SGB: Episode 32
Episode 32: Crimson Fortress (3)
Click.
Raven pushes a stone on the wall inwards, and the candles in the stone chamber light up all at once, brightening the room.
"Oh, how did you know that?"
"Books are treasures that pass down knowledge."
Geez, she could have just said she read it in a book.
"Let's see, ah! Here's another one."
Raven pushes another brick in, and with the sound of a mechanism, a book falls from the ceiling.
The Necronomicon.
It’s a magic book containing black magic, and it sells for a high price in shops.
…Damn it.
"I found this with my ability, so as promised, I’ll take it."
“Sure. We can’t take it outside anyway without distortion magic.”
“Hahaha…”
Raven laughs awkwardly.
Well, she knows it too, right?
That the Necronomicon is treated as an item and can be taken outside even without distortion magic.
“Could you put this in the backpack?”
“Yes, Lady Raven.”
Although I’m annoyed, all I can do is watch the mage take the loot for herself.
Phew, I was going to collect this myself later…
Why does she know this but not about the thing hidden under the statue?
“Then shall we go?”
As we walk down the wide, straight passage that’s about 10 meters long, we soon reach a fork in the road with a giant demon statue.
“Lady Raven?”
“It doesn’t matter which way we choose. We’re going to kill all the monsters anyway, right?”
We go around the ‘ㅁ’-shaped Demon Worship Chamber, hunting monsters one by one.
The monsters that appear are Gargoyle Statues, Death Fiends, Chimera Wolves, and Bone Knights.
“Not only did the Corpse Golem’s essence drop, but it was even the ‘Yearning’ type. You’re quite lucky in many ways.”
My luck is continuing, which is unusual for me.
Hatred, Sorrow, Yearning.
The 7th-grade monster ‘Bone Knight’ has one of these three attributes randomly. And we encountered the easiest type with the best rewards.
“The ‘Yearning’ type only has the ‘Life Drain’ ability, which restores health upon hitting. And that can be easily nullified with my ‘Regeneration Suppression’ magic.”
Raven boasts confidently, but honestly, whether she’s here or not, the ‘Yearning’ type is the easiest.
The ‘Sorrow’ type, which emits a fog that causes mental confusion, was a very annoying ability even in the game.
Well, it’s nothing compared to the ‘Hatred’ type, though.
The dwarf blurts out,
“That’s a relief, but I heard that the ‘Hatred’ type is the weakest.”
Bullshit.
The Knight of Hatred uses ‘Soul Sever.’
It’s a crazy skill that deals no damage but has a ridiculously low chance of lowering your level.
[Companion A has suffered severe soul damage, resulting in a level decrease.]
Once it triggers, this battle log appears regardless of your HP, defense, or magic resistance.
And if this log appears, it’s better to just start over with a new character.
It’s much easier than recovering experience points through portal opening farming.
“…To have your soul rank decrease, that’s a truly terrifying enemy.”
The dwarf shudders and sighs in relief at Raven’s explanation, which was actually on my behalf.
However, this mage lady doesn’t miss the opportunity to show off her knowledge and continues her explanation.
“Ah, if you have as many essences as your soul allows, one of them will be lost at random. This is probably something even other explorers don’t know.”
As a mage, her information is accurate.
However, as a veteran player, I would like to add one thing…
‘Soul Sever’ triggers more easily at lower levels.
And my current level is only 2.
And with my unlucky fate, it’s truly fortunate that we didn’t encounter a Knight of Hatred—
“Essence.”
Damn it, is my luck finally turning around?
An essence popped out even though we haven’t killed many.
It’s from the 7th-grade monster, Bone Knight.
What the hell is this?
First, it drops a Corpse Golem essence, and now…
Is this what they call ‘extreme luck’?
“It seems like the gods are blessing you. Hwahahaha!”
“I agree. Maybe we’ll really get an essence from the guardian at this rate.”
They each make a remark that may or may not be a congratulation and look at me.
Meaning, who between me and Ainar will take it?
After a brief contemplation, I make a difficult decision.
“Ainar, you take this.”
“Is, is that okay?”
It would be a lie to say I’m not greedy.
Only the guardian is left at this point, and no one can be sure whether another essence will drop or not.
However…
“You said you wanted to get stronger. Take this.”
From a player’s perspective, it’s more rational for Ainar to take it than me.
‘Life Drain’ goes well with bladed weapons, and I’m in a position where I have to discard my weapon eventually.
