61. You Shouldn't Just Barge In Like That
61. You Shouldn't Just Barge In Like That
Chapter 61. You Can't Just Trespass Like That
Redeia, who had been sent flying by my fist, righted herself in midair and her face flushed with rage.
It felt like a clean hit, but in that split second, I felt her deploy a defensive barrier against my fist.
Still, it wasn't without benefit.
In the moment I sent Redeia flying.
Hwareureureuk!
Because the Phoenix's flames perfectly sealed the hole pierced in my body.
Pico was still back at the shelter, but I could tell that even from this distance, recovery was more than possible.
Since I had a feeling we were connected somehow.
Furthermore.
'There won't be any more chances...'
It wasn't without damage.
After all, unlike in the game, now that it's reality, I had to bear the full brunt of the pain.
Just that alone made me feel like my stamina had drained a little.
Not only that, but having endured such a massive attack once, I could also feel Pico's stamina hitting rock bottom at the same time.
Was it thanks to the long time we'd spent together?
Senses I'd never been able to perceive before seemed to be gradually awakening.
Using Pico's stamina as a sacrificial lamb,
I completely saw through Redeia's pattern.
Now it was almost no different from knowing the future.
What's left...
'Think of it as a no-hit clear, and conquer it perfectly without a single miss.'
In fact, from here on was the truly difficult part, the real game beginning.
* * *
Count Garghent, even in the moment I took damage, believed in me and held back remarkably well.
Just before entering this space of Redeia's,
I had made a request—or rather, a demand—of everyone.
To draw out Redeia's fixed pattern.
[Even if I take a hit, wait a bit.]
At my words, Count Garghent tilted his head.
[What do you mean?]
To that, I firmly nailed it down.
[I mean I'm going to let her hit me once and then we begin.]
I'd said that, but I was still worried about any unexpected situations that might arise.
Because if someone suddenly interfered in the middle of the pattern, the pattern could get distorted and lead to a complicated situation.
But everyone held back just as I'd hoped.
In the middle, Andrew almost reacted in surprise,
but I saw Diaz beside him grab him and hold him back.
Actually, this wasn't a job for a damage dealer like me to step up.
Paladins who'd gone all-in on defense were the ones who usually drew aggro at the front lines.
'Still, there's no one to take my place right now.'
I signaled Count Garghent with a look that said the time had come.
Count Garghent instantly transformed into a beast-like demeanor,
"Commence attack!"
announcing the prelude to battle.
Every archer assembled here, targeting only one person.
shot arrows at Redeia.
Piyung! Piyung! Swoong! Shuuuuuuk!
The sound of wind slicing past my ears brushed by.
That alone was enough to make my adrenaline surge.
Along with those arrows, I also kicked off the ground.
Running alongside the arrows, I didn't take my eyes off Redeia.
'Come on! Show me the pattern. Let's see it, hurry...!'
Because I had to concentrate all my nerves on how her hands moved.
At last.
Redeia's arms crossed, then spread wide to the left and right.
It was a motion I knew.
'Got it!'
Shield of Ouroboros.
That was the name of the magic Redeia had just cast.
It was magic that opened a dimensional gate and sent back all attacks flying at her.
Exactly the pattern I'd aimed for had appeared.
That magic would be an extremely tough pattern in a one-on-one situation, but...
'In a raid situation, it's a different story!'
It wasn't targeting me; it was a technique prepared for those arrows.
That meant she would miss my movements.
In fact, even in the original work, if you raided Redeia, the same situation occurred.
Redeia reacted to the ranged attack first, deploying the Shield of Ouroboros.
Then a close-range dealer like an assassin or mercenary would circle around to the rear and attempt the first strike.
'In the game, there's no friendly fire, so you just circle left or right, but...'
Right now, I couldn't move like that.
Because I'd get hit by my allies' arrows.
So I pushed strongly off the ground.
Taat!
I leaped into the air, flipped backwards over Redeia's head.
Teok!
and took her rear.
Meanwhile, the allies' arrows flew back through the Shield of Ouroboros that Redeia had created.
"Shields up!"
Following my prior advice, Count Garghent had his men prepare shields the moment they fired their bows.
Cheok! Tududududung!
The faces of the knights experiencing the bizarre phenomenon of their own arrows flying back onto their shields right before their eyes were quite terrified.
Though thanks to my earlier warning, the formation held without collapsing.
'The truly troublesome magic didn't even come out because the pattern was somewhat restricted, you know.'
Probably if the worst pattern Redeia could use came out, those guys would lose their minds in no time.
Fortunately, their role was now over.
Now it was practically a one-on-one situation.
And so, I steadily set about conquering Redeia.
'Since I managed to take her rear no matter what!'
Tadadat!
I sprinted with all my might, closing the distance.
To within sword's reach.
Of course, even here, I likely couldn't kill Redeia.
Because according to the pattern, she would block this.
'So here, you need two people to take her rear...'
I intended to resolve it somehow all by myself.
However, half-doubting, half-hoping that maybe she wouldn't block it and I could end it in one blow, I slashed at Redeia's throat with all my might.
Shaak!
But regrettably, my sad premonition didn't miss.
Redeia once again cast that witch-like, cunning magic and bound me.
'Shadow Bind!'
