Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Halibal Break
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The Empire's Greatest Sword, Adeline Windsor.
Her other moniker was Golden Slash.
She had been waiting at the dungeon entrance ever since Halibal entered the magical beast dungeon to perform the funeral rite.
*What an amazing kid.*
In Adeline's eyes, Halibal looked like a boy who had dropped straight out of the sky.
Talent beyond measure. A child who even created his own arts, showing such an independent flair.
A boy bearing twisted burns across his upper body, yet never once showing the pain.
And in those eyes, an emotion rarely seen in people these days.
*An overwhelming fear of death.*
A conviction that he would gladly throw his body into the fire to overcome that fear.
In this world, could there be another being so young with such resolve?
*What on earth drove you to this?*
But above all, the reason Adeline held Halibal so dear was something else.
"The honor of a knight..."
He always spoke those lofty words about a knight's honor, yet never lost his goodwill toward others.
Halibal had performed funeral rites in the same way back in the 2341st Unit, he said.
With no one forcing him. Despite countless injuries and swallowing pain untold, he guided the dying to their end.
Perhaps what Halibal truly feared wasn't his own death, but the deaths of those left behind.
That signature stoic expression was just a young boy trying not to show his feelings.
"...Annoying."
The more she realized this, the more Adeline couldn't stand how pathetic she felt.
Even before stepping onto the path of the sword, she had been certain. That trifling Evil God—she could cut it down.
But she couldn't.
Empire's Greatest Sword, Adeline Windsor. For some reason, she couldn't advance beyond the dungeon's entrance.
That was why the Empire had thrown countless soldiers into it over decades yet failed to conquer the Evil God's dungeon.
No one had ever reached the end of the Evil God's dungeon.
As if the world itself had imposed some restriction, forcibly blocking Adeline and everyone else's steps.
She had the power to resolve Halibal's suffering, yet something beyond her will blocked her, leaving him to torment.
That reality filled her with unbearable rage.
"Lady Adeline, what are you looking at?"
Turning at the unfamiliar voice, she saw a girl with purple hair standing there.
An unexpected visitor who had come to the Stormstrike Squad that afternoon, intrigued by the story of a boy her age performing a funeral rite.
"Ah, Saintess."
The saintess of the Erandar Church, which worshipped the seven gods opposing the Evil God—Mina.
Adeline was certain.
Before long, the restrictions the world had placed on the dungeon would be lifted by this little girl.
She would be the key to the dungeon the Empire so desperately craved. Adeline smiled at her.
"I was waiting for the kid I'm looking after to come out."
"Yes. I heard about the funeral rite. They call him the Sword of Mourning..."
That was when it happened.
Boom.
"...What?"
Black demonic energy began rising from within the dungeon, encroaching on the entrance.
"?! "
It was a situation no one had experienced before, sending the waiting soldiers into a panic.
But Adeline, who had conquered many dungeons, understood the meaning better than anyone.
The dungeon entrance closing. It meant someone inside had encountered the boss.
When someone encountered the boss inside, the dungeon would forcibly spew demonic energy, completely sealing off entry and exit.
"This can't be...!!"
But nothing like this had ever happened before.
Not even during the dozens of times Halibal had entered and exited the magical beast dungeon.
*What happened...? Did that kid encounter the boss inside?*
But why now, at this exact moment when Halibal had entered with everyone?
What was God thinking, imposing such a trial on that child?
Adeline's expression hardened.
"Halibal..."
In her eyes, Halibal still lacked the training to face a boss.
*It's too soon!*
Adeline immediately unleashed a powerful sword beam at the dungeon entrance.
The storm of golden sword energy struck true, but the barrier of demonic energy didn't even scratch.
"...Halibal!!"
She called his name, but as expected, no answer came.
Standing before it, Adeline could only swallow her despair.
⁎⁎⁎
Even after driving in two black shards, the speed's still lacking.
As someone who knew the magical beast dungeon's traits, I could guess what that beast emerging from the darkness was.
