Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Steel Tower (6)

#44

Rudel Asberg.

An intermediate boss that must be faced to save Valkeros.

Due to the timing of appearance and unique vicious patterns he had several nicknames containing users’ hatred such as Rudel, dementia old man, inssa slaughterer.

‘In the end meeting before entering the 4th floor.’

Bran twisted his lips.

Judging from coming up despite cutting communication it seemed he came for personal business.

No luck fuck.

Looking around Rudel clicked his tongue and lamented.

“Aigoo. Precious experimental subjects···.”

His gaze was staying on the death row inmates who froze to death.

The corpses frozen in the sleeping posture as is looked like plaster statues of Pompeii.

Damn old man. If someone sees they’ll know it was me not him.

“Th-that person surely?!”

“Huuum··· using a shitty ability.”

Kale and Ilark also seemed to have grasped the situation.

Both faces were turned white due to the cold.

Especially Ilark was even clacking her teeth.

“Start the engine. Kale you wrap the cloak.”

“Th-I should. I can’t endure at all···!”

Hearing Bran’s words Ilark caught her breath.

Red heat began to waver inside her chest.

Sufficiently understand.

Although the system message is not visible, both would be in the same situation as himself.

『The chill of the Outer Sea seeps into the body.』

『While exposed to the chill physical abilities decrease.』

Every time breathing white steam was scattering.

The reason the air changes first when Rudel appears is also because of this shitty chill.

Along with the Otherworld presence a wide-area debuff that greatly decreases mobility.

‘How good it would be if I also had one like that.’

Hehe. Since it’s a golem research institute if I just prepare well to fight golems it will be fine right?

The culprit that freezes the hearts of newbies who made that complacent judgment.

Especially if a user who picked a close-range physical character like Bran.

Suddenly, Rudel turned to Bran again.

“Young man. By any chance are you that kind?”

“······!”

It was a gentle voice to the point of wanting to answer kindly but Bran was not deceived.

One of Rudel’s vicious patterns.

He knew the fact that magic was cast along with the question.

“Dodge!”

Huuung- At the same time as Bran shouted wind blew.

This time the remaining two also succeeded in detection.

“Kale, come here!”

“Kyaak!”

Just as Ilark who wrapped Kale with her tail and leaped landed on the steel cage.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!!

Chill exploded along the path the wind passed.

Dozens of giant ice thorns revealed themselves in the place the explosion subsided.

The thorns sharp like a devil’s spine extended from Rudel’s feet to the place the three were.

“Fuck. Magic or what?!”

At the chill blowing again Ilark spat out a curse.

It was different from ordinary chill.

Although she had stayed even in land that is winter all year round she had never felt cold this unpleasant.

“Hehe, everyone has good sense. That’s why you could come this far and cause a disturbance.”

Rudel smiled while sweeping his beard.

Despite encountering three intruders not a shred of tension could be found on his face.

“Since you answer nothing I won’t ask further. After freezing and smashing the limbs if we slowly have interview time the mouth will open a bit.”

“Hiiik···!”

“Fuck, even so you’re just a spell caster!”

It was then.

Bang! Ilark who gripped the axe with both hands kicked the cage and leaped.

Heat haze was wavering around the axe blade that heated red.

“I’ll split your head in half!”

“Wait a moment, Ilark!”

Bran’s eyes widened.

If an ordinary mage it might be different but Rudel had bad compatibility with her.

Rudel’s eyes opened round.

“Hue. It’s been a long time seeing a dragonblood.”

“Die!”

Ilark drove the axe down.

At the same time Rudel raised his arm.

Hwaaaaak!

A silver cold wave covered her.

“Keuk···!”

Ilark swept by the cold wave clenched her teeth.

The copper-colored skin was being covered in frost.

Extreme pain would be accompanied but she did not stop.

Just as the axe blade that eventually cut the chill was about to split Rudel’s crown.

“Ice Wheel.”

A low mutter leaked from between Rudel’s lips.

The chill that had been fluctuating at his feet exploded while causing a whirlpool.

Boooom-!

A thick ice barrier surged while surrounding Rudel.

“What.”

