Elemental Barbarian (Dark) Extreme damage mode, or dark mode for short, was the most extreme mode of all those you could use with Elementalization. All your resistances were reduced to zero and you could not heal, as divine power was now dealing damage. In return, however, he had a ridiculous reward: he was immune to all kinds of state effects, such as Hemorrhage, Poisoning, Unconsciousness, Paralysis, Blindness, and many more. The random Soul Extraction penalty still applied as it was considered a system effect rather than a state effect, but honestly, it wasn't a problem at the time. The main advantage of Dark Mode was another.
[All attack types receive the Unavoidable Strike Correction.]
Dark Mode was Dungeon and Stone's only ability that had an auto-lock feature. Of course, since the motto of this game was an eye for an eye, the price of that ability was a body even more fragile than glass.
[All resource consumption increases 20 times. Cooldown of all skills increases by 5 times].
Those two downsides could instantly turn any normal adventurer into a joke, but they weren't much of a problem for me. It was already kind of funny because of the random Soul Extraction penalty. If there was one thing I needed to worry about, it was this:
[You will receive Backspace in proportion to the time Elementalization is active].
He had to reduce the setback he received as much as possible. So, simply put, every moment was more valuable than gold.
Well, let's do it.
When I took another step forward, Six quickly widened the distance between us.
Run.
She seemed suspicious of my change in appearance. Since I didn't know what was happening, it seemed like I was going to stop what I was doing so I could reevaluate my threat level. Which I appreciated.
Okay, now that I definitely have the aggro on me again...
I approached and swung my hammer. It was not considered a real attack if it hit randomly in the empty air. I had already tried it and there had to be a clear goal for automatic locking to be applied.
Jump.
As I had done throughout the battle, the woman avoided my hammer with minimal movement.
[Enabling Inevitable Hit Correction.]
At that moment, the trajectory correction effect was activated.
¡Rasgón!
A tear in space appeared in the direction the hammer was swinging. The woman observed this with a sharp look in her eyes. Although he didn't know what this move was, he was on high alert so he could respond at any time.
The swinging hammer sank into darkness and the hissing sound it produced as it moved through the air ceased. Searching for any trace of the missing weapon, his eyes moved to widen his field of vision. But it was useless. The hammer appeared a split second later, transcending space to hit Six's body with the force of the initial blow intact.
Hit!
It didn't take long for a dull thud to sound. Unfortunately, the blow didn't feel very satisfying as it went up my arm. That was because it landed on his abdomen.
Why is this woman so strong?
At first, I thought it was only Agility type, but it seemed like I had also invested quite a few stats in Defense. Judging by his expression, that attack did him no harm.
Man, if I still had Swing... I could have crushed her.
Too bad the Demon Crusher's increased damage only applied to blunt weapon skills and not the weapon itself.
Anyway, if it doesn't work once, I'll do it again.
I would have time to regret it later, when I had tried all the available options and failed.
¡They!
So I got rid of those regrets and brandished the hammer again.
Run.
Six widened the distance even further than before. It seemed like she was suspicious after that first blow, but unfortunately for her, that was not how this move was counteracted.
Hit!
My next attack was accurate despite the distance.
I finally hit him in the head.
The blow felt good this time, but surprisingly, Six didn't even let out a small moan. He just staggered a little.
Slip.
He slowly raised his head, which was tilted forward, to look at me.
Spit.
The blood from his mouth was spit out with mechanical precision. «Now I remember», he said solemnly.
…¿Eh?
«The rank five monster's special ability Flora, Elementalization. This is its effect when used in conjunction with the Spirit of Darkness».
Uh... Does she also go around memorizing the effects of essences? I guess it's possible. These are agents painstakingly trained by the palace, right?
«It's the first time I've seen it so it took me a moment to realize it, but...» Before I could continue, I immediately got up from the ground and ran forward. However, unlike before, Six did not back down. «Things will be different from now on».
