Chapter 412: Dilemma (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 412: Dilemma (4)
Enemies were coming at us from all sides and our squadron took up a defensive formation to block them.
"Kill them!"
"Stop them!"
It was like playing a tower defense game. There was a stark difference between those games and reality, though. Normally in a tower defense game, the enemies that flocked to you in droves only had close-combat abilities.
Shooot!
Arrows rained down on us.
"Revival Ascender!"
Kwaang!
Unluckily for us, we had to deal with black magic and various essence skills consisting of lightning, ice, fire, and all other kinds of attributes. Normally, long-range attacks like this would be blocked by wizards, but our wizards were using all of their remaining mana to complete Multi Teleportation. In the end, there was only one thing for us to do. To prevent these long-range attacks from hitting the glass-like, fragile bodies behind us, we had to endure the onslaught.
[You have been hit by Permeating Chill. The damage of the next Cold-type attack you take will be doubled, and Cold Resistance temporarily decreases in proportion to the amount of damage taken.]
We took Lightning damage that exceeded our Mana Resistance and Lightning Resistance thresholds.
[You have been hit by Penetrating Light.]
[You are now under the Paralysis (Intermediate) effect.]
Debuffs quickly accumulated. However, despite it all, I used my giantized body as a shield, serving as a wall to protect our rear guard.
Grit.
Just in case, I clenched my jaw and bit down on my tongue.
Kwaaang!
Then I used my body to block the attacks coming at us from straight ahead. It wasn't just me, either—the entire vanguard was doing the same.
[Benjamin Orman has cast Moonlight of Purification. The Paralysis effect has been removed from all characters within range.]
[Niaro Campbell has cast Blessing of Light. The effectiveness of any healing effects used on characters within range has increased.]
Although support from the priests continued to come in, it wasn't enough. They had simply acquired the right to use a sliver of divine power in exchange for their faith. Reviving the dead remained the domain of the gods.
"Might—!"
When we died, we didn't die screaming.
"E-Everyone get back!" cried Might Million, the warrior from Team Two to the left of me.
Stab!
A black thorn flying toward us pierced his shield and went right through his heart.
"No!"
It was a perfectly clean death, with no countdown required. As if to make his fate clear to all onlookers, the divine light covering his body dispersed.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
Skills and abilities didn't work on the dead.
"M-Might—!" An archer on the same team as the dead warrior ran forward and tried to pull the black thorn out of his body. It was a reckless and foolish thing to do. There was no way it'd come out so easily, and even if it did, he wouldn't come back to life.
...A friend of his? I don't know, but that's not important.
"Emily, I'll be back."
"...What?"
I gave Amelia a heads-up and moved slightly out of formation to grab the archer by the neck. "Don't be stupid and stay back." Then I threw the archer toward Akurava in the rear.
Slump!
An angry shout rang out behind me. "...W-What are you—M-Might is—!"
"Might died. To save you guys."
Might Million clearly saw the black thorn flying in. He could have avoided it. With his battle instincts, he definitely could have. But he chose instead to block it and protect his comrades because that was his role. Of course, he probably didn't know things would turn out the way they did, either. He might have figured he could take a single hit. With how chaotic the battle was, I was sure it would have been difficult for him to recognize Black Thorn and realize it was a skill that ranked in the top tier of rank-two essences.
...Or maybe he knew and blocked it anyway.
Whatever the case, the truth of what Might thought was lost to us, probably forever.
"So stay back. I'll take over this spot from here. Emily! Join Team Two!"
Since Team Two's sole warrior was dead, I filled the void. I was pretty much in charge of a space that should have been occupied by two teams, but I felt more relieved about that than frustrated.
I'm glad I'm so big.
I debated using Transcendence while I was at it to make my body even bigger, but I stopped myself. I couldn't just sit here and be a punching bag forever, right?
[You have cast Liability of Risk. Any damage received and reflected by Probabilistic Retaliation will be doubled.]
After testing it out a bit, I concluded I could survive double damage.
