Chapter 67 - Field Boss (3)

PATTER, PATTER, PATTER

Black rain that makes my skin sting at the slightest touch.

I know what this is.

[Rain of Despair]

A passive aura skill belonging to Riakis, Lord of Chaos.

「The character is taking continuous chaos damage.」

「The character's Mana resistance decreases drastically.」

「Warning: Continued exposure to chaos damage has a chance of inflicting the status condition [Confusion].」

Not only does this skill deal area damage, it also corrupts any ground the rain touches and removes all types of field effects.

Which means...

'Motherfucker... '

I'd hoped it wouldn't happen, but it really has come.

"I-it's that thing! It's here!"

"H-hey! What are you doing? Get out there and stop it!"

Panic erupts among the third-floor explorers who paid the protection fee. Their gazes converge on a single spot.

"You're not thinking of abandoning us and running, are you?!"

"You even took our equipment, promising to protect us! Take responsibility!"

Dozens of people shout, their voices thick with emotion. The officer who made the earlier announcements to the crowd gives a bitter smile and heaves a deep sigh.

"... So it's come to this after all."

It's not as though I can't understand how he feels. Having collected protection fees, they have no choice but to fight the Floor lord with everything they've got.

Still...

"This expedition is going to cost us dearly."

Surprisingly, all I see on his face is resignation, with no sign of anxiety or impatience.

He steadies his breathing, then shouts.

"Riakis, Lord of Chaos, is here! Everyone, get out the supplies we prepared!"

His command rings out, and those bearing the Djarwi Clan emblem on their chests move in perfect coordination.

"All teams, to your positions!"

The mages, priests, and ranged damage dealers head for the center, while the melee fighters move to the perimeter. Then they begin using all manner of consumables without hesitation.

「A High-Grade Endurance Support Scroll has been used.」

「An Energy Regeneration Support Scroll has been used.」

「The Numbered item [Sun Lord's Flag] has been used.」

「The light of Ersyum imbues the weapons...」

「...」

Buff scrolls of every kind, consumable Numbered items, and all sorts of equipment-enhancing supplies.

In less than a minute, consumables worth at least tens of millions of Stones turn to light and vanish.

"We have plenty of supplies, so don't hold back! We're getting as many people home alive as we can!"

It occurs to me that I've underestimated them. Now I see it wasn't a lack of imagination. They'd already considered the worst-case scenario and quietly made every preparation.

'And they still collected protection fees... '

They simply placed their bet on the other outcome. It was slightly more likely, after all.

A chuckle escapes me before I realize it.

'There really are too many efficiency freaks in this world.'

I need to be a little more humble. These people must have reached this point by risking their lives as explorers countless times. As if luck alone could have gotten them so far.

"To think they carry this many supplies around all the time..."

"That's a major clan for you!"

Rather than look down on them, I should always remain wary. And rather than envy them, it'd be more efficient to watch and find even a little something to learn.

"Bjorn, what do we do now, nyah?"

"What else? Watch for now."

That was the plan from the start. Now that we've encountered the Floor lord, even leaving this place would mean taking a huge risk.

Well, if there's truly no hope, we'll have to run immediately despite the danger...

'But with this much, they should be more than capable of holding out.'

As if to prove my point, a wall of fire encircles us. It's not an Essence skill, just a magic spell.

「A Chaos Spirit has been destroyed.」

「The location is being corrupted.」

The Chaos Spirits that began surging in like a tidal wave after the rain started fail to penetrate the wall of fire and perish.

WHOOOOSH!

A massive barrier formed overhead also keeps out the pouring rain.

Of course, that's about the limit of what a wall of fire or a barrier can stop.

"Bjorn, look over there, nyah!"

A gigantic shadow slowly grows larger in the direction Misha points, accompanied by heavy tremors.

THUD! THUD!

Horns jutting from its head. Thick, rough-looking black hide. An ominous aura rippling over it.

[ROOOAAAR!]

A beast big enough to belong in a monster movie, its sheer size throwing off my sense of distance, easily crosses the wall of fire and reveals itself.

"Th-that's..."