The problem was I hadn't expected it to burst out without warning like this.
Kyaaah!
Revealing itself with a shrill scream was a flying squirrel-type beast cloaked in lightning.
The first boss players face in [Apocalypse Academy], and the mid-boss of the magical beast dungeon—Shukarit.
Action RPG bosses usually fall into two types.
The kind where each attack is slow but one hit spells instant death.
The kind that doesn't kill in a few hits but comes at you fast and relentlessly.
Of course, later ones turn even the chip damage into instant kills—that's the rule.
Anyway, Shukarit was the classic latter type.
The chip-damage boss that embodies "Hey, this is an action game!" Nicknamed Teacher Shu.
Newbies facing Shukarit for the first time would drop like flies, unable to adapt to Teacher Shu's bullshit speed.
Even veterans often got careless, not expecting such an annoying boss early on, and wiped.
My obsession with black shards was largely to prepare for this guy.
But from what I knew, Shukarit shouldn't come out unless you're in the boss room. Why here?
But what can you do.
We'd already met.
"Everyone, stick to the entrance wall."
The moment people huddled trembling against the wall, Shukarit charged me.
Kwang!
"Kh."
"Knight! Are you okay?!"
"Y-You protected us from the attack...!!"
The impact of its straight-line body slam sent my body flying back.
...Huh? More hittable than I thought?
It hurt, but not as bad as an elite kobold's claws.
A blue gem appeared above my head.
My turn had come back with less damage than expected.
Still, a mid-boss weaker than an elite beast? Probably because I'm turn-based.
If not for that, I'd be dazed from the combos by now, getting pummeled.
But with my combat trait making it turn-based only for me, its turn is just once too.
Can't dodge, but won't get hit repeatedly.
Plus, my attacks always hit.
No problem then.
I had no doubts about winning.
"Corner Slash."
Chiiing!
Shukarit, struck by the sword energy, spread its wings and retreated in an instant.
Reflexive move to dodge the next attack.
[Weak!]
My turn wasn't over yet.
Stepping forward, I gathered energy into the blade.
Return Light.
Gray sword energy swirled like a vortex.
Kwaaang!!
Kyaaah!
The flash carving through the ground slammed Shukarit into the dungeon wall, screaming.
It landed on the floor and barely regained its stance. The lightning cloaking its body flickered.
Seeing that, I was certain.
*Manageable.*
Different from the elite kobold.
Shukarit's speed meant nothing.
Turn-based here.
Attacks are strong, but with my training and eight yellow shards, I can endure.
Above all, on my turn, it can't counter.
"Ooh...!! The knight felled the beast in one strike!"
"Is that the famous Ashen Wind?!"
"That attack was too fast to see!"
That was when.
Shukarit suddenly crouched, its fur puffing up.
Sparks crackled from between the swollen fur.
Lightning crept up.
*...Already phase 2?*
Thinking about it, Shukarit was fast but fragile.
Even so, I hadn't expected two arts to take half its health.
When Shukarit's HP drops below half, it changes form like this.
From sleek speedster to fur-bristled defender/counterattacker.
Then its patterns completely shift.
The chip attacks vanish, each blow turning into a heavy flail.
Speed drops, but hits bring impact and lightning damage at once—Teacher Shu's true newbie-killer class begins.
Lightning flashed before my eyes.
"...Ah, shit."
Kwaang!!
A massive forepaw swung like a flail, smashing my abdomen dead-on.
Yeah. This is a boss. The shock, incomparable to the body slam, resonated deep in my bones.
Pajijijik!!
"...!!"
Lightning piled on the impact.
Agony pierced my body, muscles spasming, nerves tearing.
*Insane...!!*
Even the scream from my mouth drowned in the roaring shocks.
"Knight! Are you alright?!"
"What was that? It suddenly changed form!"
"We just had to stick here, right? No way... are we gonna die?!"
