Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Success Experience
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That was definitely an invincible pattern.
……
‘…It worked?’
Invincibility only works against weaklings. Against something overwhelmingly strong, invincibility means nothing.
This was news to me.
“For now, one.”
Adelin’s turn had only just begun.
Kee-sha-ah!
Adelin used the manta ray’s tail, dragged up onto the ground, as a springboard to leap lightly into the air.
She gazed at the demon floating in the sky.
“Two.”
The second gem shattered.
“New Belhart Style 2: Flying Swallow.”
While airborne, Adelin unleashed sword energy downward toward the ground.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa!
A pillar of sunlight erupted from the tip of her blade with a deafening roar, propelling her body forward like a cannonball from the recoil.
Adelin’s form shot up like a swallow, closing the distance to the demon in an instant.
“Three.”
The third gem shattered.
“Belhart Style 2: Gravity Pursuit.”
From above to below. Her sword, heavy with gravitational pressure, cleaved through the barrier.
Craaack!
The barrier shattered in a single blow, twisting the demon’s face in agony.
Before it could scream.
“Last one.”
The fourth gem shattered.
“New Belhart Style 4: Falling Sun.”
Spinning her body midair, Adelin condensed centrifugal force and sword energy at her blade’s tip.
And then.
The sun fell.
Kwaaaang!
With a thunderous boom, the demon crashed down like a meteor onto the manta ray’s back, which had been flopping on the ground.
Kee-gek! Kee-ee-eek!
The impact crushed both the manta ray and the demon.
Demonic energy scattered wildly around their mangled, intertwined bodies.
Groggy state.
One turn.
In just a single turn, Adelin had broken the pattern, closed in from the air, destroyed the barrier, landed a devastating blow, and stunned the boss.
Amid the thick cloud of dust, Adelin turned to us.
“Drag ’em out if they hide, smash ’em if they block, knock ’em down if they fly. That’s the essence of Belhart Style.”
“……”
“How ’bout it? Pretty straightforward, right?”
Luna and I nodded dumbly.
‘…What’s straightforward about that?’
There were things I wanted to learn if I could, but sadly, nothing from what I’d just seen looked like something I could replicate.
Fornayus twitched on the ground.
Its expression, looking down at it, was utterly dazed.
Both the demon and the manta ray.
It was the first time I’d seen a monster look that indignant.
I’d expected her to be a bulldozer ever since she sliced through elite beasts like butter, but this strength far exceeded my wildest guesses.
It felt like playing chess, only for someone to flip the board and declare, “This knight’s a bulldozer. It moves four times in one turn and shoves everything in every direction aside.”
What a shitty way to play chess.
Now I understood why the dungeon had blocked her entry until now.
With her power, she could crush a rock with scissors.
I’d decided to stop freeloading, but seeing this bus right in front of me, my easy-mode mindset started creeping back.
Who could refuse a ride on a bus like that?
If I could, I’d stick by her side all the way through the final dungeon—no, until the end credits rolled.
“Whew.”
But that was that.
I still had work to do.
My turn.
I carved a weakness into both the demon and the manta ray, one each.
Luna’s turn.
As she invoked her fire spell, six fireballs surged toward Fornayus.
Hwaruruk!
Violet flames clung to its entire body and began to burn.
[Status Ailment: Violet Blaze (6 stacks)]
[The target’s fluidity decreases, inflicting continuous flame damage.]
Fornayus, covered in fireballs, let out a roar and its eyes snapped open.
The groggy state was broken.
Kee-sha-ahhh!!
The manta ray’s body, sprawled on the ground, began to flow like liquid.
It crawled up the demon’s legs, enveloping its body in an instant.
The manta ray’s scales wrapped around the demon like armor.
“Oh. Phase 2? Changed outfits, huh.”
“Be careful! The demonic energy has merged into one!”
Fornayus’s Phase 2: Knight of Desire.
In this state, its defense skyrockets.
It also gains temporary super armor, resisting stun from most attacks and countering with reckless aggression—a tricky pattern.
On top of that, the Phase 1 laser circus remained, splitting focus.
In the original game, you had to tank it with a butt-show to get past this phase.
The standard strat was to set Eugene as the tank and spam back attacks until it died.
