Chapter 224 - Like a Flame (4)

Darkness lies only a few steps away. We stand in tight formation, relying on the flickering torches. All around us, unpleasant gazes press in.

'What the hell are you staring at?'

Hundreds of eyes have bloomed in the darkness. It feels like we've stepped into one of those grim fairy tales with a bleak, grotesque atmosphere.

But that's only the atmosphere. The outcome is up to us. If we overcome this ordeal, it'll become a story of hope. If we fall, it'll remain nothing more than a cruel tale.

WHOOOSH!

The awl-shaped shadow embedded in my shield pulls free and retreats into the darkness. This has happened several times already. Maybe the bastard's shy around strangers, because all it's been doing is throwing basic attacks at us from a distance.

'Good for us, since we're trying to buy time?'

With that thought, I check my equipment. My shield is riddled with holes.

The warrior beside me mutters, "You'll need to buy yourself a new shield first thing when you get out."

His words take it for granted that we're getting back alive. I chuckle and reply, "Yeah. I'll buy a new one."

We're getting out alive. As many of us as possible.

SWISH.

After four consecutive basic attacks, something stirs in the darkness. So, done testing the waters, are you?

SWISH.

Soon, it reveals itself with the eerie sound of wind.

It's about two meters tall, dressed in ragged robes fit for the dead, with nothing resembling a weapon. Its outline is basically human. But wherever the robes leave it exposed, only blue-black smoke swirls, as though it were a spirit-type monster.

And then...

A flash!

Where its head should be, above its neck, only a crimson glow shines from beneath the shadow of its hood.

Its anatomy is clearly different from a human's. For one thing, there's only a single glowing eye. And rather than sitting on the right or left, it's in the center of its face, throwing off the proportions. On top of that... it's enormous. As if its entire head were one giant eyeball.

"Avoid meeting its eye if you can."

The instant I confirm its appearance, I fix my gaze on its shoulder. The reason is simple.

[Do Not Fear.]

The moment you meet its gaze, there's a set chance of being afflicted with the Fear status effect.

And...

[Look at Me.]

Once Fear stacks nine times, the character permanently becomes a servant of the Abyss Lord. Like the many monsters inhabiting the Labyrinth, they turn into an enemy and attack us.

'That mechanic was a real pain in the ass.'

You can pretty much consider it a conditional instant kill, since "Monstrification" doesn't wear off even after you defeat the boss.

'Well, we're not trying to beat it. We only need to last ten minutes...'

I don't think anyone will reach Monstrification within ten minutes. But we can't relax. We didn't come here properly prepared. None of us has a build set up to counter Fear. In short, Fear alone poses more than enough of a threat.

"Urgh..."

A warrior beside me clutches his head and groans. Apparently, he's already met its gaze. If he'd been afflicted with Fear, he'd have thrown away his weapon and fled, or attacked us—

"Bjorn!"

"Watch out!"

While I briefly check on my companion, a shadow shoots from Verzak's chest. It's the same awl that has struck my shield over and over. But this attack is slightly different.

WHOOOSH.

The awl hurtling toward me splits into dozens midway and engulfs me like a net.

SLAP.

The shadows cling like an octopus's suckers and coil around my body. I feel a pulling force all over. Its intention is obvious. Basic attacks will take too long, so it wants to drag me into the darkness.

Hah. We're not that fucking pathetic.

"Ekovir Iheran Aipoun."

Kyle releases the spell he's already prepared: the rank-seven support spell Elemental Imbuement. The element, incidentally, is solar—the bane of dark-type monsters.

FWOOSH!

Pure white flames, a combination of fire and holy elements, envelop everyone's weapons except the knights'. The reason for leaving them out is simple.

SLASH!

With Aura, they can damage it without Elemental Imbuement.

"Save Bjorn!"

The instant the shadows bind me, the warriors rush in, cutting and smashing them with their blazing weapons. I'm free in an instant.

But before I can catch my breath, dozens more shadows erupt from its body.

WHOOOOOSH!

This attack is different again. It's targeting everyone, not just me. I quickly readjust my grip on my shield.

'So this is where it starts.'

Time for the battle to begin in earnest.

