Chapter 272 - Defense (2)

The eastern shore, studded with reefs. The very place where the rough waves had swept our boat in and smashed it to pieces.

"We're here."

The beach, already half submerged, was teeming with monsters: Ranemut Warriors and shamans, among the sixth floor's signature sea monsters; Conchhorns that spat venom from a distance; Garbels, with their peculiar ability to multiply up to three times when killed; and more.

"Bjorn, I will help too."

Concerned by the nearly hundred monsters, Aynar took a step forward.

Come on, I told you to just watch our prisoner.

"No need."

"What? But..."

No buts. Oh, come to think of it, I hadn't shown her this since absorbing that Essence.

"Don't worry. I can handle this much on my own."

I gripped my mace and took a stance like a batter holding a baseball bat. Then...

"Erwin."

"Yes. Which one this time?"

"Wind."

I brought out Elemental Barbarian (Wind) Mode.

「Erwin Fornacci de Tersia has cast [Spirit Form].」

A sharp wind wrapped around my body and began swirling just above my skin.

「A wind spirit inhabits the character's body.」

「An evasion bonus applies to all damage.」

「Magic damage taken is doubled.」

「A strong bonus applies to piercing and slashing actions.」

「Agility increases significantly...」

This mode's effects were simple. It made me faster and let me serve as an evasion tank. For a damage dealer rather than a tank, it would simply send their DPS soaring.

Of course, the important part was something else.

「All attack ranges are tripled.」

That was Elebaba (Wind) Mode's defining feature. It turned basic attacks into splash damage. In other words, even a blunt-weapon warrior like me could deal area damage.

"Skreeee!"

Perhaps sensing something dangerous, the surrounding monsters went into a frenzy and began swarming toward me. But I held my stance and waited for the right moment.

Why bother swinging twice?

Just once. One proper swing would be enough.

'Transcendence.'

Once I judged that enough of them had gathered, I immediately used [Transcendence]. Then...

「The character has cast [Swing].」

Like a practiced swordsman drawing and striking, I swept my mace horizontally in a crisp, controlled motion.

WHIIIIISH!

Just as the sound of tearing wind reached my ears...

WHOOOOSH!

The mace in my hand extended like the Monkey King's staff, growing proportionally larger.

The effect of a transcendent Swing.

「Strike range is tripled.」

This was why most characters in Dungeon and Stone could pull off absurd feats in the late game. Most effects like these stacked multiplicatively.

KRAKABOOOOOM!

Whew. Now that was a satisfying sound.

Finishing my [Swing], I surveyed my surroundings with satisfaction.

'Yeah. That's what I'm talking about.'

Not a single monster was left alive.

* * *

"Bjorn! How did you do that? Teach me too!"

"Ask Erwin to do it for you later."

"So I can do it too, as long as I have Erwin?"

"Yes. Something similar, anyway."

I gave Aynar, who was thoroughly impressed by my new combo, a casual answer and looked toward the sea. That satisfying blow had cleared out most of the mobs along the shore.

"Mister, a wave! There's a wave coming!"

After we waited briefly on the empty beach, a wave rose high like a tsunami.

「The first Wrath of the Sea has begun.」

This was the effect that played when the first wave's miniboss appeared.

"A siren! It's a Siren Queen!"

Priestess Ersina cried out at the sight of the monster riding the wave like a surfer. Having explored the sixth floor for so long, she apparently knew this monster too.

"Why is a monster as high as Grade 4 on this island...?"

Why else? Because someone in your group triggered the event.

"Everyone, get behind me. Erwin, prepare to fight."

"Yes."

"What about me? Do I just watch again?"

"For now. Wait. I'll call you if I need you."

"Understood!"

As I made a few more quick adjustments to our formation, the Siren Queen finally reached us.

"Kyaaaaa!"

Letting out a cry entirely at odds with her lovely face, she thrust her trident at me.

BANG!

True to her Grade 4 status, even her basic attacks packed quite a punch. Though that wasn't what had earned her that grade.

「Siren Queen has cast [Song of the Sea].」

「The character's stats decrease.」

An aura that reduced stats in proportion to exposure time.

「Siren Queen has cast [Whirlpool].」

She also sent whirlpools out in every direction with each basic attack, each one stealing a set amount of MP on contact. And...

「Siren Queen has cast [Proof of Loyalty].」

Whenever the cooldown ended, she summoned Grade 5 sirens. Not just one or two, either, but around fifteen at a time.

'A classic debuff-shaman-type boss monster.'

However you looked at it, she wasn't an easy monster.

Unless you encountered her right here.

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!"

What made the Siren Queen difficult was her numbers. Normally, hundreds of sirens surrounded and guarded her. But when she first arrived on this island, she was alone.

Of course, she would multiply her forces on her own if left alone for even a little while...

'Why do you think I dropped everything to come here?'

I'd even given up searching for my companions to come kill her before she evolved into a raid boss.

"I-I'll help too, so give me a weapon! You cannot handle a Grade 4 monster by yourselves!"

Nevarche made that offer, seemingly lacking faith in us, but I let it go in one ear and out the other. Aynar was no more receptive.

"What are you talking about? Bjorn is a great warrior!"

"No, great or not, that isn't a monster two or three people can—"

"Bjorn, can I smash his mouth in?"

"If he spouts any more shit."

"Understood!"

"..."

Aynar's threat must have worked, because Nevarche promptly clamped his mouth shut. Thanks to that, I could focus entirely on the fight without worrying about what was happening behind me.

A priestess, synonymous with healing and blessings. A spirit archer. A barbarian tank.

Those three were effectively all we had fighting, but the boss battle went smoothly. After all, we did have a damage dealer, a tank, and a healer, didn't we?

