* Rei’s speed die: 1d6=1, Valerie’s speed dice: 4d6=12, Ursus’s speed die: 1d6=3 *
* Valerie acts first. *
There is only one enemy, but it is large.
The creature’s massive body swells even larger at the sight of fresh prey.
In the first layer’s fixed biome for every run, the “Forest,” perhaps out of consideration for difficulty, the monsters that appear are animal-type creatures that have been eroded and warped the least—in other words, they are almost identical to their original forms.
For the most part, their mutations remain relatively ordinary, such as becoming more ferocious, more aggressive, and more brutal.
However, if a beast that was already an apex predator is influenced by the labyrinth, then it does not stop at a level one could simply describe as a “basic mutation.”
Anyone would probably agree if they were watching the giant bear before us exhale its hot breath.
* [Swift] One power die has been added to Valerie. *
* Valerie’s [Breakthrough]: 4d6=14 > 2d6=6: Ursus’s defense *
* 8 of Ursus’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 32. *
* Valerie advanced to the front line. *
“Tch.”
Valerie clicked her tongue, having dealt less damage than expected due to the creature’s tough hide.
The bear monster, “Ursus,” effectively serves as something like the mid-boss of the Forest biome.
It always appears as a single entity and is not particularly fast, but in exchange, it possesses powerful durability and damage.
The number of life tokens floating above its head is 40, a figure four times that of a Hound all by itself.
On top of that, unlike evasion dice, it even has two defense dice that reliably reduce damage.
It is disgustingly sturdy, and in the early stages, when we lack the power to pierce through two defense dice, there is no enemy as troublesome as that thing.
A bad matchup.
* Ursus acts. *
* Ursus’s [Forepaw Swipe]: 3d6=7 1d6=3: Ursus’s defense *
* 3 of Ursus’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 29. *
* Judgment die 1d20=11 > 8+ *
* Ursus has been afflicted with Bleed 2 (4 times). *
* [Knights’ Swordsmanship] Ursus has been afflicted with Rupture 1 (2 times). *
Seizing an opening, Rei closed in to point-blank range, grabbed the blade of his longsword with his gauntlet, and drove it into the creature’s body as if to pin it there.
Then, he swiftly drew it across.
At that, part of the creature’s glossy hide must have torn, because blood began to burst out.
With it spilling blood like that, even if it blocked attacks, damage would surely continue to accumulate.
Reflecting that, the “Bleed” status ailment removes life tokens equal to its value every time the target is attacked, “unaffected by defensive dice.”
In addition, the Aurantius Guild mercenary—in other words, the racial keyword of the “Omo (humankind),” “Cruelty,” has the effect of increasing the number of times ongoing damage keywords, including Bleed, occur.
* Rei’s speed die: 1d6=6, Valerie’s speed dice: 4d6=17, Ursus’s speed die: 1d6=3 *
* Valerie acts first. *
* [Swift] One power die has been added to Valerie. *
* Valerie’s [Technique]: 5d6=16 > 2d6=7(-1-1)=5: Ursus’s defense *
* 11 of Ursus’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 21. *
* Ursus lost 2 life tokens due to Bleed 2 (4 times). Remaining life tokens: 19. *
Should I say she was his partner after all? Valerie did not miss the spot where Rei had torn the hide, however narrowly.
Closing the distance in an instant with movements like a snake, Valerie drove the dagger she held in a reverse grip between the creature’s torn hide.
At that, for the first time, the creature finally let out a sound filled with pain.
It meant that this time, meaningful damage had gone in.
Immediately after, Rei, seizing the opportunity, raised his sword.
* Rei acts. *
* Rei’s [Mort]: 2d20=6 2d6=7: Valerie’s evasion *
* 12 of Valerie’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 1. *
* Valerie’s desire increased by 2d10=12. Current desire: 23/100. *
As if joy and sorrow had crossed paths, Valerie, unable to dodge this time, was sent flying.
“Guhk, cough!”
The deep coughing sounded as though it carried the stench of blood.
Fortunately, her life tokens did not fall to 0—in other words, she avoided being driven to the brink of death—but our party currently has extremely limited means of recovering damage.
This is very bad.
I could feel anxiety beginning to creep in, but now was the time for a cool-headed judgment.
* Rei’s speed die: 1d6=3, Valerie’s speed dice: 4d20=7, Ursus’s speed die: 1d6=3. Reroll results for tied dice: 1d6=6, 1d6=1, so Rei acts faster. *
* Valerie acts first. *
* [Swift] One power die has been added to Valerie. *
* Valerie’s [Breakthrough]: 4d6=12 > 2d6=10(-1-1)=8: Ursus’s defense *
* 4 of Ursus’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 13. *
* Ursus lost 2 life tokens due to Bleed 2 (2 times). Remaining life tokens: 11. *
Once again, Valerie rushed in instantly and aimed for the creature’s weak point.
