Chapter 35: Warrior (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: Warrior (3)
My mind was blank and my vision was blurry.
Was I in pain? Obviously.
It felt like my whole body had been stabbed and was now being pickled in salt water. All I wanted in that moment was to give up, but...
Shut up.
I forced myself to set aside those weak thoughts. When standing at a crossroads, you had to choose: what were you willing to give up and what would you protect in return?
Stab!
Something sharp pierced my thigh. That was okay, though. That wasn't an area that would pose an immediate threat to my life. However, the vampire was getting enraged at the fact that his prey was refusing to die, no matter how many times he ripped into it.
"Kyaaah!"
The vampire bastard's movements became more vicious. But what I needed to do was clear.
Lifting the shield that had been cut, torn in half, and reduced in size, I managed to at least protect my most vulnerable parts.
Crack!
The shield's face, which could not withstand the attack of a rank-five monster, was finally torn off, leaving only the handle. Without even thinking, I raised my arms to protect my head.
At that moment...
Clang!
Something other than a claw collided with my head and shattered, sharp shards pouring down my back.
[The Essence of the Corpse Golem is seeping into your soul.]
The pain quickly subsided.
[Pain Resistance has increased by +70.]
A newfound vigor filled a body that had previously reached its limit.
[Strength has increased by +15.]
My eyes, which had just been foggy, started to clear up. The first thing I saw was the vampire's sharp claws swinging down onto the arms I had wrapped around my head. As soon as I saw this, my subconscious conjured up an image of my arms being sliced off. But what actually happened was completely different.
Slice!
The claws easily pierced the soft flesh. However, that was all they were able to do.
Khak!
The claws were stopped by bone and did not go in any further. It was at that point that I realized what this mysterious new power of mine was.
[Bone Strength has increased by +55.]
[Poison Resistance has increased by +12.]
[Perception has decreased by -5.]
[Appetite has increased by +9.]
[Weight has increased by +21.]
[Your blood is now acidic due to the passive skill Acid Fluid...]
A sense of relief and disappointment flooded me at the same time.
Did she feed me the Essence of the Corpse Golem?
Because of this, my strategy for leveling up would have to be heavily revised. However, as I looked at the present from a short-sighted perspective for the first time... Things were looking up. I now had an increased chance of surviving.
Jump!
I rolled backward and jumped up from the ground.
Was it a side effect of Pain Resistance? Now that the pain problem had been resolved to some extent, nothing prevented me from moving.
But what about the Essence of the Guardian? Since I absorbed the Essence of the Corpse Golem, is that up for grabs?
The thoughts that had suddenly crossed my mind were tossed aside. That was something I could think about later.
"Kyaaah!"
Perhaps the sudden liveliness of his prey was intriguing to him because the vampire flung himself at me enthusiastically. I moved to avoid it, but what followed was not much different from what had been happening earlier.
It was of course impossible to overpower a rank five monster with just one rank seven essence. The only difference was that the meat shield that was initially getting beaten up on the ground was now able to stand up and move.
That's probably all that's changed.
But despite the self-deprecating assessment, I smirked.
Stab! Slice! Khak!
Nails cut through flesh, tearing up my intestines. The potion I had previously consumed had already been digested, so my healing speed was hindered. But it didn't matter. The wizard, who had been passively watching the fight this entire time, must have realized that her life was in danger as well because she started tossing her entire fortune at me.
Clang!
A glass bottle was flung and shattered, pouring its contents onto my body.
[Your body is rapidly regenerating due to Recovery (Greater)'s effects.]
Was this perhaps a high-class potion? It was obvious that this was a higher quality than the potion I got from the blonde.
Chhhzz!
My wounds began to heal faster than they had previously. In response, I decided to throw myself at the vampire more enthusiastically.
So what if my flesh is slashed and my muscles are torn? It'll all heal in a few seconds anyway.
"Kyaaah!"
"AHHH!"
