Elemental Barbarian (Dark) Max Damage Mode.
In short, Dark Mode is the most extreme of the various modes that can be activated with [Spirit Transformation].
All resistance values are 0.
Moreover, since you take damage from divine power, you can’t even receive healing.
But instead, you gain immunity to all kinds of status ailments such as bleeding, poisoning, stun, paralysis, and binding.
Such ridiculous effects are attached.
Even so, the random penalties are judged as system effects, not status ailments, so they remain…….
But that’s not so important right now.
The core of this Dark Mode lies elsewhere.
「All types of attacks receive an unavoidable hit bonus.」
A hit that cannot be evaded.
A unique option only attached to Dark Mode throughout [Dungeon & Stone].
Of course, as befits the motto of this game that loves equivalent exchange, there’s more to the price than just a glass body [fragile defense].
「All resource consumption is increased by 20 times.」
「The cooldown of all skills is increased by 5 times.」
Two lines that instantly turn a healthy explorer into a cripple.
But it doesn’t apply to me right now.
After all, I’m already half a cripple because of the random penalties.
If I have to pay attention, it would be this part.
「Repercussions will occur to the character in proportion to the duration of the mode.」
The repercussions must be minimized.
So, in short, at this moment, time is more precious than gold.
‘Okay, let’s do this quickly.’
As I take another step forward, Six quickly widens the gap.
Tadat.
It seems like she’s wary of my changed appearance.
Since she doesn’t know what the situation is, is she going to stop what she was doing and start scouting again?
If so, I’m grateful.
‘Okay, then it seems like I’ve got her attention again…….’
I swing the hammer, closing the distance.
If you swing it in the air, it won’t be considered an attack.
Even if the result is the same, meaninglessly cutting through the air, I confirmed through experiments before that the unavoidable hit bonus is only applied when there is a clear target.
Tat.
As it has been throughout this battle, the woman evades the hammer with minimal movement.
「Receives an unavoidable hit bonus.」
At the same time, the bonus effect was activated.
Zzziiiiiik-!
The space is torn diagonally along the trajectory of the hammer.
“······!”
The woman’s eyes gleam as she sees this.
Even if she doesn’t know what this phenomenon is, she has pushed her concentration to the limit so that she can deal with it at any time…….
———!
The hammer that was being swung disappears into the darkness of the gap, and the sound of the weapon’s impact stops.
Degeureureu.
Her pupils roll as she widens her field of vision, as if looking for traces of the disappeared weapon.
Well, it’s no use.
“…!!”
In a time difference that was truly a split second, the hammer that appeared transcended space and struck Six’s body.
While preserving the physical force with which it was first swung.
Peok—!
A dull noise followed soon after.
Unfortunately, the feeling wasn’t very good.
That’s because it hit her abdomen…….
‘Why is this woman so tough?’
At first, I thought she was just an agility type, but it seems like she has invested a lot of stats in defense as well.
Well, even so, judging by her expression when she gets hit, it doesn’t seem like there’s no impact…….
‘Tch. If only I could use [Swing], I could have smashed one of her parts properly…….’
The damage increase effect of the Demon Crusher is only activated when using blunt weapon skills, which is a shame.
But…….
‘If once isn’t enough, then I’ll do it again.’
It’s not too late to regret it after everything has failed.
Huung-!
I abandon my regrets and swing the hammer again.
Tadat.
Six widened the distance even further than before.
It seems like the blow she took earlier made her wary…….
But it’s not something that can be broken through like that.
Peok-!
The blow that transcended the distance hit without fail.
‘Finally, it hit her head.’
This time, I felt a considerable impact, but surprisingly, Six didn’t even let out a small groan.
Her body only swayed slightly once.
Seueuk.
Soon, Six slowly lifted her lowered head and glared at me.
And……
“Ptooey.”
She mechanically spat out the blood she had in her mouth and opened her mouth in a nonchalant voice.
“I remembered.”
…Huh?
“5th grade monster, Flora’s ability [Spirit Transformation]. That was the effect when a dark spirit was added to it.”
Uh…….
‘Is she also memorizing the effects of the essences?’
Maybe she is.
After all, they are agents that the kingdom has put a lot of effort into raising, right?
“It’s my first time seeing it in person, so it was a little late to figure it out…….”
When her words reached that point.
I immediately kicked off the ground and dashed forward.
“From now on, it will be different.”
Unlike before, Six didn’t back down.
