoul that was twice as large as a normal ghoul, and skeleton warriors and archers were classified as mutants.
We hadn't come across a wizard yet, so I couldn't be sure, but everything had gone pretty smoothly so far. Since it was only the first day, the number of monsters was small, and my combat power had significantly increased compared to the previous trip.
Smack!
That much was obvious just by looking at our current equipment.
I had only been able to use the heartstealer's two-handed hammer with a short grip due to its center of gravity. Now that I was holding a mace about thirty inches in length, however, I could smack monsters from a distance. It was much safer and much more powerful.
Most importantly...
Klaaang—!
I now had armor. Because it was vest-shaped, metal sheet armor, my forearms were exposed and defenseless, but the area that I needed to protect under my shield was significantly reduced by the vest alone. As a result, I was able to engage in much more ferocious combat. It felt like my shackles had been lifted.
"Bjorn, be careful! There is also a skeleton archer!"
The iron helmet I was wearing had a T-shape design that revealed only the eyes, nose, and mouth, and protected the most important, most vulnerable parts of the head. Of course, I'd still be in trouble if I were hit directly by something like a crossbow bolt, but it easily deflected arrows shot with a busted bow.
And plus, I had another barbarian by my side with combat power similar to mine.
"Behelaaa!"
We cried out to our barbarian ancestral god and together continued a battle that was no different than a massacre.
Smack! Smack! Crunch!
No matter what kind of monster appeared before us, ten seconds were enough to defeat the entire group. Maybe that was why I now felt a refreshing sense of satisfaction after every battle that I hadn't felt with Erwen.
Ah, is this the true barbarian experience?
"Bjorn, you are injured."
Huh?
Only after Ainar commented on it did I notice a slight scratch on my forearm. However...
"Don't worry. It will go away soon."
There was no need for me to apply herbs, let alone drink a potion.
"Oh! It's already closing up! Is this the ability of your Spirit Imprint?"
One of the first things granted by the Immortality Imprint's abilities was a noticeably improved healing factor. Of course, it was still nothing compared to potions. When I had experimented with it the day before, a cut that was about as deep as a fingernail took about a minute to significantly heal. However, this alone dramatically increased my durability. I now recovered stamina faster, which made my endurance go up tremendously.
"Get ready. It looks like we're almost there now."
I told Ainar to stay vigilant, and we decreased our speed.
Then, suddenly, the terrain changed. The ground was no longer soggy and hard, and it was no longer level because of the mounds everywhere. The banshees' howling was even louder here.
"Kihehehe!"
"Ahhh!"
Of course, the biggest difference was something else.
From here onward, we'd be dealing with higher-level monsters. In other words, rank-eight monsters would now appear.
"...Bjorn, are you sure they won't attack first?"
Ainar had started grinding her teeth a while ago, probably afraid of the banshees' cries. It seemed that barbarians apparently clenched their jaws when they were scared. But I wouldn't know.
Is it because I've never been that scared yet?
"Kwohhh!"
As we kept moving, we heard a bizarre roar in the dark.
Whew...
Actually hearing it in real life made me shudder.
"Ainar, prepare for battle."
"D-Didn't you say we were not hunting banshees?"
Doesn't she have ears?
"That's not a banshee."
It was a death fiend.
Of the many rank-eight monsters that greatly contributed to raising the game's barrier to entry, they were undoubtedly the most annoying motherfuckers of the bunch.
***
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sound of heavy footsteps, which I had picked up on even from a distance, grew louder and louder, and soon, the monster appeared before us.
And plus, I had another barbarian by my side with combat power similar to mine.
"Behelaaa!"
We cried out to our barbarian ancestral god and together continued a battle that was no different than a massacre.
Smack! Smack! Crunch!
No matter what kind of monster appeared before us, ten seconds were enough to defeat the entire group. Maybe that was why I now felt a refreshing sense of satisfaction after every battle that I hadn't felt with Erwen.
Ah, is this the true barbarian experience?
"Bjorn, you are injured."
Huh?
Only after Ainar commented on it did I notice a slight scratch on my forearm. However...
