Chapter 92

We took our positions as planned.

With Kelth's skill, we knew the timing when the "Lord of Dreams" would charge.

If the battle proceeds normally, we will lose normally.

Since even in a normal situation, a higher-ranked opponent could potentially kill us with one hit, there is no option for a prolonged battle.

The "Wandering King" requires a narrow space for battle, making it difficult to dodge attacks and fight with ease.

We have no choice but to finish this quickly.

I wanted to observe the situation, but Kelth and Meabel might fall apart during that time.

I intend to use the "Smoldering Fang" skill right from the start and overwhelm the enemy with the heavy cavalry's firepower.

In the long corridor, I stood on the right side, Luuce on the left, and Meabel was positioned behind us.

Gradually, rapid footsteps approached.

From the darkness at the end of the corridor, a giant skeleton appeared.

It wore a helmet and had gauntlets on its arms.

In its left hand, it held a sword, and in its right hand, a shield.

And its lower body was a large, pitch-black horse.

It could be described as a skeletal version of a centaur.

Clearly, it was a different form of evolution from a Nightbone.

A blue-white sphere floated inside its chest bone.

Nightbones also had a similar feature.

It is a weakness, but the chest bone obstructs it, making it difficult to attack directly.

"Oo... Oooooo...!"

The skeletal monster roared.

"Y-You look completely different from what I heard! What a terrifying appearance!"

――――――――――――――――――――

Monster: Skullrider

Lv: 85

HP: 761/787

MP: 307/315

――――――――――――――――――――

Here it is... [Lv: 85].

From this point, the HP of the "Lord of Dreams" starts to spike.

Meta-wise, this is where the party's coordination and skill combos start to work effectively, as the game designers intended.

However, my stats have also improved significantly.

The attack power boost from the "Mithril Sword" is also quite effective.

"Life Shield!"

My vitality materializes, enveloping my body in a suit of light armor.

――――――――――――――――――――

Life Shield [Normal Skill]

Activates by paying 20% of maximum HP.

Covers the body with a shield that has the same durability as the HP paid.

――――――――――――――――――――

This allows me to activate "Raging Dragon of the Death Line" stably.

――――――――――――――――――――

Raging Dragon of the Death Line [Special Skill]

Increases attack power and speed by 100% when HP is 20% or less.

――――――――――――――――――――

Meeting the condition, a red light overflowed from deep within my body.

I could feel power surging through my entire body.

"Furthermore, 'Sacrifice Life'!"

I raised my sword and roared.

――――――――――――――――――――

Sacrifice Life [Normal Skill]

Can only be activated when HP is 50% or less.

Reduces defense to [0] and increases attack power by the same amount.

Continuously consumes MP while active.

――――――――――――――――――――

The red light of "Raging Dragon of the Death Line" and the blue-white light of "Sacrifice Life" intersected.

This is the standard three-combo of a heavy knight.

My HP is almost depleted, and the only thing protecting me is the "Life Shield."

"Although it prioritizes speed over the Nightbone, the overall form should not have changed much! We will proceed with the planned strategy!"

I kicked off the ground and ran from the right side of the corridor.

Luuce jumped to the opposite side and ran along the wall using "Acrobatic Step," slightly ahead of me.

The appearance of the Skullrider was as I had anticipated.

From the footsteps Kelth heard, it was evaluated as a quadruped.

Given that it retained the characteristics of a Nightbone, the form and battle style of the monster were narrowed down to some extent beforehand.

However, having a shield was unexpected.

The presence or absence of a shield makes a significant difference.

We are aiming for a quick battle, relying on the heavy knight's combo firepower.

If the enemy's defensive capabilities deflect our critical strikes, it could ruin our chances of victory.

The enemy is much faster.

Even with the advantage of numbers, it is difficult to land a decisive blow against an opponent with a shield.

If we charge head-on with Luuce, we will both be scattered with a single strike.

"Now, Kelth!"

I raised my voice and shouted.

From behind the Skullrider, Kelth's figure suddenly appeared.

This is Kelth's skill, "Shadow Dive."

It is a skill obtained from the "Basic Assassination Techniques" skill tree.

While it allows Kelth to hide in the shadows, it consumes MP continuously, so it cannot be used for long.

Kelth was asked to hide just before the Skullrider appeared.

In this long corridor, having Kelth use "Shadow Dive" in front ensures that we can definitely catch the enemy in a pincer attack.

While in "Shadow Dive," the user's presence becomes faint.

If the enemy has never seen the user, the attack can be launched with perfect timing.

No matter how fast the Skullrider is, it cannot avoid a perfect surprise attack from behind in this narrow, dimly lit tomb corridor.

Especially with that large, elongated quadruped lower body.

"Point Shot!"

The arrow shot through the gap in the Skullrider's chest bone and pierced the blue-white sphere, its weakness.

The Skullrider's body shook, and it forcibly twisted to check its back.

As expected, it hit the mark in this crucial moment.

"Facing the enemy so leisurely...! Acrobatic Combo!"

Luuce kicked off the wall, twisting her body and swinging her knives.

The Skullrider drew its sword and used its shield to block Luuce's combo.

The narrowness of this corridor is a significant hindrance for the Skullrider.

It is a monster designed to fight in open spaces.

While its appearance in the corridor of the "Wandering King" is a threat, it is not entirely advantageous for the Skullrider.

Running along the wall with "Acrobatic Step," Luuce is difficult for a large monster with a big weapon to attack.

If it moves carelessly, its blade might get stuck in the wall.

Thus, it had to draw its sword and awkwardly position its shield, failing to block some of the attacks.

"And the main attack is this! Disarm!"

――――――――――――――――――――

Disarm [Normal Skill]

Reduces the target's attack power by one level for a short time.

――――――――――――――――――――

The blade glowed purple.

My strike, enhanced by "Raging Dragon of the Death Line" and "Sacrifice Life," pierced the Skullrider's chest bone.

"Disarm" is a powerful skill, but its main weakness is that it only lasts for one minute.

Due to the "Lord of Dreams'" common resistance to status effects, the duration is halved, and the reduction rate is also lowered.

"Slow!"

Meabel cast a spell on the Skullrider, following up.

A purple light hit the Skullrider.

This is a magic skill that reduces the target's speed for a certain period.

To land "Slow," Meabel had to come forward, which is unusual for a backliner.

"Y-Yes, I did it, Elma! The poison is in!"

Luuce shouted.

This is the low-probability poison effect of the "Poison Centipede Dagger."

This additional effect works well with Luuce's "Good Luck" and the increased number of attacks from "Acrobatic Combo."

The attack power reduction, speed reduction, and poison status effects were all applied.

The "Lord of Dreams'" resistance is strong, so the reduction rates are limited, and the effects will wear off quickly.

However, it is still much better than nothing.

The poison damage is negligible against the "Lord of Dreams'" resistance and automatic healing, and it can easily be naturally healed.

However, the poison also has a speed reduction effect, which is the main focus this time.

We took full advantage of the surprise attack and the terrain, landing the heavy knight's strike and various debuffs.

So far, everything has proceeded perfectly according to my plan.

But... the real problem is from here on.

We used all our main cards and stacked debuffs with the surprise attack.

The various effects last from thirty to ninety seconds.

Once they wear off, the four of us will be instantly killed without any means of defense.

From here on, we must continue to attack forcefully.