Episode 31 Bloody Citadel (2)
The Corpse Golem’s pattern is simple.
Drops corpse bombs on distant enemies.
And it grabs nearby enemies and eats them.
With those hundreds of arms sprouting out all over its body like tentacles.
“Bjorn!”
I kept my distance as I listened to Einar’s worried cries.
If I get closer, I won’t be targeted by the body bomb…
Then the target will change to where the wizard is.
Kwaaang!
I somehow buy time.
At least until the wizard comes to his senses.
While drawing aggro alone.
Kwaaang!
Whenever a corpse bomb flies in, roll to the side to gain distance, then crouch behind your shield to protect yourself from the acidic fluid.
And after repeating this about three times.
“Iherno Heindar.”
A baptism of fire was fired.
Fortunately, the wizard seems to have come to his senses.
I didn’t bother looking back and just focused all my attention on the corpse golem.
The corpse golem’s entire body was burning and its shell was peeling off, along with the screams of what seemed to be hundreds of people.
The first pattern, which would have required a tug-of-war with the torches fired dozens of times while closing the distance, was finished with one magic attack.
“The corpse golem’s outer shell has been disabled.”
But was the smell of a burning corpse disgusting all over again?
“Ugh… Ugh, Whew!!”
Another vomiting sound is heard from behind.
Please, I wish you would come to your senses now… … .
Okay, that’s fine. We don’t need a wizard anymore.
“Ainar! Okay, now come over to my side!”
I called Einar right away.
Corpse Golem is a level 7 monster, but once its skin is removed, it is not a monster that two Barbarians cannot deal with.
“Goooooooooooo—!!”
The once huge figure has now shrunk noticeably, now measuring only about 3 meters in diameter.
As the piles of corpses that were alive and moving around all melted in the fire, only the remaining skeletons, like iron bars, creaked and moved.
Namely Bone Golem Mode.
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“Kaaaaaaah!”
Because the weight has been reduced, the movements are also much more agile.
He shouted as he blocked the golem’s fiercely swinging arm with his shield.
“Carrier! You help too!”
“I must protect Raven.”
Nimi.
I knew it.
Just wait and see, you’ll be fully rewarded for your hard work.
Phew!
I leapt high and slammed my mace down on the bastard’s torso.
There was a crashing sound, but that was it.
The ribs were so strong that a few pieces of bone were sticking out.
But I guess I can just repeat this.
“Ainar! Aim for the chest!”
“i get it!”
Ainar and I alternated between giving and receiving aggro and attacked the corpse golem’s ribs.
Did he hit me like that forty times?
The ribs, which were as hard as a walnut shell, broke, revealing the nuts inside.
It was the magic core, a common weak point of golems.
Kwajik!
After destroying the core with the mace, the corpse golem stopped functioning and disappeared into light.
“You defeated the Corpse Golem. EXP +3”
The reward is a fist-sized magic stone that is even larger than that of a 7th-grade monster.
“Oh! How many loaves of bread are there—”
Ainar, who had been admiring the size he had seen for the first time, suddenly froze in surprise.
Because the reward didn’t end with just one magic stone.
Phew!
A black halo of light shining softly in the sky.
“Bjorn, is this it?”
I nodded absentmindedly.
The answer came out.
***
Cracks are like treasure troves.
Elite monsters that don’t appear in the general field are like a shower to explorers who have blocked their experience points, and the loot that Guardians spit out goes without saying.
Well, the point is that the drop rate of integers increases exponentially.
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‘Actually, if you look at the probability, it’s strange that the integer has only come out now… … .’
“What should I do?”
Ainar’s question made me gather my thoughts for a moment.
First of all, ownership is ours.
Not only did the two of us almost do it together, but that was the promise from the beginning.
but…….
“… … .”
There were originally two candidates I was aiming for.
‘Deathfiend’ with regenerative power, ‘Chimera Wolf’ with strength.
They were all the essence of level 8 monsters.
But in the midst of all this, a 7th-grade elite monster, the essence of a corpse golem that only appears in the ‘Bloody Citadel’, appeared.
It was a rare essence with a difficulty level that no other candidate could match… … .
It’s too ambiguous to be completely happy.
The penalty is as severe as the special ability.
[Corpse Golem]
Pain tolerance +70 Bone strength +55 Toxin tolerance +12 Strength +15 Perception -5 Appetite +9 Weight +21
First of all, the basic stats are suitable for a tank.