* * *

That eyeball monster I killed earlier—the Abyss Watcher—is a summoning skill Verzak uses to select its next victim after finishing a battle. When cast, it summons Watchers throughout the cave, and they roam in search of sacrifices.

Once you encounter one, that's it. There's no way to shake its aggro.

That's why I popped the eyeball without hesitation. Unless someone takes the main aggro, it's impossible to lure Verzak away. As we just saw, it recognized only me as an enemy until my companions attacked it to save me.

["Then wouldn't it be better for one person to step up and sacrifice themselves?"]

Someone suggested that while we were planning, but it wasn't a realistic strategy. Even setting aside who would take that role, Verzak's vision extends about two kilometers. Unless that person could hold out until the expedition was completely outside its sight, it would be meaningless.

'Ten minutes.'

Kyle estimated it would take about ten minutes. If we fall before then, Verzak will pursue the expedition again and begin an indiscriminate slaughter.

That's why...

BOOM!

We hold out. Not me alone, but together with the mages and warriors who followed me.

"Behel—raaaaaa!!"

We swing our burning weapons and resist the darkness. It isn't easy.

WHOOOOSH!

An awl-shaped basic attack with high penetration. Normally, reacting to it wouldn't be difficult. I don't know how much longer my shield will last, but as long as I block with it, I won't be seriously hurt.

But...

'Fucking game.'

The problem is that I can't see properly. Keeping my gaze lowered to avoid meeting its eye means I repeatedly fail to react in time.

It was like this in the actual game, too.

[Do not meet Verzak's eye.]

Applying this command to a character drastically reduced their evasion and block success rates, no matter how high their Agility was.

Just like now.

SHUNK!

A shadow plunges deep into my shoulder.

「Your body regenerates rapidly due to the effect of Recovery (High).」

No matter how many potions I drink, it's barely enough. Even with its aggro spread out, I'm still its primary target.

And amid all that...

"A-aaargh!!"

It doesn't just stab at us. Shadows fly out as nets, dragging our companions into the darkness. So far, we've managed to prevent it by frantically cutting them apart, but...

'Damn it.'

We couldn't keep stopping it forever. At last, we suffer our first casualty.

"Sillian!!"

Sillian Nerf. He came along because he thought today's events would make a great story to tell over drinks.

"Aaaargh! Aaargh! Argh!!"

Horrific screams continue from the darkness where he was dragged.

It's a strange feeling. In the game, I thought this was just a bit of staging to enhance the atmosphere.

"..."

Rage boils inside me. But that only makes it more important to keep my head. Once again, at least one person has to.

"Stop."

"But!"

"You'll die too if you go."

Once he's been dragged in, there's no saving him. Not at our current level.

"Damn it!"

A warrior vents his fury. I understand. We couldn't even watch with our own eyes as a comrade who'd fought beside us all day died. All we could do was listen to the sounds beyond the darkness.

Helplessness. I've felt it countless times today alone. But helpless or not, the battle continues.

「Your body regenerates rapidly due to the effect of Recovery (High).」

Verzak uses a skill, too.

[Call of the Abyss].

A skill that gathers all the trash mobs within its vision in one place.

"Grrk! Grrrk!"

The summoned Abyss Goblins open their monster bundles to summon monsters and scatter traps from afar. This costs us a life.

SHUNK.

Amid the melee of springing traps and rampaging monsters bursting from bundles, an awl-shaped shadow pierces a companion's body. Even the mages, who have been intermittently casting Mana Shield to prevent fatal wounds, fail to react.

THUD.

And just like that, another person dies.

"Kyle! How much longer!"

"Four minutes."

What, three minutes?

"Four minutes have passed."

Whew. Almost got my hopes up for a second—

CRUNCH!

That's when the first unforeseen complication occurs.

"A troll! Push it back!!"

Another person dies, killed by a troll summoned right in front of them. The problem isn't the troll. It's that the victim is a mage.

'Motherfucker.'

I'd considered warrior deaths inevitable, but mages are different. We placed them in the center to protect them at all costs.

'Now we'll run out of mana sooner...'

This is the worst. Even as I think that, I keep moving. More time passes.

"Five minutes left."

"Four minutes!"

