Chapter 422: Eye of the Storm (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 422: Eye of the Storm (4)
The moment my comrade shouted out those words behind me, my mind went blank like a lightbulb inside my skull had gone out.
"New enemies have appeared!"
What... kind of bullshit is this...?
It sounded incredibly fake but acceptance came sooner than I thought it would.
New... enemies...?
I was sure this wasn't a joke. It couldn't be a misunderstanding, either. Which meant that Kaislan's report was the truth.
Squeeze.
My fists tightened. At the same time, my brain started scrambling for an explanation.
What the hell did I do for something like this to happen? There aren't any Hanses in our group. Was there a Hans I didn't notice? Not among us, but maybe the enemy?
Slap!
Before my thoughts could go any further down that road, I slapped my cheeks with both hands. Since slapping too hard could be dangerous, I did it just hard enough to make me come to my senses.
Hansu Lee, don't be ridiculous.
This was a kind of avoidance mechanism, looking for a Hans whenever something bad happened.
It happened, that's all there is to it.
In the Labyrinth of Larkaz, when I encountered the Dragon Slayer by coincidence and even lost a precious teammate, what was the cause? Was there a Hans then? What about in the first floor's Crystal Cave when the Lord of the Abyss appeared? It was a miracle that there hadn't been a single Hans among nearly a thousand people, but did that mean things had gone smoothly? Looking back, that was always how things went. Whenever something really shitty happened, there was no Hans, like the heavens themselves were refusing me the opportunity to foist the blame on someone else.
...Then were the Hanses actually a sign of good luck?
The thought came to mind but I had no way of knowing. That didn't seem to be it, either. But thanks to those useless musings, I felt much more refreshed.
Smirk.
Who cares if there's a Hans or not? I just have to do my job.
So, with that in mind, I started to think. I gave up on the hope of being rescued. I gave up food and even equipment. Even as we fled, I had to watch helplessly as my comrades dropped like flies. That was what survival was about, giving up, and giving up again. Tricking yourself into thinking that that was the most reasonable choice in an unreasonable situation.
"Yandel! Give us an order or something, quick!"
Now then, what else should I give up?
Unfortunately, I already knew the answer.
"Jun, I'm temporarily leaving this side to you."
I quickly handed off the baton and headed to the rear. As soon as I turned around, I could see the long-range unit running toward us from behind. The enemy was following suit.
"Mister...!"
"Erwen!"
"There's about fifteen people! They don't look like knights but they use auras! Mr. Gerod is holding them off on his own right now!" Ventis Gerod was the special ability user from Team Three, a man everyone liked because he was always smiling and overly positive.
"Thanks for letting me know. Go follow Akurava and join the main unit, quick."
"...Be careful!"
After Erwen passed me by, I arrived at the rear to find Gerod lying on the ground, gushing blood.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
His blood steamed as it made contact with the cold air.
So... another person dead.
If it weren't for this man, even more people would've been hurt and killed.
Thump.
My heart squeezed but this harsh world I was living in didn't even give me time to grieve.
Slide.
I raised my head to look forward. I could see about fifteen enemies standing above Gerod's body. As soon as I saw them, I remembered a conversation I'd had with the captain of Orcules.
"A human woman with an awl-shape aura that appears to specialize in daggers... All characteristics of the Order of the Rose."
This was a special unit that worked directly under the palace, responsible for secret missions such as assassinations, infiltrations, and special maneuvers.
So, I finally get to meet them.
Drip, drip, drip.
A woman holding a dagger dripping with blood stood and stared at me. It was reminiscent of my first meeting with Amelia. Her eyes didn't convey any emotion.
"Baronet Bjorn Yandel." Her utterly blank tone couldn't even be described as dull. "According to our information, he has at least rank-two defensive capabilities against swords. Our estimates put him at two levels higher than each of us so deal with him with caution."
As soon as the woman's business-like briefing was over, they stood there ready to pounce at any moment. It'd been a while since I'd felt this way with an enemy but the sight truly sent shivers down my spine. Someone who knew nothing about me screaming that they were going to kill me wasn't scary, but that wasn't the case here. These were experts trained solely in the art of murder.
Thump!
Even though we hadn't exchanged any attacks yet, my warrior's heart picked up speed, sensing a difficult battle ahead.
Squeeze.
But so what?
