Chapter 426: Like Ice (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 426: Like Ice (1)
This was a completely different situation from Glacier Eye, where it only took four people to block the whole path. This place was an open space on all sides. The area the front line needed to block had widened, while the number of front liners in the squadron had decreased.
Me, Jun, and Goblin.
We were the only three real tanks left. On top of that, one of Jun's legs was paralyzed, making it hard for him to utilize all his power.
Rickerburn, Kaislan, Ravien, Amelia...
Front liners belonging to the close-range damage-dealer category were spaced out to help form the wall as well. Of course, there were too many holes to call it a proper wall, but complaining about that wouldn't solve anything. We chose the best option we had available to us. All that was left to do now was see how it played out.
Shaaaaaa!
Black fog spread in all directions, covering the space between our two groups. This was the work of the other side's dark wizard. Although the fog had some debuff effects, its real purpose was probably to obscure our vision.
Visibility is about one yard.
My warrior's body was on high alert thanks to my limited field of vision.
"Gruhhh..." Various undead monsters emerged from the darkness, baring their teeth and swinging their claws. These were summons courtesy of the priest of Karui. Throwing numbers at us was useless in Glacier Eye, considering its narrow path, but that wasn't the case now.
Smash!
I swung my hammer every which way to push the approaching monsters back. Which was when...
"Mister—!"
Whip!
The moment Erwen's warning reached my ears, with a brief whoosh, a sharp blade emerged from the darkness to swing at my neck.
Khak!
I was slower to react than usual because of my limited visibility, but I still managed to block it with my shield. Then, a second later, a white light emanated from the spot above my heart.
Whooom!
At first, I was bewildered, but I quickly pieced together what was happening.
[Periton Eriabosti has cast Undying Light.]
It was a buff from one of the priests—a skill that didn't have much use in the game except to raise your Spirit stat.
Did he use it to improve our visibility? That's smart.
I found myself chuckling.
Shaaaaaa!
The white light blooming from my heart pushed the darkness away, allowing me to see about three yards ahead. Of course, the darkness filling the empty spaces remained. I could just barely make out Sven Parav and Amelia to my left and right.
Khak!
I may not have been able to see their faces in the darkness, but the lights burning at their hearts were vivid as they moved with them, like fireflies gliding through the dark.
"Ahhhhhh!" I bounced back a blade flying in with my shield and swung my hammer wildly, checking on the lights floating around me all the while.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
The turbulent flickering indicated fierce battles. Though they may have made us easy-to-see targets for the enemy, they were also a signal to us that our comrades were still alive and fighting. It was evidence to back up our faith in each other.
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Concentrated Fire.]
Arrows were fired, casting away the darkness.
[Benjamin Orman has cast Moonlight of Purification.]
Particles of light fell from the sky and seeped into my body.
Stab!
The longer the fight dragged on, though, the more wounds accumulated on my person.
The woman who introduced herself as Six said, "You are much weaker than before."
That was because I couldn't use Iron Fortress right now. Even if Elemental Barbarian (Earth) Mode was activated, my ability to block auras was significantly reduced. That wasn't all, either. I didn't even have the Strength bonus that came with Giantization. I couldn't use Swing, my sole attack skill, or Eye of the Storm, which caught enemies off guard and allowed me to keep them in check.
However, as I always said: "So what?" I grinned and added, "If you really think I'm weaker, then kill me. But I'll never go down."
I was dead set on that. Fights like these were won by the people who were still standing at the end.
"...You trust in your priests that much?"
Well, she wasn't wrong for assuming that was where my confidence was coming from. If it weren't for the heals coming in even as we spoke, it would have been tough for me to hold out.
What are you scoffing at? What a weird lady.
"Is it wrong to trust in my comrades?" Dungeon and Stone was a team game, after all.
Bang!
I struck my hammer down at the source of the loud sound. However, I didn't feel the tell-tale sensation of a skull being crushed through my fingertips.
"You seem impatient for someone who trusts his comrades."
Ugh, you really talk a lot.
"Are you anxious? That I'm the only one fighting you right now?"
It was obvious what she was trying to do—goad me into revealing even the slightest of weaknesses. If it weren't for that, there would be no reason for this stone-cold woman to go on yapping. The problem was that it was kind of working.
Whoom!
I swung my hammer again, but my doubt and anxiety did not ease. Where were all the others? I had been sure more enemies would flock to me. I thought it would make things easier for my comrades if I was able to take them all on.