Her hands were still maintaining the Shield of Ouroboros, but creepily, her shadow moved separately and seized my shadow.
Having actually experienced it myself, it truly sank in that I was fighting a real witch.
Because having your shadow seized was a profoundly unsettling sensation in reality.
That was why two of us had to jump back.
The remaining one had to attack to break me free.
Nevertheless, I felt not a single flicker of panic.
Because I still had the Ring of Black Thunder left.
Pajik! Pajijijik!
Sparks instantly flared on my left arm.
Jjeojeong!
* * *
"Ughk!"
Redeia took damage for the first time.
It wasn't a fatal blow by any means, but it must have been terrifying.
'A hundred years ago, what she suffered from that mage was lightning magic too.'
The memory of that time would have been creeping back up.
I had deliberately chosen this to feed her.
Well, aside from this, I didn't have any ranged attack I could use while frozen anyway......
In any case.
The effect seemed certain.
"H-hiik......!"
Seeing Redeia stumbling back and beginning to cast Dimension Escape Magic.
But honestly, using Dimension Escape Magic in front of me......wasn't much different from suicide.
Because Dimension Escape Magic had a fixed exit point.
'Fifteen paces northeast from the initial casting point.'
Dimension Escape Magic had a very limited usage time.
If one stayed too long in another dimension with their soul fully intact in their body, they'd never return.
So at best, she'd reappear somewhere nearby......and this too wasn't random, but followed a pattern.
I moved first, launching myself to the spot where Redeia would pop out.
And just as I was about to arrive.
Seureuk!
Redeia crossed the dimension and reappeared.
Right in front of me as I charged in with eyes blazing.
"H-huhk!"
With lightning wreathed around my left arm and my right arm drawing back my sword, I shot forward.
The panicked Redeia raised the floor stones to form a shield.
'Yeah, I knew you'd do that.'
I lightly swung the sword in my right hand.
Seogeok!
I cut through it.
Beyond the sliced barrier, I could see Redeia's wavering eyes.
Chijik......pajijijik!
I gave her another full-power electric compress.
"Keurgeugeuk!"
Smoke wisped up from within Redeia's hollow eyes.
The stimulus spreading through the moisture of her internal organs would be searing.
'Still, she's holding on.'
Surprisingly, still not dead, Redeia fled back through the dimensional gate just before I arrived.
'Let's see......next was over there, wasn't it?'
Even though quite a long time had passed since I'd played, the strategies came to mind as if it were just yesterday.
Maybe because of that.
I was getting incredibly hyped up.
The thrill of everything progressing perfectly according to the guide tickled my heart.
Again, I launched myself to where she was headed before Redeia could.
And Redeia, having returned from the other dimension, was horrified.
Despite clearly having crossed dimensions, she saw me approaching from directly ahead.
"A-again......again! H-how do you know all my movements! This sort of thing can't be happening!"
When things didn't go her way, she threw a tantrum like some cartoon character named Danbi.
But what to do.
I kind of disliked that character.
"Shut up!"
This time, she ran away again before I could even begin a motion.
"Dammiiiiiiit!"
Shuuk!
That stunt of hers, now she could only pull it one more time at best.
And if that failed......
'Something fun is going to happen!'
To think the day would actually come when I'd see this.
I was slowly driving Redeia toward that easter egg-like hidden death scene.
This time, I planned to shove her into another dimension myself first.
Redeia opened the gate and appeared once more.
I had already arrived at her new location.
"Huhk?"
I kindly kicked Redeia into the dimensional gate with the sole of my foot.
She was going in anyway.
"Uh-uwaaagh! W-wait! If I go in again......!"
Redeia had one foot into the other dimension before she could even finish her sentence.
Her face turned deathly pale.
And I smiled.
'It's over now.'
The others didn't understand......but it wasn't long before they could see the reason why.
The moment Redeia set foot into the dimensional gate.
Hwiririk! Cheok!
A pitch-black hand coiled around her ankle.
The thing, the size of a baby's hand, was darker than shadow and had an incredibly thin, long arm attached.
As it pulled taut, it yanked Redeia.
Kwadang!
Her ankle caught, Redeia collapsed, smashing her chin against the floor.
But the real thing was just beginning.
Hwik! Hwiririk! Hwiririk! Cheok, cheocheok!
In just a few seconds, dozens more arms shot out.
Wrapping around Redeia's head, shoulders, knees, and feet—everything.
"N-no.....!"
Redeia resisted fiercely against being dragged away.
Digging her fingernails in and clinging to the floor.
Jijik! Jijik!
"Th-this can't be......! S-save me! Please, please!"
With the corners of my mouth raised.
I gently stepped on the hand she was clutching the floor with and crouched down.
Kkuuuk!
"You really shouldn't just trespass into other dimensions however you please. Isn't that right?"
"Wait! D-don't! Stop it! You son of a bitch! I'll rip your eyeballs out and grind them up and drink them right this—!"
"Go ahead and try."
Kwadeuk!
I stomped down and broke her fingers.
Redeia, the strength gone from her hands, was seized by the black hands and—
"Kkeuaaaaaaaagh!"
At a terrifying speed, she vanished into the other dimension.
How to Live as a Game's Overpowered Character
Chapter 61. You Really Shouldn't Just Trespass However You Please