Chapter 356: Isolation (3)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 356: Isolation (3)

The effect granted by stage one of Evolving Shell was a 50 percent resistance to swords. Starting at stage two, stabbing damage was reduced by half. So what would happen if those effects were multiplied by 1.5? The answer was simple: Sword Resistance went up by 75 percent, and Stab Wound Reduction got a 75 percent boost as well. Essentially, when you used Iron Fortress in combination with Sword Resistance, you reached a state where you were virtually immune to taking any penetration damage from swords.

If it weren't for the limit, I would have received a Sword Immunity achievement.

The limit of any Sword Resistance buff was about 85 percent. And so, even with the passive strengthening effect of Transcendence, I couldn't reach total immunity. In essence, I was pretty much only immune to getting stabbed. Although slashes would get through, I had the Ogre's passive skill, Ironskin, covering my bases there.

Ironskin on top of my current Physical Resistance means...

Well, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I'd become a knight's worst nightmare at this point.

However, she must have been worried since she didn't know that. The moment Blood Knight's feet kicked off the ground, someone shouted, "Watch out!" It was Raven's voice.

Showing her would be quicker than explaining it to her, right?

Slide.

With that in mind, I blocked the enemy's thrust with my shield.

Khak!

Perhaps it had been a long time since he heard that sound from the tip of his sword. As he took in the fact that my shield was blocking his aura, my opponent's face displayed utter bewilderment. "How...?"

How do you think?

The ability Union, which I'd obtained from the sixth stage of the Immortality Imprint, was all about a warrior's weapons becoming one with the body. This essentially meant that when I used abilities like Giantization, my equipment benefitted from the effects as well. The same went for Evolving Shell.

Ah, maybe that isn't what he's wondering, though.

He probably wouldn't be worried about the minutia. He would only be curious how I managed to block an aura. Well, there was a whole long backstory to that, but in this world of survival of the fittest, it could be summed up in just one sentence.

Shoving his sword back with my shield, I spoke. "I am stronger than you."

What else was there to say in this world of winners and losers?

Whoom!

As if to engrave that in his mind, I swung my hammer with all my might.

Dash.

As expected, my enemy quickly backed away. That wasn't anything to be disappointed about, though. After all, nothing was easier than catching a guy who was running away.

[You have cast Eye of the Storm. By the authority of the transcendental body, the potential inherent in this skill is now unlocked.]

I linked Transcendence together with Eye of the Storm.

Whiiip!

The gust that blew in out of nowhere dragged the enemy over to me. No, to be more precise, he was dragged right into the path of my swinging hammer.

Swish!

Unfortunately, just before my hammer could touch him, his body went as blurry as the fog around us and he quickly maneuvered in mid-air to avoid it.

So, you don't just have an aura, huh?

I adjusted my grip on my hammer with that thought in mind. Raven, apparently unable to shake off her old habits, hurriedly shouted, "Blood Penetration! It's a rank-four ability that allows a person to temporarily accelerate and move through the air!"

I'm grateful, but I knew that as soon as I saw it. Besides, your explanation is too basic. This isn't simple acceleration but an increase in Agility. You also omitted the fact that it decreases the user's Strength stat and temporarily gives them the attributes of a spirit-type, meaning physical damage can't be dealt to them.

I watched the blood-red blur move through the air like a fly and bit my lip. Now that I had the Demon Grinder, I had been hoping to get a taste of combat this time.

But since he has that ability, it's best to leave the damage to the others.

It was unfortunate I couldn't get rid of him myself, but I didn't intend to be stubborn.

Teamwork was fundamental for a tank.

[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Element Synthesis.]

Five elemental attributes combined into one arrow to pursue the blood-red fog: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and even Darkness, which had become Erwen's main attribute after signing a contract with the Elemental Ruler.

Auras are definitely overpowered.

The arrows were all destroyed by the enemy's sword. However, it seemed he thought these arrows were a threat to him regardless.

Shoooooot!

Despite the fact that he was just running away, the enemy turned around and flew straight at Erwen. I guessed he figured he should deal with the long-ranger first.

But do you really think that will work? You're making the tank feel bad.

"Erwen, get behind me."

The moment he started flying in, Erwen hid behind me. This was why tanks were so important inside the labyrinth. They could become walls for damagers to hide behind anywhere, any time.

Whoom!