[By the authority of the transcendental body, the potential inherent in the skill is now unlocked. In exchange for the temporary deactivation of Probabilistic Retaliation's Damage Immunity effect, the odds of activation have been set at 100%.]
As soon as I activated Transcendence, skeletons rose up behind me, making clattering sounds. "Gahhhcha!" They returned the various attacks I took back to their casters.
"W-What the hell?!"
"Gachabone! It's the essence of Gachabone!"
"What? But that skill shouldn't be this powerful!"
Confusion ensued as the attacks launched by their troops were countered.
Maybe I should've turned this on sooner.
I guessed the best defense really was a good offense. I had turned on Liability of Risk fully prepared to take a more painful beating, but instead the number of attacks decreased. Thankfully, that made it even easier for me to fill the hole in our formation by myself.
Okay, now we just have to complete the teleport...
"Get out of the way, scum!" Just then, a man and his squadron shoved through the enemy soldiers who were unable to approach us. He was as unwelcome a sight as ever.
"Regal Vagos!"
"The Dragon Slayer...!"
He was here.
Kwaaang!
The explosions, the urgent shouts of my comrades, the screams, and the spattering of blood—those noises all disappeared as silence fell on the battlefield. Or, well, my surroundings were still loud, but it at least felt that way to me. It was probably the same for this guy. We stood at a distance, staring at each other without a word.
...A friend of his? I don't know, but that's not important.
"Emily, I'll be back."
"...What?"
I gave Amelia a heads-up and moved slightly out of formation to grab the archer by the neck. "Don't be stupid and stay back." Then I threw the archer toward Akurava in the rear.
Slump!
An angry shout rang out behind me. "...W-What are you—M-Might is—!"
"Might died. To save you guys."
Might Million clearly saw the black thorn flying in. He could have avoided it. With his battle instincts, he definitely could have. But he chose instead to block it and protect his comrades because that was his role. Of course, he probably didn't know things would turn out the way they did, either. He might have figured he could take a single hit. With how chaotic the battle was, I was sure it would have been difficult for him to recognize Black Thorn and realize it was a skill that ranked in the top tier of rank-two essences.
...Or maybe he knew and blocked it anyway.
Whatever the case, the truth of what Might thought was lost to us, probably forever.
"So stay back. I'll take over this spot from here. Emily! Join Team Two!"
Since Team Two's sole warrior was dead, I filled the void. I was pretty much in charge of a space that should have been occupied by two teams, but I felt more relieved about that than frustrated.
I'm glad I'm so big.
I debated using Transcendence while I was at it to make my body even bigger, but I stopped myself. I couldn't just sit here and be a punching bag forever, right?
[You have cast Liability of Risk. Any damage received and reflected by Probabilistic Retaliation will be doubled.]
After testing it out a bit, I concluded I could survive double damage.
[By the authority of the transcendental body, the potential inherent in the skill is now unlocked. In exchange for the temporary deactivation of Probabilistic Retaliation's Damage Immunity effect, the odds of activation have been set at 100%.]
As soon as I activated Transcendence, skeletons rose up behind me, making clattering sounds. "Gahhhcha!" They returned the various attacks I took back to their casters.
"W-What the hell?!"
"Gachabone! It's the essence of Gachabone!"
"What? But that skill shouldn't be this powerful!"
Confusion ensued as the attacks launched by their troops were countered.
Maybe I should've turned this on sooner.
I guessed the best defense really was a good offense. I had turned on Liability of Risk fully prepared to take a more painful beating, but instead the number of attacks decreased. Thankfully, that made it even easier for me to fill the hole in our formation by myself.
Okay, now we just have to complete the teleport...
"Get out of the way, scum!" Just then, a man and his squadron shoved through the enemy soldiers who were unable to approach us. He was as unwelcome a sight as ever.
"Regal Vagos!"
"The Dragon Slayer...!"
He was here.
Kwaaang!
The explosions, the urgent shouts of my comrades, the screams, and the spattering of blood—those noises all disappeared as silence fell on the battlefield. Or, well, my surroundings were still loud, but it at least felt that way to me. It was probably the same for this guy. We stood at a distance, staring at each other without a word.
