Chapter 77
The desperate gamble that could have been a self-destruct move was, thankfully, the correct answer.
The Red Core was indeed the Enemy Core.
And our real core had been hidden inside it.
Looking at the Blue Core in front of me, I stopped time again and thought.
I had somehow managed to see through the trap, but...
The situation had only improved slightly from the absolute worst.
I still had three cores left to destroy.
The number of ogres spawning every 30 seconds had swelled to 24.
The First Turret in Lane 2 had just been pushed through. The other two lanes probably wouldn't last much longer either.
...From here on out, it was purely up to luck.
I released time.
I ran toward the ogres swarming right in front of the Second Turret in Lane 2.
BOOM!
I launched a Flame Strike first, then dove into the midst of the ogres, using Blade Storm and Shockwave as well.
With their resistance raised to stage 3, the ogres had become even tougher.
I smashed the heads of the few that survived the barrage of Magic Skills with my mace.
After dealing with the ogres as quickly as possible, I sprinted down the lane all the way to the enemy Base.
Arriving at Core 2.
I deployed a Scorching Zone so that both the core and the portal were within its range.
This way, I could chip away at the core's health while also dealing some damage to the spawning ogres.
After 100 seconds, the Scorching Zone would destroy Core 2...
Without a moment to catch my breath, I headed for Lane 1, where the Scorching Zone would have deactivated.
\[The First Turret in Lane 3 has been destroyed!\]
\[The First Turret in Lane 1 has been destroyed!\]
While I was on the move, the First Turrets in both lanes were destroyed almost simultaneously.
It seemed it was too much for Flee to hold them off any longer.
Now, the First Turrets in all three lanes were gone.
All I could do was desperately block the ogres' advance and pray that Core 2 was the correct answer.
\[I can't block them all anyway...!\]
It was no longer possible to hold off the remaining lanes with just Flee and the Scorching Zone.
I sent a Telepathy to Flee, telling him not to overdo it while holding back the ogres.
If Flee ended up getting Unsummoned by mistake, it would be an even bigger loss.
After dealing with the ogres swarming down Lane 1, I reached Core 1.
I attacked the core while dealing with the newly spawning ogres.
I was simultaneously defending Lane 1 and chipping away at the core's health.
This was so that if Core 2 was the correct answer, I could quickly destroy Core 1 right after.
Conversely, if Core 2 wasn't the answer, Core 1's health would regenerate anyway, making it meaningless, but it was still right to chip away at its health just in case.
Even while doing this, Lane 2 and Lane 3 would continue to be pushed back, making me anxious.
I considered telling Flee to give up on defense entirely and go chip away at Core 3's health...
But I wasn't sure if Flee could properly hit the core while dealing with the spawning ogres, and doing so would leave the Second Turrets completely undefended.
Since the Second Turrets were all right in front of the Base, it was better to have Flee defend from the Base.
Still, the Second Turrets should hold out a bit longer, right...?
If those fell, there would be no defensive line left.
A One Third chance.
I desperately prayed that Core 2 was the correct answer.
If I couldn't even handle 24 of them, if it became 48 and their resistance went up again...
I would truly be screwed.
I suffered through so much bullshit on the 4th Floor. I deserve a little luck at least once!
Almost 100 seconds passed.
It was time for Core 2 to be destroyed.
The result was...
\[Incorrect Order!\]
\[A penalty will be imposed!\]
\[The number of summoned Enemy Monsters will double!\]
\[Enemy Monsters acquire Stage 4 Resistance!\]
"Son of a..."
My mind went dizzy for a moment.
I stopped time.
...I calmed my mind and released time again.
Despairing wouldn't help at all.
I deactivated the Scorching Zone deployed at Core 2 and started smashing Core 1 again.
The cooldown for Scorching Zone was 1 minute.
Since I had to wait for the cooldown after deactivating it to use it again, it was impossible to deploy a new Scorching Zone here and return to the Base.
So there was nothing I could do.
Now there were 48 ogres, a total of 144 pouring out every 30 seconds...
Going back to the Base to try and defend would be completely useless.
All I could do was smash Core 1 in front of me, praying to God that this time it was the correct answer, and that the Second Turrets would hold out just a little bit longer.
