My new skills are Resurrection: F, Thunderburst: E, Attack Magic Mastery: E, CQC: E, Goddess Medea’s Blessing: F. I also increased healing’s rank to E.
By the way, I didn’t have to use any SP to learn how to use the longsword. I think I managed to obtain it from using the long sword throughout the dungeon up until this point.
I plan to use magic to defeat the smaller Garum to start the battle. There were many different types of magic like ice, fire, and thunder. I ended up deciding on the thunder magic Thunderburst.
In exchange for a short casting time, the power is slightly low. The spell itself targets anyone within a short range of me. I chose this spell because it seemed relatively easy to use in a fight.
I also decided to increase its rank to E because I will be able to use it while moving and the range will also be increased to four metres.
After that, I decided to learn the Attack Magic Mastery skill to increase all damage I deal using attack magic. I also increased Healing to rank E so I can use it while moving.
Apparently, all magic once rank E can be used while moving.
The last item is — Goddess Medea’s Blessing.
The skill lasts for thirty minutes and has a cooldown time of three hours, but while the skill is active anyone the user considers an ally will feel revitalized.
In addition to this, the user’s basic abilities are all increased by thirty percent.
It only cost 300 SP to learn so I took it without any hesitation.
…well, that’s not entirely true.
To be honest, I actually did hesitate a little. The skill description was this, “Medea onee-chan’s number one recommended skill! It’s an amazing bargain!”
How do I say this…it seems like an obvious trap.
Even though it only lasts for thirty minutes, the increase in my own skills are dramatic. It may be a trap but the benefits were too good for me to pass up.
Anyway, I had learned all the skills I thought I’d need and I decided to read through all the details of my new skills while waiting for the cooldown for Immortality to end.
And — it was now 19:50.
The cooldown time for Immortality ended and I decided to resurrect right away. I shouted at the chibi Medea-nee that appeared in my field of vision.
“Yes, of course…please, do your best Yuzuki-kun.”
Medea-nee began to cast her spell.
My body was enveloped in light and my consciousness returned.
And the time is — 19:51
I have 9 minutes left to revive Claudia. It will take me two minutes to cast Resurrection so I really only have seven minutes left.
In other words, I need to defeat the boss Garum and the surrounding Garums in that small amount of time. And so, in my newly revived body, I stood up and activated Goddess Medea’s Blessing.
I began to cast my new Thunderburst spell.
Immediately after that, the boss Garum noticed me and started to attack.
— However, I’ve prepared myself for these attacks.
I jumped straight back out of the boss Garum’s attack range. After avoiding the first attack, I ran to retrieve the sword I had thrown away earlier.
Alright, that was about five seconds in total. That should be about half the time needed for Thunderburst to be ready to cast…yet, the magic circle beneath me doesn’t seem halfway complete.
Maybe if I stop focusing on the magic it slows down. I don’t remember seeing anything about that in the spell description.
The Garum doesn’t give me any time to think; they’re already charging me. I avoided the first Garum’s attack and swung my sword at it, but my attack was blocked by a second Garum.
— Ah, damn.
I don’t know why it’s taking so long to cast, but it hasn’t stopped channelling while I’m moving. I should focus on getting Thunderburst ready first.
I gave up on the idea of counterattacking and focused solely on avoiding the Garum’s attacks.
It’s been twenty or thirty seconds now and the magic circle is finally complete. It took two or three times longer than it should’ve, but it’s finally ready. I maneuvered my way into the middle of the boss and smaller Garums —
“ — Push through!”
I activated Thunderburst.
Some kind of energy was discharged around me, hitting the boss Garum and the four smaller Garum — there were now four bodies lying on the ground.
No way. With just one attack? The power listed in the status window was similar to Firebolt so I expected around that much power, but this is surprising. This must be due to the increases from my Attack Magic Mastery and Goddess Medea’s Blessing.
Anyway — I turned my attention to the boss Garum. As expected of the fifth-floor boss, it’s still standing.
I won’t be able to defeat it unless I damage it more.
I checked the time once more — I looked at the bottom of my log and saw it was still 19:51. It hasn’t even been a minute. At this rate, I should be able to do it.
I immediately started to ready Firebolt. As soon as it was ready, I shot it at the boss Garum and hit it right on the nose.
The boss Garum roared out in pain.
As it was still reeling from that attack, I rushed in below its head and aimed for its throat with my sword. Just as my sword was about to pierce its soft throat, I was forced backwards.
“– What was that!?”
I yelled out while trying to ignore the pain coursing through my body. When I looked up, I saw the large body of the boss Garum rushing at me. I quickly leapt to the side to avoid its attack but there was a second Garum ready to attack me where I landed.
