It was a disconcerting situation.
There’s a limit to adding tension to a relaxed dungeon conquest, but to encounter wights as soon as we descended?
Hadn’t the difficulty increased too much?
Wights were undead that even copper token adventurers were reluctant to subjugate alone. They were monsters that should be crawling around mid-level dungeons, not a mere 3rd floor low-level dungeon like this.
And not just one, but three of them…
“…This is going to be a bit difficult.”
I let out a deep sigh as I watched the wight crawling towards the far end of the corridor, dragging its ribs.
Wights were challenging opponents even for me.
Brunhilde, who was practically an expert in monster slaughter, might have been able to take them down easily, but…
I was just using Brunhilde’s body, not her actual self.
My strength was limited to Brunhilde’s physical specs, instinctive swordsmanship, and combat experience gained from slicing through two or three hundred people and monsters.
Even though that was enough to be recognized as at least copper token level, it was ultimately only half-baked strength.
The fact that I relied on instinct to wield swordsmanship was proof that I couldn’t utilize the ‘traits’ that the original Brunhilde possessed.
* * *
Perhaps because the background of the original novel was a world inside a game?
The protagonist Kim Seung-woo had an ability called ‘Status Window’ that allowed him to check information about others, like in a game.
…Only Kim Seung-woo.
Wondering if I might have the same ability, I tried it out after escaping from Gunther, but frustratingly, I didn’t have a status window.
Status window, status, skill window, information window, info, even window status – no matter what trigger words I could think of and shouted in my mind, nothing happened.
Isn’t this discrimination against possessed people?
…Anyway, ‘traits’ were one of the contents displayed in that status window, neatly summarizing the skills or abilities possessed by that character.
Things like <Spirit Magic> or <Stealth>, <Hero’s Quality> or <Magic Affinity>.
In simple terms, it was like a kind of skill window?
There were largely two types of traits.
‘Skill traits’ referring to techniques acquired through experience, like swordsmanship or stealth, and ‘Mark traits’ referring to innate constitutions or blessings.
Of course, the Brunhilde in the novel also had traits.
<Eisenstein Spearmanship>, the hereditary martial art passed down through the Eisenstein family.
<Eisenbalt Swordsmanship>, which she personally modified from Eisenstein Spearmanship into a sword technique.
<Ice Heart>, the reason Kim Seung-woo took her heart, and <Iron Arm>, a trait that was practically Brunhilde’s bread and butter for dealing damage.
And out of those four traits, the only one I was utilizing was at best Eisenbalt Swordsmanship.
Even that wasn’t being used properly, but was closer to instinctive outbursts.
If Kim Seung-woo were to check my current status window, it wouldn’t be strange if the trait <Eisenbalt Swordsmanship: B> had changed to something like <Unknown Swordsmanship: D>.
Still, I could at least manage to use swordsmanship somehow. For <Iron Arm>, I couldn’t even grasp how to activate it.
Brunhilde’s strength without using that trait was at best on the level of an ordinary knight. If I were to arm wrestle with Kikel, I’d probably lose nine out of ten times.
That’s why, unlike Brunhilde who could slaughter wights while sneering at them, I could only stiffen my body with tension while swallowing dry saliva.
* * *
After the wights had moved away, I turned my head to look back at my party members to ask for their opinions.
We needed to discuss whether to charge in while taking the risk, or regretfully give up and turn back.
“Hmm… if it’s just one, maybe we could ambush it somehow…”
Amy was lost in thought, stroking her chin with her right hand.
She seemed to be pondering whether we could handle three wights with our current strength, and if so, how we should fight them.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
“Shh, hunting should be quiet.”
Kikel was pressing down on Bolton, covering his mouth with his hand to prevent him from having a fit and rushing out.
I wondered why the man who used to have fits at the sight of undead was strangely quiet, but it turns out his snout was being covered by lizard hands, unable to utter a word.
“So… what should we do now? Should we fight, or retreat?”
“…Let’s try it for now.”
Amy shook her head at the suggestion of retreating.
Having come down to the dungeon with great determination to remove her apprentice label, she seemed too reluctant to return empty-handed.