But now, I wasn’t worried.
Even with boosted defense, it was useless against a solar bulldozer.
Plus, Luna’s 6-stack Violet Blaze had already shredded its fluidity.
Look at it. So sluggish.
And with Elia’s special bombs, we couldn’t lose even if we tried.
But.
Above the transformed Fornayus’s head, a red light appeared.
The usual red gems. Except.
There were two of them.
‘Yeah. I figured something like this would happen.’
I’d been expecting it eventually.
It was weirder that it hadn’t shown up until now.
Roze and Lirian were two, so each got a turn.
Even the trash mobs Malias summoned had their own turns.
But now, for the first time, a single entity had two turns.
Fornayus itself wasn’t the issue.
We’d take it down no problem. With Adelin, Luna, and Elia’s bombs.
The real problem was.
‘This means future monsters could have multiple turns too.’
If a mid-boss has 2 turns, what about Boss Asmod? The ones after?
3 turns, 4 turns. Maybe monsters with enough actions to wipe the whole party solo.
‘Yeah, the difficulty ramps up here.’
Confirmed.
All the more reason to crush it thoroughly now.
Might as well sync up properly with Luna. And we had a cheat key handy.
‘Gotta make use of everything I can.’
Fornayus’s turn.
Its raised arm morphed into the shape of a greatsword.
Chirik. Chiririk.
With an unsettling noise, Fornayus began searching for a target.
Soon, its gaze landed on Adelin.
……
It slyly averted its eyes.
“…What was that? Did it just ignore me?”
“You did something ignorable.”
Adelin seemed to think it was too much, even for her.
Instead, its gaze turned to Luna, who had debuffed it. Easy prey spotted.
After getting smacked by Adelin, had it learned strategy? A perfectly rational choice.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground shook with each step.
Violet Blaze had slowed it drastically, but the knight form’s charge speed was still threatening enough to offset that.
As Luna raised her staff to guard.
I stepped in front of her without hesitation.
“No need to defend. Just focus on burning it.”
“…Pardon?”
No sooner had I spoken than the greatsword came crashing toward my head.
I kept my eyes locked on the blade’s path and raised my sword at the perfect moment.
[Just Guard!]
“Kuh…!”
A massive impact slammed through my body.
Even though I’d blocked it, my body slid backward.
My shoe soles scorched, leaving long skid marks on the ground.
‘So damn heavy!’
This was the first time I’d been pushed back in a pure strength contest since fighting Alain.
“Haribal-nim!”
“…I’m fine!”
I quickly steadied myself and blocked Luna again.
Kee-sha-ahh!
Irritated, it swung the sword horizontally in a wide arc once more.
[Just Guard!]
This time, I didn’t budge.
I parried the blade, aimed my sword at its face, and stared down its burning eyes.
“Yeah. Keep your eyes on me from now on. Don’t look at my comrade.”
A knight moment after so long.
I struck a pose and glanced at Luna.
But.
“…A-ah…”
For some reason, Luna’s face was pale as a ghost.
‘It wasn’t that bad to worry over.’
The attack was strong, but thanks to Walk’s straight sword, the impact was much lighter.
Another lesson learned.
Weapon grade and durability greatly affect damage negation on Just Guards.
‘If it weren’t for this sword, my arm might’ve snapped.’
It lived up to its name.
Anyway, I was fine. But Luna still trembled like a leaf, face blank.
“Luna!”
“Y-yes?!”
Adelin snapped her back to reality.
“Haribal fights like that all the time, so no need to worry. If he couldn’t handle it, he’d have dodged. Focus on your job.”
Of course, in reality, I couldn’t dodge it properly.
Adelin couldn’t know that. It was her way of reassuring Luna.
“…I hope… that’s true…”
But even Adelin’s words left Luna dazed.
She looked like she feared I’d shatter and vanish any second.
In the end, I raised my voice.
“Luna! Don’t zone out—prepare your attack!”
Startled by my shout, she gripped her staff with shaking hands.
‘She’s got some kind of panic trigger too, huh.’
Adelin, who’d actually lost comrades in a dungeon, was calm.
Experience, or just holding it in?
But Luna hadn’t been through that—why was she like this?
‘Maybe counsel her later.’
