All the members of the group were in the formation that we had devised during our long and arduous meeting. We had placed a few melee warriors with the long-range damage, and we also had an attack team made up exclusively of knights in the rear. This was no ordinary formation, where long-range warriors stayed as far back as possible and those dealing melee damage stayed only at the front. Everyone was positioned in a way that minimized risk and allowed us to react strategically no matter what might happen next.
I, of course, was no exception. He was right in front of the stone door, completely alone.
In other words, I was going to have to contain this monster by myself, with no one else to back me up. Of course, I wasn't complaining. He had agreed that this was the best plan...
Grrr... The beast of legend that emerged from the other side of the stone gates let out a grave growl, and then looked down as if inspecting me.
Well, it was probably a little surprising to see a single man standing beneath her, holding nothing but a shield.
Don't look at me like that.
I couldn't help but tense up a little, perhaps because he was the first rank one monster I faced in the flesh. Still, the more formidable the opponent, the more fighting spirit the barbarians showed: that was our thing.
I grabbed the shield tightly and looked at the beast.
The wolf doubled my height even with active gigantization. Considering it was quadruped, I'd bet its total length was even more than double. In addition to how huge it was, it had red fur and eyes on each of its three tails, as if taken from an ancient myth. A dark red mist also emanated around him giving him an even more supernatural appearance.
But so what?
«That? Is this the first time you've seen a barbarian?»
Like a dog listening to its human, the huge wolf tilted its head a little. This was the best time to start.
«Behel-ahhh!» I let out a battle cry and put all my power behind a Swing.
¡Bum!
Although I hit his snout with all my strength, the wolf didn't even flinch, as if my attack didn't even tickle him. However, it seemed like he had made the right decision by dealing the first blow.
The wolf must have moved, but it was impossible for me to follow it with the naked eye. All I knew was that the next time he blinked, his enormous jaws closed around my shield in an attempt to shatter it with his teeth.
Despite my surprise, I couldn't help but laugh. Any normal shield would have turned into scrap as soon as it had entered the wolf's den, but this shield was different.
This one is indestructible, you bastard.
Not even a rank one monster could break a single-digit unbreakable Numbered Item. The problem here was that he was still losing in terms of strength.
That? This little one...!
A moment later, the wolf picked me up by the shield and turned his head frantically. I was overcome with nausea, but letting go now would be equivalent to accepting my death, so I held on as best I could.
Luckily, the fire of support did not take long to arrive.
[Gahuin Versilus has cast the New World Orb rank one attack spell].
It was a rank one attack spell cast channeling the mana of the dozens of elite mages in the expedition group.
A flash of light later, I opened my eyes and discovered that I was on the ground with nothing on top. I jumped up and turned to see that the wolf had taken a lot of damage.
¡Graah!
It looked like he had been hit in the hind leg, as the fur was cremated and he was visibly limping. I, however, was perfectly fine. Although the spell had shot very close to me, it had not turned me into minced meat like in the Bloody Citadel.
[You are taking damage from an ally you are attached to. The Light of Trust protects you from harm].
Before the battle began, the old man and I prepared a Bonding spell.
This was why Trust was number 12. Not being hit by friendly fire was an incredible advantage in this world.
Since he would have to gather mana again before launching it, the next shot would be in three minutes.
Until then, the rest of us would have to take over. Three minutes was no small amount of time to face a rank one monster.
[Kashan has launched Three Eyes of Beauty.]
Its three tails spread out behind him, and the spiked eyes widened.
¡Fweung! ¡Fweung! ¡Fweung!
Then, like those railguns you see in the movies, rays of light shot towards us.
The left tail deals magic damage and deals a curse to the target, the right deals physical damage and shatters Stamina stats, and the middle tail deals mixed damage and summons symbolic monsters.
I remembered the effects of each tail while blocking the rays as best I could.
[Successful defense. The Aegis Wall has absorbed all the damage.]
[Successful defense. Aegis Wall has absorbed all the damage.]
[Successful defense. The Aegis Wall has absorbed all the damage.]
Normally, this ability chooses targets at random, but since my Threat Level was so high, all the rays were pointed at me.
[You have lost your balance and now you are lying down].
However, even though I successfully blocked them, I ended up tripping over my own feet and my posture broke. A beam of light took the opportunity and crashed into me, although luckily I didn't take too much damage.
[All damage dealt to you increases by 10%].
This was... the resistance crusher tail, right? If this effect accumulated too many times, you would have problems.
That damn Lucky statistic.
I would never have made that kind of rookie mistake under normal circumstances. However, I made sure not to be too hard on myself. In reality, more than a mistake, it was simply the effect of one of his abilities.
Disastrous prophecy put everyone's Luck at -200. If you were inside his aura while fighting the beast, things like this were destined to happen.
The birth.
[Walking bankrupt.]
The attacks I thought I had dodged landed on my body...
[Critical blow. You have received significant damage.]
