Chapter 34: Warrior (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Warrior (2)
"Bjorn."
The moment Ainar called my name, the sun, which was obscured by red clouds, completely disappeared under the horizon. And at that exact moment, a pale-skinned man appeared under the red moonlight.
"Strange, very strange..."
He glanced around the ruins of the town and then fixed his gaze on us.
"Looking at you all, I can't suppress my thirst for blood. Would you happen to know the reason for that?"
The reason? Well... How should I know?
And I didn't want to know either.
"If you give me some time to think about it, I might remember," I said slowly.
I wanted to buy at least another minute. However, at that moment, the vampire's eyes lit up.
"My thirst is too unbearable for that. Hehehe."
To be honest, this was a little ridiculous. I didn't realize vampires could be such assholes.
"Kekeke! Hahaha!"
The vampire, who suddenly started to cackle like he was possessed, stopped just as suddenly. And then...
"Kyaaah!"
He let out a roar that sounded like it was from some kind of otherworldly creature.
Sring!
His nails, a vampire's main weapon, extended with a sharp sound. After that, all that remained in his eyes was a madness that cast a reddish glow.
It's just like in the game.
Now that I was thinking about it, this was the same as in the game. No matter how intelligent the monsters were, they only ever exchanged a few words of conversation as a prelude to the fight.
"I'm used to fear like this," said the dwarf.
"Everyone, back up!"
The murderous intent emitted by this rank-five monster was enough to make my body numb, but surprisingly, the dwarf was completely fine. I was actually a little amazed. He had looked pathetic in front of the corpse golem, but I guess he was still a third-year adventurer.
As the vampire's physical form disappeared, the dwarf stepped forward and raised his buckler.
Bang, bang, bang!
A cloud of dust stormed past us, carried on a gust of wind. The power behind the blow was obvious even from a few steps back, but...
"Hahaha. How powerful!"
The dwarf hadn't been pushed back a bit. It wasn't that his stats had overpowered the vampire—it was all thanks to the help of an essence.
[Hikurod Murad has cast Balance Weight.]
That was the skill of a rank-seven monster called Iron Tusk. It was a Knockback Immunity skill that prevented the character from falling over or being pushed back as long as their feet were touching the ground. Additional variations included Shock Absorption.
"Tarzine, you stand back!"
As the battle began, I called out orders. However, I heard nothing in response.
When I glanced to the side, I saw that the porter was already far away with the wizard in his arms. That was a good call, but also kind of infuriating.
I decided to revisit that feeling later and shouted, "Ainar!"
"I'll take the right side!"
Thanks to the countless battles we had fought together, she could understand what I wanted to say with a single look. I nodded briefly at the vampire's left side, then rushed forward at the same time as Ainar.
"Kyaaah!"
The vampire retreated. It was clear his ability to strategize was still intact. At the same time, the dwarf's half-crumpled buckler was restored to its original state as though time had been reversed.
The buckler couldn't have come with that feature...
[Hikurod Murad has cast Emergency Restoration.]
This was the ability of a monster called Living Armor. It was a useful skill that not only saved on equipment costs, but also greatly increased the performance of equipment when the user was equipped with a magic item.
The dwarf finished his repairs in an instant and shouted, "I'll take the front, so you guys support me from the side!"
There were no objections there. The only reason we were able to hold on this long was because of the dwarf. To be honest, I was the least helpful person here. Even Ainar had an essence now. I had nothing other than the expensive Immortality Imprint.
Well, I guess I could technically be a human shield.
"Kyaaah!"
At that moment, the vampire, who had been watching us from a distance, split his body into hundreds of crows. The flock of crows flapped their wings and flew toward us at high speed.
"Get as far away as you can!"
Soon, the crows flying toward us dove head-first into the ground and exploded.
Bang, bang, bang! Bam! Bang!
There wasn't much explosive power behind each blast. However, we also had to avoid the blood splattering all over the place.
God damn it.
It wasn't like the corpse golem's acidic blood, of course, but...
Considering the combo that followed, this was more of a headache.
"B-Bjorn! What the hell is this!"
A red tattoo etched itself into our blood-drenched foreheads, and a bright light shone.
[You have been designated as a sacrifice.]
