C106, 107, 108
Chapter 106: PK (2)
Jensia Nayfrin.
Although it’s a pseudonym she mainly uses when looting, anyway…
She entered the ‘Glacier Cave’ alone without much concern.
Because she’s confident that she can clear it even if she has to kill everyone.
While purchasing information that the ‘Frozen Breath’ essence drops here, she also memorized the strategy.
However…
[…I won’t be a burden. I’m Avman Urikfrit.]
Things went wrong from the start.
[I’m a 6th-grade, and Michelle is a 7th-grade explorer. We used to operate on the 4th floor.]
[I see, I’m 5th-grade.]
A 5th-grade archer, a 6th-grade barbarian, and a 7th-grade beastman.
‘Why are these guys on the 1st floor at this time?’
She couldn’t understand it at all.
Even though it’s a rift that opened on the first day, she only expected one or two 7th or 8th-grade explorers to enter at most.
‘Anyway, what should I do now?’
She originally planned to play around with them for fun and then kill the guardian and leave alone.
Because word can’t get out to the city.
Her equipment, skills, and appearance are already known to the guild.
If it gets out that she’s alive, there will definitely be trouble.
‘It’s too risky to exploit them alone, should I just stay quiet this time and wait for the next opportunity?’
She had that thought at first, but it gradually changed.
Sometimes, crises can become opportunities, right?
‘Tsk, I can wait 3 months, but it’s still a shame…’
Thanks to her abundant looting experience, she can roughly estimate their value just by looking at them.
‘The archer bastard is worth 30 million, the barbarian 6 million, and that cat bitch… hmm, about 3 million.’
A total of 39 million stones.
It’s not easy to loot this much in the labyrinth. Especially for a solo marauder like her.
‘Alright, let’s do it.’
She starts planning again.
If she uses the special circumstances of being inside the rift, it seems like there might be a way.
‘The problem is this archer bastard…’
The barbarian and the beastman are low-ranked and warriors, so she’s not particularly scared of them.
They’re unlikely to have any detection abilities, so she’s confident that she can win even in a 2-on-1 situation.
But one of them is different.
‘Why is he so thorough?’
He’s experienced, as befits a high-ranking explorer.
He tries to hide his abilities as much as possible in front of strangers, and whenever she tries to subtly move to a blind spot, he instinctively shifts his gaze towards her.
It was the same when we were sleeping by the campfire.
The archer bastard sat with his back against the wall, making sure that she and Kalson were within his line of sight.
‘Ha, he’s like a surveillance camera. And he didn’t even care that the cat girl was behind him.’
Is it because she’s also a beastman?
The archer bastard was particularly cautious around Kalson and her.
Of course, it didn’t seem like he had noticed anything.
It was just a habit.
One that became as natural as breathing as he gained experience.
‘…This is why humans are the worst.’
She waited patiently.
[And I’ve absorbed the Goblin Archer’s essence, and I received training as a scout when I was young, so I’m somewhat knowledgeable about traps and mechanical devices.]
She acted like a newbie, as she had introduced herself at first, to lower their guard.
And then the moment came.
[I guess I’ll have to put in some effort this time.]
The archer bastard finally revealed a new ability.
She had already figured out the four essences he possessed. This was finally the ability of the ‘Spirit Beast’ she had been most wary of.
[Gaaaaak!!]
A gray bear charges forward on all fours, roaring.
The corners of her mouth curl up into a smirk as soon as she sees it.
The archer bastard is a summoner.
And not just any summoner, but one with a tank-type summon that can only act as a meat shield, not one with any detection abilities.
And as if the heavens were helping her…
Kwaaang!
…the barbarian collapses after being hit in the head by a hammer.
It seems like a pathetic way to go down for a 6th-grade explorer, but considering that his agility stat was reduced due to [Hypothermia], it’s not that unbelievable.
No, maybe even his 6th-grade rank was a lie.
In the first place, that barbarian wasn’t that important.
「Character has cast [Equipment Transformation].」
She changes her equipment using a skill.
A single worn-out sword transforms into a poisoned blade, and the rest of her equipment also changes into items specialized for PvP that she collected one by one.
And in that state…
「Character has cast [Beast Walk].」
「Enters high-grade stealth and movement speed is greatly increased for 3 seconds.」
…she activates stealth.
It’s the same one she usually introduced as the Goblin Archer’s essence during her ‘hobby activities’.