I screamed as I was pushed back by the vampire, and proceeded to engage in super close combat. I had no other choice. My hammer was all the way over there, and my shield had been turned into a pile of scrap metal.
"Kya-kyak?!"
Perhaps he hadn't run into an adventurer who used foundational skills yet, because he was extremely startled when I jumped onto his back like a cicada and strangled his neck.
Or maybe he was just in pain?
"Kyaaah!"
Smoke began to rise where our flesh came into contact.
Chhhhhh!
It was impossible to tell for sure whether the smoke was from my acidic blood touching his skin or if it was the usual smoke that came from healing myself with a potion. But it didn't matter.
It's probably both.
Even in a tense combat situation like this, another potion flew in and broke with a shattering sound.
[Your body is rapidly regenerating due to Recovery (Greater)'s effects.]
There was no doubt potions and acids were two different things. At the exact moment the potion broke, the choking vampire screamed louder and easily threw me off of him. I could clearly feel the overwhelming difference in our strength. But...
"Shit, this bastard's no big deal."
I was beginning to see a way out. In this current state, a barbarian's Immortality Mode, I could survive a few minutes against this bastard. I was sure of it.
"Bjorn! I will help you!"
Ainar even rejoined the battle.
"What about Murad?"
"The porter is looking after him!"
The addition of Ainar worked out heavily in my favor. I could take on the role of the main tank by consuming potions, and whenever things got a little too dangerous, Ainar could swing her sword to give me time to catch my breath.
This battle had become a little bit easier.
"Kyaaah!"
"Ainar! Watch out! The crows are going to fly in soon!"
The moment Ainar took a big step back at my cry, the vampire's body turned into hundreds of crows that flew toward us. However, the flock did not reach us, as we were one step ahead.
"Bjorn, you are amazing! How did you know that was coming?"
Because that guy always squints one eye before using that skill. Rather than a characteristic of all vampires, it seemed more like a habit that only applied to this guy.
I could really see an end to this fight now.
"How shameful of me! Everyone held up very well! Hahaha!"
Soon, the dwarf, who had healed his wounds with a potion, joined the fight again. He even brought the porter with him.
"From now on, I will help as well."
"We will help you from the wings!"
I naturally continued to play my role of the main tank. Not to say that the others were being cowardly. They seemed to genuinely believe this was the best strategy.
The dwarven warrior with three years under his belt addressed the barbarian with two months under his.
"Bjorn, the great warrior and son of Yandel! You are more than capable! Hahaha!"
He seemed to think that was a compliment, but...
That just means I'll have to work like a dog until this is over.
I'd never been able to freeload in my life. That was nothing new at this point.
"Behelahhh!"
As the four of us were dealing with the vampire in a formation with me at its center, the moment I had been desperately waiting for finally came. A foreign thought entered my mind.
"It's ready."
If that meant that she had finished recovering enough mana to cast Sunspot Sphere and even Attribute Strengthening... That meant that everything was finally in place. In other words, it was time to end this long-ass fight and get out of here.
"I can use the spell at any time."
The moment I heard her confirmation, I loudly shouted, "Murad! Now! Use Lightning Release!"
The order was given without any previous discussion, let alone strategy. However, the dwarf immediately carried out my instructions without a word.
Zzz, zzz!
A yellow light shimmered on the dwarf's hammer, and sparks began to shoot out.
[Hikurod Murad has cast Lightning.]
This was the ability of a rank-seven monster, Illatrek. It allowed a strong current to flow through a part of the body. The dwarf readied his hammer, keeping it low like he was preparing for an upward thrust.
"Everyone, best stay back for a bit! Hahaha!"
After delivering a brief warning, the dwarf swung his hammer through the air with all his might.
Too far away from the target, you say? Little details like that didn't matter.
[Hikurod Murad has cast Release.]
Release was one of the rare Transformation abilities in Dungeon and Stone. It allowed the user to fire the energy acquired through other abilities out of the body.
Whooom-!
A ball of lightning shot out of the hammer like a cannonball and...