"Don't worry. It will go away soon."
There was no need for me to apply herbs, let alone drink a potion.
"Oh! It's already closing up! Is this the ability of your Spirit Imprint?"
One of the first things granted by the Immortality Imprint's abilities was a noticeably improved healing factor. Of course, it was still nothing compared to potions. When I had experimented with it the day before, a cut that was about as deep as a fingernail took about a minute to significantly heal. However, this alone dramatically increased my durability. I now recovered stamina faster, which made my endurance go up tremendously.
"Get ready. It looks like we're almost there now."
I told Ainar to stay vigilant, and we decreased our speed.
Then, suddenly, the terrain changed. The ground was no longer soggy and hard, and it was no longer level because of the mounds everywhere. The banshees' howling was even louder here.
"Kihehehe!"
"Ahhh!"
Of course, the biggest difference was something else.
From here onward, we'd be dealing with higher-level monsters. In other words, rank-eight monsters would now appear.
"...Bjorn, are you sure they won't attack first?"
Ainar had started grinding her teeth a while ago, probably afraid of the banshees' cries. It seemed that barbarians apparently clenched their jaws when they were scared. But I wouldn't know.
Is it because I've never been that scared yet?
"Kwohhh!"
As we kept moving, we heard a bizarre roar in the dark.
Whew...
Actually hearing it in real life made me shudder.
"Ainar, prepare for battle."
"D-Didn't you say we were not hunting banshees?"
Doesn't she have ears?
"That's not a banshee."
It was a death fiend.
Of the many rank-eight monsters that greatly contributed to raising the game's barrier to entry, they were undoubtedly the most annoying motherfuckers of the bunch.
***
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sound of heavy footsteps, which I had picked up on even from a distance, grew louder and louder, and soon, the monster appeared before us.
"...We're going to fight that?" Ainar asked, and before I could answer, she added, "Looks like fun."
Truly, I couldn't figure this woman out. Last month, she had said she was afraid of dying, so how could she smile like that after seeing a monster like this?
And yet she's afraid of banshees...
Boom!
Perhaps the light bothered it because the death fiend stopped walking as it reached the edge of our torch's range.
"Don't be nervous."
"Don't worry. I wasn't nervous."
I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to myself.
Oh geez... I had made a plan on the way here, but when I saw the death fiend in person, my legs started to shake.
The death fiend was a humanoid undead monster. No, it was closer to a chimera. It was over ten feet tall and had both a sword and a shield for arms. Yeah, no, it wasn't holding a sword and shield—it genuinely had them for arms.
One hand extended in a long curve and had a blade in the shape of a half-moon, and the other arm, which widened outward at the elbows, took the shape of a shield. Namely, the Protein Blade and Shield.
"Kwohhhg—!"
Shit, don't scream like that, you look scary enough as it is.
I tried to somehow decrease my stress levels, but it wasn't easy.
"As long as you stay calm and follow the plan, you can defeat it."
"Of course, I trust you."
Thank you for that, but again, that was meant for me.
...Calm yourself.
Although this was my first encounter with this kind of monster, as long as I stayed focused, I shouldn't have any trouble. If things went south, however, we'd have to run without hesitation.
"As I said before, aim for the head no matter what. The other parts of its body are meaningless. Got it?"
"Okay!"
No, wait, that wasn't a signal to charge in—
"Behelaaa!"
Ainar ran forward holding her greatsword in both hands. It was too late to stop her now. But her shout must have succeeded in pulling aggro because the bastard rushed forward from the border of the shadows with its sword and shield in position.
"Kwohhhg—!"
Clang!
Ainar's greatsword and the death fiend's Protein Blade collided as it released a roar.
"Bjorn, be careful! This monster is no joke!"
That should have been obvious from the start, right?
"Behel-aaah!"
I shouted the name of our ancestral god and followed her lead. Then, I set up a wall in front of me with my shield and bludgeoned the monster from the side as it moved to attack Ainar, who had been bounced back by their collision.
Bam!
But how could its body be so heavy? It was like hitting a boulder.
