Chapter 533 Avatar of Depravity

Rebecca, who was watching the war situation to the north from the watchtower, muttered.

’It looks like they lack power.’

’They jumped directly into the middle of the offensive. No matter how much they are A-rank mercenaries....’

’It would have been better if they had taken everyone here out with them instead.’

’...I’d hate to jump in there myself, but well... I suppose that’s right.’

The reason was likely to reduce the damage to the city and its people. If the personnel left, there was a possibility the inner castle would be at risk.

Even if it was a group of elite personnel, the opponent was the source of monster creation itself.

The number of enemies was endless.

Had they taken everyone, the casualties might have been higher, but the number of monsters they could handle would have increased significantly, allowing for a smoother approach.

Rebecca, watching this, asked the others.

’How is everyone’s condition?’

’The worst since I registered as a mercenary.’

’Good. It’ll be a fine excuse to use when we die.’

Rebecca looked around at everyone and made a decision while facing north.

’Everyone, move to the walls. Mages, fire as far as possible toward that side.’

’But then the monsters will all swarm and attack the walls. They won’t be lured according to the plan.’

’What plan. One way or another, if that side fails, it’s the end anyway, isn’t it?’

Naturally, it was an amount that couldn’t be handled by the walls and the remaining mercenaries alone. The damage would be great too.

’The northern wall will attack everything in sight until it falls. There will be no retreat signal, so fend for yourselves.’

However, Ian, who devised this plan, seemed not to know because he hadn’t been a mercenary for long.

The mercenaries and soldiers here were originally the kind of people who did such things.

──!

A series of large explosions occurred from behind.

It was a long-range attack from the wall. Numerous mercenaries were standing on the wall, pouring attacks toward the outside.

Most of the monsters that were swarming toward Ian’s group turned their gaze toward Labyrinth.

There was a significant distance to the wall, but due to the behavioral characteristics of monsters, their attention shifted toward Labyrinth, where more people were gathered and more threatening attacks were being poured out.

’There was no such support plan, was there?’

’No doubt it’s that Rebecca fellow. Now is the time, push forward as much as possible! Leave the rear alone!’

Thanks to that, the pressure concentrated on the mercenaries vanished. Everyone dashed forward, taking advantage of the gap.

Although Calamitas created monsters indefinitely, there was a slight time interval, so they exploited that to break through the monster swarms.

With only a short distance left to the goal, a new swarm of monsters blocked the path.

’Hey! We’ll create a gap, so you guys go forward!’

Frey and her members lured the blocking monster swarm and broke away to the side.

’Hamel, let’s go too!’

The distance to the target was short. And likely, the remaining time was short too.

Every time a monster swarm blocked the path, the mercenary groups in the main unit broke away one by one to open the road.

Since the area was surrounded by monsters in all directions, even if they lured the swarm and moved elsewhere, they would only be isolated; there was no place to escape.

The only way was to hold out in a besieged state until this situation was resolved. Everyone jumped in knowing that.

’We will go as well.’

The paladins who had surrounded Ian until the end also dispersed, leading monsters away.

After many people opened the way, the three finally arrived at the target location.

Ian, Rin, and Ria.

Only a very short distance remained before Calamitas. And in between, a swarm of monsters that seemed to have just emerged blocked the way.

This time, Ria stepped forward.

Ria looked back slightly and said to the two.

’...Both of you, come back safely.’

’You too.’

Ria’s sword emitted a dazzling light.

It instantly snatched the monsters’ attention, and Ria pulled the swarm to the side to avoid obstructing the path of the two, moving far away.

Now, nothing blocked the front.

The massive form of Calamitas was burning not far away across an empty plain. Ian and Rin stopped before it.

’Rin. This way.’

’I’m ready.’

The two quickly finished their final preparations.

As orbs containing numerous magics shattered, Rin was enveloped in a dazzling light.

Even though the boss monster was right in front of them, these items had a very short duration, unlike potions, so it had to be done now.

While doing so, the Calamitas right in front of them did not react.

