62. Injustice, Because I'm Used to It
62. Injustice, Because I'm Used to It
"That thing...."
Could we really catch it?
I quietly watched the Troll and thought.
If you asked me if there was absolutely no way to catch it,
truth be told, I figured if I just stopped time and shot it to death, what couldn't I catch?
It had basic defense and durability, so I'd need to apply some buffs, but if I just shoved a bullet into its eye, wouldn't it die somehow?
It's not like it's Superman or something, did it train its eyeballs too?
But the problem is.....
".....?"
Over there across the way, Merk was crawling along the cave wall, shuffling along.
The moment our eyes met, she flinched in surprise but was blinking her eyes.
"Haaaaa...."
If everyone had been completely unconscious, things would have been a bit easier.
Ultimately, there was only one thing that was even possible.
"...No choice, I guess."
I slowly approached the Troll.
Guuuk....?
"Huh....."
The Troll noticed my approach.
At the same time, a mission window appeared before my eyes.
[Emergency Mission]
[Kill the Troll]
-An emergency mission given by Cronus
1. Achieve an overwhelming victory against the Troll (0/1)
Reward: Rank-up reward enhancement
On Failure: No way it'll fail
".........My Lord."
It's a bit awkward to say this, but...
You said before, what was it, that you'd overlook small mistakes, right?
And on top of that, I think I've done quite a lot of affinity farming several times over, so...
I slowly raised my head towards the Troll.
"Seuuu───"
After a light inhale──
"───Domhwangchaaaaaahhhh!!!!"
***************
The Troll.
A creature that commonly appears in fantasy novels and also shows up frequently in games,
its trademark tenacious vitality and robust physique possessed enough power to domesticate Orcs into slaves.
Especially within NTR Academy, opposing a Troll was known to be possible at the earliest in the second half of 2nd year, with the appropriate level being early 3rd year.
Even that was under the assumption of consistently attending classes and viewing a few NTR CGs, so if it was an event hidden boss beyond just an ordinary monster, it could be seen as a monster recommended for at least a 2nd playthrough.
An opponent requiring at least a 2nd playthrough to catch.
And yet, you're telling me to catch that crazy monster all by myself?
[Emergency Mission]
[Do Not Back Down]
-An emergency mission given by Cronus
1. Face the Troll without running away (0/1)
Reward: Restoration of trust
On Failure: Extremely great disappointment
Once again, Cronus conveyed his will through a mission.
"The impossible is impossible, I said!!!!"
But I didn't care about that and just ran away like crazy.
Guwoooooo!!!
"Ee! Eee! Eeeeeek!!!"
The Troll chased after me, greatly excited.
I barely managed to perceive it swinging its club this way and that, accelerated my body to dodge, and rolled here, rolled there, and fled.
If I get hit, I die!
As I said before, the Troll that appears as an event boss is at minimum a recommended boss monster for a 2nd playthrough.
If I so much as grazed it, in that instant, I'd be booking a one-way high-pass ticket across the River Jordan.
...At least its speed was damn slow!
A few memories surfaced. Memories.
The Troll's weakness. The difference in speed. Even that was fast enough that with my current ability, all I could do was barely see it, but at least dodging was somehow possible.
Though even this couldn't be dodged forever, the main point was to stall for time.
"Fuck... fuck, fuck....!"
The presence of the Troll thumping closer behind my back.
Seriously, if there were one or two people to save, I could just stop time, hoist them up, and run, but why did it have to be five?
And on top of that, everyone except one person was in a mentally broken state.
Just thinking about it made my chest feel stuffy, but I fed myself a different thought.
Would complaining change reality?
In the meantime, I had to do at least one more thing.
"H-huuuup.....!"
I burned my will to fight. No, my will to survive.
I took one more step back and shouted towards the kids collapsed around me.
"Get up! And run! If we just stall for time, the teacher will come to save us!"
""""...........!""""
The heroines, seeming to regain their senses upon hearing my words, began to stand up one by one.
Even though their minds had collapsed from exploding stress, that was only because they had given up, thinking there was no way out.
If there's a chance to run, if an escape route opens up, the survival instinct is bound to move the body somehow.
At the same time, the Troll also seemed to sense the strange atmosphere and began to look around──but
Taang!
...Guuoo!
"H-huuuu..... Where are you looking? You have to play with me."
I turned its aggro onto me.
But seriously, is it true that it just ended with its hide getting a little torn in the process?
