Chapter 278 - Whirlpool (4)

Parune Island's hidden piece, Wrath of the Sea.

This event triggered when the offering was destroyed with fewer than twenty people on the island, and its difficulty depended on the number of people present.

With five to nine people, the number of regular monsters increased. In ten-to-fourteen-person mode, a fourth wave was added along with a final boss. With fifteen to nineteen, some of the penalties imposed on that final boss were removed...

'Who knew I'd end up doing a Grade 3 raid this unprepared?'

The more I thought about it, the more I sighed. My target had been the third-wave boss. After all, with six people, the fourth wave wouldn't even begin. I'd planned to kill trash mobs in bulk for magic crystals and Essences to sell, and, if possible, pick up a Grade 4 Essence for Misha or Erwin to absorb.

But nothing had gone according to plan.

'... Why is this always my luck?'

Not only had the event started at its highest difficulty, but our numbers had kept dwindling until we were left facing the final wave with ten people. We hadn't even gotten the Elprot Essence I'd wanted.

Of course, if the final boss dropped an Essence, that would all be a trivial matter I could laugh off...

'But we probably won't be able to kill it.'

We needed to prioritize survival over loot. That was what Grade 3 monsters meant in this game: creatures that ten people who had never coordinated before stood almost no chance of safely taking down, even if they were explorers who'd made it to the sixth floor.

'Still, what choice do we have? We've got to try.'

I rose to my feet.

"The divine power will wear off soon," the priestess said, as though she'd been waiting for me.

"Exactly how long do we have?"

"Ten minutes."

Right, ten minutes...

I nodded and looked around. In the distance, Patzran and Amelia were talking.

"A Grade 3 monster? Are you certain?"

"Your disbelief won't change the truth."

"You speak as though you've seen it with your own eyes. [Danger Detection] isn't that precise an ability, is it? I hear that since it conveys information through sensations, it often exaggerates or understates—"

Pointless doubts. A pointless conversation.

I turned my attention away from them and approached someone else.

"Bjorn..."

Misha Karlstein. The companion who had spent the most time with me in the Labyrinth, and...

'I can't call her my girlfriend.'

I gave a bitter smile and spoke.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, nyah...?"

"I'm fine. A little stiff, but that's probably because I slept so long."

I talked with Misha for a little while. I wasn't telling her some secret plan I couldn't share with the others. I simply hadn't had a proper chance to talk to her yet. After our reunion, I'd spent a day unconscious, and once I'd woken up, the final wave had started before we'd had a chance.

"I was really worried about you."

"I'm... sorry, nyah. She seemed to know you, so I just couldn't leave her—"

"This is where you say you won't make me worry again."

"Okay. I won't, nyah."

Good. That settled that. What should we talk about now?

"Anyway, I'm glad everyone's okay, nyah. I was really worried, actually. I had this strange feeling... nyah."

"What strange feeling?"

"... It's nothing to worry about, nyah. Thinking back, I probably just felt anxious because I was alone, separated from you all, nyah."

Well, that was human nature. Usually, the darker your imaginings, the more vividly they played out in your head.

"... But is it really okay for us to be doing this, nyah?"

Why wouldn't it be? The priestess over there was just sitting and praying. Mister Bear was even writing a letter. Was it because he'd just come back from the brink of death? The moment he'd heard about the Grade 3 monster, he seemed to have remembered everything he'd never said to his wife...

"Eggfried! What are you wasting your time for? You can tell her the baby's name yourself when we get out!"

"Never mind that. Just tell me what name would be good for a girl. You're... ahem, a woman too, after all."

Wait, was he seriously naming his kid right now? He was making me nervous too. I'd really rather he stopped raising death flags...

"... This kind of reminds me of back then, nyah."

"Ah, when we were trapped on the first floor?"

"Yeah. It felt just like this then too, nyah."

Just like this, my ass. This was mild compared to back then. Even Raven had left her last words, asking us to pass them on if she failed to return to the city. Oh, and for the record, most of it had concerned her assets.

"Still, Bjorn, you haven't changed this time either, nyah."

"You mean not leaving any last words?"