"Did the marquess send you?" I asked in a defensive stance, ready to react at any time. There was no answer.
Jeez, look at that glare. Not going to bother talking to someone you're going to kill in a minute, huh?
I pretty much abandoned all hope of a reply in the face of their unshakable professionalism but I did wish they would tell me this one thing. "How on earth did you know to wait here? Huh? Tell me. That's the only thing I can't explain. Come on, at least give me that. Don't you feel a little sorry for us?"
The woman's expression didn't so much as twitch at my joking tone. "We were only lying in wait because someone was insistent we do so," she said quietly. "We determined the chances of you coming here were slim."
"Slim, huh?"
I ended up chuckling at that. Well, what were the chances of us completing the mission after an arduous journey, being abandoned by our allies in the middle of enemy territory, and yet still finding a way out and managing to get here? Especially as a squadron who met for the first time a few days after it was hastily assembled? "Slim chances" were an understatement.
"...Why do you laugh?"
"I just can't win against you guys."
After all, in what world did it make sense to deploy a unit like this to block off even the remotest escape route? It felt like a great wall was closing in on me from all directions, like there was no way out no matter where I went.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
His blood steamed as it made contact with the cold air.
So... another person dead.
If it weren't for this man, even more people would've been hurt and killed.
Thump.
My heart squeezed but this harsh world I was living in didn't even give me time to grieve.
Slide.
I raised my head to look forward. I could see about fifteen enemies standing above Gerod's body. As soon as I saw them, I remembered a conversation I'd had with the captain of Orcules.
"A human woman with an awl-shape aura that appears to specialize in daggers... All characteristics of the Order of the Rose."
This was a special unit that worked directly under the palace, responsible for secret missions such as assassinations, infiltrations, and special maneuvers.
So, I finally get to meet them.
Drip, drip, drip.
A woman holding a dagger dripping with blood stood and stared at me. It was reminiscent of my first meeting with Amelia. Her eyes didn't convey any emotion.
"Baronet Bjorn Yandel." Her utterly blank tone couldn't even be described as dull. "According to our information, he has at least rank-two defensive capabilities against swords. Our estimates put him at two levels higher than each of us so deal with him with caution."
As soon as the woman's business-like briefing was over, they stood there ready to pounce at any moment. It'd been a while since I'd felt this way with an enemy but the sight truly sent shivers down my spine. Someone who knew nothing about me screaming that they were going to kill me wasn't scary, but that wasn't the case here. These were experts trained solely in the art of murder.
Thump!
Even though we hadn't exchanged any attacks yet, my warrior's heart picked up speed, sensing a difficult battle ahead.
Squeeze.
But so what?
"Did the marquess send you?" I asked in a defensive stance, ready to react at any time. There was no answer.
Jeez, look at that glare. Not going to bother talking to someone you're going to kill in a minute, huh?
I pretty much abandoned all hope of a reply in the face of their unshakable professionalism but I did wish they would tell me this one thing. "How on earth did you know to wait here? Huh? Tell me. That's the only thing I can't explain. Come on, at least give me that. Don't you feel a little sorry for us?"
The woman's expression didn't so much as twitch at my joking tone. "We were only lying in wait because someone was insistent we do so," she said quietly. "We determined the chances of you coming here were slim."
"Slim, huh?"
I ended up chuckling at that. Well, what were the chances of us completing the mission after an arduous journey, being abandoned by our allies in the middle of enemy territory, and yet still finding a way out and managing to get here? Especially as a squadron who met for the first time a few days after it was hastily assembled? "Slim chances" were an understatement.
"...Why do you laugh?"
"I just can't win against you guys."
After all, in what world did it make sense to deploy a unit like this to block off even the remotest escape route? It felt like a great wall was closing in on me from all directions, like there was no way out no matter where I went.
"Then this conversation has been a failure," the woman muttered.
"Failure?"
"The eyes of a person whose will has been broken do not look like that."
What, so you only answered because you wanted to crush my spirit?
"That's strange," I said crossly. "I'm definitely in a lot of despair right now."
"Then will you die now?"
"No, I'm still going to do whatever I can not to."
"I see people like you from time to time. People who never treat death as the escape it is." The woman's expression changed for the first time. It was very subtle, but she almost seemed sad. Of course, I had no way of knowing if that was true. It could be a trick of the light. But even if I was reading her right, it wasn't like it made a difference.
