Minus Skill: The Story of Four Nuisances… - Chapter 26

We have reached the lowest level of the dungeon.

“It’s going to blast out a ranged attack! It shoots out by threes so watch out!”

With her trusty knife in had Tet clung to the Abyss Demon and hollered a caution.

At the same time, the high level demon steadily raised its scythe.

After I accrued a fair amount of aggro I ran towards Tet’s side as she was also locked in combat. He aims his scythe towards us, the two close quarters combatants.

This was favorable for us. With that, our backline would be able to avoid being targeted by the ranged attack.

The scythe was then swung to the ground. A shockwave of shadowy darkness soon followed attacking us far and wide.

It was the Abyss Demon’s ranged attack.

It’s the attack that you need to be wary of the most as it can penetrate your defensive wall and reach the backline…..but Kokoru and Melina had moved to the opposite side from us two causing them to be right outside the range.

All of them can fight on this level without saying a word.

Exactly just before being hit by the shadow I activate the sword skill, “Parry”. Withstanding a light knockback, I repel the attack. This wasn’t manually done, but a defensive skill so it can even block ethereal attacks.

Still, it was by no means perfect. Being a monster from the 40th layer, my hp would still decrease by a small amount. Tet on the other hand used the Dagger skills’ defensive counterpart.

Just then, I feel a wave of light pass through me as my HP was healed to max.It was Kokoru’s Heal done at an ideal timing.

The Abyss Demon raises its scythe once more. Its health must have been in the red as he’s been doing a desperate triple barrage of attacks since a while ago.

Just as the tip of the scythe’s blade touches the ground, a gigantic ball of light from behind me comes flying through hitting the monster. With light being its weakness, the critical damage to it was enough to send it staggering down, its attack canceled along with it.

It was Melina’s light magic.

Due to its nature of being a spell, it was hard to fire in quick succession but it had a devastating amount of power behind it.

Being stunned after staggering was a chance to hit additional attacks.

….Or at least it would be but the monster doesn’t seem to have much left in it.

I kick the ground running, closing the distance in an instant and then leaping onto the kneeling Abyss Demon.

Thereafter was a flash of my sword,the activation of the Swordsman skill “Great Sword” which greatly increases the power of a single strike, and I slash the empowered steel right through its neck.

It was a single slash, but it was enough to bring it down.

The Abyss Demon had been taken the blow head on and wiped off its remaining HP scattering his body to the wind.

Various items scattered about with its defeat. Seeing so, I take a breath then look back towards the other party members and–

“Good work. That went easier than I thought it would.

“We did it Sir Alvin!”

“It was disappointingly short I’d have to say.”

“You said it. I usually feel a chill to my bone when I come across it.”

It can even appear as a mid layer sub boss.

As a normal monster, it’s a rare sight if its on the 40’th layer but it’s probably the strongest class of monster in this dungeon sans the boss.

Yet we were able to beat it so easily.

“It’s easy for us to be able to fight with this party. It’s nice to be able to get the kills without worrying about the loot and kill bonuses.”

And that was no lip service.

Up until now, all of us were never able to show our full potential due to holding back and other factors.

“Plus, we have an excellent support”

“E-eh. You mean me?”

I continued praising Kokoru, who looked surprised.

“Yeah. The timing of your heals was flawless every time. You’re a role model priest if I ever did see one.”

Supports are said to be the cornerstone of any true party. It is a very important role, not only for the success or failure of the quest, but also for the lives of the entire party… Yet it’s also a difficult role that requires the best from you.

It’s especially apparent in the abyssal layers as there are many high damage attacks that come in rapid succession. Since there are times when you may not make it by the time you actually see the attack,  so your own intuition and ingenuity are relied on to anticipate who gets hit and what spells to cast in advance.

Kokoru can do it as naturally as she breathed, but there are probably only a handful of people who could do the same.