The Glacier Witch, Kariadaea.
Its individual name is Elder Lich, a 3rd-grade monster, and a high-variant classified as a Named.
A special boss that only appears for a certain period, from 10 days to 5 days before the 7th floor closes.
'It was about a 10% chance, right?'
That's why I couldn't help but live as an atheist.
The condition for this monster to be summoned is pure luck.
But it's appearing now, with only 8 days left...?
'Should I say, "Why today, of all days, when tomorrow is still an option?" Or should I be grateful that it didn't appear three days later...?'
It's like a glass half-filled with water.
Both positive and negative perspectives are possible.'...But fuck that.'
No matter how you look at it, it's a negative situation.
At least we avoided the worst.
We're only a day away from escaping the Eye of the Glacier.
We won't encounter the boss monster.
It spawns at the very bottom and slowly climbs up.
But the problem is...
"Everyone, snap out of it! Block these guys first!"
"...Be careful! They're stronger than ordinary skeletons!"
The skeleton army that started climbing the cliff as soon as the boss monster was summoned.
Even though the monsters aren't appearing from the front but from below, the pursuers will be able to easily break through the path we cleared.
'The distance will keep closing.'
I feel like my head is filled with cotton, even though I'm clearly awake.
Damn it, why is this happening now, of all times?
We don't even have a Hans among us?
Is there a Hans I'm not aware of? Not on our side, but on the pursuers' side?
That thought crossed my mind, and then...
Slap!
I slapped both my cheeks.
Not too hard, just enough to wake myself up.
'Lee Hansu, stop it.'
It's a kind of escapism.
Looking for Hans when I'm facing misfortune.
'Things just happened.'
That's how it's always been.
What about Lalkas's Maze?
When we encountered the Dragonslayer by chance, went through hell, and even lost a precious comrade.
Was Hans there?
What about the 1st-floor Crystal Cave when the Abyss Lord appeared?
It was a miracle that there wasn't a single Hans among the thousand explorers, but did things go smoothly?
Looking back, it was always like this.
When I faced truly shitty situations, Hans was never there.
As if the heavens were determined not to give me a scapegoat.
'...Then was Hans actually a lucky charm?'
That thought crossed my mind, but...
Well, I don't think so.
Anyway, thanks to that ridiculous thought, my head felt a bit clearer.
Heh.
Hans or whatever, what does it matter?
I just have to do my job.
That's all.
"Yandel! The members are panicking! We need your orders!"
Kaislan's voice brought me back to reality.
"Switch to breakthrough formation."
"Break through? You want to push through those monsters?"
"We can't just stand here and wait for them to catch up."
I gave Kaislan his orders and headed towards the front lines.
"Mister, don't overdo it."
"What? You're not going to stop me this time?"
"But... you have the same look in your eyes as you did back in the Crystal Cave..."
Hmm, I don't know. I didn't see myself in a mirror back then.
I hope the outcome is similar this time.
「Character has cast [Gigantification].」
I activated my default battle mode and raised my shield and hammer. But I'm not wearing any armor, just a thick fur coat over my bare skin.
'Wow, this is truly barbaric.'
The Barbarian Barbarian Mode.
"Yandel! We're ready to move!"
Kaislan reported that the formation was complete, and I looked at the skeletons blocking our path.
'Ah, I don't have to hold back anymore, right?'
Okay, at least this is a positive development.
Then let's go.
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
With the blessings of my ancestor god.
________________________
Thump! Thump!
I charge forward, my shield covering my entire upper body.
Crash!
I slam my shoulder into the shield, pushing the skeletons aside.
Ah, for reference, I'm the only one at the front.
The other melee attackers, including the warriors, are positioned at the flanks and rear, protecting us from attacks from those directions.
"Push them back!"
The members follow behind me, clearing the skeletons that try to slip past or climb the cliff walls.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Get lost, you bony bastards!"
"Ugh, ugh...!"
I hear groans mixed with battle cries.
It can't be helped.
The melee attackers are all wearing light armor or no armor at all.
Swish!
A rib bone pierces someone's skin and flies past me.
「Liard Ashid has cast the 5th-grade curse magic [Anti-Regeneration].」
The mages are constantly casting curse magic on our allies to prevent their wounds from worsening due to the reversed regeneration effect, but it's a temporary solution.
