Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Twenty-Fourth Fragment, Carpediem
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The duel began. On a desolate stage of ruined wasteland, with no grand soundtrack or spectators, the two knights clashed.
The brawler wielding dual longswords approached the Blue Lance Knight with agile movements, seeking an opening. Her entire body was encased in armor, and her shield looked as sturdy as a castle wall—piercing its gaps seemed practically impossible.
But her movements were even more nimble than the lance knight's. She dodged the thick lance swung like a club and thrust her longsword into the gap the shield couldn't cover. The blade clashed against the mana-infused metal plate, sparking as it bounced off. Having failed her attack, a gap opened in her defense, and Jeanne's shield rushed toward her with a whoosh. She kicked off the ground and leaped back just in time; had she stayed put, she'd have ended up like the goblin they'd seen earlier.
The Blue Lance Knight had no choice but to hold her ground like a fortress, steadfastly blocking Ea's incoming strikes. It was awe-inspiring to watch her fend off the relentless thrusts without a moment's rest. Then, spotting an opening while focused on defense, Jeanne finally took a step forward and thrust her lance at Ea. A sharp whoosh pierced the air as it cut through the wind.
Ea startled and retreated, but Jeanne closed in tightly. Evasion was impossible. With no other option, she gritted her teeth and crossed her two longswords. The lance's sharp tip struck precisely at their intersection.
Hiss!
With a sharp intake of breath, Ea was flung backward, rolling across the ground several times. Midway through her tumble, she snagged on the goblin's corpse and launched into the air, spinning gracefully before landing safely. Covered in dust, Ea scowled. Murderous intent seemed to spill from her red eyes like frayed threads.
Whoooong—
Her blade wailed like a cry, faint red mana coating its surface. Without a word, Ea charged at Jeanne again.
The mana-wreathed blade clashed against Jeanne's mana-flowing armor, shield, and lance, slowly gnawing away at them.
In a battle between a lance that pierced anything and a shield that blocked anything, the shield was being pushed back. Like slicing through a shell, chunks of the thick conical lance shaved off into the air with a screech.
"!"
Jeanne's expression hardened. She'd been holding her fortress-like stance, waiting for Ea to tire, but now time was against her. Ea's attack power was higher than expected. Not only did it breach her defenses, it was even wearing down her gear's durability. With no choice, she shifted to an aggressive posture.
But her relatively lower agility meant her strikes didn't land. Blue Lance Knights were especially strong in group formations to begin with. Brawlers, on the other hand, excelled in one-on-one chaos, so she had no choice but to be at a disadvantage.
"Impressive."
It wasn't Ea speaking. Nor was it Jeanne.
In a situation where a single lapse meant defeat, they had no leisure to chat. It was Judah murmuring from a third-floor window, secretly watching from a nearby building.
The moment he'd arrived at these ruins yesterday and checked his , old memories resurfaced. The map he'd created while setting up quests on his computer matched the terrain shown on the exactly. On a hunch, he'd entered the building, spent the night, and waited. As the appointed time approached, the Blue Lance Knight appeared, followed by the brawler, and they began fighting. It wasn't coincidence.
'They're following the settings exactly.'
Watching them fight right on schedule, Judah let out a long breath. Smooth sailing. Truly. He hoped it would continue like this as he observed them. They were locked in fierce combat.
He pondered the right moment to intervene and help when a hologram message window popped up before his eyes.
[Hidden Quest!]
[You are now witnessing a duel between knights staking their empires' pride.]
[Baekje Empire's <Brawler>, Byron Empire's [Blue Lance Knight].]
[Whose side will you take in this battle between the two knights?]
[Your choices in words and actions may make them your ally—or your enemy.]
[Brawler "Ea" - Wields dual swords with agile movements to close in on foes. Her signature fast attack speed and high damage quickly eliminate targets. However, she has a foul temper and harbors ill feelings toward adventurers and commoners alike. But if you could open her heart...? Who knows?]
[Blue Lance Knight "Jeanne" - Dons plate armor and wields a shield in her left hand and a lance in her right with superior strength, protecting allies from the vanguard. Possesses an upright personality and upholds chivalry. Her honesty sometimes wounds others.]
Seeing the choices laid out reminded him of playing old games.
The brawler was a solid dealer. Her skills had defense penetration and bleed effects, dishing out high damage. But her low health and defense meant she died easily, so he'd boosted her evasion to compensate. That should've been enough, but players spammed evasion buffs onto items, maximizing her survivability. Already a boss-killer, she even pulled double duty as a sub-tank, staying viable into the late game. Of course, optimizing evasion required heavy investment and sacrificing other builds, so he never nerfed her for it.