Thud-
She pushes off the ground and runs, but her footsteps are barely audible thanks to the high-grade stealth bonus.
The archer bastard, distracted by the orcs, still hasn’t noticed her movement.
「Character has cast [Vengeance].」
「Penetration and cutting power are greatly increased for the first strike, and inflicts the status effect ‘bleeding’.」
Her sword pierces the target’s abdomen.
It’s surprising.
Because she was originally aiming for the heart.
‘To think he would react to that.’
Of course, it’s not a meaningful struggle.
She can feel the sensation of his organs with the tip of her sword, and she even applied poison beforehand.
Nothing changes.
He’s just going to die a bit more painfully.
“Keugh!”
Just as she’s enjoying the afterglow for a moment, watching the archer bastard vomiting blood…
Crash!
Something hits her head and shatters, spilling a sticky liquid.
“Wh, what!”
She checks and sees that it was the cat girl’s doing.
“What the hell did you do to me…?”
As she’s stepping back, thinking something is wrong…
…she sees the barbarian who was unconscious slowly getting up.
“What, what is it…?”
She can’t understand at all.
It took less than 2 seconds from the moment she used her skill to when she successfully landed the surprise attack.
And she knows from her experience.
When you’re ambushed, you usually get startled and scream with a betrayed expression.
That’s the normal reaction.
But what about this cat girl?
She ran up and broke the vial as if she had been waiting for this moment…
…and that barbarian who got up just fine is the same.
He doesn’t ask why she betrayed them.
As if there’s no need for that…
…he just charges towards her, shouting.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!”
From their unusual behavior, she deduces one thing.
No, it’s more accurate to say that she realizes.
‘Could it be… they knew I was going to do this?’
It’s not just that something went wrong.
「Character has cast [Beast Walk].」
「Stealth is dispelled by Witch's Lamp Solvent.」
Things have gone terribly wrong.
_____________________
「Character has used [Wild Release].」
_____________________
As I shout the name of the ancestor god…
…vitality flows into my body, and the attention of the Ice Orc who was beating up Kalson shifts to me.
[Kriiik?]
Of course, it’s not a problem.
I took a hit to the head earlier, and it was manageable.
In that sense…
Tadat!
…I ignore the orc and dash.
The distance closes rapidly as I move my long barbarian legs.
Jensia still has a dazed expression.
Well, she wouldn’t understand.
She executed a perfect surprise attack, so how could she have known that someone would have noticed beforehand?
Smirk.
Even I would have had a hard time noticing.
If she had entered the rift I opened, I would have just thought she was an ordinary low-level explorer.
I wouldn’t have paid much attention to the dirt on her shoes or anything.
Well, I would have still been cautious, but…
‘Why are there so many bastards in this world?’
Ah, could it be that she’s not from this world?
I push aside the fleeting thought and push off the ground once more.
That’s when…
“Uh…?”
Jensia’s face turns pale.
It seems like she finally realized.
That her stealth ability is disabled.
“Wh, why…?”
Stealth was probably her trump card.
She was planning to kill the bear-like man first and then use stealth to take down each of us one by one.
Assuming there were no mages or anyone with detection abilities, it’s a skill that boasts tremendous power in PvP even at medium levels.
It’s practically an ability that warriors have no choice but to fall victim to.
I only have one thing to say to her.
“Idiot.”
If you wanted to hide your identity, you should have watched your mouth.
If you hadn’t blabbed about absorbing the Goblin Archer’s essence, even I wouldn’t have known about the stealth.
Whoosh!
I swing my mace as soon as I’m within range.
But it seems like she wasn’t planning to just exploit people with stealth.
Jensia nimbly somersaults to the side and dodges my attack.
But what a shame.
That’s the direction where the cat is.
“You bitch!”
“Ugh!”
Although she was just standing there, Jensia ends up back near me while dodging Misha’s sword strike.
I have a feeling she’ll dodge my slow mace swing.
Therefore…
Thwack!
…I use Shield Smash for the first time in a while.
I smash her face with my shield as if receiving a tennis ball, and Jensia’s body flies away like a piece of paper.
But did she invest in defense as well?
Despite the satisfying impact, Jensia regains her balance in mid-air and lands on her feet, not even fainting.
Drip.
She has a nosebleed and shouts in annoyance,
“These damn NPC bastards…!”
You really were a player.
