episode_0021

『Your turn. Draw 5 cards.』 [Compassion(1)] [Slash(1)] [Penance(0)] [Light’s Favor(1)] [Defense(1)] First, since I have plenty of time, let’s get rid of all those annoying Slashes. I discard one card. [Compassion(1)] – Draw 3 cards and Exhaust 1 card. The [Slash] card Exhausts. Subsequently, 3 glowing cards were added to my hand. [Penance(0)] [Light’s Favor(1)] [Defense(1)] [Heavenly Aria(0)] [Prayer(0)] [Defense(1)] I use [Prayer] which has no penalty. A small, thin barrier forms around me. Afterward, one more card is drawn. [Penance(0)] [Light’s Favor(1)] [Defense(1)] [Heavenly Aria(0)] [Defense(1)] [Defense(1)] Good. [Light’s Favor(1)] – Gain a powerful barrier. Add 1 [Regret] to your hand. The barrier grows a little larger. Seeing the barrier grow bigger and bigger makes me feel proud. [Penance(0)] [Defense(1)] [Heavenly Aria(0)] [Defense(1)] [Defense(1)] [Regret(Unplayable)] The Defenses I had to Exhaust anyway. I’ll Exhaust them all now. [Heavenly Aria(0)] – Exhaust as many cards as you want. Gain a barrier proportional to it. I Exhaust the 3 [Defense] cards and the [Regret] which has no effect. Each time a card disappears, the barrier grows larger and larger. Now the barrier covers 1m around me. In the Elementalist deck, I think I made this level of barrier with a [Force Field] click. It seems that because this deck has many connections between cards, the value of a single card isn’t that high. But just like the story of killing someone with a spoon. If the small barrier continues to stack and grow, it might be possible to stop the witch.

『Your turn. Draw 5 cards.』 [Holy Strike(2)] [Ordeal(Unplayable)] [God’s Shield(1)] [Gate of Heaven(2) – Power] [Pure White Wall(1)] A lot of good cards came out. But the cards here are all core cards. It would be a waste to Exhaust them with Holy Strike. I discard two cards. [Gate of Heaven(2) – Power] – Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card. [Pure White Wall(1)] – Gain a barrier and gain Reflect damage for one turn. A gate opens behind my back, and thorns slightly appear on the barrier that wrapped around my body. “…….” I wait another minute. 『Your turn. Draw 5 cards.』 [Slash(1)] [Offering to God(0)] [Slash(1)] After 3 cards are drawn first, the discarded cards return to the deck which is now empty. Soon, 2 more cards are drawn. [Slash(1)] [Offering to God(0)] [Slash(1)] [Defense(1)] [Compassion(1)] The still annoying Slash and Defense cards are obstructing my hand. Let’s get rid of them all now. [Offering to God(0)] – Exhaust 1 card and gain 2 Energy. [Compassion(1)] – Draw 3 cards and Exhaust 1 card. It’s profitable as I can get rid of 2 Slash cards and gain 2 Energy and 3 draws. On top of that, the effect of Gate of Heaven adds 2 more draws, for a total of 5 draws. Of course, there is no immediate change to the barrier. At the end of this time of patience, I will see the light. [Defense(1)] [Heavenly Aria(0)] [Slash(1)] [Holy Strike(2)] [Ordeal(Unplayable)] [Baptism(1)] I use [Heavenly Aria] to burn all the cards in my hand. All the Exhausted cards are sucked into the Gate of Heaven, and only the [Ordeal] card returns to the deck. Woooong!! The barrier is getting bigger and bigger. Now the only basic card left in the deck is 1 [Slash]. I check the 5 cards drawn by the effect of [Gate of Heaven]. [Slash] [Compassion] [God’s Shield] [Pure White Wall] [Penance] This is the end. I use [Compassion] to burn the Slash. With this, I won’t see basic cards for the rest of the battle. Moreover, there are 9 cards remaining in the deck. [Compassion(1)] [Penance(0)] [Light’s Favor(1)] [Prayer(0)] [Heavenly Aria(0)] [Pure White Wall(1)] [Ordeal(Unplayable)] [Offering to God(0)] [God’s Shield(1)] From now on, I will endlessly build up the barrier with these. [Light’s Favor] [Pure White Wall] The barrier is getting bigger and bigger. I replenish the lacking Energy with [Offering to God]. The card I burn is [Ordeal]. As Energy fills up, I draw cards. [Light’s Favor] [Pure White Wall] return again. I use [Heavenly Aria] to get rid of the useless [Regret] created by [Light’s Favor]. And then I use [Light’s Favor] and [Pure White Wall] again. It rotates infinitely. Now, for the remaining time, I just