Exploded. Literally.
Bang, bang, bang!
Compared to the sound it made, the force of the explosion was weak. There were no craters made on the floor, vampire limbs torn off, or anything like that. However...
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has fallen into an Unconscious state.]
The key component of this combo wasn't its power to begin with. In an instant, the dwarf had dazed the rank five monster and turned around to give a signal...
In a very analog way.
"Raven—!"
Fortunately, the signal got its point across well, and a powerful light immediately condensed on a rooftop two hundred yards away. I hurriedly took out the item I had hidden in my boots.
It was a small jewel, the size of a fingernail, Tears of a Goddess. Despite all the crises we'd faced, I had waited and waited to use it at this exact moment.
Sprint.
With the item in hand, I ran.
And, after shoving it into the vampire's mouth...
Smack!
I cracked him with an uppercut as hard as I could to close it.
Crunch!
There was the sound of something breaking, and before long, a pure white brilliance erupted from his mouth.
[The Tears of a Goddess have been destroyed.]
[Grace has descended over the ruins.]
[All of Vampire Duke Cambormere's resistances are temporarily suppressed by Grace, and he takes a critical hit.]
Blood gushed out from the vampire's lips like a fountain. He looked fine on the outside, but his insides seemed to be wrecked. It was shocking.
So, a single item was not enough, huh?
[Due to the strong shock, the Vampire Duke Cambormere is paralyzed.]
No longer unconscious, the vampire's fingers started to twitch.
Still not yet? It can't wait any longer...
The moment that thought popped into my mind, I began to turn my head...
[Arua Raven has cast the rank-six attack spell Sunspot Sphere.]
A dazzling, shimmery sphere flew through the darkness and right past my nose. Regret sank in a moment later.
Booom!
Fuck, I should've bounced earlier.
***
[You have been caught up in the explosion of the Sunspot Sphere and have fallen into an Unconscious state.]
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has cast Pain Sharing.]
[Hikurod Murad has fallen into an unconscious state.]
[Ainar Fenelin has fallen into an unconscious...]
Too far away from the target, you say? Little details like that didn't matter.
[Hikurod Murad has cast Release.]
Release was one of the rare Transformation abilities in Dungeon and Stone. It allowed the user to fire the energy acquired through other abilities out of the body.
Whooom-!
A ball of lightning shot out of the hammer like a cannonball and...
Exploded. Literally.
Bang, bang, bang!
Compared to the sound it made, the force of the explosion was weak. There were no craters made on the floor, vampire limbs torn off, or anything like that. However...
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has fallen into an Unconscious state.]
The key component of this combo wasn't its power to begin with. In an instant, the dwarf had dazed the rank five monster and turned around to give a signal...
In a very analog way.
"Raven—!"
Fortunately, the signal got its point across well, and a powerful light immediately condensed on a rooftop two hundred yards away. I hurriedly took out the item I had hidden in my boots.
It was a small jewel, the size of a fingernail, Tears of a Goddess. Despite all the crises we'd faced, I had waited and waited to use it at this exact moment.
Sprint.
With the item in hand, I ran.
And, after shoving it into the vampire's mouth...
Smack!
I cracked him with an uppercut as hard as I could to close it.
Crunch!
There was the sound of something breaking, and before long, a pure white brilliance erupted from his mouth.
[The Tears of a Goddess have been destroyed.]
[Grace has descended over the ruins.]
[All of Vampire Duke Cambormere's resistances are temporarily suppressed by Grace, and he takes a critical hit.]
Blood gushed out from the vampire's lips like a fountain. He looked fine on the outside, but his insides seemed to be wrecked. It was shocking.
So, a single item was not enough, huh?
[Due to the strong shock, the Vampire Duke Cambormere is paralyzed.]
No longer unconscious, the vampire's fingers started to twitch.
Still not yet? It can't wait any longer...
The moment that thought popped into my mind, I began to turn my head...
[Arua Raven has cast the rank-six attack spell Sunspot Sphere.]