But this time, it was a little shallow. Perhaps instinctively realizing it had not gone in as effectively as before, Valerie frowned.
Even in the time that seemed to flow as slowly as a snail, I could tell her lips twisted into the shape of a curse.
* Rei acts. *
* Rei’s [Unter]: 2d6=5 2d6=9: Ursus’s defense *
* 6 of Ursus’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 5. *
* Ursus acts. *
* Ursus’s [Forepaw Swipe]: 3d20=13 > 2d20=4: Rei’s defense *
* 9 of Rei’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 26. *
* Rei’s desire increased by 2d10=6. Current desire: 14/100. *
* Rei acts. *
* Rei’s [Mort]: 2d6=6 2d6=7: Ursus’s defense *
* 8 of Ursus’s life tokens removed. Remaining life tokens: 0. *
* Ursus has died. *
* Valerie’s desire was relieved by 1d10=5. Current desire: 18/100. *
The woman who flew in like a fired bullet spun as if dancing.
The light of the embers flashed, reflected on the blade.
Even the thick hide meant for an apex predator lost its meaning in that moment, and it could do nothing to stop Valerie’s dagger, swung in a movement that was almost beautiful, from cutting its throat.
Its artery must have been severed cleanly, because the creature struggled with its head dangling, letting out choking roars.
But that was closer to a desperate thrashing than an attack.
Perhaps this was what the expression “to cut off one’s breath” was made for; soon, the creature’s body went limp.
It had drowned in its own blood.
Only then did I hurriedly run over to Valerie.
“A-are you all right? There’s blood…”
Perhaps exhausted, Valerie flopped onto her back right there.
Then, turning only her head to the side, she spat out a handful of blood.
And then she said to me, who was flustered, in a chic tone,
“As expected, I heard your voice. I’m sure this time.”
“Uh, what?”
“Seems that way.”
Even Rei, who had returned after making sure Ursus was dead, nodded as if agreeing with her words.
By that point, I could clearly understand what she was talking about.
“Is it some kind of ability? That… of the ‘Emberkeeper’?”
Valerie added it in a tone as if she were speaking some foreign word.
“Emberkeeper.” It was still a somewhat awkward word to me, and it seemed the people of this world felt similarly.
“Yes, I don’t know exactly either… but I think that’s probably it.”
When I answered honestly, Rei explained in more detail.
“You mean the voice that rings in your head right before you do something in a combat situation, right?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to notice if you aren’t paying attention… but right before I killed that thing, I definitely heard it. I’m not sure what it said, but the moment I heard it, I felt like I had to move that way.”
It seems that the instructions I give the two of them through the interface are applied in that manner.
I am still not sure whether I should call this the ability of the Emberkeeper, or the ability of the “possessor.”
“Huh? Huh?”
At that moment, Valerie, who had spat roughly and was trying to get up, suddenly made a strange sound and collapsed.
What now? Somehow, I feel like I’ve seen scenes like this several times already in that short span.
I hurriedly supported her, while at the same time bringing her interface into my field of vision.
[Valerie McBain]
Life Tokens 1/20, Desire 18/100
“No, for a second, I felt… kind of strange.”
Valerie, tilting her head as if she herself was confused, soon turned bright red and quietly pushed me away.
“Ah, I don’t need support.”
It would be difficult to call this simple embarrassment toward the opposite sex, since this was a woman whose sense of distance had been vague from our very first meeting.
There was no way she would be embarrassed now over being supported, so with a very high probability, this was the influence of the labyrinth.
As I looked at her with a rather serious expression after making that rational inference, Valerie, who had been turning her gaze away with a slightly uneasy look, added in a mutter,
“I’m not wearing underwear…”
Uh, hmm. It was a much more girlish reason than I expected.
It did make things a little awkward, but that did not mean my inference was entirely wrong.
As proof, the “desire” value displayed on Valerie’s interface was 18.
If, as I inferred, this system plays the same role as Tombstone’s “stress,” then the moment that desire reaches the limit of 100, a “collapse” event will occur.
A party that, despite having fought only two battles during an expedition into the first layer’s Forest biome, where it would be fair to say mental attacks are almost nonexistent, has already accumulated a fair amount of desire; one member’s life tokens are down to a mere 1; and on top of that, its means of recovery are poor…
From the perspective of a veteran player, this is an extremely dangerous expedition.
Furthermore, since we only have two mercenaries in the formation, the moment even one of them collapses, retreat will no longer be easy, and the expedition party’s annihilation will be all but inevitable.
If this is the situation in an expedition where we should already have been more cautious than usual, then perhaps clearing the first layer this time may be impossible.