SGB: Episode 34
Episode 34: Warrior (2)
The moment Ainar calls my name...
The sun, hidden behind red clouds, completely sets. And at the same time, a pale-skinned man appears, bathed in the crimson moonlight.
"Strange, truly strange..."
He glances at the city that has turned into ruins and then stops his gaze on us.
"Just looking at you all makes my blood boil, and I can't bear it. Do you know why?"
The reason, well...
There's no way we would know.
And I don't want to know either.
I answer nonchalantly,
"If you give me some time to think, I might remember."
It's a judgment to buy some time, even if it's just a minute.
However, the bastard's eyes gleam as soon as I answer.
"To do that... the desire is too unbearable. Keuheuheut."
Honestly, I'm a bit speechless.
I didn't expect a vampire to be so damn stubborn.
"Keuheuheut, keuheut! Kwahahahaha!!"
The vampire, who was grinning like a madman in front of several people as if possessed by a spirit, suddenly becomes serious and...
"Kyaaaaak!"
...lets out a roar that sounds like something an alien creature would make.
Clang-!
The vampire's main weapon, his claws, have already extended with a sharp sound.
His eyes are filled with madness, emitting a crimson glow.
'Even this is the same as the game.'
Come to think of it, that's how it was in the game too.
Even though they have intelligence and can communicate, the only proper conversation you can have is a few lines at the beginning, like an intro.
"I'm used to this much killing intent."
The killing intent emanating from the 5th-grade monster makes my skin crawl, but surprisingly, the dwarf is fine.
"Everyone, step back!"
I'm a bit impressed.
He was pathetic during the Corpse Golem fight, but is this what a 3rd-year explorer is like?
As soon as the vampire disappears, the dwarf steps forward and raises his buckler.
Kwakwakwang!
A loud boom and a dust storm whirl around.
The power is clearly felt even from a few steps away, but...
"Hahaha! As expected, he's heavy!"
The dwarf doesn't budge an inch.
It's not that his stats overpower the vampire...
It's all thanks to the help of essences.
「Hikurod Murad has cast [Counterweight].」
It's the ability of the 7th-grade monster, 'Iron Ant'.
It's a 'knockback immunity' skill that prevents you from being knocked down or pushed back as long as your feet are on the ground.
It also has a shock absorption effect as an additional option.
"Tarjin, stay back!"
I give an order as soon as the battle starts.
But there's no response.
I glance to the side, and the porter is already far away, carrying the mage.
It was definitely the right thing to do, but why do I feel resentful?
I'll think about the emotions I'm feeling now later and shout,
"Ainar!"
"I'll take the right side!"
We've coordinated so much that we understand each other's intentions with just a look.
I nod briefly and take the vampire's left side, charging in simultaneously with Ainar.
"Kyaak!"
The vampire, perhaps retaining some combat intelligence, retreats.
At the same time, the dwarf's buckler, which was half-crumpled, is restored to its original state as if time has rewound.
It's not that the buckler has some kind of special function...
「Hikurod Murad has cast [Emergency Restoration].」
It's the ability of Living Armor.
It's a useful skill that not only saves on equipment costs but also significantly increases the performance of magic tools when equipped later on.
The dwarf, who has finished the repair in an instant, shouts,
"I'll take the front, you guys support from the sides!"
There are no objections.
The dwarf is the only one who can hold out for even a few seconds. To be honest, I'm the least helpful one here.
Ainar at least absorbed an essence this time, but I have nothing but the 'Undying Engraving' that I paid for.
Well, I guess I'm good for being a meat shield, but...
"Kyaaaak!"
The vampire, watching us from afar, suddenly splits into hundreds of crows.
A flock of crows with flapping wings flies towards us at high speed.
"Stay as far away as possible!"
The crows that flew towards us crash into the ground and explode.
Kwakwakwang! Bang! Kwakwang!
The explosive power itself isn't that great.
But it's impossible to avoid the blood splattering everywhere.
'Damn it.'
Of course, the blood doesn't contain acidic substances like the Corpse Golem's, but...
Considering the follow-up attack, this is even more troublesome.
"Bjo, Bjorn! What the hell is this!"
A red tattoo appears on our foreheads, soaked in blood, and then emits a bright light.
「Character has been designated as a sacrifice.」
「Vampire Duke Cambormier's physical abilities temporarily increase based on the number of sacrifices within a 100-meter radius.」
I ignore the game log that somehow pops into my head and grit my teeth.
The vampire's figure is slowly regenerating from the blood that pooled on the ground after the crows exploded.
He's even buffed, so he'll be even harder to deal with from now on.