A dazzling, shimmery sphere flew through the darkness and right past my nose. Regret sank in a moment later.
Booom!
Fuck, I should've bounced earlier.
***
[You have been caught up in the explosion of the Sunspot Sphere and have fallen into an Unconscious state.]
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has cast Pain Sharing.]
[Hikurod Murad has fallen into an unconscious state.]
[Ainar Fenelin has fallen into an unconscious...]
***
Beeep!
A ringing sound echoed in my ears that was not unlike the sound a radio broadcast made after the national anthem. And through the tinnitus, I could hear a conversation.
A conversation not unlike a comedy skit on TV.
"How can a butcher sell cooked meat?"
"No! This is raw meat!"
"How is cooked meat raw meat?"
"But..."
Still listening to their conversation, I opened my eyes.
"It's alive?"
A dark sky appeared. I could smell the scent of cooked meat through my nose.
Was the smell coming from my body?
"Krg..."
When I opened my mouth, there was a scratching sound from my parched throat. My ears were apparently fine too. I decided to focus on the positives as much as possible.
"Krrggh! Agh!"
Sunspot Sphere: an attack spell with solar properties combined with fire and holy attributes. It was weaker than its equivalent, [Fire Ball.]
That was the lucky thing for me. If it wasn't a weaker spell, I might have really met my maker.
But why is it so quiet...?
Caught up in the blast of the [Sunspot Sphere,] I had temporarily fainted. That much was clear, but I lacked enough information to understand my current situation.
Why haven't I been healed yet, and why can't I hear anything around me?
I gripped the ground with hands that were slick with blood from my wounds and stood up. Then, I forced my eyes to focus and looked ahead.
The first thing I saw was the vampire bastard.
"Fuck."
Why was he still alive?
Of course, he was in rough shape too. Both of his arms were torn off, and bones were visible through his damaged upper chest. He didn't even seem to be conscious.
But...
[Vampire Duke Cambormere's ability to regenerate has been significantly increased by the Immortal effect.]
Even at this moment, his wounds were healing. Considering that his healing factor was proportional to the amount of HP he lost, it wouldn't take too long for his chest to heal and his torn-off arms to grow back.
"Fucking... hell..."
I looked around and saw several unconscious bodies. The dwarf, Ainar, the porter bastard... I had a feeling the wizard, whom I saw on the roof in the distance earlier, was in a similar state...
I was confounded. What kind of crazy situation was this? Why had everyone fainted after we finally cornered the bastard?
What the hell happened while I was out?
It seemed like it hadn't even been that long.
All kinds of questions filled my mind, but...
I decided to shove them all aside and instead took a step forward with my motionless foot.
Trudge.
I still couldn't accept the current situation. But one thing was very clear. I needed to decide what to do now.
***
Beeep!
A ringing sound echoed in my ears that was not unlike the sound a radio broadcast made after the national anthem. And through the tinnitus, I could hear a conversation.
A conversation not unlike a comedy skit on TV.
"How can a butcher sell cooked meat?"
"No! This is raw meat!"
"How is cooked meat raw meat?"
"But..."
Still listening to their conversation, I opened my eyes.
"It's alive?"
A dark sky appeared. I could smell the scent of cooked meat through my nose.
Was the smell coming from my body?
"Krg..."
When I opened my mouth, there was a scratching sound from my parched throat. My ears were apparently fine too. I decided to focus on the positives as much as possible.
"Krrggh! Agh!"
Sunspot Sphere: an attack spell with solar properties combined with fire and holy attributes. It was weaker than its equivalent, [Fire Ball.]
That was the lucky thing for me. If it wasn't a weaker spell, I might have really met my maker.
But why is it so quiet...?
Caught up in the blast of the [Sunspot Sphere,] I had temporarily fainted. That much was clear, but I lacked enough information to understand my current situation.
Why haven't I been healed yet, and why can't I hear anything around me?
I gripped the ground with hands that were slick with blood from my wounds and stood up. Then, I forced my eyes to focus and looked ahead.