Did he recognize me?
Just as the thought popped into my mind, he spoke. "I told you back then. Even death won't be able to save you."
So, you did recognize me.
I guessed he somehow managed to get his memories back. It seemed he'd figured out my Gachabone essence, too, because he didn't seem phased by the fact that I was now shorter.
Great, so shall we say hello after all this time?
"That's an expensive-looking sword." I glanced down at the sword strapped to his waist. "Are you here to give that one to me too?"
The reaction was immediate. "You—!" His fingertips shook with rage.
But, uh-oh, don't get too mad yet. I'm about to give you plenty of things to be pissed about.
"How long until the spell is complete?"
"One minute!"
Our team communication spell was no longer active, so everyone was able to hear that announcement.
"Did you hear that—"
"One minute is enough." At that moment, he kicked off the ground and ran at me.
[Regal Vagos has cast High-Rank Acceleration.]
[Regal Vagos has cast Afterimage.]
His skill combo temporarily increased his Agility, but it was different from the last time when we met in the Labyrinth of Larcaz.
He's much faster.
This was about what you'd expect from a man with his stats, especially when Larcaz wasn't redistributing them.
But no problem.
Bang!
I was no longer the old Bjorn, either.
Sword and shield collided and his eyes narrowed. It was obvious what he was thinking.
"What, you thought you could fill me with holes like last time? Because we're not in the maze anymore?"
He didn't answer and instead swung his sword once more.
[Regal Vagos has cast Divine Blade.]
White light shimmered down the sword's surface. But that was old news too.
Boom!
I can take an aura easily now—do you think that makes any difference?
"How are you still the same?" Not that I was complaining, of course. I'd just been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to gauge how much stronger he'd gotten in those two years.
"You—!"
Blocking several strikes of his sword, I shoved my shield to swat him away like a fly. My Strength was higher than his now—overwhelmingly so.
"...Ugh!" It seemed the force behind my push was unexpected as the Dragon Slayer stumbled back in confusion.
Just then, someone behind me shouted, "Ten seconds left now!" That meant the spell would be completed soon.
"I've seen everything I need to see, so get lost. You're weaker than me now."
It must have been a great shock to hear that coming from me because he didn't reply at all. For a moment, I wondered if he might have lost it, but that didn't seem to be the case. I brought my hammer down, just to see if it would work, and he quickly dodged it.
Did he recognize me?
Just as the thought popped into my mind, he spoke. "I told you back then. Even death won't be able to save you."
So, you did recognize me.
I guessed he somehow managed to get his memories back. It seemed he'd figured out my Gachabone essence, too, because he didn't seem phased by the fact that I was now shorter.
Great, so shall we say hello after all this time?
"That's an expensive-looking sword." I glanced down at the sword strapped to his waist. "Are you here to give that one to me too?"
The reaction was immediate. "You—!" His fingertips shook with rage.
But, uh-oh, don't get too mad yet. I'm about to give you plenty of things to be pissed about.
"How long until the spell is complete?"
"One minute!"
Our team communication spell was no longer active, so everyone was able to hear that announcement.
"Did you hear that—"
"One minute is enough." At that moment, he kicked off the ground and ran at me.
[Regal Vagos has cast High-Rank Acceleration.]
[Regal Vagos has cast Afterimage.]
His skill combo temporarily increased his Agility, but it was different from the last time when we met in the Labyrinth of Larcaz.
He's much faster.
This was about what you'd expect from a man with his stats, especially when Larcaz wasn't redistributing them.
But no problem.
Bang!
I was no longer the old Bjorn, either.
Sword and shield collided and his eyes narrowed. It was obvious what he was thinking.
"What, you thought you could fill me with holes like last time? Because we're not in the maze anymore?"
He didn't answer and instead swung his sword once more.
[Regal Vagos has cast Divine Blade.]
White light shimmered down the sword's surface. But that was old news too.
Boom!
I can take an aura easily now—do you think that makes any difference?
