Chapter 69: Barbarian Hero (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Barbarian Hero (2)
"He must be in a bind because there's no one to clear the way for you. Give me the Essence of an Orc Hero, and I will clear the way as the vanguard."
Missha's brother gave me a cold look. "I see now—you're just a lunatic. No one to clear the way? What are you talking about? Can't you see the wizards over there?"
It was then that I realized something: talking to this guy was a waste of time. He was only a low-ranking member who didn't have enough knowledge to make his own calls, and he was not fully aware of the current situation. The same was true for the other members currently observing this interaction from the sidelines.
"Half-wit, you come here. I don't want to bear the stigma of leaving my younger sister in danger."
"B-Bjorn...?"
I needed someone I could actually communicate with. For example, the top guy who would have led the battle with Riakis.
Someone like that would have some sense. But I don't think this guy's going to bring me his boss if I ask nicely...
"Ahem." First, I cleared my throat. Then, like a barbarian, I shouted with all my might. "Invest in me if you don't want to die. I'll clear the way!" Anyone with ears couldn't help but hear my yell.
A moment later, a man stepped forward. "You, what's your name?"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Iraj McGrain. For now, I am the deputy commander of the Dzarwi clan." Introductions were finished in an instant, and he immediately got to the point. "Tell me, Bjorn Yandel. Who told you that we defeated an Orc Hero?"
Is that where you want to start?
"I guessed."
"You guessed...?"
"Yes." Of course, I didn't understand it at first, either. Why would such a large clan come down to control something like an orc colony? But after carefully combining the clues, I came to a conclusion. "If you came down just to catch an Orc Warrior, you wouldn't have brought all those supplies." What, you're a large clan? Do you always carry that many consumables? No way. Maybe that was true to some extent, but this went way past that. "Unless you had another objective."
The rank-five monster Orc Hero was a kind of hidden boss that could be summoned by sacrificing 777 mana stones from Mighty Orc Warriors at the altar in the center of the colony. This had to have been their goal. An Orc Lord, a rare monster whose odds of appearing were very low, couldn't be taken down no matter what they did.
All of those supplies must have been in case the Orc Lord did come out.
"But it seems the Orc Lord hasn't appeared."
"Ha. And you know about that, too?" McGrain was surprised but didn't ask any further questions. "Okay, then, explain to us the reason we need you." His sentence omitted many questions that he must still have had. There was no more time to waste here.
Since I could pick up the scent of an efficiency freak from this man, I got straight to the point too. "I have the Immortality Imprint and the essence of a vampire. By the way, it's the essence of a Guardian of the Rift."
"That means you can use all three vampire abilities." To hear that a vampire had appeared as a rift guardian would have been a first to him, but McGrain just nodded and moved on. "And?"
"I have the essence of a Corpse Golem. It's not well known, but Pain Resistance—"
"There is no need to explain in detail. That means you can fight while drinking potions."
"...That's right."
"Is that it?" When I nodded truthfully, McGrain closed his eyes as if to put his thoughts in order. As a person suspected of being an efficiency freak, he didn't take much time to do so. "That's definitely not bad. No, compared to the two of them, you're far superior." When he said this, his reaction was completely different from that of Missha's brother, who had looked at me like a madman. He was even quicker to come to a decision. "Okay, I'll invest in you."
Taylon spat out something from beside him. "Deputy Chief! That essence was commissioned by the royal family—!"
"Enough! All we have to do is say that the essence did not appear. If one essence can save even a few more people, isn't that worth investing in?" McGrain immediately dismissed his counterargument and continued talking to me. "Of course, there is a condition. If we get out of this alive, come join our clan."
Fuck, no wonder he had agreed so easily. It wasn't even worth considering. "I refuse."
Once you joined a clan, it was difficult to get out. It wasn't like it couldn't be done, but you'd end up branded as a traitor. Once, I had even been the target of a raid in the labyrinth after not paying the fee to leave my clan.
But this was reality, not a game. "Why?" McGrain asked. "This should be a good deal for you."
"I have no intention of working under anyone yet." Unless I created my own clan in the future, there was no need to join a group and have my actions constrained. Well, if my life were really at stake, I wouldn't have had any other options, but they didn't have a choice either. We were playing a sort of game of chicken where the winner had already been decided. I only had my life at stake, but this guy was carrying the lives of twenty-three people on his shoulders.
"How unfortunate," McGrain finally said.
"So, what is your decision?"
"Okay, I'll give you the essence." Did he think it was a waste of time to even argue? McGrain shook off his disappointment and had someone bring me a box.