"Looks like our conversation is now over," I said. The woman didn't answer. We both knew there was nothing else to say. "Behel–ahhh!"
Thanks to the essence I had to counter auras, Vol-Herchan, I had been able to evolve into any knight's nightmare. But that didn't mean I was invincible. There was no such thing as invincible in Dungeon and Stone.
Slice, slice, stab!
I may not have cut like tofu, but each time their daggers touched my body, I accumulated small injuries. The priests had run out of divine power a long time ago so I couldn't expect any heals, either.
[You have been poisoned by Royal Poison. Your Physique is over 700. Your Poison Tolerance is over 100. The poison's effects are reduced by 70%.]
It seemed they'd lathered a bunch of stuff on their knives because the wounds became numb and a tingling sensation spread to the surrounding areas. Apparently, there was some sort of Wound Exacerbation effect in the mix because my Natural Regeneration was inhibited too. That allowed the injuries to steadily increase.
Whooom!
I swung my hammer to swat away the flies but once again, it only swiped through empty air. I climbed walls, somersaulted in the air, suddenly stopped and changed directions, used abilities that defied the laws of physics, etcetera. But my opponents evaded all my attacks and sliced me with their daggers whenever they got the slightest of opportunities. Of course, the injuries themselves weren't serious, but...
Slice, slice.
My body had already slowed down but as it slowed more and more, the number of injuries increased. If there was a bit more space and all fifteen of them had been able to attack me from all sides, I would've been torn into a pile of ribbons on the ground a long time ago.
"...Ugh!" I stumbled forward. Immediately, a dagger swung at my neck.
Yes, now!
As the moment I was waiting for came, I pushed up through my feet and upper-cut one of them with my hammer.
What the—that didn't work either? Ugh, just let me hit you!
It felt like I was dealing with a bot, not a person. They were too freaking good at this game.
[You have cast Soul Dive. Your Soul Power will regenerate at a rate proportional to the amount of Soul Power you have consumed.]
I first used Soul Dive, which had run through its cooldown time, and recovered some of my cratering MP.
"We'll help!" Then, reinforcements arrived. It was Ravien and Amelia, who should have been fighting Noark on the front line.
"What about the front line? What happened there?"
"Then this conversation has been a failure," the woman muttered.
"Failure?"
"The eyes of a person whose will has been broken do not look like that."
What, so you only answered because you wanted to crush my spirit?
"That's strange," I said crossly. "I'm definitely in a lot of despair right now."
"Then will you die now?"
"No, I'm still going to do whatever I can not to."
"I see people like you from time to time. People who never treat death as the escape it is." The woman's expression changed for the first time. It was very subtle, but she almost seemed sad. Of course, I had no way of knowing if that was true. It could be a trick of the light. But even if I was reading her right, it wasn't like it made a difference.
"Looks like our conversation is now over," I said. The woman didn't answer. We both knew there was nothing else to say. "Behel–ahhh!"
Thanks to the essence I had to counter auras, Vol-Herchan, I had been able to evolve into any knight's nightmare. But that didn't mean I was invincible. There was no such thing as invincible in Dungeon and Stone.
Slice, slice, stab!
I may not have cut like tofu, but each time their daggers touched my body, I accumulated small injuries. The priests had run out of divine power a long time ago so I couldn't expect any heals, either.
[You have been poisoned by Royal Poison. Your Physique is over 700. Your Poison Tolerance is over 100. The poison's effects are reduced by 70%.]
It seemed they'd lathered a bunch of stuff on their knives because the wounds became numb and a tingling sensation spread to the surrounding areas. Apparently, there was some sort of Wound Exacerbation effect in the mix because my Natural Regeneration was inhibited too. That allowed the injuries to steadily increase.
Whooom!
I swung my hammer to swat away the flies but once again, it only swiped through empty air. I climbed walls, somersaulted in the air, suddenly stopped and changed directions, used abilities that defied the laws of physics, etcetera. But my opponents evaded all my attacks and sliced me with their daggers whenever they got the slightest of opportunities. Of course, the injuries themselves weren't serious, but...
Slice, slice.
My body had already slowed down but as it slowed more and more, the number of injuries increased. If there was a bit more space and all fifteen of them had been able to attack me from all sides, I would've been torn into a pile of ribbons on the ground a long time ago.
