The monster raised its spear towards the sky. As soon as I saw it, this thought first came to my mind:
Wait, already?
No matter how many holes were made here and there when you got here, and despite the arm half cut in three seconds and the stomach pierced by an arrow, was it already at 40% HP?
When I raised my head to confirm it, I was convinced. She didn't know when she had arrived, but Amelia was hanging from the monster's back, stabbing him in the neck with a dagger.
It should have hit him in the back of the head, not the neck.
I regretted it for a moment, but I didn't think someone like Amelia had aimed it at the neck on purpose. He probably landed there when the monster moved to avoid him. I focused on another area.
I had never seen this ability.
A black aura protruded from the hole in his neck.
Oh, is that thing?
[Amelia Rainwales has released Power of the Abyss.]
The doppelganger essence was not enough; to think that she had something like that too. It was almost a miracle that he hadn't died playing with her until now. Anyway, you might think about this problem later.
«Don't stop!»
I gave orders as I approached the monster again, but was it too harsh a request to ask of colleagues who didn't know the following situation? Everyone stood paralyzed, unable to concentrate on the battle. It wasn't that I couldn't understand that feeling.
[Storm Gush has launched Storm Call].
The only thing Storm Call did was suck wind from the nearby area to recover MP, but in a situation where the surroundings were full of rainwater due to the Rain Creator Ritual, this ability could recover a large amount of HP as a link. Originally, that would be the end of it all... but dabbling in this damn island came with an added effect.
«The water is as big as a wall!»
«It's a tsunami!»
Guided by the pulls of the wind, the rising water rushed like a tidal wave.
Saaaaaaaaaa!
Like a rolling snowball gradually increasing in size, the waves rushed in from afar and formed a wall.
«N-no!»
The violence of nature was so oppressive that, without realizing it, one closed one's eyes to it. However, there was no need to fear that.
Saaaaaaaaaa!
Finally, the violent waves rushing from all sides swallowed us, but the damage was non-existent.
[A sanctuary has been created somewhere on the island.]
«H-huh?»
«W-how the hell did he do this...?»
I didn't know the exact principle either. It was just a part of the game where I thought they paid a lot of attention to direction.
«Raven, light up the surroundings!»
The sea water soon covered us, obscuring the surroundings, so we first secured the light source. When we did, we could see more clearly the environment we were in. It was a very strange feeling, like we were trapped inside a fish tank. The situation was urgent, so the sightseeing tour ended there.
«Move everyone! This is the only chance!» When I gave orders again, my dumbfounded comrades quickly came to their senses and moved. The battle, which had entered a new phase, flowed with unparalleled urgency.
[Storm Gush has released Ley Line.]
First, Mr. Bear was hit by the layer of air that emerged from the ground, unable to avoid it. Still, it seemed that he reacted to some extent because, fortunately, he moved away and avoided being thrown out of the sanctuary.
«Mr. Urikfried...!»
«S-Priestess. Q-I can bear this... help Yandel...» Mr. Bear became unable to fight. Since he had a Hungry Claw, the wound would heal over time, but it would take a few more minutes.
«Woom?!» When Mr. Bear was wounded, the summoning on the Iron Bear Iradun, who barely managed to survive at the front, was raised.
The bad luck didn't end there. The Vortex that emerged from the hole where the Ley Line was launched began to spread through the limited space and harass us.
«You can't get hit for that!»
From now on, it was correct to consider the Vortex as an instant death. The moment we were hit by that thing, we would be thrown into the sea over there.
Cut!
Shortly after, Amelia cut off the monster's hanging arm with a dagger imbued with an aura.
Boom.
The bulky arm fell to the ground with the bone-made trident still in his hand. Even without a gun, he was a threat.
«Kwohhhhhh!» The monster swung its left arm as a counterattack and tore Patzran's stomach, throwing him away. Due to the Vortex restricting movement, he was not able to dodge it as quickly as usual.