No, rather…….
Tadat-!
She rushed towards me aggressively.
Through that action, I could intuitively tell.
That the words she just said were not empty words.
And…….
‘Ha, I’ve only hit her twice so far.’
That from now on, the road to hell would begin.
***
Huung-!
I bring down the hammer following Six’s movement.
Six didn’t dodge.
She made a cold judgment based on the information she had.
‘If I don’t dodge, I can choose the part of the body that gets hit.’
The hammer was the first to make contact.
Peok-!
However, the moment the hammer struck Six’s shoulder.
Puk-!
A dagger coated in aura pierces and embeds itself into my forearm like tofu.
‘Tch, that’s why I was saving the Dark Barbarian Mode…….’
It was a trade of one blow for another, but it’s clear which side is at a disadvantage.
As you can see from that arrogant look in her eyes.
“You’re more agile than I thought. I was aiming for your neck.”
Damn it.
If she had cursed me, I would have taken it as a compliment and my lips would have curled up.
More agile than I thought?
This is the greatest insult.
Throb.
Thanks to my pain resistance also being reduced to 0, a sharp pain rises clearly from my stabbed forearm.
I decided to think of it as positively as possible.
Yeah, I was hit by aura with 0 resistance, so this is good. If the penetration point wasn’t the forearm, and not the skin, the injury would have been much more serious.
Yes, so…….
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
I let out a shout, using even the throbbing pain as fuel.
“You’re a tough one.”
This match will end sooner than I thought.
‘One more time.’
I swing the hammer again.
It was the same setup as before.
Six didn’t dodge this time either and extended her dagger.
And…….
Peok-!
Seogeok.
A blow for a blow.
“…….”
Six’s shoulder was hit again.
‘Damn it.’
In my case, it was the hand holding the shield.
I tried to pass the turn even once by using the shield, but the dagger imbued with aura pierced through the shield and even pierced through my palm.
Cheolkeodeong.
The shield falls powerlessly to the floor, as if the strap that was fixing the shield to my wrist was cut off.
Ah, my pinky and ring finger are also stuck there, not just the shield.
But…….
‘One more time.’
Regardless, I swing the hammer again.
However, this time the setup was slightly different.
Six, who had been rushing in without dodging, brought the two daggers she was holding in both hands together and blocked the trajectory of the hammer.
But…….
Zzzzziiiiiik-!
The hammer was sucked into the darkness with the bonus just before colliding with the daggers.
And soon after.
Peok-!
Ignoring space, it struck Six’s ankle.
It was clear that her bones would have taken a considerable shock, as she had little fat, but Six had a nonchalant look in her eyes.
“……Okay, so it won’t work like this?”
Ha, it’s like I’ve become a monster that’s being targeted.
‘One more time.’
I swing the hammer.
Peok-!
I hit her once.
Puk.
Another cut appears on my body.
Once, twice, three times, four times…….
How many more attacks did we exchange?
Finally, I acknowledged Six.
‘This woman… she’s much stronger than I thought.’
Her inherent skills are a given.
She can use aura, and her swordsmanship is as sharp as that of the Orculist’s commander.
Peok-.
Moreover, this woman was not an ignorant type.
After only a few exchanges, she began to use her knowledge of Dark Mode.
Puk-.
Her judgment was the same.
“I can’t use this shoulder anymore.”
As if to prove this, Six throws away the dagger she was holding in her left hand without any regrets.
She judged that she couldn’t use it anymore anyway.
Since the start of the one-on-one, this woman has taken most of my attacks with her left forearm and shoulder.
A cold-hearted mindset to focus the damage on one spot.
‘I’ve hit her more than ten times and she only lost one arm…….’
Of course, compared to my state, where I’m cut and have holes all over my body, she’s in a much better state.
Therefore, I gave up my greed.
‘At least… I have to deal with her here somehow.’
My mind became clearer as my goal was simplified.
Yeah, let’s think about the aftermath later.
Like a barbarian warrior.
Peok-!
I focus as if everything is at stake in every moment.
So that when that woman shows even the slightest gap.
I can run out like a stray dog and bite her.
Puk.
Forearm, skin, wrist, thigh, etc.
The stab wounds that avoided the vital points dig deep into my lower abdomen.
“……!”
Tch, this seems dangerous.
Jiiik.
I forcibly hold my swaying body with the strength of my lower body and quickly organize my thoughts.