The first thing I saw was the vampire bastard.
"Fuck."
Why was he still alive?
Of course, he was in rough shape too. Both of his arms were torn off, and bones were visible through his damaged upper chest. He didn't even seem to be conscious.
But...
[Vampire Duke Cambormere's ability to regenerate has been significantly increased by the Immortal effect.]
Even at this moment, his wounds were healing. Considering that his healing factor was proportional to the amount of HP he lost, it wouldn't take too long for his chest to heal and his torn-off arms to grow back.
"Fucking... hell..."
I looked around and saw several unconscious bodies. The dwarf, Ainar, the porter bastard... I had a feeling the wizard, whom I saw on the roof in the distance earlier, was in a similar state...
I was confounded. What kind of crazy situation was this? Why had everyone fainted after we finally cornered the bastard?
What the hell happened while I was out?
It seemed like it hadn't even been that long.
All kinds of questions filled my mind, but...
I decided to shove them all aside and instead took a step forward with my motionless foot.
Trudge.
I still couldn't accept the current situation. But one thing was very clear. I needed to decide what to do now.
Trudge.
Vampire Duke Cambormere... I needed to get rid of him before he came to his senses. There were no other options. No matter how rich a wizard was, the number of potions they had was not infinite. In fact, it would no longer be possible to use the same strategy of sustaining my body with potions.
Trudge.
So I staggered forward.
A pain that had managed to penetrate even my [Pain Resistance] ability? Ignoring it, I extended my steak-scented legs in front of me.
Trudge.
The pain was a signal to live. I thought so, at least. It wasn't like there hadn't been a time when I'd thought the exact opposite, but for now, it was. So I kept walking.
As I got closer, I noticed that even the vampire bastard smelled of grilled meat. I relaxed my knees and fell right on top of him.
"You...fucking...bastard..."
The scar on his chest, which was deep enough to show bone, had already fleshed up quite a bit while I was walking over. I couldn't help but curse him out.
Smack!
So I slammed my fist into his chest.
A vampire's weakness was their heart. Even if their brain was destroyed, these bastards could be revived as long as their hearts were intact.
Ah, so that's why the asshole's arms were torn off. Did he block the [Sunspot Sphere] with his arms?
I could picture the events in my mind, but as usual, I let the thought fade—
Smack!
—and slammed my fists down again.
I felt the absence of my equipment more keenly than ever. But hey, when you didn't have teeth, you had to chew with your gums.
Smack!
I didn't even know where my mace was, and my shield had long since been rendered useless and dumped somewhere. Of course, Ainar's greatsword and the dwarf's battle hammer were on the floor...
The thought of picking them up didn't even occur to me, though.
I wouldn't have even had the strength to pick either of them up anyway. As I was slamming my fists down, the seams of my crumpled, perforated half-armor tore and it dropped to the floor.
My 360,000 stones...
I took a glance at the half armor, which had been corroded by my newly acidic blood, and noted that it seemed like repairing it would be tough. Although the thing that really fucked with my head was something else entirely.
"Damn it all."
It was like pouring water into a sieve. No matter how much I punched the vampire, nothing changed.
Why the hell were his ribs so durable? I had assumed that if I kept beating him, his ribs would break and eventually pierce his heart.
Okay, change of plans.
I always liked to have a plan B because my plan A's had rarely ever been successful. Thanks to my horrible luck, things always ended up getting fucked up in the end.
But I've never done this before... is this how it works?
Erwen said it was important to visualize it clearly.
[Flesh Burst.]
Boom!
The hand I placed on the man's chest exploded.
Trudge.
Vampire Duke Cambormere... I needed to get rid of him before he came to his senses. There were no other options. No matter how rich a wizard was, the number of potions they had was not infinite. In fact, it would no longer be possible to use the same strategy of sustaining my body with potions.
Trudge.
So I staggered forward.