"Yeah, nyah."

I chuckled. For one thing, there wasn't anyone outside the Labyrinth I'd want my last words delivered to. And even if I died, I didn't want to reveal who I really was before I went. They'd have much better memories of me that way.

"But you didn't leave any last words either, Misha."

"That's true, but... nyah."

She trailed off. She looked as though she wanted to tell me something, so I cut her off firmly.

"Enough gloomy talk. We all made it back alive then, didn't we? We will this time too."

"... Yeah. I'll believe it because it's you saying it, nyah."

After that, we put our present situation aside and chatted about ordinary things. How much time passed like that?

"Barbarian," Amelia called. "It's time."

Peaceful moments always passed quickly.

"Hehe, a Grade 3 monster. How exciting!"

Aynar held the greatsword she'd spent her spare time diligently rubbing with a whetstone.

"Honestly, Aynar... Is this really the time to be excited? We could all die!" Raven scolded her.

"All right, stop arguing. Everyone, take one of these."

Mister Bear handed his companions letters covered in crooked handwriting.

"May light shine upon our path."

The priestess finished her long prayer and stood up as well.

"Misha."

"Right, nyah."

I sent Misha back to her position, then took my place at the head of the formation, gripping my mace and shield. Before long, the barrier surrounding us crumbled.

「[Proclamation: Destruction of Evil] has ended.」

Time to roll the dice.

* * *

SCREEEECH!

The instant [Proclamation: Destruction of Evil] ended, the monsters massed outside the barrier charged, and Raven recited the activation words for the magic circle she'd prepared in advance.

"Suartum Evehel!"

A military spell ordinary mages weren't permitted to learn, owing to its abnormally high lethality for its grade.

「Allua Raven has cast the Grade 4 attack spell [Collapse].」

As the magic circle blazed with light, red targets appeared over the vital points of the hundred-odd monsters rushing toward us. Then, about two seconds later...

CRAAACK!

Countless monsters burst apart as explosions erupted inside them. A horde averaging Grade 6 had been wiped out by a single spell.

That result hadn't come free, of course.

"... I'm going to rest for a bit now."

Having used up most of her magical energy on that one spell, Raven couldn't provide any further support. Her job was to conserve as much as possible and replenish her MP until the final boss arrived.

"Behel—raaaaaa!!"

Which meant the remaining enemies were ours to handle.

SCREEEECH!

The densely packed horde had been annihilated, but monsters were still appearing all around us.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

With only [Gigantification] active, I focused on serving as a wall so my companions could deal damage comfortably. We already had more than enough firepower for trash mobs.

WHISTLE!

THUNK!

BOOOOM!

We had three ranged damage dealers: Erwin, Nevarche, and Mister Bear.

「Aynar Pheneline has slain an enemy.」

「[Satiation] activates, restoring Magic Power.」

Then there was Aynar, whose berserker build truly shone against large numbers of weak enemies. Patzran, a rank-four explorer, more than pulled his weight too, while Misha used her distinctive speed to kill enemies that slipped past me toward the rear.

And...

'She's really good.'

Amelia was the most impressive of all. She'd refused the position I'd assigned her, saying she'd handle herself. And she certainly had the skill to back that up.

SLASH!

Moving among the monsters like an independent strike team, she'd already turned more than ten of them into light with her dagger. Counting the kills made by the clone she'd summoned with [Autoreproduction] would bring that total up to at least one and a half times as many.

That worried me a little.

"Shouldn't you save some strength?"

MP was one thing, but my biggest concern was mana, the other resource consumed when using Aura, the hallmark of a knight. If she used it this freely, she might not have any left for the boss.

But...

"I know my own condition best. Stop giving me unsolicited advice."

"... If you say so."

What could I say to that? Besides, if she had any sense, she'd be managing it herself. She had far more actual combat experience than I did.

'I'll just focus on my own job.'

I concentrated on holding back the oncoming monsters with my shield. I occasionally swung my mace, but only to push enemies away. I'd decided I needed to save MP for later. Without [Swing], it would take another ten hits to kill them anyway.

"The monsters are starting to thin out."