Flash.
The ogres spawned. 48 of them.
Most of them were aggroed to me, but perhaps because there were so many, some moved down the lane.
I poured Magic Skills onto the ogres.
BOOM!
With their numbers and increased resistance, the ogres were even harder to take down.
Before I could even finish them off, 30 seconds passed and another 48 spawned.
This is driving me crazy.
Guaaah—!
With Skin Hardening activated, I struggled amidst the swarming ogres, painstakingly continuing to chip away at the core's health.
...My stamina was slowly dropping too.
Core 1's health was now at 5 percent.
\[Please.\]
It's a one-in-two chance. One-in-two!
So please! Just this once!
CRACK—!
Core 1's health hit 0.
\[You have destroyed the Enemy Core!\]
\[Destroyed Cores: 2/4\]
...Finally, the message I had been hoping for appeared.
It felt like I had barely managed to open up a breathing hole.
I immediately stopped time and organized my thoughts.
Core 2 and Core 3.
Two left.
Even if I didn't get the order wrong, it would take at least 200 seconds to destroy both.
The problem was whether our core could hold out during that time.
Now, what I had to do was simple.
As soon as I released time, I would run to Core 2 and deploy a Scorching Zone.
Then I would return to the Base and block the ogres like my life depended on it.
There was no need to think about the case where Core 2 wasn't the correct answer.
If that happened, it would just be over.
Even if I didn't get it wrong now, I didn't know if I could hold out or not.
Still, there was plenty of hope left.
Thinking that, I steeled my resolve one last time and released time.
But...
\[The Second Turret in Lane 2 has been destroyed!\]
At the message that popped up as soon as I released time.
The hope I had harbored until just a moment ago evaporated.
\[Ah.\]
Fuck.
It was finally breached. The Second Turret.
I used the Leap Skill to escape from the ogres surrounding me on all sides, then sprinted down the bridge.
The Second Turret had been breached much faster than I expected.
\[The Second Turret in Lane 3 has been destroyed!\]
Another message popped up.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
What I witnessed upon arriving at the Base shortly after was...
Ogres endlessly pushing into the Base, and Flee fighting a desperate battle among them.
I immediately joined the fray.
BOOM!
Flame Strike, Scorching Zone, Blade Storm, Shockwave, Fairy Light Bullet, Ice Bullet...
I poured out all the Magic Skills I possessed.
Weaving through the ogres, my hands didn't rest as I swung my weapon.
Smashing heads, shattering legs, kicking, ramming with my body, tearing, shoving, and launching magic again as soon as the cooldowns reset.
"Uwaaah!"
Letting out a battle cry, I went on a rampage with all my might.
But if I killed one, two pushed in, and if I killed two, four pushed in.
There were just too many.
No matter how hard I tried to stop them from approaching our core... it wasn't enough.
The ogres pouring into the Base from all directions were endless.
\[The Second Turret in Lane 1 has been destroyed!\]
I stopped time.
...I lost.
There was no way to stop this, no matter what I did.
Even if I stubbornly held out longer, there were still two cores left to destroy.
I couldn't see any other way out.
I quietly chewed on my despair in the stopped time.
\[...\]
Was there even a single straw left to grasp?
I took an item out of my Subspace, then stopped time again.
\[Special Item: Scales of Life\]
Sacrifice the user's lifespan to obtain an equivalent reward. You can sacrifice anywhere from a minimum of 1% to a maximum of 99% of your remaining lifespan. Once used, the scales will break, and the user's remaining lifespan will be displayed.
The special reward I received after clearing the last Branch Tower.
I could sacrifice my lifespan to get an equivalent reward.
Though I had no idea what that reward would be.
If things continued like this, the clear would be a failure anyway.
Then I had to at least try using this.
\[Would you like to use the “Special Item: Scales of Life”?\]
\[Please determine the lifespan to sacrifice.\]
It was the moment I released time and was about to use the Scales of Life.
"...?!"
Diul?
Suddenly, Diul sent me an intense emotion, as if trying to stop me.
Before I even had time to wonder why...
Swaaaah!
Diul emerged from the bracelet and started spewing something like black mist in all directions.
The entire Base was instantly dyed in darkness.