A pain that had managed to penetrate even my [Pain Resistance] ability? Ignoring it, I extended my steak-scented legs in front of me.
Trudge.
The pain was a signal to live. I thought so, at least. It wasn't like there hadn't been a time when I'd thought the exact opposite, but for now, it was. So I kept walking.
As I got closer, I noticed that even the vampire bastard smelled of grilled meat. I relaxed my knees and fell right on top of him.
"You...fucking...bastard..."
The scar on his chest, which was deep enough to show bone, had already fleshed up quite a bit while I was walking over. I couldn't help but curse him out.
Smack!
So I slammed my fist into his chest.
A vampire's weakness was their heart. Even if their brain was destroyed, these bastards could be revived as long as their hearts were intact.
Ah, so that's why the asshole's arms were torn off. Did he block the [Sunspot Sphere] with his arms?
I could picture the events in my mind, but as usual, I let the thought fade—
Smack!
—and slammed my fists down again.
I felt the absence of my equipment more keenly than ever. But hey, when you didn't have teeth, you had to chew with your gums.
Smack!
I didn't even know where my mace was, and my shield had long since been rendered useless and dumped somewhere. Of course, Ainar's greatsword and the dwarf's battle hammer were on the floor...
The thought of picking them up didn't even occur to me, though.
I wouldn't have even had the strength to pick either of them up anyway. As I was slamming my fists down, the seams of my crumpled, perforated half-armor tore and it dropped to the floor.
My 360,000 stones...
I took a glance at the half armor, which had been corroded by my newly acidic blood, and noted that it seemed like repairing it would be tough. Although the thing that really fucked with my head was something else entirely.
"Damn it all."
It was like pouring water into a sieve. No matter how much I punched the vampire, nothing changed.
Why the hell were his ribs so durable? I had assumed that if I kept beating him, his ribs would break and eventually pierce his heart.
Okay, change of plans.
I always liked to have a plan B because my plan A's had rarely ever been successful. Thanks to my horrible luck, things always ended up getting fucked up in the end.
But I've never done this before... is this how it works?
Erwen said it was important to visualize it clearly.
[Flesh Burst.]
Boom!
The hand I placed on the man's chest exploded.
Well, that works.
Although the explosion itself was not very powerful, the acid mixed in with the flesh and blood had put a slight dent in the vampire's chest. Even that healed up fast, though...
Well, I wasn't expecting this to be a one-hit kill anyway.
I cast Flesh Burst consecutively.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
By about the tenth explosion, my left hand was in complete tatters. But because of my increased bone strength, my bones remained intact even as my skin dissolved, making me look like some kind of skeleton.
Anyway, I couldn't use my left hand anymore.
Then it's the right hand's turn.
Even though I knew this was insane, I placed my right hand on the vampire's chest, continued to chant the spell in my head, and kept blowing him up.
Flesh Burst, Flesh Burst, Flesh Burst...
All the while, I ignored the pain racing toward, hitting, and exceeding my limits as much as I could. I felt like I was going to die, but I wasn't doing all this just to keel over afterward.
I was going to survive. No matter what.
Boom!
And after eight more uses of the spell, I wobbled. I just need a few more...
[Warning: Your health has dropped below 1%. If you do not receive treatment soon, you will die.]
I sensed it instinctively. I had reached a point where I could no longer push through this pain on sheer willpower alone. I had to stop now. Otherwise, while I might be able to kill the vampire in the process, I would die too.
Even as I had that moment of insight, however, my logical side reasoned:
Well, if I'm going to die anyway...
I couldn't stop. But it definitely wasn't for my teammates' sake.
Boom!
I might have looked like a lunatic to anyone watching... But at that moment, I was sure. If I had even the slightest chance of survival, this was it.
Boom!
The moment I exploded my flesh again...
[Warning: your health has reached 0%.]
...I felt something change.
It felt like something was escaping from my body, but also felt strangely...light? Soon enough, I realized what was happening.
[The countdown has begun.]
Oh, that's it.
