LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 30
Chapter 30
—–CROW—–
While R-rank and SR-rank characters had similar capabilities in both the story and the game, SSR-rank characters tended to be more powerful in the story than in the game. This meant there was a high probability that Alexios possessed abilities exceeding the stats I knew.
“Baekyang, if you don’t block this, we’re all wiped out, so make sure you block it.”
“Can’t I just go home…?”
“The Goblin King would be proud of you.”
“Hey, saying it like that makes it sound like I’m going to die here!”
My slight slip-up in word choice instantly snapped Baekyang out of her sluggish speech pattern. She could speak normally after all?
“Ah… How about we just surrender? Wouldn’t we have to surrender anyway if I don’t act as a shield? Actually, maybe I hold all the decision-making power…”
“If you want to face me instead of Alexios, be my guest. But think carefully about the consequences.”
“Uuuh…”
Baekyang, with a tearful face, finally expanded her ice shield wider and began to hold Alexios at bay. Until then, Alexios kept his gaze fixed on me. Even this much popularity wasn’t very enjoyable…
And the moment Baekyang’s shield obscured me from view:
A dazzling light, like the sun, was already emanating from Alexios’s arms. Was his penalty lifted as well?
“Arieta, divine magic on Baekyang.”
“Yes, Oz.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Arieta began chanting. Her clear voice and gentle rhythm, supporting the party’s movements, began to harmonize the battlefield.
“…”
Alexios frowned slightly at Arieta’s song. It was likely grating on his nerves.
*Bang!*
I snapped back to reality as a loud crash echoed, and Baekyang was pushed back about 30 centimeters. I still couldn’t grasp Alexios’s movements.
[Erosion Blade 27%]
I needed to be more aware. If I was afraid of the [Erosion Blade] increasing, we would be wiped out in the blink of an eye.
“Ugh! Even with the divine magic boosting my physical strength, he’s heavy!”
That was to be expected. Alexios hadn’t taken the [Fist King] title by chance.
“But it’s fine since you blocked it. But it probably won’t end there, so don’t let your guard down.”
Consecutive attacks were Alexios’s specialty. But if we just kept blocking like this, Baekyang would quickly collapse.
“…Don’t you think we’re going to die?”
*Crash, Bang, Wallop!*
As soon as our conversation ended, Alexios’s fierce attacks began pouring down, as if the previous attacks had been mere probes.
It was the first active skill of Alexios, a secret technique passed down directly from the previous [Fist King].
Fist King Secret Technique
[Flaming Cloud Thunder Fist]
Hot air, like flames, flowed from his sun-like glowing arms, enveloping the battlefield like a fiery cloud. Every time his extended fist collided with the ice shield, a thunderous roar reverberated. A magic circle, resembling the sun, was deployed beneath his feet.
Flaming Cloud Thunder Fist.
The technique’s consecutive attacks wouldn’t cease until he left the sun’s magic circle. Unfortunately, it was impossible to interfere with magic like [Dig]. Then, the only option was to physically remove him.
“That’s intense.”
A natural disaster. Was there a more fitting term to describe the current situation?
“I can’t tell who the mage is.”
“Oz? Oz, help me! You’re not just going to watch, are you? You’re going to use some flashy magic to turn the tide, right?”
“I’ll show you some flashy intermediate magic.”
“We’re doomed!”
Baekyang shouted, watching her ice shield begin to shatter. Her sluggish speech was gone. In a way, she was more fluent than I was.
“Why are you hiding your power until now?! The opponent isn’t holding back at all!”
“No, I think he’s holding back quite a bit.”
If Alexios was serious, we would already be rolling on the ground. He probably had a different kind of penalty, like me. Looking closely at Alexios as he swung his fists, I noticed unidentified shackles on his limbs. They were probably power-reducing penalties.
“Besides, I also have a penalty, so using intermediate magic is more efficient and convenient.”
Intermediate Magic
[Water Fall]
*Sizzle—*
As expected, intermediate magic couldn’t stop the [Fist King]’s secret technique. The magic I deployed evaporated before it even reached his fists. But that was enough.
“How is it? With the increased moisture and reduced heat, isn’t it a little easier now?”
“No!”
“Well, I figured.”
Honestly, I hadn’t expected much. That wasn’t the purpose anyway.
“Lucia.”
The water that had instantly evaporated due to the heat spread like fog, before it could fully dissipate. Even with his keen eyesight, Alexios wasn’t a marksman or a mage, so he couldn’t see us. Using [Mirage Fog] would have been good, but maintaining it was troublesome.
“Okay.”
As expected, Lucia was the easiest party member to coordinate with. Was it because she was a soldier? Just from my call, Lucia understood my intentions and silently moved like a cat, blending into the fog. Although she used pistols, her class was that of a marksman, a sniper. Firing from concealment was her specialty.