‘How much longer can I last?’
No, to be exact, how many seconds are left?
I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like it will be very long.
But…….
‘Not yet.’
I try to be as calm as possible.
Because if I wait a little longer, it will come.
The moment to play the trump card I’ve been waiting for.
Peok-!
Puk-.
Thus, the offense and defense continued without a break.
No, in fact, it was ridiculous to even call it offense and defense.
A series of moments where they only attacked and attacked again to kill each other, ignoring defense.
“The paladin who died earlier.”
The woman, who had been busy cutting up my body without saying a word, suddenly opened her mouth.
But what was she going to say?
“Were you close to him?”
I don’t know why she’s curious about that.
But…….
Huuuung-!
I swung my weapon once more and answered.
“No.”
The time we knew each other was too short to call it close.
But one thing is certain.
“Then I don’t understand. Why are you going this far?”
“He wasn’t the type to die in a place like this.”
I don’t know much about him.
What I’ve seen is only one aspect of his many facets that he showed in the labyrinth.
That’s why it’s even more regrettable.
What would it have been like to explore with Jun?
It wouldn’t have been bad.
Usually, we would have gotten along well, but when his Inquisitor habits came out, he would have made a look as if he was tired of it.
Even though unconditional support was burdensome, he would have been more reliable than anyone else at times.
Huuuung-!
At a drinking party?
Is he a good drinker? There are always those kinds of people who change their personality when they drink.
What kind of type would he have been?
Huuuung-!
I don’t know.
These guys took that opportunity away.
No, not just Jun, but the other members as well.
Puk-!
They were not lives that should have faded away so meaninglessly.
So…….
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
I forcibly move my unmoving arm.
In order not to let these guys take more from me.
Kkwak-!
I forcibly put strength into the cut thigh muscles and regain my balance.
Hwiik.
As if determined to defeat me, a sharp aura ignores air resistance and flies towards my stomach.
But at the same time.
「The luck that dwells in the character blocks the damage.」
The moment I had been waiting for finally arrived.
Tuk.
The dagger stops in mid-air as if it had hit a transparent barrier.
‘Yeah, it finally activated.’
It’s Gacha Bone’s ability [Probabilistic Retaliation].
The passive works whether the active skill is sealed or not.
「Reflects 15% of the damage taken to the enemy.」
A skeleton created on the left side swings a dagger at Six.
And it’s not just an ordinary dagger.
A dagger with an aura that is the same color as Six’s aura.
Tadat.
In response, Six, who had been attacking relentlessly, quickly composed herself and backed away.
It was a scene I had seen a few times before.
Even before activating Dark Mode, [Probabilistic Retaliation] had been activating steadily, and Six, that woman, had been dodging the counterattacks with unbelievable agility.
But…….
Sseuek.
It’s a positive sign for the first time in a while.
‘It seems like she didn’t know that much about Dark Mode?’
If she did, she wouldn’t have made such a momentary judgment.
Because the unavoidable hit bonus of Dark Mode is definitely applied to passives as well.
Just like this.
Zzzzziiik.
The moment the summoned skeleton’s dagger cuts through the air.
A crack that appeared in the air swallows the dagger.
And soon after.
Puk-!
Transcending space, it pierces Six’s body.
“Keuek.”
It was the first time in a long time that a groan had escaped from that steel-like woman.
But…….
‘Damn it.’
It wasn’t satisfactory.
‘Why did it hit her thigh?’
If it had hit her neck, heart, or between her eyebrows, the game would have ended immediately.
It would be a lie to say that I wasn’t disappointed, but I gave up my regrets.
‘It’s not like I didn’t expect this to happen in the first place.’
I’ve faced countless enemies, starting with Hans A, whom I met in the Crystal Cave.
And…….
‘Yeah, rather, this is more like my style.’
What led me to victory every time was Plan B.
So, in that sense.
As I had prepared.
Tadat.
It’s time to play my trump card.
Puuuuuuuut-!
I dash forward and spit the blood that was in my mouth onto Six’s face.
The Corpse Golem’s [Acidic Body Fluid] is no longer available.
But it should still be able to block her vision.
Huuuung-!
Spitting blood and swinging the hammer happened almost simultaneously.
A blow that perfectly penetrates her field of vision.
However, Six stuck out her shoulder as if she could see the trajectory.
It was that shoulder that was already wrecked and dangling.
She’s really getting her money’s worth out of one arm.
