The Cariathea Glacier Wizard was a rank three mutant of the Elder Lich class. The conditions to invoke it were very simple.
[Special condition – Momentary stimulation satisfied.]
Sometime between five and ten days before the seventh floor closed, all that had to be done was to use the rank one space-time spell on Glacier Eye.
Ddddddddd.
As soon as the canyon stopped shaking violently, monsters crawled from the cliff below, claws outstretched.
«What the hell? Why are there monsters?»
«Wait, these aren't the same ones that appeared here before».
«Skeletons...? Are there Skeletons here?»
Momentarily confused by the monsters appearing out of nowhere, our squad members, who were already in battle formation, began to rush to brandish their weapons to make them retreat.
«Yandel, what the hell have you done?», the team leaders around me urgently asked.
«I used space-time magic to activate one of Gabrielius' Achievements».
"...Because?"
«Because when it comes to fighting monsters, we have an advantage over Noark».
Jun spoke in James' place this time. «What you're saying is that if we have to fight the same monsters, we're in a comparatively better position».
«Yeah. Since they don't have a priest or a wizard, we should be able to maintain this distance until we leave Glacier's Eye».
Not only did we maintain, in reality, we might even be able to widen the distance even further since the Skeletons were rising from below. Since Noark was behind us, they would have to take care of the skeletons we left behind. The only wild here was Cariathea, who was basically a boss monster.
However, it will take a day to get there, so we don't have to worry about it yet.
«Well, do you understand now?»
«Yeah.» Jun nodded and agreed that my plan was logical, but Calla seemed to have trouble with him.
«Is this what you meant by taking the hard way? The first line is not well equipped, there will be untold damage!».
He definitely wasn't wrong. Most of the warriors had taken off their equipment. Inevitably, there would be casualties.
«Still, I think this is better than fighting them head-on, considering the state we're in, so get back to your position».
I told him I wouldn't take notes, but Calla still tried her luck one last time. «What... difference will it make to reach the top of Ojo de Glaciar like this?».
Are you serious?
«It will make a big difference.» It seemed like I hadn't expected such a confident response as Calla looked at me blankly. Maybe he wasn't good at people being firm with him. I didn't know it, but instead of explaining myself in detail, I instilled more confidence in my tone. «So trust and follow me».
«...Okay.»
Okay, are we done yet?
«What are you all looking at? Go take care of your group members».
I sent the team leaders around me back to their positions and headed to the front of the group. That was my position.
«Sir, don't try too hard».
«That? Aren't you going to try to stop me this time?»
«Well... you have the same look you had in the Crystal Cave then...»
He hadn't been able to look at me in a mirror then, so he had no way of knowing if that was true. But I hoped to achieve a similar result.
[You have launched gigantization.]
After activating my default battle mode, I raised the shield and hammer. Maybe it was because I had gotten rid of my armor and was only wearing fur clothes over my bare skin, but...
Wow, I'm no different from a real barbarian.
This was True Barbarian Mode.
«Yandel, we can go now!» As soon as Kaislan gave me the go-ahead from his position near the rear, I stepped forward.
«Ah.» I was startled when I saw the Skeleton blocking my path.
True, I don't have to hide anymore. Okay, that's a positive thing, at least. So here I go.
«Behel-ahhh!» I believed that the blessing of my ancestors was with me.
¡Boom! ¡Boom!
I ran forward with thunderous footsteps and covered my entire upper body for a shield charge.
¡Kwa claim!
Using my shoulder to add weight to the shield, I pushed the bone bastards. For reference, I was the only one on the front line. The rest of the front line, including those doing close-range damage, had been sent to the rear to defend the flanks and rear.
«Make them back!»
The crew followed me, taking care of the skeletons climbing the cliff.
«¡Agh!»
«Get lost, son of a bitch!»
«¡U-Ugh...!»
Among the sounds of the fierce battle were occasional moans. It was to be expected, considering that the vanguard had gotten rid of all its armor.
Slide!
One of the skeletons pierced someone's skin with its rib as it passed.
[Riard Ashed has cast the rank five Regeneration Prevention curse spell].
Concerned that the Natural Regeneration of the people might work against them, the wizards continued to cast curse spells on their allies, but it was the equivalent of urinating on their pants to keep warm in winter. It only briefly prevented the wounds from getting worse. It did not heal the wound itself.
King!
The cuts opened wider with each violent movement and our unhealed wounds continued to ooze blood. Meanwhile, the wounds oozed and deteriorated. No curse could reduce Natural Regeneration to zero.
«Ahhhhhh!»
One hour, two hours, three hours. As the time we spent pushing monsters increased, so did the number of wounds sustained by the squad. It was a vicious cycle in which even the smallest of wounds slowed you down, causing even more wounds. Of course, they would not suffer such wounds if mana shields protected them.
But that would be like drinking seawater to quench your thirst.
How could you cover so many people with mana shields? If we did that, our mages would run out of mana in three hours.
¡Kwa claim!
Damn, I really can't let my attention get lost for even a second.
