The line between life and death was drawn sometimes slowly and sometimes in an instant. In my scouting career, it used to be the latter. After all, most wounds could be treated with potions or divine power. Unless you were inflicted with a wound that led to instant death or your entire team was wiped out, survival was normal.
«Ahh, please wake up.»
However, there were also cases like this, where potions and divine power did not work, such as with the wizard Riol Warb Dwalkie from the Half Fool team. This man left a will to those he left behind as he approached death, leaving Missha and her companions with a great sense of loss. Of course, there was a clear difference between then and now.
»Hm»? A woman whose name I don't even know? Please...»
She was a stranger, not a precious comrade. Besides, his wasn't even a certain death like Dwalkie's. There was a chance that he could pass this test and survive. At the crossroads of life and death, it was entirely up to this red-haired woman - and Missha - to determine which path to take.
«Ugh, wake up once and for all!» Missha shouted and brandished her sword harshly as if to express her frustration. At the end of that sword were monsters emerging from the sea.
Slash!
Enemies kept showing up no matter how much she slashed, stabbed, and slashed again. Missha couldn't take it anymore. Unless he left this place right now, he might never see Bjorn again. But taking this woman with her was impossible. The wound had healed to some extent and their breathing had stabilized, but in a situation where they were surrounded by monsters everywhere, how could he carry that woman?
Cut!
That would only be possible once the woman came to her senses and was able to follow her, no matter how slow she was.
«I'm on the limit too!» Missha screamed again, waiting for her insistence to reach the woman's subconscious.
«You...» The woman who had been lying like a corpse opened her eyes.
«You're awake! How is your body? Can you move?» Missha asked happily.
The woman just muttered as if organizing the current situation in her head: «So you've protected me all this time...».
«Yes! But I can't take it anymore. Okay? We have to go to a safer place. Can you do it?»
The answer came after a very short interval. «I can't move».
"¿What?"
«But I can take care of these monsters. Take the thing I told you about out of my pocket». His voice was calm, so much so that it did not seem to come from a dying man.
At this moment, Missha stopped defending herself from the monsters and quickly moved back to open the expandable bag on the woman's belt. Then he took out the object the woman was talking about. «A scroll? What kind of parchment is it?»
«Destruction of Evil».
Missha was really surprised. Was it a scroll imbued with divine power and not normal magic? Those scrolls weren't even made anymore. How had this woman found something so valuable? There were many questions, but they didn't matter.
«Ahh, why didn't you tell me about this before you passed out?!» Missha hurriedly tore the scroll, and a translucent barrier imbued with the energy of the divine immediately obstructed the monsters. It was really the first breakup in a long time.
«Ah, I can breathe now. Hey, what's your relationship with Bjorrrn?» Missha quickly approached the woman and asked her what she had been curious about.
«That barbarian and me...»
«...Yes, that barbarian and you... What? No. You're not sleeping. OK? Ah! Finish your words first!» Missha shook the woman's shoulder and stopped when she realized halfway there that she was hurt. Then, sighing, he collapsed to the ground. Now that her body had relaxed, worry about her separated companions took over again. «...Everyone is fine, right?»
At that moment, a strong wind blew from the sea, a cold breeze with the smell of the sea and wet enough to feel sticky.
Shwaaaaaa.
For some reason, Missha was feeling strangely anxious today.
***
It was a clash of weapons with the purpose of killing each other. Wounds were common in such battles, even if they were not caused by anyone's mistake. That is why explorers fell so easily into superstition. They knew it too. Injuries during battle were inevitable, and their severity sometimes depended on luck.
«¡Sr. Yandel, el Sr. Urikfried está...!»
That's what happened to Mr. Bear today. The Drake's claw broke Patzran's sword as he fought on the front lines, and that broken blade flew out and embedded itself in Mr. Bear's body without him making a mistake. If I had been more agile maybe I could have dodged it, but most people didn't usually see that as a mistake. It would be correct to say that he was unlucky.
«Bleeding...! The bleeding doesn't stop!»
Some people survived a ten-story building by luck, but others lost their lives simply by slipping. Dungeon and Stone was a game that faithfully followed that irrational side of reality, which was what attracted me enormously until I woke up in this body.
«Priestess! Please treatment...!»
Anyway, the problem was where the sheet went. Although it dodged the heart, the sharp fragment did not stop piercing the lungs and penetrated one. Penetrating wounds caused the most bleeding. Even his internal organs were injured.
[Lairin Ersina has released Healing].
The priestess exhausted the divine power she had left to heal him, but it was of no use.
