Chapter 25

(￣(エ)￣)＜Continuing with two chapters today, kuma

(=ↀωↀ=)＜It's the chapter boss battle!

□＜Nex Plains＞ 【Holy Knight】Ray Sterling

『《Counter... Absorption》!』

It was a close call.

The wall of light that Nemesis deployed just in time between me and Galdoranda’s fist reduced the damage to zero.

Thanks to my experience with sudden activations in the past, Nemesis reacted quickly. It was a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune.

『This guy has more power than that centipede...!』

More powerful than the 【Demidragonworm】.

【Great Miasma Galdoranda】... a monster with a title and a name.

I’ve never seen a monster with such a name before... or was there one in the bounty list Nemesis saw yesterday?

“Ray, Luke, be careful! That thing is an <UBM>!!”

At Marie’s warning, I recalled some information from the wiki.

<UBM>.

As the name suggests, it is the common name for a boss monster that exists only once in this world.

Even if a boss monster is usually found in multiple forms like the 【Demidragonworm】, the <UBM> is different. It exists only once in this world, and there are no others before or after it.

Moreover, it invariably possesses unique abilities and high combat power.

In a sense, it could be called the <Master> of the monsters.

Therefore, it is said to have combat power several levels higher than a boss of the same level.

Compared to the goblins, this monster doesn’t belong here.

Wait, goblins?

『I see... So this great demon is the leader of those goblins. He must have rushed out in a panic after his subordinates were wiped out.』

In that case, he must be furious at us.

But I have something to say too.

“...”

As I shifted my gaze, I saw a single corpse.

It was the body of one of the guards from the caravan that had been attacked alongside me.

The person I had spoken to earlier.

His body, crushed by the great demon, looked almost like a prop.

I think it’s because I’ve only seen such gruesome scenes in movies.

But in this world, which is extremely realistic, it feels real.

The reality of a lost life.

I had fought zombies and skeletons, and in the <Noz Forest>, I had seen players vanish when killed by the <Super-Class Killer>.

Just a moment ago, there were guards killed by the goblins before we intervened.

But this is the first time I’ve seen someone die right in front of me.

“...”

I don’t know this person’s name.

I don’t know what kind of person he was.

His face is blurry.

But I had just been talking to him.

But he’s beyond help now.

There’s no rewind in this world.

He’s dead.

“It leaves a bad taste...”

The head of the 【Great Demon】 had veins pulsing.

Not only that, but the areas around the mouths on both shoulders were also pulsing...

“Breath attack coming! Fall back!!”

Before or after Marie’s scream, Galdoranda unleashed a black-purple smoke from all three of its mouths with tremendous force.

“...!?”

What came to mind was insecticide.

The kind that kills annoying mosquitoes and flies with a single spray. I’ve used it before.

But I’ve never been on the receiving end.

The poisonous breath was aimed at me, Luke, Bavi, the guards, and Marilyn simultaneously.

When we were hit by the black and purple, toxic miasma, there was no damage.

But immediately after, a fierce dizziness hit me, and I collapsed to my knees.

Checking my status window, I saw that I was afflicted with three status ailments: 【Poison】, 【Dizziness】, and 【Weakness】.

My HP was gradually decreasing due to the 【Poison】, I couldn’t stand up due to the 【Dizziness】, and my stats, reduced to less than half, made even my equipment feel heavy.

Looking around, the guards and merchants were also lying on the ground.

Luke was... above. It seemed he had been carried into the air by Bavi.

『V, VAMOOOOOOOO...!』

A familiar roar, but it sounded weaker than before.

It was Marilyn.

Marilyn was also afflicted with status ailments from the miasma.

But she shook her massive body and charged at Galdoranda, stomping the ground.

Her charge, which could crush ten goblins or even a low-level boss monster with a single blow, was...

『GoAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!』

Stopped by Galdoranda.

He extended his log-like arms and grabbed the two outer horns of Marilyn’s three horns.

Though pushed back several meters, he completely stopped Marilyn’s charge.

Galdoranda then exerted more force,

『GeeeeeYYYAAAAAAA—!!』

And threw Marilyn into the air.

Marilyn’s massive body, weighing several tons, flew ten meters through the air and hit the ground with a shock.

“Marilyn...!”

I heard Luke’s panicked voice.

『Va, vamo, mo...』

Marilyn was making weak sounds.

The damage from the fall and the status ailments affecting her body had pushed her to her limits.

“《Return》!”

With Luke’s words, Marilyn was stored in Luke’s 【Jewel】.

Since the time inside the jewel is stopped, she should be fine for now.

“Muuuuu! It’s not working!”

Bavi has been trying to use 《Seduction》 on Galdoranda, but it seems the monster’s level, MP, and SP are too high for the charm to work.

“Not everyone’s skills are suited for everything.”

Luke’s skills are not suitable for a boss battle.

What is suitable is... mine and Nemesis’s.

『Master!』

At Nemesis’s voice, I refocused on the Galdoranda in front of me.