Moreover, Ainar is reliable.
Judging by her straightforward personality, she’ll likely stay by my side and support me rather than leaving.
Therefore, it’s more efficient to use the strengthened Ainar to obtain essences that are more suitable for me, rather than being impatient.
“Th, thank you! Bjorn! You’re the best after all! I’ll definitely repay this favor!”
Ainar, unable to hide her excitement, absorbs the essence.
The change is dramatic and immediate.
“Wh, what! You guys suddenly got bigger!”
“You’re the one who got smaller, Ainar.”
“What, what?! Is that true!”
Ainar’s height, which was around 2 meters, has shrunk.
In an instant, to about 170 centimeters.
“It’s a basic effect of the Bone Knight’s essence. Bone density increases significantly, but in return, your height decreases.”
Raven, who enjoys explaining things, even recites the standard information of this world.
It would be like this if we were to use exact numbers instead of (High), (Medium), (Low)…
[Bone Knight]
Cutting Power +12, Bone Density +55, Agility +15, Endurance +15, Flexibility -7, Height -25
(P) Preservative – All wound deterioration effects (poison, bleeding, decay, etc.) are reduced by half.
(A) Life Drain – Temporarily greatly increases regeneration when striking a living being.
“Don’t worry. Just because you’re shorter doesn’t mean your strength has decreased—”
“I’m doomed! No one will see me as a warrior like this! Everyone already looked down on me because I’m a woman!”
…Looked down on her because she’s a woman?
Is that a complex she had?
“Anyway… you’ve become quite beautiful.”
Raven murmurs with interest as she observes Ainar’s despair.
“Is it because your facial structure has become smaller? Maybe we could sell it to nobles for beauty purposes—”
“Th, that means I’ve become less warrior-like!!”
I hurriedly intervene, not expecting her to be this distraught.
“No, Ainar. Everyone knows you’re a great warrior!”
Honestly, except for the tattoos on her upper body, she just looks like a tall human woman, but…
“So what if you’re a little shorter!”
“This is not just a little!!”
“…But you’ve become much stronger! Isn’t that enough!”
I have to console her.
The others are just sociopaths who only care about saying what they want, even in the face of someone else’s misfortune.
“Hahaha! What a strange essence. If a dwarf like me absorbed it, I would disappear!”
“Hmm, that’s an interesting thought. We need to go back and look for cases to see if the height reduction effect is proportional or absolute.”
“I’m doomed!!”
“Hahaha! Is it because you’re a barbarian? Even though you’re shorter, your voice is still loud!”
“Ms. Ainar, would you be willing to let me do a thorough examination when we return to the city?”
“I’m dooooomed!”
Please, everyone just shut up.
My head is starting to hurt from the noise.
“Death Fiend!”
The commotion finally subsides thanks to the monster that appeared after hearing the noise from afar.
However, everyone is curious about the changes in Ainar after absorbing the essence, so they step back and express their intention to watch.
“Behel-la…”
Ainar swings her greatsword with a half-hearted battle cry.
And…
Slash!
I didn’t mishear.
For the first time since she started using that sword, it made a slashing sound instead of a ‘Kwaaang!’
…Is that the effect of +12 Cutting Power?
“Ainar, try aiming for the head!”
“Uh, uh… alright!”
Ainar, flustered by her own transformation, jumps high and swings her greatsword vertically downwards.
And then…
Slash!
The Death Fiend, which would have taken dozens of strikes from both of us to kill, is slain with one swing of the sword.
She cut through its hard skull and reached its brain.
“See! You’ve become much stronger, haven’t you?”
“Then, am I still a warrior…?”
“Of course you are.”
“……?”
“Ainar, second daughter of Frenelin! Now you’re not just a warrior, you’re a stronger warrior!!”
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
Thank goodness, she’s back to her old self.
She might still feel awkward about her reduced height, but once she gets used to it, Ainar will become even stronger.
“They really are a well-matched pair, aren’t they?”
“I agree.”
I ignore the conversation between Raven and the dwarf and move forward.
I realize that the only way to shut these guys up is through battle with monsters.
“Let’s go! Bjorn! If you absorb this too, you can become a stronger warrior like me!”
Ainar, having regained her motivation, throws herself into battle with enthusiasm.
Thwack! Thwack! Kwaang-! Slash!
Unfortunately, despite hunting all the monsters in the worship chamber, no additional essences drop.
But I don’t give up hope.
