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Chapter 31 – Betting on good luck
I charged in with [Shield Bash] to shove away the incoming Tin Knight, then used [Parry] to block the blade of the other one attacking from the side.
When the Tin Knights showed any openings, Luce dashed in quickly and attacked with her Iron Piercer.
“Haaaah!”
The Tin Knight that received the blow stumbled back.
“Good, I can do it….. even I can do it!”
“GAAAAAAAAAAH!”
The Embryo in the back unveiled its eyeball and let out a loud scream.
A beam of light passed through the air, which caused the defeated Tin Knight to reattach its head, then slowly stand up as if manipulated by an unseen puppeteer.
With that the number of enemies returned to three.
“Th-there is no end to this…. This is…..”
“Yeah, taking down Tin Knights is meaningless. Although it uses up some MP, if we were to resort to a war of attrition, then we would be the ones to lose. We need to hit the main body itself. However, not only it’s hovering up in the air where our attacks can’t reach….. it rarely exposes its sole weak point, its eye, that is normally protected by an armor of flesh.”
“You have a plan…. right?”
I nod.
“You will need to pierce the bastard with your [Dice Thrust]. If it fails, then it will mean the end right there. A one sixth chance…. we can only bet on your good luck.”
The Embryo has a large weak point.
A critical hit.
A critical hit caused by a melee weapon, aside from multiplying the Attack stat by 1.5, it also has a 50% pierce through effect that partially bypasses the opponents Defense.
The Embryo’s flesh armor is 【Defense: ＋66】 stat wise.
The eyeball itself has a 【Defense: 22】….. in other words, even together it’s just 【Defense: 88】 in the end.
Of course, that number is much higher than even mine with my Heavy Knight Class, which means that no half-assed attack would be able to pierce it.
It’s certainly impressive, but it was less than even the Golden Rana.
It may be more reasonable if we include its much higher HP, but with Luce’s [Dice Thrust] boosted by the critical hit that was able to damage the Golden Rana even before she gained a bunch of levels, it should be possible to deal a great deal of damage even through the flesh armor.
If we add in the damage I dealt with the magic stone, then it should just be enough to eliminate the Embryo.
“B-but, I can’t jump high enough to reach it, you know?”
Of course, I thought about that.
Although Luce is able to run on the walls by activating her [Acrobatic Steps], it would be impossible for her to get close to it that way.
The Embryo hates melee combatants getting close to it.
It would just distance itself from the wall, or in the worst case it could even shoot a point blank [Sylph Cutter] in the face.
“First, since I’m slower I will force my way closer to the Embryo. Once that is done, then you will need to catch up quickly, Luce. Finally, I will use my shield to boost you up into the air.”
Indeed, the [Shield Bash] Skill can push someone by a distance determined by the 【Defense＋Attack／２】 equation.
The target direction can also be up in the air.
In addition to that, with the Clown’s Defense and Attack numbers on the lower side, the air distance gained with [Shield Bash] is significant.
Also, this Skill doesn’t cause any damage if the opponent doesn’t impact any surfaces while under the Skill’s effect.
Normally, this method can’t be used.
Not just because it depends on luck and a successful critical hit, but also because normally the Embryo floats significantly higher, where it can’t be reached, even with the assistance of [Shield Bash].
However, that is not the case now.
That is because the ceiling of this corridor is much lower than the height of the boss room the Embryo originally occupies.
Only by the Embryo turning into a Wandering Lord did this strategy become feasible.
“Hoping for a six on [Dice Thrust]…. is it. I understand, I will do it! I will get that six for sure!”
“Yeah, I’m leaving it to you, Luce! Sorry, but I will place my hopes in your Luck!”
As I yelled that, I pushed away the Tin Knight I was fighting with using [Vital Blow] and dashed forward to force my way closer to the Embryo.
Luce moved quickly after me.
Luce jumped high in the air.
I crouched down to provide a foothold with my shield for her.
“[Shield Bash]!”
I shoved her as far as I could towards the Embryo.
Luce’s petite form flew through the air.
So far things went perfectly.
However, whether Luce would roll a six or not is entirely dependent on Luck.
If this fails our chances of winning basically goes to zero.
My stamina is close to its end and it’s unknown if Luce will be able to land safely.
The most we can do is pray to the Goddess of Luck.
In the last Golden Rana fight, Luce, who has a pretty high Luck, failed to roll a six for [Dice Thrust] seven times in a row.
Although it’s an ultimately meaningless bias, overall probabilities average out.
That would mean there is a chance of rolling a six on the first try.
“[Dice Thrust]!!”
Luce sent a thrust towards the Embryo with the Iron Piercer.
A number made of light appeared in mid-air…..showing a four.
Luce’s blade cruelly glanced off the Embryo’s flesh lump, without doing even a single point of damage.
“KIKI………GAHA, KAHA…….AAAAA……..AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
The eye-like cavity on the Embryo widened, tearing open like some kind of mouth.
It was a malice filled smile accompanied by a triumphant expression that I’ve never seen before in Magic World.
I gritted my teeth.
It didn’t work…..
Even if there was no other way, maybe I shouldn’t have chosen a tactic that used our lives as a betting chip.
I don’t know if we still have a chance of winning or not.
Yet I don’t want to accept it. I even dragged Luce into this.
I need to at least lure away the Tin Knights so she can land safely.
As I squeezed the handle of my sword and lifted my head up, I saw an unexpected scene.
Standing neatly on the ceiling, Luce was aiming her Iron Piercer at the back of the Embryo.
“[Acrobatic Steps]…..!”
The Clown’s Skill, [Acrobatic Steps]!
A Skill that greatly raises the user’s movement speed and allows them to walk on walls.
Luce used [Acrobatic Steps] to walk on the ceiling and ready herself for another attack while upside down.
“This is really the last one! [Dice Thrust]!!”
The number six appeared in the air.
To pierce it all the way through, the Iron Piercer raced forward.
It punctured through the armor of flesh from the back accompanied by a splattering of red liquid.
A blood red and bleeding large single eye appeared from the wide open mouth-like opening.
Three Tin Knights fall to the floor, unmoving, as if their strings were cut.