Even though Erwen disappeared behind me, our opponent did not give up and swung his sword. It wasn't a blind redo of his earlier attack, though. I guessed he assumed it was my shield that had blocked his aura last time, as he aimed for the seams of my armor this time. In other words, he targeted the joints where my skin was exposed. Of course, the results weren't much different.

Slice!

It was a slash, not a stab. As a consequence, I didn't get the benefits of the Evolving Shell buff, but Ironskin was activated, so I was only slightly cut. Put simply, I just withstood an aura with my bare skin. My enemy's eyes widened at the unexpected sight.

Jeez, you're surprised again? What, you didn't believe me earlier when I said I was stronger than you?

"Sheter Ebon!" Raven shot a curse spell at the enemy, who had stopped for a moment to attack me. Since I'd seen this spell countless times during our quests together, there was no need to wonder what it was. Materialization was a rank-eight curse that forcibly stripped spirit-type monsters of their Physical Immunity.

Yeah, this is what you call teamwork.

When I lived in Noark, there were a lot of frustrating moments thanks to the lack of a wizard on our team.

Whooom!

As soon as the enemy's body, which was a blur, became clear again, I slammed down the hammer. However, perhaps because I had low agility, I missed again.

So, you don't just have an aura, huh?

I adjusted my grip on my hammer with that thought in mind. Raven, apparently unable to shake off her old habits, hurriedly shouted, "Blood Penetration! It's a rank-four ability that allows a person to temporarily accelerate and move through the air!"

I'm grateful, but I knew that as soon as I saw it. Besides, your explanation is too basic. This isn't simple acceleration but an increase in Agility. You also omitted the fact that it decreases the user's Strength stat and temporarily gives them the attributes of a spirit-type, meaning physical damage can't be dealt to them.

I watched the blood-red blur move through the air like a fly and bit my lip. Now that I had the Demon Grinder, I had been hoping to get a taste of combat this time.

But since he has that ability, it's best to leave the damage to the others.

It was unfortunate I couldn't get rid of him myself, but I didn't intend to be stubborn.

Teamwork was fundamental for a tank.

[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Element Synthesis.]

Five elemental attributes combined into one arrow to pursue the blood-red fog: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and even Darkness, which had become Erwen's main attribute after signing a contract with the Elemental Ruler.

Auras are definitely overpowered.

The arrows were all destroyed by the enemy's sword. However, it seemed he thought these arrows were a threat to him regardless.

Shoooooot!

Despite the fact that he was just running away, the enemy turned around and flew straight at Erwen. I guessed he figured he should deal with the long-ranger first.

But do you really think that will work? You're making the tank feel bad.

"Erwen, get behind me."

The moment he started flying in, Erwen hid behind me. This was why tanks were so important inside the labyrinth. They could become walls for damagers to hide behind anywhere, any time.

Whoom!

Even though Erwen disappeared behind me, our opponent did not give up and swung his sword. It wasn't a blind redo of his earlier attack, though. I guessed he assumed it was my shield that had blocked his aura last time, as he aimed for the seams of my armor this time. In other words, he targeted the joints where my skin was exposed. Of course, the results weren't much different.

Slice!

It was a slash, not a stab. As a consequence, I didn't get the benefits of the Evolving Shell buff, but Ironskin was activated, so I was only slightly cut. Put simply, I just withstood an aura with my bare skin. My enemy's eyes widened at the unexpected sight.

Jeez, you're surprised again? What, you didn't believe me earlier when I said I was stronger than you?

"Sheter Ebon!" Raven shot a curse spell at the enemy, who had stopped for a moment to attack me. Since I'd seen this spell countless times during our quests together, there was no need to wonder what it was. Materialization was a rank-eight curse that forcibly stripped spirit-type monsters of their Physical Immunity.

Yeah, this is what you call teamwork.

When I lived in Noark, there were a lot of frustrating moments thanks to the lack of a wizard on our team.

Whooom!

As soon as the enemy's body, which was a blur, became clear again, I slammed down the hammer. However, perhaps because I had low agility, I missed again.

Whew, I'm confident I can keep him from getting up again if I just get one hit in.

"I'll help." Amelia joined the battle, summoning her doppelgangers to tackle the corpses, which were coming at us from all directions even now.

