LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 35
I never expected someone could completely resist oblivion.
The guy asked, flustered.
“What the heck? How can you stand there looking fine?”
‘No, he’s more likely just talking to himself in disbelief.’
“That’s not what’s important right now, is it?”
“Hah, yeah. You’re right, human. What’s really important is that you’re blocking my path!”
[Starter’s Epusio casts ‘Berserker Charge’.]
Whoosh!
Epusio charges at me with the ferocity of a wild boar with its eyes rolled back.
Dammit, Leisya is still huddled behind me.
‘No dodging; I need to strike back!’
Crash!
“Ugh!”
I swung my sword with a surge of mana, barely managing to block his axe striking down like lightning.
‘If I keep defending like this, the damage will pile up, and I won’t be able to take a step back.’
Then… I need to draw aggro and move the battlefield!
I infused my sword with as much mana as I could and swung it, wrapping my murderous intent around it.
Crash!
Epusio, with eight arms, raised the one holding a shield to block my vicious strike.
Zap!
I focused and split the lightning into small bolts, raining them down on him.
As he stepped back, grinning, I filled the area in front of me with destruction.
“Pretty rough, huh? Is that girl your lover? Hahaha! It’s pathetic to see you so desperate to protect her.”
Shit. This guy’s way too relaxed.
“You’d better laugh while you can.”
I charged while detonating mana at my feet.
Bang! Boom!
Crash!
The pain in my feet felt like needles, yet I didn’t care.
If I fall, everyone caught up in this will die.
Only that thought weighed heavily on my shoulders.
Crash! Thud! Bang!
“Uwaaaah!”
With unwavering strokes, I slashed like a brush painting a monochrome landscape, stirring the space between us.
Crackle─
A flickering purple lightning lit up the air, trailing behind.
With no time to think of defense, all I could do was attack fiercely, forcing him to only defend and retreat.
“Arrogant!”
As he shouted, blocking my attacks, he was pushed back.
[Starter’s Epusio casts ‘Sprint’.]
[Starter’s Epusio casts ‘Bash’.]
[Starter’s Epusio is…]
[Starter’s…]
…
Hoooh─
In this slowed-down world, I frantically looked around.
Dammit. He’s starting to utilize those traits on purpose.
‘There are too many trajectories. But… I can’t not react!’
Most of the traits and skills he had were stolen from lower-tier adventurers rated F and E.
His eight arms don’t mean he can cover every angle perfectly.
In fact, there are unnecessary motions and overlapping attacks that seem manageable.
First. A straightforward downwards swing, ‘Bash’, trying to cleave me in two. I immediately dodged to the side.
Second. A dagger for a throat stab, ‘Sting’. I ducked out of the way.
Crash!
Third. A club aimed for my gut with an upward strike. I infused mana into my sword, accurately countering it.
As he was taken aback, two consecutive trajectories vanished.
He leaped back, hastily preparing for his next attack.
Not a skill but… magic?
Holding a wand in one of his arms, a small gem at its tip flickered with flames.
‘Guess I’ll just take it head-on.’
Thanks to the strong fire resistance option on my Hi-Nax earrings.
I closed in, relying on that.
Whoosh! Boom─!
I was hit squarely by a fireball, suffering only a small burn, but it gave me a chance to counterattack.
“What! How?”
“I’m not the me that used to cling to burnt legs!”
Through the smoke of the explosion, I swung my sword.
Epusio lifted his shield.
I concentrated mana into my right arm. And then…
Bang!
While swinging down, I caused the gathered mana in my arm to explode, striking at an open space the shield couldn’t cover.
Crack─!
‘Wasn’t he made of flesh and blood?’
“Graaaah!”
As I sliced through his waist, instead of the sound of flesh tearing, something shattered.
He staggered back, clutching the broken part as light seeped through.
“Grrr… you little worm─!”
[Starter’s Epusio casts ‘Dash’.]
[Starter’s Epusio casts ‘Focus’.]