Ilark flinched.

It was not an ordinary thick wall.

The chill of the Outer Sea was wavering over the dark blue ice.

Boooom!

Ilark who hit the barrier and bounced collided with the wall.

“Kraak!”

“A-no!”

Kale was astonished.

A moan full of pain burst from the mouth of the sprawled Ilark.

Frost with a silver tint was covering the upper body.

Because she was swept head-on without avoiding earlier.

“Amazing monstrous strength. To dig this deep.”

Looking up Rudel let out a hollow laugh.

The giant double-bladed axe was stuck in the middle of the barrier while cooled cold.

“Even the fist of a new model golem that exerted full power only leaves a scratch at most···.”

Monstrous strength far exceeding expectations.

To damage extreme ice forged with the chill of the Outer Sea this much.

Ilark who barely raised her upper body coughed.

“Cough, cough! Fuck, embarrassing···.”

“D-don’t say that kind of thing! I’ll fix you quickly!”

Kale knelt next to her.

Paaaaa···!

Warm sunlight poured from the tip of the staff.

“W-why is this like this?”

“···Why?”

However just as he was about to feel relieved seeing the melting frost.

Kale who was casting Healing Sunlight let out perplexity.

“Something is strange··· ah, the morning light weakened.”

Unlike before the light was withering.

Mana and Divine Power had to be used at the same time but Divine Power was not properly manifesting.

Come to think of it Morning’s Blessing was also in a state where performance was significantly lowered than usual.

Rudel who was enjoying leisure inside the ice barrier raised an eyebrow.

“Aha. There was a cleric. Somehow I thought there was a bad smell.”

“Damn old man! What did you do to my friend!?”

“I did nothing. The power of the true god only drove out the fake’s prestige. Like a river flowing from above to below it is a natural phenomenon.”

Kale and Ilark’s faces hardened.

Bran who was standing on the opposite cage opened his mouth.

“The Outer God’s Veil covered your light.”

“V-veil?”

“Yes. Around that old man Rawiena cannot find you.”

This is also a shitty point of the Abyss.

Outer God’s Veil.

A continuous debuff that weakens the power of skills based on Divine Power when the Divine Power value is below a certain value.

A debuff skill most members of the Abyss possess.

Bran twisted his lips.

‘A bit short. It seemed it would work.’

Manifesting Divine Power means becoming an existence that emits light.

Divine light invisible to people.

Gods looking down at the ground from the Pantheon are drawn to those who shine like a sailing ship following a lighthouse.

The profession people who emit particularly strong light here eat is exactly clerics and paladins.

“As expected strong. Rudel.”

Summarizing it meant that the current Kale’s Divine Power is not strong enough to pierce the veil.

Not being able to see Kale’s status was lamentable.

If he knew the exact value of Divine Power he could have prepared more strategically.

As of now the method to normalize Divine Power was only distancing from Rudel and escaping the veil.

Then.

“It is the general manager’s magic! The central area!”

“Confirm. Performing the order.”

“Everyone gather to the central area!”

Suddenly shouts began to ring out from beyond the outer wall.

The number was many. At least dozens to hundreds.

Noticing that it was the remaining forces that were in the laboratory was not that difficult.

Rudel smiled.

“Hehe. It seems ended.”

“A-no.”

Kale gasped.

The thudding footsteps were quickly getting closer.

If support forces come following Rudel there was no longer a chance of winning.

He had to hurriedly defeat Rudel or charge into the 4th floor.

But, how?

They had not even found a method to pierce the ice barrier let alone Rudel.

There is no way Rudel would leave them fleeing.

If like this the communication network will be restored and it will enter even Silien’s ears.

Truly a despairing situation.

Just as Kale was continuing the prayer while catching a short breath, Bran opened his mouth.

“Ilark. Not to the point of dying right?”

“What? Of course!”

Ilark shouted.

Actually she had recovered quite a bit more than earlier.

No matter how much performance decreased Healing Sunlight was a high-performance skill.

“This cold··· uuu, I can shake it off and get up quickly!”