Chzzz.
The monster exerted more force, pushing me back along with my shield. There was really no reason for me to keep holding my ground here, but my pride was hurt. So, I stood on my toes even higher. Then, as I shifted my entire weight forward, I let out a scream instead of a roar.
"...We're going to fight that?" Ainar asked, and before I could answer, she added, "Looks like fun."
Truly, I couldn't figure this woman out. Last month, she had said she was afraid of dying, so how could she smile like that after seeing a monster like this?
And yet she's afraid of banshees...
Boom!
Perhaps the light bothered it because the death fiend stopped walking as it reached the edge of our torch's range.
"Don't be nervous."
"Don't worry. I wasn't nervous."
I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to myself.
Oh geez... I had made a plan on the way here, but when I saw the death fiend in person, my legs started to shake.
The death fiend was a humanoid undead monster. No, it was closer to a chimera. It was over ten feet tall and had both a sword and a shield for arms. Yeah, no, it wasn't holding a sword and shield—it genuinely had them for arms.
One hand extended in a long curve and had a blade in the shape of a half-moon, and the other arm, which widened outward at the elbows, took the shape of a shield. Namely, the Protein Blade and Shield.
"Kwohhhg—!"
Shit, don't scream like that, you look scary enough as it is.
I tried to somehow decrease my stress levels, but it wasn't easy.
"As long as you stay calm and follow the plan, you can defeat it."
"Of course, I trust you."
Thank you for that, but again, that was meant for me.
...Calm yourself.
Although this was my first encounter with this kind of monster, as long as I stayed focused, I shouldn't have any trouble. If things went south, however, we'd have to run without hesitation.
"As I said before, aim for the head no matter what. The other parts of its body are meaningless. Got it?"
"Okay!"
No, wait, that wasn't a signal to charge in—
"Behelaaa!"
Ainar ran forward holding her greatsword in both hands. It was too late to stop her now. But her shout must have succeeded in pulling aggro because the bastard rushed forward from the border of the shadows with its sword and shield in position.
"Kwohhhg—!"
Clang!
Ainar's greatsword and the death fiend's Protein Blade collided as it released a roar.
"Bjorn, be careful! This monster is no joke!"
That should have been obvious from the start, right?
"Behel-aaah!"
I shouted the name of our ancestral god and followed her lead. Then, I set up a wall in front of me with my shield and bludgeoned the monster from the side as it moved to attack Ainar, who had been bounced back by their collision.
Bam!
But how could its body be so heavy? It was like hitting a boulder.
Chzzz.
The monster exerted more force, pushing me back along with my shield. There was really no reason for me to keep holding my ground here, but my pride was hurt. So, I stood on my toes even higher. Then, as I shifted my entire weight forward, I let out a scream instead of a roar.
"Ahhh!"
Fuck!
It felt like my muscles were going to burst open. But also, I felt a shiver that was difficult to put into words. I had thought I was going to die there... but I had survived.
And Ainar wasn't stupid enough to let this opportunity pass.
Voom—!
Soon, her swing cut through the air with a heavy thud and struck the side of the death fiend's head. Not stabbed, but literally struck.
Kagak!
Even that thick greatsword only penetrated about half an inch into its head. The blunt thud probably came from its skull. The death fiend's defenses were notorious even in the game. It was its ability to heal itself rather than its defenses that caused many beginners to quit the game.
"Kwoooh!"
"Back up for now!"
Avoiding the furious death fiend, we retreated a short distance. Dark red blood dripped from the slice left by the sword, but the bleeding stopped in less than three seconds. This guy's passive skill was Body Preservation.
"Ainar! Give me an opening. This time, I'll attack!"
After giving the order, I was about to run in when—
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. This was the first time I had ever seen an effect like this, but I knew immediately what it was. The death fiend's active skill: Call of the Dead.
"Move back, the ghouls are coming!"
When the rumbling ended, ghouls dug out of the dirt and climbed up to the surface. Looking around, I saw there were exactly ten.
"Get rid of these guys first!"
"Okay!"
