Vampire Princess Guide in Progress - Volume 1 Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Even With All My Might

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The decisive battle moment, beneath the night sky and stars on the boundless snow plains.

With the appearance of the Ice Crystal Colossus, the snowstorm began to grow increasingly fierce, and the air temperature dropped suddenly. The cold air inhaled cut like blades against the throat, and flying frost clung to the young girl’s cheeks.

The entire Colossus Golem was like the center of a storm, taking heavy steps, approaching one by one, bringing ominous ice, snow, and disaster.

With the glow of the pure white scabbard at her waist, Susie’s eyes were infused with a light golden brilliance, becoming sacred and resolute.

She slowly drew the sword from her waist, and brilliant golden light flowed like water from the gap between the scabbard and blade. Holding the sword vertically in front of her with one hand, she faced the approaching colossus.

“Calm down, Susie. Believe in yourself.”

She slowly closed her eyes and gripped the sword in her hand tightly.

Whether it was the Crimson Moon Princess or the Dark Night Swordsman, what others have been able to accomplish so far, I can do as well.

After tonight, the title of 「Pure White Blooming Holy Sword Maiden」 will likewise echo through the clouds and be known by everyone. She will, in the name of the Holy Sword Maiden, guard the town behind her.

Proving with strength that she is not inferior to anyone, but rather stronger than them, already capable of truly standing on her own.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, standing in the spotlight of this stage, in this no-longer-pure death game, shouldering more responsibility, using this fantasy-colored power to protect others.

Something that can only be done in this game world…

“Go intercept the Ice Crystal Colossus, use excessive damage to force the BOSS to activate its aggro mechanism, to achieve the effect of controlling the BOSS within a certain range, preventing it from approaching the town further. After completion, withdraw from the frontline, and let other players conduct a collective attack.”

Susie quickly recited in her mind the mission as the lead damage dealer in the first assault.

This was also an unexpected gain from the Iris Knights advance team after completing a side quest a few days ago, obtaining the purple quality item 【Witch’s Mercy】, which recorded some of the mechanics for this World BOSS.

Among them, what is currently known is—

According to the description in the 【Witch’s Mercy】 item, the World BOSS doesn’t respond to the main tank’s taunt, but excessive single-target damage can generate aggro, meaning making a target that causes the World BOSS to feel threatened, prompting it to stop its advance and counterattack.

And this task must be completed by an individual, also because what is needed is “single-target excessive damage.”

The World BOSS’s initial aggro setting seems to be the town; it must be transferred to another individual target, otherwise if everyone causes damage together from the start, it will counterattack the player group while still advancing toward the town.

Following that, when the individual who attracted aggro leaves the battlefield, the World BOSS will enter a state of no aggro but will counterattack in place.

At this time, letting all players swarm in, the Ice Crystal Colossus will no longer continue to advance, but will be caught in a fierce battle with the players. The Iris Knights formulated the current strategy based on this guide from the in-game item.

Therefore, as the lead damage dealer in the aggro position, one must be extremely strong, possessing enough excessive damage.

At this moment, closest to the battlefield and hidden in the snowy forest, all members of the Sacred Realm Expedition Corps guild wore white armor, knight helmets, and most held knight lances and large shields, quite resembling the Crusaders of yore.

They were the second step of the plan, the team to provide support and join the battle after Susie stopped the BOSS.

“Are-are you sure about this? The lead damage dealer chosen by the Iris Knights is a young girl?”

“What’s wrong with a young girl? Don’t underestimate her. She’s the famous Holy Sword Maiden from the closed beta period. I heard she’s already Lv.28 now. Even within the Iris Knights, few can defeat her.”

“Is that the Holy Sword Maiden? No wonder her sword looks different from others, actually glowing brilliantly…”

“The most remarkable thing is that even in a game like this today, she still isn’t afraid, but rather has the courage to be active on the frontline of battle.”

“Yeah, let’s hope she succeeds.” The leading Silver Shield Knight raised his face.

His gaze passed through the thick snowy forest to the girl standing alone on the snow plains.

