Chapter 63
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Pure Cheating
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…I’m screwed.
I had inadvertently agreed to a duel with Nick Iron, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
While I had been provoked by his dismissive comments about magic, I now suspected it was a setup.
Something along the lines of, “A human like you is not worthy of our princess!”
Anyway, a man couldn't back down after accepting a challenge, so I followed Nick Iron outside to the courtyard.
With his entire body made of chrome, Nick Iron was incredibly heavy. Each step he took left a deep imprint in the ground.
Ordinary physical attacks would likely be ineffective against his hardened body.
Which meant I had to rely on magic…
But he seemed too confident.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Nick Iron, stopping in the center of the courtyard, turned to me and said,
“You seem to have trained your body. Where did you learn?”
“I trained under my master for ten years, starting when I was fifteen.”
“Ten years? You don’t look that strong.”
“I haven’t had much time for training lately. I’ve been… out of practice.”
“Excuses are a sin, human.”
Nick Iron pointed at me.
“I’ll correct that flawed mindset of yours.”
So, it was going to be like that.
His words echoed my master’s teachings, giving me a strange sense of déjà vu.
I cautiously backed away from Nick Iron.
I couldn’t fight a man made of chrome barehanded, so I had no choice but to draw my weapons.
The orichalcum knuckles on my hands gleamed in the moonlight.
“Knuckles? An unusual choice for a mage.”
“Mages aren’t required to carry staves, are they?”
We circled each other, assessing our opponent.
A direct confrontation would be difficult. Not only was there a significant difference in our size, but my usual wind magic would likely be ineffective.
Should I use aether or lightning magic?
Nick Iron was like a mountain, his presence imposing.
He was likely a heavy hitter. A single counterattack could be devastating.
Let’s test him out.
While I usually waited for my opponent to make the first move, I decided to take the initiative this time.
Crackle!
Spellweave Armament - Lightning Dew
It was a different type of armament magic than my usual Whirlwind Bone Cutter.
While Whirlwind Bone Cutter turned my entire body into a blade, Lightning Dew enhanced my speed and reflexes by manipulating bioelectricity.
Blue sparks crackled around my feet.
An electric current flowed through my body, giving my skin a faint glow.
The only downside to this spell was that it attracted insects at night.
BAM!
I kicked off the ground, my body leaving afterimages due to the sheer speed.
Speed was mass.
I slammed my foot into Nick Iron’s stomach at nearly 125 miles per hour, but it was my foot that felt the pain.
“Ugh!”
I quickly spun around and launched a spinning heel kick.
My lightning-wreathed shin connected with his head, but he didn’t even flinch.
“That tickles.”
He hadn’t failed to block.
He hadn’t even tried.
Realizing my attack was ineffective, I quickly retreated.
That single blow confirmed my suspicions.
He wasn't human; he was a metal golem.
Physical attacks were useless.
I would have to rely on my weapons.
I tightened my grip on my new gauntlets.
Orichalcum was second only to adamantium, the hardest metal in existence. Even chrome couldn't compare.
I kicked off the ground, ignoring the lingering pain in my feet, and punched Nick Iron’s chrome body repeatedly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each blow, heavy and resounding, dented his chrome body.
But Nick Iron’s expression remained unchanged, as if he felt no pain.
Just as I was starting to feel uneasy, he spoke,
“Is that all?”
And at that moment,
He moved.
Before I could react, his massive fist was heading straight for my face.
I tried to dodge, but his right arm suddenly extended, catching me off guard.
Unable to avoid the blow, I blocked it with my arms.
BOOM!
The single punch sent me flying backwards.
He was a heavy hitter, as expected. The only other person I had seen create shockwaves with their bare fists was my master.
I landed hard, my arms throbbing, and struggled to my feet.
The dents in Nick Iron’s chrome body, caused by my punches, had vanished. He was as good as new.
I had initially compared him to a golem.
But he was more like a metal slime, able to reshape his chrome body into any weapon he desired.
He let me attack him on purpose.
I had intended to test him out, but I had underestimated his abilities, making a costly mistake.
“My turn.”
As I stumbled back, my face contorted in pain, Nick Iron, sensing his advantage, went on the offensive.
He flexed his muscles, striking a bodybuilder pose. It was an intimidating display, but he moved with surprising fluidity, calling out the name of his technique,
“Double Biceps!”
His bulging biceps gleamed silver.
He spread his lats, completing the pose, and then charged at me.
Despite the dramatic buildup, it was just a simple lariat.
I dodged easily, throwing myself to the side.
The lariat grazed my shoulder and smashed the large boulder behind me.
“Holy shit!”
He had cleaved the boulder in two as if it were tofu.
I quickly retreated, putting some distance between us.
Nick Iron, brushing off the dust from his body, turned to me and said,
“Is running away all you can do? A real man would face me head-on.”
Coming from a man whose body was anything but normal, it was a hypocritical statement. But I was used to such double standards from the demons, so I simply smiled and ignored him.
I changed my tactics.
I conjured bolts of lightning from my hands, extending them like whips and lashing out at him.
Crackle!
The electric whips wrapped around his thick neck, unleashing powerful shocks.
It was enough voltage to kill an ordinary being.
But Nick Iron’s expression remained unchanged.
Whether he couldn’t feel pain or was simply enduring it for the sake of appearances, I couldn’t tell.
Then, he grabbed the electric whips with his right hand, and I knew I was in trouble.
“Useless.”
My earlier premonition had been correct.
He must have had incredibly high magic resistance. My attacks were ineffective.
“Ha!”
Nick Iron pulled on the whips, and I stumbled forward, losing my balance.
I tried to cancel the spell and cast a different one, but it was too late. I was within his reach.
Nick Iron muttered,
“Side chest.”
His massive pectoral and serratus anterior muscles flexed.
His fist was inches from my face, and I thought,
This is cheating.
High physical resistance and even higher magic resistance?
He would be considered overpowered in any game.
And I was fighting him.
Thanks to my enhanced reflexes, I saw his fist approaching in slow motion, but seeing and dodging were two different things.
BAM!
I felt a sense of déjà vu as I braced for impact, using my forehead, reinforced with mana, to block his punch, my arms already bruised and battered.