keep discarding cards. The barrier, like a plant growing little by little. It gets bigger, stronger, and sharper. When my wrist started aching from discarding so many cards, I took a quick look around and saw that the barrier had become quite massive. But this is not enough. I took a break for a moment and tried to drink the water in my canteen, but unfortunately, there was no water left inside. “Here’s some water.” I drank from the canteen Hans offered me… “What? How long have you been here?” “It’s getting close to evening, so we came to get you. But you seemed so busy.” When I turned my head, I saw my party members looking at me from behind. I was so focused I didn’t notice at all. Looking around, I saw that the sun had already set and darkness had fallen here. I must have been building the barrier for quite some time. But compared to the effort, the result is a little disappointing. The barrier only protects about 5m around me so far. This isn’t enough. Grrr. I’m starving. It’s about time to eat something. Just then, my party members bring the food they had placed nearby. Potatoes and soup that looked almost cold. Were they waiting to eat with me? “…How long have you been waiting?” “About 3 hours, I think.” “You didn’t have to wait for me.” “Meals are meant to be eaten together!!!” Seeing Kairek laugh heartily, I couldn’t help but smile. I spent time eating the cold potatoes and soup with the party members who had approached. After the meal, watching the party members go back inside, I took my seat again. The night where deep darkness had settled. Everyone else is resting. But I don’t have time for that. To go back with everyone, perhaps it’s alright to burn myself out? Looking at the 9 cards in my hand, I start building the barrier again. Continuously, without stopping. * Day 2. After a short sleep, I continued to build the barrier. While eating meals with the party members who visited periodically and continuing to build, it grew enough to block the path leading up to the safe zone. Day 3. Today, a knight briefly visited. He checked the barrier I was creating and then left. He didn’t tell me to shoot arrows this time. Day 4. The barrier gradually grew so large that it could cover the safe zone. Day 5. Raila and Haban came to pick a fight. They said things like ‘What are you doing doing nothing?’. It seemed they couldn’t see the barrier that had already spread wide enough to completely cover the safe zone. Day 6. 3 survivors entered the safe zone. They said they spotted the [Witch of the Forest] on the way up. They said she would probably appear here as early as tomorrow. Time flowed and flowed, and it became Day 7, daytime. The witch visible on the horizon far away. Her appearance was like that of a small girl. But when I see the red gleam in her eyes from under her deeply pulled-down conical hat, I feel fear. The surviving explorers gather and prepare for battle. Archers nock arrows on their bows, and warriors draw their weapons. The mages Raila and Haban open magic circles. “Attack!!!!!” Countless arrows and magic spells fly in response to the knight’s command. But they are all shot down before they can reach the witch. Because everything that approached the witch’s vicinity instantly aged and crumbled away. It seems that if humans approach, they won’t be treated well. An enemy that must be sniped and defeated from the farthest distance possible. To achieve this, Raila and Haban open numerous magic circles. Flame and lightning. Magic from two schools pours out relentlessly. The attacks from the two mages, powerful enough to be out of place on the 2nd floor, continue, but the witch doesn’t flinch. “……!!!” With an expression of seeming boredom, the witch unfolds a black aura. Kuaaaaaa!!! Along with the sound of wolves howling, countless black wolves leap out from within the black aura. These wolves were on a different level than the black wolves I had seen coming up here; they were gigantic. They run toward the path leading up to the safe zone. “Cut off the path!!!” Kwaaaaaang!!! The path is shattered using the magic circles prepared beforehand. Thanks to the broken path, the wolves couldn’t enter the safe zone. “Shoot!!!!” Once again, arrows and magic