"Aaagh!" Through the sounds of weapons clashing, a scream caught my ear.
"Bjorn Yandel, you are the last one."
Who did that scream belong to?
"Because I already knew that you wouldn't be one to go down easily."
The enemy? Or an ally? I had no way of knowing.
"So I hope you are not defeated until the—"
I forced my hot head to cool down. It wasn't like I could go over there and check right now. "Behel—aaaaaah!"
I just had to have faith and do my job.
***
The archbishop who took him in at a young age told him, "You don't have parents anymore. Your only parent is Tovera, the brilliant sun. Worldly attachments are meaningless to an agent of god, so cast away your human heart. From now on, your name is Jun."
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Concentrated Fire.]
Arrows were fired, casting away the darkness.
[Benjamin Orman has cast Moonlight of Purification.]
Particles of light fell from the sky and seeped into my body.
Stab!
The longer the fight dragged on, though, the more wounds accumulated on my person.
The woman who introduced herself as Six said, "You are much weaker than before."
That was because I couldn't use Iron Fortress right now. Even if Elemental Barbarian (Earth) Mode was activated, my ability to block auras was significantly reduced. That wasn't all, either. I didn't even have the Strength bonus that came with Giantization. I couldn't use Swing, my sole attack skill, or Eye of the Storm, which caught enemies off guard and allowed me to keep them in check.
However, as I always said: "So what?" I grinned and added, "If you really think I'm weaker, then kill me. But I'll never go down."
I was dead set on that. Fights like these were won by the people who were still standing at the end.
"...You trust in your priests that much?"
Well, she wasn't wrong for assuming that was where my confidence was coming from. If it weren't for the heals coming in even as we spoke, it would have been tough for me to hold out.
What are you scoffing at? What a weird lady.
"Is it wrong to trust in my comrades?" Dungeon and Stone was a team game, after all.
Bang!
I struck my hammer down at the source of the loud sound. However, I didn't feel the tell-tale sensation of a skull being crushed through my fingertips.
"You seem impatient for someone who trusts his comrades."
Ugh, you really talk a lot.
"Are you anxious? That I'm the only one fighting you right now?"
It was obvious what she was trying to do—goad me into revealing even the slightest of weaknesses. If it weren't for that, there would be no reason for this stone-cold woman to go on yapping. The problem was that it was kind of working.
Whoom!
I swung my hammer again, but my doubt and anxiety did not ease. Where were all the others? I had been sure more enemies would flock to me. I thought it would make things easier for my comrades if I was able to take them all on.
"Aaagh!" Through the sounds of weapons clashing, a scream caught my ear.
"Bjorn Yandel, you are the last one."
Who did that scream belong to?
"Because I already knew that you wouldn't be one to go down easily."
The enemy? Or an ally? I had no way of knowing.
"So I hope you are not defeated until the—"
I forced my hot head to cool down. It wasn't like I could go over there and check right now. "Behel—aaaaaah!"
I just had to have faith and do my job.
***
The archbishop who took him in at a young age told him, "You don't have parents anymore. Your only parent is Tovera, the brilliant sun. Worldly attachments are meaningless to an agent of god, so cast away your human heart. From now on, your name is Jun."
Jun, a former inquisitor of the Tovera Church, had thus abandoned his old surname, Arshen. From that day on, he had lived life not as a human being, but as a beast otherwise known as an agent of god.
"It must be done. You are a man too."
He'd castrated himself of desire and recited prayers.
"I-It hurts...!"
"It seems your human heart still lingers."
He underwent training that bordered on torture every day.
"You can get back up. As long as the light of the sun is with you."
There were times he wished to just let himself break down, but the light of the sun forcibly healed him. By the time he became an adult, Jun had become something that could no longer be called a person. There was no room for doubt. He just did what the church instructed him to do in the name of their god.
Why was it...?
There was no particular catalyst. It had been an ordinary day. The sky was cloudy but the sunlight still felt warm on his skin. That day, Jun Arshen had been looking up at the sky blankly when he questioned his beliefs for the first time.
Am I right?
It was a long overdue question. Looking back, he didn't know why it suddenly came to him at that moment. It might have been that the family of three he saw on the street that day had looked so bright. The one thing he knew for sure was that his life as a beast came to an end that day.