For now, battle first.
Adelin’s turn.
“Outta the way, you walking disaster.”
Adelin shoved me aside with her shoulder and stepped forward.
“Sheesh. Still sticking to ‘that method,’ huh?”
“…Yeah, well…”
“Fine. If that’s your path, can’t argue.”
Huuuu—
Her breathing shifted.
Daybreak.
“Guess big sis’ll play along.”
The sun set, and rose again.
Four gems danced above her head once more.
“Dinner time yet?”
I didn’t know the time. But I knew she wasn’t asking literally.
A signal: time to wrap this up.
“Instructor.”
“Yeah?”
“Finishing blow…”
I opened my pouch and flashed the reactive bomb.
“I’ll try it with this.”
“Sigh… Just don’t die on me? You’re a real piece of work, you know.”
“Feel any pity for that manta ray?”
“Didn’t you know?”
Adelin grinned, flashing white teeth.
“I prefer seafood.”
News to me.
Her corona gleamed with brilliant gold once more.
Her sword traced a path of light, slashing down on Fornayus’s arm-turned-greatsword.
Golden Slash. The golden strike crumbled its arm like spun sugar.
Kee-sha-ah!
It screamed and tried to retreat, but Adelin wasn’t letting go.
“Where you goin’?”
She dove into its guard.
Flying Swallow.
But this time, not for mobility.
Her sword blurred, slicing its lower body repeatedly.
Shred-shred-shred!
The manta ray scales-as-armor peeled away, collapsing its stance.
As the third gem vanished, her sword gained immense weight.
Iron Wall Slash.
She kicked its solar plexus, launching it airborne, then smashed down.
Kwaaaang!
Fornayus slammed into the ground, cratering it.
Toward the utterly shredded Fornayus.
Final turn.
Adelin gripped her sword reverse and skewered its shoulder to the floor like a kebab.
Puk!
Kee-ee-eek!!
Crimson blood sprayed from its mouth.
It wasn’t dead.
But as good as.
Adelin stepped on its chest, brushed back her hair, and smirked mischievously.
“How’s that? Satisfied?”
She’d served it up on a platter for me.
All I had to do was add the spoon.
“Yes. I’ll dig in gratefully.”
My turn.
I sheathed my sword and pulled out the reactive bomb.
And.
“Luna.”
“Y-yes…?”
“Take this.”
I handed it straight to Luna.
“See the wounds I carved? Slam your strongest art into them.”
“……”
“Then finish it with this bomb.”
The best way to overcome menhera tendencies, as far as I knew, was success experience.
Even if it was just adding a spoon to someone else’s table, actually placing the final period with your own hand made all the difference.
Negative emotions vanish with one solid memory of success. I knew from experience.
Bonus: check Luna’s current strongest art.
“…Can I… really do it?”
Luna took the bomb and looked at Fornayus.
“We’re in the same party. Anyone can.”
“Ah…”
“Or wanna do it together?”
She stared at my extended hand for a long while.
Then quietly shook her head.
‘Refused?’
The moment I thought that.
The anxious flicker in Luna’s eyes vanished.
In its place, an eerily calm violet heat settled.
“Got it.”
She whispered softly.
“If that’s what you want.”
Luna floated her staff in midair and gripped the reactive bomb I’d given her.
“Violet Flame Burial.”
A surge of mana poured from her body, on a whole other level from before.
She clenched her empty hand as if grasping space, and hundreds of violet flames erupted from her fingertips.
Tadadadada!
The flames swarmed Fornayus’s flesh like fireflies.
[Status Ailment: Violet Blaze (21… 22… stacks)]
Stacks piled up insanely.
[Weak!]
The moment the weakness burst, a dark purple vortex swallowed Fornayus’s body.
‘Level 45 art, Violet Flame Burial.’
This was Luna’s current power.
Kee, kee-ee-eek…!
Finally, Luna hurled the bomb at the screaming Fornayus.
Flick.
The instant it touched the Violet Blaze.
Kwaaaaaang!!!
A violet coffin slammed shut.
Fornayus melted inside, burned away, and ultimately vanished.
Nothing remained where the flames died—not even the gems above our heads.
The mine’s darkness lifted as countless crystals embedded in the walls lit up all at once.