And an attack that would otherwise have left me a little tingled dislocated my joint.
[Kashan has launched Theft of Life.]
And in the midst of all this, what looked like translucent red threads spread from every person in the library and connected to the wolf. This was the monster's only way to heal itself. Since there were over two hundred people around him, he was recovering from the damage suffered quite quickly, but that was not as big a problem as one might think, since we had taught the soldiers exactly how to handle this.
As it happened, 80% of those dealing melee damage were knights.
«Corten los hilos!»
«¡Aura! ¡Do not send aura!»
The moment the threads appeared, the knights we had placed evenly throughout our formation cut through them to stop the wolf from healing. Threads normally took about six hits to destroy, but were instantly cut by the aura, which ignored 90 percent of all Physical and Mana Resistance.
Very good, we have prevented him from recovering.
Since Life Steal had a cooldown, we had about two minutes until it tried to heal again.
«Charge!»
Following their commander's orders, dozens of knights drew their swords and charged at the wolf.
Maybe it was because we had been fighting side by side for more than a week, but although I was still worried that these people might end up becoming my enemies in the future, I couldn't help the hope I had near my chest.
«¡Nia Rafdonia...!»
I hoped most of them would survive.
***
Slash, stab! Clang!
The aura used by the knights was excellent for dealing damage, and along with the long-range attacks of the chosen members of this expedition group, Kashan's skin fell off in a short time.
This was a strategy that could never be attempted under normal circumstances, not when the Threat Level needed to hold the attention of a rank one monster was exponentially higher than other ranks.
But with the Aegis Wall, as long as my Threat Level is greater than five hundred, all monsters will prioritize attacking me first.
If it weren't for this effect, the knights fighting on the ground with me would have been torn apart by teeth and claws right now.
Still, with the damage they're doing, I guess they could have defeated him even without me here.
Although about a hundred people would have died in the process.
How many soldiers were going to survive thanks to me? I was hoping the commander would notice my contribution...
[Kashan has released Flames of the End].
At this moment, red shadows appeared on the ground. As we prepared for this fight, this was the attack we had identified as the second most dangerous we would have to face.
«Dodge!» the deputy commander shouted, playing his role as support coordinator in this combat.
¡Boom!
A second later, the areas where the shadows had come to life burst into columns of fire. Actually, not even a second: the AOE attack was practically instantaneous.
Raven was in that direction...
As soon as I turned my head to check it, I saw Ainar dragging Raven by the neck in the middle of the crowd of terrified wizards.
Hah... is safe.
Well, to tell the truth, it was too early to be sure of that, since Flames of the End was an ability with additional effects.
«Wizards, form the barrier!»
As the subcommander barked another order, the magicians each did their part to create a protective barrier. Unlike the initial bombardment, subsequent attacks were weak enough that they could be blocked with a wall of mana.
¡Fwoosh!
A huge barrier covered the ground where the pillars burst.
Goteo, goteo, goteo.
The soldiers quickly ran into the barrier just as a rain of fire began to fall. However, unfortunately, there were some who did not manage to get to safety.
«¡N-No…!»
«...¡Alas!»
The screams came from a wizard and an Archer trying to help him get out of the line of fire. The two were quickly swept away by the flames and disappeared in the downpour. A nearby knight who witnessed the death of his allies gritted his teeth and shouted: «Elton Pashire of Squad Two, Quilcan Bertlern of Squad Three-killed in action!».
As the soldier he was, he considered that delivering a situation report was of utmost importance, regardless of the situation.
I should concentrate too.
Truth be told, we had to treat every skill a rank one monster could cast as an instant kill. Even the rays of the Three Eyes of Beauty could kill someone with a single blow.
I needed to do my job correctly to keep everyone alive.
«¡Behel-ahhh!»
I launched Wild Blast to increase my Threat Level again and stood right in the wolf's personal space.
«We're done launching!»
«Melee unit! Back!»
When we received the signal that the spell was ready, the knights around me quickly withdrew from the front.
And then, once again, the rank one spell New World Orb shot out and hit the monster head-on. But this time, it seemed to have dealt a more critical blow.
[Kashan has released Flames of the End].
This time, when he used his AOE attack again...
[Kashan has released Death Sentence.]
He also released a new ability.
This was the skill we had considered the most dangerous when running our battle simulations: Death Sentence. From its name, you might think it's a one-hit killing skill, but in reality it's not. She just behaved like one when Kashan used her.
[The damage dealt by Kashan's next attack will increase significantly relative to his Luck stat].
It was actually a damage booster based on the user's Luck.
For every ten Luck points, Death Sentence increases damage dealt by 200%.
Exactly the kind of power-up you'd expect from a rank one.
However, the real problem was Kashan's basic Luck. After hours and hours of research, he had determined that Kashan's Luck should be around five hundred points.
In other words, 10,000 percent.
