Chapter 310: Everyone’s Hope

“That boss monster’s status window did come up, but… ugh… there’s nothing in it that can solve the current situation!”

It seems the original author has no intention of letting us easily overcome this crisis.

At that fact, I clenched my teeth, barely suppressing the rage that threatened to burst out.

“So that’s what you’ve been talking about all this time?! You also have two types of Aether?! Was wearing an eyepatch to hide that fact?!”

Fjodra shouted in surprise.

She, like Reysir, had been marked as a priority target for the boss monster, so she was busy fleeing, even using [Space Leap].

I suppose she managed to confirm the color of Reysir’s eyes amidst all that.

Well, good eyesight and sharp observational skills are essential for an archer, so it’s not that surprising.

“Ah… that is…”

I had prepared an excuse long ago, but.

Perhaps because the existence of Silver Ethere was revealed in an unplanned way due to unexpected circumstances, and she pointed it out, Reysir showed a moment of embarrassment.

At that moment, the one who quickly intervened to cut off the interrogation was none other than Pret.

“Hey~, Piyora senior! That’s not what’s important right now, is it?! Let’s argue later!”

“…That’s true.”

From the way she squinted and stared not only at Reysir but also at me, she seemed to have a lot to say.

But perhaps she didn’t have the leeway to deal with it right now, with her own nose in a sling.

Fjodra accepted Pret’s words and adopted an attitude of letting it go for now.

On the other hand, I wasn’t being targeted by the boss monster at all.

So I freely spoke my mind and nagged the protagonist of another novel.

“Reysir! If you can’t see a solution, try to make yourself see it!”

“What nonsense is that?!”

“I thought deeply after hearing your explanation of the [Identification] skill last time. About what exactly the nature of your Silver Ethere might be! And I concluded it’s ‘the power to perceive facts that cannot be known just by looking with the naked eye’! So, I’m sure you can do it!”

In truth, I’ve never deeply pondered the [Jin-Ik-Nun].

That was just something I made up on the spot to sound plausible.

So at this moment, when the protagonist of another novel turned his head to look at me.

I put a lot of force into my eyes, stared back at him, and pressed my lips tightly together, trying to convey the message ‘It’s not a lie, it’s the truth!’

I hoped he wouldn’t think I was forcing things and would accept that I was doing this out of conviction.

And then…

‘Why is he suddenly making a face like he’s holding back a laugh?’

Just as I was feeling confused and unable to understand the situation.

Reysir’s expression changed once again.

From a playful, mischievous look to a serious one filled with resolve.

“Alright. Somehow, I’ll definitely do it!”

Since the original protagonist used the word ‘definitely’ to firmly state his will.

There’s no way that result will be a failure.

‘The only remaining problem is when he can succeed…’

Reysir dodged an attack flying toward him, then suddenly, as if deciding this wouldn’t do, ran toward Liolikin.

“Liolikin, could you help me for a second?”

“Ehh…? Me? What do you mean??”

Liolikin had never once attacked the boss monster, so he had just been standing there dumbly like me.

But then the boss monster’s highest-priority target came right up to him.

Liolikin hastily adjusted his shield, showing his confusion.

“Hey.”

“From now on, I’m going to focus on drawing out the latent potential of an Aether I’m not used to handling.”

“Uh. So that means…?”

“My defense and evasion will become insufficient, so I’d like you to protect me.”

“Ah, that is, uh…”

“If I succeed in achieving the goal set by Karbaldr thanks to you, then you’ll also share in the credit.”

“Just trust me! During the Bimu Tournament, Reysir helped me achieve my goal too…! I’ll repay you!”

Why is it?

Liolikin’s statement doesn’t sound like he’s repaying a favor, but rather like he’s taking the chance to get praise from me and settle past debts on the side.

I saw Reysir making a bewildered face, as if he felt the same way I did.

Still, he soon laughed it off like the good-natured person he is.

“Then I’ll leave it to you!”

Just as these words left Reysir’s mouth.

A boulder corresponding to the boss golem’s hand separated from its body and shot toward him.

It was an attack falling diagonally.

At this, Liolikin immediately dropped the mace he was holding in one hand.

Using the [Armor of Protection] effect, an Ether barrier in the shape of a shield overlapped, and he lifted the now larger and more robust shield with both hands.

With both legs spread wide, he firmly planted his feet on the ground, enduring the weight of the heavy boulder, and intentionally lowered the left side of the shield slightly while putting all his strength into his right arm to push it sideways—

Kuuung!!

The boulder collided with the ground with a heavy sound.

Liolikin had successfully deflected the boss monster’s attack.

A relieved smile bloomed on Reysir’s face as he watched Liolikin’s back.