[Vampire Duke Cambormere's physical stats have temporarily increased according to the number of sacrifices within a hundred-yard radius.]
Ignoring the game log that popped into my head, I clenched my teeth. The vampire's form slowly regenerated from the pool of blood left on the floor by the exploding crows. Now that he had a buff, it was going to be even harder to deal with him.
Has it been three minutes yet?
There was still a long way to go before our preparations came to fruition. Would we be able to survive until then?
I shook my head. There was no point in wondering whether or not it was possible.
"Behelahhh!"
We just have to hold on for a little while longer... with the grit of a barbarian.
***
[Buff skill: Offering Imprint.]
[The Immortal: The user's ability to regenerate increases significantly in proportion to lost stamina.]
[Master of Blood: the ability to absorb some of the target's stats by directly sucking their blood.]
Each of these three active skills vampires possessed made them ridiculously powerful in hand-to-hand combat. The problem was, though, that those weren't the only things this vampire had.
"I'll take the right side!"
Thanks to the countless battles we had fought together, she could understand what I wanted to say with a single look. I nodded briefly at the vampire's left side, then rushed forward at the same time as Ainar.
"Kyaaah!"
The vampire retreated. It was clear his ability to strategize was still intact. At the same time, the dwarf's half-crumpled buckler was restored to its original state as though time had been reversed.
The buckler couldn't have come with that feature...
[Hikurod Murad has cast Emergency Restoration.]
This was the ability of a monster called Living Armor. It was a useful skill that not only saved on equipment costs, but also greatly increased the performance of equipment when the user was equipped with a magic item.
The dwarf finished his repairs in an instant and shouted, "I'll take the front, so you guys support me from the side!"
There were no objections there. The only reason we were able to hold on this long was because of the dwarf. To be honest, I was the least helpful person here. Even Ainar had an essence now. I had nothing other than the expensive Immortality Imprint.
Well, I guess I could technically be a human shield.
"Kyaaah!"
At that moment, the vampire, who had been watching us from a distance, split his body into hundreds of crows. The flock of crows flapped their wings and flew toward us at high speed.
"Get as far away as you can!"
Soon, the crows flying toward us dove head-first into the ground and exploded.
Bang, bang, bang! Bam! Bang!
There wasn't much explosive power behind each blast. However, we also had to avoid the blood splattering all over the place.
God damn it.
It wasn't like the corpse golem's acidic blood, of course, but...
Considering the combo that followed, this was more of a headache.
"B-Bjorn! What the hell is this!"
A red tattoo etched itself into our blood-drenched foreheads, and a bright light shone.
[You have been designated as a sacrifice.]
[Vampire Duke Cambormere's physical stats have temporarily increased according to the number of sacrifices within a hundred-yard radius.]
Ignoring the game log that popped into my head, I clenched my teeth. The vampire's form slowly regenerated from the pool of blood left on the floor by the exploding crows. Now that he had a buff, it was going to be even harder to deal with him.
Has it been three minutes yet?
There was still a long way to go before our preparations came to fruition. Would we be able to survive until then?
I shook my head. There was no point in wondering whether or not it was possible.
"Behelahhh!"
We just have to hold on for a little while longer... with the grit of a barbarian.
***
[Buff skill: Offering Imprint.]
[The Immortal: The user's ability to regenerate increases significantly in proportion to lost stamina.]
[Master of Blood: the ability to absorb some of the target's stats by directly sucking their blood.]
Each of these three active skills vampires possessed made them ridiculously powerful in hand-to-hand combat. The problem was, though, that those weren't the only things this vampire had.
Even ignoring these three skills, this greedy son of a bitch was able to use various types of black magic.
"Bjorn, more crows!"
Morphing into crows that exploded, transforming into smoke to dodge a sword, using spilled blood to summon monsters, and more. This vampire bastard demonstrated a cunning that characterized high-rank monsters.
This is why no one who reaches the sixth floor just quits the game.
Once again realizing just how difficult Dungeon and Stone was, I raised my shield. The shield had already been torn up by the vampire's nails, and it was pretty much just scrap metal at this point, but...
Better than nothing.
Clang—!
I used the recoil to bounce back and absorb the shock as much as possible.
Strength, speed, and skill. Plus a bonus skill that I had naturally picked up by fighting an enemy who overwhelmed me in every way.