“Hilde, can you handle one wight? You don’t need to win, just buying time would be enough.”
“Well… it’s my first time fighting a wight so I can’t say for certain… but if it’s just one, I might manage somehow?”
I answered honestly.
One-on-one, defeating it might not be easy, but I thought I could probably hold out. Maybe.
“If, warmer, can do it!”
Kikel also seemed ready to fight, tapping his leather-covered round shield and declaring. As if to say he’d have a chance if his body temperature rose.
Is he saying his current skill is weakened because he’s cold? I couldn’t help but chuckle at such a lizard-like statement.
“Divine punishment…!”
There was no need to ask Bolton. Even if we all decided to retreat, he looked ready to stay and keep fighting alone.
“It’s decided then. Well, let’s give it a try.”
I nodded with a faint sigh.
Honestly, from my perspective, giving up and turning back seemed better… but with all party members except me saying we should fight. As neither the leader nor the client, I couldn’t go against the majority rule.
* * *
“Listen everyone, I have a plan…”
Right after the party’s direction was decided to be combat, Amy told us all about her strategy for dealing with the wights.
It wasn’t particularly grand.
The whole plan was to quickly take care of the one at the back with a surprise attack, then while I kept one occupied, the three of them would subjugate the other one.
“Three of us against one. We can’t lose with a priest on our side, right?”
For some reason, it was a statement that greatly increased trust.
“Well said. We can’t possibly lose!”
“Kachak! Woman smart! Genius!”
Bolton and Kikel expressed enthusiastic agreement.
Their tension was so high, as if their livers had not just swollen but hypertrophied. Almost too much to keep up with.
Anyway, thus the ‘Wight Subjugation Operation’ was launched.
We hid our bodies at a dungeon corner, waiting for the wights wandering the corridor like patrol guards to return.
And after a while.
Thud. Ssha. Thud. Ssha.
The unique walking sound of wights, stretching out their grasshopper-like forelegs to touch the ground, then pulling their bodies forward to crawl.
“…They’re coming. Get ready.”
I placed my right hand on the sword hilt, tensing my thighs to be ready to spring out at any moment.
“…”
A rotten smell suddenly wafted past my nose.
Their presence was drawing closer.
“Krrrrr…”
…One.
“Garactur…Kriiakhe…”
…Two.
“Tiinahaan…”
Three.
Now.
As I gave the signal with my eyes, Kikel simultaneously threw a small pebble he was holding at the third wight.
Very gently. Just enough to provoke a reaction but not to be considered an attack.
Thunk.
The pebble, flying in a smooth parabola, tapped the third wight’s behind.
“Naah?”
The wight stopped crawling and tilted its head. The giant slug hiding in its throat suddenly popped out and looked around.
“Keuu…”
The slug let out a bizarre groan as it looked around.
It stood still like that for a while. The other two kept crawling down the corridor without a thought.
It was our chance.
Not just me, but the other three party members were also certain of this.
“Ignis Sagitta!”
“Oh Elianelle!”
Flame and holy light. Two streaks of arrows cut through the air.
『Flame Arrow』 and 「Arrow of Punishment」.
As if to prove the lack of creativity of the people in this world, magic and holy miracle with names and forms so similar they were almost identical.
The two streaks of light mercilessly pierced the head and shoulder of the wight, which had turned around in surprise at the human voices.
“Kahaaak!”
“Haaah!”
At the same time, Kikel and I also rushed towards it like fired bullets.
Kikel leapt low and brought down his hand axe and harpoon like lightning, while I quickly drew my longsword from its scabbard and swung it with the momentum of my charge.
“Kryaaaaak-!”
A scream-like roar echoed off the dungeon walls.
The slug parasitizing the wight’s head was engulfed in flames and roasted brown, while the Arrow of Punishment caused an explosion of light that half-severed the wight’s shoulder.
“Haaaap!”
Following that, my swung longsword completely severed that shoulder and deeply cut the wight’s neck, while Kikel’s descending axe and harpoon cut its tail and pierced its spine.
One arm, head, spine, and tail.
The wight, instantly turned into a severely disabled being, writhed and screamed.
Whoosh!
Swinging its half-cut tail and remaining arm like whips.