She’s the first person from my home world that I’ve met since Tarik Liyen…
But nothing changes.
Whether they’re players or just marauders, those who tried to kill me are all the same ‘bastards’.
“Bjorn! Be careful!”
Huh?
Just as I’m about to dash forward again and smash her head for good…
…I turn around at Misha’s shout and see an orc.
[Kriiik!]
The bastard is swinging his axe down, trying to split my head open without even understanding the situation.
I turn my head to avoid getting hit directly.
The giant axe blade then strikes the shoulder line of my Laetium breastplate.
Clang!
My bones feel a bit cold, but it’s not significant damage.
So I ignore it and continue my dash.
Because if this guy dies, the final boss will appear.
But was my unwavering advance in the face of the orc’s attack impressive?
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!”
As I charge forward, making noises like a tank deflecting bullets, Jensia starts running away in a hurry.
And she’s heading towards the entrance where we came in.
I follow her out of curiosity, and soon she stops.
“Uh, why is there a wall…”
What the?
I diligently followed her because I thought there might be something else here…
But was she just an idiot?
Smirk.
It’s kind of funny.
She calls us NPCs, but she doesn’t even know this even though she’s a player. Originally, when you enter the third chapter, the ceiling collapses and blocks the path.
In other words, this bitch ran into a dead end on her own because she didn’t even know that.
Therefore, I also slow down.
A cornered rat will bite the cat.
I need to be a bit more cautious.
Thud.
I take a step forward, covering my upper body with my shield.
Although the passage is only wide enough for two or three people to pass through, I’m a big and important barbarian warrior.
It’s practically impossible for her to squeeze through.
Clang-!
Well, even in the midst of this, the orc bastard strikes the back of my head again, but…
“Bjorn! I’ll take care of this guy!”
After hearing Misha’s shout, that doesn’t happen anymore.
“Don’t kill him.”
“Huh? Alright!”
I take another step forward.
Now the distance between me and that bitch is only 2 meters.
We’re practically within each other’s range, but Jensia doesn’t dare to attack recklessly.
The pecking order has already been established in her mind.
Thud.
I take another confident step forward.
Only then does Jensia shout desperately,
“Wait! Le, let’s talk! There’s been a misunderstanding…”
Misunderstanding my ass.
She just wants to buy some time.
I saw her sword glowing red earlier, so it seems like she uses [Vengeance].
‘Was the cooldown 3 minutes?’
That’s assuming she doesn’t have any cooldown reduction.
In other words, there’s no way for her to penetrate my shield for the next 2 minutes—
Whoosh!
As if her attempt at negotiation was just a distraction, Jensia cuts me off and swings her sword.
Clang, thwack!
I quickly block it with my shield and simultaneously smash her wrist with my mace. Her wrist bends at an unnatural angle, and the sword falls to the ground.
Clatter.
For now, it seems like a checkmate.
Unless this bitch has another skill or equipment effect that can turn the situation around.
I can’t be sure yet.
So it’s better to eliminate any variables.
She might have a self-destruct skill or something hidden.
“What misunderstanding? Tell me in detail.”
“Will you… really believe me?”
“If it’s a story worth believing.”
Jensia’s eyes become dazed at my words.
It seems like she’s trying to come up with a story that will convince me.
No, even if she can’t convince me, she’s probably just trying to buy time by telling a plausible story.
“I… I don’t know if you’ll beli—”
The moment Jensia’s lips open…
…I smash her head with my mace.
Thwack-!
Although she was showing some agility, this time she can’t even react and collapses limply.
Thud.
Jensia’s body convulses, and her mouth twitches.
It seems like she has something to say…
Smirk.
Looking at her eyes, I think I understand what she’s trying to say.
That I shouldn’t have broken my promise.
I answer honestly, like a barbarian.
“To believe that, do you have a problem with your head?”
Of course, it’s a lie.
---------------------------
Chapter 107: PK (3)
First, I checked outside the passage.
"Aak!"
"Don't run away and just hold on!"
Misha and Kalson were busy dealing with the orc. If it were just a matter of killing it, it would have been over quickly, but they couldn't do that because of my instructions.
'I don't have to worry about them for a while.'
I quickly stripped Jensia of her equipment while she was unconscious.
A 2nd-tier leather top.
Boots with blades that popped out when I was taking them off.
Bracers that shot hidden weapons when I pressed a button.
