"Ruler, activate!"
"Heart of a Saint, activate!"
"Holy Maiden, activate!"
In an instant, the blessings of weakening, damage reduction, and amplification all surged to life—three overlapping effects wrapping around Jeanne and the orc at once.
Buffs and debuffs collided. The moment their forces balanced, Jeanne's suppressed strength exploded.
Her flag spear struck with a burst of force, knocking the massive club clean out of its path.
A metallic ring echoed.
Then came a flash of motion—too fast for the naked eye.
A series of sharp, wet impacts followed.
"Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!"
Blood sprayed across the cavern floor. In the blink of an eye, several deep, bone-revealing holes were carved into the orc's thick hide.
Jeanne took a half-step back, eyes narrowing as she examined her work.
"Such tenacity… even after that, it's still standing." She tightened her grip on the spear, body coiling for another exchange. "Its defense is absurd. Breaking through completely will take a lot of stamina."
"At least it's slow," she muttered under her breath. "Its size limits its movement, and it swings that weapon like a caveman. I'll take it."
Her violet eyes flashed sharply as she lunged forward once more.
The orc bellowed, pain only fueling its rage. Its red eyes burned brighter, and the air vibrated with its roar.
"ROAR!"
The club came crashing down again and again, each strike loaded with brutal, unrestrained power.
The orc had no concept of technique—only raw strength, pure and overwhelming.
Jeanne's focus never wavered. Her flag spear blurred into a defensive web, intercepting every strike that could have crushed her. Each parry sent shockwaves up her arms, but she refused to step back.
Because Lucas was right behind her.
But of course, things rarely went smoothly. The Dungeon wasn't about to waste a golden opportunity to crush a pair of rookies.
"Revelation, activate!"
A sudden rush of dread hit Jeanne like lightning. Her eyes widened, scanning the edges of the fog.
Shapes began to move.
Several more orcs emerged from the haze, their grotesque grins glistening with saliva as they closed in on their prey.
"Wonderful."
Jeanne's calm mutter carried a hint of irritation. She spun her spear in a dazzling arc, meeting the first strike head-on. The chamber filled with the deafening clang of metal and the rumble of force on force.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Haah!"
Skill, faith, and relentless training merged into one. Even surrounded by four massive monsters with far greater physical stats, Jeanne didn't falter. Her experience and composure held the line, buying precious time—and even allowing her to glance back to check on Lucas's situation.
The Holy Maiden's title had never been more deserved.
Behind her, however, Lucas's battle could only be described as a desperate struggle.
"Demon Lord's Crest, activate!"
"Heart of a Scholar, activate!"
"Magic Guard, Magic Blessing, activate!"
A storm of buffs enveloped him—doubled Magic and Endurance, twin layers of damage reduction, and enhanced spell precision thanks to his equipment boost.
All that, and still, he was barely hanging on.
"Goddammit! What kind of garbage damage is this?!"
Lucas ducked and rolled away from another monstrous swing, grimacing as he narrowly avoided a crushing blow. His staff flicked up defensively, deflecting debris as he cursed his own weak magic under his breath.
There were too many things to complain about, he didn't even know where to start.
Thankfully, the orcs' sheer size came with its own drawbacks. Their bulky bodies and short coordination meant their attacks were slow—predictable, even. It gave Lucas openings to slip through their legs or roll past their swings.
"Clang! Clang! Clang—!"
As the fight dragged on, Lucas forced himself to calm down and observe.
Big frame, unbalanced weight, limited coordination. Their mass worked against them.
If he could dodge one strike, there'd be a moment of imbalance right after—his chance to create distance.
Gritting his teeth, Lucas raised his staff to block another blow. Each impact numbed his arms, the shock vibrating all the way to his shoulders.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Metallic echoes filled the air. Slowly, painfully, he started to adjust. Between each heavy swing, he began to find narrow windows to counterattack—brief bursts of magic, quick and precise.
Thanks only to his overpowered buffs and freakishly boosted Endurance, he managed to stay alive under the orc's relentless assault.
Then, suddenly, the monster grinned.
A bad sign.
Lucas froze for a split second as the orc suddenly sped up—its swing cutting through the air faster than before.
"What?"
His mind barely registered the motion before his scalp prickled in alarm.
"Shit!"
The world blurred.
A crushing blow slammed into him before he could finish dodging.
"Ugh!"
He threw up one arm on instinct, saving his face just in time. The impact still sent him flying, his body spinning through the air before slamming into the ground. He bounced, rolled, and skidded to a stop in a heap.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
"Ah—ah, damn it, damn it!!"
"Lucas!" Jeanne's alarmed voice reached him through the chaos.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, propping himself up with one hand.
"Ugh…"
Before he could even breathe, the ground shook again.
A shadow fell over him. The club came down like a meteor.
"Boom!"
He rolled instinctively, dirt and stone exploding beside him as the weapon smashed into the floor.
Scrambling to one knee, Lucas raised his staff, muttering through clenched teeth.
"Scorch!"
A jet of flame erupted, blasting the orc right in the face.
"Crackle!"
Fire spread across its head, sizzling flesh and burning hair. The smell was awful.
The creature bellowed, clutching its face and stumbling back.
"Yeah, that's right, burn!"
Lucas's eyes burned with stubborn rage.
He clenched his teeth and drew on every last drop of mana, his vision flickering with blue light as he began chanting again, faster this time.
"Scorch! Scorch! Scorch! Scorch! Scorch! Scorch! Scorch! Scorch!"
The orc froze—then the entire area exploded.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The Dungeon lit up with blinding flashes as explosions tore through the fog.
Each hit landed perfectly, the flames roaring higher, forcing the monster to backpedal in agony. Its club clattered to the ground as it fell, rolling wildly to put out the fire.
The repeated spellcasting drained Lucas's body fast. His head throbbed like a spike was being driven into his skull, and his vision doubled.
He gripped his staff tight just to stay standing.
"Ugh…"
His eyes moved toward Jeanne's side of the battlefield, where she was still fending off four orcs at once.
The one at his feet was already half-dead. He didn't even spare it another glance.
"Goddammit… all this effort, and Scorch still hits like a wet noodle. Took everything I had just to kill one of these things, and it's only worth one experience point?"
The imbalance between effort and reward was insulting. It just wasn't worth it.
If he broke his gear or got injured here, the repair and treatment costs would eat him alive.
As his mind raced, one thought rose above the rest.
Screw this.
"Jeanne, we're pulling out."
"What?" Jeanne's startled voice cut through the battle.