It only slows down the decay.
It doesn't heal the wounds.
Slash!
Every movement tears open the wounds, causing endless bleeding.
And the wounds fester and rot.
Even curse magic can't completely nullify natural regeneration. Most warriors have some regeneration essences, and they don't have zero magic resistance.
'Damn it, I should have kept my armor...'
One hour, two hours, three hours.
As time passes, the number of injured increases.
Even minor wounds become a liability, leading to more serious injuries.
Of course, if we had mana shields, we wouldn't be in this state.
But...
'That's like drinking seawater because you're thirsty.'
How can we maintain mana shields for everyone?
Our mana would be depleted in three hours—
Crash!
Damn it, I can't afford to be distracted.
Things are getting worse in the rear, but I'm also struggling.
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!"
I'm pushing through the monsters, clearing a path for the expedition.
It's taking a toll on my stamina.
No, it's not even stamina that's the problem. If it weren't for [Primordial Cell] and [Soul Dive], my MP would have been depleted long ago, and [Gigantification] would have been deactivated.
'Damn it, I'm getting sloppy.'
I've also been injured.
I'm practically immune to physical attacks from these low-level monsters, but...
Skeletons don't just use physical attacks.
Their bone explosions deal cold damage, and even I can't completely ignore them at point-blank range.
"Yandel! That guy's here again!"
I hear a shout, and a giant skeleton appears.
It's taller than me, even with [Gigantification] active, but it's classified as a medium-sized monster.
There's a larger one.
Thump! Thump!
A giant skeleton climbs the cliff, its red eyes glowing in the darkness.
"B-below! That guy's coming up again!"
"Priests!"
The priests unleash a barrage of divine spells, forcing the giant skeleton to retreat.
[Groaaaaar!]
It roars in frustration and disappears back into the darkness.
Damn it, it'll be back in a few minutes, looking for another chance to attack.
Crack!
I smash the skull of the medium-sized skeleton in front of me with my hammer.
But there's no time to rest.
I push forward again, clearing a path.
"Heh heh heh..."
I can't help but laugh.
Not because I'm enjoying this, but because I'm afraid I'll lose my mind if I don't.
Clench!
My muscles scream in protest.
Crack!
My head throbs.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
But my body keeps moving, repeating the same actions.
I focus on the positive.
'At least they haven't caught up to us yet.'
It's been four hours since the monster wave began.
We can't rely on the detection magic to gauge their distance anymore, but the pursuers haven't caught up.
It means they're also being cautious.
They're probably moving slowly, avoiding unnecessary combat.
'Unlike us, who are burning ourselves out...'
I'm willing to push myself to the limit, even if it means more injuries.
I have to buy time for the others.
Stagger!
I stumble, my legs giving out.
'Have I lost too much blood?'
Hmm, it seems so.
My body is like a leaky water bag.
Wounds that would have healed instantly are now gushing blood.
'This is dangerous...'
I have to make a decision.
Survival is about choosing the lesser evil.
"Marone, burn my wounds."
"...What, what did you say?"
"I need to stop the bleeding."
"S-stop the bleeding? What are you talking about...? How can you say that with a straight face?!"
The mage is horrified by my request.
She's worried about the burns festering and causing irreversible damage.
It's a valid concern.
But my wounds are already rotting, and...
"It'll heal once we reach the top."
We just have to survive until then.
"But... it might be too late by then! Even divine power might not be enough to heal it! You could be permanently disfigured..."
She's trying to cover her ass, just like a doctor warning you about the risks of surgery.
I ignore her.
"It's better than dying here."
"Okay, okay, I'll do it! But I don't understand! Why are you going this far...!"
She gives in and starts channeling a fire spell.
And...
"Heh heh heh..."
I laugh, trying to focus on the positive.
At least I'm not cold anymore.
________________________
One hour, two hours, three hours...
The agonizing journey continues, and I witness a new side of the expedition members.
Wow, I thought they were all weaklings...
But they're actually baby birds.
Tough baby birds.
"Hey, can you burn my wounds too?"
"I'd like to be frozen. It might hurt less."
The melee attackers, who had initially called me crazy for burning my wounds, are now following my lead.
Some are even more extreme.
"Hey, can you just cut this arm off?"
"...What?"