The flower of the rift, the guardian, is still left.
With this much luck on our side, can’t I hope for one more lucky break?
Just as that thought crosses my mind…
“I had a good time with you guys, but it’s about time to wrap things up.”
The dwarf utters a flag-like line.
Raven does the same.
“I’m feeling a bit sentimental. This is my first time entering the labyrinth, but I think I understand why my seniors work as explorers.”
Suddenly, I snap out of it.
Come to think of it, have things ever gone this smoothly in my life?
Hmm, there have been times, I guess.
It’s just that something always explodes at the end.
The screws in my head, which had loosened up, tighten all at once, and an unknown sense of foreboding washes over me.
“Then I’ll go in.”
What the hell is the problem?
If the worst-case scenario were to happen right now, what would it be?
Internal conflict?
Well, I don’t think so.
The loot distribution has been agreed upon, and that’s something that will happen after the guardian is dead.
Creak.
The dwarf opens the door to the stone chamber, and I observe my surroundings, certain that something is about to happen.
I scrutinize every little detail I can see.
And I review all the information I know about the ‘Crimson Fortress’ in the game.
That’s why I’m able to discover it.
“The door! Close the door!”
“What are you talking about—”
Damn it, is it already too late?
Drrdrdrdrdr!
As soon as the door opens…
The ground starts shaking violently.
And something dark and ominous rises from the center of the vast stone chamber, shedding its robe and revealing a pale face.
Raven, the mage, is the only one who realizes the gravity of the situation.
“N, no way…”
The guardian of the rift has changed.
Instead of the ‘Death Knight’ that should be waiting for us here…
「The master of the Crimson Fortress awakens from a deep slumber.」
A ‘boss’ monster that acts alone.
A monster with a difficulty rating of 5.
A true hybrid monster, skilled in both hand-to-hand combat and black magic.
A monster that you could only encounter with a slim chance after reaching the 6th floor or higher.
“A vampire…”
And not just any vampire, but a higher variation.
In other words, a named monster with intelligence, a name, and a history.
I even know this guy’s name.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen living beings.”
Vampire Duke Cambormier.
“Where did you all come from?”
I speak up on behalf of the frozen group.
“Run.”
Damn it, why is this happening to me?
In the game, I kept chanting for him to appear, but he never did.
Click.
Raven pushes a stone on the wall inwards, and the candles in the stone chamber light up all at once, brightening the room.
"Oh, how did you know that?"
"Books are treasures that pass down knowledge."
Geez, she could have just said she read it in a book.
"Let's see, ah! Here's another one."
Raven pushes another brick in, and with the sound of a mechanism, a book falls from the ceiling.
The Necronomicon.
It’s a magic book containing black magic, and it sells for a high price in shops.
…Damn it.
"I found this with my ability, so as promised, I’ll take it."
“Sure. We can’t take it outside anyway without distortion magic.”
“Hahaha…”
Raven laughs awkwardly.
Well, she knows it too, right?
That the Necronomicon is treated as an item and can be taken outside even without distortion magic.
“Could you put this in the backpack?”
“Yes, Lady Raven.”
Although I’m annoyed, all I can do is watch the mage take the loot for herself.
Phew, I was going to collect this myself later…
Why does she know this but not about the thing hidden under the statue?
“Then shall we go?”
As we walk down the wide, straight passage that’s about 10 meters long, we soon reach a fork in the road with a giant demon statue.
“Lady Raven?”
“It doesn’t matter which way we choose. We’re going to kill all the monsters anyway, right?”
We go around the ‘ㅁ’-shaped Demon Worship Chamber, hunting monsters one by one.
The monsters that appear are Gargoyle Statues, Death Fiends, Chimera Wolves, and Bone Knights.
“Not only did the Corpse Golem’s essence drop, but it was even the ‘Yearning’ type. You’re quite lucky in many ways.”
My luck is continuing, which is unusual for me.
Hatred, Sorrow, Yearning.
The 7th-grade monster ‘Bone Knight’ has one of these three attributes randomly. And we encountered the easiest type with the best rewards.
“The ‘Yearning’ type only has the ‘Life Drain’ ability, which restores health upon hitting. And that can be easily nullified with my ‘Regeneration Suppression’ magic.”
Raven boasts confidently, but honestly, whether she’s here or not, the ‘Yearning’ type is the easiest.
The ‘Sorrow’ type, which emits a fog that causes mental confusion, was a very annoying ability even in the game.
