Chapter 20: Must I Spare the Enemy (2)
“Huh? Are you crazy? Voluntarily entering that monster den?”
“What did you just say, Artier?”
“Little brother, that’s a bit…….”
Bow openly showed contempt, and Gerard and Jeina’s gazes weren’t kind either.
Everyone was doubting if Artier was sane.
But it was all expected reactions.
Artier immediately continued.
“Listen to the end and judge. Beyond the gate won’t be as dangerous as you think.”
“What basis?”
“Simple. Despite us wasting that much time, the monsters that came out of the gate were only about the initial twenty.”
They weren’t special entities like assassins.
They were low-level Hellmorphs like battlefield minions.
Of course, twenty wasn’t few, but ambiguous for disrupting a city.
“Maybe they sent only some for scouting? That would be cost-effective.”
“I thought that at first too. But think carefully. Was there a mana stone or similar attached to that gate?”
“Uh……?”
The Hellmorphs’ gate was just a crack like torn space.
Definitely different in structure from human gates made of arch-shaped stone structures.
“Could their gates not use mana stones?”
“Yes. Perhaps they don’t use mana at all.”
This was a lie. They do use mana.
Just the supply method differs from humans.
“Only about twenty came over without consuming mana.”
“That means…….”
The companions realizing something were increasing.
Artier said in a confident voice.
“Right now, beyond that gate, there are no monsters to come over.”
Everyone exchanged meaningful glances while looking at each other’s faces.
Then Gerard sighed and said.
“It’s a plan based entirely on circumstantial evidence, failure means death, but no other ideas come to mind either.”
“I believe in little brother!”
“Uuu, dangerous but no choice…….”
“If the situation looks bad, I’ll run, so know that.”
“Yes, I’ll protect you no matter what.”
Fortunately, persuasion succeeded.
When Artier inwardly smiled in satisfaction.
Ding!
Suddenly, a small status window appeared before Artier’s eyes.
[Convinced allies of a seemingly impossible operation through tactical explanation.]
[Acquired Tactical Command (Lv.1).]
‘What?’
Tactical Command.
He couldn’t not know the skill. His companion Gerard had used it several times.
The problem was ‘how is this possible.’
‘Can skills be acquired this way too?’
Originally, <cross destiny=""> wasn’t a game where skills were gained from repetitive or specific character actions.
They were automatically acquired upon leveling up or from items.</cross>
‘A change from the game becoming reality?’
Artier quickly scanned the party members’ status windows.
But expectation turned to disappointment.
Only Jeina had gained one new skill upon passing level 5; the rest had no changes.
‘Is it a system only for me? Or have they not had such opportunities yet?’
“So how will you do that?”
His pondering was interrupted by Bow’s cynical voice.
“You said just twenty, but we’re only five. Besides, how to open the door? The barbarian cut the chain with her axe.”
“Ah…….”
Everyone’s gaze went to the iron chain connected to the grate.
The chain wound on the pulley was rolling on the ground.
“…….”
“What? Why look at me?”
Jeina scratched her head and averted her gaze.
“Let’s find a way.”
With the goal set, now to find the method.
Artier quickly began investigating the surroundings.
‘This is reality yet a game world. Not everything is like the game, but the space itself is identical to the game map.’
And if it’s a game, surely, somewhere on the map, there’s a clue to help.
‘As expected here too?’
Clatter.
“Yes!”
While tapping nearby walls, Artier discovered a brick protruding oddly and shaking.
Applying force to pull the brick, a small scroll inside was visible.
“What’s that?”
“A kind of emergency scroll.”
Like an emergency button in reality.
Insurance placed in areas with few people and hard to request rescue.
“What scroll?”
Jeina scanned the scroll in Artier’s hand and asked puzzled.
“Is this an emergency scroll? Why is Fire Burst an emergency scroll?”
“Because this is the last refuge.”
Debt, false accusation, or threat.
Those coming here were mostly desperate.
And usually, cruel ones followed such people’s backs.
“Normal self-defense scrolls are insufficient.”
Artier collected all similar scrolls nearby in the same way.
Thus, he obtained two more Fire Burst scrolls.
“Mid-level magic scrolls just embedded in walls……. Surprisingly not stolen.”
“There’s a way.”
These scrolls had special magic; once taken out, they melted away after four hours.
Artier held the scrolls and positioned in front of the grate.
“From now, I’ll eliminate all those monsters with these scrolls and move beyond the gate.”
[Using skill.]
Tactical Command (Lv.1): Finds the most rational strategy, increases allies’ morale and command execution during operation.
[Tactical success rate: 85%]
[Skill success]
As a small crown appeared above Artier’s head, everyone nodded with hardened expressions.
Boom!
The moment he tore the scroll, a small magic circle was drawn from Artier’s fingertip.
When the circle was complete, a massive explosion occurred inside the circle, blowing away the grate and Hellmorphs.
“Nice! Explosive!”
The power of mid-level magic was certainly exceptional.
Just one sheet shattered the grate, and the four Hellmorphs behind the door turned to ash.
“Let’s go in!”
The party immediately advanced toward the gate.