'Has it been 3 minutes yet?'
There's still a long time left until the preparations are complete.
Can we hold out until then?
I shake my head.
There's no point in wondering if we can or can't.
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"
We have to hold out.
With the tenacity of a barbarian.
The buff skill 'Sacrificial Engraving'.
The 'Immortal' skill, which greatly increases regeneration in proportion to lost health.
And the 'Blood Lord' skill, which allows him to absorb some of the target's abilities when he directly sucks their blood.
The three active skills possessed by the vampire are each incredibly powerful in close combat.
The problem is, that's not all.
This insatiable bastard also uses various black magic spells on top of that.
"Bjorn, the crows are coming again!"
He transforms into crows and explodes, turns into smoke to dodge swords, summons monsters using the scattered blood, and so on.
The vampire bastard is demonstrating the OP specs of a high-grade monster.
'This is why everyone quits the game before even reaching the 6th floor.'
I raise my shield, feeling the insane difficulty of [Dungeon and Stone] firsthand.
The shield is already ripped and dented by claws, practically a piece of scrap metal, but...
It's better than nothing.
Clang-!
I use the recoil to push myself back and absorb as much of the impact as possible.
It's a little trick I've learned naturally from fighting an enemy that overwhelms me in strength, speed, and skills.
[Please hold out for 5 more minutes!]
Raven's voice echoes in my head.
I wonder if that time could have been shortened a bit if she had saved the mana for whispering...
Still, hearing the hopeful news gives me some strength, as if—
"Hikurod is down!"
—bullshit.
The dwarf, who was closely marking the vampire with the experience of a 3rd-year explorer, has collapsed.
Although Ainar, who was nearby, rushes in and prevents the vampire from sucking the dwarf's blood...
「Hikurod Murad has entered an [Incapacitated] state.」
The tide of battle turns in an instant.
Ainar and I are already battered.
It's practically impossible for the two of us to hold out without the dwarf, who accounted for more than half of our strength in battle.
'If that's the case...'
I quickly make a decision.
"Ainar! Take Murad and retreat!"
"But..."
"I'll hold this guy off!"
"A, alright!"
The moment Ainar slings Murad over her shoulder, I dash forward and swing my mace.
Thwack!
A long-awaited effective hit.
"Aak!!"
My brain throbs from the recoil of the successful attack.
It's all because this crazy bastard is a higher variant.
「Vampire Duke Cambormier has cast [Pain Sharing].」
And he even fully recovers from his injuries just by taking a step back and catching his breath.
Damn it, I still have lingering pain.
What kind of bullshit is this?
"Kyaaaaak!"
Still, the aggro is drawn to me as intended.
I instinctively check if the item hidden in my boot is still there.
The item name is 'Tears of the Goddess'.
Simply put, it's a sacred relic.
Although it's a one-time use item, it can be used for healing and also for attacking evil-attribute monsters.
'...Should I use it now?'
Of course, I don't mind using it.
Even though it's an item with an effect that deserves the 'Super High-Grade' label, it's still a special item that can only be used in the 'Crimson Fortress'.
If I use it on the dwarf, he'll instantly recover, and if I use it on the vampire, I can deal significant damage.
But...
'No.'
I end my pointless contemplation.
What's the reason I've been stubbornly defending until now?
Because one attack is enough.
No, more than that would actually be detrimental to us.
We only have one chance.
We have to pour everything we have into that one moment.
To defeat a 5th-grade monster with five people, there's no other way.
Click.
I take out a potion bottle from my waist and open the lid.
And the moment I pour the potion into my mouth while looking at the vampire charging towards me...
Sizzle!
The pain of countless minor injuries sustained during battle comes rushing in like a tidal wave as they heal.
My grip weakens, and I feel like collapsing right away. As expected, fighting after drinking a potion is nearly impossible, but...
'It doesn't matter.'
What I'm about to do is not a fight.
Thump!
The vampire's claws pierce my abdomen.
Very deeply, as if this plate armor is nothing.
“……!”
My nerves, sensing the threat to my life, send pain signals to my brain like crazy.
My mind goes blank as if overloaded.
‘Damn it, I should have just taken the Corpse Golem essence back then.’
I push away the belated regret and pour another potion into my mouth.
Sizzle!
The injuries heal rapidly as the healing effects of the Undying Engraving and the potion overlap.
“Kyaak—”
I mutter as I see the vampire flinch as if he doesn't understand the situation.
Honestly...
It hurts so much I feel like I'm going to die, but...
“Behel—la, you son of a bitch…”
Pain can't kill me.
The fact that I'm still alive is proof of that.
