Chapter 34

“Bjorn.”

The moment Ainar called out my name –

The sun, that had been covered by the red clouds so far, went completely over the horizon. And at that same instant, a pale-skinned man appeared under the red moonlight.

“It’s strange, it’s really strange…”

He took a glance at the ruins of the castle town all around us, then focused his full attention on our party.

“Your very presence makes my killing intent boil over. I can’t even stand to look at you. Do you guys know the reason?”

The reason? Well…

How should I know?

And I don’t really want to know, either.

I tried to be a bit clever with my answer.

“Given some time to think, we might be able to remember?”

Even one more minute would be fine, so I decided to try and buy time.

However, the bastard’s eyes shined at my answer.

“Unfortunately… my bloodlust has become too unbearable. Kahahaha.”

To be honest, this wasn’t much of a surprise.

There was no way this vampire bastard would agree to such a thing.

“Kaha, kahahaha! Kahahahahahahaha!!”

Even facing so many of us, the vampire, as if he’d been possessed, went from a small snicker to full-blown, gut-busting laughter…

“Kyaaaaaaagh!”

Finishing with a scream that wouldn’t have been out-of-place if it’d come from some kind of movie alien.

Sniiikt–!

His nails, the main weapon of a vampire, were already protruding outwards with a sharp, slicing sound.

At some point, only madness remained in his pupils, shedding a crimson glow.

‘Again, this is the same as how it’d been in the game.’

Come to think of it, the game had been the same way.

No matter how intelligent a monster was, there was never any proper conversation to be had, beyond exchanging only a few words like an introduction.

“Are you still fine with this much ‘fear’[1]?”

The killing intent emitted by the level five monster was enough to make one freeze, but surprisingly, the dwarf was fine.

“Everyone, back off!”

I was indeed a little amazed.

He’d looked so pathetic when facing the the corpse golem, but he was still a third-year adventurer in the end, huh?

At the same time as the vampire’s form disappeared, the dwarf stepped forward and raised his buckler.

Claaaaaaaang!

An explosion of dust blew around him with a roar.

The power was evident even from a few steps away, but…

“Ha ha ha! It’s pretty heavy!”

The dwarf didn’t take a single step back.

It wasn’t that his stats overwhelmed the vampire’s…

It was all thanks to his essence.

「Hikurod Murad has cast [counterweight].」

An ability of the seventh grade monster, ‘iron troll’.

A ‘knockback immunity’ skill that prevents you from falling or being pushed when your feet are in contact with the ground.

Additional options include shock absorption.

“Tarzine, you stand back!”

As the battle began, I gave orders.

However, no answer came back.

When I glanced askance, I saw that the porter was already far away, with the wizard safely cradled in his arms.

He did do a good job, so why did I feel so annoyed?

What exactly was I feeling right now, I decided to ponder over later.

“Ainar!”

“I’ll take the right side!”

I could just save my breath, because we could read each other’s thoughts just by looking into the other’s eyes.

I nodded briefly towards the left side of the vampire, then rushed at him together with Ainar.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Perhaps he hadn’t completely lost his mind, and his wits remained about him as far as battle was concerned? The vampire retreated.

At the same time, the dwarf’s half-crumpled buckler was restored to its original state as if time had been reversed.

The buckler didn’t come with an auto-repair feature…

「Hikurod Murad has cast [emergency restoration].」

This was the ability of ‘living armor’.

A useful skill that not only saved on the cost of equipment, but also greatly increased the performance any magic tool one equipped.

The dwarf, who’d finished the repairs in an instant, shouted.

“I’ll be in charge of the front, so you guys help from the side!”

There was no reason to disagree.

Because he was a dwarf, he’d probably even be able to hold out alone for a few seconds. To be honest, I was the one here who was the least helpful.

Ainar had at least eaten an essence this time, but I, the wise one, had nothing except for my ‘undying imprint’.

Well, I supposed I could serve as a meat shield.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!”

At that moment, as the vampire looked at us from a distance, his body suddenly dissolved into hundreds of crows.

A murder of crows flapping their wings, and flying towards us at great speed.

“Get as far away as you can!”

The crows quickly hit the floor and exploded.

Craaaack! Bang! Booooooooom!

The explosions weren’t that powerful in and of themselves.

However, we couldn’t avoid the blood that splashed all over the place.

‘Shit.’

Of course, this wasn’t like the corpse golem with its acidic blood, but…

Considering the next part of the combo, this was even more of a headache.

“B-, Bjorn! What the hell is this!”

A red tattoo was engraved on our blood-drenched foreheads, and a bright light shone forth.

「The character has been anointed as a sacrifice.」

「Vampire Duke Cambormere’s physical ability temporarily increases proportional to the number of sacrifices within a 100m radius.」

I clenched my teeth, ignoring the information from the game log that somehow rose within my mind.

The vampire’s figure was slowly reforming from the blood that’d pooled on the floor after the crows had exploded.

Now that he’d been buffed, it was going to be even more difficult to deal with him.

‘Are we close to about three minutes, now?’

There was still a long way to go before the preparations were ready.