"...Who are you guys?" our enemy wondered, looking at us. It seemed he was too curious not to ask, despite the fact that he couldn't hold his own against my vicious attacks. Obviously, I was not obliged to answer. "People like you aren't—"

"Woahhh!" I shouted out a war cry instead of the name of my ancestral god, who I could no longer call on unless I wanted my identity revealed, and swung my hammer repeatedly. The enemy swallowed his question and focused only on dodging.

As the battle raged on, he fought back with all kinds of skills. However, he was quickly put on the defensive. That was to be expected. Dungeon and Stone was a team game, and even if you looked at us individually, our current team members weren't lacking in any way. That much was true even if you just looked at Erwen.

"Erwen, back!"

She did hide behind me each time she was targeted, but that didn't mean she was weaker than the enemy—if she were alone, she could just use her natural gift for agility and various, versatile elemental abilities to widen the distance again. Even if this were a one-on-one fight, she wouldn't lose. The same went for Amelia.

[Amelia Rainwales has cast Power of the Abyss.]

The Blood Knight's aura could be blocked by another aura, and her physical specs weren't inferior to his, either. Raven was a bit different, though.

"Arhen Hail Tun... Kyaaa!" She wasn't really useful here. It didn't make sense for a wizard to 1v1 a knight in the first place.

"Even if you're scared, stay right behind me. It seems he's determined to target you."

"O-Okay."

Erwen and Amelia were both strong enough to take care of themselves, so I focused on protecting Raven throughout the battle. As it dragged on, however, I started to sense that something was off.

Why isn't he running even though things have reached this point? He should have realized by now that he's inevitably going to lose if this continues, so why is he not retreating? Is he waiting for my MP to run out?

If that was the case, that wasn't really an issue. Although Iron Fortress did drain MP by the second, I purposefully didn't activate Giantization for that reason. I'd sooner see the end of the match than run out of MP.

Something felt ominous so I checked on our last remaining insurance. "How's the Mass Teleport coming?"

"If I start preparing it again now, it'll take about five more minutes."

"Again...?"

"Actually... I stopped preparing it earlier..."

You thought we wouldn't need it considering our overwhelming upper hand.

"Start preparing it now. You never know if things will take a turn."

"...Okay."

The moment that order left my lips, Amelia let out an urgent shout. "Schuitz, magic!"

[Lyranne Vivian has cast the rank-three black magic spell Falling Star.]

A giant black sphere plummeted from the sky and through the fog.

God damn it. So, you were waiting for your comrade.

When the spell activated and I realized I couldn't avoid it, my body froze on the spot. I hadn't optimized my build for magic yet. My aura setup was pretty much done, but in return, my Mana Resistance was much lower than before.

Whew, I'm confident I can keep him from getting up again if I just get one hit in.

"I'll help." Amelia joined the battle, summoning her doppelgangers to tackle the corpses, which were coming at us from all directions even now.

"...Who are you guys?" our enemy wondered, looking at us. It seemed he was too curious not to ask, despite the fact that he couldn't hold his own against my vicious attacks. Obviously, I was not obliged to answer. "People like you aren't—"

"Woahhh!" I shouted out a war cry instead of the name of my ancestral god, who I could no longer call on unless I wanted my identity revealed, and swung my hammer repeatedly. The enemy swallowed his question and focused only on dodging.

As the battle raged on, he fought back with all kinds of skills. However, he was quickly put on the defensive. That was to be expected. Dungeon and Stone was a team game, and even if you looked at us individually, our current team members weren't lacking in any way. That much was true even if you just looked at Erwen.

"Erwen, back!"

She did hide behind me each time she was targeted, but that didn't mean she was weaker than the enemy—if she were alone, she could just use her natural gift for agility and various, versatile elemental abilities to widen the distance again. Even if this were a one-on-one fight, she wouldn't lose. The same went for Amelia.

[Amelia Rainwales has cast Power of the Abyss.]

The Blood Knight's aura could be blocked by another aura, and her physical specs weren't inferior to his, either. Raven was a bit different, though.

"Arhen Hail Tun... Kyaaa!" She wasn't really useful here. It didn't make sense for a wizard to 1v1 a knight in the first place.

"Even if you're scared, stay right behind me. It seems he's determined to target you."

"O-Okay."

Erwen and Amelia were both strong enough to take care ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of themselves, so I focused on protecting Raven throughout the battle. As it dragged on, however, I started to sense that something was off.

Why isn't he running even though things have reached this point? He should have realized by now that he's inevitably going to lose if this continues, so why is he not retreating? Is he waiting for my MP to run out?