While Ainar was swinging her sword at the ghouls with a "Kwohhh!", I paid close attention to the death fiend and watched him carefully. However, the angry ghouls were constantly scratching at my skin with their fingernails, tearing my flesh to ribbons in an instant.
Of course, this wasn't that big a deal.
I have the ability to regenerate, too. Although, not like you.
"Bjorn! I'll take this guy!"
After I had held out for about two minutes, the ghouls were cleared out. It was actually kind of funny when I thought about it. I had survived a death fiend's summoning ability by literally being torn to shreds.
I didn't even do this kind of stuff in the game.
While I passed the baton over to Ainar to let her face him one-on-one, I took out my mace and moved behind the monster.
Then I delivered a blow to the back of his head.
Smack!
The blow produced a good thunk and an even more satisfying jolt in my hands. Rotten blood actually leaked out from the back of its messed-up head. Nevertheless, I continued to wield my mace.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Enough power to turn a goblin to dust was in each strike. But fuck, why wouldn't it die?
Kagak!
The durability of this monster's skull was beyond imagination. Even while it was being hit, its flesh continued to heal.
...What should I do?
We lacked power.
If I had known this would happen, I would have bought the weapon that the weapons dealer had recommended to me. Should we just give up on taking this one down and hunt rank nine monsters instead?
Hack! Hack! Hack!
I continued to swing the mace as I thought this over, but the mace wasn't enough to destroy the creature's brain.
Voom—!
In the end, I had no choice but to step back to avoid the swinging Protein Blade. And it was then that—
"Kooot!"
Suddenly, the death fiend lost its balance and started leaning to the side. When I checked, I saw Ainar using this opportunity to grab one of the legs of this ten-foot-tall monster and lift it up. It was a technique I had often seen in the UFC.
Is that...
A single leg tackle?
"Behel—aaah!"
With her muscles pumped up and veins bulging out like they were about to burst, she was the one who looked more like a monster between the two of them...
Her goal was obvious and even feasible. I immediately joined in.
Smack!
When I struck the grounded ankle with the mace as hard as I could, the massive body lost its balance and experienced a moment of weightlessness. And then...
Boom!
It crashed to the floor. In technical terms, it was a takedown.
This was the first time it had occurred to me that this kind of strategy was viable against a monster classified as medium to large-sized.
...Nothing was impossible for a barbarian, apparently.
"Kwooohhh!"
I could see the death fiend floundering like an overturned turtle. Ainar and I were about to rush in, but flinched back simultaneously.
"Kwooohhh!"
No way... It can't get up on its own!
"Bjorn!"
"Ohhh!"
A single look was all it took for us to get on the same page. Ainar and I ran to the fallen monster and swung our weapons down like a bunch of lunatics. Like putting a rice cake in a mortar and taking turns bringing down the mallet, we worked in harmony.
Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch!
Come to think of it, I once made rice cakes the same way at a folk village I visited in elementary school.
"This is fun!"
I could remember my partner back then crying as they asked to switch into a different group from me. But seeing Ainar having fun with me healed that old wound in my heart. It felt like my soul itself was being purified.
[You have killed a Death Fiend. EXP +2]
We smiled brightly as we watched the death fiend disappear into the light. We didn't have powerful magic, the divine power of a priest, or the elemental magic of an elf, but—
"Bjorn! Look at this! This mana stone is huge!"
We had succeeded in hunting a rank-eight monster.
"Ahhh!"
Fuck!
It felt like my muscles were going to burst open. But also, I felt a shiver that was difficult to put into words. I had thought I was going to die there... but I had survived.
And Ainar wasn't stupid enough to let this opportunity pass.
Voom—!
Soon, her swing cut through the air with a heavy thud and struck the side of the death fiend's head. Not stabbed, but literally struck.
Kagak!
Even that thick greatsword only penetrated about half an inch into its head. The blunt thud probably came from its skull. The death fiend's defenses were notorious even in the game. It was its ability to heal itself rather than its defenses that caused many beginners to quit the game.
"Kwoooh!"