Which meant that any attack following the Death Sentence was essentially an instant death.
Even a normal attack from a rank one monster could kill a high-ranking knight in one or two hits. I had increased my Physical Stamina by leaps and bounds, but even my bones would break with one of those blows if I didn't block with my shield. That said, if he managed to make a proper guard with Aegis Wall, he would take no damage.
[Successful defense. Aegis Wall has absorbed all the damage.]
The problem was that it was all a matter of luck.
I sighed. Fortunately, he had been able to block the first Death Sentence successfully. But then I felt my heart pounding and my knees shaking a little, maybe because I knew there was no way to know when the next attack would come.
¡Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!
I forced my legs to stay still and calculated the number of blows I would have to take.
Between three and four.
If we could defeat the wolf quickly, only three. If we were a little slower, four. That was the number of Death Sentences he would need to receive.
Will I be able to block them all?
I smiled thinking about it. It wasn't a question of whether he could or not. If he couldn't block them, he would have to go through them. If they ripped off my legs and arms, if they burst my organs, I would just have to stand and keep fighting.
Then the problem would solve itself.
[Kashan has launched Theft of Life.]
And with that, my first large-scale foray continued. Everyone stayed in their positions and gave their all in their respective roles.
[Kashan has released Flames of the End.]
However, plumes of fire continued to erupt and news of more deaths continued to come. My only consolation was that none of my companions were among the names mentioned.
[Gahuin Versilus has cast the New World Orb rank one attack spell].
We had managed to cast our third spell successfully, this one a shot to the head. But like the rank one monster he was, he didn't hesitate in the slightest and continued shooting at me.
[Successful defense. The Aegis Wall has absorbed all the damage].
Luckily I was able to block the second Death Sentence.
[Kashan has launched Cross Destiny.]
So when his HP dropped below 50%, he pulled out a new ability.
¡Fweung! ¡Fweung! ¡Fweung!
Meanwhile, the rays from their tails continued to shoot at me, and some failed attempts to protect me caused some of their attacks to drop.
The damage I received increased, and the curses against me began to accumulate.
[The Plague Wolves charge towards the most populated area of the battlefield.]
Symbolic monsters also appeared.
And in the midst of all the Chaos, I could barely see a red shadow under my feet just before the Flames of the End burst. With the big wolf charging at me, it was impossible for me to dodge the explosion.
[Your PS have fallen below 20%. All your Stamina and Resilience stats are maxed out thanks to the Passive Path of Heroes skill].
My whole body melted, but not really. My flesh was charred and shed, and it seemed like my organs were cooked, given how difficult it was to breathe.
And since he wasn't dead, that meant he hadn't fallen yet.
Chispas!
While the priests healed me, I raised my shield and limped forward.
[Kashan has released Death Sentence.]
At that critical moment, the third Death Sentence was issued. I felt time slow down around me and my mind's processing power accelerate as Kashan rose. In that split second, my only thought was this:
In my current state... will I be able to survive?
The answer was simple: no. It was as obvious as one plus one equals two. The moment I realized it, my vision turned white.
[Successful defense. The Aegis Wall has absorbed all the damage.]
The wolf's front claw fell suddenly... on my shield.
I managed to stay on my feet and, almost unintentionally, instinctively blocked the attack. I couldn't believe it.
I survived... Had I survived?
I swallowed air through my open mouth. It seemed like I had forgotten to breathe in the last few seconds. The deep gasp burned me, as my lungs had not yet fully healed.
¡Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!
Of course, in the meantime, my stubborn heart continued to race.
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has summoned the Elemental Ruler of Darkness, Dicloe].
Familiar black orbs began to rain down on the wolf. Support came at the perfect time, as all members of the expedition group retreated to take advantage of the opening and end this fighting.
Yes, with this, we will be able to kill this thing before the fourth-
But accidents were called accidents because you could never see them coming.
«¿Eh…?»
The moment I stepped forward, my foot landed on something slippery and slid under me.
[You stumbled.]
When I blinked and the stars disappeared from my sight, now with my back turned, all I could see was one thing. It wasn't the high ceiling of the library, but the jaws of a beast that had been trying to trap me in its jaws all fight.
Crujido, crujido.
In the distance, I recorded the sound of the wolf biting my head, its enormous teeth scraping my skull.
As I listened to him eat me, I had a thought.
I did not expect it.
Although I could feel it all, strangely it didn't hurt.
[Your brain has suffered significant damage.]
[The has desmayado.]
That was the last thing I remembered.
***
[Erwen Fornacci di Tersia has launched Concentrated Fire.]
[You have killed a Kashan. EXP +9]
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Defeat a rank one monster for the first time.]
[Reward: Your Soul Power has permanently increased by +10.]
[The first taxpayer will have the authority to examine the records].
[The First Hidden Log File is revealed before you.]
[You are being healed.]
[You are being healed.]
[You are being healed.]
[You are being healed.]
[You are...]