ch261-ch280 · 280-ch280

Chapter 280: Charge?

(【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】. 【Charge・Shield・Armor Enhancement・Shield・High】【Charge・Shield・Magic Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Endurance Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Strength Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Agility Up・High】)

Spear and shield—double super mode.

Hyper mode, activated.

"One minute—it's coming!"

Time stretches out.

To Kasumi-san, that must have sounded like rapid-fire babble......

"Haa—ru—ki—sa—n!!!"

Kasumi-san shouts.

We had positioned ourselves to take the Manticore from behind—but the tail-snake on its rear attacked the moment it spawned.

Kasumi-san's voice sounds drawn out too, which is amusing.

I thought she'd be fine, but this attack can't be dodged.

I'd told Kasumi-san to hold back and only come forward if I failed to fell it in one strike from the front line.

Which means Kasumi-san is behind me.

In that case......

(Windmill!)

I wheel the spear around and use the butt spike to snap up the tail-snake's lower jaw, blasting it upward.

【Charge・Spear】's activation is all but free-form, so this move naturally doesn't trigger it.

I close the distance.

The spinning spearhead—the Windmill's true aim—is the base of the tail......

The rear end, in other words.

('Aiming'!)

A full-body thrust—yet, as always, no feedback.

The instant the tip slides in clean, I stop the spear.

No resistance, but I distinctly feel the shock travel from the Manticore's hindquarters to the crown of its head.

(【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】)

I pull the spear out and re-activate the expired 【Charge・Spear】.

Hyper mode maintained......

Not that it was needed.

The job-selection screen had appeared before I even pulled the spear out.

Call it zanshin, I suppose.

The tail-snake I launched comes falling back down—I dodge.

This sort of thing happens, after all.

The tail-snake's presence has vanished completely, too.

A great victory.

Hyper mode can come down, I'd say.

"Haruki-san!"

Kasumi-san's spear stabs into the tail-snake around the neck and pins it to the ground.

A precise spot that avoids the poison glands.

Kasumi-san's job-selection screen should be up as well—she surely understands, but it's a just-in-case sort of thing.

Speaking of job selection—Kasumi-san never picked her job last time we came to Floor 40......

Because I got poisoned......

Hence, the surprise.

"The surprise was a great success, then?"

"Yes. My heart is still pounding. I would love to share this racing heartbeat with everyone. But still—to think you climbed that cliff all the way to the top. Did you fell the Manticore many times?"

She's fired up.

"I'm glad. The week of preparation was worth it. This is the second time I've felled the Manticore. My job-selection screen is up right now. As for the cliff—one minute of climbing, back down with 【Gate】, then up again thirty minutes later, on repeat."

"A week? During test season? Mmm-mmm-mmm. That will not do. If your results are worse than last time......"

Lecture mode, engaged.

"Soushi and the others are almost back, so let's head home! Your job—did you pick your job? I'll just go check on the Manticore's body!"

Escape!

Let me check the Manticore's state before we go.

I drove a spear charged with 500 MP into its rear, and it didn't detonate—the shape remains.

A quick look at its face......

Ugh—its eyeballs are popped out.

Thick sludge is overflowing from its mouth.

When I poke the body with the butt spike it caves in, and more of everything comes out of the mouth.

The shell is intact, but the inside looks thoroughly pulped.

At this rate, the magic stone must have shattered too.

What power.

Well, 500 MP is more than 'Sword Saint-chan''s 【Dimension Slash】 burns, after all.

It should have been a one-shot no matter where it landed.

"The only new one would be 【Sniper Spearman】, I believe? If you choose 【Multi-Spearman】, Haruki-san, I would like 【Multi-Spearman】 as well. Of course, if 【Super Spearman】 has shown up for you, either would do......"

She's set on matching me.

As for me......

'Available Jobs'

【Enhanced Warrior】new

【Super Spearman】new

【Multi-Spearman】

【Immortal Shielder】new

【Wide-Area Shielder】new

【Charge Shielder】

【Detector】new

【Tracker】new

【Stealth User】new

【Ranger】new

【Illusionist】new

【Assassin】

【Stargazer】new

【Stalker】new

【Berserker】

【Charge Armorer】new

'Next'

【Super Spearman】 is on the list, so maybe that one?

No 【Ninja】—though 【Illusionist】 is there.

I can see more of them, but I'm ignoring the general-class ones.

And then, 【Charge Armorer】, is it......

Never heard of it.

But "Charge" means it's that kind of job, presumably......

What to do.

......Can't decide.

I glance at Kasumi-san—she's taking notes.

It's getting dark even at her hands—what is she writing?

"Kasumi-san, didn't you say nothing much was added?"

"The beginner side had quite a few additions, so I thought I would provide the information anonymously later. ......【Botherer】? What a dreadful job name. Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm. Ah—have you decided, Haruki-san?"

I see—information for the other adventurers' benefit. As expected of Kasumi-san.

I'll pitch in too.

"Mine's a take-home this time. 【Super Spearman】 did show up, but there's something I'm curious about...... Kasumi-san, please go with 【Naginata King】 as planned. It's valuable information on a 'King' job, after all. Don't go matching me."

"Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm. Understood. Since you went to the trouble of surprising me, let us decide today. It galls me, but 【Naginata King】 it is...... Still, if it's a take-home, when will the next chance come...... On tomorrow's request there is a chance you will be ferrying emergency supplies, Haruki-san, so I shall move the 'Left Hand Gate.' For another surprise, you would have to climb all over again......"

MP is a factor, and another run today is out of the question.

The operation starts tomorrow, so no chance for a while.

Honestly, I'd have liked Weapon Enhancement for the operation starting tomorrow......

The Halbert method it is—wear them out, swap them out.

"No need to worry on that front. Speaking of tomorrow—it's nearly the promised time, so I need to get back to Mia-san's shop. Now then, my beginner jobs...... Hm, wait, what? 【Heavy Fist User】? First I've heard of it. Kasumi-san, do you know it?"

Selecting 'Next' and checking the beginner jobs, there among the final rare jobs was 【Heavy Fist User】.

"First I've heard of it as well. A beginner job? From the sound of it, like 【Heavy Bow User】, a bare-handed job that 'Charges'? It may have branched downward from an upper job into a beginner one. I have seen you using 【Charge・Shield】 bare-handed style several times, so perhaps that is what summoned it."

I see—maybe a beginner job that only shows up once you've met the conditions with the upper one.

Or a born-with-it job, or a person-specific one?

There are ugly ones too, like 【Con Artist】......

And 【Fortune-Teller】, which I have zero memory of.

Quite a few magic jobs, too.

【Electric Mage】 might be rare?

"Notes done. Let's head back. Ah—your way home is over here, then."

"Eh? But it was over there...... Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm?"

Kasumi-san turns around, perplexed.

Another surprise, maybe?

A complete success.