Chapter 185 - Jinx (5)

Anyone who's ever been hit by a car will know. It happens in an instant, and there's no taking it back.

Just like this very moment.

"Prepare for combat!!!"

As my shout cuts through the silence, the dwarf's axe swings like lightning and buries itself deep in the mage's shoulder.

CRUNCH!

The sickening sound of flesh tearing drives home that this is real. By the time it reaches my ears, I'm already surging forward at full speed, my feet pounding the ground.

My objective: rescue Raven.

"Eek!"

I swiftly close the distance, pull Raven into my arms, and retreat. The tank on Hans G's team does much the same.

"Snap out of it, both of you!!"

The blunt-weapon warrior, who'd been standing well away, grabs the elf archer and Hans G by the scruffs of their necks and pulls them behind him. In doing so, we naturally form an encirclement.

We have the advantage in both numbers and quality. How will the dwarf get out of this unfavorable situation?

Everyone watches to see his next move.

SHLUK.

The dwarf pulls his axe from the mage's shoulder and shouts a name.

"Hans Krissen!!"

All eyes turn to Hans G in the suffocating tension. But he merely trembles without saying a word.

The dwarf shouts again, pressing him.

"You don't mind your secret getting out?!"

My head feels as though it's ringing. There's only one secret Hans G could have that he means.

"Fine. If that's what you want, I'll make sure you have nowhere to belong. Hans Krissen is an evil spirit! The proof is in my backpack—"

"You two! Get away from him!"

I shout a warning first. If the dwarf has solid evidence, Hans G's betrayal is practically a foregone conclusion.

But...

"A-an evil spirit? You expect me to believe—"

I'm a moment too late.

FWOOSH!

The lizard Hans G summoned spews a fierce torrent of flame at the blunt-weapon warrior.

"Wh... y...?"

The blunt-weapon warrior collapses, engulfed in flames.

"I-I'm sorry."

Hans G squeezes his eyes shut and runs toward the dwarf. Then he says something incomprehensible.

"Wh-what are you doing?! M-Miss Meirin, hurry over here too!"

"... Wh-what are you talking about?! You do something that horrible, and you expect me to join you?!"

"Y-you aren't going to abandon me like this, are you? W-we came from the same place. We have to go everywhere together! I-I've been the one doing all the dangerous stuff!!"

The conversation takes a completely unexpected turn.

"Ha, you fucking little brat!"

The instant I see the elf archer's contorted expression, everything becomes clear in my head.

'To think both these bastards were Players.'

Even the dwarf looks surprised, so he apparently didn't know this much either. He must have simply happened upon some evidence and used it to blackmail Hans G during their watch.

"Dwarf! You'd better keep that promise you made him about taking him to Noark!"

"... Of course! Now help me!"

With Hans G having dragged her down with him and left her no choice, the elf archer shouts irritably and moves over to the dwarf.

'This really couldn't have gotten more tangled.'

A headache sets in. We clearly had the numerical advantage just a moment ago, but now we're outnumbered by one. Hans G's team's Guide has already fainted from shock, and even if she wakes up, her combat ability is zero.

And even if we defeat them under these awful conditions, that won't solve everything. Afterward, the grim prospect of the five of us taking on the boss awaits.

'Fuck, there's still a goddamn doppelgänger hiding among us in the first place, isn't there?'

Calling it one problem after another doesn't even begin to cover it. There's no way I can keep myself from swearing.

'Even for the Hans effect, isn't this a bit much?'

The complaint comes unbidden, but... what else can I do?

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!"

I'll just have to give it a shot.

* * *

There was no need for a lengthy exchange. We'd long since passed the point of talking things out.

THUD!

The moment I activated [Gigantification] and charged forward, a gray vortex swirled around me, engulfing my body.

WHOOOSH!

One of the spellcaster's many offensive skills. Since it didn't deal physical damage, even I couldn't take it unprotected without getting hurt.

But I had a team too.

"Thaeloon Sheardiem."

A veil of mana covered my skin. We simply called it a "mana shield" in the game. This was why mages were important in PK combat. Its mana efficiency was so terrible that using it while hunting was practically a waste, but against other people, that wasn't the case.

Both sides were burning through resources just as quickly.

WHOOOSH.

When my vision cleared, the dwarf was right in front of me.

THUD.

He jumped impressively high on those two short legs and slammed his shield into my face.

The damage itself wasn't great, but even with [Gigantification] active, my body was helplessly shoved backward. It was because of his skill, [Double-sided Shield]. It granted a knockback bonus when pushing enemies away and reduced impact when blocking.

