STGB Episode 461
Proof(1)
The time limit of the berserk pattern is about ten minutes.
If that time passes, Riakis instantly recovers his body, rendering all of the hard work meaningless.
However, 10 minutes was quite reasonable.
At least by the standards of [Dungeon and Stone], which is filled with far more unreasonable situations.
[Purification rate: 3%]
We only need to land one more good hit within those ten minutes.
If we do, there won’t be any additional patterns or phases, the boss battle would end. So I tried not to get too anxious and focused on safely finishing it off.
However…
Zwoong—!
Erwin’s fully charged arrow whizzed through the air, missing its target.
Have both eyes been upgraded or something?
It seemed like Riakis saw the arrow coming and dodged accordingly…
[… …]
Ugh, can’t it just die already?
We don’t have much time left.
[Purification rate: 7%.]
The longer the battle goes on, the more impatient I get.
But maybe it’s not just me feeling that way.
“Erwin! Why would you shoot your arrow there?!”
“If you don’t like it, why don’t you do something about it yourself?!”
“…Bethel—Raaaaaah!!”
Aynar, who habitually blamed our ranged dealer, let out a roar and leapt high into the air. She landed on Riakis’ shoulder and brought her greatsword down on its neck.
Swish-!
Once again, the slash didn’t cut deeply.
Perhaps because of that, Aynar became greedier than usual.
Whoosh—!
Maintaining her balance on Riakis’s shoulder, she pulled out her greatsword and tried another strike.
However, this second attack failed to connect.
“…Urgh!!”
Riakis’s tail, moving like a tentacle, wrapped around Aynar’s waist and lifted her casually into the air.
Fortunately, Amelia, who was nearby, quickly swung her dagger to free Aynar.
“Uh, ugh! …Th-thank you—.”
“Calm down, barbarian. At least during battle.”
“Ugh… Sorry!”
“Apologize properly to that kid later. Aside from Jandel, she’s contributed the most.”
“……Erwin! Sorry for scolding you for missing!”
“…I didn’t really care.”
Amelia scolded Aynar, and Erwin awkwardly accepted Aynar’s apology; it was a rather heart-warming scene.
From a team leader’s perspective, it’s very desirable.
Still, I don’t know why they’re behaving like this during combat.
Especially when we’re running short on time.
“Instead of talking, how about you get in one more hit!”
I shouted with a hint of irritation, and they seemed to snap back to reality, ending their conversation and focusing on the fight.
Kwoong-!
Right on cue, another forepaw swipe comes our way.
Rather than absorbing the impact directly with the shield, I step back to deflect it.
‘It’s still manageable.’
I forcefully calm my growing impatience.
[Purification rate: 9%]
Our current condition isn’t bad at all.
Sure, after over 30 minutes of relentless attacking without rotation, the dealers’ MP is running low.
But that’s about it.
This type of boss’s difficulty drops sharply the moment you can start holding it in place.
[GRRRRROOOOOAAAAAARR—!!]
Seeing that it has started making noise again, it seems the purification rate has reached 10%.
But that’s not particularly important.
Who cares about the purification rate when the Gearfang Clan is approaching.
“Erwin, how much time until your next shot is ready?”
“About 75 seconds!”
Whew, so that’s basically our last chance.
“Uaaaargh!!”
I let out a cry and cling even closer to Riakis.
Normally, for this kind of boss fight, you periodically use [Wild Burst] to maintain the threat level, making sure the aggro doesn’t shift.
Squeak-!
I could block it with my shield and step back, but the dealers couldn’t.
[Purification rate: 15%]
If they get hit squarely by those forelegs, even someone sturdy like Aynar won’t last more than a few hits.
That’s how lethal a floor lord’s basic attacks are.
Why else would I have decided to just pull aggro and run during Phase 3?
“Mister!”
Huh? Has her arrow finished charging already?
It hasn’t even been 62 seconds.
“They’re here!”
Although the shout was short and missing a subject, I understood immediately what it meant.
‘Shit.’
It’s been less than three minutes since I first sensed them.
How fast did they sprint over here?
