NPC - 10

Episode 10

"No, no."

I shook my head vigorously. This wasn't the time to leisurely admire the spectacle unfolding before my eyes. The boss monster had already locked onto Derek; it was too late to run. But if I just abandoned him here, all my effort in saving him earlier would be for nothing. 

At this rate, Derek would either meet his tragic in-game fate or lose his life entirely.

"...Well, there's no turning back now, is there?"

The moment I saved him, everything had already changed, and I couldn't just stand by and watch things revert to the original plot. That left me with only one choice.

"Save the guy right in front of me."

It was the exact same mindset I had when I first saved him. My resolve to never get involved with nobles had crumbled far too easily. 

...Since things had come to this, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to see just how much a mere NPC's actions could alter the storyline.

I sprinted after him.

"What are you doing? It's dangerous."

Derek shot me a sharp glare the moment he noticed me. His tone sounded as if he were worried, but it wasn't hard to decipher his underlying message.

'You're in the way.'

Fair enough. I took a few steps back. Satisfied, Derek turned around to face the Bicorn once more. He probably mistakenly assumed I was going to run away.

"Will he be okay without a potion?"

My immediate concern was the antidote. Was it really a good idea to engage in combat without securing one first? Countless players had attempted this boss without the antidote, but none had ever succeeded.

"If we use a different method..."

Actually, I already had an answer. It wasn't perfect, but it had potential. 

I could just use the same method as last time. Since I'd be staying far away, the poison wouldn't reach me. Then, I could carry Derek on my back, run straight home, and...

'I'll just have to keep force-feeding him the antidotes I have at the inn.'

Those knights of his would definitely track him down to my inn anyway. Then, we just had to hold out until a healer arrived. It was a flawless plan.

All that was left was to actually take down the monster in front of us.

'Let's see here.'

From my vantage point a step away from the fray, I could clearly see the Bicorn's attack patterns. I tracked its movements with my eyes for a moment.

Thud!

Its front hooves slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Through the obscured vision, I saw Derek dodge the strike and regain his footing. Then, with a fluid sweep of the monster's wings, the dust cloud was effortlessly blown away.

"Ugh..."

However, that sweeping motion was hardly an act of courtesy to clear our vision. While Derek braced himself against the sudden gust of wind, the Bicorn thrust its horns down toward the ground.

Craaash!

'Its attack patterns... are exactly the same.'

It was only a brief observation, but this boss monster's patterns perfectly mirrored its in-game mechanics. And if you know the pattern, defeating it is simple.

I raised my bow. I had scrimped and saved every penny to buy it, but at the end of the day, it only had slightly higher attack power than a standard wooden bow. Would a weapon like this even be helpful?

"...It should at least chip away a bit of damage."

Nocking an arrow, I drew the bowstring back. The Bicorn, entirely fixated on Derek, hadn't noticed my presence in the slightest.

Fwoosh!

This time, the beast spewed flames. Seeing the fire expanding in all directions, Derek quickly leaped out of the way and shielded himself with his cape.

'Oh, does that have fire resistance?'

Since he wore it into a place like this, it obviously wasn't an ordinary piece of clothing. The cape didn't catch fire at all. The roaring flames gradually died down, leaving only scorched earth as evidence of the inferno.

Derek immediately sprang back into action.

'I guess he's used to fighting it now?'

He seemed to have already grasped the Bicorn's attack patterns to some extent. Right on cue, the monster seamlessly chained its next attack, driving its horns into the ground once again.

Thud!

'Now's my chance.'

This was the opening. The Bicorn's movements always paused momentarily during this sequence. Striking it then would deal significantly more damage than usual.

Twang!

I released the arrow. It tore through the air, whistling toward the monster.

"...!"

Unfortunately, it landed just slightly off my intended mark. Instead of piercing the flesh, it struck the beast's surprisingly tough hide and ricocheted off.

-Grrrrrr...

And with that, my presence was finally revealed to the boss monster.

"Didn't you run away?"

"A-As if I'd do that!"

Derek furrowed his brow. Unsurprisingly, he didn't show a single ounce of gratitude for my attempt at a pincer attack.