"R-Riakis, Lord of Chaos!"

The crowd recoils in terror at the sight, but the clan members remain calm.

"Hold your positions! Do not let it get behind you!"

The warriors stand their ground in silence, as though fighting enormous monsters is an everyday affair.

Does that displease it?

BOOM!

The battle begins in earnest as Riakis slams down a forepaw.

* * *

What would a real raid be like, outside a game?

The answer to that long-held private question is remarkably simple.

"Don't even try to block! Dodge, no matter what! Understood?!"

Not just the melee damage dealers but even the tanks scrupulously avoid a head-on confrontation, nimbly dodging its sweeping tail and descending claws.

Of course, they'd know better than anyone. No matter how tough their bodies or how high their Strength stats, they can't possibly match a monster like that in a contest of strength.

'So this is how a real fight against a lord-class monster works. Interesting.'

Is it because this is a role I'll have to fill someday? My eyes are certainly drawn more to the melee explorers than the mages and other damage dealers. There's plenty to watch and learn from.

There are also several heart-stopping moments.

BOOOOM!

However much they focus on dodging, injuries are inevitable when fighting a high-tier monster like this. Ordinarily, a blow like that would mean instant death rather than injury...

"H-he's still alive after taking that..."

"... Truly incredible."

With their stats inflated by countless Essences, buffed by all manner of scrolls, and supported by priests and support-type explorers, they've already become living weapons.

"Aaaaaargh!"

"Fuuuuck, I nearly died!"

Even with their bodies smashed to pieces, the warriors receive healing and immediately return to the front lines.

Not all of them, of course.

"Damn it, that bastard wasn't supposed to die like this..."

"Eyes on the fight! Don't get distracted!"

As the battle drags on, deaths occur too. One melee warrior is crushed beneath a paw and killed instantly, while three ranged damage dealers clustered together melt away in an instant under Riakis's breath attack.

But analyzing the situation objectively...

'Things are still stable.'

"F-four dead already... Isn't this d-dangerous?"

Whatever the third-floor explorers might think, the warriors are still holding the front line well. The mages' combined spells also have enough power to push Riakis back whenever it approaches the center.

'And they clearly seem to know the Dark Sphere mechanic.'

"L-let's just watch for now! This is the renowned Djarwi Clan, after all! Surely they'll manage something?"

Black orbs slowly rise from the corrupted ground and drift toward Riakis.

「Riakis, Lord of Chaos, draws upon the power of the source.」

These, my greatest concern, are also being burst in midair by the ranged damage dealers before Riakis can absorb them.

"Cease attacking!"

"It mustn't feel any more threatened!"

Seeing them periodically halt their offensive to manage Riakis's HP makes it certain. They know the strategy.

'That's why they're just trying to hold out however they can. If it enters phase two without that item, it's over.'

"Why stop attacking now? Are they all idiots? When you've got even a little momentum, you should finish..."

In a way, it's only natural.

A veteran who played [Dungeon and Stone] for ten years? Someone who knows everything there is to know about the game?

So what?

Thinking I'm the only person in this world who knows everything is sheer arrogance.

The Labyrinth has existed for thousands of years. To the people here, it wasn't some game setting. It was reality. They had to enter it to make a living, and there must have been countless instances of trial and error. Those experiences would have been recorded and passed down through the generations.

'Though a select few would monopolize the truly valuable knowledge.'

Of course, I'm not particularly worried. Haven't the people here seemed largely unaware of the hidden elements that were especially difficult to discover even in the game?

My knowledge as a veteran player will still be my greatest weapon for surviving here.

CLICK.

I flip open my watch and check the time.

[22 : 37]

More than three hours have already passed. Despite the prolonged battle, the clan members remain focused and faithfully carry out their respective roles.

Still...

'With that many consumables used, it doesn't matter how much they collected in protection fees anymore.'

Suddenly, I think I understand why major clans don't hunt Floor lords even when they know the strategy.

It's not that the rewards for killing one are small, but there's the enormous expense involved, the possibility of losing elite members, and on top of that, the tremendous risk if they fail.

'It just doesn't pay.'

That's what I'm thinking when it happens.