Every time Jeina’s axe and Bow’s arrows flashed, a Hellmorph was flung away.
“Eek! I said not to overdo! Regeneration doesn’t stack!”
“Easy said in this situation?”
Collie screamed but precisely recast the magic whenever the regeneration on Jeina was about to fade.
They bickered constantly but oddly synced well.
“…….”
Gerard averted his hand constantly trying to grab the sword and focused on shielding allies as usual.
And Artier…….
[Avatar of Counterattack is activating!]
Current 15 stacks: All stats increased by 45%
Slash!
Was steadily stacking while others’ attention was drawn.
‘I said as if there would be no additional enemies.’
It was highly likely, not 100%.
Variables must always be prepared for.
“Kuaaaah!”
And as expected, when over half the Hellmorphs disappeared, a variable appeared.
[Lv.10 Hell Disruptor (Low-Rank)]
With a crocodile-like appearance and a large orb on its head.
The guy suddenly springing from the quiet gate roared and charged at Jeina.
Crunch!
“Ugh!”
“Jeina!”
Jeina succeeded in blocking the attack with her axe, but staggered and knelt right after.
The barely treated internal injury had burst again.
“Move Jeina back!”
Before Gerard shouted, Artier was running.
Kicking the disruptor’s massive maw with his sole, he grabbed Jeina’s clothes and pulled hard.
“Ugh!”
It was rough, but unavoidable.
Artier immediately began facing the disruptor.
[Perfect Counter activates!]
The moment the disruptor’s huge mouth opened, the longsword pierced the gap.
The guy roared and attempted a counter, but no chance.
‘A bit weak.’
Its rank was low. But level 10 was high.
For a level 9 without decent combat skills, it would be burdensome.
But Artier’s stats with stacked Avatar of Counterattack rivaled level 13.
Swoosh!
The guy was cornered by a few of Artier’s sword strikes, belying its disruptor name.
“Fire Burst!”
And Artier had no intention of dragging this fight.
Kwaboom!
When the exploding flames burst and smoke cleared, nothing remained there.
The passage, not even bone fragments left, had melting bricks bubbling.
“Mid-level magic is no joke. If misused, the ceiling would collapse.”
Bow grumbled and put away his bow.
And glanced at Collie, who was casting recovery magic with a gloomy expression.
“I told you. Internal injuries are hard to treat short-term.”
“……My head’s dizzy.”
“How’s the condition?”
Gerard approached and asked. Collie shook his head with a firm expression.
“Even walking will be hard. Combat participation is difficult.”
“Hard to recover with potions too?”
“Meaningless. Internal injuries are from damaged internal mana circuits.”
Mana usually resides in human heads, moving throughout the body by the user’s will.
The paths mana moves are called mana circuits.
“All living beings use mana when acting. But with holes in the circuits mana travels, Jeina gets damaged by leaking mana just from walking.”
“No choice……. Have to rest as much as possible in the rear.”
“What are you saying. I can fight more.”
Jeina grinned and rose.
But soon staggered and sat back down.
“Playing without me?”
“Jeina, you’re not in a state to fight now.”
“So?”
Clatter.
The powerless two-handed axe scraped the stone floor.
“Being still here isn’t safe either.”
“Don’t be stubborn, Jeina.”
“What stubborn? I’m not stupid, captain. Without me, who blocks the front?”
“…….”
He looked frustrated but couldn’t refute.
Jeina was currently the only tanker in the party who could stand in front.
“Who blocks if they do area attacks? With captain’s barrier?”
“…….”
The two-handed axe had a dedicated action to prevent enemy attacks from affecting the back.
At this point, no one could protect the party as safely as Jeina.
“Ben and Dina died because I couldn’t hold. So I have to stand.”
Jeina said that and used the axe as a staff to force herself up.
“Jeina!”
“Sorry, captain. But you knew I’m dumb from the start.”
“Eek! Stop the nonsense!”
Collie yelled, but Jeina just smirked.
Shocked by the reaction, Collie froze.
Jeina hobbled over and asked Artier.
“How’s the gate, little brother?”
“……Still operating.”
Artier glanced at Jeina and said calmly.
‘She can’t die.’
She was irreplaceable power.
No matter her will, from Artier’s standpoint, he absolutely couldn’t allow it.
‘But asserting party leader authority here would tank affinity sharply.’
Problem either way. Sighing Artier threw a nearby pebble at the gate.
Pong.
The gate rippled slightly and sucked in the pebble. And nothing came back out.
Even provoking like this, no additional Hellmorphs emerged, so definitely no others beyond.
‘If no enemies, Jeina standing in front briefly is okay.’
Deciding, Artier said to everyone.
“Let’s go in for now. I’ll keep an eye.”
“Then what were you pondering? Let’s enter now.”
At Bow’s words, Artier reached for the gate.
Whoosh.
An unfamiliar sticky and unpleasant sensation brushed his whole body.
Like swimming in inescapable oil, an unpleasant feeling.
Whoosh!
Exiting the gate, the stuffy unpleasant sensation vanished completely.
Opening his eyes, Artier could see he was in a tree-filled valley.