Chapter 30
I managed to take down one of the Tin Knights with 〈Rampart Reversal〉.
However, even if I did that twice and defeated all three Tin Knights, it wouldn’t render Embryo powerless.
That was because the Tin Knights remained alive even after their HP was depleted.
They only became completely inoperable when Embryo, their true body, was defeated.
Until then, they wouldn’t grant any Experience Points, either.
Embryo’s mass of flesh writhed, and its single eye’s eyelid lifted.
A magic circle appeared around Embryo, and white light shot toward the Tin Knight.
It was Embryo’s spell, 〈Repair〉.
It could revive a motionless Tin Knight in perfect condition.
No matter how desperately I fought the Tin Knights, I would be forced into a war of attrition.
But when it used magic... its weak point, its eye, was left defenseless.
“Take this!”
I kicked off the ground and leaped far to the side, forcibly putting distance between myself and the two Tin Knights.
At the same time, I threw an earth-element magic stone infused with mana at Embryo.
It was a magic stone from a Patchwork Bear.
Attacks using magic stones didn’t deal much damage, and they consumed a lot of MP.
On top of that, they were costly, since you used expensive magic stones only once.
They were a strictly inferior version of magic Skills, but the fact that anyone could use them made up for that.
Countless earthen spikes extended from the magic stone in front of Embryo.
Red fluid sprayed from its eye.
“Gii!”
Embryo let out a shriek.
It was the only attack I had that could reach it up there.
I quickly got back up and maneuvered so that a Tin Knight stood between Embryo and me.
If I neglected that, its fast-casting 〈Sylph Cutter〉 would come flying at me and kill me instantly.
Once again, I was caught between the three Tin Knights.
I tried to knock away the one in front with 〈Shield Bash〉, but it jumped backward and dodged.
I quickly shifted my shield to the right to keep that enemy in check, then disrupted the one attacking from the left with a body check and swiftly used 〈Body Check Slash〉.
By damaging the enemy and then jumping backward with the recoil from my body check and slash, I managed to gain some distance.
That part went well.
But something had clearly gone wrong.
It had dodged my 〈Shield Bash〉.
In 〈Magic World〉, ordinary monsters shouldn’t have been able to react to my Skills with such agility.
The Tin Knight had clearly learned how 〈Shield Bash〉 worked.
Of course, that was only natural. This wasn’t a game world.
I had expected as much.
But now Embryo was far more difficult to defeat than it had been in 〈Magic World〉.
――――――――――――――――――――
Monster: Embryo
Lv: 50
HP: 31/42
MP: 43/60
――――――――――――――――――――
While parrying the Tin Knights’ attacks, I checked its 〈Status〉.
I would have to throw three more magic stones to defeat it.
Setting aside how many magic stones I had left, my MP as a swordsman-type would only stretch to three more.
And 〈Dream Lords〉 regenerated far faster than ordinary monsters.
If I took too long, I wouldn’t be able to finish Embryo off.
And then I’d be completely checkmated.
As I exchanged blows with the Tin Knights, Embryo moved and opened its eyelid.
It was the prelude to a spell.
“I thought it wouldn’t use offensive magic with the Tin Knights between us...!”
I knew that.
The fact that it hadn’t acted like it did in the game was already clear from how it had reacted to 〈Shield Bash〉.
I wasn’t sure how far a strategy that exploited gaps in its AI would work.
Don’t fall apart. Always do the best you can in the situation at hand.
I knew I was at a disadvantage, but my pride had made me stay rather than leave them to die.
At this range, I couldn’t react to a 〈Sylph Cutter〉 after seeing it—not at my Level.
I had to rely on experience and instinct to block it.
That was the best I could do right now.
I raised my shield and retreated.
Just then, the Tin Knight in front of me lost its head.
A heavy impact struck my shield, and my body was sent flying.
I endured the pain coursing through my whole body and gripped my sword and shield, determined not to let go.
If I let go of my weapons, it was over.
My vision swam.
My heart pounded.
I never knew a higher-Level opponent’s fastest-casting magic Skill could feel this vicious.
I tried to move my legs, but they wouldn’t respond at all.
As I wondered why... I realized.
The Stun status ailment.
It had a low chance of occurring when you took a hard hit.
The Stun only lasted a few seconds, but in this situation, that was an enormous amount of time.
The two Tin Knights closed in without mercy and swung their daggers at me.
“...Well, maybe my base Luck really is low. Should’ve had Ruche stay with me.”
The flippant remark slipped out before I could stop it.
Just then, someone grabbed the back of my armor and pulled me backward, knocking me down.
A Tin Knight’s blade grazed the tip of my nose.
“Well, thanks! And thank you for specifically requesting me!”
Ruche shouted in a quavering voice, as if to encourage herself, then stepped forward.
“〈Doppel Illusion〉!”
Ruche’s figure split into four overlapping shadows.
The two Tin Knights paused for a moment, then swung their blades at the illusions.
While they were distracted, Ruche herself retreated and came to stand beside me.
“W-What are you doing?! I thought you were taking those two and running...”
“It was practically a straight path, but you weren’t coming back at all, so I showed those two the way and turned back alone to see what was going on! You said you’d run away right away, so why are you fighting them for real?!”
Ruche said, her voice close to tears.
“I stayed because of the duty I was born to uphold... and because of my pride. Turn back at once, Ruche.”
I’d taken too long, and I’d used up too much of my stamina.
On top of that, Embryo had become a far more vicious foe than I knew it to be.
I couldn’t imagine it would keep letting me hit it with the same predictable magic-stone throws from here on.
If it stalled us even a little, its regeneration would make it impossible to finish off.
Our chances of winning were practically zero.
I couldn’t let her get caught up in this.
“T-Then I’ll stay because of my pride, too! You saved me... You said you needed my strength... You risked your life to protect me and help me escape...! If I had the kind of resolve that would let me leave someone like that to die, I’d have quit being an adventurer long ago!”
Ruche pointed her 〈Iron-Piercer〉 at the Tin Knights.
“Ruche...”
“I may not have any other abilities, but I have speed! Nearly twice as much as you, Elymas-san! I can’t make excuses to myself anymore, saying I’m useless and can’t help... and I don’t want to!”
I had misjudged her.
In this desperate battle, I was a Heavy Knight who lacked speed and had no reliable way to attack the boss.
I wanted allies more than anything.
But the two adventurers from earlier had clearly lost their nerve, and Ruche didn’t seem particularly bold either, so I thought she’d freeze up in front of Embryo.
But Ruche had gone out of her way to come all the way back for me... and at the last second, she’d protected me from the Tin Knight’s attack.
Ruche was far braver than I’d thought.
“...I’m glad to hear you say that, but I misjudged things. The only effective attack I had, throwing magic stones, probably won’t work on it anymore. And neither you nor I have a ranged-attack Skill that can hit something floating in the air.”
“But does that mean you’re giving up?! There has to be something we can do...!”
“I have a trump card that can exploit that baby’s... Embryo’s weak point and kill it in one blow, but I only get one chance. If it fails, we won’t have any options left... Will you help me? If you can’t, then run away for real this time.”
How could we defeat Embryo with the strength we had now?
Embryo was a technical boss, which meant that if you could exploit its weakness, you could take it down easily, almost anticlimactically.
There was a strategy I’d thought of first, then immediately discarded because of the risk and how unrealistic it seemed.
If there was no other way, I’d have to rely on it.
“Let’s do it, Elymas-san!”
Ruche nodded without hesitation.
“Thank you, Ruche. Let’s take Embryo down together.”