At that moment, Raven's voice echoed through my head.
"Please hold on for another five minutes!"
I wondered if that time would have been a bit shorter if she had just saved the mana she was using to send that message...
But after hearing that hopeful news, I was feeling more energized—
"Hikurod has been hit!"
—yeah, right.
After demonstrating the skills of a third-year adventurer, the dwarf who had been closely marking the vampire had fallen. Thankfully, Ainar, who had been nearby, rushed in and prevented the vampire from sucking his blood.
[Hikurod Murad's status has changed to "Incapable of Combat."]
In an instant, the tide had turned. Ainar and I were already in tatters. It was almost impossible for the two of us to stop him without the dwarf who had been taking on more than fifty percent of the burden in this fight.
So instead...
I quickly made a call.
"Ainar! Take Murad and get back!"
"But..."
"I'll stop him!"
"A-All right!"
The moment Ainar put Murad on his shoulders, I dashed forward and swung my mace.
Smack!
This was my first real hit in a while.
"Ahhh!"
As the attack successfully landed, a sharp throb went through my skull from the recoil. It was all because this bastard was a high-rank mutant.
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has cast Pain Sharing.]
He was even able to fully recover from his injuries by taking just one step back to catch his breath.
Damn it—meanwhile, I'm still in pain. What kind of a dickhead is this guy?
"Kyaaah!"
Still, the aggro was focused on me, just as I had wanted. Out of habit, I double-checked that the item hidden in my boots was still there.
The name of the item was Tears of a Goddess. Simply put, it was a holy object. Although it was only a one-time use item, it could be used for healing purposes and could also be used to attack evil monsters.
...Should I use this now?
It wouldn't be a waste to use it. No matter how unique the item's effects were, it was a special item that could only be used in Bloody Citadel anyway. If I used it on the dwarf, his strength would be restored immediately, and if used on the vampire, it would inflict considerable damage. But...
Even ignoring these three skills, this greedy son of a bitch was able to use various types of black magic.
"Bjorn, more crows!"
Morphing into crows that exploded, transforming into smoke to dodge a sword, using spilled blood to summon monsters, and more. This vampire bastard demonstrated a cunning that characterized high-rank monsters.
This is why no one who reaches the sixth floor just quits the game.
Once again realizing just how difficult Dungeon and Stone was, I raised my shield. The shield had already been torn up by the vampire's nails, and it was pretty much just scrap metal at this point, but...
Better than nothing.
Clang—!
I used the recoil to bounce back and absorb the shock as much as possible.
Strength, speed, and skill. Plus a bonus skill that I had naturally picked up by fighting an enemy who overwhelmed me in every way.
At that moment, Raven's voice echoed through my head.
"Please hold on for another five minutes!"
I wondered if that time would have been a bit shorter if she had just saved the mana she was using to send that message...
But after hearing that hopeful news, I was feeling more energized—
"Hikurod has been hit!"
—yeah, right.
After demonstrating the skills of a third-year adventurer, the dwarf who had been closely marking the vampire had fallen. Thankfully, Ainar, who had been nearby, rushed in and prevented the vampire from sucking his blood.
[Hikurod Murad's status has changed to "Incapable of Combat."]
In an instant, the tide had turned. Ainar and I were already in tatters. It was almost impossible for the two of us to stop him without the dwarf who had been taking on more than fifty percent of the burden in this fight.
So instead...
I quickly made a call.
"Ainar! Take Murad and get back!"
"But..."
"I'll stop him!"
"A-All right!"
The moment Ainar put Murad on his shoulders, I dashed forward and swung my mace.
Smack!
This was my first real hit in a while.
"Ahhh!"
As the attack successfully landed, a sharp throb went through my skull from the recoil. It was all because this bastard was a high-rank mutant.
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has cast Pain Sharing.]
He was even able to fully recover from his injuries by taking just one step back to catch his breath.
Damn it—meanwhile, I'm still in pain. What kind of a dickhead is this guy?
"Kyaaah!"
Still, the aggro was focused on me, just as I had wanted. Out of habit, I double-checked that the item hidden in my boots was still there.
The name of the item was Tears of a Goddess. Simply put, it was a holy object. Although it was only a one-time use item, it could be used for healing purposes and could also be used to attack evil monsters.