Would I be able to survive until then?

I shook my head.

There was no point in thinking about the uncertainty of the future.

“Behel-raaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

I’d simply have to endure.

With the same bull-headed, intransigent resolve that the barbarians were proud of.

First, buff skill, ‘sacrificial imprint’.

Second, ‘eternal life’, that greatly increases regenerative power, proportional to the lost stamina.

Third, ‘master of blood’, that absorbs part of the target’s abilities when directly sucking blood from them.

Each of the three active skills possessed by vampires shine with great majesty in close-ranged melee combat.

The problem, though, is that this isn’t the end of it.

These bastards, unsatisfied with their natural abilities, also use various black magic spells.

“Bjorn, another crow!”

For example, turning into a crow and exploding, turning into smoke to phase through hits, using blood scattered nearby to summon monsters, etc.

Vampire bastards are the epitome of how cheaty the specs of the high-grade monsters are.

‘This is why the majority couldn’t even reach the sixth floor and had to quit the game.’

Seeing with my own eyes the crazy difficulty of [Dungeon and Stone] once again, I raise my shield.

It’s already been torn and dug by the vampire’s nails, and it’s almost like scrap metal at this point…

But it’s better than nothing.

Claaaaaang–!

I use the recoil to jump back and absorb the shock of the impact as much as possible.

Strength, speed, and skill.

Against an enemy who overwhelms me in every way, all I have are the remnants of my fighting talent and my experience.

[Please hold on for another five minutes!]

Suddenly, Raven’s voice echoes inside my head.

I wonder if it’d have taken less time if she’d saved the magic power instead of sending a message…

Still, after hearing this hopeful news, I do feel a little refreshed –

“Hikurod got hit!”

– Like hell.

The dwarf who’s been marking the vampire from up close, showing his skill as an adventurer in his third year, falls down.

Although Ainar, being nearby, rushes in and prevents the vampire from sucking his blood…

「Hikurod Murad has fallen into a state of [incapable of combat]. 」

In an instant, the tide has turned.

Ainar and I are already at our limits.

It’s almost impossible to stop the enemy with just the two of us, without the dwarf who’d been taking on at least half the pressure during this battle.

‘Then I’d rather…’

I make a quick decision.

“Ainar! Take Murad and step back!”

“But…”

“I’m going to stop this guy!”

“Oh, I see!”

As Ainar hauls Murad over her shoulders, I dash forward and swing my mace.

Crump!

My first valid hit in quite a while.

“Aahk!!”

My head throbs with the recoil of my successful attack.

Because this crazy bastard is a high variant.

「Vampire Duke Cambormere has cast [share affliction].」

In the meantime, this bastard fully recovers from his injuries by just taking a step back to catch his breath.

Damn, I’m still in pain.

What kind of bullshit is this?

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Still, just as planned, the aggro has completely focused on me.

I double-check to see if the thing I’d hidden in my boots is still safe.

The item called the ‘Tear of the Goddess’.

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Simply put, it’s a sacred object.

Although it’s a disposable item, it can be used for healing purposes, and also for attacks against monsters with unholy attribute.

‘… Should I use this now?’

Of course, using it on myself isn’t worth it.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a ‘special grade’, it’s still an item that can only be used within the ‘Blood Citadel’.

If it’s used on the dwarf, we could restore our fighting power immediately, and if it’s used on the vampire, it’d be able to inflict considerable damage.

But…

‘No.’

I stop my pointless worries.

Why have I been defending so steadfastly until now?

Because I’ve only planned for one attack.

And actually, planning for more than would rather be a demerit.

Since the chance will come only once –

We have to pour our everything into it at that exact moment.

That’s the only way for the five of us to hunt a level five monster.

Click.

I take a bottle of potion from my waist and open the stopper.

And the moment I pour the potion into my mouth while watching the vampire rushing towards me –

Screeeech!

The countless number of residual wounds I’ve accumulated during the battle start healing, and the accompanying agony rushes in like a tidal wave.

It’s as if the strength is running out of my hands like water. I want nothing else but to collapse. After all, it’s close to impossible to fight while drinking a potion. But…

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Because I’m not trying to ‘fight’ here. Not exactly.

Snikt!

Soon, the vampire’s claws are nailed to my abdomen.

Even with my sheet metal armour in the way, the wound seems grievously deep.

“…!”

Nerves that feel a life-threatening danger fire like crazy, sending signals of pain to my brain.

My head feels blank, as if overloaded on sensations.

‘Shit, if I’d known things would be like this, I would’ve just eaten the corpse golem essence.’

Leaving my belated regrets behind, I pour another bottle of potion into my mouth.

Screeeech!

The effects of the undying imprint stack with the potion, and the wound heals swiftly.

“Kyaaak–?”

The vampire bastard sounds startled, as if he can’t make sense of the current situation.

Honestly speaking –

It hurts like I’m dying, but…

“Behel-ra, you son of a bitch…”

Mere pain cannot kill me.

I’m still alive to this day. I’m still here. That is my proof.

“What the hell is that guy doing…!”

Raven, who was hiding behind the rubble in the distance and observing the situation, was astonished.