"...W-What?! How could you do such a thing?!"
He left his position as an inquisitor and returned to being an ordinary member of the church. Although he went about things in reverse order, it was only then that he became disillusioned with how the church was run. He didn't hate his god. That question, the one that came to him like a revelation that cloudy day, had been the first time he'd felt the presence of god so intimately. If anything, it had only strengthened his faith.
I... am not right.
Frustration took precedence over anger. The weight of the sins being committed in god's name finally began to press down on his shoulders. It seemed an ordinary life was out of his reach, but as a result, Jun yearned for it all the more. That was probably why.
"I will ask one last thing of you."
Jun Arshen accepted one final mission from the archbishop, now the cardinal, before officially ending their professional relationship. As he genuinely believed this mission was for the good of the world, instead of creating non-existent sinners as he'd seen the church do in the past, he thought he could use it to atone for his sins in some small way.
Which brought him to this moment.
Baaang!
"Punishment."
Perhaps this was a way of punishing a foolish child who had misinterpreted god's will and had been manipulated by those swayed by twisted human hearts. Yes, there were times in the beginning when he thought that way. But he knew better now. If this was punishment, it was wrong.
"You... are wrong."
Even if he had dragged himself out of the beastly life he'd been living, this was not right.
"Aaaaaagh!"
"H-How did they get here?!"
The light on his heart went out, the light of those who wished to run toward the future.
Jun, a former inquisitor of the Tovera Church, had thus abandoned his old surname, Arshen. From that day on, he had lived life not as a human being, but as a beast otherwise known as an agent of god.
"It must be done. You are a man too."
He'd castrated himself of desire and recited prayers.
"I-It hurts...!"
"It seems your human heart still lingers."
He underwent training that bordered on torture every day.
"You can get back up. As long as the light of the sun is with you."
There were times he wished to just let himself break down, but the light of the sun forcibly healed him. By the time he became an adult, Jun had become something that could no longer be called a person. There was no room for doubt. He just did what the church instructed him to do in the name of their god.
Why was it...?
There was no particular catalyst. It had been an ordinary day. The sky was cloudy but the sunlight still felt warm on his skin. That day, Jun Arshen had been looking up at the sky blankly when he questioned his beliefs for the first time.
Am I right?
It was a long overdue question. Looking back, he didn't know why it suddenly came to him at that moment. It might have been that the family of three he saw on the street that day had looked so bright. The one thing he knew for sure was that his life as a beast came to an end that day.
"...W-What?! How could you do such a thing?!"
He left his position as an inquisitor and returned to being an ordinary member of the church. Although he went about things in reverse order, it was only then that he became disillusioned with how the church was run. He didn't hate his god. That question, the one that came to him like a revelation that cloudy day, had been the first time he'd felt the presence of god so intimately. If anything, it had only strengthened his faith.
I... am not right.
Frustration took precedence over anger. The weight of the sins being committed in god's name finally began to press down on his shoulders. It seemed an ordinary life was out of his reach, but as a result, Jun yearned for it all the more. That was probably why.
"I will ask one last thing of you."
Jun Arshen accepted one final mission from the archbishop, now the cardinal, before officially ending their professional relationship. As he genuinely believed this mission was for the good of the world, instead of creating non-existent sinners as he'd seen the church do in the past, he thought he could use it to atone for his sins in some small way.
Which brought him to this moment.
Baaang!
"Punishment."
Perhaps this was a way of punishing a foolish child who had misinterpreted god's will and had been manipulated by those swayed by twisted human hearts. Yes, there were times in the beginning when he thought that way. But he knew better now. If this was punishment, it was wrong.
"You... are wrong."
Even if he had dragged himself out of the beastly life he'd been living, this was not right.
"Aaaaaagh!"
"H-How did they get here?!"
The light on his heart went out, the light of those who wished to run toward the future.
Slide.
His paralyzed right leg didn't permit him to go forward, but...
Slide.
Jun dragged his leg and, even though his movements were shaky and it looked like he could fall at any moment, stumbled forward little by little.
Slide.
As he did so, he realized something. They may have only seemed like empty words, but it was true that those who wished to go forward could go forward, no matter the circumstance.
Slide.
If it weren't for that man, I would have never known that.
Just then, a sound came from behind him. "Jun! W-What are you doing?!"
Periton Eriabosti was a woman who, unlike himself, had likely lived a very bright life and carried out pure, untainted justice. She fought to survive for the sake of her beloved child.
