NoveLight ™
Chapter 34 – The Warrior (Part 2)
"Bjorn."
The moment Ainar called my name, the sun, obscured by red clouds, completely disappeared behind the horizon. And at the same time, a pale-skinned man appeared under the red light of the moon.
"Strange, very strange...
He looked around the city ruins, then turned his gaze to us.
"Looking at you all, I can't help but lust for blood. Do you happen to know the reason?
Cause? Well... How do I know?
And I didn't want to know.
I answered slowly:
"If you give me a little time to think, I may remember."
I wanted to win at least one more minute.
However, at the same time, the Vampire's eyes lit up.
"My thirst is too unbearable for that. Hehehehe.
To be honest, it was a little funny. I didn't know a vampire could be such an asshole.
— Кеке! Ха-ха-ха-ха!!!
The vampire, who began to cackle in front of us, as if he had been possessed by a ghost, suddenly stopped. And then...
"Kyaaa!"
He let out a roar that sounded like he belonged to some extraterrestrial being.
His nails, the Vampire's main weapon, had already begun to make a sharp sound. At some point, only madness remained in his eyes, creating a reddish glow.
Again like in a game.
If you think about it, it was the same in the game.
As clever as the monsters were, the only exchange was a few words as an introduction.
"I'm used to that kind of fear.
The killing intent emitted by this rank 5 monster was enough to numb my body, but surprisingly, the dwarf was perfectly fine.
"Everyone stand back!"
I was a little amazed. He looked pathetic in front of the Corpse Golem, but I believe he was still a researcher with three years of experience.
At the same time that the Vampire's corporeal form disappeared, the dwarf stepped forward and raised his shield.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
A gust of dust swept through with a roar.
His strength was obvious even a few steps back, but...
"Hahaha." How weighty!
The dwarf did not shrink back. It wasn't that his stats had surpassed those of the Vampire, but the help of the essence.
[Hikurod Murad applied [Weight Balance]].
Iron Troll's Rank 7 Monster Perk.
It was a skill [Shock Resistance] that prevented a character from falling or being pushed off as long as their feet touched the ground. Additional features included shock absorption.
— Тарзин, отойди!
When the battle began, I gave orders. However, I did not hear an answer.
Looking to the side, I saw that the porter was already far away with the mage in his arms. It was a good call, but at the same time a bit annoying.
I decided to reconsider this feeling later and shouted:
"Ainar!"
"I'll take the right side!"
From the countless battles fought alongside each other, she could understand what I wanted to say just by exchanging a look. I nodded my head curtly to the left of the Vampire, and then rushed forward at the same time as Einar.
"Kaaaa!"
The vampire retreated. It was clear that his combat intelligence remained. At the same time, the dwarf's half-crumpled shield returned to its original state, as if time had been turned back.
The shield could not have been with such a feature...
[Hikurod Murad used [Emergency Recovery]].
It was a Living Armor ability.
It was a useful skill that not only saved equipment costs, but also greatly increased its stats when using a magic tool in the future.
The dwarf finished repairing in the blink of an eye and shouted:
"I'll go in front, and you guys help me from the side!"
There were no objections.
We were able to hold out for so long only thanks to the dwarf. To be honest, I was the least useful person here. Einar even has the essence now.
I had nothing but the expensive Imprint of Immortality.
Well, I guess technically I can be a human shield.
"Kyaaah!"
At this moment, the Vampire, who was watching us from afar, divided his body into hundreds of crows. A flock of crows flapped their wings and flew in our direction at high speed.
"Get as far away as you can!"
Soon the crows flying towards us exploded, diving headfirst into the ground.
*Бам, бам, бам! Бам! Бам!*
The explosive force itself was not great. However, we also had to dodge the blood splattering in all directions.
Gosh darn.
Of course, it didn't look like the acid blood of a Corpse Golem, but...
Given the combo that followed, it was more of a headache.
"B-Bjorn!" What the hell is this!
A red tattoo appeared on our blood-stained foreheads, and the bright light dissipated.
[The character was designated as a sacrifice].
[Vampire Duke Cambormere's physical abilities have temporarily increased based on the number of victims within a 100-yard radius].
Ignoring the game journal that came to mind, I gritted my teeth. The Vampire figure slowly regenerated among the blood on the floor as the crows exploded.
Now that he has the buff, it will be more difficult to deal with him.
Has it been 3 minutes?
There was still a lot of time left before the preparation was completed.
Will we be able to live to see this time?
I shook my head.
There was no point in thinking about whether it was possible.
