Insane
"Crazy."
It had the effect of nullifying divine power, no less. On top of that, it converted her own divine power into attack power amplification, which explained why Tiran was struggling despite her higher level. It might look like an even match, but none of her skills could land a hit on the enemy, and any physical impact was instantly healed by the 500% life regeneration effect. In a war of attrition, Tiran was inevitably at a disadvantage.
Boom!Crash!Crash!!
But Tiran didn't stop. Or perhaps she couldn't stop. If she failed to hold the enemy's attention, the others would be sitting ducks.
"Sharon!!"
"You fool. Still don't get it? You can't beat me!!"
In that moment, Tiran and the fallen priest called Sharon screamed at each other.
Are they acquaintances?
Before the question could fully form, they clashed again—and this time, one clearly gained the upper hand. The moment they collided, Tiran's body was hurled back by the massive impact, slamming into the ground.
"Hngh?!"
Boom!
And of all places, she landed right in front of Vulcan. He could have tried to catch her, but mishandling that momentum might turn him into mincemeat. Knowing this, Vulcan subtly shifted his position, approaching cautiously to check her condition.
"Are you alright?"
Of course, she didn't look alright. She'd clearly expended a ton of divine power already, and her stamina was in the same boat. At this rate, she'd collapse from exhaustion soon enough.
"You...?"
Forcing herself upright and steeling her resolve once more, Tiran finally noticed Vulcan. She'd never imagined anyone could pass through her divine barrier, but she'd been too focused on the fight with Sharon to check.
The instant she spotted him, though, her expression shifted—like something had clicked.
"What's the situation outside? Have the villagers all evacuated?"
"Yes. For now."
Instead of questioning how he was here, she asked about the outside. About whether the villagers were safe, whether the Hungry Dead were all cleared.
"Get up! Resist some more! The more pathetically you crumble, the more I can prove His choice was wrong!!"
At that moment, Sharon gathered her power again. Dark, ominous energy swirled around her as she slowly advanced on Tiran.
"Then take this and go! I'll hold her off somehow! Tell the lord and the temple what happened here!"
Tiran pulled a small orb from her bosom and handed it to Vulcan. It gleamed like a pearl—a magic item called a Memory Orb, used to store and relay memories. This was her way of passing information to the outside.
"No. At least let me... together...!"
"You're no help! Move!!"
As long as that armor was in play, Tiran couldn't win. This wasn't the time for stubbornness. Vulcan knew leaving her alone was pointless and refused, but Tiran's gaze was resolute.
Does she still not know the full effect of that full-body armor?
The doubt was quickly resolved.
Scenario Branch Point Occurred.
Main Scenario Quest changed due to quest situation change.
Main Scenario Quest 'One-Man Reinforcements' has been extinguished.
Noble Sacrifice
[Main Scenario Quest]
High Temple Knight Tiran plans to sacrifice herself to seal the fallen priest Sharon.
You must escape this place and inform the world of the truth, so her noble spirit does not fade in vain.
📍 Success Condition: Deliver Memory Orb to Rezina lord or Roona Temple & support retreat of remaining forces
🎁 Success Reward: Rewards scaled by number of retreating forces
📍 Failure Condition: Death
🎁 Failure Penalty: Level -1
Self-sacrifice and sealing. Tiran intended to use a self-sacrifice spell to seal both her opponent and herself. The enemy's item nullified divine power, but a self-sacrifice spell elevated all divine spells beyond their limits. The armor might neutralize bishop-level or lower divine power, but a High Temple Knight's self-sacrifice spell just might break through.
But at the cost of Tiran's certain death.
Was this really okay? Or was it the only way? Perhaps the very reason a High Temple Knight like Tiran existed in a place like Rezina territory was for this moment—to burn bright and fade, like a signal flare alerting the world to change and ringing the alarm bells.
No, the odds were high that was exactly it.
"Damn it."
- What're you gonna do?
There was no choice. The enemy outleveled him by nearly 300. Vulcan bit his lip, watching Tiran stagger toward the direction with no allies.
He had to run. With victory impossible, he needed to get at least one person—or just himself—out of the barrier to deliver this.
"No choice, right?"
