Chapter 83

Episode 83 Beatrice

In a country where countless humans live, Ring Guard.

There exists a profession similar to Hunters there.

It is a profession known as Adventurer.

Adventurers are similar to Hunters but also different.

‘King’s Insight, Activate.’

– Ding!

[Checking the opponent’s information.]

[Information]

Name: Beatrice(?)

Position: Assassin

– Skills Held –

Magic Liberation(?) LV.5

P. Knife Fighting(B) LV.1 (Max)

P. Dual Wielding(B) LV.19

P. Dagger Skills(C) LV.20 (Max)

– Current Status –

No hostility towards you. / Currently angry because the opportunity to elevate her rank has been taken away.

==========

She has no special skills… Is she the type that relies on physical strength and passive skills?

What is Magic Liberation?

If I had foresighted her while she was ‘Triche.’

I might not have ended up in a situation where we are about to fight.

Couldn’t it have been resolved through conversation?

‘Chaewon, enter the sword.’

【What? No way! You want me to endure that dizziness again?】

‘… I’ll handle you gently. We need to hurry, so go in quickly.’

【… Really?】

‘Yes, just get in quickly.’

【… You must not get hurt?】

‘Stop talking weird. Don’t worry.’

【… You must not die?】

‘Normally, I would like you to die.’

The reason may be impure.

【So… did you promise? You must not die?】

– Swish.

“Are you betraying your master?”

As soon as Chaewon entered the sword, I adjusted my grip on my sword and asked her.

“Master…? That’s a strange way to put it. I never served Irlya as my master. I just infiltrated the Violet Mansion as a sort of spy.”

Triche… no, Beatrice spun the two daggers she had taken out and held one dagger with the sharp end pointing to the sky in her left hand.

And she held the other dagger with the sharp end pointing to the ground.

I am scared.

“Why do you want to fight me?”

I am trembling.

The pressure I felt when facing Verdium envelops me.

I have to escape.

‘But where to?’

Beyond the open Gate in the cave?

If I run away, Irlya, and Harin who’s trapped in the mansion…

I wouldn’t be able to face Chaewon who believes in me.

“I didn’t infiltrate this mansion for no reason for over a month. My goal was to assassinate Duke Verdium… yet you are the one who takes away the merit I should have achieved… Then, naturally, I have no choice but to kill you and seize that merit, right?”

“Why risk your life for merit? Weren’t you trying to assassinate Verdium for a greater cause? You’re the sub-master of the Adventurer Guild, right? Then shouldn’t you be fighting for that greater cause?”

I deliberately dragged out my words to buy some time.

There’s no place to retreat.

I have to fight.

“For the greater cause?”

‘System!’

– Ding!

“Yeah, certainly, the Adventurer Guild is saying that we’re dirtying our hands to cleanse the world…”

‘I will evenly invest all my stats into strength and agility!’

[Do you want to invest all your stats, 18, into strength and agility?]

[Expected Result]

Strength: 11 → 20

Agility: 8 → 17

“But that’s just a ploy to promote the Adventurer Guild.”

‘Yes.’

“Most people are just acting for their own benefit, like I do.”

– Ding!

“Is this the end of my last question before I die?”

[Stat allocation is complete.]

“Have you shown me mercy?”

“I suppose one could say that.”

After absorbing some of Verdium’s power, the emotion I felt when looking at Beatrice was.

‘This fight… may be doable after all?’

It’s not that she has no openings; rather, I can now see some openings.

The enemy that once appeared so strong now seems manageable merely by leveling up and allocating stats.

“Kid… You look so overconfident… When that moment before death comes, you’ll miss this moment.”

Beatrice slowly approached me, gazing directly into my eyes.

Once again, her long fingers wrapped around the handle of the dagger.

The rigid, sharp, and deadly blade I had seen in front of the campfire.

And a walking style with no unnecessary movement.

Standing under the scorching sun made me start to sweat.

“Don’t tell me you can’t last 10 seconds looking like that? Your tongue has grown longer. Let’s see if you can withstand my attack!”

Swish-!

Beatrice suddenly vanished from my sight.

No, she didn’t vanish.

She leaped high, aiming for the crown of my head.

– Stab!

I lifted my head to check Beatrice’s position.

She blocked the intense sunlight, casting a shadow over me, and immediately a sharp object was flying toward my eyes.

‘It’s already too late to evade… then!’

Clang!-

I blocked her hidden weapon with my sword.