If that was the case, that wasn't really an issue. Although Iron Fortress did drain MP by the second, I purposefully didn't activate Giantization for that reason. I'd sooner see the end of the match than run out of MP.

Something felt ominous so I checked on our last remaining insurance. "How's the Mass Teleport coming?"

"If I start preparing it again now, it'll take about five more minutes."

"Again...?"

"Actually... I stopped preparing it earlier..."

You thought we wouldn't need it considering our overwhelming upper hand.

"Start preparing it now. You never know if things will take a turn."

"...Okay."

The moment that order left my lips, Amelia let out an urgent shout. "Schuitz, magic!"

[Lyranne Vivian has cast the rank-three black magic spell Falling Star.]

A giant black sphere plummeted from the sky and through the fog.

God damn it. So, you were waiting for your comrade.

When the spell activated and I realized I couldn't avoid it, my body froze on the spot. I hadn't optimized my build for magic yet. My aura setup was pretty much done, but in return, my Mana Resistance was much lower than before.

Looks like she noticed it too late too.

It seemed even Raven, who was busy casting Mass Teleport, was going to have a hard time blocking this one.

What can I do? I have to counter it with what I've got.

I made my decision in what felt like a split second. That spell was coming toward me, and Erwen and Amelia were quite a distance from me. But if I avoided it, Raven, who was right behind me, wouldn't be safe. And so, there was only one option.

"...Ugh!"

Pulling Raven's small body into my arms, I dragged us both to the ground and covered her.

Giantization.

"M-Mister...!"

"Shuitz!"

Immediately after I managed to activate Transcendence and bulk myself up even more, the magic came down on us and struck my back.

Baaaaaaaaang!

The first thing I felt was a spine-breaking jolt. Next, my organs were concussed by a shockwave that moved through my bones and muscles, and a tingling sensation akin to electricity sizzled through my blood. Was it because the Corpse Golem was gone? Why the hell was this so painful?

"Uh..." As I grimaced instinctively at the unbearable pain, I heard a sound below me.

"How... even Giantization...?"

Yikes, has it all gone down the drain now?

This was why I had been saving Giantization. Unlike Swing, which had almost no visible effect, this skill was immediately noticeable to anyone watching.

"Are... you..."

Jeez, this is not the time for that.

"Let's... talk later." As soon as the shock running down my spine subsided, I hurried to stand up.

Clunk.

Something fell behind me. It was a completely shattered piece of armor.

Ugh, so dizzy.

My vision was blurry, not because of the fog, but because of the smoke. Smoke that was coming from my body.

Chhhhhh.

Wow, how long had it been since my body was wrecked like this? Even as I forced myself to my feet, each of my joints screamed at me in protest.

Tsk, exaggerating much? Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's been a while.

Trying to keep my thoughts flippant, I stood up completely and set Raven down. Then I sent her behind me. It was only then that she saw the state I was in. "Your... b-b-back...!"

What about my back? At least finish your sentence.

Just then, Amelia came up next to me and reviewed the situation on my behalf. "It would be best for you not to know the state you're in."

"...That bad?"

"Yes, it's a wonder you're still standing."

Ah. Um, well... If you say so.

"...Whatever, just pour a potion on me."

"We... already poured one."

Huh? But I didn't feel anything. Ah, is my backside completely paralyzed? Come to think of it, it did stop hurting at some point...

I figured that, at least, was a positive and directed my attention forward. The first thing I saw was Blood Knight standing a distance away from us. He looked like a train wreck after being beaten four-on-one, though from the sound of it, he seemed to be in better condition than I was. Anyway, none of that was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠important.

"Grandpa, why are you pushing yourself like this? Do you know how surprised I was when I heard the news from Necrapeto?" A robed woman was standing next to Blood Knight. Since she was holding a wand, she had to be a wizard. So was she the one who cast the spell just now? Sensing my gaze, the woman smiled brightly and waved her hand. "Ah! Hello! I don't know how you survived that, but it's nice to meet you!"

Erwen trembled with rage at this.

"Erwen, I'm fine, so don't fall for her taunts." Even as I said that, I dragged Erwen to my side by her wrist before directing my attention to Amelia. "Emily, who is that woman?"

"The Wailing Witch, Lyranne Vivian."

Ah, so that's her. This is my first time seeing her in person.

