Chapter 802
Chapter 802: Rank 1 (4)
An accident occurring during a raid. Honestly, it’s nothing surprising. No matter how long one has played this game and how much experience they’ve accumulated. No, rather because of having played this game for so long, you should be able to understand this even better.
Accidents are inevitable.
[Dungeon and Stone] was designed that way from the start. Accidents happen during battles and those accidents often involve ‘the death of a comrade.’ However, despite those losses, you replace your comrades as needed and press on to the Gate of the Abyss. That was the direction of this game.
Just like now.
[Sniktura has cast Seed of the End.]
[Seed of the End]. A skill similar to the Sniktura’s basic attack that targets a random enemy within its radius, delivering an unavoidable blow. However, even if it’s a ‘basic attack’ the damage of ‘basic attack’ from a rank 1 monster shouldn’t be underestimated. Even more so if the target isn’t a tank.
“Uh……?”
Starting with the brief sound of a startled voice from the rear.
Boom-!
Followed by a loud explosion sound shortly after.
‘Who was it?’
I wanted to know, but I didn’t turn to look. Preventing additional accidents takes precedence, so I raised my shield and charged toward the Sniktura.
And……
‘…It strayed slightly out of position.’
Realizing the Sniktura had moved slightly out of the central area, I forcefully pushed it back to the center again. Only after completing this emergency adjustment did I learn who was hit.
“…Captain, Tersia-nim has been hit!”
Lilith Marrone’s shout carried clear urgency.
‘Tersia……?’
For a moment, my heart skipped a beat, but that moment was fleeting.
‘…She said nim.’
Lilith Marrone doesn’t call Erwen ‘Tersia-nim.’ She calls her ‘Ms. Tersia.’ Moreover, [Elementalization] was still active. That meant the comrade who suffered an accident was……
‘Beleg Shucia di Tersia.’
Erwen’s uncle and a new clan member who joined our clan seeking the Stone of Revival.
“I gave him a potion, but his condition isn’t good!”
Given that everyone here is a seasoned explorer, situation reports started coming in before I even said anything. The situation clearly wasn’t looking good.
But……
“He’ll die if we don’t use divine power!”
But to use the divine power of our only healer, Sven Parav, to heal the rear? That’s not an easy decision to make. If healing is diverted elsewhere, the vanguard’s burden will increase even more, and with that increased burden, the possibility of additional accidents occurring would increase.
‘If another accident happens, there’s a chance that the entire group wiping.’
Even if its skills are sealed, this is a rank 1 monster. If the raid fails, we all die. That leaves us with three choices.
Take the risk and save Beleg. Ignore him and ensure the raid’s success. Or abandon everything and retreat.
[Beleg Shucia di Tersia’s health has reached 0%.]
[The countdown has begun.]
I need to make a decision as quickly as possible. My principle is that a late decision is worse than a wrong decision. Every situation has its golden time. And if that time was missed, the one responsible was the ‘person in charge.’
Choice.
Once again, the time to make a choice has come.
“We’re giving up on the Sniktura. Everyone retreat.”
I quickly made my decision. It only made sense, after all.
Sure, that monster’s essence is tempting, but today wouldn’t be our only chance. Besides, even if we defeat it, there’s no guarantee the essence will drop—.
Hisssssss-!
Just as I made my final judgment, the sound of gas hissing erupted, and the entrance we’d come through sealed shut.
[“Will you allow the world to come to an end just to save one person?”]
…This crazy bastard.
[“Kill that serpent, survivors of the fallen empire. For the sake of this world, and for yourselves.”]
The choices have been reduced to two.
***
The escape route was blocked. This was a first. This had never happened in the game before. Arta’s Secret Base was a dungeon where you could choose to retreat if something went wrong during the raid. So why did this happen?
“There’s no way! Even rank 5 magic can’t scratch it with this thickness…… It would take rank 1 magic to forcefully open it!”
The exit was blocked.
[“Open the door while I’m asking nicely, you damned machine-bastard.”]
[“……I cannot just observe as the world comes to an end.”]
[“No matter what you do, I won’t fight that bastard. Open it now!”]
[“Everything will end if that monster isn’t killed anyway.”]
[“……”]
My half-threatening negotiation attempt also failed. Though anger began surging within me, I forced myself to calmly face reality. The three choices had suddenly become two.
Either I shoulder the risk of endangering everyone to save Beleg. Or abandon Beleg and increase the raid’s chance of success.
[“This is a chance to understand what sacrifice means. People of the Empire, burn brightly even in your final moments and bring light to the world.”]
As much as I’d like to smash that speaker to pieces, nothing would change
The situation has already unfolded, and there are two choices.
I had to make a decision.
And……
“The order to retreat is canceled. Everyone, back to your positions!”
Truthfully, I already knew what the correct choice was. Given the current circumstances, abandoning Beleg and successfully completing the raid would be the correct choice—.
“Ah……”
It suddenly occurred to me—perhaps that was exactly the condition for the exit being sealed. Retreating despite being fully capable of clearing it. If so, it also explains why I’ve never encountered this situation until now. In a situation like this, I would never have decided to retreat, not even once out of a hundred times. I would have just abandoned that person and continued the game. Yeah, if I was just playing the game.
Boom-!
As I blocked the Sniktura’s tail with my shield, the conversation I’d had with Beleg earlier flashed through my mind. He had said this.
[…I need the Stone of Revival. To live.]