Some sacrifices were inevitable, but regrettable ones could be avenged later by leveling up and pushing quests.
"Smells like money. No way I'm running."
- Hoh?
But Vulcan's choice wasn't flight. Death meant resurrection anyway. A level drop penalty was nothing for a low-level like him—he could recover it with a quick hunt. And it was separate from failing the Main Scenario Quest.
The quest extinction isn't tied to death.
The scenario urged escape, but dying wouldn't end the Main Scenario itself. If it did, it'd be listed in the failure penalty. As a player with prior Main Scenario failure experience via other routes, Vulcan knew this. That's why he could steel himself and step forward.
It's not completely impossible.
A mere level drop versus the chance to owe a life debt to a High Temple Knight? That was worth far more than a few hundred or thousand gold. Worth the shot.
Decision made, Vulcan didn't hesitate. He charged straight at Sharon, covering for Tiran as she recovered.
"Stop! She's not someone you can...!"
"Don't worry. I'm not playing hero!"
It wasn't bravado or heroics like Tiran feared. Near-impossible, yes—but Vulcan saw a slim chance. A method only he could pull off.
"Recover while you can!"
"Everyone, support him! Keep him alive no matter what!!"
Tiran bellowed at the Roona priests fighting nearby. They were struggling too, but she entrusted Vulcan to them.
Because he had the Memory Orb? Or did she expect something from his confident charge? Pity? Tiran couldn't explain it herself. Maybe his unique aura sparked hope. She felt ridiculous for it, but during the brief time his action bought, she clenched her fists—restoring power, ready to unleash everything if needed.
She watched his back.
As Vulcan charged Sharon, he felt the priests' enhancement spells envelop him. Bolstered by the solid support at his back, he barreled toward her in a straight line.
"Hmph! Scram, you worm!"
Vmmm—Boom!!
But a black surge flew at him immediately. A casual swat like shooing a fly, yet packed with enough power to instant-kill Vulcan.
"What?!"
Yet astonishingly, Vulcan burst through the explosion smoke. His speed dipped slightly, but he planted his foot hard and lunged again. Sharon flinched in surprise, but dismissed it—still nothing.
She lacked Dragon Eye, but gauging an opponent's tier wasn't hard.
"Tougher than you look. Die! Die! DIE!!!"
BOOM!!
Black beams lanced at him again. Impure bombardments came in excess.
Cheat as expected.
Roona's Blessing activated.
Damage exceeding 30% of total HP received.
Only 30% of current HP in damage taken.
Vulcan tanked the attacks head-on, flashing a faint smile. The impact was unavoidable, but they were manageable—thanks to Roona's Blessing special option. Damage over 30% of total HP got capped at 30% of current HP. Hit a hundred or thousand times, he'd never hit zero. With minimal endurance and sheer will, he could zombie-rush the enemy.
No one beats me in raw grit!
Crash!Crash!BOOM!!
Every step forward met Sharon's strikes, but none dealt full damage. The massive level gap meant even light probes exceeded 30% of his total HP. He hadn't focused on levels yet, and dumping all stats into Strength left his HP low.
"H-how?! Stay back!! Get lost!!"
The closer he got, the more Sharon panicked. Vulcan was barely shuffling, so she could've backed off easily—but realizing her attacks weren't working threw her into hysteria. The advantage she'd held over Tiran was flipping on her, triggering full-blown panic. She knew how devastating that was.
Without that power, she'd never have beaten Tiran.
"Who... who the hell are you...!"
"Me? The blacksmith!"
Vulcan seized the opening. As her assault paused, he lunged, pulling his crafting hammer in one hand.
"Repair."
It wasn't the Berserker's Longsword. He activated the skill on the hammer.
Repairing Denial of Faith (Unique).
Item level excessively high compared to Repair skill rank.
Waterdrop-like light shimmered over the enemy's body—over the full-body armor. A perfect timed strike might succeed despite the level gap, but...
Clang!!
Vulcan deliberately targeted a spot where the light didn't appear, hammering it.
Repair failed.
Denial of Faith (Unique) durability greatly reduced.
No damage, but massively rattled by the "attack," Vulcan grinned wickedly at Sharon.
"Oops! My hand slipped!"