"Back up for now!"
Avoiding the furious death fiend, we retreated a short distance. Dark red blood dripped from the slice left by the sword, but the bleeding stopped in less than three seconds. This guy's passive skill was Body Preservation.
"Ainar! Give me an opening. This time, I'll attack!"
After giving the order, I was about to run in when—
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. This was the first time I had ever seen an effect like this, but I knew immediately what it was. The death fiend's active skill: Call of the Dead.
"Move back, the ghouls are coming!"
When the rumbling ended, ghouls dug out of the dirt and climbed up to the surface. Looking around, I saw there were exactly ten.
"Get rid of these guys first!"
"Okay!"
While Ainar was swinging her sword at the ghouls with a "Kwohhh!", I paid close attention to the death fiend and watched him carefully. However, the angry ghouls were constantly scratching at my skin with their fingernails, tearing my flesh to ribbons in an instant.
Of course, this wasn't that big a deal.
I have the ability to regenerate, too. Although, not like you.
"Bjorn! I'll take this guy!"
After I had held out for about two minutes, the ghouls were cleared out. It was actually kind of funny when I thought about it. I had survived a death fiend's summoning ability by literally being torn to shreds.
I didn't even do this kind of stuff in the game.
While I passed the baton over to Ainar to let her face him one-on-one, I took out my mace and moved behind the monster.
Then I delivered a blow to the back of his head.
Smack!
The blow produced a good thunk and an even more satisfying jolt in my hands. Rotten blood actually leaked out from the back of its messed-up head. Nevertheless, I continued to wield my mace.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Enough power to turn a goblin to dust was in each strike. But fuck, why wouldn't it die?
Kagak!
The durability of this monster's skull was beyond imagination. Even while it was being hit, its flesh continued to heal.
...What should I do?
We lacked power.
If I had known this would happen, I would have bought the weapon that the weapons dealer had recommended to me. Should we just give up on taking this one down and hunt rank nine monsters instead?
Hack! Hack! Hack!
I continued to swing the mace as I thought this over, but the mace wasn't enough to destroy the creature's brain.
Voom—!
In the end, I had no choice but to step back to avoid the swinging Protein Blade. And it was then that—
"Kooot!"
Suddenly, the death fiend lost its balance and started leaning to the side. When I checked, I saw Ainar using this opportunity to grab one of the legs of this ten-foot-tall monster and lift it up. It was a technique I had often seen in the UFC.
Is that...
A single leg tackle?
"Behel—aaah!"
With her muscles pumped up and veins bulging out like they were about to burst, she was the one who looked more like a monster between the two of them...
Her goal was obvious and even feasible. I immediately joined in.
Smack!
When I struck the grounded ankle with the mace as hard as I could, the massive body lost its balance and experienced a moment of weightlessness. And then...
Boom!
It crashed to the floor. In technical terms, it was a takedown.
This was the first time it had occurred to me that this kind of strategy was viable against a monster classified as medium to large-sized.
...Nothing was impossible for a barbarian, apparently.
"Kwooohhh!"
I could see the death fiend floundering like an overturned turtle. Ainar and I were about to rush in, but flinched back simultaneously.
"Kwooohhh!"
No way... It can't get up on its own!
"Bjorn!"
"Ohhh!"
A single look was all it took for us to get on the same page. Ainar and I ran to the fallen monster and swung our weapons down like a bunch of lunatics. Like putting a rice cake in a mortar and taking turns bringing down the mallet, we worked in harmony.
Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch!
Come to think of it, I once made rice cakes the same way at a folk village I visited in elementary school.
"This is fun!"
I could remember my partner back then crying as they asked to switch into a different group from me. But seeing Ainar having fun with me healed that old wound in my heart. It felt like my soul itself was being purified.
[You have killed a Death Fiend. EXP +2]
We smiled brightly as we watched the death fiend disappear into the light. We didn't have powerful magic, the divine power of a priest, or the elemental magic of an elf, but—
"Bjorn! Look at this! This mana stone is huge!"
We had succeeded in hunting a rank-eight monster.