“– No way, did it summon Garum again?”
I don’t have time to complain about this now. I swung my sword at the legs of the second Garum that attacked me and cut its front legs in half. However, another Garum quickly attacked me from the side. I wouldn’t be able to avoid it this time.
I didn’t even try to dodge. I used my left arm to block the Garum’s attack and I could feel the pain return to my left arm once more — I endured the pain and stabbed my sword deep into the Garum’s neck.
There’s still two Garum and the boss left — I turned my head to focus on them. The boss Garum was clearly in pain, but the other two stood in front to protect it.
I’ve bought myself some time for now. I stood up and pulled my arm free of the Garum’s jaw.
However, the fangs of the Garum did more damage than I thought. My left arm was feeling numb again.
Oddly enough, this situation is very similar to the one I was in before I died. There are two fewer enemies than last time, but I already know I won’t be able to effectively use a sword with only one arm.
I didn’t even hesitate to start casting my healing magic.
But it seemed the boss Garum had learned from when I first cast Thunderburst. The boss let out a roar and its two remaining minions quickly rushed towards me.
I quickly retreated and avoided the first Garum’s attack. The attack from the second Garum was unavoidable but I somehow managed to deflect it with my sword.
To be honest, I thought it would be impossible to do that with just one hand, but…it seems I have the Goddess Medea’s Blessing to thank once again. I only felt a small effect from the enemy’s attack.
I was able to cast Healing after deflecting the final attack from the Garum.
I wasn’t completely healed but I had recovered enough to be able to use both my arms again. I continued the battle with the boss Garum and his minions.
— I continued to avoid the attacks of one Garum, deflect the second attack, and manage to land an attack on the boss Garum. In this way, I was able to damage the boss over time.
I’d be able to defeat it if things continued like this, but I checked the time once more to see it was 19:54.
In other words, I have less than 4 minutes left. No, that’s just my guess. It’s entirely possible that the time period for me to revive Claudia has already passed.
I can’t afford to waste any more time.
I activated Thunderburst once more and was able to defeat the two smaller Garum.
“Gyyyaaaaaaaa!”
Once again, the boss Garum roared into the air.
“This is it!”
I charged forward and stabbed towards the exposed neck of the boss Garum — my sword managed to pierce its throat.
I instantly pulled the sword out and sent a fan of blood spraying out across the floor of the dungeon.
Some messages appeared in my log window but I ignored them all. I immediately opened my item box and removed Claudia’s body.
It hasn’t been 24 hours yet. If it had, her body would have already disappeared. I started casting Resurrection right away.
However — it’s going slow. It’s too slow.
The longer it took for the magic circle to form, the more and more my own hope began to fade.
I checked the time once more to see it was 19:57.
That means that, even if the magic circle continues to form at this pace, I should have about a minute of extra time.
It was just as I was feeling relieved thinking I’d make it in time when I noticed it — something in the corner of my vision.
The body of the boss Garum was enveloped in a bright light and disappeared leaving a manastone behind. However, there was still the body of one more Garum I could see.
— No, if it were a dead body it would have disappeared before the boss Garum. So that means, this Garum is still alive.
Before I could even understand that, the Garum stood up and moved in close to attack me. I guess even after killing the boss of this floor, the regular enemies are still hostile towards me.
“– Damn it!”
I picked up my sword and quickly killed the Garum. However, due to my movement, the magic circle disappeared.
“There are no other enemies, right!? — Resurrection!”
I once again began casting Resurrection. Just like the first time, the magic circle was forming rather slowly. I checked the time again, praying that it wouldn’t show what I was expecting.
It was 19:58.
It takes two minutes to cast Resurrection and I have at most two minutes left before I can no longer revive Claudia.
— But when I only checked the time shortly after Claudia died and it was close to 20:00. I didn’t check it immediately after she died.
There’s a chance I still have a few minutes, and there’s also the possibility that it’s already too late. I continued forming the magic circle while praying I had made it in time.
However, contrary to my own prayers, Claudia’s body was enveloped in a bright, white light. Though the light was gentle, it’s also the exact same light that covers the body of a monster once it has died.
If that’s the case, Claudia’s body will disappear.
I don’t want this. It’s only been a little over a day since we met, but Claudia has become someone irreplaceable to me. I can’t bear to lose her.
So — I continued forming the magic circle, desperately hoping that this didn’t mean what I feared.
A hexagram formed in the centre of the circle. Then, several circles formed around it, followed by letters that appeared between them. Once the final letter emerged —
“Come back to me, Claudia!”
I triggered the spell with my desperate wish.
