Chapter 91: It’d Be Nice to Have One
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: It’d Be Nice to Have One
“Is Aven out of his mind...?”
Raya Delbaheim was one of the top powerhouses even within the Mayerbridge Union, a place crawling with monsters. The only reason she held the position of Vice-Captain of Party 2 was simply because she didn’t desire a higher status.
Joining Party 1 would involve too much diplomatic work with other Labyrinth Cities, and becoming a Party Captain meant attending the headache-inducing Captains' Council.
As a half-elf who had lived for a long time, Raya Delbaheim was considered part of the ancient senior generation within the Mayerbridge Union. Furthermore, she was the only daughter of the three Great Clan Leaders who had led the Union through its golden age.
The moment someone like Raya Delbaheim stepped into a Captains' Council, the room would turn into a game of walking on eggshells, with the relatively "fresh" juniors desperate to gauge her reaction.
She was well aware that if that happened, people would inevitably defer to her, stifling good ideas and causing them to be ignored.
One way or another, Raya Delbaheim’s combat prowess, honed over her long life, was truly beyond human. In fact, since she wasn't actually human, that was technically an accurate statement.
Of course, once one surpassed the Cobalt Grade, it was only natural to drift outside the category of "human" as perceived by ordinary people.
“Prepare yourself, Aven.”
When she tapped her pendant twice, a suit of pure white metal armor manifested over her clothes in a halo of light.
“Is that a Battle Attire?”
“It is. A Direwolf gives its all even when hunting a Horned Rabbit.”
“That’s some excellent localizing.”
At a glance, the armor was thin, high-quality, and designed for ease of movement. It wasn't meant to provide physical defense through the metal itself; rather, it was a framework designed to cram in as many magic circles as possible. That didn't mean the metal was of poor quality, though.
Despite its appearance, it was made of an incredibly light and sturdy rare metal.
How many spells are engraved on that thing?
Looking through the vision of the Umbra Valkyrie, dozens of spells were layered atop Delbaheim’s armor, protecting her body. Those magic circles even complemented each other's structural weaknesses.
It was like an impregnable fortress, contrasting sharply with the elegant, thin armor visible to the eye.
I still had several muscles that hadn't fully recovered, so pushing for maximum efficiency was a stretch. Still, I had learned something from my fight with the Human Hunter.
Remove the internal organs and fill the space with muscle.
By filling the peritoneal cavity with highly flexible muscles, leaving slight gaps, and covering them with fascia, I could achieve a much wider range of motion.
I split the hard femur into smaller pieces to reinforce vulnerable bones and increased bone density to its limit, adding weight and strength.
I distributed extra tendons appropriately—ensuring they didn't hinder movement—to prevent the connections between muscle and bone from tearing while simultaneously increasing my physical strength.
After that, I summoned a tail covered in Cave Drake scales and used the remaining scales to cover my forearms and shins for added defense.
For my legs, as usual, I used the reverse-jointed structure of a Minotaur paired with the supple feet of a Lizardman.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, all set.”
Raya Delbaheim’s primary weapon was an estoc so thin it was hard to tell if it was a skewer or a sword. It wasn't a flexible material; it was made of magic-enchanted rare metal, durable enough that it wouldn't even take a scratch from most impacts.
“I shall grant you the first three exchanges.”
“I won't let pride get in the way. I’ll take you up on that.”
“Good. Accurate self-assessment is the key to increasing one's survival rate in the Labyrinth.”
“Then, here I come...!”
Quickly swapping my left hand's bones for those of a Skeleton Mage, I fired a spell at Delbaheim.
—BOOM!!!
Despite the training ground being completely isolated from the outside by artifacts, the explosive force was powerful enough for the vibrations and impact to be felt even beyond the walls.
Delbaheim was instantly enveloped in violet flames and ashen smoke. Sensing her mana inside the smoke through the Direwolf Alpha’s vision, I slammed my tail into the ground and lunged toward her using every muscle in my body.
—SWISH!!!
My entire body, weighing nearly 200kg, launched like a cannonball toward Delbaheim. Rotating my body at the perfect moment, I concentrated the condensed impact into my right hand and threw a strike at her.
CRACK—!!!