"Then what about the man standing next to her?"

When I glanced at the second of the three newcomers, Amelia answered immediately. "The Lighthouse Keeper. His real name is unknown."

Ha, this bastard is also famous. One of the few support-type special ability users in Orcules.

"And next to him..."

"It's fine. I know who he is." I cut her off and shifted my gaze.

As soon as our eyes met, I could see his widen through the opening in his mask. "So! Do our numbers match up now? Mr. Fake?"

The Corpse Collector, Abed Necrapeto. Jeez, why is this son of a bitch everywhere?

Looks like she noticed it too late too.

It seemed even Raven, who was busy casting Mass Teleport, was going to have a hard time blocking this one.

What can I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do? I have to counter it with what I've got.

I made my decision in what felt like a split second. That spell was coming toward me, and Erwen and Amelia were quite a distance from me. But if I avoided it, Raven, who was right behind me, wouldn't be safe. And so, there was only one option.

"...Ugh!"

Pulling Raven's small body into my arms, I dragged us both to the ground and covered her.

Giantization.

"M-Mister...!"

"Shuitz!"

Immediately after I managed to activate Transcendence and bulk myself up even more, the magic came down on us and struck my back.

Baaaaaaaaang!

The first thing I felt was a spine-breaking jolt. Next, my organs were concussed by a shockwave that moved through my bones and muscles, and a tingling sensation akin to electricity sizzled through my blood. Was it because the Corpse Golem was gone? Why the hell was this so painful?

"Uh..." As I grimaced instinctively at the unbearable pain, I heard a sound below me.

"How... even Giantization...?"

Yikes, has it all gone down the drain now?

This was why I had been saving Giantization. Unlike Swing, which had almost no visible effect, this skill was immediately noticeable to anyone watching.

"Are... you..."

Jeez, this is not the time for that.

"Let's... talk later." As soon as the shock running down my spine subsided, I hurried to stand up.

Clunk.

Something fell behind me. It was a completely shattered piece of armor.

Ugh, so dizzy.

My vision was blurry, not because of the fog, but because of the smoke. Smoke that was coming from my body.

Chhhhhh.

Wow, how long had it been since my body was wrecked like this? Even as I forced myself to my feet, each of my joints screamed at me in protest.

Tsk, exaggerating much? Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's been a while.

Trying to keep my thoughts flippant, I stood up completely and set Raven down. Then I sent her behind me. It was only then that she saw the state I was in. "Your... b-b-back...!"

What about my back? At least finish your sentence.

Just then, Amelia came up next to me and reviewed the situation on my behalf. "It would be best for you not to know the state you're in."

"...That bad?"

"Yes, it's a wonder you're still standing."

Ah. Um, well... If you say so.

"...Whatever, just pour a potion on me."

"We... already poured one."

Huh? But I didn't feel anything. Ah, is my backside completely paralyzed? Come to think of it, it did stop hurting at some point...

I figured that, at least, was a positive and directed my attention forward. The first thing I saw was Blood Knight standing a distance away from us. He looked like a train wreck after being beaten four-on-one, though from the sound of it, he seemed to be in better condition than I was. Anyway, none of that was important.

"Grandpa, why are you pushing yourself like this? Do you know how surprised I was when I heard the news from Necrapeto?" A robed woman was standing next to Blood Knight. Since she was holding a wand, she had to be a wizard. So was she the one who cast the spell just now? Sensing my gaze, the woman smiled brightly and waved her hand. "Ah! Hello! I don't know how you survived that, but it's nice to meet you!"

Erwen trembled with rage at this.

"Erwen, I'm fine, so don't fall for her taunts." Even as I said that, I dragged Erwen to my side by her wrist before directing my attention to Amelia. "Emily, who is that woman?"

"The Wailing Witch, Lyranne Vivian."

Ah, so that's her. This is my first time seeing her in person.

"Then what about the man standing next to her?"

When I glanced at the second of the three newcomers, Amelia answered immediately. "The Lighthouse Keeper. His real name is unknown."

Ha, this bastard is also famous. One of the few support-type special ability users in Orcules.

"And next to him..."

"It's fine. I know who he is." I cut her off and shifted my gaze.

As soon as our eyes met, I could see his widen through the opening in his mask. "So! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Do our numbers match up now? Mr. Fake?"

The Corpse Collector, Abed Necrapeto. Jeez, why is this son of a bitch everywhere?