[Currently, the target is designated as Dragon Offering. No regeneration effects apply].
That was the active ability of the rank 5 monster, Drake. That damn summoning bitch threw it at Mr. Bear as soon as she saw his wound.
«Where are you looking, barbarian?»
Damn sea.
¡Bang!
I wanted to run to check on Mr. Bear's condition right at that moment, but I didn't have that free time. It was the same for that side.
«I'll keep an eye on Mr. Abman. Everyone, focus on fighting!»
Realizing that they could do nothing for Mr. Bear, who was wandering between life and death, they had no choice but to entrust him to Erwen and fight again. But the situation was not good.
The mere absence of the wizard Hans J was fatal, but as Patzran struggled to fill that void, he lost his weapon. Misfortune then overlapped with more misfortune and a fragment of that sword penetrated Mr. Bear, further reducing the number of combatants.
«Is your name Nebarce?»
«Sí...»
«Here's your bow back. Fight too».
«...Is that okay with you?»
«I'm sure you don't want to die here either.» Erwen made the tough decision to give Nebarce a gun, but the situation remained the same.
«Come on, Yongyong! Just a little more!»
Against the Drake and the summoner who had strengthened her summoned beast and coated herself with secondary essences to act as ranged support, the difficulty of the battle was high even to the naked eye. At that time, fighting a rank 4 monster wouldn't have been better, but in the meantime, «dog shit» wasn't enough to describe our status. Erwen had run out of MP and spiritual power, and the priestess's divine power was being consumed as she charged. Even Patzran, who was in charge of the vanguard, lost his sword. The addition of an archer could not drastically change the situation of the battle.
It would be difficult to ask that side for help.
It was bittersweet, but I had to admit it now. The situation was different, so the strategy had to be reviewed again. Originally he intended to go as safe as possible with a long battle, confirming one by one the essences of the opponent.
There was no time.
Mr. Bear wouldn't last long. He had to finish this battle as quickly as possible to ensure that the Drake's ability was raised.
And to do that... I need to give up what is necessary.
It required a little determination. What to give up and what to gain? I already did all my calculations. So what about the opponent?
«You have become urgent now that your comrade has been beaten, barbarian!»
What could that guy - who laughed like he had already won - give up to stop me?
I guess I'll find out soon.
I rose from the ground with a roar. «Behell-aaaaaaaaaa!»
There was not the usual vitality that immediately enveloped my body. It was natural, since I didn't even have MP left to use Wild Burst. However, the protection of the ancestral god would be with me as our god favored warriors who ran wildly in their hearts.
¡Latigo!
Mm, or not.
As soon as the distance narrowed, the guy stabbed his sword. This had happened several times so far in this battle. If this guy stabbed, I would raise my shield to block him. Only with that did I lose my turn, while this guy stabbed his knife into my forearm or thigh sharply before widening his distance. That was the pattern until a while ago.
Yes, I won't stop you.
Seeing his sword stabbing me, I brandished my mace instead of raising my shield. That meant it was now his turn to choose. What was I going to do?
The swordsman was confused by the sudden change in battle structure and hurried back before retrieving his sword. Why couldn't we make exchanges like men?
I knew it would be like this.
I expected this to happen, so I kicked the ground as soon as he widened the distance and altered my trajectory, towards where the Drake and the summoner were.
Jump.
I used my MP, which had recovered just enough for one round, and used Jump.
¡Bum!
A cloud of dust spread across the landing zone. Since it was not in Gigantization, it did not have the special effect of the Backspace terrain. That wasn't important though.
«Grk?» The Drake saw me appear on the other side of the forest and widened his mouth.
Your breath stinks, idiot.
¡A slap!
As soon as our eyes met, I hit his snout with my mace.
«Gweek!» His head turned sharply, but this blow was not that significant for a medium-sized monster. But so what? First of all, my target was that irritated woman on top of me.
«Ugh, honestly! Can't you stop this guy?»
I kicked the ground again and bounced like a spring. Just then, a single sword stabbed into my back.
Stab.
He was clearly that bastard from before. Ugh, had he already shortened that distance?
«Why did it take you so long?!» Seeing me frozen as the sword pierced my lung, the summoner let out a moan.
Only I questioned this action. «Why...?»
Do you think I can't move? Not that he had a hole in his neck.
Slide.
I took a step forward with the sword inside me. At the same time, I hit the mace I was holding vertically down.
¡Whoom!
The target was the head of that whiny summoner.
Stab!