It felt like punching a brick wall with a bare hand. Or the sensation of hitting a sandbag where the sand had clumped together from disuse. This level of solidity was definitely not Delbaheim’s natural physical strength.
—Sshhh....
The aftermath of the punch blew away all the magical fog I had scattered to obscure her vision. Standing before me, having taken my punch, Delbaheim was...
“Haha...!”
“Two exchanges. That was a good attack. Even at a glance, it was a punch thrown by someone who has been trained.”
“I learned a bit of boxing...!”
“Boxing? Is that a style of martial arts? Excellent.”
She stood there calmly, staring at me. She hadn't moved a single step. It was a ruthless response, relying entirely on the defense of the Battle Attire without even lifting a finger.
“Man, you’re sturdy...!”
“Good equipment has a significant impact on combat power.”
I had put strength into that punch, but it wasn't enough. Despite bulking up my body, I had been holding back out of fear of injuring myself.
“Delbaheim. One exchange left.”
“Indeed. After that, I shall begin my counterattack.”
“Then, for this last exchange, are you going to take it without moving again?”
“Do you believe you have a chance of winning if I do?”
“I’ll have to find out.”
“An attempt is a fine thing.”
She remained motionless, the tip of her thin, long blade planted in the ground. The defensive power of the Battle Attire was certainly incredible, but I had thrown an unsatisfying punch.
What was the problem? Why could I only produce this much power?
At most, it’s just a human forearm.
No matter how much muscle I crammed in or how many new tendons I added to increase power, the volume was fixed.
But was that volume something I couldn't change? Of course not. I had sprouted a tail from my lower back where there was none and emptied my peritoneal cavity to fill it with muscle. There was no reason I couldn't strip the skin off my forearms and layer on muscle fibers that surpassed human limits.
“I’m glad you’re a sandbag worth hitting.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”
I stripped away the Drake scales covering my forearms. The muscle fibers were exposed to the air without skin, but it didn't matter. Since it wasn't a physical flaying of a living body, there was no pain.
A human-shaped arm bone had clear limits. What was the best skeletal structure for delivering a strike?
A tailbone.
It moved flexibly and had a wide range of motion in its joints. Adding too many muscle fibers would narrow that range, but that wasn't a major issue.
If I added too many muscle fibers to my arms, my upper body might struggle to support the weight. It’s best to have them where they originally belonged.
I gathered the strongest muscles I possessed and compressed them to their limit. As a side effect, the body heat in my tail region spiked instantly; if I kept this up, I might actually cook myself.
I crammed the compressed muscles into my further elongated tail and, finally, layered Drake scales over the tip to withstand the impact.
“This is the final exchange.”
“It feels as though this has turned into a test of whether I can withstand Aven’s attack.”
“Please go easy on me.”
“I shall decide after seeing your next move.”
And finally. This was the key point.
I’ll only use it for five seconds. Let’s endure this.
Tenebrax’s Heart—the Dragon Heart. Previously, I would lose consciousness the moment I used it, but for some reason, I felt like I could hold on for a bit now.
“Whew... Here I go!”
After swapping my heart for the Dragon Heart, I instantly circulated blood through my entire body.
“Urgh...!”
Immediately, I felt Tenebrax’s instincts invading my brain through my nerves. My consciousness blurred, and a surge of aggression threatened to erupt from deep within my soul.
—BOOM!!!
A strike backed by my entire body weight. With the addition of the mana flowing from the Dragon Heart, the Drake scales were now in a state of ultra-high density. The fact that the outer layer wasn't soft meant the impact of the collision would be transmitted directly back into my body.
But because I had been pulling my punches out of concern for that until now, my power had dropped to useless levels.
If it breaks, it breaks! I can just regenerate!
Just before making contact with Delbaheim’s barrier, I dropped my body low and snapped my waist around. It was a strike that completely disregarded the impact my own body would take.
KABOOOOM—!!!!
The moment the tip of my tail collided with Delbaheim’s spherical barrier, the barrier itself was crushed by the impact and began to sink into the ground. The force was so immense that clouds of dust erupted from the solid floor, leaving the surroundings so devastated it looked like an explosion had gone off.
—CRACK
And then, I heard the sound of something shattering.
“Gah...!”
Naturally, it was my tail. Having used too much power, the sense of exhaustion washing over my body was no joke. As I collapsed onto the floor, Delbaheim walked slowly through the dust and pointed her sword at my throat.
