I inserted the torch into the slot carved into the hull and tied it tightly with a rope. I call this the barbarian candle method.
...It came with a feeling of shame, but it was a practical method used by other explorers.
Ainar brought his hand close to the flickering flame and exclaimed,
"Oh, magnificent! It's really not hot."
That's because it's a magic tool.
It was only about the length of your palm, didn't interfere with your movements, and was a useful object that could last for about three days once lit. It was an object that the crossbow group had used.
The average price is around 10,000 stones...
Suddenly I missed Erwen.
"But where are we?"
Slowly, Ainar began to take in his surroundings and looked around.
This time it was easy to notice, although there was a big difference between what I could actually see and the familiar 2D pixel graphics.
The black ground that slipped with every step, the remains of stone structures that could be seen everywhere, and even the pitiful cry that could be faintly heard from afar...
"This is the Land of the Dead."
"Ah, so this is where the ghouls and death demons come from!"
That was true. To be precise, the monsters that appeared here were greater ghouls, skeletons, banshees, and even the mid-boss-type monster, the dullahans.
"I will take the initiative."
The monsters' fighting power was much greater in the Land of the Dead than in the Goblin Forest. But as for which was more difficult, I'd say the Goblin Forest takes the win.
It's much darker here, but... at least there are no traps.
This was much more comfortable for two barbarians working together.
"He's a ghoul."
In a short time, we found a monster. There were fewer than three of them.
Of course, by the third day, the spawning rate would increase to three times what it was now.
One more reason to move quickly.
"Bjorn, there's a mana stone!"
"Take what you see. You don't have to report every single item to me. We can distribute it later. Let's speed things up."
Unlike in the Goblin Forest, I immediately left the front of the map and continued moving north.
Then I heard a scream nearby.
"Kyaaaaargh!"
"BB-Bjorn?!"
"It's a banshee howling. Ignore it. They rarely attack first."
"O-Okay... But shouldn't we kill her? It could be dangerous."
Well. Not unless there's an Erwen nearby who can command a spirit.
Two physical-type explorers could never catch a banshee no matter what we did. Even if we could catch it, that would be a problem in itself.
"If you attack a banshee first, you will be cursed."
"Damned?"
"It's a curse known as the Mark of Resentment. The banshee will continue to haunt you until you escape the labyrinth."
Unless you were planning to only hunt banshees for the next ten days, it was best not to touch any. If the goal was experience points, it was normal to hunt only one or two on the last day.
«You are a very wise warrior. I'm glad I followed you».
Thanks for the compliment.
She tried not to show it, but it was obvious that this kind of thing scared her.
But that was that and this is this.
«Kyaaaaaaah!»
Crush!
Please stop hitting me every time something makes noise, I thought.
It was uncomfortable, but most of all... I felt like my arm was being destroyed.
«Let it go... it's a skeleton».
At the same time, a group of skeletons appeared, making a rattling noise. There were ten.
Even on the first day, skeletons appeared in large numbers, appropriate for a monster that boasted a high supply. However, the total number of mana stones you could receive from them was only three or four.
«Ahem! I'll get rid of them!»
Maybe she felt embarrassed because she was afraid of the sound of the banshee, because Ainar jumped forward.
Tsk tsk, I clicked my tongue inward.
«Ainar! If you look between the ribs, you will see the essence. To reach a skeleton with a sword, you must aim there, but...»
Crunch!
«Hey? What did you say?»
«I haven't said anything. Don't worry about me».
Crunch! Crack! Crack!
Who cared about weaknesses. Every time Ainar brandished that enormous great sword, the skeletons were crushed mercilessly, never to rise again.
***
[You have killed an Elder Ghoul. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton Warrior. EXP +1]
[You have killed a Skeleton Archer. EXP +1]
***
We thus advanced north for about eight hours. And naturally, we encounter a variety of new monsters. An old ghoul that was twice as big as a normal ghoul, and skeleton warriors and archers classified as mutants.
We hadn't crossed paths with any wizards yet, so it couldn't be said for sure, but everything had been going pretty well so far. Since it was only the first day, the number of monsters was small, and my combat power had increased significantly compared to the previous trip.
Hit!
That was obvious just by looking at our current team.
The heartthrob's two-handed hammer could only be used with a short grip due to the center of gravity. Now, holding a mace about 30 centimeters long allowed the monsters to be hit from afar.
It was much safer and much more powerful.
The most significant...
Klaang!
Now he had armor. Being a vest-shaped sheet metal armor, my forearms were exposed and defenseless, but the area I needed to protect under my shield had been considerably reduced just because of that. As a result, I was able to fight much more drastic battles. It's like my shackles have been removed.
«Bjorn, be careful! There's also a skeleton archer!»