I'd even reinforced my stats with passives, so I hoped it would work a little, but it wasn't even half a penny's worth. The hide was tough, way too tough.
Gu.... wooooaaaarrrr!!!
"Heee...!"
A deep and thick roar.
At the same time, the Troll rushed towards me.
Seeing it slam its club down at me, I dodged by accelerating my time just a tiny bit.
Kuuuuuung!!
"....Gulp."
The moment the club struck the ground, it cracked and split.
I wasn't sure if 'split' was the right word for stone, but it literally shredded apart.
If that hit my body directly, I'd die instantly, right?
Even if I avoided instant death, each and every hit would be a fatal wound.
Somehow....
I had to hold out until the teacher came.
Just as I was reminding myself of that fact in my head, a new mission window appeared before my eyes once more.
[Emergency Mission]
[Endure Until Help Arrives]
-An emergency mission given by Cronus.
1. Survive while evading the Troll [5m 00s]
Reward: Survival
On Failure: Death
"....Huh."
Intuitive content.
It seemed Cronus had somewhat acknowledged my intent.
Compared to defeating it, holding out for 5 minutes was much more hopeful.
If I just endure for 5 minutes,
I could live.
Everyone could survive.
I placed my 'hope' on that and stared at the Troll.
.....Gugik!
"Fuuuuu...."
The Troll twisted its grip tightly on the club.
Soon, it closed the distance right in front of me in a single step and slammed the club down.
Backwards.
Kuuuuuung!!
"Ssseu....!"
I narrowly slipped my body out of the club's trajectory.
At the same time, the wind pressure caused by the club grazed my face strongly.
Roughly... about 0.3 seconds.
I saw and recognized it.
When I tried to pull my body out, time was very slightly insufficient.
The time used to make up for that: about 0.3 seconds.
It didn't look like it was using that much time on the surface, but
Gu... wooooaaaarrrrkkk!!!
"Tch....!"
The Troll's roar.
Immediately followed by a series of blows that were filthy beyond compare.
Kung! Kugugung! Kwadeudeuk, kwajik!
"K-kuuuuk.....!"
Swinging the club was basic.
It kicked. It swung its fist. It even tried to press down with its arm and shove me with its body.
The moment I took my eyes off it for even a second, the next attack immediately followed, and before I could even feel relief at dodging that attack, another attack came again.
If this keeps up....!
Forget 5 minutes; it was a situation where even 3 minutes would be hard to endure.
Somehow, I had to find a solution.
"Skill── keuk..?!"
Guwoooaaarrkkk!!!
Before I could even use a skill, the attack continued.
A combo, and another combo, and another combo followed by yet another combo, as if it didn't even need to breathe.
Thick clouds of dust rose around us, and the time I could use rapidly decreased.
At this rate.....!
I'll die.
I might really die.
Guu, gwieeeeeeek!!!
"Ah....!"
At the moment my body stiffened from the unconsciously felt fear of death,
I barely perceived the Troll's fist about to strike my stomach and stopped time to dodge my body away.
Gugik? Guuuooukk.....!
".....Fuck."
Time consumed: about 1 second.
It was only 1 measly second, but to me, it was 1 whole second.
I flinch for a moment and I die instantly, is that it?
I glanced at the time.
[Time Limit: 32.1s/1m]
[Remaining Time: 3m 21s]
"....Fuck..!"
I had used almost half the time, but the time I had to endure hadn't even passed half.
At this rate, it was just a meaningless struggle.
I would just surrender my body to the slowly approaching death.
What kind of method───euk...?!
Head.
Danger.
Gotta dodge.
At the voice my instincts cried out, I immediately dropped my body on the spot.
Fuuuuuung!!
....Gugik?
"....Fuck."
A fist grazed over my head.
As my hair fluttered from the strong wind pressure, I couldn't understand what I had just done.
I dodged....?
I dodged it.
But how?
I don't really remember.
"Uh-uh....."
I was just... spacing out and watching the Troll....
Without realizing it,
because it seemed dangerous,
so I ducked, and I was able to dodge.
....No, wait a sec?
Just like before, I simply stared intently at the Troll.
Gugik.... Gueoooooaaaarrrr!!!
"Ah.....!"
Its shoulder, twitched.
A little strength entered its front foot.
It's coming. It's approaching me.
The posture is, a posture to smash down.
Fuung───Kwaaaaaaang!!!
".....Whoa."
One step to the side.
The club grazed the tip of my nose and struck the floor below.