It is not a fatal wound.
A man had fallen, but I calmly observed the situation and moved my eyes. One of the few advantages of this world was that resuscitation was possible with a potion or healing while you were alive.
Dash.
Vortex broke through the formation and lunged at me, so I had no choice but to distance myself. Just then, Amelia's team's goalkeeper, Nebarce, was hit. Using an ability to try to dodge the Vortex that was flying from behind, he ended up falling in front of the monster's mouth.
Oh right. That's a random blink...
In the end, Nebarce couldn't even spit out his last words before being chewed by the monster.
Crunch, crunch.
It was the first sacrifice of the battle. Aside from mourning, he didn't feel any particular guilt. Who told you to use a shitty skill like Emergency Escape here?
Anyway, as long as my side is okay...
«...Ugh!» Just then, Missha was beaten.
Slash!
Although he dodged a Side Punch, he lost an arm in return.
«Missha!»
«Don't worry! I can fight with one arm!»
Fight with one arm? This girl had become very hard since she followed me. I couldn't tell him to stay behind because I didn't have time for that. I just avenged her with a little more emotion.
[You have launched Balancing.]
I used all my saved MPs and brandished my mace. The target was that protruding snout.
Hit!
This guy seemed sure of his grudges as he twisted his body and followed me.
Bang!
Although I blocked it with a shield, the impact penetrated my bones. Was it because of the sharp increase in the physical statistics of the Rain Ritual? When I blocked it before it wasn't so bad.
Damn.
Beyond the dislocation, my arm bent with the shield still in my hand. Since I had kept my arm pressed against my body to put more weight on it, even my ribs were tingling. But soon after came a healing.
[Lairin Ersina has launched Sanar].
A warm but mysterious power connected the severed tendons and joined the fragmented bones together like a puzzle. This mysterious power seemed to tell me that now that I was cured, I should go fight for my comrades.
«Behell-aaaaaaaaaa!»
An arduous battle broke out, a fight that could not be explained in such short words. The monster was strong like a rank 3 monster, and tough.
Stab.
As its inner flesh was repeatedly stabbed by an aura, dozens of arrows lodged in the shell, draining vitality. Curse magic piled up, causing dark green bodily fluids to drip out. While the dagger that Missha stuck in his eye trembled, the bastard continued fighting and fighting again, as if we were evil incarnate and he was justice. He moved tirelessly, and every time he did, someone was hurt. Most of the time it was me.
Scratch.
Sharp claws tore shield and armor, sometimes digging into flesh.
Stab!
There were no healings, probably due to the exhaustion of divine power. But so what?
Do you think I will collapse before you?
I held on, brandishing my mace non-stop and sometimes surrendering to a vortex to save my comrades. I held on and held on.
«Kwohhhhhh!» A minute later, the monster let out a scream and looked at me as if wondering why I wasn't collapsing. So we thought the same thing. A compliment to a monster.
Please move on to the next pattern, you bastard!
I hit his neck with a macing full of so much emotion.
A slap!
That made him shudder for a moment, but it didn't leave any blow.
Stab.
Meanwhile, Amelia stabbed him in the temple with a dagger.
«Kyaaaaaaaa!» The monster howled in pain and, simultaneously, a thick curtain of wind enveloped its body in an almost protective manner.
Wooooohm!
[Storm Gush has cast Storm Priest].
This was the last survival skill used when only 10% HP remained. It was a moment I had been waiting for for a long time.
«Raven!» I shouted the name of the wizard who had only been casting curse magic on hold, but the spell was already being cast.
Shaaaaaaaaaa!
A vivid magic circle appeared above the ground, scattering light.
Dash.
Without stopping to jump to the side, I widened the distance a lot. I wasn't the only one who did it; Missha and Amelia, who were still on the front lines, did the same. They knew what was coming their way.
«Felz Askar Bier». Among the military magic Raven strove to learn, this was the only spell designed to kill one powerful enemy instead of several.
