The essence of a guardian has two key features.
The base stats are 1.5 tis higher than those of normal creatures, and they enable the use of all active skills that the normal creature possesses.
However, among the 5th floor rifts, the Rift of Light,
the essence held by the guardian Hell Giant Herja slightly deviates from the usual category.
“Alright, Emily... now that you’ve rested, try using it once.”
According to the original rule, she should be able to use all three active skills of the grade 4 monster ‘Cyclops’...
But Herja’s essence has only one active skill.
Moreover, that active skill is not even one that a normal ‘Cyclops’ has.
It’s this.
「Alia Rainwales cast [Wave Link].」
When the skill is used, a faint line connects between Alia and . Only those targeted by the skill can see this connection line.
The effect is simple.
「Alia Rainwales cast [Abyssal Power].」
Those connected can share skills with each other.
Like the black cluster blossoming on my hamr right now.
‘I really researched this essence a lot too.’
At first glance, it seems like an overpowered skill, but upon research, you learn
it’s not exactly an overpowered skill.
Well, except in a few cases.
Hwoong-!
The black cluster covering my hamr scatters into the air.
Alia deactivated the skill...
“...The soul consumption is extre.”
“How bad?”
“Not even lasting a minute at its best condition.”
In a way, it’s similar to [Self Replication] in penalty.
The MP consumption is monstrous.
“Then now will you try using it differently?”
As if to move on, Alia closed her eyes and concentrated.
There are three ways to use [Wave Link].
The first is like just now—manifesting your skill through a companion.
You could call this a support type.
The second is...
‘A boss pattern.’
Attaching the link to an enemy and aggressively using it as a dealer type.
The Hell Giant we just defeated had a pattern of linking to , sacrificing a handicap for powerful area attacks.
Well, since no one was nearby and every ti it used the link I imdiately targeted its eye, it wasn’t too difficult.
‘Anyway, skip this.’
Alia has neither self-destruct skills nor AoEs, so this way doesn’t apply at all.
Thus, the last remaining way.
「Alia Rainwales cast [Self Replication].」
「Alia Rainwales cast [Wave Link].」
A utility type that strengthens summoned units.
This is practically the orthodox use of [Wave Link].
Using it as an attack transfers the handicap to the enemy and lets you use skills at the enemy’s location, which is a big advantage...
But that’s a thod suitable only for monsters with huge MP pools.
[Wave Link] shines when used like this.
“Really... the soul consumption equalized. What kind of harmony is this?”
Well, as a gar I don’t know the principle.
A mage would spout unknown theories about matching ntal waves or frequencies.
I only know the result after countless experints.
When used on a ‘summoned unit,’ MP consumption does not increase.
Ah, and clones are obviously considered summoned units too.
“With this... more diverse battles will be possible.”
Alia, who has a knack for combat, seed to instantly recognize the value of this new ability...
“By the way, about embodint abilities... the passive skills you call in your world, I haven’t heard about those yet...”
“Oh, don’t you know about the Cyclops?”
“They’re not commonly seen... it’s strange for soone like you who knows all creature traits.”
Embarrassed by lack of knowledge, Alia painted as a strange person.
“Here, put this on. Then you’ll know what embodint abilities are.”
I smirked and took out the item I had painstakingly obtained before she ca in.
At the sa ti, a question appeared in Alia’s eyes.
“This is...”
A monocle.
So-called the Gungye monocle.
「[One-Eyed] activated.」
「Character’s torso vision increases by 200.」
「You can see the invisible.」
After the duo raid with Alia ended,
we kept swapping mbers and challenged the rifts.
While a tank can always fulfill their role, a dealer cannot.
The core of [Dungeon & Stone] is ‘affinities.’
If the affinity doesn’t match, there are enemies you absolutely cannot beat, but conversely, matching affinities makes the strategy much easier.
And...
‘It’d be a waste to let this talent pool rot.’
The royal family’s elite exploration force included all the talents I needed.
When a priest was needed, an archbishop-level priest went with us and obeyed my orders; if a grade 2 fire mage was needed, there was at least one capable mage.
‘Now I understand why there’s no limit on mbers.’
The maze is mainly designed for solo or duo rift clearing.
But it doesn’t seem designed for two people only.
Hundreds of people must enter, be divided appropriately, and steadily progress.
‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing. We’re discarding too many essences even after killing 5th floor guardians.’
When mages enter, they can take essences in test tubes, but otherwise, all must be discarded.
‘The cheapest ones would sell for hundreds of millions of stones at auction...’
Of course, the biggest regret was Ainard.
Not a graduation-level essence, but among the 5th floor guardians was an essence suitable for a spearman.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t easy enough to carry alone, so I gave up bringing him.
Still, thanks to this expedition, I fed Alia a hard-to-get essence, so I was satisfied.
‘For a clone rogue, it’s basically a graduation essence, so no need to feed a substitute...’
Once again, the first basent floor is absurd.
It’s totally different from other parts of the maze.
There are so many first encounters and huge gains it’s hard to even estimate.
“...”
What exactly is this place?
After eting the vampire gentleman, when I stay still alone, that thought fills my mind.
Silver sea, rainy season, dinsional collapse, chief, Hamshik...
I recall those things carefully to not forget and review whether I missed anything.
‘Sigh, what’s the use of thinking.’
Feeling stifled as always, I ended my thoughts.
And to clear my head, I finished resting and stood up.
“No matter what you say, the 4th floor is a no-go. It’s too dangerous.”
In front of the statue of Calphion, the 4th floor Rift Guardian, I saw an explorer pleading to Raven.
