28. Pantheon (1)
‘The Darkness Tower’ is a game with a time limit.
The time limit is 10 years.
However, it is difficult to play through the full 10 years.
After about three years, the ‘Evil’ trapped within the Tower begins to stir, causing all sorts of incidents and accidents, and after five years, various external forces begin to operate in the shadows, attempting to collapse the Tower.
The variety of these external forces is endless.
The Palum Empire, which covets the abundant magic stone resources produced by the Tower.
The Holy Alliance, which considers the Tower’s existence blasphemous and wishes to tear it down.
The Iron Kingdom, the World Tree Kingdom, and the Dragon-Forged Nation—a coalition of demi-human races hoping to recover the treasures of their kin hidden somewhere in the Tower.
The Shadow Assassins, the Coven of Witches, and the Grail Knights, all of whom aim to bring chaos to the world.
And finally.
The Pantheon, a cult of Evil God worshippers who revere the ancient ‘Evil’ sealed within the Tower and seek to liberate them.
As the name suggests, they are a group with their own backstory, but the lore doesn't matter.
What matters is that they are an incredibly troublesome bunch.
‘Because the Apostles of the Pantheon have the means to weaken the Seal Chamber.’
Ten Seal Chambers open each year, totaling 99 over a decade.
Since they don't open in July and October, when festivals are held, you can assume one opens roughly every month.
The Pantheon could use a special power to distort this cycle or advance it by several days.
If you get hit by this while preparing for a raid, you’ll be absolutely livid. If you’re unlucky, the game might even crash right then and there.
However, their primary area of appearance is the upper floors.
The probability of a Pantheon event occurring on the lower floors was extremely low.
Statistically, it was 1%.
Since it’s a hardcore difficulty, the spawn rate might have increased, but even then, it would only be around 3%.
Of course, Camellia, who had a somewhat paranoid playstyle, didn't take that 3% lightly.
Just in case, she had pestered the Adventurer Guild Master to station an elite adventurer party at the 2nd-floor Seal Chamber.
But that was just a precaution.
She hadn't truly been certain that such an event would actually trigger.
What kind of disaster had this damn dice roll caused?
‘This is truly unfair….’
Between the Reaper and now the Pantheon, why are they so obsessed with tormenting a well-meaning transmigrator?
‘Let’s stay calm.’
Camellia quickly racked her brain, hoping her trait, Mirror-Like Stillness, would do its job.
Unlike in the game, she couldn't check the enemies' levels, but she could tell their party composition just by looking at them.
One tank, two dealers, one caster.
‘If a Pantheon party appears on the lower floors, their average level is 5.’
Sometimes, if you’re unlucky, a high-level NPC called an ‘Apostle’ is included, so she made sure to keep that in mind.
Her own force consisted of two tanks, one healer, and one supporter. Aside from the level 15 priest, the levels were all fairly average.
Ken’s party had two level 5s and one level 4.
But it was hard to call them a proper fighting force.
Because Ken and the archer, Lena, absolutely loathed mental-type magic.
There was a backstory to that, but it wasn't important. What she needed to keep in mind was that every time she used mental-type magic, both Ken and Lena would either suffer status ailments or their affinity would plummet.
‘Oh, whatever. They aren't going to be my companions anyway, so who cares if their affinity drops.’
If they couldn't be controlled, she would just treat them as mobile objects and fight.
Just as she thought, *Let’s go in*, it happened.
【That monster……. How did it notice our presence?】
Another stinging, hostile wave flowed in.
The sound felt too distant to be coming from the Pantheon party right in front of her.
It didn't seem to be coming from Ken’s party, either.
‘Then that means there’s someone hiding……. Did the Pantheon bastards come as two parties instead of one?’
Since it hadn't even registered on Netanel’s ears, which had his senses amplified to the maximum, these were no ordinary foes.
But she couldn't avoid the battle just because the unknown enemy was scary.
If she hesitated, the elite adventurer party would be the first to get wiped out.
And then the battle would become even harder.
‘Even if I can’t end it in one turn, I see an opening. I’m going in.’
Once a decision was made, it had to be executed without delay.
Camellia gripped the Broken Dream-Weaver Amulet and flicked the frame ring hanging from its loop with her fingertip.
*Clink.*
Along with a dreamy music box melody that sounded like a lullaby from a dream, the magic imbued in the necklace activated.
The target was the tank of the Pantheon party.
[‘Camellia Lord’ casts ‘Fragment of a Dream’ on ‘Apostle of Pallas: Darius Grimm’.]
Success: 5
‘I’m already pissed off that a Pantheon event triggered, and I even hit an Apostle?’
What kind of unfairness is this?
Fortunately, their mental resistance must have been low, as the success dice roll was generous.
Just as expected, the success message appeared the moment the dice stopped rolling.
‘Got him.’
Camellia stepped back and shouted.
“Lohengrin, Nash! Help Ken!”
While the two tanks assisted Ken, the warrior, in pinning down the Pantheon’s Apostle, Camellia cast ‘Domination’.
[‘Camellia Lord’ casts ‘Domination’ on ‘Apostle of Pallas: Darius Grimm’.]
Success: 5
[Initiating check!]
Adding one 12-sided die due to the [Mind Sorcerer] perk.
Ignoring the opponent’s mental magic resistance roll due to the [Mind Sorcerer] perk.
+6 due to [Mind Sorcerer].
Due to [Hostile Faction]…….
The System Window flashed, spitting out dazzling numbers.
Result: 23/5
[Great Success!]
The result was, of course, a success.
Even while racing against time, Camellia extracted information from the text in the System Window.
A success value of 5 for applying a mental weakness meant their resistance was 10 or lower, placing them at level 5 or 6.
Since he was an Apostle and carried a shield and a one-handed sword, his class was either a Paladin or a Crusader.
The skill most likely to trigger when that class and three melee types were clustered together was…….
‘Judgment Strike!’
Camellia roared.
“Darius Grimm! Turn around!”
The Apostle’s body, which had been about to bring down his sword, spun around as if by magic.
Even if the targeting changed, a skill already in motion would not be canceled. The ‘Judgment Strike’, which dealt critical damage in a fan-shaped area, struck his own allies.
“……!”
“Ugh……!”
The two dealers, caught off guard, were sent flying, covered in blood. The caster, who had been summoning flames again, was also shoved by a party member and tumbled to the ground.
Camellia, calmly confirming the width of the attack range, quickly counted the opponent’s skills.
‘Judging by the range, he’s level 5. Judgment Strike is spent, and now Purifying Aura and Greater Blessing are gone.’
As if reading Camellia’s thoughts, the Apostle stomped his foot and unfurled a translucent aura.
Following that, a reddish blessing poured down, enveloping the party members.
Camellia counted again.
‘Neither of the party members are ranged. The remaining miracles are one greater miracle, one enhancement-type blessing, and one or two offensive blessings. The caster is a Fire School mage.’
The information clicked together like interlocking gears.
‘I can take them.’
Just as Camellia was about to give another order to her party, Ken staggered back and looked at her.
“Lord, weren’t you a mage? H-how did you use that cursed puppet-mastery of the witches……!”
Fear was etched into his eyes.
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