It wasn't just her, either. "Barhatun Wiar!" The bearded wizard had a beloved wife.
[Guold Aldidi has used Invalidate.]
The old man who lost his child had a long-cherished wish to fulfill.
[Titana Akurava has cast Vampire Awl.]
The dwarf believed in a firm cause.
What Rickerburn said before the battle began popped into his mind. "This is making me more miserable the more I listen. If I were to choose the most insignificant person here, it would be me."
He was wrong.
Of the eighteen people still alive right now—no, of all thirty people who started out on this journey, the most insignificant of them all is probably—no, it's definitely... me.
Jun realized at that moment the role he had to play.
"Come back over here, quick!"
Born with only his parents' names on his back, he became an inquisitor, then lost his way and arrived here. Everything he saw, heard, and felt on this lifelong journey was all leading up to this moment.
"I'm only doing what I have to do."
This was like a revelation. The moment he realized it, his mind cleared. There was no more fear. It didn't even occur to him that this moment was an ordeal. The fact that one of his legs wouldn't move felt like all the more reason to stand right here in this spot.
"To think there was a tank here too."
"He can't use his leg."
"Is that why he's back here?"
"Get rid of him, quick."
The enemies and their red-hot auras rushed toward him in unison. Jun raised his shield.
Kak-kak-kak!
Two daggers pierced the shield.
Stab!
Two daggers pierced his lungs. There was no pain, though. For the first time in his life, he felt grateful for the harsh training he received as a child.
[Jun Arshen has cast Holy Descent.]
The power of god dwelled in his body. He truly felt that he could accomplish anything in that moment. He let out a shout, though it may not have been a shout appropriate for a paladin.
"Behel—aaaaaah!"
He couldn't pay for all the sins he'd committed, anyway. So this one should be okay. Yes, just this once, perhaps it was okay to let out a shout because he wanted to let it out.
Slide.
His paralyzed right leg didn't permit him to go forward, but...
Slide.
Jun dragged his leg and, even though his movements were shaky and it looked like he could fall at any moment, stumbled forward little by little.
Slide.
As he did so, he realized something. They may have only seemed like empty words, but it was true that those who wished to go forward could go forward, no matter the circumstance.
Slide.
If it weren't for that man, I would have never known that.
Just then, a sound came from behind him. "Jun! W-What are you doing?!"
Periton Eriabosti was a woman who, unlike himself, had likely lived a very bright life and carried out pure, untainted justice. She fought to survive for the sake of her beloved child.
It wasn't just her, either. "Barhatun Wiar!" The bearded wizard had a beloved wife.
[Guold Aldidi has used Invalidate.]
The old man who lost his child had a long-cherished wish to fulfill.
[Titana Akurava has cast Vampire Awl.]
The dwarf believed in a firm cause.
What Rickerburn said before the battle began popped into his mind. "This is making me more miserable the more I listen. If I were to choose the most insignificant person here, it would be me."
He was wrong.
Of the eighteen people still alive right now—no, of all thirty people who started out on this journey, the most insignificant of them all is probably—no, it's definitely... me.
Jun realized at that moment the role he had to play.
"Come back over here, quick!"
Born with only his parents' names on his back, he became an inquisitor, then lost his way and arrived here. Everything he saw, heard, and felt on this lifelong journey was all leading up to this moment.
"I'm only doing what I have to do."
This was like a revelation. The moment he realized it, his mind cleared. There was no more fear. It didn't even occur to him that this moment was an ordeal. The fact that one of his legs wouldn't move felt like all the more reason to stand right here in this spot.
"To think there was a tank here too."
"He can't use his leg."
"Is that why he's back here?"
"Get rid of him, quick."
The enemies and their red-hot auras rushed toward him in unison. Jun raised his shield.
Kak-kak-kak!
Two daggers pierced the shield.
Stab!
Two daggers pierced his lungs. There was no pain, though. For the first time in his life, he felt grateful for the harsh training he received as a child.
[Jun Arshen has cast Holy Descent.]
The power of god dwelled in his body. He truly felt that he could accomplish anything in that moment. He let out a shout, though it may not have been a shout appropriate for a paladin.
"Behel—aaaaaah!"
He couldn't pay for all the sins he'd committed, anyway. So this one should be okay. Yes, just this once, perhaps it was okay to let out a shout because he wanted to let it out.