‘The na...’
What was it?
Everyone just called him ‘Big Hamr,’ so I didn’t know.
Anyway, he was a famous grade 3 explorer in the city.
“Can you reconsider? I really need this essence.”
He didn’t look like soone chasing experience points or obsessed with ti attacks.
But he probably really needed that essence.
“No matter what you say...”
“Pardon , but don’t the Golden Mage not really know my skills?”
“Are you saying my judgnt was wrong?”
“Haha... not that... I just wanted him to be tested. To see if he’s qualified.”
Even as Raven spoke seriously, the man didn’t back down, and Raven sighed, seeming annoyed.
So I stepped in.
After all, I was the one who assigned this troubleso task.
“If you want to be tested, I’ll help.”
“Baron Yandel...?”
When I joined the conversation, the man looked surprised, then nodded as if relieved.
“Then I ask you, please.”
He raised his ‘Big Hamr’ with a hostile gaze right after.
‘I never even said how you’ll be tested.’
Not surprising.
Explorers have been macho for ages.
I actually prefer this way.
“Um... Mr. Yandel? You don’t have to waste strength because of ...”
What is she saying now?
“I’m not wasting strength.”
“...Huh?”
“I’m saving ti.”
I activated [Gigantism] and looked down at him.
Then...
“You’re small.”
With that brief word, the sparring began.
But fittingly for soone nicknad ‘Big Hamr,’ his body was quite solid, so the sparring dragged on.
About fifteen minutes passed.
“I lost...”
While he couldn’t damage at all, he accepted defeat after I repeatedly smashed his jaw with the hamr.
“I guess I was greedy. It’s a sha, but I’ll give up on the 4th floor.”
His neat attitude was in stark contrast to how he pleaded with Raven.
It might seem strange, but macho types usually accept the laws of strength without complaint.
“Whaaaaaa!”
“The Baron’s victory!”
Crowds cheered, but I felt no particular excitent.
‘At this point, damage definitely isn’t landing.’
A recent frequent frustration of a tank.
With Bellarios essence and Aegis Barrier, I was several tis stronger than before, but the damage was the sa as before—
“Mr. Yandel, can I talk to you?”
“Ha ha ha, if it’s to say thanks, that’s fine—”
“Ah, you wasted 15 minutes on sothing that could’ve taken 5?”
“Uh...”
My mind blanked for a mont.
Raven chuckled like it was a joke when he saw like that.
“Enough, follow . I have sothing to tell you.”
We moved a few steps, Raven activated a voice control spell, and I changed my expression to serious.
“Is this a secret?”
“No? Not really... I don’t know. It’s better you judge.”
“Go ahead.”
I bowed to match his small stature, ready to listen, and Raven slowly began.
“As you know, I act as a kind of examiner, so I’ve had many chances to hear what happened inside. And I learned...”
Before he could say more, Raven summarized the key point.
“Duke Cambormiier isn’t saying anything anymore.”
“Not saying anything?”
Wasn’t that always the case?
I was about to say that when—
“No, literally no words. No rising murderous intent or anything.”
“Ah...”
“Now, he just rushes with bloodshot eyes as soon as you enter... I find it weird. Right after you appeared, he at least ‘spoke,’ didn’t he?”
My hand, lost in deep thought, naturally moved to my chin.
“Indeed...”
It’s suspicious.
It felt odd that a perfectly fine man suddenly went mad.
He was sane for three hours, wasn’t he?
“There’s no change without a cause.”
Raven said with a mage’s tone, looking up at .
“Then why did the Duke suddenly change?”
As a barbarian, no matter how much I think, I can’t answer.
But as a gar, it’s different.
Actually, the first hypothesis I had upon hearing that was—
[Actually... the madness has returned since a while ago.]
If the gentleman talking normally is an ‘error’ from the maze’s perspective...
‘Hotfix...’
It might be a real-ti patch of an error.
By soone ruling the maze.
There are 27 types of Rift Guardians from 1st to 5th floor.
And 14 unidentified guardians in the sa category as Duke Cambormiier.
A total of 41.
At first, the boss run felt overwhelming, but after steady progress, the end is near.
‘One left...’
Now only one statue remains.
For reference, that statue appears in a ‘unique rift’ that opens very rarely, and it doesn’t match well with .
That’s why I saved it for last.
“Haa...”
I sighed while looking at the motionless stone gate despite dozens of lights already lit.
‘Looks like sothing will happen only after clearing that last one...’
It ans I have no choice but to kill that one too.
‘At least two people can enter, so it might be doable...’
I thought about skipping this run, but there was no suitable alternative.
A tank is essential for boss fights, but there’s no one reliable enough to fill my place.
Well, there might be soone if I searched...
‘But I don’t trust them.’
In that case, better I go.
So now I have to decide who to bring.
‘Erwen again?’
It’s a safe choice.
She’s basically a cheat key.
Erwen was the one who hunted guardians most with , second only to Raven.
For easy rifts, we brought a mage and collected essences; for difficult rifts, except so exceptions, I took Erwen along...
‘...No.’
I shook my head.
The current target isn’t a foe you can defeat by brute force alone.
How about Alia?
‘She’s not bad either...’
But Ainard seems better.
Though his fighting spirit has ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) dropped and presence faded, his luck remains undeniable.
However...
Thunk.
If you’re hoping for luck, there’s a better option.
Right here, right before .
“Get ready. We’re entering the rift.”
As soon as I said that, he blinked in surprise and asked again.
“? Why... why ?”
He was Sven Parab, a paladin of the Reatlas faith.
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