Translator: Kurehas.h.i.+ Aiko

Editor: ryunakama

Chapter 66: Momentary Thoughts Part 13 Part 2

Pencilgton took care that each and every one of us was equipped with them. We have four tears for each person. We also have twenty seven full cure potions, and five copies of the item called "G.o.d of Life" each, which was basically a light version of the spell "Rejuvenation".

When fighting a monster that was this strong, and his every single attack was. .h.i.tting like a truck on a wide area, this was the only real way of preventing the party from getting literally decimated in a matter of seconds. And the Gravekeeper was exactly a monster like that.

And although it sometimes looked as though we managed to avoid his attacks, it wasn't always like that.

I change my weapons to the Swamp Daggers that the blacksmith Break enhanced for me. They should have increased damage and durability, and should be enough for now. I then switch with Katsu again.

「Okay, change!」

「Even if you are about to die, I'll just take care of it, so no worries!」

「Right……!」

Getting up from my knees I evade another attack that was directed at my stomach this time around. It took me some real acrobatics to pull off, but I did it.

I feel like it's going to be a wasted effort, but I still try to grasp a hold of my situation and possibly turn it over…… It was a movement like doing a flip on a pole?

「Uwaah!?」

Without a minute to rest I roll to the side, avoiding the sword that pierced the ground in the exact spot where I was kneeling just a moment ago.

The conditions for winning this fight are ambiguous at best, and we don't know just how long we must prevail for the "Time Elapse Theory" to prove true. But right now there was only one thing we could do.

「Thunder Cloud.」

「You can only die around ten times or so! Watch yourself……!」

I was looking for a way to get out of the range of the thunderous clouds that started to fill the arena, but I was too slow and I could only cry out in frustration.

Just like that, seven minutes have pa.s.sed.

「Thunder Cloud!」

「Incoming!」

「Gee, thanks for pointing that out, we weren't able to see it……!」

I used one of my evasive skills to avoid the damage from the spreading thunder clouds -- Skate Foot. Like the name suggests, it is a skill that allows you to slide at high speed instead of running normally. I was having my doubts if I'll be able to avoid all of the ridiculously high DPS, but it seems that by sliding at full speed I was able to do it just fine.

「Don't underestimate me!」

When the effect of the Skate Foot expired, I managed to avoid the rest of the damage with activation of my other defensive skill, Parrying Protection. It allowed me to negate the incoming attack, for the price of receiving five percent of the total damage done to me. It was a good idea to use it now, but I cannot really spam it for it would be really bad really fast.

I then rotate my body to avoid my right arm being slashed off by Gravekeeper's sword, and then jumped over another slash that would have certainly cut off my legs from the knees down if I let it land.

It was an acrobatic movement, but using it was kind of a last resort action. You could always be slashed in mid-air, or during that split second after you land. Not to mention that it was depleting your stamina gauge. But sometimes the risk was worth taking, if it means taking a small percentage of damage instead of its full value.

「I honestly think that machine gun fire is easier to dodge than that!」

「Switch!」

「Counting on you!」

We switched with Katsu while I threw Tears of Rebirth at him, just before the Gravekeeper managed to behead him with a huge Iai-style slash of his sword. At the same time I was trying to maintain some distance from the Gravekeeper, drawing his attention away from Pencilgton who was still preparing something.

「Hey, are you ready yet with your preparations!?」

「I still need more time! Try not to die by then!」

「I swear to G.o.d, if it's a whole hour that you need, then you're asking for the impossible!」

「Based on what I heard I need twenty minutes at minimum…… But if you could hold out until the thirty minute mark have pa.s.sed then that would be ideal.」

It's not that it was impossible, but as the time was pa.s.sing, it was growing increasingly difficult for us to survive on our own.

「Does this qualify as a s.h.i.+tty game mechanic, I wonder!?」

「I'm starting to think that doing this with three people only, was a really tall order!」

I know, right……? I mean…… what is this Pencilgton doing? He seemed to have been tinkering with something with the scales, looking at them and a small window interchangeably. As he noticed that I've been staring at him, Pencilgton grinned.

「This is the unique item called the "Scales of Balance." It took me some time and effort to convince its owner to let me borrow it from him. Its effect is…… Oh, I guess no one is listening to me.」

「Katsu! Time for a change!」

It wasn't to let him escape more damage, it was a change simply to take the aggro off of him. I activate Drill Piercer, my new skill, right in front of Katsu, and when I was sure that he had withdrawn I focus my full attention on the Gravekeeper.

「Does that mean the second phase is starting? Come on, then! Bring out your little horsie! My professional gamer friend shall take him on a rodeo ride!」

「…… Readying for ma.s.s transport. Deploying the summoning circle. Tactical War Horse "KIRIN".」

The Gravekeeper chants with a mechanical and rusted voice, a kind of voice that you surely wouldn't like to hear too often. Then, a huge magic circle appeared on the ground below us, almost as big as the whole arena we were now standing on.

This circle was now materializing a huge ma.s.s right in the middle of the arena, in a similar way in which a 3D Printer printed stuff.

「A horse……?」

「Yeah, but you wouldn't be able to tell that from its shape.」

「It really is a truck with legs, holy s.h.i.+t!」

「Told you!?」

After the summoning animation was finished, Gravekeeper Wezaemon resumed its unrelenting attacks. I could see it only for a second or two, but from what I saw, it was really a dump truck on four legs. It was by no means an exaggeration.

Not to mention that it was about five meters tall. Katsu, is he really going to be alright?