Now, there was certainly a reason for choosing two other members besides Karl to tackle the Deathbone Chariot. Both were capable of launching effective attacks against the undead.
“Come on, charge! And then, self-destruct!”
Seventh Armor, who had received a certain item on the heavenly spirit island, had finally evolved into a White Crow Tengu three days ago. The conditions for this evolution seemed difficult, but somehow he managed to achieve it.
The requirements were “to have a total level of magic-related skills above 50 and to level up at least one weapon-related skill to over 20”. It might seem simple for a mage to have prepared a close-combat skill for defense in case an opponent gets too close, and Seventh Armor had indeed learned [Martial Arts] in anticipation of this. However, the issue lay in the fact that the requirement was for a “weapon-related” skill, not a “martial arts-related” skill.
For him who was originally a crow avatar wielding a weapon was extremely difficult. He could hold and swing them with his feet, but controlling his posture in the air became difficult and often resulted in crashes with every swing. After steadily practicing [Sword Mastery] against the weak monsters I had summoned, he finally met the conditions.
Although he could no longer use tactics that took advantage of his small size, the humanoid form allowed him to use tools and weapons. His wings remained on his back and that reduced his agility on land, but he retained his ability to fly.
His equipment, by the way, consisted of mountain ascetic-style armor, a staff concealed in a walking stick, and a fan made of his own feathers; they were all made by Iris. When asked if the staff was necessary, he replied earnestly, “What kind of Tengu would I be without my walking stick?” This seemed to be the case on the heavenly spirit island as well, but could this be just a stereotype…?
“The [Evil Eye of Purification] shines brightly.”
On the other hand, Mikelo emitted several beams of white light from one of his eyes, which contained several pupils. These converging beams pierced through the soldiers on board. The [Evil Eye of Purification] wasn’t just any magical eye that emitted beams of light with the light element…. It seemed to be a non-element magic attack that was especially effective against the undead and demons.
The most eerie eyes emitting such beautiful light was a strange sight. Moreover, in terms of sheer malevolence, Mikelo seemed far more sinister than any undead or demon… But he was powerful, so perhaps it was okay.
“Karl, attack the Deathbone Chariot from behind. I’ll aim for the horses.”
“Guuoo!”
Karl and I split up in the air and positioned ourselves around our respective prey. This was necessary to prevent them from roaming freely across the battlefield. Besides, the ghost warhorses who were weak against magic were of course very compatible with me.
I unleashed magical attacks from the front, while Karl attacked from behind with physical attacks. Above, Seventh Armor’s summoned beasts and Mikelo’s magical eyes rained down, leaving the undead on board of the chariot barely clinging to life. It seemed possible that we could completely overwhelm the Deathbone Chariot. That’s what I thought optimistically.
Clang!
“Behyiiiin!”
“Brrrrrrrrrr!”
Then, with a metallic sound as if something had come loose, the couplings that connected the Deathbone Chariot to the ghost warhorses suddenly snapped. The two wild ghost warhorses became free and ran off in a different direction, and the Deathbone Chariot made a sharp turn on the spot. As if it were capable of a pinpoint turn.
What I had overlooked was the fact that the Deathbone Chariot wasn’t just a carriage but a creature in its own right. I hadn’t considered that it could move on its own, even without the horses to pull it. And the wheels could move independently? Were they not connected by an axle? What kind of structure was this?
However, there was no time to be stunned. If powerful undead joined the fray against Iris and the others, the vanguard may not be able to support them and a melee fight may ensue. This would inevitably lead to the decimation of our rearguard, and the surrounded vanguard would face defeat. I won’t let that happen!
“Seventh Armor, Mikelo, chase down those ghost warhorses and finish them off! Karl and I will handle things here!”
“Leave it to me!”
“Understood.”
Seventh Armor and Mikelo were now faster than Karl and I. This was also because Seventh Armor’s body had grown and his horsepower had increased. The ability to transport Mikelo, who could float but not accelerate, broadened our tactical possibilities.
After sending the two off, Karl and I immediately launched an attack on the Deathbone Chariot. I attacked with my magic as a distraction, allowing Karl to strike with his tail in our usual, well-practiced maneuver.
Thanks to the onslaught from Seventh Armor and Mikelo, the undead riding the Deathbone Chariot were already in tatters. It was unlikely they could withstand a hit from Karl’s tail.
“Grrr…!”
“It transformed?!”
But the Deathbone Chariot, still alive and strong, was different. It gathered the bone spikes protruding from its body into a wall, effectively blocking Karl’s tail. It probably used its [Bone Manipulation] skill to do this and expanded its bones on the spot. Compared to it, wasn’t I a bit pitiful to be trying to increase my bones through trial and error before evolution!
But these concerns were trivial at this moment. The fact that Karl’s powerful tail could not cut through was proof of the chariot’s high defensive capabilities. Its [Super Defense Enhancement] skill was not for show. What a troublesome enemy!
“Gu-Guooo?”
“Karl! Dispel!”
Furthermore, its power wasn’t limited to merely extending bones. Right after Karl’s tail was blocked, an icon indicating “Reduced Strength” appeared on his marker. I immediately dispelled the curse, but this meant that our opponent was capable of using [Curse].
Although [Curse] wasn’t identified during my [Appraisal] at the beginning, a skill called [Cursed Bone] was present. It likely had the effect of inflicting curses on those who came into contact with the bones. With high defense and the ability to curse those who physically attacked it, it seemed to be a fortress of defense.
“Avoiding physical attacks would be ideal, but without someone to restrain it, its mobility remains unchecked…. Karl, I know it’s tough, but can I count on you?”
“Grrrru!”