With eyes like a dead fish, as if he had no attachment to life. No, rather it was like he thought dying would be preferable.
‘Maybe.’
A thought suddenly occurred to me. Maybe it would be better for both of us to abandon him here—.
Boom-!
Another strike rattled my shield, snapping me back to my senses.
‘…Enough rationalizing.’
Back then, I thought while looking at him. That I wanted to fix his messed-up way of thinking. That’s why I allowed him to join the clan.
Yeah, so……
“Parav! Use all your remaining divine power on Beleg!”
“But……”
“I’ll manage the front somehow. So you just make sure Beleg survives no matter what.”
Even as I spoke to the members with a confident voice, not even I knew if this was the right choice. If someone gets seriously hurt or dies because of this decision, I’d surely regret it. But that’s a matter for the future.
What I need to do now isn’t to hesitate while thinking about a future that hasn’t even come yet. Once a decision is made, I must believe in it and push forward. Like a stubborn Barbarian warrior should.
“Behell—aaaahhhh!!”
Letting out a battle cry, I fiercely charge forward. Getting this close meant the burden on me would be doubled.
‘That’s even better.’
In other words, it meant there will be that much less of a burden on everyone else.
Baaang-!
Perhaps sensing me as a threat as I got closer, the monster’s movements became much more violent than before.
Swinging its tail. Ramming into me with its massive head. Opening its maw wide as if to swallow me whole.
Tadat-!
I dodged with absolute focus, holding my shield at an angle to deflect the impact as much as possible, but I couldn’t succeed every time.
Baaang-!
When I occasionally took a direct hit, my body would be sent helplessly flying backward, and in those moments, the rest of vanguard would rush in to hold back the monster. But even so, casualties began piling up in those brief moments.
Crunch—
For me, it only resulted in cracked ribs and buckling knees, but the rest of the vanguard members who lacked high poison resistance were in much worse condition. Their flesh melted, their skin darkened to an ashen black, and their faces twisted in pain. But despite all this effort.
[Beleg Shucia di Tersia’s health is now above 1%.]
[The countdown has ended.]
The condition of Beleg, who was collapsed in the rear, shows no signs of improvement. The reason was simple.
[Beleg Shucia di Tersia has been Poisoned (Highest).]
[Health has reached 0%.]
[The countdown has begun.]
Each time his health was restored, it immediately dropped again, making it all for nothing. Of course, despite this, it wasn’t a meaningless effort. At the very least, his life could be prolonged. As long as we continued healing him with divine power, the poison would eventually be neutralized.
‘The question is whether we can hold out until then……’
I examined the rest of the vanguard around me. Judging by appearances alone, they were in far worse shape than Beleg, who was just coughing up black blood.
‘At this rate, everyone’s in danger.’
Even if we managed to save Beleg, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone else died. No, at this rate, it was questionable if we could even successfully complete the raid.
[“It’s not too late to reconsider, citizen of the Empire.”]
As this nagging bastard says, maybe it’s time to think differently. It’s the law of the world that you can’t have everything. In the worst moments, focusing and making a choice is always necessary.
Yeah, so……
‘All or nothing.’
If I’m going to gamble anyway, I might as well bet everything I have.
“Forget the Sniktura! Anyone who’s able to, destroy all the surrounding machines!”
It was time to roll the dice.
***
Unfortunately, Arta, who could only understand Ancient Language, couldn’t comprehend the order I had given. Ah, but it wasn’t a big problem. Communication between intelligent beings doesn’t only happen through words.
Crash-!
Baaang-!
Zzzt, Zzt, Crackle-!
As soon as my clan members heard my orders and began destroying the surrounding machines, only then did Arta let out a panicked voice.
[“What are you doing!”]
[“S-stop! Are you insane?!”]
[“Order your subordinates to stop at once……!”]
I had only one thing to say.
[“You should’ve opened the door when I asked you to.”]
[“Are you saying you’re fine with the world’s destruction?! You selfish citizens of the Empire! It’s not too late—.”]
[“That’s my line. It’s not too late. Open the door, you machine-bastard.”]
Ah, of course, the door didn’t open. He probably judged my actions to be mere threats, thinking I wouldn’t actually go so far as to have everyone die together. Huh, maybe the ancients just not know barbarians very well?
Beep-! Beep-!
Soon the emergency sirens that had stopped when the machines were broken started ringing again.
Hissssss-!
As the power went out, the interior lights turned off, and soon emergency lights began flashing red.
And……
Crackle, spark-!
I’m not sure who touched what, but.
[Mana Core has been damaged.]
[Emergency Stabilization Module disengaging.]
The moment that narration was heard. The wind once again began to howl from the massive hole at the center of the lab.
Shwaaaaaa-!
A whirlwind that intensely swirled with so much force that it seemed as if it would suck in everything around it.
“I-Is this okay?”
“It’s fine, just destroy more machines!”
But I wasn’t satisfied with this and ordered them to destroy even more machines.
Beep-!
At some point, both the voice trying to stop us and the emergency sirens cut off, bringing silence.
And……
[The seal on the Divine Machine has been released. The energy of the earth surges forth.]
The wind stopped sucking in and instead began to blow out forcefully from the hole.
[Field Effect – Earth’s Core is applied.]
[The Source of the Earth bestows all powers.]
[All resources possessed by you are fixed at 100%.]
That’s enough with the brawling phase.
[You have cast Giantization.]
Now it’s time for a full-power battle.