"How are you still the same?" Not that I was complaining, of course. I'd just been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to gauge how much stronger he'd gotten in those two years.
"You—!"
Blocking several strikes of his sword, I shoved my shield to swat him away like a fly. My Strength was higher than his now—overwhelmingly so.
"...Ugh!" It seemed the force behind my push was unexpected as the Dragon Slayer stumbled back in confusion.
Just then, someone behind me shouted, "Ten seconds left now!" That meant the spell would be completed soon.
"I've seen everything I need to see, so get lost. You're weaker than me now."
It must have been a great shock to hear that coming from me because he didn't reply at all. For a moment, I wondered if he might have lost it, but that didn't seem to be the case. I brought my hammer down, just to see if it would work, and he quickly dodged it.
Bang!
Looking down at the hammer embedded in the ground, I bit my lip. If it weren't for the ever-increasing number of enemies swarming us, I could have ended this ill-fated relationship here and now.
"Schuitz! Come quick!"
Amelia's voice rang out from behind me and the magic circle on the ground began to glow. The teleportation spell had been completed without me even realizing. The warriors on the front lines, including me, rushed to the center.
"You think I'll let you go?!"
You think someone like you can stop me? I'm the disappointed one here.
"You bastaaard!"
"Vagos! If you stand there, you might get sucked into the Multi Teleportation spell!"
The guy about to rush me stopped on his lackey's advice. If he came even a bit closer, I would've been able to take him along on the teleport and we could've ganged up on him.
Shaaaaaa!
Once I stepped on it, the magic circle got even brighter.
"See you next time. Take good care of your head until then."
Soon, a multi-colored light flashed.
***
Flash!
The light filling my eyes disappeared, and my vision returned. The first things I saw were huge trees that had been drained of all life. It was a similar environment to the one we were in a while ago. This was only natural. It was impossible to skip an entire zone with a single Multi Teleportation.
"...There's no one here."
We were in the western region of the Deadwood, one of the central zones of the Dark Continent, but there weren't any signs of life around. That was probably because all the troops in the area had gathered in one spot to catch us.
"Priests, treat the wounded, quick. We'll leave as soon as you're done."
We may have cleared one hurdle, but there was no time to waste. After regrouping, we immediately started marching—north this time, not south to where our troops were located.
Forcing my exhausted body to move, I stopped avoiding the inevitable and decided to get this over with. "...Casualties?"
"Three deaths."
So, in that short period of time, two more people were hit besides the guy next to me. "Who are the deceased?"
Kaislan reported the losses we'd incurred in a somber tone. "Might Million, Fiona Amos, and Niaro Campbell." One warrior from Team Two, one priest from Team Four, and even the wizard from Team Three.
"A wizard was hit...?"
"It seems he was hit by a lucky shot right at the end after the Dragon Slayer and his men arrived. The magic circle was pretty much completed at that point so no issues were pulling off the spell."
Damn that useless Dragon Slayer.
Grit.
Our squadron, which had started with thirty people, had been reduced to twenty-five in short order. Among them, Team Three had suffered the most damage. Following the traitor Pyke Neldine, their wizard had now fallen in battle as well, reducing their number to four.
"Team Two is just as much at risk. Million was their sole warrior."
Akurava's team, which specialized in firepower, had also taken a blow. Since they had a summoner, they could possibly use the three Trolls on the front line, but that summoner woman of hers was more a nuker than anything.
"We'll have to switch up the formation."
"It seems so. No one will argue about that in a situation like this."
Until now, each team moved and operated independently. We considered this to be more efficient unless there were special circumstances like our attack on the Eye of the Sky or the battle just now. But that wouldn't work anymore. Instead of an alliance of several teams, we needed to become a single squadron in the truest sense of the word.
"With your permission, I'll divide everyone by roles and create a new formation," said Kaislan.
"I'm fine with that. Our team members will understand too. I'll leave the formation to you, so discuss with the other leaders and decide amongst yourselves."
"Okay. I'll do that."