"We have to help Jun!"
The priest, wizard, and archer in the rear line behind him used their talents to start helping him as best they could. Despite this, Jun's flame was quickly extinguished.
Rattle.
His shield dropped from his arm as his tendon was severed.
Stab, stab, stab!
Daggers cut through his upper body. Jun no longer thought about blocking or dodging these blows. He just focused on staying on his feet and standing tall. As they watched this unfold, the Order of the Rose exchanged incredulous commentary.
"He should've died from that injury a long time ago."
"But why isn't he dropping?"
"We've already wasted three minutes. Hurry up and get rid of him."
The attacks became more intense.
Stab!
The blood on the floor formed a puddle and Jun's mind went blank. He didn't know how many minutes he stood there for. His sense of time was distorted and the enemy's faces were blurry, but one thing was clear.
Shaaaaaa!
The lights swaying in the darkness... that man would be among them.
Bjorn Yandel.
Even at this moment, he was probably pushing forward one step after another, doing what he had to do.
"Clan..." Did they say they were going to form one back in the city? Jun was not afraid of death, but he did feel a sudden sense of regret. When the idea was first mentioned he hadn't said anything, thinking it wasn't his place, but... "It sounded fun..." It definitely would have been.
The palace, Noark, and the numerous other institutions that abandoned us... Even if all of them have turned against us...
Stab!
A sharp blade dug into and up his lungs. Jun intuitively realized that his flame had completely burned out. His noisy surroundings went quiet and his vision went black. The light swaying in the distance faded away, leaving a stain-like mark behind his eyes.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
The darkness receded and his surroundings were filled with a light that felt not unlike a parent coming to greet that young child who had finally completed his mission. A warm kind of light that embraced his entire body.
"Haha..." Jun chuckled. Even if this was just a hallucination he was seeing before he died, even if this was just vain hope and faith... "Save me... from my wandering..."
Do not punish this foolish sinner with whips. Please, embrace this tired soul...
It was the moment he had been yearning for for so long.
***
There were no strategies or tactics to be found. Just a series of struggles to survive.
Kwaaang!
The melee was full of explosions, the clash of weapons, shouts, and screams. It was so chaotic that I wouldn't be surprised to hear anyone's name on either the list of survivors or the list of the dead, and it dragged on for who knew how long.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
The fog surrounding us began to dissipate. It couldn't be because the dark wizard had already run out of mana, though.
Did someone kill the dark wizard? Well, I guess I'll find out soon.
Soon, the fog cleared completely and my vision returned to normal. The first thing I saw was a frowning woman in front of me. A knight was swinging his sword vigorously in the distance, where the enemy's rear ranks were gathered, and I saw that it was Melend Kaislan. Near him, a robe-clad, scrawny body was slumped forward without a head.
"We have to help Jun!"
The priest, wizard, and archer in the rear line behind him used their talents to start helping him as best they could. Despite this, Jun's flame was quickly extinguished.
Rattle.
His shield dropped from his arm as his tendon was severed.
Stab, stab, stab!
Daggers cut through his upper body. Jun no longer thought about blocking or dodging these blows. He just focused on staying on his feet and standing tall. As they watched this unfold, the Order of the Rose exchanged incredulous commentary.
"He should've died from that injury a long time ago."
"But why isn't he dropping?"
"We've already wasted three minutes. Hurry up and get rid of him."
The attacks became more intense.
Stab!
The blood on the floor formed a puddle and Jun's mind went blank. He didn't know how many minutes he stood there for. His sense of time was distorted and the enemy's faces were blurry, but one thing was clear.
Shaaaaaa!
The lights swaying in the darkness... that man would be among them.
Bjorn Yandel.
Even at this moment, he was probably pushing forward one step after another, doing what he had to do.
"Clan..." Did they say they were going to form one back in the city? Jun was not afraid of death, but he did feel a sudden sense of regret. When the idea was first mentioned he hadn't said anything, thinking it wasn't his place, but... "It sounded fun..." It definitely would have been.
The palace, Noark, and the numerous other institutions that abandoned us... Even if all of them have turned against us...
Stab!
A sharp blade dug into and up his lungs. Jun intuitively realized that his flame had completely burned out. His noisy surroundings went quiet and his vision went black. The light swaying in the distance faded away, leaving a stain-like mark behind his eyes.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
The darkness receded and his surroundings were filled with a light that felt not unlike a parent coming to greet that young child who had finally completed his mission. A warm kind of light that embraced his entire body.