"I'm not stupid. This arm is already rotten beyond repair. Even priests can't fix this. I've lost all feeling in it anyway."
"But... even if it's like that, you should reconsider..."
"Haha, don't worry. There are plenty of one-armed explorers out there. They all have a story to tell. I'll be fine."
Even a barbarian would be speechless at that logic.
But maybe that's why...
We were able to reach the top.
「The Eye of the Glacier field effect has been lifted.」
The moment we had all been waiting for.
Thud!
The exhausted warriors collapse to the ground.
Their bodies are mangled and bruised, but their smiles are brighter than ever.
"We made it..."
"Damn it, damn it, damn it... We're alive, we're actually alive..."
"What are you all waiting for?! Mages! Dispel the curse! We need healing, now!"
The priests are ready to collapse from exhaustion, but they force themselves to channel their divine power.
"...You all did well. Truly."
"My arm... I'm sorry. I couldn't save it."
The priests apologize to the warriors.
"Haha, don't worry about it."
"I have one request."
The warriors chuckle and make a request.
"Just one prayer, that's all I ask."
"A prayer...?"
"For those who couldn't make it. For those who died protecting us."
"...Of course."
The priests kneel and pray.
The other members, regardless of their race or beliefs, follow suit.
Even the dwarves, the beastmen, the fairies, and even I.
"...May they rest in peace."
We pray for the fallen, asking for their souls to find peace.
________________________
Twenty-two survivors.
We lost three more members while escaping the Eye of the Glacier.
It was a harsh environment, even with our desperate measures.
'Matt Highbury.'
A paladin from the 4th Team.
'Pasible Eric Colson.'
A knight from the 5th Team.
He was Kaislan's subordinate and close friend for over 10 years.
"Kaislan..."
"Haha, don't make that face. He died a soldier's death. He wouldn't be too upset."
"...Not upset? How can you say that?"
"He died following you, not the royal family who abandoned us."
"...I see."
"I'm fine, so you should focus on your duties."
The short prayer ends, and we return to our tasks.
The priests continue healing the wounded.
The mages draw a new magic circle on the ground.
And I...
"Wait! We can't move yet!"
"It's fine, I can endure it. Heal the others first."
"What are you talking about?! You're the one who's in the worst shape!"
Well, if it was that bad, I wouldn't be able to stand here and talk.
I ignore the priest's protests and check on the expedition.
I haven't had time to do that until now.
"Akuraba."
I approach her first.
"How much food is left?"
"It's all gone."
"You all ate well, I see."
"...You forced us to eat, didn't you?"
She's being sarcastic, but I ignore her.
"Everyone did well."
I change the subject.
"Where do you think they are now?"
"Well... I'm curious about that too. They were relentless, so I doubt they've given up."
"I see..."
"I'll keep an eye on the Eye of the Glacier. You should get some rest. If you collapse, the expedition is over..."
"Alright..."
After talking to Akuraba, I let the priests finish healing me. Then I lie down near the entrance of the Eye of the Glacier.
"You worked hard... Mister."
It feels like a dream, the peaceful atmosphere compared to the hell we just went through.
Even the cold, hard ground feels comfortable.
But as always, the sweet respite doesn't last long.
"Yandel! They're here!"
Akuraba's shout jolts everyone awake.
They quickly form their ranks.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom!
Flares illuminate the darkness below, revealing twelve figures climbing the icy path.
They're in better shape than I expected.
They're maintaining their formation and moving steadily.
There are no visible injuries, and they don't seem to have lost any weight.
Unlike us, who are practically crawling back up.
'Well, that's to be expected.'
They didn't have to fight their way through hordes of skeletons.
I clench my jaw and look down at them.
They're also looking up at us.
With a single question in their eyes.
"...?"
They're wondering why we're not wearing any armor.
Heh.
The Dragonslayer, who's leading the group, whispers something to his comrades. Then he smiles, looking up at me.
He must be mocking us.
'They still don't understand the situation, do they?'
That's why I threw away my armor.
It was a calculated decision.
Here, field advantage is more important than equipment.
「Character has entered a special area.」
「Field Effect - Eye of the Glacier applied.」
Okay, the field effect starts from here.
Thud.
I take one step back, stopping at the boundary line.
And I smile, shouting down at them.
"Get ready to fight!"
It's their turn to suffer.
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