Although the first impression he gave off wasn't so great, Kaislan was a very useful, skilled guy. It wasn't long after I gave him the order that he organized the teams into one unit. The classes with fewer physical abilities were gathered in the center and high-agility classes like archers, swordsmen, and rogues were placed around them. During battle, their role would be to serve as escorts. While we moved, they would carry those who lacked stamina or were slow walkers.
"Ugh, I'm already tired as it is..."
"S-Sorry."
"It's fine. It can't be helped. Just treat my injuries if I get hurt later, okay?"
Surprisingly, those being treated as human stretchers weren't too upset about it. They knew, too, that we had to group up like this to survive.
"Mister... take care of yourself. If you need help, yell out."
"You be careful too. Don't do anything dangerous."
Anyway, that's how our team ended up split up. I was a warrior in the tank position. I naturally had to be in the front.
As we resumed our journey in our new formation, Ravien spoke up behind me. "Everyone is very tight-knit," she noted.
I had something to say to her too. "Thanks."
"...Sorry?"
"For holding position when the Dragon Slayer appeared."
Ravien was strong. Though it may have depended on the situation, in general, it was safe to say she was one level above Amelia and Erwen. If this woman had decided to do something unexpected, there could have been injuries or even deaths on our team too.
"...I'm not so foolish that I can't distinguish between business and personal affairs."
"That's a relief." There was nothing else to say after that so the conversation petered out there.
"We'll rest here for a while!" Before our stamina could reach its breaking point, we took a sorely needed rest.
"Ahh! Finally!" As soon as the march stopped, each member of our squad dropped to the ground in exhaustion and lay down.
But one man was different. "Um..." The man approached me carefully, deep bags under his eyes.
"Sven Parav." In other words, Goblin. This guy was interesting too. He didn't seem all that powerful in battle but he surprisingly never got injured. "What's going on? Why aren't you resting?"
In response to my question, he answered in a somewhat jittery tone, "U-Um, well, actually..."
"If you have something to say, say it quick. I need to rest too."
He winced at the obvious annoyance in my voice. "Um... can't we just keep going?"
"You don't want to rest?" I thought he was just being an annoying shit at first, but I changed my mind. He probably wouldn't say something like that without some sort of justification. "Is there a reason you're asking?"
"No, but..."
"But?"
"I-I feel uneasy for some reason... Ever since you told us to rest, I've been having trouble breathing. I-It feels like someone's poking my heart with a needle."
...What the hell is with this bastard?
He was freaking me out.
Bang!
Looking down at the hammer embedded in the ground, I bit my lip. If it weren't for the ever-increasing number of enemies swarming us, I could have ended this ill-fated relationship here and now.
"Schuitz! Come quick!"
Amelia's voice rang out from behind me and the magic circle on the ground began to glow. The teleportation spell had been completed without me even realizing. The warriors on the front lines, including me, rushed to the center.
"You think I'll let you go?!"
You think someone like you can stop me? I'm the disappointed one here.
"You bastaaard!"
"Vagos! If you stand there, you might get sucked into the Multi Teleportation spell!"
The guy about to rush me stopped on his lackey's advice. If he came even a bit closer, I would've been able to take him along on the teleport and we could've ganged up on him.
Shaaaaaa!
Once I stepped on it, the magic circle got even brighter.
"See you next time. Take good care of your head until then."
Soon, a multi-colored light flashed.
***
Flash!
The light filling my eyes disappeared, and my vision returned. The first things I saw were huge trees that had been drained of all life. It was a similar environment to the one we were in a while ago. This was only natural. It was impossible to skip an entire zone with a single Multi Teleportation.
"...There's no one here."
We were in the western region of the Deadwood, one of the central zones of the Dark Continent, but there weren't any signs of life around. That was probably because all the troops in the area had gathered in one spot to catch us.
"Priests, treat the wounded, quick. We'll leave as soon as you're done."
We may have cleared one hurdle, but there was no time to waste. After regrouping, we immediately started marching—north this time, not south to where our troops were located.
Forcing my exhausted body to move, I stopped avoiding the inevitable and decided to get this over with. "...Casualties?"
"Three deaths."