¡Run!
Instead, he rushed towards me recklessly. From that action alone, I could deduce that he was not serious.
Ha, I only took two hits.
From now on, this was going to be hell.
¡Whoom!
I hit with my hammer as soon as Six moved. He didn't even avoid it. He had made a calculated decision based on the information he had at hand.
If you don't dodge it, you can at least choose where you hit.
The first thing to make contact was the hammer.
Hit!
The moment it hit Six's shoulder, an aura-covered dagger slashed through my forearm like tofu.
Stab!
Yes, this is why he was saving Dark Mode...
Although we exchanged the same number of blows, it was clear which of the two had suffered the most damage, as was obvious from the triumphant look in their eyes.
«You are more agile than I thought. It pointed at your neck».
Damn sea.
If he had cursed me instead, I would have smiled at the praise. But more agile than I thought? That was nothing less than the ultimate insult.
Launch.
Thanks to the fact that my Pain Resistance had dropped to zero, I felt a strong burning sensation in my stabbed forearm. However, I tried to see the positive side. To have received an aura with zero resistance, it was not too serious a wound. If it had hit me anywhere other than my forearm or skin, the injury would have been much more serious.
«Behel-aaaaaah!» I even used the stabbing pain as fuel for my fighting spirit and let out a scream.
«Tough guy».
This fight would end soon.
Una vez is different.
I hit again with my hammer. The exchange was the same as before. Six didn't dodge it this time either and extended his dagger.
Hit!
Rebelts.
We exchanged a blow each. Once again mine landed on Six's shoulder, himself.
Damn sea.
In my case, however, it hit the hand holding my shield. I hoped to use the shield to get out of it unscathed, but the aura-covered dagger pierced through the metal and even my palm.
Clunk.
It seems that he even cut the strap that held the shield to my wrist, because it fell to the ground, along with my little finger and ring finger.
Una vez is different.
In any case, I brandished the hammer again. This time, the structure of our combat changed slightly. Six also did not dodge this time, but instead faced the blow head-on, crossing his two daggers to block the hammer's path.
"Riiiiip!
The hammer was sucked into the darkness before it could collide with the daggers. A moment later, he hit Six's ankle.
Hit!
As thin as his ankle was, the impact must have been considerable, but the look in Six's eyes remained unchanged.
«... So this method doesn't work, huh?»
Jeez, I feel like a monster being hunted. Once again.
Balanced el martillo.
Hit!
Stab.
I hit her and received another stab in return. Once, twice, three times, four times - we exchanged many more attacks. I finally recognized her.
This woman... is much stronger than I thought.
His natural abilities were evident. He was capable of using an aura, and his sword skill was as fierce as that of the commander of Orcules.
Hit!
It was clear that she wasn't stupid either. After a few exchanges, he was able to put his knowledge of Dark Mode into practice.
Stab.
He also had good judgment.
«I can't use this shoulder anymore.» As if to prove my point, Six dropped the dagger from his left hand after determining that he couldn't use it anyway. Since this exchange began, this woman had purposely received most of my attacks on her left forearm and shoulder. He had made the pragmatic decision to concentrate the damage on a single point.
More than ten hits for an arm, huh?
Of course, compared to me, full of cuts and holes everywhere, I was practically unharmed. That's why I took a moment to let go of any excess zeal. I had wanted to go help my comrades, but...
All I have to do... is somehow kill her here and now...
With my goal simplified, my mind felt clearer. I could worry about what came next, like the barbarian warrior I was.
Hit!
I watched her like a hawk, treating every moment as critical. Or, actually, I felt like a wild dog. When this woman slipped and showed the slightest hint of weakness, he might lash out at her and sink his teeth into her.
Stab.
The forearm, the flesh, the wrist, the thigh: the leaf that until then had not reached my vital organs sank deep into my lower abdomen.
Hmm, this seems a little dangerous.