My feet skidded backward, leaving long tracks. Before I'd even stopped, the Therianthrope swordsman thrust his sword at me. His intended target: my utterly vulnerable eyes.

"Not so fast!"

Misha sprang out from behind my back and knocked his sword aside.

Okay, I'd leave him to Misha, then.

WHIZZ!

Blocking an arrow flying straight at me with my shield, I brought my mace down on the crown of the dwarf's head just as he landed.

But what was this?

CLANG!

I'd even used [Swing] with that blow. Even if he'd raised his shield to protect his head, he should have been crushed beneath it. That was exactly what had happened when we fought his doppelgänger.

Why?

Why was his shield still intact?

'Motherfucker.'

I soon found the cause. His earring was glowing, just like his shield.

'... No. 2988?'

Of course the result was different from his doppelgänger's. They couldn't copy Numbered items. With a high-end item like that, a world of difference was only natural.

BOOM!

Just then, an explosion sounded behind the dwarf's front line. An explosive arrow fired by Mister Bear. Hans G's Earthbug summoned a wall in time, preventing any casualties, but...

RUMBLE!

As the wall crumbled, Raven's follow-up spell struck.

KABOOM!

Thunderbolt split into dozens of branches as it fell from the sky. Struck by one of them, Hans G crumpled.

Of course, that didn't last long. They had a priest, after all.

FWOOSH!

Regaining consciousness within seconds, Hans G used his summon to spew fire at our back line. Raven had just cast a spell, and the angle made it impossible for me to block it, so Mister Bear's tank summon, Teddy, simply took the hit with his body.

["ROAR!!"]

Teddy roared as if that much couldn't faze him. Summoning-type Spirit beasts tended to have high Mana resistance.

'Whew. Team battles really are on a different scale at this level.'

Then, apparently finished with his preparations, the priest of Carui began bringing out summons in earnest.

["Grrrr..."]

An undead legion began pouring from an ominously colored portal that formed in midair. As it happened, we had the perfect opponent for them.

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!"

Before I could even give an order, Aynar charged out, swinging her greatsword.

BANG! KABOOM! BOOM!

Every time she used [Double Slash], explosions erupted and flames scattered. Whenever she got hurt, she regenerated on her own with [Wings of Greed]. Of course, using skills so freely wouldn't leave her with much MP, but...

「Aynar Pheneline has slain an enemy.」

「[Satiation] activates, restoring Magic Power.」

The Slayer engraving Aynar had received specialized in slaughtering weaker enemies.

BOOM! RUMBLE!

WHOOOSH!

Skills erupted on all sides, accompanied by their various sounds. Rather than each person focusing solely on their own opponent as in individual combat, everyone moved fluidly, sometimes pulling back briefly to help a teammate.

How much longer did that fierce battle go on, with neither side gaining a clear advantage?

"You know something?"

Slamming his knockback shield into my face, the dwarf spoke to me for the first time since the battle began. I considered ignoring him, but answered anyway.

"That you're about to fucking die?"

"No. That you're the core of your team."

Why was he stating the obvious? At every opening, I'd rushed about breaking up their formation and damaging the enemy, batting aside every arrow and spell that crossed my path with my shield. In contrast, all the dwarf had done was follow me around and keep me from running too wild.

"Which means that if you and I both disappear, our side will have a much bigger advantage."

"... What?"

The dwarf grinned and shouted.

"Jainen! Now!"

Jainen. The name of the priest of Carui, whom the dwarf had called over and over to issue orders because they lacked team voice magic.

「Your character has entered the special terrain [Crossroads of Fate].」

The surroundings, where all manner of things had been exploding like fireworks, went dark. The fierce sounds of battle vanished too, leaving silence. An incredulous chuckle escaped me.

I'd wondered what he was trying to do...

'So he used Crossroads of Fate.'

Did this dwarf bastard think I was a pushover?

* * *

Crossroads of Fate. The effect of this divine power, usable only by priests of Carui, was simple: send two designated targets to an isolated space.

The skill could only be used if the two targets were hostile to each other. They could only return to the outside world once one of them won, or someone outside interrupted the divine power...

CLICK.

With the sound of a switch being pressed, the surroundings lit up. I was standing on a stone statue the size of a building dozens of stories tall. Well, more precisely, I was standing on its palm.

Looking up, I could see the statue's face gazing down at me. The face of the evil god Carui, which I'd only seen in books.

"You're surprisingly unperturbed."

The dwarf murmured leisurely from about ten meters away. In the end, I couldn't hold back my question.

"What gave you the confidence to bring me here?"

"... You know about this place?"