The iron helmet was designed in a T shape that only revealed the eyes, nose and mouth and protected the most important vital points of the head.
Of course, it would still be dangerous if something like a crossbow arrow hit me directly, but it easily deflected arrows fired from a broken bow.
And besides, I had another barbarian with combat power similar to mine.
«Behell-aaaaaaaaaa!»
We shouted at our barbaric ancestral god and together we continued a battle that had nothing to envy of a massacre.
Hit! Hit! Crunch!
No matter what kind of monster appeared, ten seconds were enough to defeat the entire group.
Maybe that's why he felt refreshing satisfaction after every battle he hadn't experienced with Erwen.
Ah, is this the true taste of a barbarian?
«Bjorn, you're hurt.»
Hey?
Only after Ainar's words did I find a slight scratch on my forearm.
However...
«Don't worry. It will disappear soon».
It was not necessary to apply herbs, much less drink a potion.
«Oh! It's already closing! Is this the ability of the Spiritual Imprint?»
The first stage of effects on Immortality Imprint abilities was a noticeably enhanced natural regeneration power. Of course, it was nothing compared to potions.
When I checked the day before, a cut the thickness of a nail took a minute to heal. However, this alone dramatically increased my ability to survive. My stamina recovery was now faster, which caused my stamina to increase greatly.
«Get ready. It seems we're almost there».
I told Ainar to stay alert and we slowed down.
Suddenly, the terrain changed. The ground was no longer soggy and hard, and was not even level due to the mounds everywhere. The howls of the banshees were even louder here.
«Kihehehehehehe!!!»
«Ahhhh!»
Of course, the biggest difference was something else.
From here on, they would be the higher ranking monsters. In other words, rank 8 monsters would appear.
«...Bjorn, are you sure they won't attack first?»
Ainar started grinding his teeth a while ago, probably scared by the sound of the banshees. Apparently this happened because barbarians clench their jaws when they are afraid. But, I couldn't be sure.
Is it because I've never been so scared?
«Kwohhhhhh!!!»
As we continued moving forward, we heard a strange roar in the darkness.
Ugh...
Really hearing it in real life made me cringe.
«Ainar, prepare for battle».
«Didn't you say we weren't going banshee hunting?»
Don't you have ears?
«It's not a banshee.»
Demon of Death.
Among the many rank 8 monsters that contributed greatly to raising the barrier to entry in the game, they were undoubtedly the most annoying sons of bitches of the group.
***
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sound of heavy footsteps, which he had felt from far away, grew louder and louder, and soon, the monster appeared before us.
«... Are we going to fight that?»
Ainar asked, and before he could answer, he said,
«Looks fun».
Truly, I couldn't predict this woman. Last time he had said that he was afraid of dying, but how could he smile after seeing that monster?
And yet he is afraid of banshees...
Boom!
Maybe the light bothered her because the demon of death stopped walking around the light.
«Don't get nervous.»
«Don't worry. I wasn't nervous.»
I wasn't telling you. I told it to myself.
Oh dear... I had made a road plan here, but when I saw the demon of death in person, my legs began to shake.
The death demon was an undead humanoid monster. No, it was more like a chimera. He was over three meters tall and had a sword and shield in his arms.
Not holding it, but really in the arms.
The hand that extended in a long curve had a crescent-shaped sword, and the other arm, which opened widely from the elbow to the sides, took the shape of a shield.
That is, the Sword and the Protein Shield.
«Kwohhhhhhhhhhg-!!!»
Shit, don't scream like that, you're already pretty scary.
I tried to reduce my fear somehow, but it wasn't easy.
«As long as you follow the plan calmly, you can defeat him».
«Of course I trust you».
Thanks for that, but again, this was for me.
...Calm down.
Although this was only the first attempt, as long as I stayed focused, I wouldn't be in danger. If the situation got worse, we would have to flee without hesitation.
«As I said before, aim for the head no matter what. The other parts don't make sense. Understood?»
«Okay!»
No, that wasn't a sign to run right now...
«Behell-ahhhhhhh!»
Ainar ran forward holding his greatsword with both hands. It was too late to stop her. But his scream worked because the bastard lunged from the edge of the shadows with his sword and shield in position.
«Kwohhhhhhhhhhg-!!!»
Clang!
Ainar's greatsword and the Death Demon Protein Blade collided, letting out a roar.
«Bjorn, be careful! This monster is no joke!»
That's usually obvious from the beginning, right?
«Behell-ahhhhhhh!»
I shouted the name of our ancestral god and followed Ainar. Then, I raised a wall in front of me with my shield and pounded the monster from the side as it moved to attack Ainar, who had bounced from its collision.
Bam!
But how could a body be so corpulent? It was like hitting a rock.
Chhzz.