If even Holy Sword Maiden Susie couldn’t stop that colossus, then almost no one could do it. Now they could only pray that the first phase of the operation would proceed smoothly.

In the distance, after another heavy step, that huge dark figure in the snow mist finally fully revealed itself to everyone.

It was an elemental creature entirely made of blue-black ice crystals, with a torso and four limbs, about 50 meters tall. Its limbs were relatively slender compared to its trunk, with huge ice fists like two giant hammers. Its chest was covered with thick ice crystal armor, and red light flashed from its eyes on its head, penetrating through the clouds and mist.

“Ugh…! It’s hard to imagine that the BOSS of the third floor would be replaced by something like this.”

Susie’s expression changed slightly, but her raised head immediately settled into a determined look.

Looking at that enormously vast body standing imposingly before her, it was just like an unstoppable ancient beast.

Observing at such close range, that overwhelming pressure beyond expectation, even though this was a giant monster that could only be seen in a game, facing such a colossal being’s pressure in immersive VR was almost indistinguishable from being physically present.

In comparison, her minuscule figure seemed utterly insignificant.

Susie’s gaze briefly glanced down, seeing her fingers unconsciously trembling as they gripped the sword hilt. Her eyes revealed a trace of surprise, then turned to contempt.

Was her body subconsciously afraid? How ridiculous.

No, calm down, she was just feeling a bit cold, that’s all.

“Huff…” Susie bit her lip, adjusted her sword grip, and held it tight again.

Feeling the ground beneath her feet trembling more and more violently like an earthquake, her heartbeat also quickened accordingly. She took another deep breath.

Everyone’s hope was on her; if she showed fear, the consequences of the entire raid would be unimaginable.

“The distance is about right, take this!”

Confirming that the Ice Crystal Colossus had entered her attack range, Susie opened her brilliant eyes and without hesitation drew her sword and slashed forward!

The light sword in her hand instantly transformed like a phoenix’s tail feathers. Dazzling waves of golden sword energy howled through the air, carrying the clear and high-pitched sound of a sword that shattered the snow and wind, scattering bits of golden fragments, cutting through the snowstorm straight toward the Ice Crystal Colossus.

— 【Holy Sword Radiance – Endless Combo Slash】!

“Aaaaaahhhhh—!”

Her feet stood apart with the curves of her thighs tense, the soles of her pure white leather boots pressing firmly against the snow. The girl’s toes plowed deep marks in the accumulated snow as she continuously swung her arms, unleashing a flurry of sword attacks at the colossus.

She held nothing back, unleashing her strongest technique right from the start.

A series of golden sword waves, appearing in crescent shapes, flashed rapidly through the air, suddenly exploding into thousands of golden lights across the snow plains.

【HP-872】! 【HP-422】!

【HP-784】! 【HP-378】!

【HP-975】! 【HP-504】!

The white floating text of physical damage and the golden floating text of holy damage mixed together, producing two lines of damage numbers with each strike.

Those dazzling, brilliantly splendid golden sword waves silenced all the players who had just been questioning this Holy Sword Maiden. The sharp sword sounds echoed throughout the entire snow plain, and the attack speed not only didn’t decrease but seemed to be getting even faster.

So fast! This terrifying attack speed visible to the naked eye.

This was the legendary Holy Sword Maiden, possessing unique sword skill passives with dual attributes at range, strength far surpassing other players’ levels.

Players seeing the Holy Sword Maiden’s form for the first time couldn’t help but feel somewhat alarmed, wondering what kind of person could possibly withstand this tempestuous rhythm of attacks in a player versus player battle.

“Clang, clang-clang-clang, clang-clang—!”

The girl in white robes with a high ponytail, holding her light sword, her frail yet resolute figure dancing vigorously on the snow plain, her cloak also fluttering wildly in the air with rustling sounds.

What that Crimson Moon Princess woman could do, she could do just as well!!

— 【Multi-Strike Combo】!

— 【Linear Thrust】!

— 【Gravity Slash】!