The situation in the back was also quite serious, but mine wasn't much better.
«¡Behel-ahhh!»
He was clearing the way forward using all the strength he was capable of to push the monsters out of our way. The amount of energy it burned was extreme. No, energy wasn't even the problem. If it weren't for Primordial Cell and Soul Immersion, I would have run out of PM a long time ago and gigantization would have been disabled.
Uf.
Not only that, but wounds were also building up on my body. My Physical Stamina made me essentially immune to this mob crap, but Skeletons didn't just use physical attacks. Even someone like me ended up bloody if they took ice damage from a Bone Blast to their face.
«Yandel! Another one in front of you!»
Shortly after killing one, another huge Skeleton appeared. Since he was four heads taller than me in giantization mode, it wouldn't be unreasonable to call him big, but in reality, this guy fell into the medium-sized category. The Big Skeleton was another beast.
¡Bum! ¡Boom!
The fact is that a super-large Skeleton climbed the cliff, its red eyes glowing in the dark.
«A-Below! It's going up again!»
«¡ Priesteee!»
Before this guy could reach us, the priests used a series of divine powers to take him down like last time.
«Kwohhhhhh!» The Supergiant Skeleton let out a bloodthirsty howl that echoed throughout the chamber before disappearing. That wasn't a big relief, though. We all knew he would show up again in a few minutes to see if there was anything to eat.
¡Crack!
For now, I used Swing to crush the skull of the medium skeleton that was blocking my path. Then, using my shield again, I pushed back the rest of the bony bastards to clear the way.
«Hehehe». As I trudged forward without even a moment to catch my breath, I found myself laughing for some reason. Not because I was happy, but because I felt like I would have a fit if I didn't.
¡Aprieta!
My muscles screamed.
¡Crack!
My mind went blank.
«Ahhhhhh!»
But despite everything, my body firmly repeated the same routine over and over again, and my brain kept my thoughts as positive as possible.
The good news is that there are still no signs that the enemy has caught up with us.
It had been about four hours since this wave of monsters began. Inferring our distance using detection magic was no longer possible due to the monsters, but our pursuers had not yet caught up with us. He was sure those bastards were trying to stop them from hurting them.
They were probably moving forward as cautiously as possible.
On the other hand, we were burning our bodies like blocks of coal just before they turned to ash. Even if they hurt me, getting the squad up this hill came first. It wouldn't be fair for them to catch up with us when we were operating under a mentality like that.
¡Foreign!
Just then, my legs bent momentarily before I managed to regain my balance.
...Have I lost too much blood? Hmm, I think so.
My body was like a destroyed water balloon right now. Wounds that normally would have healed within seconds were gushing blood everywhere.
This is getting dangerous.
I made a quick judgment. That's what survival was all about: choosing the lesser of evils. «Marrone, burn my wounds with fire».
«...W-What did you say?»
«I think I need to stop the bleeding now.»
«Stop the bleeding? What kind of bizarre... How can you say something like that with such a serious face?!». The magician was surprised by my request. Aside from the pain, the burns could ooze and worsen until they were incurable.
However, that wouldn't leave me worse than I am now. The wounds were already rotting. «It'll get better once we get to the top, anyway». Our priority now was to reach our destination.
Realizing that he couldn't convince me otherwise, Marrone gave a warning. «If something goes wrong, this can turn into an injury that cannot be resolved even with divine power. It can cause permanent damage to the body...»
Wow, it looks like a doctor telling me not to drink or smoke for three days.
I let his words enter one ear and out the other like the barbarian he was. «Still, it's better than dying here.»
«I will. I will. But I do not understand it. Why the hell are you so...?» He clenched his fists as if he didn't understand.
Gosh, she has a bad memory for a magician. What do you not understand?
«I promised before I left that I would do the hardest work, so you all just have to follow me».
«Ah...» Marrone gaped. He looked at me blankly for a moment before closing his mouth and seemingly deciding. Then, he cast the fire spell on his hand.
«Hehehe... I sobbed with laughter and tried to see the positive side as much as possible.
Yes, at least it's not cold anymore.
***
One hour, two hours, three hours. As the grueling journey continued, I could see another side of the crew with my own eyes. I used to think they were as weak as jellyfish. But now I could see that they were more like baby birds, and quite tough.
«Can you burn my wounds with fire too?»
«Please use an ice spell on mine. I think it will hurt less».
They called me crazy for cauterizing the hemorrhage without a potion, but now the rest of the front line copied my actions. Among them was a patient even worse than me.
«Just remove this arm.»
At Futa Rickerburn's words, the priest froze. «...Sorry?»
«I'm not thick. Not even divine power can fix so much rot. I also lost sensitivity before».
«Um... s-however, you should rethink this...»
«Oh, don't look at me like that. Is there any one-armed adventurer in this world without a story to tell at the bar? I have seen many people without an arm, but losing one in a situation like this is not that serious».
It was the kind of prospective calculation that stunned even the barbarian next to me (me). But it must have been thanks to that kind of thinking that we were finally able to reach the top of the Glacier Eye.
