Chapter 91

"Engaging in battle with the Master of Dreams here in our current state is reckless! The Nightborne is at [Lv: 70]! It's foolhardy to fight! If joining up is hopeless, our only option is to run…!"

Kelt's expression twisted as he said this.

He seemed to have realized something.

"…We can't run. The paths on the map are irregular, and the routes are incorrect. If we take the roundabout route we came in, we'll definitely be caught. Besides, the Master of Dreams, during the King's Wandering, chases after human mana. If it's coming here, it means we've been spotted."

If this was all orchestrated by the mastermind, what thorough preparation.

"Ugh! Guild… If I return alive, I'll make sure to claim a hefty reward!"

Kelt clutched his head.

"There's another concern. You said you heard quick footsteps, but the Nightborne's movement speed shouldn't be that fast. It's a large skeleton, known for its offensive power."

"Huh? Indeed, the footsteps I heard sounded like those of a quadruped. But then, what is this…?"

"Most likely, the Nightborne has undergone existence evolution. In this case, I can't even tell you what the enemy is like."

"Wha…!?"

Kelt let out a sound that was neither a scream nor a cry of surprise.

It's the same as with the Death-Armed.

The Master of Dreams is undergoing existence evolution.

The best solution is to prevent existence evolution.

Even in the game era, artificially triggering it was costly and offered no benefits, and it was difficult to reproduce, so no strategy was established.

I don't even know the detailed evolution paths of the Master of Dreams.

"If the [Lv: 70] Master of Dreams undergoes existence evolution, there's no way we can handle it! It would probably be at [Lv: 85] by now. I'm only at [Lv: 66]. Normally, it's not a fight we can win."

But I have the 'Sacrifice My Life' and 'Rampaging Dinosaur on the Death Line.'

"Fortunately, thanks to Kelt, we learned of its existence early. I will reveal all our cards, Kelt and Meabel, please also show your 'Status.' Based on this, let's formulate a strategy and have me command the battle against the Master of Dreams."

I signaled to Luuce with my eyes.

Luuce nodded in agreement.

"Wha…! For adventurers, the 'Status' is a lifeline! If all the details of what we can and can't do are revealed, we won't be able to form a party! We'll just be used and discarded! Party members are just comrades in a game, not real friends! That's common sense in Lacorina…!"

In the game era, it was unthinkable for sharing information with party members to be taboo, but in this world, the information available is too incomplete.

Partial information sharing can even lead to misunderstandings.

Moreover, since the penalty for failure is death, engaging in a battle where you might lose is taboo.

Idealism doesn't apply.

In the worst-case scenario, ensuring your own survival is the priority.

The idea of maximizing the performance of all party members in a battle is weak.

Such situations should be avoided from the start.

"Basically, there's no way we can win! It's on a completely different level from Patchwork! We can't even deal damage normally!"

"I have a skill that can deal damage. If you give me an opening, I'll definitely defeat the Master of Dreams."

A heavy knight can deal massive damage even to a superior opponent.

That's why they are considered the strongest class in 'Magic World.'

"Besides, Kelt, you said you were repaying a debt, but you still risked your life to protect Luuce. I considered you a friend, but was I overestimating you?"

"…Tch, you're quite the softie. But… fine. I'll believe in your softness and… your strength. I'll follow your command, Elma."

Kelt finally relented.

"I, of course, don't intend to whine like Kelt!"

With Meabel's agreement, we all showed our 'Status' and shared information.

We also briefly explained our fighting styles and how we use our skills.

"Controlling HP with skills and effectively increasing attack power sixfold… That's insane. I've never heard of such a skill setup."

"I knew about the existence of luck-based skill trees, but I've never heard of anyone utilizing them to this extent. I've heard that if you allocate points to them, your offensive capabilities weaken, and you can't properly level up, so your growth potential diminishes."

Both Kelt and Meabel seemed surprised by the skills I and Luuce possessed.

"That's a well-known pitfall… I almost fell into it once."

Luuce stuck out her tongue.

"So… Elma, do you think we have a chance of winning?"

"The odds are against us, but we have to give it our all."

I opened my 'Status.'

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【Skill Tree】

［Remaining Skill Points: 16］

〈Oath of Heavy Armor〉[34/100]

〈Basic Swordsmanship〉[5/50]

〈Smoldering Fang〉[15/70]

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After checking Kelt and Meabel's 'Status,' I decided on the skills to acquire.

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【Skill Tree】

［Remaining Skill Points: 9］

〈Oath of Heavy Armor〉[41/100]【+7】

〈Basic Swordsmanship〉[5/50]

〈Smoldering Fang〉[15/70]

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【〈Oath of Heavy Armor〉 has reached [41/100], and you have acquired the normal skill 〈Protect〉.】

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〈Protect〉【Normal Skill】

Creates a barrier that reduces the next damage by 30% for a certain period of time.

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The duration of skills marked as 'certain time' is generally three minutes, and this skill is no exception.

While it provides a sense of reliability, it exposes a weakness when activated and consumes MP. Additionally, it often runs out without you noticing, and using it carelessly can hinder the team more than help.

However, being able to withstand a powerful attack is significant.

In this regard, this skill complements 'Smoldering Fang.'

It can be used to safely observe the situation or to meet the activation conditions for 'Rampaging Dinosaur on the Death Line.'

"I'd like to heal everyone's HP first, but with the remaining MP, it's too risky to heal everyone. I'll cast 'Heal' on you and Luuce once each."

"No, I actually think my current HP is just right. Please heal Luuce and… Kelt."

"Me…?"

Kelt looked at me suspiciously.

In this battle, Kelt needs to take the front and fight.