Then, she landed behind me.

I quickly turned and aimed my sword at her.

“Ha… Are you going to come at me so cowardly?”

“Where’s the cowardice in this?”

“Your weapons are not just those two daggers…”

“In battle, that’s nothing. You have no idea what true cowardice is.”

Beatrice lowered her stance, appearing ready to charge at me.

“Did you deliberately emphasize those two daggers from the carriage to distract me from reacting to that throwing attack?”

“Heh, is there a fool who reveals all his means to someone who could become an enemy? This isn’t cowardice; it’s strategy… Is that a method too soon for a brat like you?!”

Swish!-

Beatrice approached me rapidly.

TatataTatataTANG!-

I blocked her rapid flurry of attacks with my sword, just as I had blocked the hidden weapon before.

“Gah…”

I felt pain surging in my hand as I was pushed back from the impact.

“Hey, kid, there’s no time to rest.”

TatataTatataTANG!-

Another flurry of attacks came.

Once more, I used my sword to block.

“I, is this!”

I swung my sword horizontally.

She lightly dodged my attack like a gymnast, and another rapid attack came in.

“You know too much about me, brat; you could become a troublesome opponent in the future… So I’ll eliminate you here.”

TatataTatataTANG!-

‘Ugh, if this keeps going, my weapon will break again…’

“I told you there’s no time to rest?!”

“Do you think I’ll let you get away with that again?”

‘Activating 4 continuous attacks!’

TatataTANG!-

I successfully blocked her four attacks.

But I couldn’t block the remaining two.

– Whoosh, Whooosh!

I jumped back, gaining some distance.

“Ugh… was that too much? Where’s that confident expression gone?”

“Ugh… I’ll give you credit for your speed.”

I allowed her attacks twice within a short time.

Because of that, I now had hot pain and bleeding in my abdomen.

‘… Bleeding, huh… I have such skills as well.’

“Come at me once more. I won’t let you hit me next time.”

“What confidence is this? Groundless confidence is merely poison… You truly are just a kid.”

‘Activating Bleeding Partner.’

– Swish.

A red aura began to swirl around my sword.

“I don’t know what it is, but give up and die now!”

‘Using Bleeding Partner, alongside 4 continuous attacks.’

Bleeding Partner turns my single attack into two, following the flow of the bleeding energy.

Thus, my 4 continuous attacks become… 8 continuous attacks.

“Ugh!”

– TatataTANG!

“What?!”

Beatrice was severely startled.

– Whoosh, Bam!

“Gah?!”

This time, I inflicted a deep burn on Beatrice’s right shoulder.

“What’s this? You’re making sounds like a girl too?”

“Shut up… you brat… how dare you injure me… what have you done?”

Questions are pointless.

I’ll end this now.

I swiftly charged at her and swung my sword downward vertically.

From above.

“Ugh… I didn’t want to use this here… but I have no choice.”

Beatrice appeared to be in a daze.

“Take this!”

“Magic Liberation!”

Crash-!

Boom-!

“Ugh, what?!”

It felt like my attack hit Beatrice’s head.

I felt the sensation of my sword bouncing off.

“Cough.”

I couldn’t help but cough as the smoke spread all around.

“I didn’t expect to use this against a madman claiming to be from another world… but I can’t hold back now that I’ve come this far.”

Magic Liberation.

The unknown skill I saw when I foresighted Beatrice’s information earlier.

I felt the sweat flowing down my neck.

‘King’s Insight, Activate.’

– Ding!

[Checking the opponent’s information.]

[Information]

Name: Beatrice(?)

Position: Assassin

– Skills Held –

Magic Liberation(?) LV.5 (Activated)

P. Knife Fighting(B) LV.1 + 1 (Max)

P. Dual Wielding(B) LV.19 + 19

P. Dagger Skills(C) LV.20 + 20 (Max)

– Current Status –

No hostility towards you. / Currently angry because the opportunity to elevate her rank has been taken away. / Magic is released to its maximum level, increasing the level of skills held. / There is a deep wound on her right shoulder.

==========

‘… It increased by double?!’

“I won’t die easily…”

“How strong could you possibly become?”

“Hmph, don’t regret it after you die.”

– Swoosh!

‘It’s obvious… Is she coming from above again?’

I looked up at the sky.

“Kid, behind you.”

– Whoosh!

“Cough!”

Beatrice’s daggers pierced through my body.