[Field Effect – Glacier Eye has been disabled.]
This was the moment he had been desperately waiting for.
Desplome!
At the top of the last hill, the warriors immediately collapsed, on the verge of exhaustion. Terrible was not enough to describe the appearance of all of them, but huge smiles decorated each of their faces.
«We have arrived...»
«Fuck, fuck, fuck... We are... really here...»
«What are you doing? Wizards! Remove the curse spells, quick! We have to start treatments immediately!» The priests who had been forced to watch our desperate struggle helplessly all the way here gathered all the divine power they had, even though it also seemed like they were going to collapse at any moment.
«...You've done well. Really.»
«This arm... will be difficult to heal. I'm sorry.»
The priests cast guilty glances at the front line as they began treatment.
«Hmm, is that right? Okay, don't worry», said one of the people on the front line upon receiving those looks.
Kaislan cautiously made a request to one of the priests. «Hey, I know you're tired, but I want to ask you a favor...».
«I hear you».
«I only need one, a sincere prayer».
«A sentence...?»
«Yes, for those who died along the way.»
«...Of course.»
The priests knelt with their hands together reverently. Hearing this, the lying human members of our squad stood up and made the sign of the cross. Dwarves, beasts, elves, and even the only barbarian, who did not believe in human gods, did the same. Although we do not cross ourselves like them, we close our eyes and meditate, sincerely praying to our ancestral gods, guardian spirits or the World Tree.
«...Rest in peace».
Whoever is listening... please guide them to the sanctuary in which each one believes.
***
Our squadron currently had twenty-two surviving members. While crossing the Glacier Eye, two more people died on top of the summoner Milburn Naria. That was because it was a harsh environment that could not be conquered with the determination to burn flesh and cut off an arm. Matt Hybriham had been a champion of Team Four. Percival Eric Coulson had been a knight of Team Five. He was Kaislan's subordinate and a friend who had been in the same unit as him for more than ten years.
«Kaislan…»
«Haha, don't look at me like that. He did his duty as a soldier. I'm sure he doesn't regret it».
«...No regrets? How can it be?»
«Because you were there. Thanks to that, he was able to die while fighting to live to the bitter end. Such a death can never be meaningless... He died not for the palace, but while following me... and following in your footsteps.»
«I see... »
«I'm fine, so do what you have to do.»
After our brief prayer, we returned to work. The priests continued to treat the warriors and the magicians drew magic circles on the ground.
«Wait! You still can't move!»
«Nothing happens. Treat others first».
«What are you talking about? You are the one in the worst condition right now!»
What do you mean? If I was really that bad, I wouldn't even be able to move.
Ignoring the priest's protests, I checked on the rest of the team. Until now, I had been too busy clearing the way forward to pay attention to what was behind me.
«Akurava». As I looked around, I headed towards her. «How much food do we have left?»
«Looks like they ate the rest of the jerky even while fighting, then».
«...You were the one who forced us to eat it.»
Gosh, don't scold me.
«I'm saying everyone did a good job.» I changed the subject. «Where do you think they are now?»
«I don't know... I wonder too. Considering how tenacious they were following us, I don't think they would give up that easily.»
«I see... »
«I'll keep an eye on Glacier's Eye. So go rest. If you fall, that's it for our squad.»
"Good..."
After my conversation with Akurava, I went to the nearest priest to finish receiving treatment and sat near the entrance to Glacier Eye.
«You have done well, sir...»
The peace and tranquility that surrounded us made the hell we were in before seem like a distant dream. Even the cold snow on my back felt cozy. But as always, these quiet moments passed in the blink of an eye.
«Yandel! Are they!»
The moment the scream left Akurava's lips, our entire squad stood up from their naps and went into formation.
¡Pyuuu! ¡Pop!
We fired a signal flare at the bottom of the Glacier Eye. The space under the dark cliff lit up to reveal our twelve pursuers climbing the hill. The enemy seemed to be doing better than I expected. They maintained their formation as they moved and patiently fought the Skeletons. They also had no noticeable injuries. They also seemed to be well fed, because they didn't look thin. Unlike us, who came here with half-rotten legs. Well, that made sense.
Yes, it's because they climbed so carefully that they've only gotten this far now.
I gritted my teeth and looked down. They looked at us in turn, their eyes full of questions. It was obvious what they were thinking. It must have seemed strange to them that the frontline warriors blocking their path were not wearing armor.
I smiled.
The dragon slayer whispered something to his comrades before looking at me with the corner of his mouth raised.
Are you making fun of me? If so, it's a little funny. Still don't realize the situation they are in?
Do you know why I threw away all my gear and ran here in the first place? It had been a totally far-sighted decision. In Ice Rock, the value of the field trumped the value of your team any day.
[You have entered a special area. Field Effect – Glacier Eye has been activated.]
Well, the field effect starts here.
Step.
I took just one step back and stopped right at that border before shouting at my squad with a satisfied smile. «Prepare for battle!»
Now you have to suffer a little.