The monster’s expressions and face were not properly distinguishable. It was impossible to know if it even recognized them standing there.

Ian finished all preparations and looked up at Calamitas.

Calamitas was quietly burning.

This was because Calamitas does not directly attack during Phase 1 and only repeats monster summoning.

Calamitas has a total of 3 phases.

Among them, the duration of Phase 1, where it summons monsters... translates to approximately 3 days in actual time.

The HP of Calamitas in the final phase was reduced in proportion to the number of monsters killed during Phase 1.

Phase 2 is fighting the boss-class monsters created by Calamitas.

During that time, Calamitas performed long-range siege attacks to destroy the city’s main defensive facilities.

Only after dealing with that, in the final phase, could one fight Calamitas directly.

...Actually, since the start of this task.

Ian thought that he could somehow clear it.

However... it was limited to the condition of ’using any means necessary.’

This was a game full of numerous random events and sudden variables, but conversely, it meant he had dealt with such variables until he was sick of them.

So. If it was just about surviving, he could manage somehow.

But....

In the burnt ruins of Labyrinth.

Pushing soldiers into a winless battle to buy time, and sending mercenaries to their deaths with meaningless orders just to skip patterns.

Standing as the sole survivor atop the ashes,

Could that truly be called a success?

The longer he spent here, the more that question grew.

...Ian’s decision was to somehow deal with this monster within Phase 1.

If it moved to Phase 3, Labyrinth would undoubtedly suffer immense damage. Not even half the people in the city would survive.

From the beginning until now, he had exerted all his strength to avoid that alone.

Ian turned his head to look at Rin.

’Rin, I’ll explain. It’s only once, so listen well and follow it absolutely.’

’Yes.’

Ian began to explain the final plan he hadn’t even told Rin.

It was too late to be giving a leisurely explanation, but saying this had to be right now.

If he had told her... Rin surely would never have followed Ian’s words.

’You see the shield-like thing on the outside? That’s like a defensive curse that blocks any attack once and counterattacks the person who attacked. Even if you remove it, it recovers quickly after a short moment.’

’Then I’ll have to clear that first. I’ll be careful.’

As there were 3 phases, many people had tried to defeat Calamitas before that.

The best time to aim was naturally this Phase 1, where it does nothing but summon monsters.

Perhaps to prevent that.

During Phase 1, numerous safety devices were in place so that the defenseless Calamitas could not be easily attacked.

The first was the automatic counterattack shield mentioned earlier, which dealt instant-death level curse damage to the attacker.

This completely nullified whatever damage came in and vanished momentarily, so it could be cleared by pre-emptively landing any attack.

And the second was health regeneration.

The regenerative power of Calamitas in Phase 1 was at an abnormal level, so even with the briefest gap, it recovered its HP to a perfect state instantly. In just a few seconds.

So, to defeat it in Phase 1... all health had to be reduced with essentially a single attack.

For that, a mercenary with an abnormally high attack power was required.

Fortunately, obsession with attack power was like an instinct for gamers, so countless such builds had been developed.

Among them, Ian chose Rin, who possessed [Avatar of Depravity] and [Cursed Fate], as the protagonist.

These were almost the only traits with no prerequisites—highest attack power based solely on base stats, without needing to fulfill complex combat conditions or risking failure due to sudden variables.

The same applied to Ian’s own traits.

Among the many [Potentials] possessed by the player character... Ian, there were many traits that drastically increased his own combat performance, and abilities that greatly helped in dungeon exploration or mercenary group management.

However, he gave up everything that wouldn’t help at this moment. He chose only those that could increase Rin’s final attack power as much as possible.

Solely....

To end this fight in Phase 1. To secure the attack power capable of depleting all of Calamitas’s HP with a single strike.

’Right. I have a way for the shield, so don’t worry. Once it’s cleared, you attack immediately. Just once is enough.’

’That thing in one go? Can I do it....’

The hesitating Rin nodded her head confidently on her own without even hearing Ian’s answer.

’Well, I can do it! That’s why you brought me, right?’

’...’

Ian couldn’t answer that.

