I’ve gotten used to fighting in the darkness of the underground passage.
And I’ve come to understand Alfred’s combat habits.
Alfred’s 【Telekinesis】 skill level seems to be low, and the movements of the jet-black short swords he controls are monotonous.
Though a single strike has speed, it’s large and sweeping, so I can somewhat predict it by calmly listening to the sound of the short swords cutting through the air and observing Alfred’s gaze.
Moreover, another skill, 【Magic Thread】, is completely backfiring.
【Magic Thread】 is limiting both our range of motion.
In this case, it would be better for Alfred to fight with a sword while supplementarily controlling the short sword with 【Telekinesis】.
Arata: “Is this all?”
Alfred: “Kuh, you!”
Arata: “You are being played by your skills.”
Alfred: “Shut up‼”
A little while ago, Alfred’s attacks stopped even grazing me.
The more he gets flustered, the more monotonous his attacks become.
When that happens, it becomes even easier to evade.
It’s no different than playing a shooting game.
Arata: “Let me return this to you.”
Alfred: “⁉”
I grab the poorly controlled short sword and throw it back at Alfred.
Whether it’s fatigue from using skills or a false sense of security from being on the offensive, Alfred’s movements lag for a moment.
However, he is a knight chosen as one of the elite 『Shadows』 in the kingdom.
He managed to evade the flying short sword.
Of course, I had already factored in that action.
Alfred: “Guh, you‼”
Alfred easily avoids the first short sword.
However, the knife I threw was not just one.
I had thrown another one towards the space where Alfred would likely evade.
I’m lucky.
The knife is heading right towards Alfred’s face.
It seems difficult for him to avoid this, and Alfred catches it with his bare hand.
The knife pierces through his palm.
Even for a knight who must be used to pain, Alfred lets out a muffled voice.
No, that’s not it.
This feeling… Ah, I see.
Arata: “You’re scared, aren’t you?”
Alfred: “…What?”
Arata: “You’re scared, aren’t you, Alfred-san? Of a sword pointed at you, of an approaching blade.”
Alfred: “…Shut up.”
Perhaps Rose-san is the cause.
Each knight captain selection has a setting.
For example, the First Knight’s Division, which is the Royal Guard, is appointed by the king.
For the Fourth Knight’s Division, which specializes in magical combat, the one with the highest magic-related skills is selected.
And for the Second Knight’s Division, it is the strongest person within the division.
Alfred revealing an abnormal hostility and obsession against Rose-san is likely due to his loss in a duel with her.
Probably, the fear of her 【Rapier Technique】 has ingrained in him.
His delayed evasion timing earlier might have been because the flying knife seemed to overlap with the movements of 【Rapier Technique】, which mainly uses thrusting techniques.
Arata: “So that’s why 【Magic Thread】 and 【Telekinesis】, right? Because you’re scared of Rose-san, you wanted to fight from a distance, not in close combat.”
Alfred: “…Shut up.”
Arata: “Are you scared of swords?”
Alfred: “I said shut up!”
Alfred, raising his voice, pulls out the short sword stuck in his palm in one go.
Perhaps because he pulled it out forcibly, the wound widens, and a considerable amount of blood drips from his right hand.
Arata: “I see. So, to overcome your fear, you relied on borrowed power?”
Alfred: “No! This is my power‼ I am the chosen one‼”
In a fury, Alfred takes something out from his bosom.
As I thought, he had it hidden.
At a glance, it looks like a small candy.
It’s probably a type of skill orb.
Alfred: “I am the chosen one! Even Benedict could only take three, but I have taken in four! And this is the fifth‼”
Alfred swallows it in one breath, an ominous object with a muddy color like a mix of purple and black.
His body is enveloped in an effect similar to leveling up.
This must be the trick that allowed 『Fenrir』 to build a large force in the royal capital.
The members in this hideout had unusually high statuses and skill levels.
The mechanism was to raise the members’ levels and skill levels using orbs.
Alfred: “Hahahaha‼ I am strong! I am the one who is worthy to be the Second Knight’s Captain‼”
Alfred takes out four new short swords.
In addition to the previous two, a total of six short swords dart about freely.
Is this equivalent to the level 8 skill【Telekinesis】?
The ability to control short swords has increased.
Just a while ago, Alfred could only control two short swords alternately, but now he is controlling six at the same time.
I don’t have enough hands.
A missed short sword pierces my left arm, cutting it off.
Not only the operability, but the attack power also seems to have increased.
My HP bar drops by about 30%.
My remaining HP is less than 10%.
Finally.
Now the conditions have been met—
Alfred: “Hahahaha‼ What happened!? You’re all defense now‼ Where did your composure go!?”
Alfred rants as if this is his chance.