"Haha..." Jun chuckled. Even if this was just a hallucination he was seeing before he died, even if this was just vain hope and faith... "Save me... from my wandering..."
Do not punish this foolish sinner with whips. Please, embrace this tired soul...
It was the moment he had been yearning for for so long.
***
There were no strategies or tactics to be found. Just a series of struggles to survive.
Kwaaang!
The melee was full of explosions, the clash of weapons, shouts, and screams. It was so chaotic that I wouldn't be surprised to hear anyone's name on either the list of survivors or the list of the dead, and it dragged on for who knew how long.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
The fog surrounding us began to dissipate. It couldn't be because the dark wizard had already run out of mana, though.
Did someone kill the dark wizard? Well, I guess I'll find out soon.
Soon, the fog cleared completely and my vision returned to normal. The first thing I saw was a frowning woman in front of me. A knight was swinging his sword vigorously in the distance, where the enemy's rear ranks were gathered, and I saw that it was Melend Kaislan. Near him, a robe-clad, scrawny body was slumped forward without a head.
When did he get there? I wasn't expecting that at all, but this is great.
I looked to the left and right. There were no deaths on the front line, but everyone looked worse for wear. The worst was Ravien. She had claimed she fought well with her fists, but without her sword, she looked messed up.
Okay, no one's dead yet. Then what about the rear? I think that's where the scream earlier came from. It sounded like someone shouted the names of my ancestors too.
I couldn't be sure. There was so much noise all around.
Dash.
I took advantage of the temporary distance between the woman and me and quickly glanced back. Despite what I was expecting, the rear looked the worst off. Three Order of the Rose members stood right in front of them. One body lay on the floor. My heart dropped the moment I saw it, but it was a member of the Order.
Jun stopped them.
I could see Jun standing in front of the rear line to protect them. As soon as I spotted him, I remembered the conversation we had before the battle began.
"You... want me to hide in the rear?"
He didn't seem to like my request, but I convinced him that the real battle would begin once we got back to the city, and that I'd need his strength outside the labyrinth. He had reluctantly nodded.
He can't even walk properly and he's that torn up...
I let out a sharp breath when I saw the state Jun was in. His body was drenched in blood and it'd be harder to find a spot on him that wasn't sliced to ribbons. He probably made the call that this was not the time to protect himself for the sake of the future.
If it weren't for him, the rear would have been annihilated.
While the realization was enough to leave me lightheaded, it also brought me relief. Thanks to Jun's fighting spirit, the rear line had been able to kill one of the Roses.
Thump!
I noticed the discrepancy a moment later.
"Why...?" Jun was still standing upright, though he wasn't holding a shield. "Where is his light?"
Unlike the other members of our squadron, his light was not lit. And unlike my pounding heart, my mind provided an answer to my question right away.
So, he's dead.
I wasn't the only one who was late to notice his death. The members of the Order fighting Jun also realized he was dead and ran forward to ambush the rear, but their daggers did not reach their target.
Clang!
Amelia and her clone had moved back as soon as she saw what was going on and parried the two blades.
Six glanced around at the dead members of her order, her eyes emotionless. "The damage is greater than I thought," she muttered.
Dash.
She immediately kicked off the ground and ran, but not toward me, her mark.
Motherfu—!
She went somewhere else entirely—back to the rear, which Amelia was narrowly managing to defend on her own.
"Mister...!"
Erwen's shout served as a signal to follow Six. I felt like I could read this woman's mind now.
That bitch must have noticed I can't use my active skills by now.
I was a barbarian tank whose active skills were sealed. Of course, my body was tough thanks to Elementalization, but in a many-v-many scrum, I wasn't as big of a threat. Meanwhile, my squadron's performance was lacking. Using this as her basis, Six would've come to the decision that it was more efficient to ditch me to focus on other things than stay here trying to keep me in check.
"Erwen!" As soon as I shouted for help, spiritual energy was shot at our enemy.
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Concentrated Fire.]
The objective was to stop Six's charge.
Whip!
Six nimbly jumped out of the way and flipped in the air, which meant the arrow had achieved its objective. I didn't pass up on the opportunity to narrow the distance, and I fired off orders as I did. "Erwen, change attributes."