He couldn’t. Not as Rin was now.

Just a little....

She was short by about one step.

He had gathered every stat-boosting item he remembered.

He had prepared every stackable doping method, calculated with the best efficiency.

He had even received every buff available in advance.

Even so, it was still short.

In the first place, achieving the attack power to kill a final boss in one shot couldn’t possibly be easy.

If Rin had been lucky enough to learn just one more high-grade combat trait.

Or if her swordsmanship aptitude was higher so she could learn a higher-grade advanced swordsmanship, it might have been a close enough gap to be possible.

But in this game full of randomness, failing because of being exactly one step short is not a particularly rare occurrence. It’s not anyone’s fault; it’s just something everyone commonly experiences.

It’s nothing new, having experienced forced situations once or twice where a build couldn’t be completed because exactly one last part didn’t drop.

What mattered then was how to fill that gap.

Lastly, Ian silently touched the bracelet on his arm.

It was an item that looked exactly like the one on Rin’s arm. It’s an accessory called the [Ring of Binding], made as a pair.

...This equipment is not a frequently used item.

An option like [Stats 7%] is not a negligible value, but there were many items with far more useful options among bracelets.

This [Ring of Binding] wasn’t an option good enough to use specifically instead of those.

There was only one reason players adopted this. Because of the second option.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Ring of Binding]

- Accessory Item

- When targets wearing the same equipment belong to the same party, stats increase in proportion to the affinity level (Max 7%)

- If a target wearing the same equipment falls into an [Incapacitated State], gain [Rage] state until that battle ends

: In Rage state, [All Stats +50%] amplification

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

’Rin. No matter what happens, you must never stop. There’s only one chance.’

’Yes? Master...?’

’Don’t ask. Just do it.’

Ian took out and raised the crossbow he was carrying on his back.

Rin also knew that Ian had packed it when they left.

She wondered why he would specifically pack something he didn’t usually use, but it was an item she hadn’t bothered to point out.

Ian aimed it and silently fired toward the front.

The accuracy would be poor since he had only fired it a few times for practice, but there was no worry of missing at the nose of such a giant monster.

The crossbow bolt flew instantly and reached Calamitas.

And something shot out, as if tracing back that trajectory.

─A very terrible curse.

Something that made even Rin, who had come to think nothing of things like dungeon curses after handling the magic sword, feel a chill, flew toward Ian. There wasn’t even a gap to react to anything.

Ian was struck by the curse and fell, blown far back.

That sight instantly moved away from Rin’s side.

’Mas...!’

Rin didn’t even have time to let those words fully out of her mouth.

In the very brief moment she was about to dash toward Ian, numerous thoughts flashed through Rin.

No matter what happens... you must never stop.

Rin felt the numerous powers dwelling in her body gradually fading.

The orbs used just a moment ago originally only lasted a few minutes, and the effects of some potions drunk before the battle were starting to end.

The various strengthening magics received from priests, mages, and even Airi the warlock, would almost be ending by now too.

If she hesitated now....

It would definitely be a failure.

Rin also knew vaguely.

What Ian had been continuously researching all this time.

She hadn’t understood all those complex calculations, but she could ultimately understand the purpose.

Everything Ian had done until now was....

So that Rin, possessing all this power.

In this perfect state of peak power that would likely never come again.

Could be brought to this place at this very moment.

To create this very brief moment that would determine the fate of everything.

Rin turned her head back and dashed forward.

Ian moved a bit further away.

──!

Before she knew it, new monsters were beginning to emerge from Calamitas’s body again.

The distance... would probably be slightly short.

At this rate, the newly emerged monsters would block Rin’s path, and Calamitas’s shield would soon reappear as well.

She couldn’t allow more time to be stalled.

How many minutes remained. Or perhaps... how many seconds?

Rin... stopped in her tracks.

And she threw the dagger in her hand with all her might.

[Throwing].

Even though she had only ever thrown a few stones at most.

The thing she had proudly told her new Master was her specialty....

With the sole specialty of a country bumpkin E-rank mercenary.

A giant light soared in the northern plains.