The sword on my back was torn off, which made me shudder, but my arm didn't stop moving. But just at that moment, he stabbed the sword he had recovered again.
Whoosh! Stab.
The part he stuck into was the elbow of the arm holding the mace. The joint was shattered, not just the skin, and my grip on the mace loosened.
Bastard, bragging about your fighting experience? Well, I guess it's the same for me. Meat explosion.
I handed over the useless arm, anyway.
¡Pop!
He had noticed my Acid Fluid while fighting me, but I guess he never expected my body to explode.
¡Chhhhhhh!
«Ahhhh!» Covered in my flesh and blood, the guy groaned and backed away. This was the good thing about Corpse Golem essence. Since it was a rare essence, no one knew about it. The fact that he used vitality instead of MP was also helpful in this case.
Clunk.
At that moment, the mace in his hand rolled on the ground. It was a good problem. Although it was not as good as the mace, it was an excellent weapon.
Hit!
Then I hit the summoner with my shield and she fell from the chair to the floor with a screech. I could see that one of his arms was bent strangely. It was a little disappointing. If it had been the head, death would have been instantaneous. The Drake just had to shake at that moment, making him unable to break his delicate skull.
I just need to do it one more time.
Emulating a barbarian who falls seven times and laughs eight times, I jumped off Drake's back. But what was this?
¡Voom!
My falling body suddenly rose. The Drake had thrown me with the back of his head. The summoner was quickly out of sight, but it wasn't just bad news.
Stabbed!
Patzran took advantage of the Drake's great movement and stabbed him in the chest with his broken sword.
«¡Keeeeek!»
Did the sword pass through the vicinity of the heart? The Drake fought violently before disappearing like light. The invocation was finally raised. Now that the state abnormality had also risen, it would be possible to heal Mr. Bear with divine power. By now, my first wish had come true.
¡Bang!
Thinking that, I hurried up from the ground. It was that moment.
¡Ssshing!
A sharp sword was pointed at my neck. «Monster».
Regardless of that compliment, I had no energy to block or avoid that sword. However, there was a fortune in misfortune. Right now, this guy couldn't kill me.
«Everyone stop! Unless you want to see him die!» the bastard shouted to my comrades.
My comrades also pointed their weapons at the neck of the fainted summoner. «No, you take that sword away. Unless you want to see this woman die».
As in a hostage exchange ceremony, a strange silence ensued.
Walk.
Two women emerged from the forest.
«B-Bjorn...?! What the hell is going on?!» One was Missha, whom he had been searching for so desperately.
«Looks like you're in a bind, barbarian». The other was Amelia Rainwales.
How were these two together? What had happened? Many questions arose at the same time, but I was only focusing on one thing. Its appearance was a positive variable.
«Amelia Rainwales, so you were alive». The man addressed Amelia while pointing a sword at my neck. «It's better this way. Help us».
«Does the fact that you can tell me that after what you did mean there's a justifiable reason?».
«Of course. That object is hidden somewhere on this island. If we die like this, it will be lost forever. Do you really want that?».
Amelia frowned at those words. Having already met this woman several times, I knew it as soon as I saw her.
Damn sea.
That was the face he made when he was contemplating something, and that decision would probably decide our destiny. I stared at Amelia without a voice.
«Belverson Erfner. Do you know the two ways to make someone angry?».
«...What?» The swordsman made a noise of astonishment at that totally out of place question.
Either way, Amelia continued. «The first is to stop talking in the middle of a sentence. Unfortunately, I didn't hear the second one. But if I had to make a guess...»
«...Yes?» The swordsman took the bait and couldn't help but show his curiosity. The same thing happened to me. Did this woman know the answer?
Attention focused on the strange silence and Amelia continued without blinking. «It's... stabbing them in the back mid-speech».
Ah.
Run.
The moment Amelia finished speaking, I heard a presence behind me. It was obvious what it was.
[Amelia Rainwales has launched Self-Replication.]
The swordsman realized the situation late and pushed me before turning around.
[Amelia Rainwales has launched Asura Kick.]
It was too late.
"Bam!
Amelia's double appeared from behind and landed on the swordsman's temple.
Fall.
The swordsman collapsed to the ground with his eyes unfocused and murmured: «Why...? That object... for you...».
«Yes, it's something I've been looking for all my life».
«Then why...?»
Amelia approached us before I knew it, pressed the swordsman's head with her foot and said: «It doesn't matter if you hid it or not. It's enough for me to hear it from your sister. It's impossible for that bitch to endure an interrogation».
She was a very reasonable woman.