"What the hell is that guy doing...!"
Raven, hiding behind some debris at a distance and observing the situation, is shocked.
She has read about various explorers' outlandish strategies and hunting methods in books, but...
There was nothing like this.
Just enduring by drinking potions?
"Th, there's no way it will work. He'll, he'll die!"
It doesn't make sense logically.
She has also drunk potions a few times, so she knows.
The pain is unimaginable, and it gets worse depending on the severity of the injury.
But what about that barbarian right now?
Sizzle!
It's not just steam rising from his body like boiling water, but smoke billowing up.
Even she has never seen such a phenomenon before.
In this state, he should be dying from shock, not from the injuries.
After all, it's not uncommon for people to die from drinking potions.
"Huh?"
That's when her eyes widen as she's pacing around anxiously.
The pain that the barbarian is feeling right now is something she can't even begin to imagine.
But one thing is certain.
He shouldn't be able to even move in that state.
But what the hell is this?
Clang-!
He blocked it.
While lying on the ground.
With a shield that's now a piece of scrap metal.
The barbarian blocked the vampire's claws that were thrusting down from above.
And as if to prove that it wasn't just a lucky coincidence...
Clang-!
He does it again and again.
Of course, he's not blocking every attack. Even now, his entire body is being torn apart by the wildly swinging claws.
But...
Clang!
He somehow manages to raise his shield and block attacks aimed at vital points like his head or heart.
'Is this even possible...?'
She doesn't know if it's his superhuman concentration that allows him to accurately dodge attacks amidst the pain, or if it's just the remaining combat instincts in his body that make it possible.
However, a passage she read long ago suddenly comes to mind.
That the true value of a barbarian lies not in their superior physical abilities but in their mental strength.
'I think I understand what that means now...'
"Lady Raven, it would be best to leave this place now."
At that moment, Tarjin, who had been observing the battle together, speaks in a heavy voice.
Although he says 'leave', in reality, he means to abandon them and escape.
"I'm not sure if I can protect Lady Raven if we stay here. This place is that dangerous."
Seriously, he has some nerve.
'Does he think I'm here because I don't know that?'
If she could, she would have already done so.
Although she's known as a kind-hearted mage, she's not naive enough to risk her life for explorers she just met.
But...
"Are you out of your mind? Leave? Where would we go?"
There's nowhere to escape.
The only way to leave a rift is to defeat the 'guardian' and exit through the portal.
'...That's why that man is so desperate.'
It's a wake-up call.
Even a barbarian who just finished their coming-of-age ceremony is making a calm judgment and taking the best possible action in the current situation...
What the hell am I doing as a mage?
"If Mr. Bjorn dies, it's over. We have to save him somehow."
A mage isn't just someone who casts high-powered spells from behind.
Analyzing the situation calmly using knowledge from various fields and suggesting the most efficient path for the team is also part of a mage's job.
"......"
Raven examines the current situation once more.
The 3rd-year dwarf warrior is incapacitated.
The female barbarian is helping him recover by giving him a potion.
So far, there's no problem, but...
She, the mage, is hiding and waiting for her mana to recover, and the human swordsman is guarding her.
Now that she thinks about it, this is quite wasteful.
"Tarjin, go to Mr. Murad."
"Yes?"
"I'm fine, so go there and at least help that female barbarian join the fight."
"...Understood."
"Leave your backpack here before you go."
Tarjin follows her instructions without a word of protest, perhaps due to her somewhat irritated tone.
Raven doesn't even look at his retreating back and immediately reaches into her subspace bag.
'Corpse Golem's essence.'
She grasps the test tube as soon as she clearly visualizes it.
'It's a bit... no, it's quite a waste, but it's nothing compared to my life.'
Raven slowly gathers mana and unfolds the spells one by one.
Whoosh!
Accuracy enhancement.
Projectile range enhancement.
Trajectory auto-correction.
If she adds a few more spells, she wouldn't even need to move her arm...
'But I need to conserve as much mana as possible.'
Once she completes the spells, she throws the test tube with all her might.
And...
Crash!
The test tube flies in a smooth arc and reaches its target, shattering and emitting a bright light.
.
.
.
「The essence of the Corpse Golem seeps into the character’s soul.」
「Pain Resistance increased by +70.」
「Strength increased by +15.」
「Bone Density increased by…….」
「…….」
「…….」
.
.
.
「Bjorn Yandel」
Level: 2
Physical: 80(New +34) / Mental: 46(New +10) / Ability: 30(New +26)
Item Level: 202
Total Combat Index: 203.5(New +70)
Acquired Essence: Corpse Golem - Rank 7 (New)
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