Descent into the First Warship (2)
As I plummeted toward the planet, I spotted another vessel. It was another Celestine warship. Judging by its exterior, this was the First Warship.
The God of Wisdom and Curiosity is concerned about you getting hurt.
An Outer God has forcibly taken 500 Fron from you.
In exchange, you have received High Shock Resistance.
I wasn’t sure if the suit would hold up, but it was still better than burning to ash in the planet’s atmosphere. I pulled out the Caliper of Wisdom and swung it hard.
Crash!
The window shattered, and air rushed in violently. I had been falling in zero gravity, but the sudden resistance made it impossible to control my body. Tumbling through the turbulence, I desperately searched for something to grab onto.
Right on cue, I spotted a spider-like monster. Or rather, an avatar? It was dangling in midair—perfect for latching onto.
You have landed a valid hit on the avatar ‘Luzlactia.’
So this was the avatar that had manifested on the First Warship. It seemed she had appeared earlier than expected. Either way, I needed to wrap this up quickly.
I glanced downward to assess the situation. Seasoned swordsmen were preparing their attacks.
“Now!”
The God of Talent and Preservation permits the EX-rank conversion Strong Sword.
The first strike began.
Crack!
The threads Luzlactia had been manipulating snapped apart.
The God of Superficiality and Tolerance uses the EX-rank conversion Meteor.
Rumble!
Sword energy hurtled toward her like a falling meteor. It was a feint, aimed not at her main body but at the threads she clung to. She had no time to regain her stance.
Both Luzlactia and I plummeted helplessly downward.
“Keep pressing the attack!”
The real assault was only beginning.
The God of Restraint and Regulation infuses an EX-rank conversion Multi-Star Sword Energy into the blade!
The God of Destruction and Tolerance infuses an EX-rank conversion Multi-Star Sword Energy into the blade!
The God of Stellar Prosperity and Advancement infuses an EX-rank conversion Multi-Star Sword Energy into the blade!
Multi-star sword energy. A technique that directly infuses the blade with the power of a constellation, using one’s own body-star as the foundation. The ultimate state of turning one’s sword into a holy relic—this was the dividing line between EX-rank and S-rank. Holy relics dealt devastating blows to avatars as well. The vibrant stellar energy violently disrupted the anti-ether energy produced by Fron.
At this rate, the spider monster was on the verge of being subjugated before she could even begin to fight seriously.
Luzlactia pulled out new threads. They were holy silk, yet as tough as spider webbing. A heavenly net enveloped the warship’s ceiling. From below, stellar light surged upward to counter it.
Shraaaack!
The boundary between ceiling and floor. Starlight and madness collided, tearing into each other.
This was my only chance.
With swift judgment, I drove the Caliper of Wisdom into Luzlactia’s chest.
You have landed a valid hit on the avatar ‘Luzlactia.’
Luzlactia reached out, trying to pry me off. One more stab and I’d bail.
You have landed a valid hit on the avatar ‘Luzlactia.’
The avatar ‘Luzlactia’ uses Paralytic Silk.
That was enough. Any more and I might actually die, so I released myself into the air, satisfied.
“Student!”
The God of Tolerance and Stability uses an A-rank conversion Target Deceleration.
A leap of faith. Two swordsmen caught my falling body with gentle precision. Luzlactia’s thread grazed just above my helmet. My heart dropped into my stomach.
“That was too fucking close.”
If I had been even 0.1 seconds slower, my head would have been sliced clean off. I kept realizing it—I was still far too weak to face an avatar head-on.
“Student, are you alright?”
“Thanks to you, I’m still breathing.”
I removed my helmet and shook out my hair.
Per the automatic management system, bulkheads are now activating to normalize hull pressure.
Beyond the window I had smashed through, a thick iron wall rose into place. Air pressure normalized. Gravity returned in full force. Yeah, people really do belong on solid ground.
“Where did you come from?”
“The Fourth Warship.”