But to say that, the scope is too broad.
I swallowed and looked forward.
[Arua Raven has cast rank 4 Divine Punishment attack magic].
From the seawater-covered roof came sounds of thunder tearing the sky. A second later, everything turned white.
Flash!
However, it didn't seem blinding. The pure white light that would have refracted several times to reach this place glowed dimly as he hugged us.
Kablam!
The long-awaited Divine Punishment landed on the bastard's head.
High physical and mana stamina, strength and agility to rival that of an ogre were the factors that gave it the name Sea Ogre, but the vitality of a Storm Gush was very low compared to that of an ogre. Considering the skill this monster used, it was more reasonable to aim for a short-term battle. Due to the skill structure, entering a long game with this type meant that the attacker was gradually put at a disadvantage. Therefore, I also opted for a short play, keeping 70% of the HP as resources and making only regular attacks. The plan was to increase the tempo with Rainfall Ritual and perform extreme attacks starting at 40% when Storm Call was used. From 10%, even a phase jump with a target shot.
It was a fairly simple strategy, except for the fact that there was no opposing ability to neutralize some of the patterns, which increased the risk. We had consumed almost all the resources to reach 10% HP, so the mage had to take care of the final blow alone. Yes, it was certainly a plan worth trying. And how were the results?
Kablam!
In a short time, the Divine Punishment pierced the sea water in the form of lightning and I was able to see the results with my own eyes.
Failed.
It was such a miserable failure that it couldn't even constitute a mental victory.
Chhhhhh.
The monster now had a smoking shell like that of a ripe lobster, but it was still alive and moving. The tornado that stood up to protect him remained the same. The cause was clear. It wasn't that the moment was too late and that's why the spell was applied in a state of invincibility.
The damage was not enough.
It was that Raven's final damage was little, and by far.
I thought that spell would be worth trying.
Maybe it was my fault for not taking the terrain into account. Perhaps if he had been in a normal environment, that lightning bolt would have pierced the sea water and lost its power to some extent.
«Is alive! What do we do?»
Like what do we do? We have to move on to Plan B now.
«Patzran! Take out the boat!»
At my scream, Patzran responded with a churning stomach, «...What bottle?»
Hmm, didn't I tell you about Plan B? No, surely yes. Did you forget because of the chaotic situation?
I didn't really like to repeat my words, but I reiterated the key point of Plan B that I explained earlier. «Let's go!»
If we stayed here, everyone would die.
***
[Storm energy has inhabited Storm Gush's body. Storm Gush has temporarily become immune to all damage.]
[10%.]
[20%.]
[30%.]
***
In the end we had to release Plan B, but this had many positive aspects. Nobody died. Although Noark's goalkeeper met his doom today and Missha's arm was severed, Ainar fainted, and Mr. Bear also suffered a serious injury, everyone on my team survived. That was the only thing that mattered.
«Ah, ship...!» Finally, Patzran seemed to remember what Plan B was as he hurriedly touched his subspace ring intended to guard the ship. But, suddenly hesitant, he began coughing up blood when questioned. «But even if we take the boat out now, cough!».
His question continued through Raven's mouth. «Mr. Patzran is right. How can we float a boat when everything is covered in water?»
How do you think?
«Don't you remember? Your boat is made of Arthene» wood.
Arthene wood was the highest quality material for ships. It was disgustingly resistant, and also had tremendous buoyancy that could make a life jacket cry. Even if you filled the entire boat with water, it would float to the surface on its own.
«What are you doing, Mr. Patzran!? Hurry, get the boat out!»
When Raven pressed him, Patzran stroked his torn stomach and summoned the boat. The boat was large enough to accommodate ten people. I put the unconscious Ainar and the injured Mr. Bear on the boat and tied them to the mast with a rope.
«What are you all doing? Tie yourselves. You could fall like this».
«Oh, sure!» Those who could take care of themselves tied themselves with rope.