The thing I called the "flashing light at the end of the tunnel."
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (43/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (40/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (37/46)]
Even though I felt like the reaper was looming right over my shoulder, I exploded my flesh again.
Boom!
The dent in the vampire's chest grew in size. But were these my barbarian battle instincts at work? It felt like the road ahead was clearer than ever.
One.
Just one more time. I only needed to do it one more time.
So...
[Flesh Burst.]
Well, that works.
Although the explosion itself was not very powerful, the acid mixed in with the flesh and blood had put a slight dent in the vampire's chest. Even that healed up fast, though...
Well, I wasn't expecting this to be a one-hit kill anyway.
I cast Flesh Burst consecutively.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
By about the tenth explosion, my left hand was in complete tatters. But because of my increased bone strength, my bones remained intact even as my skin dissolved, making me look like some kind of skeleton.
Anyway, I couldn't use my left hand anymore.
Then it's the right hand's turn.
Even though I knew this was insane, I placed my right hand on the vampire's chest, continued to chant the spell in my head, and kept blowing him up.
Flesh Burst, Flesh Burst, Flesh Burst...
All the while, I ignored the pain racing toward, hitting, and exceeding my limits as much as I could. I felt like I was going to die, but I wasn't doing all this just to keel over afterward.
I was going to survive. No matter what.
Boom!
And after eight more uses of the spell, I wobbled. I just need a few more...
[Warning: Your health has dropped below 1%. If you do not receive treatment soon, you will die.]
I sensed it instinctively. I had reached a point where I could no longer push through this pain on sheer willpower alone. I had to stop now. Otherwise, while I might be able to kill the vampire in the process, I would die too.
Even as I had that moment of insight, however, my logical side reasoned:
Well, if I'm going to die anyway...
I couldn't stop. But it definitely wasn't for my teammates' sake.
Boom!
I might have looked like a lunatic to anyone watching... But at that moment, I was sure. If I had even the slightest chance of survival, this was it.
Boom!
The moment I exploded my flesh again...
[Warning: your health has reached 0%.]
...I felt something change.
It felt like something was escaping from my body, but also felt strangely...light? Soon enough, I realized what was happening.
[The countdown has begun.]
Oh, that's it.
The thing I called the "flashing light at the end of the tunnel."
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (43/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (40/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (37/46)]
Even though I felt like the reaper was looming right over my shoulder, I exploded my flesh again.
Boom!
The dent in the vampire's chest grew in size. But were these my barbarian battle instincts at work? It felt like the road ahead was clearer than ever.
One.
Just one more time. I only needed to do it one more time.
So...
[Flesh Burst.]
Instead of my right arm, which now had almost no flesh left on it, I let my chest drop on top of the vampire and cast another explosion. And at that moment...
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has been slain. EXP +5]
The vampire bastard's body turned into particles of light.
So, you can die.
[Higher-class mutant bonus. EXP +1]
[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]
My heart swelled. Not emotionally, but literally. Having experienced this sensation before, I immediately realized what was happening.
[You have leveled up.]
[Soul power has increased by +10.]
[The maximum number of essences you can absorb has increased by +1.]
I had leveled up, but I couldn't be particularly happy about it. That was because the time had come...
Dungeon and Stone was not a game that replenished your blood when you leveled up.
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (16/46)]
How many seconds did I have left until I died? I couldn't be sure, but I would say I had at best about five seconds.
...Do I leave this up to fate?
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't help but hate the situation I was in. However, I chose not to have regrets.
In-game, there's about a 33 percent chance that a rift guardian will spit out an essence.
Thirty-three percent.
Too low a probability to bet your life on it. However, it was undoubtedly a non-zero chance.
I have no reason not to try.
I grinned, shaking off all my regrets. I had fought back. Until the end of the end.
Now all that was left to do was wait for the outcome.
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (13/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (10/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per...]
One second, two seconds, three seconds. As time ticked by, my eyes slowly slid shut.
Have I failed?
I hadn't failed because of any mistake I had made. I was just out of luck.