“Arieta, divine magic on Noah too.”
“Yes.”
Arieta immediately resumed her chanting. Even while casting different support spells on two people simultaneously, she didn’t seem burdened at all.
“Should I kill him, Master?”
“No, restrain yourself.”
Was she crazy? Eleanor, seemingly intoxicated by the divine magic empowering her, started talking nonsense, holding her greatsword with a confident expression. Naturally, Eleanor was no match for Alexios. The difference in their levels was too stark. In a head-on confrontation, she would be nothing but minced meat.
“Just go and disrupt his movements. You know, the thing you’re good at. Be annoying.”
“…How do you usually perceive me?”
“I like people who listen to their heavenly master.”
“Don’t think I’ll fall for such flattery.”
Despite her complaints, Eleanor’s body was honest. Honestly, it was surprising. Even if it was an order, she had the courage to charge at such a monstrous opponent. Was this the mark of a protagonist? Eleanor immediately dashed into the fog and reached Alexios in an instant.
“Haa—!”
“Annoying, get lost.”
*Bang!*
Alexios, who had been continuously throwing punches, caught Eleanor’s charging greatsword with one hand and flung her away. Eleanor rolled dramatically across the ground and disappeared into the fog.
“Not bad…?”
Although she had rolled rather ungracefully, it seemed intentional. To annoy the opponent. She had hidden herself in the fog to faithfully carry out my instructions. Alexios couldn’t leave his position while using [Flaming Cloud Thunder Fist]. But with such a penalty, its power was formidable.
*Bang!*
At that moment, a gunshot rang out, and Alexios’s knees buckled. His continuous assault momentarily stopped.
“Ha… Ha…”
Baekyang, who had been blocking Alexios’s attacks head-on, took the opportunity to take a deep breath. But it wasn’t enough. Alexios had only briefly knelt; he hadn’t left the magic circle. [Flaming Cloud Thunder Fist] was still active.
“I’ll need your freezing ability in a bit, so recover your stamina quickly. You won’t last long.”
“Y-You… huff, y-you really… huff, a-are a… devil…”
Baekyang glared at me, breathing heavily. Her tearful eyes made her look pitiful, but it couldn’t be helped. She was the key to this fight.
“Kyaaa—!”
A moment later, Eleanor landed near me. As expected, she couldn’t hold out for long. She hadn’t been able to make Alexios move his feet.
“Master! I’m sorry, I lost!”
“I didn’t expect much from you anyway, so it’s fine!”
“That’s mean!”
*Bang!*
Immediately after Eleanor retreated, Alexios’s fist flew towards where Lucia had been. Now that the debuff known as Eleanor was gone, Lucia couldn’t continue sniping. She would be counterattacked by Alexios immediately after firing.
[Erosion Blade 28%]
There was nothing left to hinder Alexios. But if the same situation repeated, I didn’t know what would happen. So, what would he do? Would he continue pushing with [Flaming Cloud Thunder Fist]? No, sticking to one technique in this situation was a bad strategy. Alexios would know that much.
“Stop hiding and show yourself, Oz!!!”
The magic circle beneath his feet was absorbed into Alexios’s right foot, and he raised it high. Warrior-class characters generally excelled at disrupting party formations. Alexios was no exception. The first thing he would do was blow away the annoying fog. This was the time for him to use his second active skill.
“Haaaa—!”
Fist King Secret Technique
[Great Collapse]
The earth-shattering stomp I had seen countless times in the game slammed into the ground. A shockwave, powerful enough to overturn the earth and collapse anything standing on it, began to spread through the ground.
“What…?”
But I hadn’t obscured his vision just for sniping. It was all in preparation to seal all of Alexios’s options.
Basic Magic
[Dig]
Although the fog was dispersed by the shockwave, it revealed the holes I had dug around Alexios. The shockwave, powerful enough to overturn the earth, flowed into those holes. Just as I had predicted. In the game, the skill’s power decreased with distance, so digging deep to increase the travel distance was the correct approach. The shockwave didn’t even reach us.
“When did you…?”
“It’s a spell I have a surprisingly deep connection with.”
Among the spells generated by [Mana Dominator], [Dig] and [Light Impact] appeared most frequently. I had seen the spell’s structure countless times and was now so familiar with it that I could deploy up to six simultaneously.
“Baekyang, now!”
“Oz, you’re scary… Doing this with just intermediate and basic magic.”
The Guardian class, tasked with protecting allies, generally possessed crowd control skills. As soon as I gave the signal, Baekyang used her goblin freezing ability to bind Alexios’s feet.
[Frozen in Place], Baekyang’s famous crowd control skill. A technique that immobilized both herself and a single target. Since Alexios had already used his secret techniques, he wouldn’t be able to escape easily.