— 【Starlight Seven Consecutive Thrusts】!

— 【Twelve Moonshadow Strikes】!

With various sword techniques displayed in succession, golden sword waves appeared in different forms as they slashed out.

The combo count under the 【Holy Sword Radiance – Endless Combo Slash】 state continued to display in the game UI on the right side of the girl’s vision. That exaggerated combo number was still violently flickering at this moment, having reached a record high of over a hundred combos.

In the snow and wind, she could no longer see clearly how much damage she had caused, only hearing the sounds of breaking ice and falling rocks continuing to resound on the body of the colossus.

Boom—boom—boom—!

The footsteps of the Ice Crystal Colossus Golem thundered on the ground.

The BOSS’s HP value fluctuated with an extremely slow but decreasing trend.

Everyone’s gaze continuously reflected the flashing sword strikes on the snow plain, raising bursts of snow dust, and for a moment they all unconsciously opened their mouths wide.

“It’s like watching some fantasy blockbuster…”

“So exaggerated, can a one-handed sword really be this cool? While my bow proficiency is still low, I should switch to becoming a swordsman soon too.”

“Miss Susie is simply a sword saint-level existence.”

“Wait, but don’t you think what’s more exaggerated is that even with all this, the BOSS still hasn’t stopped?!”

Soon, several minutes had passed.

While marveling at the Holy Sword Maiden’s magnificent sword techniques, some players began to worry about the BOSS’s terrible resilience and the tense battle situation, silently holding their breath.

The BOSS’s HP value was fluctuating downward, but its footsteps still hadn’t stopped. The damage wasn’t enough; it still hadn’t reached the level of excessive damage needed to stop the BOSS. The Ice Crystal Colossus Golem was directly weathering this fierce attack and continuing to step forward.

What’s going on? Still not enough damage?

She had already achieved over a hundred combos. According to pre-battle data estimates, that should have been enough to stop the BOSS. Could it be that because the snowstorm was too heavy, many sword waves weren’t actually hitting their target?

A moment later, Susie’s palms were already slightly sweating.

Not good, it’s getting closer and closer, the BOSS is getting closer and closer…

And when using the sword skill 【Holy Sword Radiance – Endless Combo Slash】, that increasingly stacked high-speed attack would cause her body to enter a state similar to being “post-attack stiffness” in-game. If she didn’t withdraw in time, she might find it difficult to make quick evasions when needed.

Seeing that enormous figure approaching her more and more, Susie began to grow increasingly nervous. This distance was already in the danger zone; by reason, she should have retreated, but she still hadn’t completed her mission.

Even letting the colossus take one more step forward would increase the possibility of the town being destroyed.

Why hadn’t it stopped yet? Was there a calculation error, or was it because she couldn’t exert the power she had imagined…

If this continued, her stamina… would soon reach its limit!

“Cough…!” Susie’s gaze trembled violently, the sound of her breathing from her heaving chest suddenly became extremely rapid and very disordered.

“Bad, this is bad! Something’s wrong, the BOSS still hasn’t stopped!”

Within the Iris Knights, people began to notice something unusual.

They had now reached the predetermined position, but the colossus showed no signs of being stunned. If it couldn’t be stopped, not only would it exceed the original range, but Miss Susie would also be in mortal danger!

It failed; something must have gone wrong.

This strategic plan was no longer working; they needed to change it immediately!

And this also meant that the town would definitely not remain unscathed. In this battle, whether residents or players, there would be inevitable casualties. There was no way around it.

After all, from the beginning… expecting things to go so smoothly was almost impossible.

“Come back! Susie!!!” Calen, realizing something was wrong, immediately shouted at the girl on the snow plain with a voice that was almost a roar.

“No, no… it still hasn’t stopped, not yet!”

Upon realizing she couldn’t stop the BOSS, Susie, standing alone on the snow plain, began to fall into anxiety.

Why? Why hadn’t it stopped yet?

She needed to be faster, there wasn’t enough time left, she was about to fail.

