184. The Corrupted Dwarf King
The golden light slowly faded, revealing the identity of the final skill card.
Anyone with even a speck of interest in martial arts novels would recognize the name instantly. Carpe let out a reflexive gasp of admiration.
"Whoa. Guardian Aura right after Iron Cannon Triple Shot? It's like a martial arts technique special skill pack."
-Interesting. Hmm. Something peculiar came out.
"Peculiar? Not good?"
Carpe tilted his head at Cheonma's words.
In martial arts tales, Guardian Aura was one of the two ultimate cheat skills alongside Sword Aura. So why call it peculiar?
"Sure, martial arts stories have inflated power levels these days, making Sword Aura and Guardian Aura commonplace... But it's still a realm beyond the dreams of anyone below peak mastery. Sigh. How did we end up in an era where Guardian Aura is dismissed as peculiar? A lamentable state of affairs."
-Cut the nonsense and check the skill description. Then you'll see why I called it peculiar.
"What could it be..."
Following Cheonma's advice, Carpe opened the detailed description of Guardian Aura.
7-Star Skill Card – Guardian Aura
Envelops the body in a barrier of aura to defend against attacks.
When Guardian Aura is activated and struck by an attack, it absorbs damage by consuming MP instead of HP. Efficiency improves with skill level.
"...Huh?"
Carpe paused midway through reading, caught off guard by the unexpected ability.
"I thought it'd just be damage reduction... This is basically Mana Shield."
A skill that consumes an alternative resource instead of HP upon taking damage—like Mana Shield—was a staple in many RPGs and other genres.
"Yeah, I get why it's peculiar now."
Carpe understood Cheonma's point.
Mana Shield-type skills seemed like total cheats at first glance, but they weren't that simple in practice.
In most games, including Last Savior, MP was far harder to sustain than HP.
What if you activated Guardian Aura eagerly, got hit, and drained your MP to zero? You'd be unable to use any other skills when it mattered most.
-That's why it's peculiar. It's a good skill for sure—one that could be called broken depending on how you use it—but it's not easy to wield effectively.
Guardian Aura was a tanking skill, yet tanks couldn't use it easily. With most stats invested in Strength and Vitality, their Magic stats—and thus MP pools—were relatively low.
Potions had cooldowns, limiting coverage, so MP-poor classes shied away from its excellent effects despite the potential.
But.
"It's perfect for me."
Not for Carpe.
To master Mana Shield-types, you needed either an insane total MP pool or constant MP regeneration.
Carpe had both.
His stats were Magic-heavy, and as a mage-line class, his MP was monstrous compared to other players.
And with his Room and World Tree effects boosting MP recovery...
"I bet I'd get the most mileage out of Guardian Aura out of any RaSe user."
-The heavens show no mercy. Handing out freebies to a freeloader like you... Is this even a game?
"This is a game! Pick it!"
Would you like to select '7-Star Skill – Guardian Aura'?
"Selecting."
Congratulations. You have acquired the 'Guardian Aura' skill card.
Carpe acquired the card and immediately learned it, mastering the skill on the spot.
Guardian Aura – Lv. 10 (Mastered)
Passive: Reduces all damage by 10%.
Active: When activated, Guardian Aura absorbs 30% of damage. Unabsorbed damage reduces MP first.
(Applies to physical, magical, and elemental damage. Cooldown: 1 minute)
"Kuh. Nice."
Mastering it unlocked a passive effect absent at Lv. 1 and boosted absorption to 30%.
"Brings back memories. In old games, pulling off invincible sorceress builds with Mana Shield was fun."
-You've exploited every freeloader trick, huh... Anyway, once this quest ends, let's hunt for MP-boosting gear or recovery items. Might as well maximize it.
And right then, a notification appeared before Carpe's eyes.
'Purified Frantic's Orb' has completed demonic energy analysis.
A faint flow of demonic energy has been detected. Coordinates for the path guided by the demonic energy will now be marked.
Unlike the previous orb's cumbersome arrow directions, this one simply plotted coordinates on the minimap—nice and straightforward.