"To what?"
When I told her the attribute I wanted, the change immediately began.
Shaaaaaa!
The attribute was not water, fire, earth, or wind. It was Blood Spirit's main attribute.
[The Spirit of Darkness now dwells in your body.]
A thick, ominous darkness spread over my skin.
[All Resistance values are fixed at 0. Divine Resistance is fixed at -200. Darkness Resistance is fixed at +800. Abyssal Blessing Bonus. You receive immunity to all types of status effects. All types of attacks receive Unavoidable Strike Correction.]
This was Elemental Barbarian (Dark) Extreme Damage Mode.
When did he get there? I wasn't expecting that at all, but this is great.
I looked to the left and right. There were no deaths on the front line, but everyone looked worse for wear. The worst was Ravien. She had claimed she fought well with her fists, but without her sword, she looked messed up.
Okay, no one's dead yet. Then what about the rear? I think that's where the scream earlier came from. It sounded like someone shouted the names of my ancestors too.
I couldn't be sure. There was so much noise all around.
Dash.
I took advantage of the temporary distance between the woman and me and quickly glanced back. Despite what I was expecting, the rear looked the worst off. Three Order of the Rose members stood right in front of them. One body lay on the floor. My heart dropped the moment I saw it, but it was a member of the Order.
Jun stopped them.
I could see Jun standing in front of the rear line to protect them. As soon as I spotted him, I remembered the conversation we had before the battle began.
"You... want me to hide in the rear?"
He didn't seem to like my request, but I convinced him that the real battle would begin once we got back to the city, and that I'd need his strength outside the labyrinth. He had reluctantly nodded.
He can't even walk properly and he's that torn up...
I let out a sharp breath when I saw the state Jun was in. His body was drenched in blood and it'd be harder to find a spot on him that wasn't sliced to ribbons. He probably made the call that this was not the time to protect himself for the sake of the future.
If it weren't for him, the rear would have been annihilated.
While the realization was enough to leave me lightheaded, it also brought me relief. Thanks to Jun's fighting spirit, the rear line had been able to kill one of the Roses.
Thump!
I noticed the discrepancy a moment later.
"Why...?" Jun was still standing upright, though he wasn't holding a shield. "Where is his light?"
Unlike the other members of our squadron, his light was not lit. And unlike my pounding heart, my mind provided an answer to my question right away.
So, he's dead.
I wasn't the only one who was late to notice his death. The members of the Order fighting Jun also realized he was dead and ran forward to ambush the rear, but their daggers did not reach their target.
Clang!
Amelia and her clone had moved back as soon as she saw what was going on and parried the two blades.
Six glanced around at the dead members of her order, her eyes emotionless. "The damage is greater than I thought," she muttered.
Dash.
She immediately kicked off the ground and ran, but not toward me, her mark.
Motherfu—!
She went somewhere else entirely—back to the rear, which Amelia was narrowly managing to defend on her own.
"Mister...!"
Erwen's shout served as a signal to follow Six. I felt like I could read this woman's mind now.
That bitch must have noticed I can't use my active skills by now.
I was a barbarian tank whose active skills were sealed. Of course, my body was tough thanks to Elementalization, but in a many-v-many scrum, I wasn't as big of a threat. Meanwhile, my squadron's performance was lacking. Using this as her basis, Six would've come to the decision that it was more efficient to ditch me to focus on other things than stay here trying to keep me in check.
"Erwen!" As soon as I shouted for help, spiritual energy was shot at our enemy.
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has cast Concentrated Fire.]
The objective was to stop Six's charge.
Whip!
Six nimbly jumped out of the way and flipped in the air, which meant the arrow had achieved its objective. I didn't pass up on the opportunity to narrow the distance, and I fired off orders as I did. "Erwen, change attributes."
"To what?"
When I told her the attribute I wanted, the change immediately began.
Shaaaaaa!
The attribute was not water, fire, earth, or wind. It was Blood Spirit's main attribute.
[The Spirit of Darkness now dwells in your body.]
A thick, ominous darkness spread over my skin.
[All Resistance values are fixed at 0. Divine Resistance is fixed at -200. Darkness Resistance is fixed at +800. Abyssal Blessing Bonus. You receive immunity to all types of status effects. All types of attacks receive Unavoidable Strike Correction.]
This was Elemental Barbarian (Dark) Extreme Damage Mode.