"...Ugh!" I stumbled forward. Immediately, a dagger swung at my neck.
Yes, now!
As the moment I was waiting for came, I pushed up through my feet and upper-cut one of them with my hammer.
What the—that didn't work either? Ugh, just let me hit you!
It felt like I was dealing with a bot, not a person. They were too freaking good at this game.
[You have cast Soul Dive. Your Soul Power will regenerate at a rate proportional to the amount of Soul Power you have consumed.]
I first used Soul Dive, which had run through its cooldown time, and recovered some of my cratering MP.
"We'll help!" Then, reinforcements arrived. It was Ravien and Amelia, who should have been fighting Noark on the front line.
"What about the front line? What happened there?"
"They retreated from the boundary of Glacier Eye and are maintaining a standoff," Amelia reported.
So, the enemy was recovering, waiting for us to waste our energy fighting these guys. Well, while they didn't know if the Order of the Rose was a friend or foe, that was a wise decision.
Damn it, why did we get stuck in the middle?
I raised my shield to protect my upper body.
Boom!
A dagger bounced off as if blocked by an iron wall. But I noticed that even as the seconds ticked by, I didn't feel any accompanying pain in the lower half of my body. They normally took advantage of moments like this to poke me down there, so what was up? I watched the Order of the Rose vaguely distance themselves and realized why.
Ah, it's thanks to these guys.
They were wary of Amelia and Ravien, so they couldn't poke around like before.
Right, you need a high-Agility character to fight a high-Agility character. Whew, that gives me some breathing room.
I shouted loud enough for Akurava to hear me behind her. I had to fulfill two roles at once right now—both tank and captain. "Akurava, tell the others to maintain the standoff with Noark if they can!"
It broke my heart to give Noark time to regroup when all that had been left was to finish them off, but there was nothing I could do.
Huh? But what's this?
Even though I shouted, there was no response from the Order of the Rose. They weren't just ignoring me, either—it looked like they didn't hear anything at all.
"Emily, is there a team communication spell active right now?"
"Ah, I guess the wizards who came down used it."
"...Came down?"
Ravien answered while parrying a dagger aimed at my shoulder. "As soon as the ambush began, the priest and wizards used flotation magic and fled down here."
"Fled? There... were enemies up there too?"
"Yes. Priest Roita Mamander was killed in the ambush."
"I see..." Somehow, the bad news kept coming. Not only were there more than fifteen new enemies, but one of our priests was killed.
That makes nineteen people now.
Our thirty-person squadron had shrunk this much. At this point, even if we managed to make it back alive, it'd be with less than half our original members.
Squeeze.
The anger I had been repressing welled up in my heart. We continued to sacrifice and sacrifice, and it wasn't like we were picturing some rosy future as we did. We were giving our blood, sweat, and tears for a future that was no different from rolling in dog shit. So why were we being subjected to all of this nonsense? I wanted to curse and blame the gods this instant.
"Ahhhhhh!" I vented my anger in a shout and forced myself to dispel the heat fogging up my head. What our team needed right now wasn't hot anger. At least at this moment, I couldn't give into that. "Akurava!"
"Yes, I'm listening!"
"No need to help here—you all recover as much as you can. You're going to have to exert a lot of energy soon."
We only had one shot to get this right.
***
It was a ridiculous plan. If they followed it, everyone would die. No one said those things to me at that moment.
"They retreated from the boundary of Glacier Eye and are maintaining a standoff," Amelia reported.
So, the enemy was recovering, waiting for us to waste our energy fighting these guys. Well, while they didn't know if the Order of the Rose was a friend or foe, that was a wise decision.
Damn it, why did we get stuck in the middle?
I raised my shield to protect my upper body.
Boom!
A dagger bounced off as if blocked by an iron wall. But I noticed that even as the seconds ticked by, I didn't feel any accompanying pain in the lower half of my body. They normally took advantage of moments like this to poke me down there, so what was up? I watched the Order of the Rose vaguely distance themselves and realized why.
Ah, it's thanks to these guys.
They were wary of Amelia and Ravien, so they couldn't poke around like before.
Right, you need a high-Agility character to fight a high-Agility character. Whew, that gives me some breathing room.