...But the coordinates were a bit off.
"What? It's not far from here."
The target was deeper in Hymer Mine, where Carpe currently was. A brisk walk would take about an hour.
"Why?"
Per the quest description, the final boss should be there.
And that boss was likely 'Frantic,' the mad scientist from the researcher's diary.
"If he knew I took down the Dream Demon and fled, shouldn't he have gone farther? Why's he lingering nearby?"
-We'll find out when we get there.
"Yeah. Alright, moving out now."
The finale was close. Carpe swiftly exited the mine.
"...A cave."
About an hour later, Carpe found a cave hidden in the underbrush. The coordinates pointed directly inside.
"..."
Carpe slipped in silently, suppressing his presence.
The entrance was narrow, but it widened inside. He stayed alert for traps.
"...It's quiet."
Ten minutes in, no monsters or traps. It felt eerily empty.
-Probably a quest event-exclusive spot. These usually lack other hazards, so just push forward quickly.
"Got it?"
Carpe picked up the pace. True to Cheonma's word, nothing appeared no matter how far he went.
A straight path left no choices but to advance.
And after some more time...
"...Huh?"
He reached a vast chamber at the cave's end.
A notification popped up.
A forced event has triggered.
You cannot move while the event is in progress.
As Carpe reached the chamber's end, the forced event activated, kicking off the quest scenario.
"Ughhh..."
"I... I don't wanna die."
"Why... Lord Frantic. I was loyal..."
In the chamber's center, people groaned in agony.
Five in white researcher robes.
Two in heavy knight armor.
The seven writhed on the ground, faces twisted in pain.
"Argh! Spare me!"
"My... my blood!"
Their blood flowed along grooves in the floor, forming a grotesque magic circle that emitted a faint red glow.
-Doesn't look good. Like a summoning ritual... Another demon?
'Yeah. Feels like the final showdown.'
Having seen these events before, Carpe calmly observed.
'Those two are probably the final bosses.'
Atop the bloody magic circle stood two figures unscathed.
One: a man in a pristine white robe, like the fallen researchers.
The other: a dwarf half the height of an adult male, stout and sturdy.
"Cough, hack. Frantic! What is the meaning of this? Do you know what you've done? This is treason!"
One of the bleeding knights on the ground shouted at the robed man.
Frantic, in his white robe, merely shrugged.
"Treason? Nonsense. I'm merely completing my research."
"Wasn't it finished in the mine? It's not too late—stop this madness! This wasn't in the higher-ups' plans!"
"Is that what you heard? How odd. Sir Jeraine's orders must differ from mine. I'm following mine to the letter."
"Wh-what?"
Sir Jeraine's eyes bulged in disbelief.
"No way... We're disposable? Impossible! I was promised captaincy! He wouldn't discard me!"
"Of course, Sir Jeraine is exceptional. He knows it well. But... you know how these things work. The fewer who know, the safer. Don't take it too hard. Your sacrifice will form his grand foundation."
"Frantic! You bastard!! Gahk!"
Jeraine spat blood and slumped. The magic circle glowed brighter.
"Sigh. I didn't plan to rush this... It's all your fault. Lives that could've lasted half a year more, snuffed out because of you. Euhihik!"
Frantic whirled toward Carpe's exact position, as if he'd known he was there all along.
"Truly fascinating. I erased all traces... How did you track me? Most intriguing. Care to share? I promise a painless death if you do."
"..."
"Not talking? Euhihik! Fine, fine! I'll just ask your soul after I kill you!"
Frantic slashed his palm with a dagger.
His blood hit the circle.
Woooong!
The circle blazed. The seven humans began melting.
Shhh.
Black smoke rose from their dissolving forms, swirling before being sucked into the dwarf beside Frantic.
Event Boss 'Dwarf King Corrupted by Demonic Energy' awakens!
Caution: The Dwarf King Corrupted by Demonic Energy cannot be defeated by conventional means.
Forced event ends!
Boom!
"Groooarrr!"
The Dwarf King slammed his massive hammer down, roaring.