Wh-what is this?
I stared at the ogres with my eyes wide open in surprise.
The ogres trapped in the darkness... suddenly started flailing about before collapsing.
It wasn't simply because they couldn't see.
As if they had lost their very sense of balance, hundreds of ogres crumbled down like dominoes.
Of course, I was perfectly fine without any effects, and thanks to Suggestion, my vision was clear.
...What kind of ability is this?
An ability that completely blocks out the senses?
\[Diul, you...!\]
Anyway, Diul had unlocked a New Ability!
I put the Scales of Life back into my Subspace.
I moved without a single second to waste.
Leaving the disoriented ogres behind, I slipped out of the Dark Zone covering the entire Base and dashed toward Lane 2.
I ignored all the ogres I encountered on the way and broke through the bridge.
Reaching Core 2, I deployed a Scorching Zone.
Then I immediately headed for Core 3.
"Haa... Haa...!"
My stamina was slowly reaching its limit.
It was because I had been fighting and running around without a moment's rest.
And the same went for Diul.
I could feel it through our soul connection. That he had overexerted himself to unlock a new ability to save me.
The Dark Zone covering the Base wouldn't last long. It was an ability that consumed far more power than Stealth.
So I had to destroy all the remaining cores before the Dark Zone disappeared at any moment.
It was a final, golden opportunity given to me by Diul.
Arriving at Core 3.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!
I started pounding the core with my mace.
Almost at the same time, Diul reached his limit. I felt the Dark Zone lift.
The ogres in the Base would regain their senses and start attacking the core.
...Now it was all or nothing.
If Core 2 wasn't the correct answer, I was done for. A one-in-two chance.
The spawned ogres annoyingly interfered again.
Clad in Skin Hardening, I took all their attacks and just kept hitting the core.
The Scorching Zone deployed at Core 2 was slowly reaching 100 seconds...
\[You have destroyed the Enemy Core!\]
\[Destroyed Cores: 3/4\]
As soon as I saw the message pop up, I felt like I had returned alive from the threshold of death.
\[It was right...!\]
So I did have a rat's turd worth of luck left after all!
To think my luck would finally come through at the end... Huh?
\[Only the final core remains!\]
\[The Boss will be summoned!\]
Another message popped up right then.
Red smoke slowly billowed from the Spawn Portal...
And a colossal, red-skinned ogre, much larger than the others, appeared.
Fuck, come to think of it, the boss hadn't appeared yet.
"Get lost!"
As soon as I saw the summoned boss, I used Mental Concentration and fired a fully charged Line of Destruction.
The Jet-black Ray pierced through the ogres in its path and right through the boss's head.
With its head and upper torso blown away, the boss swayed and collapsed.
\[You have defeated the Boss!\]
The cooldown was too long anyway, so I had saved it just in case while dealing with the ogres...
It was a good thing I saved it! Line of Destruction!
I finished chipping away at Core 3's health pool.
By now, our core would be under heavy attack from the ogres.
Since the Dark Zone in the Base had lifted almost exactly when I started hitting Core 3...
There was no way to know. Which side would be destroyed first.
Success or failure.
Life or death.
At a crossroads where I couldn't see an inch ahead, I just kept smashing the core.
And the moment I chipped away the last remaining 1% of health.
CRACK—!
\[You have destroyed the Enemy Core!\]
\[Your core has been destroyed!\]
Two messages popped up in succession.
The core in front of me crumbled, and all the surrounding ogres turned to dust and scattered.
I stared at the messages while catching my ragged breath.
...What just happened?
The answer to that question was provided by the message that followed.
\[You have Successfully Cleared the Nightmare Difficulty 6th Floor!\]
I was faster.
All the strength drained from my body.
"Hah."
I dropped my mace with a thud and finally let out a laugh.
Why is it always this close every single time...
Anyway, there was never an easy way out. Truly.
\[Absorbing the Floor's Power.\]
\[Level Increased.\]
\[Level Increased.\]
\[Level Increased.\]
.
.
.
\[Level Increased.\]
\[You are the first to Successfully Clear the Nightmare Difficulty 6th Floor.\]
\[The 6th Floor Hidden Route is now open.\]
\[Moving to the Reward Room.\]