“Pfft, I win.”
“Ugh. Seriously, carried by your gear.”
“Hmm? What does that mean?”
“It means there’s an equipment gap.”
“I see.”
* * *
“She definitely lives up to her reputation.”
The Mayerbridge Union training grounds had a resident healer. Considering people often got hurt during sparring, there were several quite talented healers. Truly, money is the best.
“The treatment is mostly done... but this part will be difficult to fix.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Healing is a spell that returns the user’s body to its state before it was damaged, but my body was too unique for that to work perfectly. If I used a full heal here, wouldn't a living Cave Drake suddenly pop out? Well, maybe not quite that far, but you get the idea.
Since there was no concept of a "pre-damaged state," the healer could only handle things like muscle tears or fatigue.
“It was a worthwhile spar.”
“Haah, was it? I’m not so sure.”
“Fufu....”
Delbaheim covered her mouth with her hand and let out a small laugh.
“To give an honest assessment, Aven, you have a significant lack of finesse and technique.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I felt it from that last attack. It seems you rely heavily on powerful skills.”
“Mmm. Can’t argue with that.”
Delbaheim nodded at my words, then suddenly placed a hand over her heart and spoke.
“Aven. Come to me once a week for instruction.”
“Instruction? What kind?”
“Combat-related, of course. It’s obvious you’ll be heading back into the Labyrinth again, isn't it? Increasing your combat power is indispensable. If you have a better teacher nearby, you are welcome to seek their guidance instead, but...?”
“True.”
It would be hard to find a teacher as excellent as Delbaheim. But was she that free lately? It was a bit funny that she had regular time to spare for me, even if it was only once a week.
“There is... a justifiable reason for this.”
“What is it?”
Delbaheim seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking.
“It’s the fact that your existence... is a misfortune for the Antonio Brotherhood.”
“Eh? What does that mean?”
It was very common for explorers who had a falling out with the Antonio Brotherhood to be slaughtered by human hunters or criminals belonging to the Brotherhood.
Interpreted differently, this led to the conclusion: ‘If you mess with the Antonio Brotherhood, you die.’
“So, if I’m alive and well, it cracks that preconception.”
“In the short term, it might not have a huge effect.”
But now that a precedent had been set—someone surviving despite a bad run-in with the Antonio Brotherhood—those criminals wouldn't be able to act as freely as they did now.
It shifted the narrative from ‘You will definitely die if you cross them’ to ‘You might survive if you play your cards right.’
As more cases piled up, it could eventually become: ‘It doesn't really matter if we kill the Antonio Brotherhood first.’
“Even though you aren't an explorer of the Mayerbridge Union, we need more explorers who have survived conflict with the Antonio Brotherhood. Other explorers need to see your example and create their own. The goal is to remove the fear the Antonio Brotherhood holds in people’s minds.”
“And after that, those criminals won't be able to live protected by their reputation.”
“Exactly.”
It was a more understandable reason than I expected. Good for me, good for the Mayerbridge Union.
“I’ll be going now.”
“I will contact you regarding the future schedule via written notice.”
As I turned to leave the training grounds after saying my goodbyes, Rubia was standing nearby, fidgeting.
“Ah, Rubia. I’m leaving. Keep practicing hard.”
“Hieek?! Ye-yes!! P-please get home safely!!”
“Why are you using formal speech? It doesn't suit you.”
“N-no... I mean... I’m sorry!!! I didn't know you were so close with Lord Delbaheim!!”
I guess Rubia really does crumble before her superiors.
“It’s fine, Rubia. It’s not like I’ve joined the Mayerbridge Union or anything.”
“T-that aside... you’re also way stronger than I thought...?”
“Hmm. Well, I guess. Still, just speak casually like you always do. Why are you being so awkward?”
“I think that’s going to be difficult....”
“Ha, I really don't like this.”
At those words, Rubia’s face went completely pale.
“Understood!! I-I mean... I get it! R-right! It’s okay to speak casually, right?!”
“Did you ever ask before? Why start now?”
“That’s... true....”
One task finished. Next...
“Ah, come to think of it, she told me to visit the cathedral.”
It’d be nice if there was at least one pretty nun there.