Maybe this is the kind of ending I was always meant to have.
I closed my eyes, leaving things up to fate. Hoping that, when I next awoke, I would once again be Lee Hansu, the twenty-nine-year-old office worker.
"Ha."
Well, I knew for a fact that wasn't going to happen.
***
[Vampire Essence - Guardian has been absorbed into your soul.]
[Natural Regeneration has increased by +45.]
[Strength has increased by +15.]
[Agility has increased by +15.]
[Mana Resistance has increased by +30.]
***
[Thanks to the passive skill Source of Darkness, you will not die unless your heart is destroyed.]
[Your healing factor has significantly increased thanks to the Immortal ability.]
[Your HP is now above 1%.]
[The countdown has ended.]
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Survive after a countdown.]
[Reward: Your Spirit stat has permanently increased by +1.]
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 3 (New +1)
Physique: 155 (New +75)
Spirit: 90 (New +44)
Special Ability: 115(New +85)
Item Level: 98 (New -104)
General Combat Power: 381.5 (New +204)
Acquired Essences: Corpse Golem - Rank 7, Vampire (Guardian) - Rank 5 (New)]
***
[An abnormal amount of progress has been made.]
[The administrator will now be monitoring your character.]
Instead of my right arm, which now had almost no flesh left on it, I let my chest drop on top of the vampire and cast another explosion. And at that moment...
[Vampire Duke Cambormere has been slain. EXP +5]
The vampire bastard's body turned into particles of light.
So, you can die.
[Higher-class mutant bonus. EXP +1]
[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]
My heart swelled. Not emotionally, but literally. Having experienced this sensation before, I immediately realized what was happening.
[You have leveled up.]
[Soul power has increased by +10.]
[The maximum number of essences you can absorb has increased by +1.]
I had leveled up, but I couldn't be particularly happy about it. That was because the time had come...
Dungeon and Stone was not a game that replenished your blood when you leveled up.
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (16/46)]
How many seconds did I have left until I died? I couldn't be sure, but I would say I had at best about five seconds.
...Do I leave this up to fate?
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't help but hate the situation I was in. However, I chose not to have regrets.
In-game, there's about a 33 percent chance that a rift guardian will spit out an essence.
Thirty-three percent.
Too low a probability to bet your life on it. However, it was undoubtedly a non-zero chance.
I have no reason not to try.
I grinned, shaking off all my regrets. I had fought back. Until the end of the end.
Now all that was left to do was wait for the outcome.
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (13/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per second (10/46)]
[Consuming 3 Spirit points per...]
One second, two seconds, three seconds. As time ticked by, my eyes slowly slid shut.
Have I failed?
I hadn't failed because of any mistake I had made. I was just out of luck.
Maybe this is the kind of ending I was always meant to have.
I closed my eyes, leaving things up to fate. Hoping that, when I next awoke, I would once again be Lee Hansu, the twenty-nine-year-old office worker.
"Ha."
Well, I knew for a fact that wasn't going to happen.
***
[Vampire Essence - Guardian has been absorbed into your soul.]
[Natural Regeneration has increased by +45.]
[Strength has increased by +15.]
[Agility has increased by +15.]
[Mana Resistance has increased by +30.]
***
[Thanks to the passive skill Source of Darkness, you will not die unless your heart is destroyed.]
[Your healing factor has significantly increased thanks to the Immortal ability.]
[Your HP is now above 1%.]
[The countdown has ended.]
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Survive after a countdown.]
[Reward: Your Spirit stat has permanently increased by +1.]
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 3 (New +1)
Physique: 155 (New +75)
Spirit: 90 (New +44)
Special Ability: 115(New +85)
Item Level: 98 (New -104)
General Combat Power: 381.5 (New +204)
Acquired Essences: Corpse Golem - Rank 7, Vampire (Guardian) - Rank 5 (New)]
***
[An abnormal amount of progress has been made.]
[The administrator will now be monitoring your character.]