I shouted loud enough for Akurava to hear me behind her. I had to fulfill two roles at once right now—both tank and captain. "Akurava, tell the others to maintain the standoff with Noark if they can!"
It broke my heart to give Noark time to regroup when all that had been left was to finish them off, but there was nothing I could do.
Huh? But what's this?
Even though I shouted, there was no response from the Order of the Rose. They weren't just ignoring me, either—it looked like they didn't hear anything at all.
"Emily, is there a team communication spell active right now?"
"Ah, I guess the wizards who came down used it."
"...Came down?"
Ravien answered while parrying a dagger aimed at my shoulder. "As soon as the ambush began, the priest and wizards used flotation magic and fled down here."
"Fled? There... were enemies up there too?"
"Yes. Priest Roita Mamander was killed in the ambush."
"I see..." Somehow, the bad news kept coming. Not only were there more than fifteen new enemies, but one of our priests was killed.
That makes nineteen people now.
Our thirty-person squadron had shrunk this much. At this point, even if we managed to make it back alive, it'd be with less than half our original members.
Squeeze.
The anger I had been repressing welled up in my heart. We continued to sacrifice and sacrifice, and it wasn't like we were picturing some rosy future as we did. We were giving our blood, sweat, and tears for a future that was no different from rolling in dog shit. So why were we being subjected to all of this nonsense? I wanted to curse and blame the gods this instant.
"Ahhhhhh!" I vented my anger in a shout and forced myself to dispel the heat fogging up my head. What our team needed right now wasn't hot anger. At least at this moment, I couldn't give into that. "Akurava!"
"Yes, I'm listening!"
"No need to help here—you all recover as much as you can. You're going to have to exert a lot of energy soon."
We only had one shot to get this right.
***
It was a ridiculous plan. If they followed it, everyone would die. No one said those things to me at that moment.
"...All right. I'll do as you say." Akurava immediately carried out my orders and the other members of the squad did the same. It seemed I'd finally been recognized as the leader of this expedition. If that was the case, I felt sort of proud. That meant my hard work hadn't gone completely unacknowledged.
"Behel—aaah!"
As support from the rear ranks ended, the Order of the Rose intensified their attack.
"Yandel is fighting more than ten enemies on his own! Hold them off!"
To make matters worse, Noark finished regrouping and also ended the standoff to officially start attacking again. There was only one thing we could do.
"Hold out!"
In a situation where our priests were out of divine power and long-range support had ceased, we had to buy time and maintain a battle line in the front and back.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Although we were surrounded and battered from both sides, it was surprisingly more manageable than I thought it would be.
They're treating us like corpses now.
Both Noark and the Order of the Rose, who had each accepted our annihilation as inevitable, were engaged in a silent war of nerves.
If we all die, they'll have to fight each other after.
Well, it didn't matter if I felt left out. The enemy's carelessness worked out in our favor. Thanks to that, the time finally came.
Dddddd.
The canyon shook with what felt like an earthquake.
Shaaaaaa!
A pure white chill rose up like a fog from the dark abyss beneath the cliff.
[You have been exposed to Chill of Hatred. Additional effects will be applied to all status effects cast by Glacier Wizard Cariathea.]
Glacier Wizard Cariathea had finally climbed up from the bottom of Glacier Eye.
I didn't plan on using him like this, though... I guess this is what they mean when they say plans never work out the way you expect them to.
"Damn it! Push through!" An urgent cry sounded from Noark's ranks.
Though they were much calmer, the Order of the Rose was also unhappy about this development. "Let's finish this as quickly as possible."
I ended up chuckling.
Can't believe I'm the only one here who calculated when the boss would arrive. Well, that must be why they were so relaxed.
"Gruhhhhhh!" Thousands of skeletal arms emerged from the gathering fog. In the center, the Elder Lich Cariathea glared at us with red-hot eyes.
"Yandel, we're all prepared!"
The big request I'd made of the long-range damagers was fulfilled just in time. Now all that was left was to try it. "Shoot."
[James Calla has cast Piercing Light.]
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Element Synthesis.]
[Titana Akurava has used No. 1911: Fabler's Broken Pocket Watch.]
[Versyl Gowland has cast the rank-three attack spell Flame of Evil Destruction.]
[McKelly Rayothers has cast the rank-three attack spell Punishment.]
[Riard Ashed has cast the rank-three attack spell Magic Ray.]