This is strangely nerve-racking.
I tried to calm down as I slowly opened the box.
Click.
There were three Orc Heroes that could be summoned with mana stones. Each had a unique name. In other words, as high-ranking mutants, they left behind fairly formidable essences. Therefore, even though they were rank-five monsters, attacking them in a raid was essential.
Denish? Belta? Tarugas? Which of the three spat out the essence?
I usually referred to these guys as the three orc brothers, and they each dropped an essence of a certain color. Denish had the red essence containing Cry of Frenzy. Belta had the blue essence containing the Fighting Flag. Tarugas had the green essence containing the skill that was also the core of my shield barbarian power-up method. Which of the three had come out?
"Whew..." Immediately after opening the box, I checked the color of the transparent Magic Vial. "It's green."
Luck was on my side, and it was making me anxious.
[The Essence of the Orc Hero seeps into your soul. Strength has increased by +70. Agility has increased by +35. Fighting Spirit has increased by +40. Physical Resistance has increased by +20. Bone Strength has increased by +30.]
The shift was dramatic and immediate. There were no external changes like there had been for Ainar, but like with any physical essence, I was overflowing with power.
Grip!
Not even taking into account the improvement in muscle strength, my weight felt like it had decreased as my agility increased. From now on, I would be able to move more agilely than before.
"...That's right."
"Is that it?" When I nodded truthfully, McGrain closed his eyes as if to put his thoughts in order. As a person suspected of being an efficiency freak, he didn't take much time to do so. "That's definitely not bad. No, compared to the two of them, you're far superior." When he said this, his reaction was completely different from that of Missha's brother, who had looked at me like a madman. He was even quicker to come to a decision. "Okay, I'll invest in you."
Taylon spat out something from beside him. "Deputy Chief! That essence was commissioned by the royal family—!"
"Enough! All we have to do is say that the essence did not appear. If one essence can save even a few more people, isn't that worth investing in?" McGrain immediately dismissed his counterargument and continued talking to me. "Of course, there is a condition. If we get out of this alive, come join our clan."
Fuck, no wonder he had agreed so easily. It wasn't even worth considering. "I refuse."
Once you joined a clan, it was difficult to get out. It wasn't like it couldn't be done, but you'd end up branded as a traitor. Once, I had even been the target of a raid in the labyrinth after not paying the fee to leave my clan.
But this was reality, not a game. "Why?" McGrain asked. "This should be a good deal for you."
"I have no intention of working under anyone yet." Unless I created my own clan in the future, there was no need to join a group and have my actions constrained. Well, if my life were really at stake, I wouldn't have had any other options, but they didn't have a choice either. We were playing a sort of game of chicken where the winner had already been decided. I only had my life at stake, but this guy was carrying the lives of twenty-three people on his shoulders.
"How unfortunate," McGrain finally said.
"So, what is your decision?"
"Okay, I'll give you the essence." Did he think it was a waste of time to even argue? McGrain shook off his disappointment and had someone bring me a box.
This is strangely nerve-racking.
I tried to calm down as I slowly opened the box.
Click.
There were three Orc Heroes that could be summoned with mana stones. Each had a unique name. In other words, as high-ranking mutants, they left behind fairly formidable essences. Therefore, even though they were rank-five monsters, attacking them in a raid was essential.
Denish? Belta? Tarugas? Which of the three spat out the essence?
I usually referred to these guys as the three orc brothers, and they each dropped an essence of a certain color. Denish had the red essence containing Cry of Frenzy. Belta had the blue essence containing the Fighting Flag. Tarugas had the green essence containing the skill that was also the core of my shield barbarian power-up method. Which of the three had come out?
"Whew..." Immediately after opening the box, I checked the color of the transparent Magic Vial. "It's green."
Luck was on my side, and it was making me anxious.
[The Essence of the Orc Hero seeps into your soul. Strength has increased by +70. Agility has increased by +35. Fighting Spirit has increased by +40. Physical Resistance has increased by +20. Bone Strength has increased by +30.]
The shift was dramatic and immediate. There were no external changes like there had been for Ainar, but like with any physical essence, I was overflowing with power.
Grip!
Not even taking into account the improvement in muscle strength, my weight felt like it had decreased as my agility increased. From now on, I would be able to move more agilely than before.
Is this because of the fighting spirit?
Above all, unlike usual, the desire to wield this power as quickly as possible was creeping up.
"Take off your gear first."