Perhaps to boost morale, Kyle calls out the time every minute.

"We only need to last three more minutes!"

There haven't been any casualties since the mage died. True to their veteran status, the explorers are gradually getting used to the fight.

But at the eight-minute mark...

"We can't cast any more spells. Maintaining the imbuement is all we can manage."

Kyle states it as a simple fact.

'Two more minutes without magical support...'

It's earlier than expected, but it can't be helped. We lost a mage. They must have no other choice if they're to reserve enough mana to activate that magic circle.

"Kieeeeeek!!"

With the mages' area spells gone, the monsters spilling out of the bundles steadily accumulate. Fewer people. No magic. As the pressure on us grows, Verzak relentlessly fires shadows like arrows from afar.

SHUNK!

And another person dies.

'I won't be able to keep that promise.'

You can't leave last words in the middle of such a fierce battle. Whether the enemy is a monster or a person, they aren't kind enough to give you the time. So we talked beforehand.

["If you can take my equipment, bring it back to my companions."]

Those were the last wishes of the man who just fell. But as I told him then, I don't think I'll have the chance.

"Aaargh! H-help me!"

The man right beside me is dragged away by shadows and vanishes into the darkness.

"Aaargh! Aaaaargh!!"

I bite down hard on my lip as his screams ring out.

["Tell my son what happened to me. I'm sure you'll be famous once you get out. He'll like that."]

This is one promise I can keep. If I make it back alive.

"We're using the magic circle now!"

With one minute remaining before our ten-minute goal, the mages activate the circle they drew earlier. I swing my mace frantically. My shield is nowhere to be seen.

Oh, right. I threw it away earlier, wondering what use it was anymore. It wasn't repairable anyway, so it's no loss.

"Jandel, over here!"

Huh, ready already?

Brilliant light pours from the floor. Wary of it, Verzak stops attacking and watches us. The other monsters do the same.

"..."

For a fleeting moment, the battle stops.

I quickly scan my surroundings. I can't see all the bodies. Of course I can't. Some were dragged into the darkness.

'He should be nearby... Ah!'

The body I'm looking for lies at the edge of the light.

I rush over and retrieve his sword and shield. It takes quite a bit of strength. Even in death, his eyes are open and his hands still grip his weapons.

"Bjorn!"

Someone shouts, and I roll across the ground into the magic circle. The warriors don't ask why I did it.

"Those are... Right. You made that promise."

"His companions will be grateful."

I quickly get up and see the monsters advancing toward us. Their confusion at the magic circle's light lasted only a moment. They seem to have decided it isn't much of a threat.

"Bothering us right to the end!"

"Hey, mage! Isn't it about time we left?"

"Just a little longer!"

I stare straight ahead. I can see Verzak.

[I Have Seen You.]

Seen what, you fucker?

Keeping my gaze fixed on it, I turn the names of the dead over in my mind.

Sillian Nerof.

Neil Feymez.

Baul Agmus.

Garphen Gulen.

Matt Elvanz.

Refri Siaberus.

Six in all.

'Yeah. I'll see you again someday, too.'

Riakis, the Lord of Chaos. Ligar Vagos, the Dragonslayer. And now Verzak.

「Kyle Pevrosk has cast the rank-four spatial spell [Mass Teleportation].」

I hope these bastards know. I won't keep running forever.

* * *

When I open my eyes, I'm surrounded by people. Good. We made it to the right place.

"How far did we get from it?"

"Well, about three kilometers, I'd say. We're completely out of its sight, so it shouldn't be able to follow us. Of course, it'll be a different story if we encounter another Abyss Watcher."

Like a man in a trance, I look behind me. There isn't a single one of those fucking eyes in the darkness. We really did teleport that far.

"Impressive."

"Hardly. Even I couldn't have managed that distance if we hadn't left a coordinate anchor here. And I shared the other mages' mana, too."

He sounds embarrassed, but this isn't something just anyone can do. No matter how much help he had, casting a spell like that somewhere mana efficiency is reduced to a quarter is no easy feat.

"... I'll go on ahead, then."

"Without resting?"

"I can rest on the way."

I open a potion and pour it over my head. Then I move forward while the other warriors receive treatment.