Everyone with at least one ranged skill, not just the long-rangers, did their best to fire off attacks with as much juice as their cooldown and MP allowed—not toward Noark or the Order of the Rose, but toward the Elder Lich who'd crashed the party.
Kablam!
[Glacier Wizard Cariathea's first Soul Chest has been destroyed.]
It seemed their firepower was sufficient.
"Kyeeeeeek!" The Banshees pulled out of the fog shrieked in pain and went into a frenzy.
Rattle, drag, rattle, clack.
The Elder Lich restored his shattered bones in an instant and extended his hand toward us.
[Glacier Wizard Cariathea has cast Soul Extraction.]
Soul Extraction was the pattern used in Phase Two. I gathered my breath and closed my eyes. "Whew..." That was the only thing I could do. The die had already been thrown.
[All characters within range will be rendered unconscious.]
I could only hope for a good result.
"...All right. I'll do as you say." Akurava immediately carried out my orders and the other members of the squad did the same. It seemed I'd finally been recognized as the leader of this expedition. If that was the case, I felt sort of proud. That meant my hard work hadn't gone completely unacknowledged.
"Behel—aaah!"
As support from the rear ranks ended, the Order of the Rose intensified their attack.
"Yandel is fighting more than ten enemies on his own! Hold them off!"
To make matters worse, Noark finished regrouping and also ended the standoff to officially start attacking again. There was only one thing we could do.
"Hold out!"
In a situation where our priests were out of divine power and long-range support had ceased, we had to buy time and maintain a battle line in the front and back.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Although we were surrounded and battered from both sides, it was surprisingly more manageable than I thought it would be.
They're treating us like corpses now.
Both Noark and the Order of the Rose, who had each accepted our annihilation as inevitable, were engaged in a silent war of nerves.
If we all die, they'll have to fight each other after.
Well, it didn't matter if I felt left out. The enemy's carelessness worked out in our favor. Thanks to that, the time finally came.
Dddddd.
The canyon shook with what felt like an earthquake.
Shaaaaaa!
A pure white chill rose up like a fog from the dark abyss beneath the cliff.
[You have been exposed to Chill of Hatred. Additional effects will be applied to all status effects cast by Glacier Wizard Cariathea.]
Glacier Wizard Cariathea had finally climbed up from the bottom of Glacier Eye.
I didn't plan on using him like this, though... I guess this is what they mean when they say plans never work out the way you expect them to.
"Damn it! Push through!" An urgent cry sounded from Noark's ranks.
Though they were much calmer, the Order of the Rose was also unhappy about this development. "Let's finish this as quickly as possible."
I ended up chuckling.
Can't believe I'm the only one here who calculated when the boss would arrive. Well, that must be why they were so relaxed.
"Gruhhhhhh!" Thousands of skeletal arms emerged from the gathering fog. In the center, the Elder Lich Cariathea glared at us with red-hot eyes.
"Yandel, we're all prepared!"
The big request I'd made of the long-range damagers was fulfilled just in time. Now all that was left was to try it. "Shoot."
[James Calla has cast Piercing Light.]
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Element Synthesis.]
[Titana Akurava has used No. 1911: Fabler's Broken Pocket Watch.]
[Versyl Gowland has cast the rank-three attack spell Flame of Evil Destruction.]
[McKelly Rayothers has cast the rank-three attack spell Punishment.]
[Riard Ashed has cast the rank-three attack spell Magic Ray.]
Everyone with at least one ranged skill, not just the long-rangers, did their best to fire off attacks with as much juice as their cooldown and MP allowed—not toward Noark or the Order of the Rose, but toward the Elder Lich who'd crashed the party.
Kablam!
[Glacier Wizard Cariathea's first Soul Chest has been destroyed.]
It seemed their firepower was sufficient.
"Kyeeeeeek!" The Banshees pulled out of the fog shrieked in pain and went into a frenzy.
Rattle, drag, rattle, clack.
The Elder Lich restored his shattered bones in an instant and extended his hand toward us.
[Glacier Wizard Cariathea has cast Soul Extraction.]
Soul Extraction was the pattern used in Phase Two. I gathered my breath and closed my eyes. "Whew..." That was the only thing I could do. The die had already been thrown.
[All characters within range will be rendered unconscious.]
I could only hope for a good result.