When the monster exerted more force, I was pushed back along with the shield. There was no reason for me to continue holding on, but my pride was hurt. So I tiptoed even more.
Then, as I shifted all my weight forward, I let out a scream, instead of a roar.
«Ahhhhhh!»
Fuck!
I felt like my muscles were going to burst. But I also felt a chill that was difficult to express in words. I thought I was going to die there... but I survived.
And Ainar wasn't stupid enough to pass up this opportunity.
Voom!
Soon, his swing cut through the air with a heavy sound and hit the death demon's side of the head.
Not cut, but literally beaten.
Kagak!
Even that thick sword only penetrated half an inch.
The blunt sound probably came from the skull. The death demon's defense was noticeable even in the game. Although it was his regeneration rather than his defense that caused many beginners to abandon the game.
«Kwooooh!!!»
«Stay away for now!»
Avoiding the frantic demon of death, we retreated a short distance.
Dark red blood dripped from the stabbing wound of the sword, but the bleeding stopped in less than three seconds. The passive ability of this type was «Body Preservation».
«Ainar! Make room for me. This time, I will attack!»
After giving the order, he was about to run when...
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. It was the first time I had seen an effect like this, but I knew immediately what it was.
The active ability of the demon of death:
The «Call of the Dead».
«Go back, the ghouls are coming!»
When the vibrations ended, the ghouls dug and climbed from beneath the earth. Looking around, there were exactly ten.
«Get rid of these first!»
«Okay!»
While Ainar brandished his sword against the ghouls,
«Kwohhhhh!!!»
I paid close attention to the demon of death and marked it closely. However, the stupid aggravated ghouls constantly scratched my skin with their nails, turning it into a wink in an instant.
Of course, this wasn't a big problem.
I also have the ability to regenerate. Although not like you.
«Bjorn! I'll take care of this guy!»
After holding for about two minutes, the ghouls were eliminated.
It was actually kind of funny when I thought about it. He had survived the summoning ability of a death demon by being literally beaten into rags.
I didn't even do these things in the game.
While passing the baton to Ainar to mark him one on one, I took out my mace and approached the monster's back.
Then I hit him on the back of the head.
Hit!
It was a good sound with an even better feel in the hands. Rotten blood dripped from the back of his shattered head. However, I continued brandishing the mace.
Hit! Hit! Hit!
The power to turn a goblin into dust was in every blow.
But damn, why wouldn't he die?
Kagak!
The durability of this monster's skull was beyond imagination in real life. Even as he was beaten, the flesh continued to heal.
... What should I do?
We lacked attack power.
If I had known this would be the case, I would have purchased the gun that the gun dealer had recommended to me. Should we give up taking it and hunting rank 9 monsters?
Hack! Hack! Hack!
I continued brandishing the mace as I thought this, but the mace was not enough to destroy the creature's brain.
Voom!
In the end, I had no choice but to back away to prevent the Protean Sword from swinging.
Was then-
«Kooot!»
Suddenly, the death demon's body lost its balance and began to bow. When I looked closely, I saw that Ainar was taking this opportunity to grab one of the legs of this three-meter-high monster and lift it up.
It's a technique I've seen often in the UFC.
Is that...
Single leg attack?
«Behell-aaaah!»
Seeing his pumped muscles and bulging veins as if they were about to burst, he looked more like the monster...
His aim was clear, and even viable.
I immediately joined.
Hit!
When I hit one of the ankles with the mace as hard as I could, the huge body lost its balance and floated for a while.
Y...
Boom!
It crashed to the ground. In technical terms, it was a shootdown.
It was the first time he knew that this type of fight was possible against a monster classified as medium-large in size.
...Nothing was impossible for a barbarian apparently.
«Kwoooohhhhhhhh!»
I could see how the demon of death staggered like an overturned worm. We were about to rush, but we were startled at the same time.
«Kwooohhh!!!»
It can't be... It can't get up on its own!
«Bjorn!»
«Ohhhhh!»
Our thoughts were exchanged just by making eye contact. Ainar and I ran towards the fallen monster and lowered our weapons like crazy. As if we placed a rice cake in a mortar and took turns hitting it with a hammer, we worked harmoniously.
Hit! Hit! Hit! Hit! Hit!
Come to think of it, I once made rice cakes like this in the popular village I visited in elementary school.
«This is fun!»
I remembered my partner at the time crying while asking to change to a different group than mine,
Seeing Ainar having fun with me healed the scar on my heart. I felt as if even my soul was purified.
[You have killed a Death Demon. EXP +2]
We smiled happily as we watched the demon of death disappear into the light.
We didn't have the powerful sorcery, the divine power of a priest, or the elemental magic of a fairy, but...
«Bjorn! Look at this! The mana stone is huge!»
We had managed to hunt a rank 8 monster.