Of course I did. This was a kind of dueling arena, cut off from the outside world, where you had to fight using your individual abilities alone.

And he'd brought me here?

"I'm just dumbfounded."

Seeing my expression, the dwarf frowned.

"You think too highly of yourself, barbarian."

Right. So he genuinely believed he could hold out just fine. That if he simply kept me trapped here, his team would win outside and let him out.

I smirked.

I considered saying something, but that would waste time. I couldn't find a reason to bother, either. I just had to prove it through action.

Like a barbarian.

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!!"

No more questions or answers. Ending the chatter, I charged the enemy, my feet pounding the ground.

The dwarf backed away, apparently determined to turtle up. A futile struggle. How far could he run on those short legs? Indeed, he seemed to realize it was impossible, because he soon raised his shield.

WHOOSH.

He swung his shield, intending to push me away. But the only reason he'd hit me with that earlier was because his teammates had kept distracting me.

SWISH.

I twisted slightly to dodge it, then brought down my mace.

CLANG!

A clear metallic note rang from the shield the dwarf raised over his head. Of course, that wasn't a problem.

CLANG!

If once wasn't enough, twice.

CLANG!

If twice wasn't enough, three times.

CLANG!

Seriously, this was starting to feel like whack-a-mole. No matter how many times I struck, the dwarf's shield held firm.

"I... told you, didn't I? I can hold out."

His breathing was getting awfully rough for someone saying that.

Anyway, so this really was what he'd been counting on. I almost felt sorry for him. To think he'd actually fallen for the act I'd put on to make him let his guard down.

CLANG!

It happened after I'd struck thirteen more times.

WHOOSH!

I feinted another downward swing of my mace, then swiftly reached out toward one particular spot.

And...

"...!"

I yanked his earring.

Sure, a Numbered item wasn't going to break from this much force... but flesh wasn't a Numbered item, was it?

RIP.

His delicate earlobe tore, and the earring came free.

'No. 2988 Guard Corps’ Symbol.'

It had no particular stats or active effect, but when equipped, this amazing item gave your shield a whopping fifty percent impact absorption. I hadn't expected to acquire this core item like this.

"... Give it back!!"

Belatedly realizing what had happened, the dwarf lunged at me like a madman. Of course, all I could offer him was a swing of my big, hard mace.

BOOM!

A satisfyingly thunderous crash rang from the shield he'd reflexively raised to protect his head.

Whew. Yes, that was more like it. All my pent-up frustration seemed to melt away.

In that spirit, one more.

BOOM!!

The dwarf staggered badly, clutching his half-crumpled shield.

CRUNCH!

Taking advantage of his broken guard, I smashed my mace down onto the crown of his head. That final blow sent the dwarf to the ground. Still, since the space hadn't collapsed, it seemed he hadn't died instantly.

'Is he unconscious?'

Whatever else I might say about him, he certainly had a tough body.

'Well, that works out.'

I rummaged through the dwarf's bag and took out one item: the test tube containing the Manticore Essence. Looking at it suddenly reminded me of what he'd said when we rolled the dice.

["Lucky me."]

The number-one phrase least suited to my life. It was a little ironic. The man who'd said that was now destined to die, while I stood in the opposite position. It even made me wonder whether good luck might be an omen of misfortune.

But...

"The test tube in his expanded bag survived without breaking?"

I chuckled and murmured,

"Lucky me."

This much should be fine. Everything else, I'd worked to win for myself.

「[Manticore Essence] seeps into your character's soul.」

I downed the Essence in the test tube in one shot. And at that moment...

RUMBLE!

The entire space began to tremble.

I'd thought it odd that he'd survived that blow. So he'd finally died.

'The corpse will return to where it was anyway, so I'll collect everything later...'

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, the familiar forest was before me. I quickly checked my surroundings. Not even five minutes had passed since I'd been dragged into that place.

BOOM! CRACKLE! BANG!

The battle was still raging.

But the battlefield had shifted a little, apparently because my teammates had repeatedly retreated in my absence. It was now about seventy meters away. They were visibly struggling, so I needed to rejoin them as quickly as possible.

'Hmm. That looks like just the right distance.'

So I activated my newly acquired Ability, the active skill contained in the Manticore's yellow Essence.

'Leap.'

Feeling inexplicably lighter, I jumped with all my strength. And...

「Jumping power increases tenfold for a single leap, dealing a powerful impact to the surroundings upon landing.」

My body soared in a steep parabola and slammed into the midst of the dwarf's remaining teammates like a meteorite.

KABOOOOOM!

At last, I had a movement skill of my own.