[Starter’s Epusio casts ‘Wedge Break’.]
[Starter’s…]
…
Epusio’s arms, excluding his spear, vanished in bursts of light.
Boom!
Uwaah─!
‘What?!’
Dammit! Did he stack all those dash and enhancement traits?
He charged at me with blinding speed that exceeded all expectations.
I activated my Strength and my agility was clearly over C rank…
But this speed is surpassing even that!
Rolling my eyes, I made a quick judgment and started to turn my body.
‘If I keep going at this rate, it’ll be too late!’
It wasn’t enough just to see where he was attacking from.
I couldn’t escape in time safely.
‘If I have to give something up, it’ll be my left arm─.’
As long as I defeat him, I could somehow manage with healing and potions, but I jumped to the right while bearing the blood loss─.
*
Whoosh─
An intangible wave swept through my body, and my head began to throb painfully.
Forget.
Forget everything.
A strange voice whispered in my ear.
─My beloved daughter, Leisya.
─Ray! What’s this behavior? Why are you wilder than your brothers? You look just like your dad.
─Oh, so you want to be an adventurer… heh, you can’t escape your blood. No complaints. You’ll join the morning training at the practice ground starting tomorrow.
Crackle.
“Ugh.”
─I’m Calliope! I heard you’re looking for party members. How about me?
─Oh ho, a noble lady wants to be a warrior? Hoh, looking at your laughter, you’re definitely a noble after all.
─Wow! Sister Ray! Aren’t you too strong?! I mean really, not just gold plating!
Crackle.
─Hah! Thanks to you, it’s ended here. Thank you for saving me. My choice to pick you that day was spot on!
─Sister, I… I think I’ll quit being an adventurer and get a job instead. Sorry. I feel like I’m just a burden now.
I don’t want to forget─!
“Ugh, haah.”
It feels like my head might explode at any moment.
Someone, please stop this pain. Would forgetting make it easier?
…No, that’s not it!
The moment I give in to that whisper, I know I’ll cease to be myself.
The Fortitude trait meant to defend against mental attacks is keeping me barely hanging on, curled up on the ground.
“Oh, it looks like my strength has dropped more than I expected in return. It’ll take a while to assimilate what I’ve absorbed.”
Step.
“Well, I can endure this much; it’s nothing compared to the time I spent asleep. No one can interrupt me now.”
Step. Step.
“First, the warrior. I’ll deal with you since you’re the most irritating. You probably won’t understand my words anyway.”
‘No, no! I can’t die here….’
“Your resistance to oblivion is commendable, so I’ll grant you a quick death. Well then, farewell.”
Hoooh─
Clang!
‘Huh?’
I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the pain to arrive.
But what I felt was the presence of a man solidly blocking my way.
“Do you want to kill her?”
Crash!
As he swung his sword, the Layered Ruler staggered back.
“If you want to kill someone, you’ll have to get through me first.”
Ah─
After that, his fierce, valiant struggle against the Layered Ruler continued.
He stood proudly against the foe to protect me.
But what am I doing right now?
‘Move, move!’
Sure enough.
The tremors in my body slowly subsided, and I regained control over my limbs that were stiff from curling up.
Crack.
“I… must go to him.”
I need to get there right now!
“Overdrive.”
Whoosh!
*
[Leisya casts ‘Overdrive’.]
[Stacks: 1→0]
[All status ailments affecting the user are removed.]
[Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Mana increase by two stages until the user deems otherwise.]
[Durability decreases by four stages. Increased damage taken is applied.]
Boom─!
“Grah!”
“Hoo… you there. What’s your name?”
Wreathed in dark, burning energy, Leisya steadied herself and turned to me.
“Aren, but you seemed pretty out of it before. Are you okay now?”
“Oh—hoho! Of course! I’m fine, haha.”
Wow, seeing her smile in reality is something!
“No, I mean, it’s really nothing.”
Why is she trying to hide it?
Anyway, it’s not the time to focus on smiles.