As I scanned my surroundings, fending off Riakis’s attacks, Erwin gave me the information I needed.
“To the right!”
I shifted my gaze to the right and saw a group of dozens of people in the distance, growing in size in real time.
So…
Boom—!
I toss my shield and hammer to the ground.
“…?”
Amelia, who met my eyes, flinched. Then, seeing me run toward her with my hands out, she widened her eyes.
Yeah, you don’t see something like this every day.
Tap tap.
Pushing off the ground, I leap and sling an arm around the giant monster’s neck, as if about to tackle it.
And then…
“Bethel—RAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Using the momentum of the run, I rotate onto the monster’s back.
Clench.
With all my might, I tighten my arms around the monster’s neck.
Its name will be…
“Bethel—raaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Giant Barbarian Choke.
In some ways, it was similar to the time I wrestled with a troll on the fourth floor, but there were two differences now.
The first was that both the wrestler and the victim were several times larger.
And the second…
‘What strength…’
It wasn’t a perfect hold like last time.
“[Grooooooooo——!!]”
As I tightened my grip, my legs that were binding the front paws easily broke free. After all, similar size doesn’t mean similar strength.
“Bjorn!!”
Then the monster stood up on its back legs and grabbed my arms, which were strangling its neck.
’72 seconds.’
A struggle between the one trying to hold on and the monster trying to break free.
’73 seconds.’
Despite my best efforts, it was in vain.
Crack.
The wrist part of my already half-destroyed Litinium armor crumpled like a can, and my arms that were strangling the monster’s neck went limp.
’74 seconds.’
But, what could I do about it?
“You’re too late, bastard!”
75 seconds.
Finally, Erwin’s charging is done.
And with the monster beautifully unguarded trying to get me off…
’76 seconds…’
What’s going on? Why isn’t she shooting?
Feeling puzzled, I look forward to see Erwin frozen with the bow drawn.
Phew, so she hasn’t miscalculated the timing.
“Fire—!!!”
The moment I roar out the command, there’s a flash of brilliant light.
Zwoong—!
From this angle, that’s what it looks like.
It really is like thunder splitting the sky—
KABBOOOOOOOOOOM—!!
A powerful explosion enough to momentarily knock out my consciousness followed, and when I regained my senses, I found myself rolling on the bare ground.
Beeeeeeeeeeep—!
My ears are ringing.
But my hearing doesn’t matter right now.
[Chaos Lord Riakis has cast corrupted heart]
I scramble to my feet and look toward the monster.
[—, ———————!!!]
Its entire body stained black, it let out some sort of anguished cry, but I can’t hear a thing.
[The corrupted power begins to run wild once again]
Its body inflates and deflates in blotches of red, like an unstable balloon pressed under a fist.
Aynar and Amelia keep their distance, weapons drawn as if on guard.
Well, it’s all over now, no need for that.
[The Ancient Pilgrim rejects the corrupted power]
Like an unstable substance, the monster’s body exploded outward.
Then…
Flash-!
Then…
Flash-!
As if a nuclear bomb had exploded right in front of me, a fierce flash bursts forth. Although the color was dark red, the brilliance was still blinding.
[The Ancient Pilgrim is extinguished]
As the light subsided, my vision slowly returned.
Everything changes at once.
“———, ———!!”
The labyrinth is no longer dyed red.
Also…
[You have defeated the Chaos Lord, Riaxis. EXP +100]
[Floor Lord Kill Bonus. EXP +15]
In the place where the monster once stood, there are only countless fragments of light particles scattering in the air.
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Defeat your first Floor Lord]
[Reward: Your Soul Power permanently increases by +50]
This truly marks the end of the hunt.
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Defeat Chaos Lord Riakis]
[Reward: ???]
I felt a wave of emotion.
Though I only landed the final blow, years ago I couldn’t even stand against this monstrous creature and had to flee.
However, there was no time to dwell on feelings.
The end of the raid meant it was time to gather the rewards.
Swooosh.
In the swirling light, fluttering like cherry blossoms in spring, I look around to see what’s left.
What would it drop?
Thump!
My heart begins to beat like crazy.