BOOOOM!

For some reason, Riakis ignores the warriors and charges into the center, crushing five ranged damage dealers in an instant.

It's the sort of thing that can easily happen during a raid. Fortunately, the warriors desperately throw themselves at Riakis and get it back into position, but two melee damage dealers die instantly in the process.

'Still, they should hold out for the remaining time.'

I analyze the battle again. Eleven dead so far. That's twenty percent of their total fighting force, but the survivors are doing their jobs without panicking. There may be a few gaps now, but certainly not enough to lead to a fatal outcome.

The problem is that I'm surrounded by bastards who can't even make that simple judgment.

"It's over! You useless fucks!"

"Do you have any idea how many people have died?!"

It's not as if they stepped on corrupted ground and were afflicted with [Confusion], yet panic sweeps through the crowd again.

I can understand their mindset, if I try. Eleven dead—that count only includes the clan members, the actual fighting force. Every time Riakis goes on another fucking rampage, countless explorers who paid protection fees die too.

'Has the threat to their lives clouded their judgment?'

As far as I'm concerned, they're at fault for standing around like dumbasses with a raid happening right beside them. But they wouldn't fucking listen if I said so.

"Bjorn, things aren't looking good, nyah."

"I know."

"We should at least do something—"

"Wait. I'm thinking."

I scan as much of the surrounding area as I can. The clan seems so focused on Riakis that it hasn't noticed the warning signs yet.

Meanwhile, a man raises his voice, fanning the chaos.

"We can't just stand here and watch! If we want to live, we must join forces!"

It's Jack Fletcher, who stripped off his equipment and paid the protection fee before anyone else.

"Do you know how many have died already? These people can't protect us. We must protect ourselves!"

"He's right!"

"But how, without our equipment...?"

"We must take it back! They haven't kept their promise anyway, have they?"

Even the members of his band who ignored him last time join in his agitation, and the movement swells out of control.

I speak quietly.

"Misha, get ready."

"Get ready for what, nyah?"

"We're leaving right now."

This place is already beyond saving.

* * *

The moment we hastily gather our backpacks, a mass of explorers rushes toward the supplies piled in the center, like a riot breaking out.

"E-everyone, calm down! You'll put us all in danger—"

Only then does the clan realize what's happening, but it's too late.

"Bullshit!"

"Give me back my equipment!"

Shoving aside the clan's mages and archers, the explorers begin snatching up whatever supplies they can get their hands on, greed in their eyes.

"G-give it here! That's mine!"

"Th-that doesn't matter at a time like this!"

"Back off now! If you don't, we'll attack!"

"We're dead either way!"

"What are you hesitating for? From this moment on, they're plunderers! Take them all down!"

Watching the scene descend into utter chaos and madness dispels my last lingering reluctance.

"Bjorn..."

"Enough watching. Let's go."

"O-okay, nyah!"

I lead Misha away from Riakis at a run. Before long, the encircling wall of fire blocks our path.

"W-what do we do about this, nyah?!"

What else?

"We go through."

I'll brute-force it with my body, like a proper barbarian. I'll get a few burns, but at this point a little spit would practically heal those.

"A-are you serious, nyah?!"

Oh, right. That doesn't apply to you.

"Ah! Aaaah—!"

I scoop Misha up with both arms and raise her high overhead, as if throwing my hands up in celebration. Then I charge forward like that, crossing the wall of fire—which looks a good five meters thick—in an instant.

SIZZZZLE!

A faint smell of cooking meat wafts around me. My skin stings slightly despite my Pain Tolerance.

I ask, "Misha, are you all right?"

"... Thanks to you, I'm fine, nyah. But look ahead, nyah!"

I set Misha down and look ahead to find Chaos Spirits swarming everywhere. We don't have time to deal with them one by one.

"Let's run."

"What?! Through there, nyah?"

"Do you have another idea?"

A few nearby have already noticed us and are slowly beginning to move. So we quickly dash through their ranks before we draw any more aggro.

We don't know what's happening back there, so we need to get as far away as—

'Fuck.'

Have we been sprinting for about five minutes?