Zippp.
I propelled my wobbly body forward with the strength I had left in my legs and quickly took stock of the situation.
How much longer can I last? How many more seconds?
I had no way of knowing, but it wouldn't be much.
Not yet.
I tried to suppress the impatience. Just a little more and the time would come to end this long fight once and for all.
Hit!
Stab.
The battle continued without pause. No, calling it a battle would be a farce. Rather, it was a series of confrontations in which each party ignored any concept of defense with the sole objective of attacking and killing the other.
«The paladin who died earlier...» The woman busy dismembering my body suddenly spoke. I wondered what he had to say. «Was he a close friend?»
I don't know why she would be curious about that.
¡Whooom!
I responded after another hit from my hammer. «No.» We had known each other for too little time to consider each other intimate.
«So I don't understand it. Why are you going so far for him?»
«Because he's not someone who should die in a place like this».
I didn't know much about him. What he had seen was just one of the many faces of him that appeared in the maze. That's why I felt even greater regret. I wondered what it would have been like to go on adventures with Jun. It wouldn't have been bad, I thought. We would work well together most of the time, and every time his inquisitorial habits came to light, I would just have to cast a warning look at him. Although his unconditional support would have been a burden some days, at times he would have been a more reliable comrade than anyone else.
¡They!
And at parties? I wonder if I could handle his liquor. It's always guys like that who completely change their personalities when they drink. I wonder what kind of drinker he was.
¡Whoom!
I would never know. These people had stolen that opportunity from us. Not only Jun's, but also all the other members of the squad.
Stab!
Their lives were not disposable, and could not be wasted here.
«Behel-aaah!» I forced my loose arm to move. I refused to let these guys take anything else from me.
¡Aprieta!
I forcibly strained the torn muscles in my thighs to find balance.
Latigo.
A fierce aura flew towards my stomach, ignoring all resistance in the air as if it was determined to break my spirit. But then, the moment he had been waiting for finally arrived.
[The Luck that inhabits your body has blocked the damage].
Hit.
As if hit by a transparent barrier, the dagger stopped in mid-air.
So, it finally happened.
This was Probabilistic Retaliation, Gachabone's passive ability. Passives worked regardless of whether your assets were sealed.
[Your Ordinary Luck reflects 15% of your damage back to the enemy.]
The skeleton that appeared to my left brandished a dagger at Six. It was not just any dagger, but one with a fiery aura of the same color as his.
Run.
In response, Six quickly adjusted his posture and backed away. It was a scene he had already seen several times. Probabilistic Retaliation had been activated several times, even before he activated Dark Mode, and Six had evaded counterattacks with annoying agility.
Smile.
It was the first positive development in a long time.
I guess she doesn't know much about Dark Mode.
If I knew, I wouldn't have made that decision in a split second. The Dark Mode auto-lock bonus also applied to passives, like this one.
Riiiiip.
The moment the summoned skeleton dagger cut through the empty air where Six previously stood, a small crack appeared and swallowed him. Before long, he transcended space and sank into Six's body.
Dagger!
«Ugh.» For the first time in what seemed like centuries, a moan escaped from that woman of steel.
Damn. All that work just to hit his thigh?
I wasn't happy with that at all. If it had hit him in the neck, in the heart or between the eyebrows, it would have been an instant Endgame. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the result, but I didn't regret it.
Not that I didn't expect this to happen.
Starting with Hans A in the Crystal Cave, I had encountered countless enemies.
Yes, this is more my style.
Each time, Plan B had been what had led me to victory. So, in that sense, just as I had prepared, the time had finally come to end this fight.
Run.
Spit!
As I ran forward, I spat the blood from my mouth into Six's face. Although he no longer had Acid Fluid from the Corpse Golem, it could still block his vision.
¡Whoom!
The blood spit and hammer blow occurred almost simultaneously, a combo that shattered his field of vision. Six stuck out his shoulder as if he could see my trajectory anyway. It was the same shoulder that was already broken to the point that it was hanging.