Well, it’s nothing compared to the ‘Hatred’ type, though.
The dwarf blurts out,
“That’s a relief, but I heard that the ‘Hatred’ type is the weakest.”
Bullshit.
The Knight of Hatred uses ‘Soul Sever.’
It’s a crazy skill that deals no damage but has a ridiculously low chance of lowering your level.
[Companion A has suffered severe soul damage, resulting in a level decrease.]
Once it triggers, this battle log appears regardless of your HP, defense, or magic resistance.
And if this log appears, it’s better to just start over with a new character.
It’s much easier than recovering experience points through portal opening farming.
“…To have your soul rank decrease, that’s a truly terrifying enemy.”
The dwarf shudders and sighs in relief at Raven’s explanation, which was actually on my behalf.
However, this mage lady doesn’t miss the opportunity to show off her knowledge and continues her explanation.
“Ah, if you have as many essences as your soul allows, one of them will be lost at random. This is probably something even other explorers don’t know.”
As a mage, her information is accurate.
However, as a veteran player, I would like to add one thing…
‘Soul Sever’ triggers more easily at lower levels.
And my current level is only 2.
And with my unlucky fate, it’s truly fortunate that we didn’t encounter a Knight of Hatred—
“Essence.”
Damn it, is my luck finally turning around?
An essence popped out even though we haven’t killed many.
It’s from the 7th-grade monster, Bone Knight.
What the hell is this?
First, it drops a Corpse Golem essence, and now…
Is this what they call ‘extreme luck’?
“It seems like the gods are blessing you. Hwahahaha!”
“I agree. Maybe we’ll really get an essence from the guardian at this rate.”
They each make a remark that may or may not be a congratulation and look at me.
Meaning, who between me and Ainar will take it?
After a brief contemplation, I make a difficult decision.
“Ainar, you take this.”
“Is, is that okay?”
It would be a lie to say I’m not greedy.
Only the guardian is left at this point, and no one can be sure whether another essence will drop or not.
However…
“You said you wanted to get stronger. Take this.”
From a player’s perspective, it’s more rational for Ainar to take it than me.
‘Life Drain’ goes well with bladed weapons, and I’m in a position where I have to discard my weapon eventually.
Moreover, Ainar is reliable.
Judging by her straightforward personality, she’ll likely stay by my side and support me rather than leaving.
Therefore, it’s more efficient to use the strengthened Ainar to obtain essences that are more suitable for me, rather than being impatient.
“Th, thank you! Bjorn! You’re the best after all! I’ll definitely repay this favor!”
Ainar, unable to hide her excitement, absorbs the essence.
The change is dramatic and immediate.
“Wh, what! You guys suddenly got bigger!”
“You’re the one who got smaller, Ainar.”
“What, what?! Is that true!”
Ainar’s height, which was around 2 meters, has shrunk.
In an instant, to about 170 centimeters.
“It’s a basic effect of the Bone Knight’s essence. Bone density increases significantly, but in return, your height decreases.”
Raven, who enjoys explaining things, even recites the standard information of this world.
It would be like this if we were to use exact numbers instead of (High), (Medium), (Low)…
[Bone Knight]
Cutting Power +12, Bone Density +55, Agility +15, Endurance +15, Flexibility -7, Height -25
(P) Preservative – All wound deterioration effects (poison, bleeding, decay, etc.) are reduced by half.
(A) Life Drain – Temporarily greatly increases regeneration when striking a living being.
“Don’t worry. Just because you’re shorter doesn’t mean your strength has decreased—”
“I’m doomed! No one will see me as a warrior like this! Everyone already looked down on me because I’m a woman!”
…Looked down on her because she’s a woman?
Is that a complex she had?
“Anyway… you’ve become quite beautiful.”
Raven murmurs with interest as she observes Ainar’s despair.
“Is it because your facial structure has become smaller? Maybe we could sell it to nobles for beauty purposes—”
“Th, that means I’ve become less warrior-like!!”
I hurriedly intervene, not expecting her to be this distraught.
“No, Ainar. Everyone knows you’re a great warrior!”
Honestly, except for the tattoos on her upper body, she just looks like a tall human woman, but…
“So what if you’re a little shorter!”
“This is not just a little!!”
“…But you’ve become much stronger! Isn’t that enough!”
I have to console her.
The others are just sociopaths who only care about saying what they want, even in the face of someone else’s misfortune.
“Hahaha! What a strange essence. If a dwarf like me absorbed it, I would disappear!”