“Kikel! The spine, crush the spine!”
I shouted while deflecting the wight’s arm with my sword. The impact made my shoulder tingle slightly.
“Got it!”
The axe and harpoon rained down on the wight’s back like steel raindrops.
“I’m going for another shot! Ignis Sagitta!”
As Amy fired another Flame Arrow nearby, Kikel, excited by the heat of the flames, started pouring down not just a shower but a downpour.
“Yeah! Now I’m feeling alive!”
“Kriiyaaaaak-!”
It was with a momentum reminiscent of a master chef handling a cucumber on a cutting board.
“Mr. Bolton! The slug! Blow away the slug! It spits poison!”
Spewing the death poison filled in its abdomen. That was one of the wight’s main methods of attack.
“Groooo! Goddess, divine punishment upon this monstrosity! Rain down your divine punishment-!”
Bolton, with a battle cry of prayer that had no effect, shot another beam of light towards the sizzling slug.
“Kyaaak-!”
The wight urgently bent its neck, trying to avoid the incoming light beam.
However-
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The tip of my sword, which flew in like a ray of light without missing that opening, pierced through the slug’s body like a wedge, fixing it in place.
Towards the immobilized slug, Bolton’s 「Arrow of Punishment」 struck and exploded like a bullet.
Boom!
With a small explosion sound, shattered flesh pieces burst out in all directions.
“Guh…”
The wight, having lost its head, collapsed while uttering its death throes.
With a heavy thud sound, rotten fluid and ash powder spread out.
“We’ve taken care of—”
“Yes, we’ve taken care of it.”
Before the tactless Bolton could recite a resurrection spell, I quickly cut off his words and stabbed the fallen wight’s heart, shattering it.
That was the end of it.
“See! So easy!”
A victory obtained by ambushing and one-sidedly overwhelming the enemy. Kikel grinned while twirling his axe and harpoon.
“I suppose so.”
I had no particular intention to refute. Although it was thanks to the ambush working well, we did win more easily than expected.
“Gahyacur…! Kriak!”
…We probably won’t be able to take down the remaining two as simply as this.
Both the Arrow of Punishment and Flame Arrow were limited to four shots each, they had said.
Having used two shots each to kill one, the remaining number was two shots each.
It meant that if we couldn’t take down two wights with a total of four attack spells, after that we’d have to fight relying only on my and Kikel’s damage.
“Kyaoook!”
“Huapaak!”
The two wights that had returned after hearing their comrade’s scream charged at us, uttering incomprehensible roars.
It was a howl full of endless hatred towards the living.
“Whew… up to here is according to plan. The rest—”
“Is up to me, right?”
I waited for them to come closer while lightly rotating my wrist to loosen it up.
“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”
Amy nodded and smiled faintly.
I just nodded slightly in response, then turned my head towards Bolton and spoke.
“Mr. Bolton, you said you could use 「Blessed Sword」, right?”
「Blessed Sword」
A representative enhancement miracle of priests, it was a miracle that imbued holy power into the sword blade, increasing durability and dealing additional damage to enemies like undead or demons.
“Yes. Although only twice a day…”
“Cast it on me. I’m a bit uneasy with just this one sword.”
I said, showing my chipped longsword.
Unlike when the four of us ganged up on one, now I had to face one wight alone. There was no reason to save the buff.
“Of course I should cast it. Please cut that maggot into pieces for sure!”
Bolton nodded and muttered a low prayer, then stretched out his right hand pointing at my sword.
Whoosh!
The next moment, brilliant holy light settled on the chipped longsword.
It was so bright that it felt like holding a fluorescent light in my hand.
“Knuk… elia, luxior…!”
The wight facing the sword of light flinched for a moment and trembled its tail.
Does it understand that this light is a power of extreme incompatibility with itself?
Seeing that sight, I suddenly felt an infinite courage welling up in my chest.
“Are you afraid?”
I gripped the longsword imbued with the goddess’s blessing with both hands, and launched my body while spitting out a mocking provocation.
“Ubooooo!”
Towards the right wight that was crawling at high speed, enraged as if it understood the question of whether it was afraid.
The tough battle began.