fly towards the witch. But not a single attack affects the witch at all. “How in the world are we supposed to deal with that?!!” It’s already difficult to expect more firepower than this from 2nd~3rd floor explorers. Even Kairek nocks an arrow and shoots it at the witch. Sizzle. The arrow completely vanishes before reaching her. Still, we cannot give up. Now that the wolves cannot come up, we must accumulate as much damage on the witch as possible. Therefore, everyone, united in mind and will, launches ranged attacks, but not a single one reaches the witch. While wasting time like that, the wolves somehow start piling their bodies on top of each other, creating a high hill. Piling up to the point where it reminded me of a zombie movie I once saw, the wolves quickly repaired the path leading up to the safe zone. The black wolves climb up along that path. Warriors come forward to engage. At the very front of the battlefield is the knight order. The knight, Raymond, stood with a red aura wrapped around his sword. “In the end, I have to step forward….” Raymond slowly moves forward and shouts. “Prepare for battle!!!!” Just as the warriors were about to charge forward to block the incoming wolves, following Raymond. “Just a moment.” I made them stop. No, to be exact, Kairek’s shout after hearing my words made them stop. “Halt!!!!!” As a roar unique to barbarians, filled with thrill, reverberated, the charging warriors stopped. At that moment, the charging wolves collide with the barrier. Clang!!! Clang!! The black wolves bounce off the barrier without breaking through. Soon, as if impaled by something, their bodies are torn apart and vanish. [Pure White Wall(1)] – Gain a barrier and gain Reflect damage for one turn. Watching the wolves vanish as they foolishly charge into the thorn-covered barrier, I continue to use cards. Cards glow and disappear, and new cards are drawn again, cards circulating infinitely. Pure White Wall has already stacked up to 7 layers, grinding down every wolf that touches it. Moreover, the death of the wolves means that draw and Energy replenish endlessly. 『[Butcher’s Gloves] consume blood.』 『Energy increases by 1, and draw 1 card.』 Excluding cards that provide draw and Energy. I was only cycling [Light’s Favor] and [Pure White Wall]. Even if the barrier cracks and develops small fissures, it is immediately repaired. Countless explorers stare blankly at the sight. “Good!! Keep going and defeat them all!!!” As Kairek shouted loudly, numerous explorers followed suit, shouting with hopeful voices. It’s noisy and distracting, I wish they would stop. Of course, I don’t feel bad. Grrrrrr. At that moment, the wolves’ movements freeze. Did they realize that this kind of attack doesn’t work? Soon, the wolves begin to retreat, returning into the Witch of the Forest’s aura. Step, step. The Witch of the Forest is somehow already standing in front of the barrier. I don’t know when she moved. Dark mana gathers in her hand. Boom!!!! A crack appears in the barrier, and it shakes. But I immediately use a card to repair the barrier. Whoooosh!!! Realizing this isn’t working, the witch gathers a massive amount of mana and unleashes a powerful strike. Kwaaaang!!!!!! A powerful explosion shatters the barrier. I focus all the power of the barrier that was blocking everything in the direction of the Witch of the Forest. The barrier is still holding strong. “……!!!!” The witch looks angry, gathering mana recklessly and unleashing attacks. Boom!!!! Kwaang!!! No matter how many times she attacks, the barrier does not break at all. Moreover, it is constantly being repaired and getting stronger in real time. Seeing this, the Witch of the Forest’s face distorts. Like a child throwing a tantrum, she pours mana recklessly into the barrier. Of course, I don’t plan to go for a head-on power clash like this. I’m not alone here. “Shoot!!!!!” Countless arrows and magic from the explorers fly. Moreover, as the witch seemed to have expended energy attacking the barrier, she couldn’t perfectly block the incoming attacks. The attacks are gradually taking effect. Thwack!! An arrow pierced the witch’s face. It was an arrow shot by Kairek. “Good, the witch is taking damage!! Keep