Although she’d read of many extraordinary strategies and hunting methods of famous adventurers in her books, none of them had been like this.

Just cling to the enemy while chugging potions?

“Th-, that’s never going to work. H-he’ll die!”

The concept itself didn’t make sense.

She, who’d taken potions several times, knew this very well.

The pain that came with drinking a potion could be unimaginable, and the intensity of the pain increased depending on the severity of the injury.

Then what about that barbarian, right now?

Screeech!

It wasn’t at a stage where his wounds were bubbling and steam rising from them. His whole body was covered with pulsing smoke.

Even for her, seeing this kind of scene was the first time.

In this state, even leaving the injuries aside, death from the shock itself wouldn’t be strange at all.

In fact, wasn’t that already common as a case of death after drinking potions?

“Huh?”

At that moment, while she was shuffling in place with anxiety, her eyes widened.

The pain the barbarian had to have been feeling right now was beyond her imagination.

But at least one thing was certain.

In that state, he shouldn’t have been able to even move.

But, what the hell was this scene before her eyes?

Claaaaaang–!

Blocked.

While half-collapsed on the floor –

Holding a shield that had become a lump of scrap metal –

The barbarian blocked the vampire’s nails from cleaving him in two.

And as if to prove that this wasn’t an accident –

Claaaaaang–!

This happened several times, over and over.

Of course, not all the attacks were blocked. Even now, the barbarian’s whole body was being shredded with abandon by those nails that danced like a whirlwind.

However…

Claaaaaang!

Every attack that targeted a key vital point such as the head or the heart, was somehow blocked by a random-looking thrust of the shield.

‘Is this even possible…?’

She had no idea whether he was accurately avoiding the most fatal attacks with superhuman concentration, or whether it was just the fighting instincts left in his body that were making this possible.

However, a document she’d read a long time ago suddenly came to her mind.

It’d said that the true value of the barbarians lay in their mental power, not their superior physical abilities.

‘Somehow, I think I understand now… ‘

“Mistress Raven, it’d be better for us to leave here.”

Tarzine, who was watching the battle together with her, spoke up with a heavy voice.

He mentioned escape, but what he meant was to abandon the rest and run away.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to protect you at this rate, Mistress Raven. It’s too dangerous here.”

Seriously, did she come off as full of the spirit of self-sacrifice?

‘Do you think I’m still here because I don’t know that?’

She would’ve done that already, if she could.

Although she’d been told before that she had too soft a heart for a wizard, she still wasn’t naive enough to risk her life for some low-tier adventurers.

But…

“Are you crazy? Leave? And go where?”

There was nowhere to run.

There was only one way to get out of the rift, and that was to defeat the ‘guardian’ and exit through the portal.

‘… He already knows that… he must be really desperate.’

A thought flashed within her mind.

Even a barbarian barely out of his coming-of-age ceremony was making such a coldly rational judgment and doing his best given their situation…

And as the wizard, what the hell am I doing right now?

“When Bjorn dies, it’ll all be over. He must somehow survive.”

A wizard is not a being who only fires high-power spells from behind.

One of the wizard’s jobs is to coldly analyze the situation using their diverse knowledge, and to suggest the most efficient way to their team.

“…”

Raven checked the current situation once again.

The third-year dwarf warrior was incapable of combat.

The barbarian was feeding him potions and helping him recover.

No problems so far…

As a wizard, she was hiding and waiting until her magical power was restored, and a human swordsman was there to escort her.

This was pretty wasteful.

“Tarzine, go help Mr. Murad.”

“Eh?”

“I’ll be fine here. You go over there so that at least that barbarian can join the battle.”

“… Understood.”

“Leave your backpack here.”

Despite her slightly nervous tone, Tarzine followed her instructions without even trying to argue.

Instead of even watching him go, Raven immediately put her hand into the subspace of her backpack.

‘The essence of the corpse golem.’

As soon as she clearly recalled the image, the test tube was firmly grasped in her hand.

‘It’s a bit of a… no, it’s a lot of a waste, but this money’s nothing compared to my life.’

Raven slowly gathered her magic and used the spells one by one.

Whoosh!

Support – accuracy.

Support – projectile range.

Support – orbit auto-adjustment.

With a few more additions, she wouldn’t even have to wave her arms to fire…

‘I have to save some magic power.’

After completing the procedure, she threw the test tube in her hand as hard as she could.

And…

Clink!

The test tube that flew far away with a smooth curve hit the target and broke, emitting light.

⋮

「The [corpse golem essence] permeates the character’s soul.」

「Pain Tolerance +70」

「Strength +15」

「Skeletal Density…」

「…」

「…」

⋮

「Bjorn Yandel」

Level: 2

Body: 80 (New +34) / Mind: 46 (New +10) / Ability: 30 (New +26)

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Item Level: 202

Combat Index: 203.5 (New +70)

Acquired Essences: Corpse Golem – Rank 7 (New)

Editor’s Notes:

[1] 피어 (fear, lit. to bloom) a homonym of the English word ‘fear’. This seems to be an ocular/pupil skill of vampires, here.