Looking at them, each piece of equipment was focused on fighting people rather than monsters. As I shoved them into my backpack and examined them, a smile naturally appeared on my face.
'I could just give some of these to Misha, this saves me money.'
Jensia's equipment was of a fairly decent level.
And the highlight among them was the sword.
It was a longsword that exuded an expensive aura from its hilt.
'Wait a minute... isn't this a Numbered Item?'
I stopped putting it in my backpack and took a closer look at the sword.
A green-tinged blade.
If my guess is right, this is the No. 5991 Viper's Fang.
It didn't have any usage effects, but it gave a large bonus to penetration, and the poison damage inflicted through the sword was doubled.
Well, I'll have to get it appraised to be sure...
'It seems like I got something valuable.'
Viper's Fang is a 'core item'.
Although it's not a graduation weapon, it's an item that can be used well into the mid-to-late game if you're going for a poison build.
Naturally, it's expensive regardless of its number.
'If it really is Viper's Fang, I'll have Misha use it until I sell it.'
With that thought, I got up.
Now that the looting was over, it was time to have a conversation.
Because I had a few questions.
But before that, I needed to prepare for the conversation.
Thwack-!
I swung my mace down.
The target was her ankle.
There was no reason to hesitate since I had already taken all the equipment that could be sold.
"Ugh, keugh!!!"
Jensia sat up as if she had been electrocuted as her thin, white ankle was crushed.
I pressed down on her upper chest with my foot to hold her in place.
And...
"N, no...!"
Thwack-!
...I did the same to her other ankle.
I had already taken care of one of her wrists, so now only her left wrist remained.
As I changed my position, our eyes met.
Has she done something similar to me before?
She seemed to know what I was about to do.
"St, stop... please... I, I'll do anything, so..."
Really?
"Then stay still. I'll finish up and then we'll talk."
I raised my mace above my head.
"Do, don't...!! I won't resist! So please, just talk it out—!"
Just wait a minute, will you?
Thwack-!
"Kyaaaaaak!!!"
Jensia's scream echoed once more, and finally, the environment for a conversation was established.
Her limbs were crushed, and I had stripped her of all her equipment.
So I could relax and...
Ah, I didn't take everything off, did I?
"Use [Equipment Transformation]."
Although they're just beginner-level equipment, she still has some swappable gear. However, Jensia just stared at me blankly, even stopping her pained groans.
"How... did you...?"
How did I know?
Is there any other skill that allows you to change your equipment instantly?
I raised my mace instead of answering.
Jensia's face turned even paler.
She must know that the only thing left to crush with this is her tiny head.
"I, I'll do it!"
New equipment appeared on Jensia's body.
Ordinary equipment that would probably be worth about 500,000 stones in total.
I took them off and put them in my backpack.
Then it's time to move on to the main topic.
"I have some questions."
"An, anything!"
First, I asked Jensia what essences she had.
She had a total of four essences.
[Equipment Transformation] from Iron Knight, [Beast Walk] from Dinictis, [Vengeance] from Saint Assassin...
'...and [Poison Infliction]...'
I was wary that it might be a self-destruct skill, but her last essence was the [Poison Infliction] of the Hop Goblin, which Misha also has.
In total, it seems like she absorbed two 6th-grade, one 5th-grade, and one 7th-grade essence.
She raised her character quite well.
It's a shame that she's using it for looting...
'No, come to think of it, maybe she found her true calling?'
In terms of explorers who fight monsters, Jensia is only around 6th-grade level. However, in PvP, she would definitely be above 5th-grade.
"Th, that's all…? I would have told you even if you just asked—"
What is she talking about? This is just the beginning.
I move on to the next question.
"Why did you attack us?"
"My information is spread throughout the Explorer's Guild. So I was trying to silence..."
"So you were planning to kill anyone who entered, regardless of who they were."
Jensia closes her eyes tightly and nods.
At this point, it would be understandable for her to give up and say, 'Just kill me'. However, she never utters those words.
It wouldn't change anything even if she did.
"Then why did you open the rift? It doesn't seem like you have any essence slots left, and you wouldn't have needed to silence us if you hadn't entered in the first place."
"It's because of the Heart of the Glacier. I heard that item only drops here."
Ah, so that's why.
"And I wasn't worried about silencing you. I thought you would be at most 8th-grade explorers—"
Just as I'm listening and nodding in understanding as the last piece of the puzzle falls into place...