The important thing is her dramatic entry saved me from losing an arm.
“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might have lost an arm and been in worse trouble.”
“No, no! I should be the one thanking you!”
Grrr─!
That wholesome atmosphere was short-lived.
Epusio, who had been knocked away by Leisya’s punch, was charging back with a roar.
Bang! Bang!
Leisya turned her shoulder as she collided with the gauntlet.
“Alright, I’ll go first, so let’s synchronize!”
With her confident, mischievous smile, I could only nod.
With Leisya joining, the tide began to turn.
[Leisya casts ‘Tiger Strike’.]
“Back then, you were so eager to kill me, huh!?”
Crash!
“Ugh! Why is she suddenly so fast—!”
In a fitting display for her skill name, she charged like a ferocious tiger, delivering a solid blow.
It was an opening!
Crash!
As he staggered, unable to take a defensive stance, I chased after him and landed a hit filled with mana.
Splat!
“Grah!”
His left shoulder crumbled, light seeping out.
[Leisya casts ‘Chain Strike’.]
“Doesn’t feel quite the same as being hit before, does it? Huh? Why’s there no answer!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Splatter!
With the power of Overdrive swirling around her like dark flames, Leisya’s continuous onslaught struck like a storm, each move packed with destructive power that a severely injured opponent couldn’t easily block.
“Gryaaaah!”
“Back off!”
Even with my warning to retreat, Leisya trusted my words and fell back firmly.
Lightning─!
Crash!
“Ugh…!”
‘Good, that last attack packed a punch.’
All of him was breaking apart, light seeping out from the cracks.
“■■■■!”
Epusio’s body swelled anomalously, pulsing in a disordered manner, just like when he absorbed traits from adventurers, losing all sense of reason.
‘If I let that transformation happen, it’ll be a headache!’
Just as I was about to bear with my growing headache and reach for my last resort…
“From the twisted earth, rise before the foe—Earth Heal!”
It was Heins!
Right, compared to Leisya, he’s a tier lower, but as a mage, wouldn’t he have a countermeasure against mental attacks?
Finally, he’s here to help!
Boom!
The ground bulged up into a hill, rising.
Huh? There’s someone on top.
Could it be… Viktor?
“Go, Viktor─!”
[Viktor casts ‘Rock Breaking’.]
As Viktor jumped off the rising mound, he gritted his teeth and swung his great sword dyed in golden light with all his might.
His target? Epusio, who was still growing and dazed!
“This time, it will be different─!”
Bang!
“■■■■■!”
Epusio’s back exploded, light pouring out from the inside, and his body, which had been swelling, froze in place.
‘Let’s go.’
I’d been waiting for a moment just like this, holding back my attacks.
“Ugh… Grayah!”
Gathering all the killing intent I had stored to the limit─
‘Release Killing Intent!’
A bloody aura surged from my grip, flowing down the blade, taking shape.
When the sword began to shake, unable to contain any more energy, I swung it toward Epusio.
Hoooh─
Ka-thud!!! Boom─!
The released energy tore through the ground where he stood, erupting explosively.
“Hah, huff.”
Was it the backlash from the skill? My limbs felt weak and breathless.
“…Is it over?”
What?
‘Did that bastard Viktor ruin everything?’
Just pouring dirt on a well-cooked dish and sticking a resurrection flag in it.
Splat. Splatter.
“■■… Why am I, just from here, being taken down by these pathetic fools?”
Splatter!
“No! This can’t be! How did I awaken? How long have I been forcibly sleeping!”
Thank goodness. It seems that last attack truly finished him off.
I stepped forward alongside Leisya towards him.
With his body rapidly breaking apart, I smirked and drove my sword into him.
“There was something quite impressive that Isaac said about you.”
Splat!
“Nooo─!”
“I don’t care, you piece of trash. Just die already!”
Crash!
…
…
“It’s finally over.”
“Haaah.”
Huh?
After Epusio’s body shattered, when I removed my sword, there lay a massive, white, glass-like orb.