“Hmm, that’s an interesting thought. We need to go back and look for cases to see if the height reduction effect is proportional or absolute.”
“I’m doomed!!”
“Hahaha! Is it because you’re a barbarian? Even though you’re shorter, your voice is still loud!”
“Ms. Ainar, would you be willing to let me do a thorough examination when we return to the city?”
“I’m dooooomed!”
Please, everyone just shut up.
My head is starting to hurt from the noise.
“Death Fiend!”
The commotion finally subsides thanks to the monster that appeared after hearing the noise from afar.
However, everyone is curious about the changes in Ainar after absorbing the essence, so they step back and express their intention to watch.
“Behel-la…”
Ainar swings her greatsword with a half-hearted battle cry.
And…
Slash!
I didn’t mishear.
For the first time since she started using that sword, it made a slashing sound instead of a ‘Kwaaang!’
…Is that the effect of +12 Cutting Power?
“Ainar, try aiming for the head!”
“Uh, uh… alright!”
Ainar, flustered by her own transformation, jumps high and swings her greatsword vertically downwards.
And then…
Slash!
The Death Fiend, which would have taken dozens of strikes from both of us to kill, is slain with one swing of the sword.
She cut through its hard skull and reached its brain.
“See! You’ve become much stronger, haven’t you?”
“Then, am I still a warrior…?”
“Of course you are.”
“……?”
“Ainar, second daughter of Frenelin! Now you’re not just a warrior, you’re a stronger warrior!!”
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
Thank goodness, she’s back to her old self.
She might still feel awkward about her reduced height, but once she gets used to it, Ainar will become even stronger.
“They really are a well-matched pair, aren’t they?”
“I agree.”
I ignore the conversation between Raven and the dwarf and move forward.
I realize that the only way to shut these guys up is through battle with monsters.
“Let’s go! Bjorn! If you absorb this too, you can become a stronger warrior like me!”
Ainar, having regained her motivation, throws herself into battle with enthusiasm.
Thwack! Thwack! Kwaang-! Slash!
Unfortunately, despite hunting all the monsters in the worship chamber, no additional essences drop.
But I don’t give up hope.
The flower of the rift, the guardian, is still left.
With this much luck on our side, can’t I hope for one more lucky break?
Just as that thought crosses my mind…
“I had a good time with you guys, but it’s about time to wrap things up.”
The dwarf utters a flag-like line.
Raven does the same.
“I’m feeling a bit sentimental. This is my first time entering the labyrinth, but I think I understand why my seniors work as explorers.”
Suddenly, I snap out of it.
Come to think of it, have things ever gone this smoothly in my life?
Hmm, there have been times, I guess.
It’s just that something always explodes at the end.
The screws in my head, which had loosened up, tighten all at once, and an unknown sense of foreboding washes over me.
“Then I’ll go in.”
What the hell is the problem?
If the worst-case scenario were to happen right now, what would it be?
Internal conflict?
Well, I don’t think so.
The loot distribution has been agreed upon, and that’s something that will happen after the guardian is dead.
Creak.
The dwarf opens the door to the stone chamber, and I observe my surroundings, certain that something is about to happen.
I scrutinize every little detail I can see.
And I review all the information I know about the ‘Crimson Fortress’ in the game.
That’s why I’m able to discover it.
“The door! Close the door!”
“What are you talking about—”
Damn it, is it already too late?
Drrdrdrdrdr!
As soon as the door opens…
The ground starts shaking violently.
And something dark and ominous rises from the center of the vast stone chamber, shedding its robe and revealing a pale face.
Raven, the mage, is the only one who realizes the gravity of the situation.
“N, no way…”
The guardian of the rift has changed.
Instead of the ‘Death Knight’ that should be waiting for us here…
「The master of the Crimson Fortress awakens from a deep slumber.」
A ‘boss’ monster that acts alone.
A monster with a difficulty rating of 5.
A true hybrid monster, skilled in both hand-to-hand combat and black magic.
A monster that you could only encounter with a slim chance after reaching the 6th floor or higher.
“A vampire…”
And not just any vampire, but a higher variation.
In other words, a named monster with intelligence, a name, and a history.
I even know this guy’s name.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen living beings.”
Vampire Duke Cambormier.
“Where did you all come from?”
I speak up on behalf of the frozen group.
“Run.”
Damn it, why is this happening to me?
In the game, I kept chanting for him to appear, but he never did.
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