As the magic crystals they dropped piled up around us, fewer and fewer monsters came charging in.

"Maybe the priestess's prayers really worked!"

Mister Bear and the others brightened at this discovery, but I remained unmoved. I already knew why. Everything we'd been fighting was simply a leftover from the third wave, wandering the island because we hadn't killed it.

The fourth wave had no regular mobs. Which was only fair. How were we supposed to kill a Grade 3 boss if we had trash mobs swarming us too?

"Let's keep it up!"

At any rate, the good news raised the group's morale a little. And...

"Looks like there aren't any more nearby."

Eventually, we finished clearing the trash mobs. We quickly picked up only the magic crystals, re-formed our ranks, and waited, taking a brief rest.

Perhaps another ten minutes passed.

"It's here."

No one asked which direction. At Amelia's murmur, everyone raised their heads and stared at the same spot.

THUD.

Beyond the brush, heavy footsteps approached.

THUD!

It emerged, snapping trees in its path.

ROAAAAAR!

The first Grade 3 monster we would ever face. The moment she saw it, Raven shouted out what she knew.

"... I-it's a Stormgush!"

Also known as the ogre of the sea.

* * *

Stormgush.

A Grade 3 sea-beast monster nicknamed the ogre of the sea. To classify it more precisely, it was closest to a crustacean. That didn't mean it looked like a lobster. Its bulky, five-meter body was covered in thick, hard shells, but its basic shape resembled a Lizardman's.

THUD!

A long tail serving as a counterweight. A protruding snout. It walked on two legs and even used a weapon despite its already ridiculous physique.

THUD!

When it finally came fully into view, everyone swallowed hard.

"That's a Grade 3 monster..."

An outlandish monster that clans reaching the seventh floor needed dozens of people to hunt. I'd fought plenty of large monsters this size, but the ominous presence it radiated was on an entirely different level. Though even that was nothing compared to a Floor lord.

I hurriedly shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

What were they all standing around for? We were already within its range.

ROAAAR!

Holding a massive harpoon, it charged toward us with unbelievable agility for its bulk. I immediately activated Gigantification (Transcendence) Mode. Right. To fight something like that, I had to match its size first.

「Your body grows in proportion to Strength.」

The warrior's body began swelling in an instant. The charging creature's gaze shifted slightly—from the look it gave prey to the look it gave an enemy.

Come to think of it, hadn't I measured a little over five meters tall in this state last time? It probably hadn't expected to find a human it could look in the eye.

"Behel—raaaaaa!!"

Boosting my Physical stats with [Wild Outburst] as well, I charged. If I lost the first exchange in terms of strength, it would definitely look down on me.

BOOOOM!

I'd barely taken a few steps before its trident slammed into my shield. Calling that blow heavy didn't begin to cover it.

'As expected, even in this state, I'm outmatched.'

Even though I'd met the blow head-on rather than simply receiving it, my body was hurled backward. That was something I'd rarely experienced since obtaining the Spirit Seal [Unity]. It didn't grant a knockback-resistance bonus, but ever since [Gigantification] had started applying to my equipment, it had become much easier to describe my weight in tonnes.

"What are you all doing? Get in there!"

The instant I was knocked back, Aynar swung her adamantium greatsword.

「Aynar Pheneline has activated [Wildness Control].」

「All conditional activation effects on the next attack are converted into Cutting Force.」

It was one of the many conversion skills that turned on-hit bonus effects into Cutting Force. Add to that the weight of her greatsword and the force of her downward swing.

But...

CLACK!

Aynar's greatsword sank only about a centimeter into its shell, barely scratching it. Rather than a failing on Aynar's part, it was more accurate to say that this thing was an absolute monster. It wasn't called the ogre of the sea for nothing. Its Physical Resistance was insane.

Well, that was fine. We had someone else as our main damage dealer.

"Borrowing this for a moment."

Amelia leaped off my shoulder and plunged her dagger into its shoulder. Aura rippled over the blade, allowing it to ignore ninety percent of Physical Resistance.

THUNK!

Her dagger sank all the way to the hilt, then came free.

SPURT!