“Good. Then let’s ask a favor. Handle the guys swarming together with Kale. With the level of heat you learned now you cannot block Rudel’s chill.”

“What? Then what about that old man?!”

“What how. I have to catch him.”

Bran answered calmly.

He expected that Ilark’s performance in the Rudel fight would drop somewhat.

From old times dragon types had bad compatibility with ice.

Although Ilark was a hybrid of the Fire Dragon so a bit better, she was still insufficient to block the chill of the Outer Sea.

‘Rather this is better. It was uneasy anyway.’

Anyway smashing the entire 3rd floor was achieving the desired purpose.

In that process Kale and Ilark’s level might rise.

Tat. Lightly landing Bran faced Rudel.

The interval was about fifty steps.

Meeting Bran’s eyes Rudel let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

“Hehehe. Did I hear wrong just now? You’ll face this old man alone?”

“It seems wrinkles have not yet formed on the eardrum.”

Bran pulled the sword hilt.

Bang! Catching his posture he began charging toward Rudel.

The eyes of Rudel who had been gentle all along narrowed thinly.

“This is a bit, even in my eyes arrogant.”

Everything has a degree.

Rudel raised his arm.

Boooom-!

A cold wave surging in silver exploded toward Bran.

It looked like seeing an avalanche pouring horizontally. A harsh cold fog swallowed Bran.

“B-Bran!”

“Hmm. The momentum was good but.”

Rudel held a sneer.

A boy whose physique is half or not of a dragonblood could not survive there.

The chill that rushed without hesitation stopped only after colliding with the gate of the laboratory and causing an explosion.

It was the moment he slowly lowered his arm.

Paaak!

As the cold wave tore left and right Bran who covered his body with the cloak rushed out.

“What···!”

Rudel’s eyes widened.

The cloak covered in frost was fluttering.

On the blade made of Numerite icicles were forming like saw blades.

“Damn cold.”

Bran muttered.

There is no sensation on the face. The chill that seeped under the skin was cold enough to die.

He hoped there would be no aftereffects.

『The Red Wolf’s cloak partially defends the chill!』

『The decreased physical abilities return to original.』

『High Mental Power shakes off the Otherworld presence!』

Messages were rising one after another.

There was no other reason he was obsessed with Zerban’s hidden piece.

The option specialized in defense was perfect for Bran.

Furthermore, while Ilark sacrificed one body and rushed he was not playing.

『You ingested an elixir made from half-moon flower. During the duration magic resistance increases!』

『You ingested the fruit of the enemy night. During the duration Strength and Endurance increase!』

『Heart of Harmeno activates. Beneficial effects from plants are amplified double!』

Thanks to her buying time he could dope while preparing for a short battle.

At some point the distance between the two had narrowed to about ten steps.

Facing Bran Rudel supported his forehead and burst into laughter.

“Quite good! However you won’t be able to pierce this!”

Still an ice barrier remained between him and Bran.

Fact. With only the doping done so far he could not break that.

“I know too.”

“What?”

However Bran’s goal was not the barrier from the beginning.

Crunch.

The blade that absorbed pure mana became explosively heavy.

“Hueup!”

Bran who rushed while tearing the cold wave smashed the floor with the longsword.

Boooom-!!!

As the frosted iron plate split in half a cliff full of mechanical devices appeared.

“Th-this crazy!”

For the first time a curse popped from Rudel’s mouth.

He had completely forgotten. Between the central area and the 4th floor there were no particularly blocking structures or ground.

No matter how hard the ice if it collapses with the floor there is no help.

Crunch!

Bran who rode on the ice cylinder pulled out Ilark’s axe and threw it.

“Ilark! Catch!”

“World fuck, Bran!!”

Falling began.

From beyond the hole that already became distant Ilark’s voice rang out.

Fortunately the axe passed the hole and went over.

"Th-this world’s idiot-like guy...!"

Rudel spat out a curse with eyes wide open.

It is an expression he has never seen as a player.

The guy who was always leisurely coming out like that so a strange pleasure was felt.

Crunch!

Firmly stabbing the sword into the ice barrier Bran, facing Rudel opened his mouth.

“Let’s fall together. Old man.”