As if to say that it was only natural, Karl charged again. Flapping his four wings, he closed the distance and without hesitation, clawed at the enemy with his front paws. Even though he didn’t suffer from any status ailments this time, his attack was still blocked by the bone barrier.
It was inevitable that his less powerful front claws would not be able to penetrate the defense, especially after the dispel had removed any previous enhancements. It was time for me to step up.
“Star Magic Circle, Spell Adjustment, Holy Ray.”
First, I set out to eliminate the undead soldiers remaining on the platform. Five rays of light burned the Deathbone Chariot along with the soldiers and it undoubtedly inflicted damage. However, it seemed to possess a vast amount of health, and the damage dealt was less than anticipated.
Nevertheless, I succeeded in my first goal of putting an end to the soldiers. There were spearmen and archers on board that were strong enough to damage Karl’s scales, but thanks to Seventh Armor and Mikelo chipping away at them earlier, they shattered on the loading platform. We couldn’t gather items from them anymore, but that was the least of my worries at the moment.
“Dispel. This looks like it’s going to be a long battle.”
I muttered to myself while removing the curse cast on Karl. Far from defeating them and regrouping, it seemed we might only be able to whittle away at the enemy until Jigoro and the others finished their battle. I felt frustrated at only being able to buy time, but I had to do what I could!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Seventh Armor and Mikelo, who had chased after the ghost warhorses, decided to split up and take down one each when the horses darted off in different directions. Seventh Armor skillfully alternated between [Holy Magic] and [Sword Mastery] and also used three-dimensional movements to toy with it.
Whenever he waved his fan, magic was unleashed, and from his concealed staff, a crisp and tinkling sound emerged. His own feathers being white added to the illusionary aura he exuded in battle.
“Gahaha! It really makes a difference having a weapon!”
However, his speech and choice of words were far from elegant. He fought in high spirits throughout. He didn’t think that adding limbs to his aerial combat experience would make fighting so much easier.
“Working with the crows is also a breeze… Ah, it’s about time to refresh the talismans.”
Seventh Armor then attached a talisman that was supplied to him by Isam to his concealed staff. As he did so, the weapon began to wrap itself in a white glow.
The effect of the talisman was to imbue weapons with the light element. Even though Seventh Armor couldn’t use [Enchantment] himself, these talismans allowed him to launch attacks with additional elements. Not only Seventh Armor, but also the vanguard fighters had talismans for all kinds of elements, and this was one of them.
“With this, even those transparent ghosts can be slashed. Maybe I should learn [Enchantment] too, eh?”
Using summoned beasts as shields while delivering piercing attacks was Seventh Armor’s style, but he anticipated that in the future, he would also blend in with the summoned beasts to launch direct attacks more frequently. Therefore, learning techniques to improve his melee attack power seemed to make sense. In fact, Usaji fought elegantly as if she was dancing while using both curses and enchantments. Seventh Armor knew he couldn’t replicate that exactly, but he wanted to take inspiration from it.
“Brrrrrrrrrrrr!”
“Whoa!”
Lost in thought, Seventh Armor was startled when the Ghost Warhorse, began to neigh wildly and thrash about. Then, to his surprise, the crows he had summoned twitched as if shocked and started to drop from the sky one by one.
This was the effect of a skill called [Wailing Cry], which caused fear-induced status ailments through its screaming. The reason Seventh Armor’s summoned beasts fell was due to their bodies stiffening with terror.
“What’s going on? Well, no matter. Let’s go for self-destruct.”
“Neighhh?!”
However, it was the summoned beasts that received his command. If they were immobilized, causing them to self-destruct was an easy solution. Suddenly, the surrounding area was aflame with the white crows transforming into light-element bombs, drastically reducing the Ghost Warhorse’s vitality in an instant.
Moreover, Seventh Armor was not afflicted by any status ailments. This was not due to luck, but because everyone had equipped the “Black Light Amulet” crafted in the “Black Death Ice Forest” with undead battle in mind. The Ghost Warhorse, whose level did not reach 70, was unable to inflict any status ailments.
“Let’s summon them again… Alright, round two, here we go!”
The Ghost Warhorse was forced into a hopeless battle against Seventh Armor, who has summoned the white crows again, while the other Ghost Warhorse has already been defeated.
“I knew that [Healing Magic] was effective, but I never imagined that even the [Healing Evil Eye] would work against the undead.”
Mikelo had three methods to destroy the undead at his disposal: [Holy Magic], [Healing Magic], and [Evil Eye of Purification]. Upon testing the [Healing Evil Eye], it proved to be just as effective as [Healing Magic].
Having swiftly dispatched the Ghost Warhorse using four different attack methods, Mikelo pondered whether to assist Isam or Jigoro and the others. However, the decision was quickly made.
“It’s inconceivable for Isam-sama to lose. Let’s head towards those who are currently struggling.”
Despite the fact that Isam himself was engaged in a fierce battle, Mikelo, who could be considered his devoted follower, made this decision. From his perspective, the idea of Isam facing defeat was completely impossible
Long ago, Mikelo had encountered bullies who targeted newbies. During that incident, Isam, who happened to be passing by, instantly dispatched the attackers with [Dark Magic]. To Mikelo, who had been saved, Isam appeared to be nothing short of an omnipotent being.
Of course, Mikelo understood that it was nearly impossible for Isam, a single player, to truly reign supreme as an absolute ruler. Even so, the image he had of him remained vivid and became the driving force to desperately search for him.
“I long to see Isam-sama who will reign supreme someday.”
While harboring ambitions that Isam himself would surely beg not to hear, Mikelo made his way to Jigoro and the others. And he devoted himself to his healing duties as the priest of the guild.
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