Voices of fear, confusion, and worry for me bombarded my ears.
Fuck.
But it's fine.
Entering phase 2 means my Corner Slash-Return Light combo took half its health.
One more combo and it's done.
The lingering lightning buzzed in my body, but before I could shake it, the blue gem appeared overhead.
My turn.
I raised my sword and charged Shukarit.
"Corner Slash."
The X-slash carved straight into Shukarit's chest.
Follow with Return Light on the extra turn to seize victory.
Kyahahaak!!
But Shukarit thrashed wildly, shoving me away from its body.
*What? It's still my turn?*
The gem above my head was gone, replaced by a red one over Shukarit's.
No [Weak!]
No weak point marked.
That meant.
*...No extra turn.*
Kwaang!!
The second flail smashed my side dead-on.
My armor and weights shattered in one blow, the clear crack of bone beyond audible.
Pajijijik!!
Knees buckled from the lightning, dropping me to the ground.
Looking up at Shukarit sword in hand, its puffed fur was settling.
Fur. Yeah, the fur blocked it.
The thick fur prevented the blade from reaching the body to mark the weak point.
Damage went in, but failed to mark.
As I steadied myself, its fur puffed again.
Can't win without piercing that fur.
No—my body won't hold till then.
Break.
Have to use it somehow to shatter Shukarit's defense and create an opening.
But the condition.
Break's minimum trigger: three consecutive arts uses.
Corner Slash → Return Light works, but turn always ends after, can't reach Break.
*How... to do this.*
Twice is doable.
But three. To reach Break without an extra turn, I need one more art.
*...It's not impossible.*
The first option: improvise a new art that grants an extra turn.
*Impossible.*
Even Corner Slash and Return Light were flukes. Plus, lightning pain clouds my head.
Then the remaining way: maximize existing arts' efficiency.
This is it.
No, it's the only way.
Slowly regulating my breath, I raised my sword.
Shukarit growled from afar, watching me.
The agony from that flail still crushed my gut, but now or never.
Before it puffs its fur again.
Condensing sword energy into the blade, I desperately shoved it toward the fur's interior.
Kyaaaa!
Sword touches skin—activate Corner Slash.
The slash pushes the fur aside, tip barely grazing the body.
Instantly, an X scar forms successfully on Shukarit's shoulder.
[Weak!]
Good.
Weak point marked this time.
Normally, jam in Return Light next, but its fur's already covering the weak point.
Skip the extra turn here.
Lodge the sword shallowly in its torso, then back off to brace for the attack.
Shukarit's turn.
It roars, ballooning its body into the air.
Kyaaah!!
Lightning-charged flail flies without warning.
Kwaang!!
Impact slams my gut again.
Breath catches, pain surges.
But I held without falling. Prepared for it ages ago.
"Knight!!"
"Fine... I'm fine."
Gazing at my hand amid the lightning, the heat in my sword grip hadn't faded.
Blue gem overhead.
My turn.
Yes. This works.
"...Corner Slash."
Way to chain three arts over two turns without breaking.
Simple answer, really.
*Use the previous turn.*
Leave the Corner Slash weak point from last turn untriggered on purpose.
Corner Slash deals some damage and marks a weak point.
Not triggering the prior mark means the art keeps chaining.
Now, jam another Corner Slash into the clear X mark.
[Weak!]
First Corner Slash.
Overlaid by the second.
Trigger the third art.
"Return Light."
I raised the sword high, drawing gray sword energy.
Vortex Return Light strike.
Kwaaang!!
Shukarit's body twisted midair, hurled toward the wall.
In that instant.
Flash!
The break conditions were met.
My blade vibrated.
Amid the stillness as if time was froze.
Gray flames ignited from my fingertips throughout the rest of my body.
Click. Click.
The blue gem blinked, on the verge of turning red.
The erupted break birthed a new turn between turns—just before the opponent's.
One Sword.
Two Swords.
Three Swords.
"Halibal Break."