In this place, the polite language and gentle smile that had been maintained until now are nowhere to be seen.
Despite his voice cracking, he’s loudly laughing.
Arata: “Thank you, Alfred-san.”
Alfred: “What’s the matter? Show me more of your unsightly struggle‼”
Arata: “Haven’t you noticed yet?”
Alfred: “What?”
There was a skill I absolutely wanted to acquire.
It’s not essential, but it’s a valuable skill when operating solo or fighting high-attack enemies.
──Recovery Magic
It’s a standard skill in games, but the conditions for acquiring it were quite troublesome.
The release conditions for 【Recovery Magic】 are threefold:
- On the night of a blue full moon, gaze at the moon for more than one minute. This condition can be easily cleared with knowledge.
The problem lies in the remaining two:
- Your HP must be reduced to below 10% by an enemy attack.
- In a state where your HP is below 10%, you must also be in a state of limb loss.
To satisfy the third condition of limb loss (a bad status), you need to receive an attack that cuts more than 20% of your full HP on a specific part.
If you carelessly increase your HP or wear armor, you might not meet the third condition.
I could have asked Rose-san for cooperation in acquiring the skill, but one mistake could end it all.
In this world with a high risk of death, recovery magic is undoubtedly one of the most difficult skills to acquire.
Alfred was just the right mob enemy.
In the first place, the skill 【Telekinesis】 is a magic-related skill, so the power correction by magic attack power is large.
Although there is also an attack correction for the controlled short swords, Alfred’s magic attack power is not high as he is originally a knight.
Therefore, I could easily adjust my HP with bleed damage or minor damage from glancing blows.
I consume skill points and acquire the newly added 【Recovery Magic】 on the skill acquisition screen.
Additionally, I use skill points on 【Recovery Magic】, raising it to the highest current level, level 7.
Because I’m worried about MP, I use skill points to enhance it.
And then, I activate the magic learned at level 7 of the 【Recovery Magic】 skill.
──Extra Heal
It’s a skill that recovers 80% of the target’s maximum HP.
As I activate the magic, all the wounds on my body close up.
Looking at my status, I can see my remaining HP rapidly recovering.
Alfred: “【Recovery Magic】⁉”
Probably thinking it would be bad to be dragged into a prolonged battle, Alfred tries his best to kill me.
Alfred: “Damn it‼”
Arata: “It’s useless.”
Alfred: “⁉ Your arm, what⁉”
I intercept the rushing short swords with the kurikara held in both hands.
Alfred, looking at my left arm, which should have been severed, lets out a voice of astonishment.
──Revive
A skill released at level 8 of 【Recovery Magic】.
Its effect is the regeneration of lost parts.
Some skills have release conditions at certain skill levels.
In the case of 【Recovery Magic】, the condition is to recover HP with 『Extra Heal』.
Arata: “Let’s finish this soon.”
Alfred: “Kuh, dieeeeee‼”
Without any twists, he concentrates all six short swords towards me.
Arata: “Let me show you a model example.”
I gently touch the 【Magic Thread】 that Alfred has laid out.
【Magic Thread】 will not activate its restraint effect unless touched at a certain speed or higher.
On the contrary, it can be deactivated and utilized.
To use it, the skill 【Magic Thread】 is necessary, which I had acquired during the battle.
The condition is to be caught by a restraining technique, which is not difficult.
I feel lucky to have obtained it this time, as many of the monster’s restraining attacks are instant death types.
Alfred: “Wha⁉”
Using the 【Magic Thread】, whose control has shifted to me, I entangle Alfred’s short swords.
And then, I reposition the thread to restrict his movements.
Arata: “Thank you, it was a very fulfilling time.”
Alfred: “Wa, wait! If you kill me here, you’ll be expelled from the Adventurer’s Guild and recognized as a criminal by the kingdom‼”
Arata: “There’s no need to worry about that.”
For player killing, the player receiving it has the 《Self-Defense》 system.
Conditions for establishing 《Self-Defense》 are receiving attacks twice or more in a short period, or having over 50% of HP reduced by a single player.
In the case of soldiers or knights from each country, they have an item called a 『pardon』 from the king of their country, which allows them to kill.
So probably, Alfred didn’t know about the 《Self-Defense》 system.
Now, Alfred’s name tag is displayed in yellow, which signifies that 《Self-Defense》 is established.
Arata: “─So, there’s no problem even if I kill you, Alfred-san.”
Alfred: “…Damn youuuuuuuu‼”
Stunned, Alfred shouts immediately after.
His body touches the 【Magic Thread】, activating the restraint effect.
His limbs are restrained, leaving him unable to do anything but shout.
I throw a short sword towards Alfred, who can only scream──
——————
We have now caught up with the raws. From now, I will update chapters as they release. Thank you all very much for reading so far!