Soon, I spot the people I'm looking for: Garphen Gulen's companions. They were close enough to come all the way to the front and try to take him back, asking why he wanted to put himself through such pointless hell.

"You're..."

They recognize me, too. Then they stiffen, their eyes on the sword and shield in my hands.

"Take them."

"... Is he dead?"

A female explorer asks through tears. I say nothing. Some time passes before she speaks again.

"I'll... take this. But please keep this one."

She takes the sword, then offers me the shield.

"I think you'll need it."

"... Thank you. I'll take it."

I accept the shield without protest. I'd lost my own, after all. And refusing feels like it would only deepen the wound.

"I'll be going, then."

I keep moving forward until I reach my companions.

"Did anyone get hurt while I was gone?"

"..."

No one answers. They only stare blankly at me. Misha's hands are even trembling.

Oh, is she about to scold me for getting hurt? Better get away fast.

"As long as you're not hurt. I'll go on ahea—"

"Stop, nyah."

"..."

"Please, stop and get some rest, nyah. Haven't you done enough, nyah? Hm, nyah?"

"Yes, Mr. Jandel. Listen to Ms. Karlstein. You won't be any help up front in this state. You said we might have another big fight later."

At last, I let go of my stubbornness. Raven is right. After everything we've been through, there's still another mountain to climb. I'd better conserve my stamina.

My footsteps plod on. While the other warriors clear a path at the front, I follow the procession beside my companions and recover my strength.

How much more time passes?

["Halt!"]

The order to stop the procession comes through the message stone. I know instinctively that we've reached our destination.

["The portal—is the portal open?"]

Kyle's voice comes through, followed by Teterud, the dwarf clan leader entrusted with the front line.

["It's open."]

Good. We came to the right place. My legs suddenly feel weak. If this one had been smashed too, I really would've lost it.

"Raven, look after things here."

"Yes, go ahead. You'd go even if I tried to stop you, wouldn't you?"

"..."

I push past the explorers and head to the front.

Teterud greets me as soon as I arrive.

"Well, what now? Going straight in?"

"Once preparations are finished at the back."

"You're going to take the lead again?"

"Does it matter? You'll all be following right behind me anyway."

"Haha, true enough!"

I take my place in front of the portal. About ten minutes later, Kyle contacts me through the message stone.

["Preparations are complete. You can go in now."]

I close my eyes and steady my breathing. Even I can tell how ragged it has become. But that only makes me focus harder on the positives.

'There might not be anyone there.'

From Noark's perspective, they would've figured that even if anyone made it up alive, there would only be a few.

'They'd actually benefit if we returned to the city, testified about what the royal family did, and stirred up trouble.'

Of course, that's only one possibility. They may have stationed troops there to thoroughly finish off even the handful of survivors.

But...

'They wouldn't have left that many.'

No matter how much equipment they looted on the first floor, they can't live off that alone. Their core fighters will have gone straight upstairs to farm magic crystals.

'Fuck.'

Even as I think that, I can't convince myself. Still, I step forward.

'It's not like this is the first time.'

How often have I ever been truly certain? We have no choice anyway. Waiting here will only drain our forces as the Abyss Goblins harass us.

So...

I take another step and enter the portal.

「You have entered the second floor: Goblin Forest.」

My vision briefly goes black. Soon, I feel my body suspended in the air. I open my eyes to a green forest.

"Motherfucker."

There's one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. The good news is that there aren't many troops nearby.

And the bad news...

'Fuck. I never thought these bastards would still be here.'

My prediction that their core fighters would be upstairs farming magic crystals was wrong.

I regain my balance and land on the ground, then study the three people in the forest. Their appearances alone tell me who they are. At least two of them, anyway.

"The first survivor."

The one responsible for smashing all the portals to shit.

'The Scholar of Destruction.'

"Haha, didn't I tell you someone would show up if we waited? Hey, barbarian! Congratulations. Had a rough trip here, didn't you?"

A Therianthrope I can't identify.

And...

"Oh, we meet again?"

A man still wearing the same white mask as before.

"It seems we're destined to cross paths."

The Corpse Collector.

"Heh."

He smiles at me.