Gwiik..... Gueeeeeek!!!!
".....Awesome."
The Troll's roar of frustration at not being able to catch me.
I could have been terrified by the voice full of rage, but more than that, I could taste 'hope'.
Is this working?
I dodged it.
I reacted faster than before.
Time consumed was roughly 0.2 seconds.
If another attack followed next time, I felt like I could react a little faster.
Gugik! Guuuk, gweeeeeeeek!!!
Kung! Kung! Kwadeudeuk, kwajik! Kugugugung!
A series of blows that continued again. A flurry of attacks. The chaotic, mind-boggling chain of attacks──
"Hu! Hu! Hu, huu!"
──I dodged.
I could dodge.
Though I had to use a little time, at least the attacks were clearly more visible than before.
No, rather than seeing the attacks...
Motions! Attack patterns!
A unique preparatory stance.
Though it was only an instant, it was a clear movement.
If I could catch that and respond──I could dodge. I could endure.
"H-huuuuu....!!"
Until the teacher arrived.
The time remaining: roughly──3 minutes.
Gweeeeeeeek!!!
"Uwaaaaaaaahhk!!!"
Dodge it.
Dodge and dodge and dodge it.
I absolutely did not confront it.
I didn't rashly resist and thoroughly stalled for time.
3 minutes turned into 2 minutes.
2 minutes turned into 1 minute.
1 minute soon became 50 seconds, 40 seconds, 30 seconds....
"Just a little more....!"
20 seconds.
No more remaining time.
From now on, I had to endure purely with my body.
"K-keuk....?! Euut.... H-huuup....!"
15 seconds.
My reaction was a little slow.
The club grazed the tip of my shoulder.
A bit of flesh was torn off, but there was no time to feel pain.
"Huuu, huuuu! Hu!"
10 seconds.
Maybe it was because I was bleeding,
but conversely, my mind sharpened.
The patterns were gradually becoming familiar, and it even seemed like a bit of leeway was forming.
"K-keut..... S-sseuup....!"
5 seconds.
Suddenly, the Troll stomped the ground with its foot.
A sensation of my body stiffening in an instant.
An area-of-effect stun skill. A desperate crisis situation.
Guwoooooooorrrk!!!
".....Tch.."
3 seconds.
A massive club descending over my head.
The stiffness had just been released, but it was a situation far too late to dodge.
The club, gradually pushing down to crush the top of my head──
Taang!
"[Counter]."
──I deflected it with my dagger.
[Counter], one of the skills obtainable through Bond Rank grinding with Eve.
A counterattack skill that consumes 70 TP to become invincible for one instance, inflicting reflection damage and stun on the target.
Gu.... wigig....?
"Now, it's my turn?"
Remaining time: ───1 second.
For the one blow to cap it off, I raised my hand and shouted.
"Assei!"
Filling my whole fist with youth,
"[Youth ─ Straight Punch]!"
I planted the strike handed down from Eve right into the Troll's face.
Kwadeuk.... Kwajijik....!
Gwiik....!!!
"Yes!"
A clearly felt impact on my fist.
At least I was certain I had broken its nasal bone.
The Troll faltered for a moment and took a step back.
Gwiik.... Guiiiiik....!!
"Yeah. So what."
The Troll crumpled its face, blood streaming from both nostrils.
Still, the mission was already over.
Now the teacher would come find us, and we could all go back.
I slowly exhaled and checked the mission window.
[0m 01s]
...
..
.
[0m 01s]
...
..
.
[0m 01s]
...
..
.
[0m 01s]
"Uh..... uh-uh....?"
The time, wasn't decreasing.
It stopped at 1 second and wouldn't move past it.
Like a clock halted, as if blocked by something.
My body hardened stiff from an indescribable bewilderment, and soon, something struck my body hard.
Kwajik, deudeudeuk....!
"──Kuluk...!"
A body defying gravity.
My body floating up.
Soon hitting the floor, rolling, rolling, and only after crashing into the wall and stopping could I realize.
[0m 01s]
".....Ha!"
Cronus, had abandoned me.
The moment I realized that, even the 'scythe' I had left in my hand vanished.
"Fu.... ck...."
Absurdity.
Irrationality.
A continuous stream of disgust and revulsion.
Anyone who fell into this kind of situation would surely despair.
"....Yeah, well."
However, unfortunately, luckily, preposterously, ironically,
"Because I'm used to absurdity."
I──lifted my dagger and rose from my spot.