The boss monster, retracting its fist, now lifted its foot.

No, it tried to, but then something caught its foot, making it lose balance, stagger, and fall.

A wire fully imbued with red-tinged Aether had snagged the golem’s ankle.

“Wow! It doesn’t break even like this?! Expensive stuff really is good!!”

“Yay~! I can’t believe we actually tripped that huge boss monster! It was worth helping set up the wire!!”

Unlike Hailga, who was all admiration for the durability of the gifted weapon.

Pret didn’t miss the chance to highlight his own efforts.

“Honestly, I think the tsundere young lord is just throwing a tantrum! But Rei, since you seem to think it’s possible… I’ll buy as much time as I can, so make sure you succeed!!”

Fearing the boss monster would snap the wire.

Hailga manipulated the Aether within the wire, unwinding it from the golem’s ankle as she shouted.

“Nyaoo- meow meow!”

“Kieee!”

Yor and Lausa rained arrows down on the boss monster as it just got back up.

Then the boss monster, about to assume an attack posture, stopped, protected its power engine, and then curled its body up again, moving its position.

That attack just now must not have been to locate the power engine, but to use the enemy’s pattern to buy time.

Truly, my baby dragon is wise.

*Kwaang!!!

A dagger fully charged with brown Aether flew into the center of the boss monster’s body, which had regained its limbs, and lodged deeply.

“Aigo! Even though I threw it packed with as much Aether as possible, it just got stuck… If it were a sharp blow, maybe, but a powerful blow is really not my specialty!”

Pret sighed with regret.

But by the boss monster’s judgment standards, it must have been a threatening enough attack.

Seeing the rock fist shoot toward Pret.

“Ahaha! Still, it seems enough to distract the boss monster! Somehow I’m feeling confident!”

Pret nimbly dodged the golem’s rocket punch, showing off his agility, one of his specialties, while chatting calmly.

“Everyone seems to have placed their hopes on Reysir. Well, there’s really no other choice right now…”

Fjodra drew her bowstring, concentrating Aether into the arrow.

And as the arrow, dyed a turquoise color, tore through the air and made a hole in the boss monster’s body.

Her lips moved silently.

“If I become completely not a target, then I can focus more and achieve what I want.”

According to what I read through lip reading, she was muttering something like that.

She must be planning to induce the boss monster to forget Reysir’s existence and only chase her and Pret.

“Haaap!”

Whether inspired by the actions of the two before her, Vigdis let out a shout and swung her sword at the boss monster’s foot.

She’s not as agile as Pret, nor does she have movement-related skills like Fjodra.

A thought arose that this was too reckless.

If her attack had been so weak that it couldn’t harm the boss monster at all, I would have been relieved.

But Vigdis’s full-power attack, while not completely splitting the rock, created slight cracks and knocked off some stone fragments, stirring my anxiety.

Sure enough, the next moment, a scene unfolded where she was struck by the boss monster’s foot and sent flying far away.

I was so startled I almost screamed, but.

‘Ah, no… She’ll probably be okay. She wasn’t hit directly…’

I barely managed to calm myself and hold my mind together.

Just before colliding with the massive boulder, Vigdis pushed off the ground and flung her body backward.

Even though she didn’t completely escape the attack range.

Since she was hit while airborne, part of the impact that should have been absorbed by her body acted as a pushing force, dispersing the damage.

Moreover, she had held her Aether-coated sword in front of her like a shield.

And crucially, she has the [Iron-Blooded Steel Body] skill.

‘Was she relying on her reflexes and Aether characteristic skill?’

Vigdis, who executed a perfect landing, came into view as she got up unharmed.

Still, I’m not going to overturn the assessment that it was reckless.

Because the thought crossed my mind that maybe the original author judged it wasn’t time to kill Vigdis yet, so she was able to survive.

Unlike Vigdis, who made everyone’s heart drop, Svein did not charge at the boss monster with his spear.

He was just throwing water balls with no attack power, joining in on the familiars’ tactics.

That’s better. It’s helpful enough while also keeping himself safe.

But…

‘At this rate, am I the only one doing nothing right now?’

These thoughts started making me feel self-conscious.

But I have no intention of doing something reckless out of impatience.

I don’t have a defensive skill like [Iron-Blooded Steel Body], and I’m aware that I risk falling into a panic if a huge object comes at me quickly.

‘Besides… looking at how things are going, everyone’s going to be completely exhausted by the time the battle ends, aren’t they?’

I used my head to come up with a plan, and even got called ‘the tsundere young lord is throwing a tantrum’ by Hailga.

It stings, but what can I do?

I’d better conserve my stamina.