'Behella!!aa
We have to hold on longer... with the tenacity of a barbarian.
Buffs: [Sacrificial Imprint].
[Eternal Life] - Regeneration is greatly increased in proportion to the stamina lost.
[Master of Blood] - The ability to absorb a portion of a target's abilities by directly draining their blood.
Each of these three active skills that the Vampire possessed boasted immense strength in hand-to-hand combat. However, the problem was that this was not all that the Vampire possessed.
This disgruntled son of a bitch used various types of black magic, not even counting them.
"Bjorn, more crows!"
Turning into crows that exploded, turning into smoke to dodge a sword, using spilled blood to summon monsters, and more. The Vampire Bastard had demonstrated the deception abilities that high-ranking monsters possessed.
That is why many do not reach the 6th floor and simply lose the game.
Once again realizing the insane difficulty of Dungeon & Stone, I raised my shield. The shield was already torn and pitted with holes, and now it was just scrap metal, but...
It's better than nothing.
*Klang!*
I used the recoil to bounce back and absorb the punch as much as possible.
Strength, speed and skill.
A residual skill that I acquired naturally after fighting an enemy superior to me in every way.
At that moment, Raven's voice rang out in my head.
"Please wait another 5 minutes!"
I thought it wouldn't have been less time if she had saved mana and hadn't sent those whispers...
But when I heard the encouraging news, I felt more energetic...
"Hikurod has been hit!"
— … Yes, exactly.
After demonstrating his skills as a Year 3 explorer, the dwarf who had been keeping a close eye on the Vampire fell. Fortunately, Einhar, who was nearby, rushed to him and prevented the Vampire from sucking his blood.
***
[Hikurod Murad fell into the state of [Incapable of Combat]].
***
In an instant, everything turned upside down.
Einar and I were already in turmoil. It was almost impossible to stop him with just the two of us without the dwarf who held more than 50% of the share in the battle.
Then, instead...
I made a quick decision.
"Ainar!" Take Murad and go away!
"But...
"I'll stop him!"
"Good!"
As soon as Ainar put Murad on her shoulders, I rushed forward and swung my mace.
*Blow!*
The first strong blow in recent times.
"Ahhh!"
My brain pulsed with the recoil of a successful attack. This was all because this crazy bastard was a high-ranking mutant.
[Vampire Duke Cambormir cast the spell [Sharing Pain]].
He had even fully recovered from his wounds, taking just one step back to catch his breath.
Damn, I'm still hurting. What kind of idiot is this?
"Kyaaa!"
Still, the aggro was drawn to me, just as I wanted. Out of habit, I double-checked that the object hidden in my boots was still there.
The item's name was "Tears of the Goddess".
Simply put, it was a sacred object. Although this item could only be used once, it could be used to heal as well as attack evil monsters.
...... Should I use it now?
Using this item will not be in vain.
No matter how special the effect of this item was, it was still a special item that could only be used in the Blood Citadel. If I use it on a dwarf, its powers will be restored immediately, and if I use it on a Vampir, it will deal significant damage.
But...
No.
I stopped my senseless thoughts.
For what reason have I diligently maintained the time so far?
Because one blow was more than enough. More than that will turn out to be negative for us.
The chance will fall out only once.
At that point, we had to put everything we had into it.
The five of us only had one way to kill a rank 5 monster.
*Again*
I took the bottle of potion from my belt and opened the cork. I poured the potion into my mouth, watching the Vampire rush towards me, and...
*Chhhhhhh!*
The countless wounds I had sustained during the battle began to heal, and the pain swept over me like a tidal wave. I felt my hands losing strength, and all I wanted to do was collapse to the ground. After all, drinking the potion and fighting was almost impossible, but...
It doesn't matter.
What I was trying to do wasn't a battle.
*Blow!*
Soon, the Vampire's claws were digging into my stomach. The metal armor on my chest became useless as its claws dug deep into my flesh.
My nerves were sending life-threatening signals to my brain like crazy. My head turned into a blank sheet of paper, as if it was overloaded.
Damn, if I had known that this would happen, I would have just taken the essence of the Corpse Golem for myself.
Leaving these belated regrets aside, I poured another potion into my mouth.
*Chhhhhhh!*
The wound healed quickly from the layering of the healing effects of the Imprint of Immortality and the potion.
"Kyaak...
I stared at the astonished vampire bastard, who looked like he didn't understand the current situation.
To be honest, I wanted to pass out from the pain.
'Behella
Pain can't kill me.
The fact that I am still alive is proof of that.
***
"What the hell is he doing...!"