Galdoranda was bringing down its right palm towards me, as if to crush a fly.

“—Don’t underestimate me.”

I moved my heavy body, raised the greatsword Nemesis, and struck Galdoranda’s palm.

“《Vengeance is mine》!”

I activated the skill upon contact.

The damage from the nullified punch, combined with the ongoing HP loss from the poison, doubled and exploded on Galdoranda’s right palm.

The blow tore his palm to shreds and blew off three fingers.

『GuuuooooAAAAAAA!!?』

Galdoranda let out a cry of agony.

But the damage was light.

The damage accumulation was less than when I used it on the Demidragonworm, so the power wasn’t as strong.

This blow had returned the damage I received from him.

To use a second 《Vengeance is mine》, I would need to accumulate damage again.

“Shii!”

I swung Nemesis as a follow-up, but it was a much weaker attack than usual, lacking in intensity.

The cause was clear: the status ailments currently affecting me.

This 【Great Miasma Galdoranda】 not only has the physical strength to throw a demidragon but also has the ability to weaken with three status ailments.

The HP loss from the poison can be managed if I keep an eye on the HP gauge.

But the dizziness affecting my balance and the 50% reduction in stats from the weakness make combat difficult.

“This is bad...”

Even without the status ailments, the odds were already against me.

“Ray!”

At that moment, I heard Marie’s voice from behind.

Thinking it was another warning, I turned around, and a glass bottle hit my face and shattered.

“Kah...”

『Master!?』

As the glass shards and contents rained down, I recoiled.

With the pain sensation turned off, it didn’t hurt, but why?

From Marie’s pitcher-like stance after throwing, I deduced that she had thrown it.

What was she doing in the middle of a battle... and then I realized.

“My HP and status ailments are recovering?”

My HP had recovered to its maximum, and all three status ailments had disappeared from my status window.

The glass bottle just now...

“This is my special 【Panacea Potion】! It will prevent virus-type status ailments for 180 seconds! But there’s no second one, so please do your best!”

The 【Panacea Potion】 was the glass bottle just now.

From the name, it was a high-level healing potion.

But with this...

“At least, I’m in top condition...”

『Indeed. Without status ailments, this guy is just a centipede with a few more legs.』

If so, my current HP and defense should be enough to withstand it, and if I can withstand it, there’s a chance to win.

“The breath of the stench and Marilyn’s share, and the share of the dead... I’ll return it all to you, you damn demon.”

I readied Nemesis and charged at Galdoranda.

The effect of the 【Panacea Potion】 had 154 seconds left.

If this time passes, I’ll be a victim of Galdoranda’s miasma again, and I won’t be able to fight properly with the three status ailments.

So I have to finish this before then.

“RuuuAAAh...!”

I swung the greatsword from above at Galdoranda’s knee.

The greatsword tore his skin and splattered blood.

But it was shallow. It only cut the skin, not the muscle, and certainly not the bone beneath.

Even with my stats fully recovered, normal means aren’t enough to deal damage.

My STR isn’t that high, and Nemesis’s equipment attack power, while strong at level 1, is now relatively weak at level 20.

If I keep fighting normally, it would take 1500 seconds, not 150, to defeat this thing.

But,

『GuuuOOOOOAAAAAA!!』

I deliberately took the counterattack from Galdoranda’s kick.

“Guh...!”

There’s no pain, but there’s a shock and a numbness in my body.

But I managed to land after being blown back about seven meters.

It was a flashy move, but the damage wasn’t that bad.

The damage from the attack was about 600, about a quarter of my HP.

My current HP, at level 20, is 2500, thanks to the job correction at level up, the <Embryo> correction, and the combined effect of the equipment skill 《HP Increase》.

My defense is also increased by 《Blessing of the Holy Knight》, and my equipment is much better than when I fought the Demidragonworm.

So, a power slightly stronger than the Demidragonworm won’t kill me instantly.

And if it doesn’t kill me instantly, I have a way to deal with it.

“《First Heal》”

I cast a healing spell on myself while running, and when the spell processing is complete, I use a 【Heal Potion】.

That brings my HP back to almost full.

“Shaaaaa!”

And I charge again.

It’s just a repeat.

Attack. Get hit. Heal.

I just need to repeat this for 150 seconds.

If I do, I can win.

One set deals about 600 damage, plus the reduction from 《Blessing of the Holy Knight》, for a total of about 660.

Seven sets in the time limit, for a total of 4620 damage.

Double that with 《Vengeance is mine》... estimated 9240 damage.

If he takes that directly to the head... will he survive, you damn demon?

『That’s the only way, ...Master!!』

As I was calculating the remaining time and damage in my head, I heard Nemesis’s voice.

It was the familiar warning voice.

『Look up!』

I looked up at the sky.

There, the sky was shrouded in the miasma from Galdoranda, and...

『KIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!』

A “giant red raptor” with talons flaring, diving from the sky at supersonic speed.

“!”

I jumped to the side