...Jensia suddenly shuts her mouth. And her eyes widen.
As if she realized something huge.
"You… knew that I opened the rift…?"
…She just made a slip of the tongue.
"What are you talking about?"
I answer naturally while scratching my ear, but Jensia doesn't fall for it. And after a moment of silence, she finally reaches an answer.
"Don't tell me… you're also a player?"
Although it seems pointless to deny it after seeing her expression…
…there’s no need to confirm it either.
“Player? Are you an evil spirit?”
She just stares into space blankly at my question.
And as if she’s come to her senses, she squirms and presses her face against my leg.
I just look down at her.
“Mister, please save me…”
Hope.
“I want to go home. I can’t die here. In this shitty place… I survived so much. Please… please.”
Resentment.
“Ah, I haven’t apologized, have I? I’m sorry. I, I was wrong. I thought you were NPCs. I would never have done that if I had known. We, we’re real people… people, right? It would be murder!”
Desperation.
“Please… say something. Please? Fuck! Say something! Heuk, you bastard…”
Despair.
I just keep looking at Jensia’s face, where all sorts of emotions are swirling.
Thump.
Surprisingly, my heart is calm.
Not even sadness, let alone a shred of sympathy, arises.
There was no PK (player killing) in [Dungeon and Stone].
Because it’s not an online game.
However, killing NPCs was possible.
I also enjoyed playing as a looter in that way.
But…
‘I killed them because they were NPCs?’
This is not just a game.
I desperately want to believe that, but there’s too much evidence that forces me not to.
And she probably knew it too.
Therefore, I answer briefly,
“You are, an evil spirit.”
Evil spirit.
A being that doesn’t belong in this world.
But a being that has no choice but to assimilate its body, mind, and soul to survive here.
Well, who cares if they’re a player or an NPC?
Nothing changes.
No matter what label you put on her, this woman is just a marauder, and she’s a dangerous person who has figured out that I’m a player.
“You bastard!!”
Therefore, I raise my mace.
Thinking that even if the situation were reversed, it would be the same, since we’ve both adapted to this place.
Swoosh.
I put strength into the hand holding the mace.
Jensia doesn’t beg for her life anymore.
She just stares at me with venomous eyes.
As if to say she’ll remember my face and curse me even in death.
“Heu, heup, haak…”
With every ragged breath she takes, her plump chest rises and falls rapidly. I can feel how fast her heart is beating even without placing my ear against it.
I realize one thing.
Although she seemed to be filled with nothing but spite, there was one more thing left.
Fear.
Jensia then closes her eyes.
She lets go of her hatred and finally finds peace.
I wonder what she’s seeing beyond those tightly shut eyelids?
“Mo, mom…”
I swing my mace down before hearing everything.
Thwack-!
Flesh and blood splatter.
Blood gushes from her nose and mouth with every small convulsion of her fallen body.
Of course, it doesn’t last long.
Soon, her body completely stops moving.
I let out the breath I’ve been holding back and turn around.
「Achievement Unlocked」
Condition: First player kill
Reward: Mental stat permanently increases by +1.
I killed a player for the first time.
However, I push aside my emotions and take a step forward.
Thud-
Whether that act was easy or difficult.
Whether I felt excitement rather than fear at the sight of blood and flesh.
Whether I felt disgusted with myself for hoping that she saw what I wanted her to see beyond her closed eyelids when she woke up.
Or whether I felt pathetic seeing myself gradually becoming corrupted by this barbarian’s body…
Emotions don’t matter.
Thud-
It was something I had to do.
‘…….’
On the first day I woke up in this barbaric world…
…this was the path I chose to walk.
______________________
“Why did it take you so long! I thought something bad happened!”
Misha scolds me as I leave the cavern, leaving Jensia’s corpse behind.
Hmm, but I finished as quickly as possible.
It didn’t even take 3 minutes.
“He, help me!”
Kalson cries out desperately as the orc pushes him back relentlessly while Misha is distracted, looking at me.
However, I maintain an observational stance.
“Misha, you can finish him off now.”
“Ah, is that okay?”
“Yeah, and try using the new ability you acquired.”
“Huh? I haven’t used it yet…”
That’s why I’m telling you to try it.
The mafia is gone, isn’t she?
And Ice Orcs are the perfect opponents.
“Ugh! I ca, can’t hold on any longer… Heup!”