Just then, Missha grabbed his severed arm with one hand and asked a question. Mm, I tied it tightly with rope so she wouldn't have to hold it so tight... «Bjorn, I have something to tell you.»
Hey? Tell me?
«Let's do it later.»
«But...»
«Because? Can't you trust me?»
Missha paused on that and shook her head slightly. «I trust you».
Okay, so we're ready to set sail.
When everyone got on the boat, Raven asked me with great confusion: «But how do we get there?».
Oh, that's true too.
How could a ship summoned ashore depart? It was a dilemma I hadn't thought about when I came up with the plan.
If I didn't think about it, it must mean there was no need to do it. Hmm, yes.
That seemed to be the case considering how my body started moving naturally as soon as I heard that.
«W-what are you doing? Aren't you thinking about lifting this whole ship...?»
If you know, stay still. It's making me lose steam.
«Ahhhhhhhhhh!»
Letting out a scream close to the scream, I raised the boat with both arms. Then I took long strides towards the edge of the water. Since it would be difficult even for me to last long, I said the last words and threw the boat into the sea. «Hold your breath, everyone. Forward».
Being made of very buoyant wood, the boat began to rise as soon as it entered the water. With Storm Priest mode activated, there shouldn't be any problems after it went up, as there wouldn't be a vortex like before. In the actual game, ship escape was not blocked at this stage of the event.
...They left.
Only when the ship was out of sight did I turn around. There was the only comrade - no, should I say comrade in arms? - who had decided to stay. Anyway, Amelia looked at me with fascinated eyes.
«You really appreciate your comrades».
«They are small and beautiful».
«...I see.»
Come to think of it, this girl had a habit of responding to most conversations with «I see». The annoying thing was that, no matter how many times I heard it, it was still difficult to discern what kind of «I see» it was.
So I decided to say what I had to say. «You have surprised me too. I didn't think you'd be so willing to play this role».
Our mission now was to play bait. When this guy finished charging he would start using an indiscriminate wide area ability, and this was not one that could be blocked with a shield. It was clear that a fragile mage, a priestess, and wounded warriors would not last even a few seconds, so we decided to move on to plan B at this point: retreat. But unfortunately, not all of us could leave. Without someone to entertain him, this guy would keep splashing his tail and chasing us. On a ship, we would never be able to defeat this bastard.
«This role, huh?» Amelia chuckled. «Definitely not something I would do». I figured she admitted that she was acting strange herself. So why did you decide to stay? «But I can't stand being indebted to anyone».
Wow, so it was really because of this. I was really surprised. Showing such loyalty just to save her from death once? Wasn't this the best personality type to manipulate?
I should make sure to put her in debt to me from time to time if I have the chance.
«What is that? That look?»
«Oh, you caught me. I was thinking highly of you for valuing your promises».
«...Empty words». Amelia frowned, disgusted. «It doesn't matter, don't look at me like that. Your escape method seemed foolproof. If I had figured it wasn't worth a try, I would never have stayed».
«Hmm, I see.»
«Barbarian, what does that mean 'I see'?»
«That's it... Ah, I think it's over soon».
When I moved my gaze, Amelia finished the talk and looked ahead.
[90%.]
The tornado around the monster was fading little by little. It meant that the final phase would begin soon.
Squeeze.
I grabbed the mace tighter. But did he feel anything sinister about this?
«Wait, are you sure the plan was to hold on until we could escape?». Amelia questioned my combative attitude, which also made me tilt my head.
«...Am I planning to hold on?».
«...Then it will be more efficient to put away your mace and carry only the shield».
Hey? What was this girl saying? What did that have to do with it? I said firmly: «A mace is a great defense!» He always said it, but the best defense was attack, especially when it came to a guy who was almost dead. «So raise your arms too! Don't think of half-dodging it as a bad sport to kill time! You're living the life Missha saved, anyway!»
«...I see.»
Slowness was not allowed.