shooting!!!” Explorers desperately launch attacks towards the witch using their respective skills, tools, etc. I, too, was supplying the barrier while looking for an opening. [God’s Shield] is a powerful attack proportional to the barrier, but its trajectory cannot be changed mid-flight. It’s also a relatively slow attack, so it can be dodged. Therefore, it must be launched at the precise timing. Grrrrrrrr… The witch grinds her teeth. With fangs protruding, she doesn’t seem to be human. She then screams towards the sky. “Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!!” The scream, filtered once by the barrier, shakes the safe zone. A scream powerful enough to make my ears ring, even though it was filtered. After screaming fiercely, the witch immediately begins to change form. Black mana gathers, forming a large mass, as if transforming into something powerful. But I am not a villain who waits for a hero to transform. I won’t give the witch time to transform. I discard one card. [God’s Shield(1)] – Deals damage proportional to the barrier. The barrier that was protecting the safe zone converges into a single shield. The light emitted by the shield pushes back the darkness around the witch. Kwaaaang!!! The shield flies towards the Witch of the Forest, destroying everything around it. Just as the transformation ends, the Witch of the Forest, with her giant body, pours black mana to block the shield. Whoooooosh!!! A powerful wave of dark energy tries to push back the shield. But there’s no way it will be pushed back. Because this isn’t a flimsy barrier that would lose to something like that. The delicate balance of power between the shield and the energy wave collapses. The direction is towards the witch. The God’s Shield, which was steadily advancing, strikes the witch’s body. Paaaat!! A shield-shaped hole is pierced in the body of the giant Witch of the Forest. “Did we defeat her?” Someone said something unforgivable, but I didn’t mind. Ding!! 『Congratulations!』 『You have defeated the 2nd Floor Hidden Boss, The Witch of the Forest!』 Because the status window, the clear evidence, welcomed me. I won. It was worth all the hardship of only taking naps for a week. Drip. Wiping the nosebleed that flowed, I stared blankly at the vanishing Witch of the Forest. At that moment, someone poked my shoulder. When I turned my head, it was Luca. “Why?” “What should I say… Yeah?” Behind Luca were numerous explorers. They were all looking at me. Among them, Raila and Haban’s disbelieving faces stood out. I let out a scoff at them. “Wandering Mage, Evan.” Stagger. My body doesn’t move the way I want it to. Is it because the tension is released, or because I only slept in naps for a week? My consciousness is slowly fading away. I won’t die just because I didn’t sleep, right? Ding! 『Obtaining Boss Relic reward.』 『Moving to Shop Floor…』 * When I opened my eyes, Kaman was already in front of me. “…You made quite a mess of things.” “Right?” “It would have been fine if you had just fought moderately. Why did you do something so conspicuous?” “Isn’t it the best thing that everyone survived and no one died?” “If you think so, then that’s how it is.” “More importantly, I don’t have money again, why did you bring me here?” “It seems you earned quite a bit of money this time.” When Kaman used a card, something suddenly poured out of my body. “37 people, that’s the number of black mages you took care of.” Soon, Kaman gives me 37 coins. “You get money for killing black mages? Why?” “That’s not important. What’s important is that you’ve received a big reward.” “……?” Before me, 3 relics are now visible. Their very color is dazzling and eye-catching. I saw something about [Boss Relic] in the status window earlier. Do you get this when you defeat a boss-level monster like the Witch of the Forest? I immediately checked the information. [Chest of Cataclysm] – Basic Attack Cards (Slash, Strike) and Defense Cards (Block, Defense) are changed to random cards. [Empty Fishbowl] – Remove 3 cards from your deck. [Small Necklace] – Permanently gain 1 Energy. Draw only 3 cards on the first turn. As expected, boss relics’ performance can’t be compared to normal relics. What should I choose from here?