While Kalson blocks another axe strike with his dented shield…
…Misha closes her eyes.
And she uses a skill.
「Misha Kaltstein has cast [Enhance].」
A faint white light appears on her hand.
It’s the active skill of the 7th-grade monster, ‘Vitol’.
Normally, Misha’s basic combo would have been to use [Poison Infliction] after this, but…
「Misha Kaltstein has cast [Cold Condensation].」
Blue particles, as if separating from the air, seep into Misha’s body.
「Cold Affinity is greatly increased.」
Misha opens her eyes, as if she feels that it worked properly.
And…
Whoosh!
…she swings her sword sharply and cuts the orc’s wrist, which was about to attack Kalson.
Slash!
It seems like she couldn’t cut through the bone in one go.
The orc’s hand, holding the axe, is half-severed and dangling.
However, I’m focused on something else.
[Kriiik!!]
A laceration on the wrist from the sharp blade.
However, no blood flows out. The wound is frozen shut, covered in frost.
‘Is it Frostbite?’
The cold attribute stops bleeding.
This might seem like a disadvantage, but it also stops regeneration, so it’s quite useful depending on the type of enemy.
The fact that it restricts movement is also an advantage.
[Kriiik!]
Of course, since the Ice Orc has high cold resistance, only the area around its wrist is frozen.
But it would have been different if it were a regular mob.
The frost would have spread to its elbow.
Hmm, if it were a monster with negative cold resistance, it might have even been completely frozen.
Misha hasn’t finished setting up her build yet.
In that sense…
“Misha, aim for the neck this time.”
“Huh? Alright!”
Misha’s sword pierces the orc’s neck.
Well, orcs have a high Bone Density stat.
It would have been difficult to cut through it in one go.
However, as the area around the orc’s neck freezes, it stops moving and starts trembling.
It seems like the cold has reached its brain.
Kwagic-!
I’ve confirmed everything I needed to confirm, so I run forward and smash the orc’s head with my mace.
At the same time, the cavern starts shaking, and ice dust falls from the ceiling.
And I hear the roar I heard earlier.
[Groaaaaaaaaaar—!!]
“Wh, what?!”
What do you mean, what?
It means it’s time for the fourth chapter.
「Tyrant Tarunbas, awakened from his long slumber, has recovered all his strength.」
We even had an unplanned PK…
…so it’s time to kill the boss and leave.
------------------------------------------
Chapter 108: Baby Barbarian (1)
Just as we finish our brief preparations, sending Kalson to the back…
Kwaaang!
…the ice wall in front of us shatters, and the bastard appears.
Tyrant Tarunbas.
The guardian of the ‘Glacier Cave’, based on the 7th-grade monster Lycanthrope.
[Groaaaaaaaaaar—!!]
This guy has a few characteristics.
He’s 1.5 times bigger than a regular Lycanthrope.
His basic skill set is the same, but his stats are about twice as high.
And most importantly, he has that ice club in his hand.
「Tyrant Tarunbas has cast [Ice Crush].」
As soon as he appears, he slams his club on the ground.
[Ice Crush].
Originally, it’s a skill that just gives a damage bonus to enemies with the ‘Frostbite’ or ‘Frozen’ status effect.
However, it’s a bit different within the ‘Glacier Cave’.
Kwaaang!
Tremors spread through the ground.
Although the floor doesn’t collapse like in the second chapter, a layer of ice wall peels off, and about a dozen Frost Wolves awaken.
“Bjorn! This guy is different from regular Lycanthropes!”
Geez, it’s Bjorn.
The mafia is dead, so there’s no need to correct her, right?
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!”
I use [Wild Release] to draw his aggro…
…and block the incoming club with my shield.
Kwaaang!
Along with the heavy impact, a chill pierces through my bones.
Thick frost forms on the surface of the shield that blocked the club.
It’s not the Lycanthrope’s innate ability, but the effect of that ice club.
[Grrr!!]
[Woof!]
In the meantime, the Frost Wolves that have come to their senses also rush towards me, scratching and biting.
The damage is negligible even considering [Hypothermia] since they’re just 9th-grade monsters.
Well, it would be different once the second pattern starts, but…
There’s no need to worry since I plan to finish it in the first pattern.
“Now!”
I give Misha instructions and take out the item I prepared from my belt pocket and chew on it.