So, in that short period of time, two more people were hit besides the guy next to me. "Who are the deceased?"
Kaislan reported the losses we'd incurred in a somber tone. "Might Million, Fiona Amos, and Niaro Campbell." One warrior from Team Two, one priest from Team Four, and even the wizard from Team Three.
"A wizard was hit...?"
"It seems he was hit by a lucky shot right at the end after the Dragon Slayer and his men arrived. The magic circle was pretty much completed at that point so no issues were pulling off the spell."
Damn that useless Dragon Slayer.
Grit.
Our squadron, which had started with thirty people, had been reduced to twenty-five in short order. Among them, Team Three had suffered the most damage. Following the traitor Pyke Neldine, their wizard had now fallen in battle as well, reducing their number to four.
"Team Two is just as much at risk. Million was their sole warrior."
Akurava's team, which specialized in firepower, had also taken a blow. Since they had a summoner, they could possibly use the three Trolls on the front line, but that summoner woman of hers was more a nuker than anything.
"We'll have to switch up the formation."
"It seems so. No one will argue about that in a situation like this."
Until now, each team moved and operated independently. We considered this to be more efficient unless there were special circumstances like our attack on the Eye of the Sky or the battle just now. But that wouldn't work anymore. Instead of an alliance of several teams, we needed to become a single squadron in the truest sense of the word.
"With your permission, I'll divide everyone by roles and create a new formation," said Kaislan.
"I'm fine with that. Our team members will understand too. I'll leave the formation to you, so discuss with the other leaders and decide amongst yourselves."
"Okay. I'll do that."
Although the first impression he gave off wasn't so great, Kaislan was a very useful, skilled guy. It wasn't long after I gave him the order that he organized the teams into one unit. The classes with fewer physical abilities were gathered in the center and high-agility classes like archers, swordsmen, and rogues were placed around them. During battle, their role would be to serve as escorts. While we moved, they would carry those who lacked stamina or were slow walkers.
"Ugh, I'm already tired as it is..."
"S-Sorry."
"It's fine. It can't be helped. Just treat my injuries if I get hurt later, okay?"
Surprisingly, those being treated as human stretchers weren't too upset about it. They knew, too, that we had to group up like this to survive.
"Mister... take care of yourself. If you need help, yell out."
"You be careful too. Don't do anything dangerous."
Anyway, that's how our team ended up split up. I was a warrior in the tank position. I naturally had to be in the front.
As we resumed our journey in our new formation, Ravien spoke up behind me. "Everyone is very tight-knit," she noted.
I had something to say to her too. "Thanks."
"...Sorry?"
"For holding position when the Dragon Slayer appeared."
Ravien was strong. Though it may have depended on the situation, in general, it was safe to say she was one level above Amelia and Erwen. If this woman had decided to do something unexpected, there could have been injuries or even deaths on our team too.
"...I'm not so foolish that I can't distinguish between business and personal affairs."
"That's a relief." There was nothing else to say after that so the conversation petered out there.
"We'll rest here for a while!" Before our stamina could reach its breaking point, we took a sorely needed rest.
"Ahh! Finally!" As soon as the march stopped, each member of our squad dropped to the ground in exhaustion and lay down.
But one man was different. "Um..." The man approached me carefully, deep bags under his eyes.
"Sven Parav." In other words, Goblin. This guy was interesting too. He didn't seem all that powerful in battle but he surprisingly never got injured. "What's going on? Why aren't you resting?"
In response to my question, he answered in a somewhat jittery tone, "U-Um, well, actually..."
"If you have something to say, say it quick. I need to rest too."
He winced at the obvious annoyance in my voice. "Um... can't we just keep going?"
"You don't want to rest?" I thought he was just being an annoying shit at first, but I changed my mind. He probably wouldn't say something like that without some sort of justification. "Is there a reason you're asking?"
"No, but..."
"But?"
"I-I feel uneasy for some reason... Ever since you told us to rest, I've been having trouble breathing. I-It feels like someone's poking my heart with a needle."
...What the hell is with this bastard?
He was freaking me out.