Peok-!
The hammer strikes her shoulder.
Hwiik-!
Even in the midst of that, the woman extended her dagger forward.
I didn’t dodge.
Puk-!
The dagger digs deep into my lower abdomen.
Seueuk.
Ignoring the pain, I extend my arm forward as if I had been waiting for it.
It was the arm that used to wear the shield, and the arm that I hadn’t been using since my hand was injured, hanging limply.
Six’s eyes hardened.
“……!”
Oh, yeah, you didn’t expect this either.
It was worth it to hold back and not use it until now.
Tuk.
The moment my fingertips touched Six’s neck.
Kkwak-.
I used my index finger, thumb, and middle finger to grab her neck tightly.
Kwajik-!
I quickly slammed my forehead into her face, which was not greatly shaken even in this situation.
And…….
Kwang-!
Instead of grabbing Six’s body, which was falling due to inertia, I piled on top of her as if pressing her down.
Puk-!
It felt like my side was on fire.
It was a bit absurd.
She stabbed me even while falling?
Huuung-!
I readjust the hammer briefly in the mount position and bring it down.
Then, an amazing thing happened.
‘Huh… she’s crazy for real.’
Even with her upper body restrained, she moved only her neck with her reflexes to avoid the hammer…….
It’s amazing, but it’s not a very meaningful action.
Because the unavoidable hit bonus doesn’t disappear just because it’s close range.
Kwajik-!
The hammer that was brought down towards her head pierces the air and crushes Six’s foot.
Puk-!
In return, another stab wound appeared on my side.
For a moment, I felt dizzy as if all the strength was leaving my body.
But the more that happened, the more I tried to muster my strength and hit her once more.
Kwajik-!
This time, the impact point was quite good.
The hammer properly hit her wrist, and the dagger that the woman had been holding tightly at all times was flung into the air and fell to the floor.
‘Okay, so now she doesn’t have a weapon.’
I abandon my worries about counterattacks and swing the hammer again.
Kwajik-! Kwajik-! Kwajik-!
Six protected her head three times with mysterious movements, but it was different from the fourth time.
Because this time, it hit her right on the crown of her head.
Kwajik-!
A strong shock was transmitted to her brain, and her body stiffened as if she was having a seizure.
However, I didn’t stop and continued to bring down the hammer.
The unavoidable hit bonus no longer activated.
It seems that even this monster-like woman couldn’t show the feat of moving only her neck to dodge while having a severe concussion.
Kwajik, Kwajik, Kwajik-!
After hitting her head three more times with the hammer.
‘One more time.’
When I lifted the hammer, preparing for the fourth blow.
Six’s eyes could be seen through her face, which was covered in blood and where flesh and bones were crushed.
It was a bit of a strange experience.
I’ve split the heads of many enemies, but there was no enemy like this among them.
“…….”
Calm eyes that absolutely do not look like someone in trouble.
Looking up at me with those eyes, she said.
“…I lost.”
Ha, look at how cool she is?
She didn’t look like a woman who would beg for her life, but I didn’t know it would be this much.
Well, either way is fine.
“Ni, a… Raph. Donia…….”
I brought down the hammer with all my might.
Kwajik-!
With a chilling impact sound, Six’s body, which was lying underneath, stopped moving.
“Heok, heok, heok…….”
My breathing was so rapid that it reached my throat.
‘Is she really… dead?’
It doesn’t feel real at all.
She was that strong of an opponent.
But, I can’t keep resting like this.
Seueuk.
I slowly stood up, blankly catching my breath.
And…….
“Er… wen, it’s okay now, so release [Spirit Transformation]—.”
I told her to release it quickly.
At that moment, as I was about to say those words.
[Mister—!!!!]
My vision turns white as if I had orthostatic hypotension [sudden drop in blood pressure], and my body sways.
‘This is bullshit…….’
I have to get up right now.
There are still many guys I have to take care of.
I don’t know what I’ll lose again if I fall asleep like this.
Seureureuk.
My eyes close.
***
「The character has fallen into a [Stun] state.」
「[Spirit Transformation] is released.」
「Remnants of the Abyss.」
「Repercussions will occur to the character in proportion to the duration of the mode.」
「Duration 318 seconds.」
「All resistance values of the character are reduced by 50% for 3,180 seconds.」
「All healing and regeneration effects on the character are reduced by 90% for 3,180 seconds.」
「For 3,180 seconds, the character……」