「Lairin Ersina has cast [Sun's Blessing].」

「Debuffs of Grade 5 or below are removed, granting an equivalent bonus to stats.」

The priestess periodically removed the stat reductions.

WHIIIIISH!

As for [Whirlpool], which stole MP on contact, all I had to do was dodge it with good control.

'Having higher Agility really does make this easier.'

The summoning pattern wasn't much trouble, either. Erwin, circling me in [Spirit Form], kept taking them out before even ten could build up.

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!"

My Threat stat was so high that there weren't even any mishaps with them ignoring me and charging our back line.

And so...

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

All I had to do was play both tank and damage dealer and pound away at the queen.

"Skreeeeee!"

We had been fighting for about twenty minutes when it happened.

「Defeated Siren Queen. EXP +6.」

After taking nearly thirty [Swings] to the crown of her head, the Siren Queen finally turned to light and vanished. The Essence I'd secretly hoped for wasn't there.

'If it had dropped with the summoning skill, I could've sold it for a fortune. Oh, but we don't have a mage anyway, so I guess it makes no difference?'

Shaking off my disappointment, I lowered my mace. Then I headed back to the others with Erwin, who had canceled [Spirit Form].

"... To think just three of us really defeated a Grade 4 monster."

Priestess Ersina still looked as though she couldn't quite believe it. Nevarche was much the same.

"I was certain you were a rank-five explorer..."

Trailing off, he gave me a peculiar look.

"I see. You were hiding your abilities..."

What was he on about now?

I couldn't help chuckling, but I didn't bother correcting him.

'Ridiculous. It's just that the ranking standards here are incredibly lax.'

That was one of the things I'd felt most keenly since the game became reality. Explorer ranks here really represented only the bare minimum. The Guild assigned ranks based solely on the average grade of one's Essences, without considering the synergy between them.

Nevarche here was a perfect example.

'He was rank four, wasn't he?'

He had a rank-four explorer tag. Since he was from Noark, it couldn't be his genuine identity tag, but he must have earned the rank himself.

And yet I'd wiped the floor with him in under ten seconds. Granted, my build was strong in PvP, especially against ranged opponents...

'But all that aside, he's just weak.'

Most explorers here were like that, really. Even at high ranks, they failed to perform up to their potential.

'Looking back, the Dragonslayer felt like this too.'

Long years of exploration had given them high levels and plenty of Essences, but that was it. Their Essence combinations had no coherent foundation. Frankly, by my standards, calling them ruined builds would be perfectly fair.

'They remind me exactly of those guys who played for a few days, called it a shitty game, and quit.'

This was a game where a combination of synergistic lower-grade skills could be stronger than five high-grade skills. Picking one core skill like [Gigantification] and evolving it in all sorts of ways to pull off broken tricks was fundamental to the game.

'That Corpse Collector bastard was about the only one with a really solid build.'

Just as I was sorting through those thoughts...

"M-Mr. Jandel!"

Huh?

'Wait, that voice...'

I quickly turned toward the sound.

"Raven! Avman!"

"Mr. Patzran, you're safe!"

Four people were emerging from the forest.

Whew. So only Misha was left now.

* * *

"Jandel, Erwin, Aynar. I'm glad you're all safe."

"Eggfried! I'm glad you're safe too!"

We hurried over to the familiar faces, but our joyful reunion was brief. We quickly began exchanging information.

"What happened to you?"

"Oh, that?"

Raven's story was simple. She'd started out with Mister Bear, then soon encountered Patzran and his mage companion and headed for the island's center with them. Once there, they had apparently seen the note I'd left saying, "Heading east," and changed course to come here.

"But why did you take so long? I waited there for over two hours."

"Sorry. We got really lost on the way..."

Their excuse for being late was downright absurd. Four people together, and not one of them could navigate?

'Well, there are two mages, and he doesn't seem to know how to do much besides use a sword...'

Mister Bear went without saying.

Yeah, with this lineup, it made sense they couldn't find their way.

"But... what about Misha?"

"We haven't found her yet."

"What? You haven't...?"

"Don't worry too much. We only just found you, didn't we? She'll be fine somewhere on the island."

I forced my worries aside and shifted my gaze. Patzran was approaching me after finishing his own reunion with his companion Ersina.

"Ersina told me what's happened."

"Told you...?"

"Ah, I mean, she has informed me, sir... You protected her all this time, I hear? Thank you."

"We should help each other in hard times. Anyway, did you hear about the blond... no, about that man Draus's true identity too?"

"Ah, that... Yes, I did. Draus being from Noark is rather hard to believe. On that subject, might I verify a few things myself?"

Patzran politely asked if he could speak with my captive, Nevarche, and I readily agreed.

"Make good use of him, then give him back."

"Of course. I'll return him in good condition."

Okay, that took care of that.

Listening in on Patzran and Nevarche's conversation, I approached Raven and whispered quietly.

"Raven, don't answer. Just listen."

"...?"

"One of them has been colluding with the Noark bastards."

Someone had betrayed their team and told Amelia they would be coming to this island today. Apparently, only Amelia knew who it was.

"I doubt they'll try to stab us in the back in this situation, but keep it in mind. If you notice anything strange, tell me right away."

Raven nodded, her expression tense.

Right, that finished our information exchange.

"You there, mage. What's your name?"

I went over to ask the name of the mage, who was sitting on the ground resting, perhaps exhausted. I figured a conversation might reveal something suspicious.

Yes, that had definitely been the idea...

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Aullock."

I stiffened as the mage smiled affably and extended his hand.

The priestess Ersina, the swordsman Patzran, and the female archer I had yet to meet. I hadn't actually figured out which of the suspects was the traitor...

But an inexplicable certainty was rising within me.

"Hans Aullock. Feel free to call me Hans."

Got you, you bastard.