...Should I use this now?
It wouldn't be a waste to use it. No matter how unique the item's effects were, it was a special item that could only be used in Bloody Citadel anyway. If I used it on the dwarf, his strength would be restored immediately, and if used on the vampire, it would inflict considerable damage. But...
No.
I ceased my pointless worrying.
What was the reason I'd been diligently biding my time up until now? Because one blow was more than enough. Anything more than that would go badly for us.
We'd only get one opportunity. And when it came, we'd have to pour everything we had into it.
There was only one way for the five of us to take down a rank-five monster.
Click.
I took a potion bottle from my waist and opened the stopper. I poured the potion into my mouth, my eyes still on the vampire charging toward me, and—
Chhhhhh!
The countless wounds I had accumulated during the battle began to heal and the pain rushed in like a tidal wave. I felt the strength leave my hands, and all I wanted to do was collapse to the ground. After all, it was nearly impossible to drink a potion and continue to fight, but...
It doesn't matter.
I wasn't trying to fight.
Stab!
Soon, the vampire's claws were embedded in my abdomen. The metal armor on my chest was rendered useless as his nails dug deep into my flesh.
My nerves were going haywire as they sent danger signals to my brain. My mind went blank, my senses utterly overloaded.
Shit, if I had known this was going to happen, I would have just taken the corpse golem's essence for myself.
Leaving behind my belated regrets, I poured another potion into my mouth.
Chhhhhh!
The wound healed quickly from the layered healing effects of both the Immortality Imprint and the potions.
"Kyaaak—"
I stared right at the startled vampire bastard, who looked like he did not understand what was currently happening.
To be honest, I felt like passing out from the pain.
"Behelah, you son of a bitch..."
Pain cannot kill me. The fact that I'm still alive is proof of that.
***
"What the hell is he doing...!"
Raven, who was watching the battle from behind some rubble in the distance, couldn't hide her shock. She had read about the extraordinary strategies and hunting methods of many adventurers in her books, but this was unlike anything she'd seen.
Is he planning to hold the vampire back with just potions?
"T-There's no way he's going to succeed. H-He'll die!"
It just didn't make logical sense. She knew because she had consumed potions several times before. The pain was unimaginable, and the severity of the pain increased depending on the severity of the injury.
But that barbarian?
Chhhhhh!
There weren't just bubbles boiling and steaming on his body—smoke was completely smothering it. She had never seen anything like this before.
Suffering an injury wasn't the main issue right now—it was that dying from shock in situations like this was not at all rare. In fact, cases of people dying from potion consumption were rather common.
"Huh?"
Raven stopped restlessly jumping from foot to foot, her eyes going wide. The pain that the barbarian would be feeling right now was beyond her imagination, and one thing was for sure: in his current state, he shouldn't be able to even move.
No.
I ceased my pointless worrying.
What was the reason I'd been diligently biding my time up until now? Because one blow was more than enough. Anything more than that would go badly for us.
We'd only get one opportunity. And when it came, we'd have to pour everything we had into it.
There was only one way for the five of us to take down a rank-five monster.
Click.
I took a potion bottle from my waist and opened the stopper. I poured the potion into my mouth, my eyes still on the vampire charging toward me, and—
Chhhhhh!
The countless wounds I had accumulated during the battle began to heal and the pain rushed in like a tidal wave. I felt the strength leave my hands, and all I wanted to do was collapse to the ground. After all, it was nearly impossible to drink a potion and continue to fight, but...
It doesn't matter.
I wasn't trying to fight.
Stab!
Soon, the vampire's claws were embedded in my abdomen. The metal armor on my chest was rendered useless as his nails dug deep into my flesh.
My nerves were going haywire as they sent danger signals to my brain. My mind went blank, my senses utterly overloaded.
Shit, if I had known this was going to happen, I would have just taken the corpse golem's essence for myself.
Leaving behind my belated regrets, I poured another potion into my mouth.
Chhhhhh!
The wound healed quickly from the layered healing effects of both the Immortality Imprint and the potions.
"Kyaaak—"
I stared right at the startled vampire bastard, who looked like he did not understand what was currently happening.
To be honest, I felt like passing out from the pain.
"Behelah, you son of a bitch..."