I quickly explained to the swordsmen what had happened aboard the Fourth. They looked surprised but adapted fast. As expected from veterans of the front lines.
“Understood. Please head over there for now.”
Following their guidance, I took temporary shelter in the area crowded with students.
“Eidel?”
The one who greeted me there was Welton.
“Man, your entrances are always something else.”
“Guess so.”
“So what the hell happened?”
I gave him a similar summary to what I had told the swordsmen. His face clearly said he couldn’t believe it.
The swordsmen were gaining the upper hand against Luzlactia. Watching the increasingly favorable situation, the students’ faces filled with relief. That allowed me a moment to reunite with everyone—including Welton.
Matus was grimacing hard. James remained calm, true to his personality. The problem was Mezlen.
“H-how do we fix this? Christine can be saved, right? She can, can’t she?”
Welton gritted his teeth as he examined Christine. It seemed she had been attacked by the avatar before I arrived. Blood was slowly seeping from her back.
“All we can do is first aid.”
“Please… the bleeding has to stop…”
“Damn it, it’ll be fine. It has to be.”
Mezlen was on the verge of tears. Matus comforted her. Classmates who had never been particularly close were now leaning on each other to endure this ordeal.
I stared at the Caliper of Wisdom in my hand. This was the moment my role became critical.
A low growl echoed from above. I looked up. An enraged Luzlactia glared at me with all eight eyes. Looks like I’d been marked. Playtime was over.
You use Accelerated Thought.
I braced myself for impact.
The spider monster, battered and torn after being tossed around by EX-rank swordsmen, climbed back toward the ceiling. Then she used her own threads like hooks and came flying straight at me.
Shit, she was insanely fast.
I screamed and ran.
The avatar ‘Luzlactia’ draws Adamantine Silk.
A silver thread flew toward me. Its trajectory was aimed directly at the back of my head. That path was easily blocked. An EX-rank swordsman who appeared in front of me twisted his blade and intercepted the adamantine silk.
But the thread didn’t snap.
“What…?”
Wait a second. Linked to her core? Connected to her mind?
A solution came to me.
Shraaaak!
Another thread shot past the swordsman, aiming for me. No one was in any position to help. After all, while I had been chatting with my friends, that avatar had spawned a whole swarm of monsters. Everyone was busy fighting one each.
“Student! Dodge!”
I had to hold out for at least a few seconds until they finished cleaning up. I rolled with every ounce of strength I had.
The avatar ‘Luzlactia’ uses Entangling Silk.
Threads, threads, threads—every escape route was blocked. If even one touched me, it was game over. If not for the Accelerated Thought skill that made the world appear ten times slower, I would have died long ago.
The avatar ‘Luzlactia’ uses Adamantine Silk.
Damn it. This one was far denser than anything I had dodged before. She was clearly intent on killing me now. No choice. I had to gamble.
I swung the Caliper of Wisdom at the incoming adamantine silk.
Thud!
Two of Luzlactia’s eight eyes burst open.
You have dealt a critical hit to the avatar ‘Luzlactia’!
Oil-like tears dripped from her ruined eyes. So I was right. The core was both the source of an avatar’s power and its mind. And the Caliper of Wisdom that Cartesia had given me was a cheat item that attacked consciousness no matter what the target was.
Luzlactia vomited black fluid and collapsed with a heavy thud.
“First squad, pull back!”
Seizing the opening, the EX-rank swordsmen diverted spare forces to hammer Luzlactia. But she was no ordinary foe. Even heavily wounded, she wove adamantine silk to defend herself.
While she struggled against four swordsmen, a student cautiously approached from behind. A petite girl with short green hair. Mezlen was also contracted with a constellation, even if her power was modest. She gripped her sword tightly and slipped into Luzlactia’s blind spot.
The God of Courage and Dismantling instills powerful courage into Mezlen Whiritia.
Her eyes flashed.
“Y-you… for Christine…!”
Mezlen thrust her sword straight into Luzlactia’s spinneret.
Shunk!
Luzlactia’s waist arched like a drawn bow.