「Character has consumed ‘Thundergrass’.」
「Lightning damage slightly increased for 10 seconds.」
Thundergrass.
It’s a doping consumable that temporarily increases all lightning damage.
Before the duration ends, I tear the Lightning Scroll I was holding in my mouth and activate its effect.
Crackle!
The lightning that strikes the nearest enemy chains to the surrounding enemies.
Since it’s a cheap, low-grade Lightning Scroll, the damage isn’t enough to kill the Frost Wolves in one shot, but…
「Tyrant Tarunbas has entered a [Paralyzed] state.」
…that alone is enough to paralyze the bastard.
Because his lightning resistance is negative.
For reference, it’s a characteristic unique to him, not regular Lycanthropes. He’s particularly weak to the lightning attribute.
Although I’m not sure why an ice and beast-type monster has a weakness to lightning…
「Tyrant Tarunbas has cast [Indomitable].」
…the bastard then uses his second skill, [Indomitable], to remove the ‘incapacitated’ status…
…but it doesn’t change much.
It’s just removal, not immunity.
I can just do it again.
Boom!
Misha throws a stone, and it explodes.
Its in-game name is Storm Explosion.
I usually call it a lightning bomb.
「Tyrant Tarunbas has entered a [Stunned] state.」
The seven lightning bombs I threw without hesitation explode one after another, making Tarunbas roll his eyes.
And in this state, even [Indomitable] is useless.
‘Stun’ is a mental status effect, not an incapacitated state like petrification, paralysis, or freezing.
Thud!
The bastard, who appeared as the final boss, collapses to the ground, incapacitated in just 3 seconds.
What follows is simple.
Just like when we pounded Death Fiends, we run up and smash his head.
Thwack-! Thump! Thwack! Clang, kwagic-!
As Misha and I unleash a flurry of attacks with our lightning-enchanted weapons, his body soon shatters into tiny particles and scatters.
「Killed Tyrant Tarunbas. EXP +3」
「Guardian Kill Bonus. EXP +3」
It took about 10 seconds.
The effect of the ‘Thundergrass’ wore off just before he died, so there shouldn’t be much error in my estimate.
I calm my pounding heart and check the spot where he died.
“What the…”
Kalson, who was watching from afar, lets out a deep sigh.
Misha’s reaction isn’t much different either.
Although neither a Rift Stone nor a Numbered Item dropped, unlike in the Crimson Fortress…
“Bjorn… this is that, right?”
…an essence dropped.
“Uh, you’re giving this to me too…?”
I don’t understand why she keeps reacting like this.
In the first place, it was decided from the beginning when we were negotiating the distribution with the bear-like man that Misha would get the guardian’s essence.
“No, I mean… I thought you were just saying that. We didn’t come here alone, after all.”
Ah, so she thought I would take it later.
…What kind of image do I have in her eyes?
“Enough, just absorb it before it disappears.”
“Kya!”
I’m too lazy to explain further, so I just pat Misha on the back and push her forward.
And while Misha is adapting to the new essence…
…I approach the bear-like man, who is lying motionless on the cold floor.
I feel a bit sorry for him.
Even though I was assuming the worst and preparing for it, I didn’t expect him to go this far—
‘…What?’
I freeze as I lower my posture.
“Ugh, uh…”
Surprisingly, the bear-like man is still alive.
He’s not just barely clinging to life, but his consciousness seems to be intact as well.
Seeing how he desperately tries to say something despite his stiff body as soon as I approach…
‘At least 4 minutes have passed…?’
When I realized that Jensia’s sword was the ‘Viper’s Fang’, I thought he would have died a long time ago.
And I was even more certain after hearing their conversation outside.
[Kalson! I’ll take care of this, you check on that guy! He should have potions in his bag!]
[He’s, he’s already de, dead!]
While I was talking to Jensia, I heard that conversation outside. That’s why I finished off the orc first, then the final boss, and then came here.
‘…How the hell did he survive?’
While traveling with the bear-like man, I more or less confirmed the four essences he possessed.
Two of them were essences with poison resistance.
But even without poison, it’s normal to die after being left alone for so long with a pierced stomach like that.
“Po, potion…”
The bear-like man speaks clearly as he looks at me.
But did Misha hear that small mutter?
“Uh? He’s alive! Thank goodness! Hold on, I’ll make you feel better…”
Misha, who was lost in the afterglow of absorbing the essence, is startled and approaches him. And she rummages through the bear-like man’s bag and takes out a potion.