Her expression began to look extremely unnatural. Even that delicate and pretty face showed signs of panic. The sword in her hand, due to the arm pain caused by excessive sword swinging, became increasingly difficult to grip firmly.

The sword energy began to gradually weaken, and her swordsmanship became chaotic.

Unable to concentrate due to anxiety, she began to experience serious situations where she couldn’t swing out sword energy. The more anxious she became, the more frequently she lost her composure.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Susie’s mind, chaotically intermingling.

And the increasingly approaching colossus before her eyes began to make her so nervous that her entire body started to tremble. For a moment, the word death flashed through her mind.

If she continued, she might die.

Instantly, a feeling of suffocation, like a poisonous snake, bit at her throat…

I… can’t do it?

No, that’s not true, don’t deny yourself! Susie!

Don’t let yourself down at the crucial moment, hang in there, it must be just a little more!

If she could land a few more combo hits, she should achieve excessive damage. Focus, fear and panic would only make the situation worse.

At this distance, no one could come to save her; she could only rely on herself…!!

“Aaaaaahhhhh!!!”

Susie’s pupils emitted a brilliant golden light. Gritting her teeth, she planted her feet firmly once more and, almost in a life-risking posture, launched into a second round of 【Holy Sword Radiance – Endless Combo Slash】.

And at that moment, seeing her make the sword-swinging motion again, everyone’s heartstrings instantly tightened.

Because it signaled that Susie had given up the best opportunity to retreat. Before completing the mission, this young girl had decided to risk everything, and the outcome could only be life or death.

“Stop— Susie!!!”

From within the Iris Knights, Guildmaster Calen could no longer contain himself. His figure instantly flickered, leaving a phantom at his original position, as he charged through the snowstorm toward the girl.

“Guildmaster!!!” Seeing the dramatic change in the situation, other knight corps members could no longer adhere to the original plan and directly fired fireworks into the sky as a signal flare for gathering and attacking!

At this moment, the sword energy from Susie’s sword had actually become intermittent since earlier.

Under the intense pressure, she was almost unable to catch her breath, struggling desperately to hold on, while the immovable BOSS was mercilessly crushing the battle situation.

However, just as she attempted to swing forward with full force again, the excessive movement caused the sword hilt to unexpectedly slip from her palm and be flung away.

…This is bad!

At that moment, Susie’s brilliant golden eyes lost their light.

She stared in shock at her sword flying away from her, and her heart instantly dropped, for a swordsman without a sword is equivalent to losing the last chance of resistance.

This fatal mistake would cost her life, she knew this more clearly than anyone.

From the enormous body of the colossus, eyes flashing red beams like Death himself, now within arm’s reach, that sky-darkening figure completely engulfed her in its shadow.

Susie raised her head with a wooden expression.

The girl’s slender neck displayed an easily broken curve in the shadow, like a puppet with cut strings powerlessly kneeling on the ground, her dress back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Whether from physical exhaustion or fear, her body could no longer move…

It seems… this is the end — for her life.

In those trembling amber pupils, finally her gaze glanced to one side, seeing that man urgently rushing toward her.

Too late, he wouldn’t make it in time.

“Susie!!!” His face was filled with disbelief; the normally steady middle-aged man’s face showed a distorted expression of grief and despair in that moment.

Susie’s trembling pupils reflected her father’s figure, disheveled hair fluttering in the wind, the corners of her mouth raised slightly in a resigned smile.

A crystal-clear teardrop fell from the corner of her eye, scattering in the wind.

I’m sorry, Dad…

I guess I couldn’t become the daughter you would value and be proud of, even with all my might…

This game… if you’re defeated, you’ll really die, right?

Seriously, it’s not fair at all.

“I’m sorry… please take good care of Mom, silly Dad.”

……………

With a thunderous sound, the Ice Crystal Colossus’s swinging fist, carrying howling snow in the air, landed heavily directly on the ground, raising a swirling cloud of snow dust…

And within that swirling snow dust and mist—

In an instant, a crimson beam of light began to flicker violently.