“I learned this in basic combat skills class…”
Mages consumed mana every time they cast a spell. Was it any different for warriors? They also reinforced their bodies with mana, so they needed time to recover after using powerful techniques. And above all…
“Posture is important for the warrior class.”
With his posture broken after using [Great Collapse], he wouldn’t be able to launch any more threatening attacks. And I had no intention of missing this opportunity.
“Think of this as our only chance and push him hard.”
“Yes, Master!”
Eleanor, who had been lying down receiving Arieta’s healing magic, jumped up with her sword. Lucia, who had been blending in and waiting for an opportunity, did the same. She no longer hid, charging in with pistols in both hands. We had to completely deplete the 50% of Alexios’s cloak’s protective magic with this attack.
“You should have trusted your comrades a little.”
“What…?”
This was a party game, after all.
Intermediate Magic
[Gust Piercing]
* * *
Alexios knew. He couldn’t beat Oz. He had known this for a long time. He had challenged Oz numerous times and had been defeated every time. But there was a stark difference between them.
When Alexios lived with his younger sister at the monastery, Oz was unknowingly at the center of it. He was quiet but more capable and thoughtful than anyone else. It was natural for Arieta to like him. Alexios admired Oz, proud that he was like family. But one day, everything fell apart. The day Arieta went to the church. Oz acted as if nothing was wrong, but everyone knew he was heartbroken. It was only natural. They were family.
But it seemed that only *they* considered themselves family.
“Sister! Oz is gone!”
The day after Arieta disappeared, Alexios’s younger sister, Lena, informed him that Oz was gone.
“W-What should we do?”
The monastery fell into chaos. It was only natural, since he wasn’t adopted like Arieta. No matter how thoughtful he was, he was still a child. It was a missing person case. Everyone had no choice but to search for Oz. They didn’t even know if Oz had left of his own volition.
‘Of course not. He didn’t say anything.’
Because he didn’t consider them family. Oz had left without a word. But those left behind couldn’t understand. How could they, when he hadn’t said a single word? The Mother Superior, who acted as their parent, fell ill with worry. His younger sister, who was particularly fond of Arieta and Oz, was deeply saddened by the feeling of abandonment. And when Alexios finally found Oz, he heard that Oz was heading to the land of mages to retrieve Arieta. Young Alexios thought his resolve was admirable. So, he suggested they all work together to bring Arieta back.
“No need.”
“What?”
But he was met with a look of contempt and a cold voice.
“Ha! Don’t you get it? You’re no help.”
Alexios realized.
“Useless things.”
Only *they* considered themselves family. Those left behind… no, those abandoned, became sick. And the cause was none other than Oz, who had disappeared without a word. So, Oz’s cold rejection was enough to enrage Alexios. He challenged Oz for a specific reason.
‘We’re not useless.’
To prove their worth. That was all. Yes, for that sole reason, he became a disciple of the previous [Fist King] and underwent harsh training. He shed blood and sweat solely to prove himself to Oz. He just wanted to be acknowledged.
“But…”
After arriving at Scientia, Alexios antagonized Oz, but it was always within the rules. During the entrance exam, practical training, and even this midterm exam. He intended to compete with Oz under the same rules, as long as Oz didn’t break them. That’s why he readily accepted the penalty and didn’t challenge Oz outside of class time. He believed that to prove himself, he had to challenge Oz fairly under equal conditions.
“But you…”
Oz was strong. He was undoubtedly stronger than Alexios had anticipated. Even after more than five challenges, there was no end in sight. It wasn’t just a simple difference in strength. He was stunned by how Oz casually countered his secret techniques. And he did it with intermediate and basic level magic. Alexios was about to accept defeat, acknowledging Oz’s ingenious strategies.
“You dare…”
Yes, Alexios was about to admit that he was still far from reaching Oz’s level. He intended to challenge Oz again after countless more training sessions, remembering Oz’s words about him being useless. That’s why he was about to endure the attacks directed at him without resistance.
“You should have trusted your comrades a little.”
—Until Oz uttered those outrageous words.
Alexios felt something snap inside him. His resolve to become stronger, his belief that Oz had his reasons, his competitive spirit for the challenge, and even his lingering desire to be acknowledged.
“You, who trusted us less than anyone…!”
Everything snapped. If Oz had insulted him, saying he was still lacking, far from his level, he would have understood. But Oz didn’t. At those words that seemed to diminish his very existence, Alexios threw his cloak, its protective magic almost depleted, into the air. The rules no longer mattered. There was only one way left to prove himself.
“You say such things?”
If he wanted to remain himself, he had to defeat Oz by any means necessary. He had to sever the past ties and lingering feelings with his own hands.
Fist King Secret Technique, Final Ultimate Skill
[Unprecedented]
“You, who discarded us as useless!!!!”
—–CROW—–
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