It’s a high-grade potion.
“I’ll use the best one I have, so don’t complain later?”
“It’s fine… keep po, uring, it… on me…”
“Got it!”
Misha opens the potion bottle and pours it on the bear-like man’s wound.
However…
Sizzle!
Bubbles form on the blood that fills the wound, but it doesn’t heal.
For reference, [Poison Infliction] doesn’t have this effect.
‘…She must have applied something to the sword.’
I have a guess.
I don’t know exactly what it is, but it must be a ‘wound deterioration’ type poison that prevents healing and regeneration.
“Uh, uh? Why is it like this…?”
“Kee, ep… po, uring… it…”
“Keep pouring it, right? Ah, got it!”
Misha keeps pouring the high-grade potion at the bear-like man’s request.
However, as she pours the second bottle and his condition doesn’t improve, does he realize something?
“An, antidote… yellow, fang…”
“Ah, th, this! The yellow bottle with the fang drawn on it?”
“Ye, s…”
The bear-like man takes the antidote with Misha’s help.
As expected of a solo player, he seems to have stocked up on emergency medicine.
However…
‘[Poison Infliction] might be different, but that antidote won’t work on deterioration-type poisons.’
As I expected, there’s no significant effect even after he drinks the antidote.
The wound heals at a snail’s pace.
And dark red blood keeps flowing out.
Sizzle…!
Two bottles, three bottles, four bottles…
Despite using up several potions, the bear-like man’s condition is getting worse.
It’s inevitable since the bleeding isn’t stopping.
“…….”
The bear-like man, whose consciousness seems to have become hazy from excessive blood loss, can’t even give orders anymore. He’s not even feeling the pain of the potion.
“Avman? Get a grip!”
Misha pats his cheek and shakes his shoulder, but the bear-like man doesn’t come to his senses.
“Wh, what should we do? Ah, the top-grade potion! Bjorn, let’s use that!”
Misha looks at me as if she just remembered the top-grade potion I bought.
I take out the top-grade potion without hesitation.
“Move aside.”
“Ah, okay!”
It’s an item that costs over 1 million stones per bottle.
Well, even with this, the wound won’t heal instantly, but at least it should stop the bleeding.
Sizzle!
As the top-grade potion, which can even heal severed limbs, is poured, the wound that was barely recovering starts to heal more significantly.
The bleeding stops, and his breathing stabilizes.
However, since he’s still in a dangerous state, we continue to pour high-grade potions.
Sizzle!
One bottle, two bottles, three bottles…
For reference, they’re all potions from the bear-like man’s bag, not mine.
He carries around ten high-grade potions, but why doesn’t he have any top-grade ones?
It doesn’t seem like it’s because he doesn’t have the money.
“I think we can stop now.”
After using up five more high-grade potions, the wound has healed more than two-thirds of the way.
So I stop the treatment.
With this much, his life shouldn’t be in danger, so I judge that it’s more rational to finish the treatment after the wound deterioration effect wears off.
“…….”
The bear-like man, who had been screaming in pain from the moment his nerves started to recover, is now unconscious.
I slowly get up.
“Yo, you’ve worked hard.”
Kalson says that to me as our eyes meet.
Worked hard my ass.
“Come to think of it, we haven’t split the loot yet.”
Now that the rift is cleared, we distribute the magic stones.
“Uh, it seems like the calculation is wrong…”
First, we divide the acquired magic stones by grade and give Kalson his share, and he cautiously questions it.
This guy is also strange.
I gave him a lot, not a little, but this is his reaction?
“Just take it. You didn’t even get an essence.”
Kalson’s share was originally only 5%.
Well, it increased to 10% after Jensia died…
But I give him 20% of the magic stones.
It’s the price of silence.
“If you feel bad about it, don’t go around telling people about today’s events.”
“Ah, yes! I understand!”
Although I don’t know if he’ll actually keep his promise, it’s better than nothing.
“But… why did that Miss Jensia do that?”
“Is there any other reason for looting besides money? It seems like it wasn’t her first time either.”
“I see…”
After receiving his share, Kalson leaves the rift through the portal after that one question. It seems like he doesn’t want to stay here any longer after experiencing so much.
That’s when, as I’m chuckling at the sight…
“This is…”
…the bear-like man comes to his senses.