Pain cannot kill me. The fact that I'm still alive is proof of that.
***
"What the hell is he doing...!"
Raven, who was watching the battle from behind some rubble in the distance, couldn't hide her shock. She had read about the extraordinary strategies and hunting methods of many adventurers in her books, but this was unlike anything she'd seen.
Is he planning to hold the vampire back with just potions?
"T-There's no way he's going to succeed. H-He'll die!"
It just didn't make logical sense. She knew because she had consumed potions several times before. The pain was unimaginable, and the severity of the pain increased depending on the severity of the injury.
But that barbarian?
Chhhhhh!
There weren't just bubbles boiling and steaming on his body—smoke was completely smothering it. She had never seen anything like this before.
Suffering an injury wasn't the main issue right now—it was that dying from shock in situations like this was not at all rare. In fact, cases of people dying from potion consumption were rather common.
"Huh?"
Raven stopped restlessly jumping from foot to foot, her eyes going wide. The pain that the barbarian would be feeling right now was beyond her imagination, and one thing was for sure: in his current state, he shouldn't be able to even move.
But what was this?
Clang—!
Even as he collapsed to the floor with his shield, which was now little more than a lump of scrap metal, the barbarian blocked the vampire's nails as they swung toward him. And, as if to prove it wasn't a coincidence—
Clang—!
He did it several times, over and over.
Of course, he didn't successfully block every attack. As she watched, his whole body was being punctured by those merciless claws. But...
Clang!
Attacks that targeted the most vulnerable parts of his body, like the head or heart, were blocked by timely thrusts of his shield.
Is this logically possible...?
She couldn't tell whether he was purposefully pushing through the pain to avoid the attacks using superhuman willpower, or whether it was just the last of his fighting instincts that were making this possible. However, a document she had read a long time ago suddenly came to mind. In it, the writer had said that barbarians' true value lay in their psychological strength, not their superior physical prowess.
Somehow, I think I get it now...
At that moment, Tarzine, who had been watching the battle with her, suddenly spoke up. "Lady Raven, it would be better to retreat while we can," he said firmly. He spoke of retreating, but in reality, he intended to abandon these people and run away. "I am not certain I will be able to protect you at this rate. It is too dangerous here."
She was too dumbfounded to speak.
You think I don't know that?
If she could, she would have left already. Although she was often told that she was a wizard with a soft heart, Raven was not naive enough to risk her life for the sake of the adventurers she had just met. But...
"Are you out of your mind? Retreat? To where?"
There was nowhere to run. There was only one way to get out of the rift, and that was to defeat the Guardian and exit through the portal.
...That man must be fighting so desperately because he knows that, too.
It felt like a spark zipped through her brain.
Even a barbarian who had just undergone his coming-of-age ceremony was keeping a cool head, making smart calls, and doing the best he could under the current circumstances... Meanwhile, what was she, a wizard, doing right now?
"If Bjorn dies, it's all over. We have to keep him alive somehow."
A wizard was not someone who just cast powerful spells from the back of the battlefield. It was also a wizard's duty to coolly analyze the situation using their knowledge of various fields and suggest the most efficient route for the team.
Raven reevaluated the current situation. The third-year dwarf warrior was incapable of combat. The female barbarian was feeding him potions and helping him recover.
No problems there...
But the wizard was hiding in the back and waiting for her mana to be restored with a human swordsman guarding her. Now that she thought about it, that was a waste of resources.
"Tarzine, go to Mr. Murad."
"Pardon?"
"I'm fine. At least go over there so the female barbarian can join the battle."
"...Understood."
"Leave your backpack here."
Tarzine followed her somewhat high-strung commands without voicing a complaint. Without even watching him leave, Raven dug her hand into her subspace backpack.
The essence of the corpse golem.
As soon as she pictured it in her head, the Magic Vial appeared in her hand.
I don't really... no, I really, really don't want to have to use this, but... this is nothing compared to a person's life.
Raven slowly pooled her mana and started drawing a magic circle.
Whooom!
Accuracy support. Cast reach support. Path auto-control.
If she added a few more things to the formula, she wouldn't even have to move her arms herself...
But I have to save at least a little bit of my magic.
After completing the circle, she threw the Magic Vial in her hand as hard as she could. And...