Really using that arm, huh?
Hit!
The hammer landed on his shoulder.
¡Latigo!
Meanwhile, the woman threw her dagger at me. I didn't avoid it.
Stabbed!
The dagger sank deep into my lower belly again.
Slip.
Ignoring the pain, I took advantage of the moment I had been waiting for and threw my arm, the same arm that normally carried a shield and had been hanging limply since I was stabbed earlier. Six's eyes hardened.
Oh, so you didn't expect this either, huh? It was worth saving this until now, then.
Touch.
As soon as my fingertips touched Six's neck, I used my thumb, index finger, and middle fingers to grab him tightly.
Apriete.
¡Crack!
Then I fixed my forehead on his face, which remained distant despite the situation he found himself in.
¡Kwa claim!
Instead of holding Six's body as it fell backwards by force, I piled on top of it to crush it beneath me.
Stab!
I felt like my side was on fire. This was a bit ridiculous. Did he really stab me even when I fell?
¡Whoom!
In the mounting position, I lowered my hammer. Then, something incredible happened.
Ha.... amazing.
Even while his upper body was restrained, Six managed to avoid the hammer by using his reflexes to move only his neck. That was a surprise, but it didn't make much of a difference. It wasn't as if Inevitable Strike Correction didn't apply to close range attacks.
¡Crack!
The hammer I threw at his head pierced the space and crushed his feet.
Stab!
In exchange, I received another stab wound in the side. For a moment, I felt dizzy, as if all the force was leaving my body. But the more I felt like this, the harder I swung down.
¡Crack!
This time, the hammer hit a good spot. It must have landed right on his wrist. The dagger he was carrying in his hand flew into the air and fell to the ground.
Well, now he doesn't have a gun.
Now that I didn't have to worry about a counterattack, I hit again with the hammer.
¡Crack! ¡Crack! ¡Crack!
Six contorted his neck at odd angles three times to protect his head, but the fourth time was different. That was because that time, the hammer fell right on top of his skull.
¡Crack!
The strong jolt that the blow sent through his brain caused his body to stiffen as if he were having an attack. I didn't stop and continued hitting with the hammer. There were no more automatic locks applied. Not even a woman like her could move her neck to dodge the hammer while suffering a concussion.
¡Aplastar, monkey, monkey!
Una vez is different.
I raised the hammer to knock it down a fourth time and saw Six's eyes through the blood and crushed flesh of his face. It was a pretty strange experience. He had split countless heads before, but this had never happened.
Those calm eyes didn't seem to match the situation he was in. He looked at me with those eyes and said: «...I lose».
How indifferent. She didn't seem like the kind of woman who begs for her life, but she also didn't expect her to be so impassive.
Well, either way, I don't care.
«Nia... Raf... donia...»
I made the hammer fall with all my might.
¡Crack!
With a creepy snap, Six's body stiffened beneath me.
Huff, huff, huff…
My breathing was so fast that it was at the top of my throat instead of my lungs.
Is she really dead?.. really dead?
It didn't seem real. That's how strong his enemy had been. But I couldn't stay here resting forever.
Deslick.
After catching my dazed breath, I slowly stood up. «Erwen, you can turn off...»
«Sir!»
It was like my blood pressure had plummeted. My vision turned white and my body staggered.
Son of a bitch...
I needed to get up right now. There were still many people left to kill. I didn't know what I would end up losing if I fell asleep right now.
Slip.
My eyes closed.
[You have fallen into a state of Unconsciousness. Elementalization has been disabled].
[Remains of the Abyss: You have received Setback in proportion to the duration of your bond with the Spirit of Darkness. Launch time: 318 seconds. All Resistance values are reduced by 50% for 3180 seconds. For 3180 seconds, all healing and regeneration effects directed at you are reduced by 90%].