The Blue Lance Knight, conversely, boasted higher defense and health than any early-game character, enabling stable play. Unlike the brawler, she grew excellently without much money or effort. Solid scaling, top-tier defense and health, rigidifying AoE attacks, excellent skills—everything perfect... except one flaw.
Low attack power. Fine for mob farming, but she struggled in boss fights. Still, her other strengths made it easy to overlook.
[Brawler]
[Blue Lance Knight]
"Ah."
Hurry up, the blinking hologram urged. Without hesitation, he selected Blue Lance Knight. His mind was made up anyway. No consideration needed between the ill-tempered brawler and the Blue Lance Knight he'd adventured with for two years.
For a realistic ally he could trust without enslavement, Blue Lance Knight was perfect. The moment Judah chose her, the hologram vanished. Wondering what had changed, he watched intently below. That's when the brawler began overwhelming the Blue Lance Knight.
Ea easily ducked a thrust aimed at her head. Both panted heavily from exhaustion. Dodging the lance, Ea flashed a triumphant smile.
"Heh!"
The longsword in her right hand screamed. The red mana cloaking the blade massively amplified its sharpness but heavily drained durability—hence the wailing tremor.
The crimson-glowing edge slashed upward diagonally. Astonishingly, it targeted the lance's tip.
"!"
Startled, Jeanne tried to pull back her lance, but Ea's sword struck first. The lance, already at its limit, shattered at the tip. Ea's longsword had dulled from prior attacks, but it didn't matter. She wielded two anyway; sacrificing one was fine.
She even withdrew outward after severing the lance, slicing the gap in Jeanne's right arm armor with her dulled blade to seize momentum. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Jeanne swung her lance with all her might, forcing Ea back.
But Ea immediately closed the distance and kicked Jeanne's shield hard.
Off-balance, the Blue Lance Knight stumbled back several steps before crashing into a building wall. Her armor amplified the thud into a heavy boom.
"Looks like I win, Lance Knight. What do you think?"
Ea grinned wickedly. Jeanne panted raggedly, teeth clenched. It was as she said. Defeat. Peering through her visor slits, the lance tip was now a useless bludgeon. Worse, the slash at her joint sapped her arm's strength.
"......"
The Blue Lance Knight took a deep breath, silent as if organizing her thoughts.
She could swing her shield, but fighting desperately with a broken weapon offended her pride.
'This is the end.'
She accepted her defeat gracefully.
"...I see. I concede defeat."
Lowering her shield, she bowed her head slowly, fully exposed. One thrust from the brawler, and she'd die. Ea laughed loudly, savoring victory.
In that moment, Jeanne couldn't help but think Ea's laughter sounded like music.
She closed her eyes. No—as she did, something stirred beneath her feet, hidden by her shield. Irrelevant in death, she tried ignoring it, but her gaze drifted.
'The ground?'
The floor, once covered in white asbestos, was filthy with dust and dirt. Yet atop it, black energy shimmered like heat haze. Like shadows. Ink diffusing in water, spreading from her center. Blinking at the oddity, her blue eyes soon chilled.
'Is this the death I've only heard of?'
It felt like the end of life, death itself manifesting and approaching.
Born a Byron Empire noble, she'd lived enviably. She'd learned and upheld noble duties. Strived for righteousness, pursued dreams tirelessly. Talent wasn't lacking.
She'd joined the prestigious Blue Lance Knights, a dream job for many youths. She thought she'd elevate her house. But it seemed that was the end.
Defeat by Baekje's eternal rival stung, but it was her own shortfall. She'd accept it humbly. No regrets.
'No—maybe one regret.'
She stopped thinking. So many thoughts in mere seconds—rare indeed. To leave no lingering attachments, she resolved to embrace death. Ea's laughter ended just then. As her final words, she spoke.
"Your voice is pleasant."
"Oh? Not sarcasm?"
"Of course not. Just honest. It sounded like music."
Ea stared blankly for a moment before chuckling.
"Thanks. Well, time to end it. That was fun."
She approached, longsword tip dragging the ground.
Bracing for death, Jeanne closed her eyes.
......
......
......
But it seemed not yet time to die.
The shadowy black tendrils at her feet expanded beyond the shield, as if emanating from Jeanne herself.
"What!?"
Ea, advancing with sword raised, leaped back in alarm, but the shadows engulfed far more ground than she'd retreated. Strangely, nothing happened despite the anomaly. Ea glared distastefully at Jeanne. She'd never heard of the Blue Lance Knight having such a technique.
"What did you do?"