Shatter!
The Magic Vial, which flew in a smooth arc, hit its target and shattered, emitting a light.
[The Essence of the Corpse Golem is being absorbed into your soul.]
[Pain Resistance has increased by +70.]
[Strength has increased by +15.]
[Bone Strength...]
[...]
[...]
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 2
Physique: 80 (New +34)
Spirit: 46 (New +10)
Special Ability: 30 (New +26)
Item Level: 202
General Combat Power: 203.5 (New +70)
Acquired Essence: Corpse Golem - Rank 7 (New)]
But what was this?
Clang—!
Even as he collapsed to the floor with his shield, which was now little more than a lump of scrap metal, the barbarian blocked the vampire's nails as they swung toward him. And, as if to prove it wasn't a coincidence—
Clang—!
He did it several times, over and over.
Of course, he didn't successfully block every attack. As she watched, his whole body was being punctured by those merciless claws. But...
Clang!
Attacks that targeted the most vulnerable parts of his body, like the head or heart, were blocked by timely thrusts of his shield.
Is this logically possible...?
She couldn't tell whether he was purposefully pushing through the pain to avoid the attacks using superhuman willpower, or whether it was just the last of his fighting instincts that were making this possible. However, a document she had read a long time ago suddenly came to mind. In it, the writer had said that barbarians' true value lay in their psychological strength, not their superior physical prowess.
Somehow, I think I get it now...
At that moment, Tarzine, who had been watching the battle with her, suddenly spoke up. "Lady Raven, it would be better to retreat while we can," he said firmly. He spoke of retreating, but in reality, he intended to abandon these people and run away. "I am not certain I will be able to protect you at this rate. It is too dangerous here."
She was too dumbfounded to speak.
You think I don't know that?
If she could, she would have left already. Although she was often told that she was a wizard with a soft heart, Raven was not naive enough to risk her life for the sake of the adventurers she had just met. But...
"Are you out of your mind? Retreat? To where?"
There was nowhere to run. There was only one way to get out of the rift, and that was to defeat the Guardian and exit through the portal.
...That man must be fighting so desperately because he knows that, too.
It felt like a spark zipped through her brain.
Even a barbarian who had just undergone his coming-of-age ceremony was keeping a cool head, making smart calls, and doing the best he could under the current circumstances... Meanwhile, what was she, a wizard, doing right now?
"If Bjorn dies, it's all over. We have to keep him alive somehow."
A wizard was not someone who just cast powerful spells from the back of the battlefield. It was also a wizard's duty to coolly analyze the situation using their knowledge of various fields and suggest the most efficient route for the team.
Raven reevaluated the current situation. The third-year dwarf warrior was incapable of combat. The female barbarian was feeding him potions and helping him recover.
No problems there...
But the wizard was hiding in the back and waiting for her mana to be restored with a human swordsman guarding her. Now that she thought about it, that was a waste of resources.
"Tarzine, go to Mr. Murad."
"Pardon?"
"I'm fine. At least go over there so the female barbarian can join the battle."
"...Understood."
"Leave your backpack here."
Tarzine followed her somewhat high-strung commands without voicing a complaint. Without even watching him leave, Raven dug her hand into her subspace backpack.
The essence of the corpse golem.
As soon as she pictured it in her head, the Magic Vial appeared in her hand.
I don't really... no, I really, really don't want to have to use this, but... this is nothing compared to a person's life.
Raven slowly pooled her mana and started drawing a magic circle.
Whooom!
Accuracy support. Cast reach support. Path auto-control.
If she added a few more things to the formula, she wouldn't even have to move her arms herself...
But I have to save at least a little bit of my magic.
After completing the circle, she threw the Magic Vial in her hand as hard as she could. And...
Shatter!
The Magic Vial, which flew in a smooth arc, hit its target and shattered, emitting a light.
[The Essence of the Corpse Golem is being absorbed into your soul.]
[Pain Resistance has increased by +70.]
[Strength has increased by +15.]
[Bone Strength...]
[...]
[...]
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 2
Physique: 80 (New +34)
Spirit: 46 (New +10)
Special Ability: 30 (New +26)
Item Level: 202
General Combat Power: 203.5 (New +70)
Acquired Essence: Corpse Golem - Rank 7 (New)]