Due to the decline in cognitive ability, your visual acuity and judgment speed will be affected, and your body will become dull overall…
Instead, other stat increases are very high.
‘Bone strength’, which has as much of an effect on defense as physical resistance, is +55, and ‘body weight’, which affects knockback and blunt weapon damage in-game, is +21.
‘Pain tolerance’ would be very useful in reality, and ‘appetite’ is a stat that would definitely help if you also have ‘strength’ and ‘poison tolerance’.
but…….
Special:
(P) Acidic fluids — The blood is acidic.
(A) Flesh Explosion — A powerful burst of a body part.
Skill is the only flaw.
‘Flesh Explosion’ boasted considerable damage, but it cost the character’s HP.
Isn’t it okay if I just don’t use active skills?
In the first place, sealing a single skill is not only a huge loss, but… … .
If you drink this essence, the durability of your equipment will decrease significantly whenever you are injured.
Well, if blood splatters, it will get on your equipment too.
“after…….”
The outrageous potion costs and equipment costs.
Usually, this is fed to an NPC who brings it around for use and disposal.
It was a essence that was like a chain reaction.
It’s a shame to throw it away, but it’s a bit much to feed it to your main character.
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‘Since you’ll have to throw away the essence you eat in the beginning anyway, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take this now… … .’
“Let’s put this on hold for now and treat the dwarf first.”
Even if there is no owner, the essence will remain for 30 minutes, so there is no need to make a hasty decision.
I wonder if I can make a deal with this.
As I made that decision and headed to the rear, I witnessed a scene that was nothing short of chaos.
Did the carrier sprinkle the potion?
The dwarf was rolling around in pain from the potion, and for some reason the wizard was half dead.
“Don’t come any closer.”
The name was… Tarzin.
This shameless escort bastard blocked our path as soon as he saw us, even though he had done nothing.
What the fuck did we do?
“Why are you doing this?”
When asked from a distance, the porter answered.
“You suffered a backlash from casting too much magic.”
It’s a backlash… … .
I think it’s referring to ‘circuit cut’, the status abnormality that sometimes occurs when casting fails.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that he wasn’t simply vomiting up what was inside him; he was literally vomiting blood.
“Whew, waaaaay!”
Is this the price of magic while your stomach is churning because of the smell?
It’s absurd from the viewer’s perspective, but…
In fact, this is a story that could easily happen in [Dungeons and Stone].
Unlike other games where cause and effect are clear, in this game even the smallest ’cause’ that seems insignificant can sometimes be life-threatening.
“Are you going to keep doing this? I think it would be better to move outside for now.”
“…I’ll ask you to take care of the dwarves here.”
After carrying Raven and the dwarf to the dungeon, we waited for a while and the situation improved.
The first one to come to his senses was the dwarf.
“I’m so embarrassed… … . Thank you. If it weren’t for you two, it would have been a big problem.”
“I’m glad you know.”
I didn’t necessarily say anything humble.
Even if you do that, there’s no way you’ll get anything back.
It’s definitely a credit to me, and I plan on using this to try and get my hourly wage increased.
In that case, it would be better to inflate it.
“If it weren’t for Einar, you would already be dead.”
“I know. It’s really embarrassing, but my whole body froze as soon as I saw you. I thought I’d seen all kinds of ugly things up until now… … .”
I feel once again that this place is reality.
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If it was a game, it would have been enough power, but due to the mental factor, they almost died to a mid-boss who wasn’t even a guardian.
“So why is this girl doing this?”
“I heard you’re having a backlash. You’ll feel better soon after drinking the potion.”
After taking the potion, the wizard started screaming instead of vomiting and it took a full ten minutes for him to come to his senses.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble.”
He opened his mouth as if everything was normal, but he no longer had that noble air.
The corners of his mouth and the nape of his neck were covered in vomit and blood, and his once beautiful blond hair was disheveled and dirty.
The robe that had been rolling on the floor was also covered in bruises.
“We took care of the corpse golem.”
“Yes. I know that. I did well to force myself to use magic.”
Is this really the nature of explorer pups?
Rather than saying thank you, he first mentions his own achievements.
If we stay still, the wage increase will go down the drain.
There is a need to get a definitive answer somehow.
“We saved you. I think that’s more than enough for one person. Do you agree, wizard?”
“… I agree.”
Raven nodded, seeming indignant.
It seems that he was quite embarrassed that the two Barbarians whom he had secretly ignored were playing such a big role.
Honestly, it was a really nice feeling, but I think leaving some room for discussion would help in the negotiation.
