ch121-ch140 · 130-ch130
Chapter 130: I Won't Use My Hands, Though
"GOOH!"
"GOAH!"
A tour group of Forest Ogres has arrived.
A whole crowd of them. No need to fight this head-on, though.
Back through 【Gate】 and regroup.
We're in the third round now, pushing into Floor 29, with Kasumi-san up two wins.
For the record, even if I take this round, my losing record is already locked in.
"Let's fall back to the warehouse for now."
"I'm fine!"
No, no, I'm the one who's not fine.
I'm already surrounded by three Forest Ogres.
Kasumi-san has three on her side too, but she looks completely at ease.
At ease she may be, but I can't count on any rescue...
This is bad.
(【Charge・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】)
Super mode, on.
One, two, three—and the Forest Ogres around me are cleared away.
And Kasumi-san's side?
Already finished...
Experience gap, or maybe just a difference in fighting style—once the numbers grow, I steadily lose the speed contest to Kasumi-san.
I've always fought by downing one, opening up distance, then downing the next—forcing everything into a one-on-one.
Or else overwhelming them with super mode.
Right now I can't get away from Kasumi-san's side, so I can't play to my strengths either...
(Kasumi-san's movements were incredible just now.)
That wasn't purely naginata movement.
Competitive naginata, the sport Kasumi-san used to do, is basically a one-on-one discipline.
The fact that she fights this smoothly anyway tells me she must have folded in movements from other martial arts.
Take in whatever is needed.
That's an important thing to do.
She was swinging the naginata around, throwing kicks, jumping too.
So THAT's why three of them on her makes her jump—got it.
If only I could use 【Shadow Clone】...
MP: 126→120
Six spent there.
If I'm fighting on Floor 30, I want to keep 100 in reserve so I can handle whatever comes.
The 'Gate to Floor 30' is already in sight.
The kill count has Kasumi-san slightly ahead.
We just polished off six between us, so the flow of reinforcements should thin out soon.
I'm giving up on a comeback from here—energy-saving mode it is.
Today's contest ends with Kasumi-san taking three straight.
︙
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Name: Kasugano Haruki
Job: 【Charge Shielder】【Charge Spearman】【Scout】
Lv: 30→31
HP: 2250/2250→2325
MP: 585/600→620
Strength: 120→124
Endurance: 150→155
Agility: 105→108
Magic: 60→62
Skills: 【Gate】【Charge・Shield・High】【Charge・Shield・Armor Enhancement・Shield・High】【Charge・Shield・Strength Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Endurance Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Agility Up・High】【Charge・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】【Charge・Spear・Aiming】【Presence Concealment】【Presence Detection】【Scouting】【Night Vision】
Skill Points: 0→1
My first level-up in a while.
A whole month, maybe?
With one skill point gained, I'll go ahead and take 【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】 right now.
"A level-up? Congratulations. We've felled quite a number, but apparently I'm not there yet."
Kasumi-san was Level 32, if I remember right?
Though she looks about ready to hit 33 any minute...
"Ready when you are. Let's go."
We're storming the boss floor now.
Kasumi-san is in high spirits after her three straight wins, and though we were picking up magic stones, we did get our rest.
Not in perfect shape, but we didn't have to camp out either, so we should be in no worse condition than coming up to Floor 30 the normal way.
The two of us step into the 'Gate to Floor 30'.
"Haruki-san. You must not interfere. Absolutely none."
"I know. The Forest Ogres are mine. Um—we're going in from the front?"
"Yes. This was an opponent I should have faced like this from the start... A long-standing nemesis. I have already become a high-rank job holder, but please let me settle this."
I see...
So this fight had that meaning too...
I forced her into a high-rank job with my brute-force methods, after all.
This is her making a clean break—or proving something.
Proving to herself that she didn't cheat her way into Triple-Rank.
"【Gate】. I'll leave it out. If anything happens, come straight back."
I set my 'Left Gate' down right beside the 'Gate to Floor 29' we came in through.