Raven, who was watching the battle from the debris in the distance, couldn't contain her amazement. In her books, she read about the unusual hunting strategies and methods of many researchers, but this case was unlike any of them.
Did he plan to contain the Vampire with potions alone?
"He won't succeed. He will die!
Logically, it didn't make sense. She knew, because she had already used potions several times.
The pain was unimaginable, and the intensity of the pain increased depending on the severity of the injury.
But this barbarian?
*Chhhhh
Not only were bubbles boiling on his body, but the smoke was completely smoldering.
Even she had never seen anything like it before.
Injuries were not a problem, but dying from shock in such a situation was not strange at all. In fact, cases of death from consuming the potion were quite common.
"Huh?"
At this moment, Raven stopped stomping her feet restlessly and widened her eyes. The pain that the barbarian was now experiencing was beyond her imagination.
But at least of one thing she was sure: in such a state he should not even be able to move.
But what was it?
*Klang!*
He blocked it even as he collapsed to the ground along with the shield, which had turned into a piece of scrap metal.
The barbarian blocked the Vampir's claws hitting him.
And, as if to prove that it was not a coincidence,
*Klang!*
He did this several times, over and over again.
Of course, not all attacks were successfully blocked. Even now, his entire body was pierced by those ruthless claws.
But...
*Klang!*
Attacks aimed at the most important vital points, such as the head or heart, were blocked by a shield slam, as if on command.
Is it even logically possible...?
She couldn't tell if he was deliberately avoiding the attack through pain with superhuman concentration, or if it was just the fighting instincts left in his body that made it possible.
However, a document that she had read a long time ago suddenly came to mind. It said that the true value of a barbarian lay in his psychological strength, not in his superior physical abilities.
I think I understand it now...
"Lady Raven, you'd better get out of here while you can.
At this time, Tarzinus, who had been watching the battle with her, spoke in a firm voice. He was talking about leaving, but what he really meant was abandoning these people and running away.
"I'm not sure I can protect you in this situation. It's too dangerous here.
She was too stunned to speak.
Do you think I don't know that?
If he could, she would have already left. Although she was often told that she was a soft-hearted warlock, Raven was not naïve enough to risk her life for the explorers she had just met.
But...
"Are you crazy?" Leave? Where to?
There was nowhere to run. There is only one way to get out of the Chasm, and that is to defeat the Guardian and exit through the portal.
... This man must be fighting so desperately because he knows it too.
It was as if a spark had passed through her brain.
Even a barbarian who had just passed the coming-of-age ceremony calmly made rational judgments and did everything he could under the circumstances...
And yet, as a mage, what was she doing right now?
"If Bjorn dies, it'll be over." We must somehow save his life.
Mages are not those who simply cast powerful magic spells from behind the battlefield. Their responsibilities also included calmly analyzing the situation, using their knowledge in various fields, and suggesting the most effective route to the team.
Raven re-evaluated the situation.
A dwarven warrior with three years of experience, he was incapable of combat.
A barbarian woman gave him potions and helped him recover.
So far, there have been no problems...
But the mage hid behind and waited for her mana to recover, and a human swordsman accompanied her.
Now that she thought about it, it was a waste of resources.
"Tarzine, go to Mr. Murad."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm fine. At the very least, go there so that the barbarian woman can join the battle.
— ... I got it.
"Leave your backpack here."
Tarzin followed the instructions without questioning her somewhat agitated order. Without even looking at him leaving, Raven shoved her hand into her subspace backpack.
Essence of the Corpse Golem.
As soon as the image clearly appeared in her head, the test tube was tightly gripped in her hand.
I'm not very... No, I really, really don't want to use it, but... This is nothing compared to human life.
Raven slowly gathered her mana and began to draw a magic circle.
*Ears!*
[Accuracy Support].
[Roll Distance Support].
[Auto Track Control].
If she had added a few more things to the formula, she wouldn't even have to move her arms herself...
But I must keep at least a little of my magic.
After completing the circle, she threw the test tube in her hand with all her might.
And...
*Broke!*
The test tube, which was flying in a smooth arc, hit the target and shattered, emitting light.
***
[Corpse Golem Essence penetrates the character's soul].
[Pain Resistance +70.]
[Strength +15.]
[Bone Strength...]
[...]
[...]
***
[Björn Yandel]
Level: 2
Constitution: 80 (Nov. +34)
Дух: 46 (нов. +10)
Special Abilities: 30 (new +26)
Item Level: 202
Total Combat Strength: 203.5 (new +70)
Essence Purchased:
34