Dark green bodily fluid gushed from the wound due to the pressure difference. But it wasn't a meaningful hit. This monster wasn't frail enough for a wound like that to hinder its movements or cause it pain... and its regeneration was incredibly high too.

WHOOSH!

It swiped at Amelia with sharp claws, moving at a speed that suggested at least twice my Agility. But that wasn't enough to catch a real agility build.

Amelia hopped backward, dodging its counterattack, and I immediately closed the distance again to keep it from running wild. I wasn't strong enough to hold it one-on-one yet, but that wasn't a major problem for now.

SCRAAAPE.

I might be the main tank, but I didn't have to hold it back alone.

"Shell lizard! Get away from Bjorn!"

Even if a single spear strike sent me sliding backward, I had several warriors beside me to divide its attention.

"Misha, Patzran! Hurry up and help!" I ordered swiftly. "Don't stay close to it! Only move in when it attacks me!"

That was the first rule melee damage dealers needed to follow during a raid. Once the front line took shape according to my instructions, we could at least put up a fight.

ROAAAAR!

I tanked the heavy basic attacks. When I was knocked back, the melee damage dealers moved in to distract it. During that opening, I closed in again to draw aggro, while Amelia dealt damage whenever she could. The process repeated.

"Its wounds are already closing! Raven, cast 'Worsening' first! And tell us everything you know about it!"

As we repeated that sequence, Raven cast support magic and briefed us on the monster in real time.

"Th-the ground! When Stormgush stamps its foot, you need to get far away! That's the motion it makes when using an ability called [Eye of the Storm]..."

Not enough information to call it a strategy guide. Still, even that was something I hadn't been able to tell my companions in advance. How could I explain how to beat it when all we knew was that it was Grade 3, and no one knew which monster it was?

'Still, Raven knows plenty. I won't have to step in.'

Without Raven, I probably would have had to brief them myself. Pretending to learn alongside everyone else by taking hits was far too risky. Against a monster like this, a single hit could cause a critical injury.

For example...

「Stormgush has activated [Eye of the Storm].」

Right. Like the very thing Raven had just mentioned.

THUD.

Less than a second after it stamped the ground, a whirlwind sprang up in a five-meter radius, sucking in everything inside it.

WHOOOOOSH!

I could feel the wind pressure even a step beyond its reach.

"Fall back!"

Those who had escaped its radius took another step away to avoid getting caught.

I, of course, did the exact opposite. With a quick step, I plunged into the whirlwind instead of retreating from its radius.

"B-Bjorn? Where are you going, nyah?!"

[Eye of the Storm] was an aura-type skill. The whirlwind didn't remain at a fixed location; it stayed around the monster for five seconds. In other words, if it charged us, someone could get caught. To keep everyone safe, someone had to hold it in place.

WHOOOOOSH!

The instant I entered its radius, wind whipped around my whole body, but I wasn't sucked toward it like a magnet.

「The character's total weight is 1,000 kg or greater.」

「The special effect [Eye of the Storm] is ignored.」

Of course. Wouldn't it be stranger if a body like this got blown away by a little wind?

WHOOSH!

The real problem was the trident thrust at me in conditions where I could barely keep my eyes open. Honestly, I didn't even see it.

But...

BANG!

My hand moved on its own and blocked the spear. Was this thanks to all the abuse I'd put my body through?

'Wow, I actually reacted to that.'

My body really was reacting faster than my brain now.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

After I blocked about three more thrusts on instinct, the whirlwind subsided. Okay, now I could put some distance between us.

I stepped back, and Raven's shouting reached me, no longer buried beneath the wind.

"Mr. Jandel, what was that?! I told you just a moment ago...!!"

She was reprimanding a member who hadn't followed instructions. But as a barbarian, there was only one thing I could say. Claiming I'd forgotten was a bit much, even for me...

"Ah, sorry. It just felt like the right thing to do."

Really, as the mage, she should have told me first. That someone heavy enough might not get sucked in, and should go inside to hold it in place.

Tsk. This was the problem with local mages.

'Whew. Don't the books even cover something that basic?'

I could only lament it.