A Floor Lord provides three rewards:
- A Floor artifact, which is a higher-tier version of a Numbers item.
- A Floor Stone, which can open that floor’s rift one time.
- And…
Please, let it be an Essence… an Essence… an Essence… an Essence…!!
A Floor Essence, which in some ways is even more important than a Level-1 Essence.
Sure, a Floor artifact is nice, but I want an Essence!!
After waiting for a while with my heart in prayer, the brilliance of the light swarm softened, and the thing I had been waiting for finally appeared.
[No.9999 Beginner’s Luck has activated]
…It’s an Essence.
Neither a Floor artifact nor a Floor stone had dropped.
“Bjorn—, —ssence is ——!!!!”
“——!”
An essence had dropped.
The problem is…
…Look at their faces.
The faces of the Gearflang Clan members, now close enough to see their expressions, grew desperate.
“———!! ———!!!”
They even seemed to be shouting something urgently at me.
Regrettably, I really couldn’t hear them.
Well, what now?
No need to waste precious time pondering.
As soon as I identified the essence, I moved my legs.
“Erwin!”
“—, —”
Erwin replied, but my hearing hadn’t fully recovered yet, so I couldn’t understand.
Therefore…
“Are, —, am I supposed to— ————? Rather than, ah——, —!!”
After grabbing Erwin’s slender waist with both hands…
“Explanation later.”
I threw Erwin straight up.
“…Ack!”
I vaguely hear a strange noise when my hearing starts to come back, but I don’t pay much attention to it.
After all, I’ve done this before.
Kind of nostalgic…
I did the same thing when I fed her the goblin essence.
「The essence of Chaos deeply permeates the soul of Erwin Fornacci di Tercia.」
“Uh, uh, uh…”
The first words from Erwin, who had absorbed the essence of Chaos, were these.
“Why, why did you give this to me… Y-you really should’ve taken it, Mister—”
So that’s what she was trying to say earlier.
I appreciate her concern, but there’s no need for her to feel so burdened.
“I planned on giving you this Essence eventually anyway.”
More precisely, ever since I found out she’d contracted with all four Elemental Spirits. The true value of this essence would be revealed from that point.
Though I didn’t expect to give it to her so soon.
“B-but this is a F-Floor Lord’s Essence…”
“Why, are you going to leave me right after you take the Essence, like when you got that Goblin Essence?” I asked her
“No! Absolutely not! I’d never do that!”
Alright. That settles that.
A Barbarian doesn’t really pair well with a Chaos Essence anyway. Sure, it’s extremely valuable, and it’s far better than eating some random Level-3 Core Essence…
But a Floor Lord’s Essence is limited to one per character.
And you can’t have it removed at a temple later on.
The Floor Lord Essence I’m going to consume is higher up,anyway.
Right, so…
“Jandel.”
Time to focus on the present.
Because they’ve just arrived.
“Baron Jandel, what is the meaning of this!”
The dagger boy shouted as soon as he arrived.
“I told you to stop, didn’t I?!”
Wow, he’s not even bothering with proper courtesy anymore?
“Oh, that. I didn’t hear you.”
“That’s ridiculous—!”
“Even if I had heard you, I wouldn’t have stopped.”
I cut him off decisively, and he fell silent, glowering at me.
Amelia quietly called my name.
“Jandel.”
“I know.”
Before I realize it, the Gearflang Clan members have surrounded us in a perimeter.
They look like they’ve done this more than a few times, a well-practiced maneuver.
The dagger boy didn’t even have to issue any commands, so it must be routine for them.
Still, I show no sign of backing down.
“Vice Captain of the Gearfang Clan, Malrid Kevron.”
“…Speak.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing right now?”
He meets my eyes boldly and answers,
“What we’re doing? We’re simply asking you, Baron, why you ‘stole’ Riakis when we were already in the middle of a raid.”
“…”
“As Baron Jandel, a former explorer, you must know—no mercy is shown to pillagers in the dungeon.”dagger boy added
Sigh. I thought once the essence is consumed, they’d have no choice but to back off.
“Even if it doesn’t profit us much.”
They’re seriously pissed off, aren’t they?