“Of course your magic was amazing. With such strong flames, you must have gone to great lengths for the sake of the team.”
“That’s true, but… so, what are you trying to say?”
I said it bluntly.
“We will take the crack stone.”
Integrity, number items, and crack stones.
One of three types of loot dropped by Guardians.
When I first asked for this, they gave me a sharp look, saying I was being greedy and that I didn’t think there would be a problem if the two of them weren’t there.
But what about now?
“… … .”
There is only a strange silence.
I didn’t rush it and just waited quietly.
Because the basis of negotiation is waiting.
“I agree. If it weren’t for this Bavarian girl here, I’d be dead.”
I guess kindness is repaid.
The dwarf was the first to express his agreement.
but…….
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“I disagree.”
Raven didn’t give permission easily.
It’s not like there were no concessions at all.
“But if a crack stone comes out, I think we can at least give you an equal chance.”
In simple terms, it means that they will give you a chance to bid.
It’s a bit disappointing, but it’s true that he helped me a lot, so I guess I should be satisfied with this.
Because there isn’t much time.
Then the next agenda is:
“Oh, and Jeongsu came out.”
“Essence? Are you saying that the corpse golem spat out essence?”
“Yes.”
The dwarf and Raven’s mouths fell open, as if they hadn’t expected something with such high difficulty to obtain.
“That’s amazing. It looks like you haven’t even gotten a single essence yet, but you’re getting something like that from the start.”
“I heard that the essence of the Corpse Golem is so rare that even the Explorer’s Guild has not been able to properly understand its abilities.”
Raven kept exclaiming that if it was just about rarity, the essence of the Corpse Golem would be higher than that of the Guardian.
It’s a bonus that his eyes reveal his desire to study.
I kept my feelings hidden as much as possible and brought out the offer I had been waiting for.
“If you wish, you may exchange it for the Guardian’s essence.”
“Yes? But I’m not sure if the Guardian will give me the essence… … .”
Raven trails off with a strange expression on her face.
As you can see, it seems like you like the suggestion to change the integer itself.
“I’ll take responsibility for that.”
“Well then, yes, I like it. If you’re an explorer, then maybe. Actually, I find corpse golems more interesting. I didn’t know this would come out, but… … .”
The negotiations have been concluded.
***
“Miss Raven, I heard that wizards can’t absorb essence, so do you feed it to that carrier?”
“No, the essence itself is worth studying.”
Raven took a test tube from the bag the carrier was carrying.
That’s one of the reasons why wizards are frauds.
They can carry the essence outside without having to absorb it directly into their bodies.
You do need one thing though.
“Oh! Did you bring a test tube? I heard they’re incredibly expensive.”
“… I have only one.”
In fact, even if you put the 6th grade or lower essence in a test tube, you will hardly be able to recover your investment.
But Raven seems to have placed more value on the essence of the Corpse Golem.
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Phew!
As Raven chanted the spell, the essence was sucked into the test tube.
She carefully double-wrapped the box and stuffed it neatly into her backpack.
“Then let’s get out of this terrible place.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that!”
We climbed up the sticky ladder and quickly moved along the water pipe.
The only monsters that appear are Skull Rat and Dead Man.
Although it was full of a strong smell, it was nothing compared to where the corpse golem was.
After moving for about 30 minutes, we reached our destination.
“I’ll go up first.”
Beyond the rusty iron bars that had been torn off with a single kick, there was a staircase, and when we climbed up it, a wide stone chamber appeared.
I took a deep breath of the slightly cleaner air and looked around.
“It doesn’t look like a gargoyle statue. What is that?”
“I don’t feel any magical power, so it’s probably just a sculpture.”
Demon sculptures are placed everywhere, creating an intimidating effect.
And the floor was full of human skulls.
“There was probably a castle right above here. If it hadn’t collapsed, we could have investigated inside… … .”
Raven licked her lips as if she didn’t feel any creepy at all.
“As I heard, it has the typical religious facility pattern. However, the fact that it was hidden underground means that this belief did not fit with the social sentiment of the time. For example, an evil god.”
“Oh, I see.”
The dwarves were taken aback by Raven’s knowledge-boasting explanation. I made a short remark to arouse their vigilance before it got any longer.
“How about we stop talking and relax a little?”
In fact, it was something I said to myself too.
That’s understandable, because the final chapter of the crack, ‘Devil’s Worship Room’, is by no means a place to be taken lightly.
“Bjorn, I have a bad feeling about something.”
Especially for an unlucky kid like me.