Flames began to coalesce in the Bicorn's maw. Because its aggro had shifted, its attack pattern had altered slightly.

Fwoosh!

A brilliant torrent of fire erupted from its jaws.

"...!"

Derek immediately sprinted toward me. The flames chasing right at his heels eventually swallowed us whole, washing completely over our position.

'W-Wow... That's way more powerful than I thought.'

Because I managed to duck into Derek's arms at the very last second, I barely avoided becoming the fire's next meal. Even with its incredible stats, the cape couldn't completely block out the intense heat of the inferno engulfing us. The temperature was undeniably scorching, yet my body was shivering violently.

The moment the flames dissipated, he shook off his cape and turned his back to me.

"Go back immediately."

Derek dashed off without even waiting for my reply. Though, even if he had waited, it wasn't exactly something I could have just casually told him.

'We can beat this.'

A bead of cold sweat rolled down my forehead. I managed to suppress my trembling. Fortunately, I wasn't the one who had to clash with the boss monster up close.

If that was the case, it was doable. I already had its patterns memorized, and I knew our attacks could connect. My knowledge from my past life would undoubtedly be the key. As if to prove that point, I shouted out a piece of intel Derek couldn't possibly have known.

"Its weakness is lightning!"

"...?!"

Derek glanced back at me with a bewildered expression. His look screamed both, 'How the hell do you know that?' and 'Stop spouting nonsense.'

Conventional gaming logic dictated that fire-breathing monsters were weak to ice. But this Bicorn was the exception. Maybe the developers wanted to throw players a curveball. Since players had only discovered it through pure trial and error without a single hint, no one in this reality could possibly know about it.

Thud!

Derek sidestepped the Bicorn's attack. He had landed a few solid hits already, so if there were a visible HP bar, it would definitely be slightly depleted by now.

However, we were still at a major disadvantage.

'Ugh, I need to...'

I drew my bowstring again. My previous shot hadn't struck a weak point, but it had definitely registered as damage. This time, I was going to hit it dead center. Just as I steadied my aim with that thought...

"...Huh?"

Derek pulled a small object out of his pocket and tossed it into the air.

Clink!

And slashed it perfectly in half. A brilliant burst of light erupted from the object and wrapped itself around his blade.

Crackle.

"...!"

'Is that an elemental gemstone?'

It was a 'Gemstone,' an in-game item used to enchant weapons with elemental properties. That was the first time I'd ever seen someone use it like that, though. Weren't you supposed to just press it against the hilt?

'Looks like he did come prepared.'

He must have made his own preparations to hunt the Bicorn. I found myself oddly touched that he had actually trusted my advice and used his item accordingly. Especially after he'd been completely ignoring me.

Slash!

Arcs of electricity sparked in every direction with each swing of his sword. And it wasn't just for show.

-Kiiieeeek!

The Bicorn visibly reacted. The beast writhed in agony every time the electrified blade so much as grazed it. Absolute proof that the attacks were incredibly effective.

After a few more consecutive strikes, the wildly thrashing Bicorn suddenly reared back onto its hind legs.

"Get back! Jump back!"

Thrilled that his attacks were landing, Derek had been relentlessly swinging his sword, but he abruptly froze at my warning. Without a second's hesitation, he leaped far back.

-Kiiieeeeeeeek!

"Ugh...!"

An instant later, the Bicorn smashed its horns into the ground, unleashing a shockwave. A violent gale whipped up a massive dust cloud, obliterating our vision.

That was the reason you had to dodge backward instead of sideways. Although I couldn't see its HP bar, triggering that specific phase transition was undeniable proof that we had shaved off a significant chunk of its health.

Twang!

Taking advantage of its momentarily sluggish movements, I let loose another arrow.

"...Damn, so close!"

This time, it pierced the flesh. But it lodged itself just inches away from the beast's weak point. If only it had been a tiny bit to the left.

-Kieeeek!

Infuriated by the arrow, the Bicorn spread its wings wide and threw its head back. I quickly drew my bowstring again.

"Don't try to flank it right now!"