Now I can get home even if my MP runs dry.
Not making that same mistake twice.
"...Haruki-san. Watch me properly."
I will. Every second.
The moment I nod, the monsters spawn.
"I'll draw the Forest Ogres—take the Ogre King!"
I break into a run.
First, to the front right.
One hundred Forest Ogres, arrayed in a ring around the Ogre King.
Once the ones on its right react to me, I swing my course around to the far left.
A shield job could raise aggro with a skill right about now, huh.
Wait. I AM a shield job, though?
Aggro-raising skills like 【Provoke】 only work on monsters.
Use one on a person or an animal and they might get mad at the noise, but apparently it has no actual skill effect.
Oh, there—the Forest Ogre out front just took the bait, hook, line, and sinker.
Drag this bunch around for a full lap, then?
(Somewhere along the way, running became the one thing I'm actually good at...)
A path opened up, and Kasumi-san moved.
Now she can fight one-on-one.
I'm not worried.
There's no way she loses.
Even back at Double-Rank, Kasumi-san was stronger than the Ogre King.
"Gwoooar—"
Here it comes.
A jump attack!
Kasumi-san doesn't dodge.
She receives the airborne Ogre King—deflects it.
She used the skill 【Deflection】.
Then the next move is 【Counter】 with 【Slash】 riding on it.
The winning pattern!
"Sei—!"
The naginata comes down in a diagonal arc.
Gakin! A dull metallic clang.
It landed. No doubt about it.
Blood is spraying too.
But the Ogre King doesn't so much as flinch—it swings its arms wildly.
Kasumi-san coolly backs away, evading.
The Ogre King presses its pursuit and breaks its own stance again.
Looks like she used 【Deflection】 a second time.
Then of course comes the combo.
One horizontal flash.
【Counter】 with 【Slash】.
A Level 32 【Spear King】 has Strength beyond 150.
Three kinds of weapon enhancement stacked on top of that.
And yet—it endures.
(Its HP, huh?)
Blood pouring from its belly, the wound has surely reached its organs too.
By any standard, a fatal injury.
And still it swings its fist down at Kasumi-san's head.
Pure brute force, powered by high HP.
A boss's HP is on a whole other scale from ordinary monsters.
Pierce the heart and you deal massive damage, sure—but unless a boss's HP hits zero, it gets back up and keeps attacking.
(Either shatter the magic stone or take the head, or this won't be settled quickly...)
Last time I came here with Kasumi-san too, the attendant Forest Ogres only went into their frenzy after Kasumi-san pulled out the magic stone.
(It might even be possible the Ogre King was still alive after losing its head...)
Kasumi-san attacks again and again.
Zash—the sound is different from every strike before it.
A diagonal downward cut...
The same angle as her very first attack.
"Gugyah!"
That one hurt.
It screams and leaps backward, opening up distance.
The Ogre King that had been all offense, all the time, just gave ground.
Forest Ogre skin is as hard as iron.
Then the Ogre King's must be beyond steel.
But if you cut the same place open a second time...
The Ogre King that fell back is already in a death stance.
One more push.
Kasumi-san closes the distance slowly, unhurried.
"Ah—"
The Ogre King's eyes meet mine—me, the one throttling my speed so I don't lose the Forest Ogres trailing me.
The next instant, it's charging straight at me.
As if thinking 'at least take this one with me'—a desperate, all-in tackle.
"Haruki-san!"
Hyoink.
And while I'm dodging, I stick my foot out.
Zuzazazaaa! The Ogre King slides on, and on, and on.
(I didn't use my hands, so that's safe.)
...Huh?
The Ogre King isn't getting up?
"..."
This is...
"Grrr. GRRRAH."
The screams of the Forest Ogres, from directly behind us.
Frenzy state.
The one where, when the boss dies, the rest of the entourage goes berserk and attacks for their very lives.
...Yeah.
The boss is dead.
I didn't use my hands, so that's safe? Right?