I suppressed this excitement and took off my equipment as instructed. While I was doing that, someone spoke up from my side.
"How did you know, anyway? That we were hired to just retrieve the essence."
"I didn't know."
"...You didn't? But why did you ask for the essence so confidently then?"
Well, I had figured they probably didn't know which of the three essences would come out. I had expected that the member who would take the essence would only be decided after putting it in a Magic Vial for a while, because the cost was not a big burden for a clan. I explained this.
"Hmm, come to think of it, that makes sense."
"Is that the last of your questions?"
"For now. There is no time."
As soon as I put my gear in a backpack and handed it to Missha, McGrain handed me a bundle of scrolls. I didn't ask what it was. I just grabbed the whole thing in my hand and ripped it open at once.
[You have used a Physical Defense Auxiliary Scroll. Your Physical Resistance has increased by +10 temporarily.]
[You have used an Advanced Endurance Auxiliary Scroll. Your Stamina Reduction has temporarily decreased.]
[You have used an Energy Regeneration Auxiliary Scroll. Your Stamina Regeneration has temporarily increased significantly.]
A soft, colorful aura began to glow on my skin from the effects of the various scrolls.
"Then drink these too."
Next to the scrolls were various potions.
[You have taken a Strength Enhancement elixir. Your Strength has temporarily increased by +10.]
[You have consumed Tears of the Elemental. All elemental resistances are temporarily increased by +15.]
[You have taken a Basilisk Flask. Your Pain Resistance has temporarily increased by +15.]
Shit, was this the effect of a spending spree? "To be honest, I can't get used to this."
"We're not even finished yet," my companion replied.
"...Right." The real doping had not even started yet. When McGrain gave the signal, the support-type adventurers cast their abilities on me.
[Aaron Deflain has cast Blessing of Spirits. Your Mana Resistance has significantly increased.]
[Aaron Deflain has cast Regeneration Flame. Your Physical Regeneration has significantly increased.]
[Tarrotes Fian has cast Coffin of Sacrifice. Your Threat Level has significantly increased.]
Every time a new kind of energy entered my body, I felt an unknown thrill. I felt like I had become an emperor. But it still wasn't enough. To break through that darkness full of Riakis's clones, I had to become a monster greater than an emperor.
"Okay, now it's your turn." When McGrain gestured at him, Missha's older brother approached me. He couldn't say anything in front of the deputy commander, but I could tell he wasn't pleased. The feeling was mutual. "Whatever power you absorb, his will be very helpful."
"I see."
To make a rational decision, you had to let go of personal feelings. And so, I bit Missha's brother in the neck.
"Ugh!"
The bite was strong enough for me to taste the fishy tang of blood.
[You have cast Master of Blood.]
The effect of a vampire's active skill, Master of Blood, was simple.
[You have temporarily absorbed Taylon Karlstein's passive skill, the Unclean.]
When a target's blood was directly consumed through the mouth, one of the target's skills was absorbed at random.
"Judging by the color of your eyes, it seems you have taken that skill."
"You don't have to explain."
The Unclean was a passive skill that increased the performance of all active skills by 1.5 times while reducing the user's maximum essence value by 1.
"You're a lucky one."
I strongly agreed, but I wished he wouldn't say things like that. It made me feel like something shitty was going to happen later.
"Then why don't we get started?" asked McGrain.
I nodded and, slowly imagining the skill I obtained through the essence of an Orc Hero, activated it.
[You have cast Giantization.]
In an instant, the ground grew far away and the people on it got smaller.
[Your Threat Level and Physical Attributes increase in proportion to your increase in size.]
This was also known as Barbarian Hero Mode. Everyone's eyes converged on my splendid form.
"O-Oh my..."
"That... that's a monster."
In awe, McGrain removed his cloak and the lieutenant's and handed them to me. "...You'd better cover that with these for now."
I also agreed with that assessment, so I quickly took the offered cloaks and tied them around my waist. With that, all preparations were complete.
"Now we only have about thirty minutes left. Can you do it?" McGrain asked.
Could I do it? Barely controlling the power boiling within me, I shouted, "Behel—ahhh!"
At that moment, nothing was impossible for me.
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 3
Physique: 310 (New +155)
Spirit: 104 (New +12)
Special Ability: 115
Item Level: 683
General Combat Power: 695.75 (New +167)
Acquired Essences: Corpse Golem - Rank 7 / Vampire (Guardian) - Rank 5 / Orc Hero - Rank 5]
Is this because of the fighting spirit?
Above all, unlike usual, the desire to wield this power as quickly as possible was creeping up.