This next move was definitely an AoE (Area of Effect) attack. A mage would've been perfect for this. But no, our current party consisted of a melee knight and an ordinary villager who kind of knew how to shoot a bow. Shouldn't we unlock a special achievement for beating a boss with a party comp like this?

Something like 'The Impossible Challenge'.

Whoosh!

The Bicorn launched itself high into the sky, plummeting back down while swinging its wings like dual scythes. Derek, already outside the blast radius, only needed to adjust his stance slightly to remain completely safe.

But his safety was short-lived. Assuming the monster's attack animation had ended, Derek raised his sword and charged straight ahead once more.

"Ah! W-Wait!"

"...!"

By the time I called out, it was already too late.

Splaash!

A torrent of sickly purple liquid poured from the Bicorn's mouth, completely drenching him.

"!!"

It was poison. The exact same poison that had almost killed him before. A toxin so potent it might as well have been a curse clung to his entire body.

"N-No... We still... we still have time."

If we ran away now, it would be an exact repeat of last time. Derek undoubtedly realized this as well. That was why, despite the sheer agony contorting his face, he refused to lower his sword.

Intent on finishing off its prey, the Bicorn thrust its horns down with deadly force.

Craaash.

"...!"

And that was exactly the opening we needed. I rapidly trained my arrowhead on the beast.

I wasn't going to miss this time. This incredibly stubborn boss monster... had to be running on fumes by now.

I poured every ounce of my focus into the tip of the arrow. If only I had a single archery-related skill. Brushing aside my regret, I narrowed my eyes in pure concentration.

"Aim for its weak point!"

Not that he knows where the weak point is.

Twang!

As if to guide his blade, I calmly released the arrow. It flew flawlessly along its predicted trajectory,

Thwack!

And struck the bullseye perfectly.

"...! I-I hit it!"

-Kiiieeeeeeeek!!

My arrow had embedded itself dead center into a minuscule gem protruding from between its eyes. Immediately grasping my intention, Derek lunged at the Bicorn. In one fluid motion, he swung his blade.

Cra-crack!

His electrified sword completely impaled the beast's weak point.

-Keeeeeek!!

Releasing a shriek unlike any it had made before, the Bicorn violently staggered back. Instantly, an incredibly dense, poisonous purple mist began to billow from its body.

"Ugh...!"

Thud.

Finally, the monster collapsed. We had brought down the field boss, but I didn't dare approach. Instead of celebrating, I had to hastily scramble backward to avoid the spreading toxic mist.

The real problem was Derek. Not only was he drenched in the poison, but he had inhaled a massive lungful of it. He was undeniably going to be in an even worse state than last time.

"Ugh."

The mist saturating the air rapidly dissipated the exact moment the beast breathed its last. I immediately sprinted to Derek's side.

"Are you okay?"

Derek was calmly drinking something.

"...It has no effect."

He muttered to himself, completely dropping the polite tone he claimed was a habit. It seemed he had prepared his own countermeasures for the poison, judging by the empty bottle in his hand. Still, he was grimacing in obvious pain.

"I really think you need a healer rather than a potion right now, don't you think?"

I rummaged through my bag.

"...!"

As if guided by destiny, I found a single bottle of antidote, the one I had set aside earlier, sitting at the bottom of my bag. I was certain I had left it back at the inn, but I must have unconsciously packed it. Either way, it was a stroke of absolute luck.

"Here... Drink this first."

It had bought us some time before, so it would definitely help now. At the very least, it should give him enough strength to walk back on his own two feet rather than making me carry him again. It was an incredibly expensive potion, but I handed it over without a shred of hesitation. Derek stared blankly at the bottle.

"It's an incredibly good antidote."

I didn't appreciate the suspicious glare he gave it, as if he were doubting its ingredients. Here I was, generously giving him such an expensive potion.

Uncharacteristically, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk appeared on his face.

"...Aren't you going to tell me to 'just drink the damn thing' this time?"

"!!"

For a split second, all the strength left my hands. But I somehow managed to grip the bottle without dropping it. My facial muscles spasmed uncontrollably. What kind of expression was I even supposed to make in a situation like this?

'Y-You remembered everything!'

So the guy acting as if he had complete amnesia... actually remembered every single detail?