"Take off your gear first."
I suppressed this excitement and took off my equipment as instructed. While I was doing that, someone spoke up from my side.
"How did you know, anyway? That we were hired to just retrieve the essence."
"I didn't know."
"...You didn't? But why did you ask for the essence so confidently then?"
Well, I had figured they probably didn't know which of the three essences would come out. I had expected that the member who would take the essence would only be decided after putting it in a Magic Vial for a while, because the cost was not a big burden for a clan. I explained this.
"Hmm, come to think of it, that makes sense."
"Is that the last of your questions?"
"For now. There is no time."
As soon as I put my gear in a backpack and handed it to Missha, McGrain handed me a bundle of scrolls. I didn't ask what it was. I just grabbed the whole thing in my hand and ripped it open at once.
[You have used a Physical Defense Auxiliary Scroll. Your Physical Resistance has increased by +10 temporarily.]
[You have used an Advanced Endurance Auxiliary Scroll. Your Stamina Reduction has temporarily decreased.]
[You have used an Energy Regeneration Auxiliary Scroll. Your Stamina Regeneration has temporarily increased significantly.]
A soft, colorful aura began to glow on my skin from the effects of the various scrolls.
"Then drink these too."
Next to the scrolls were various potions.
[You have taken a Strength Enhancement elixir. Your Strength has temporarily increased by +10.]
[You have consumed Tears of the Elemental. All elemental resistances are temporarily increased by +15.]
[You have taken a Basilisk Flask. Your Pain Resistance has temporarily increased by +15.]
Shit, was this the effect of a spending spree? "To be honest, I can't get used to this."
"We're not even finished yet," my companion replied.
"...Right." The real doping had not even started yet. When McGrain gave the signal, the support-type adventurers cast their abilities on me.
[Aaron Deflain has cast Blessing of Spirits. Your Mana Resistance has significantly increased.]
[Aaron Deflain has cast Regeneration Flame. Your Physical Regeneration has significantly increased.]
[Tarrotes Fian has cast Coffin of Sacrifice. Your Threat Level has significantly increased.]
Every time a new kind of energy entered my body, I felt an unknown thrill. I felt like I had become an emperor. But it still wasn't enough. To break through that darkness full of Riakis's clones, I had to become a monster greater than an emperor.
"Okay, now it's your turn." When McGrain gestured at him, Missha's older brother approached me. He couldn't say anything in front of the deputy commander, but I could tell he wasn't pleased. The feeling was mutual. "Whatever power you absorb, his will be very helpful."
"I see."
To make a rational decision, you had to let go of personal feelings. And so, I bit Missha's brother in the neck.
"Ugh!"
The bite was strong enough for me to taste the fishy tang of blood.
[You have cast Master of Blood.]
The effect of a vampire's active skill, Master of Blood, was simple.
[You have temporarily absorbed Taylon Karlstein's passive skill, the Unclean.]
When a target's blood was directly consumed through the mouth, one of the target's skills was absorbed at random.
"Judging by the color of your eyes, it seems you have taken that skill."
"You don't have to explain."
The Unclean was a passive skill that increased the performance of all active skills by 1.5 times while reducing the user's maximum essence value by 1.
"You're a lucky one."
I strongly agreed, but I wished he wouldn't say things like that. It made me feel like something shitty was going to happen later.
"Then why don't we get started?" asked McGrain.
I nodded and, slowly imagining the skill I obtained through the essence of an Orc Hero, activated it.
[You have cast Giantization.]
In an instant, the ground grew far away and the people on it got smaller.
[Your Threat Level and Physical Attributes increase in proportion to your increase in size.]
This was also known as Barbarian Hero Mode. Everyone's eyes converged on my splendid form.
"O-Oh my..."
"That... that's a monster."
In awe, McGrain removed his cloak and the lieutenant's and handed them to me. "...You'd better cover that with these for now."
I also agreed with that assessment, so I quickly took the offered cloaks and tied them around my waist. With that, all preparations were complete.
"Now we only have about thirty minutes left. Can you do it?" McGrain asked.
Could I do it? Barely controlling the power boiling within me, I shouted, "Behel—ahhh!"
At that moment, nothing was impossible for me.
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 3
Physique: 310 (New +155)
Spirit: 104 (New +12)
Special Ability: 115
Item Level: 683
General Combat Power: 695.75 (New +167)
Acquired Essences: Corpse Golem - Rank 7 / Vampire (Guardian) - Rank 5 / Orc Hero - Rank 5]