19
Chapter 19
[What happened? Did you get out?]
[Not a Netkama: I did get out. But not immediately; I have to be a sparring partner for the barbarians for three days]
[That's a relief]
[Not a Netkama: Thanks to you, I survived]
[Not a Netkama: Hanna]
[?]
[Not a Netkama: That's my name. If we meet next time]
[Not a Netkama: Actually, just call me that from now on]
[k]
[Not a Netkama: Tell me your name too]
[Sanz]
[Not a Netkama: Stop joking around]
[I'm really Sanz]
[Not a Netkama: -_-]
[^_^7]
[Not a Netkama: *Sigh*]
[Not a Netkama: Fine, let's go with that, Sanz]
[Not a Netkama: Anyway, thanks. Call me whenever you need help and I'll be there]
[ok]
[Not a Netkama: ...]
I closed the private message window with Not a Netkama, who actually wasn't a netkama.
Now that I know she's a girl, it feels a bit weird to message her as carelessly as I did before.
It wasn't quite as shocking as the twist of finding out a childhood best friend was actually a girl... but it felt something like that.
I have nothing to do right now, so maybe I'll check the community.
[Hobi Chunpae: The reason young people these days aren't interested in politics is due to deeply ingrained anti-intellectualism and defeatism]
[Lollipop: Guys, I'm so hungry^_^;] (2)
[Dino Punch: 179th Gathering Diary] (1)
[Skynet: In the 23rd century, Earth signed a ceasefire agreement with demons] (1)
[Odo-daejangbu: Ah! Give me a bite of that Holy Knight's Cathedral Jajangmyeon!] (3)
[Rising Phoenix: Isn't it possible a goddess sent us here instead of the game company? Maybe it's not that we're possessed in a game world, but that this is a real world too.]
[Melee-type Spy: High-Ranking Demon List Revealed] (11)
[Love Death Nyan: (Burying a Worshipper who was pregnant, lost in thought) Nyan nyan nyan...]
[Morning Tent Installation Knight: The project to save men with bowed heads is a failure] (7)
High-Ranking Demon List?
I have to see this.
[Melee-type Spy: High-Ranking Demon List Revealed
"Hmph, you couldn't even resist this bit of clickbait and clicked it...?"
Pfft. This is so ridiculous I can't help but [scoff]...
Imagine being at a level where you'd click this... If I showed you a video of me playing Champions of Storm, you'd probably rip out all your parents' hair and howl while doing backflips.
"From now on, don't click posts like this so you don't get on my bad side... Got it?"
Transcendent: "Sigh... Hey [Kozaburo]. Handle it."
Kozaburo: I understand—[Master]—.
(Flicking away a flying blade with his tongue) Good grief, what is this now? LOL. Are you a butcher? No... that red rabbit tattoo on your navel... Judging by your look, you must be a former hitman from [Disearth]... Why are you trying to kill me? —?
Kozaburo: ...It is because it is the [Master]'s order. —...
Kozaburo (Berserk): Kozaburo [The Beast] mode activated. —.[Limiter Released]—.
?! AAAAAAAAGH!!! So this is the legendary hitman I've only heard rumors about!!! Kozaburo's true power!!! Aaaagh, I can't take it anymore!!! (Thump)
Kozaburo (Berserk): I've handled him, Master... but the backlash from [Berserk] is putting a strain on my body...
Transcendent: Get some rest. Well done, [Kozaburo]—. [Power] is for the weak.]
- ...
Maybe I'll stop for today.
I should go watch the woman who claims to be Hanna spar with the barbarians.
Paya is busy as a kindergarten teacher, and Muri is busy making totems, so in the end, it's only Rake.
I performed Divine Descent on Rake. Surely she's not in the shower or using the restroom?
Mallak, what is it?
Rake was watching the sparring from a short distance.
To be precise, during the sparring, Netka... that's too long, let's just call her Hanna. Anyway, it was more like she was monitoring her to prevent Hanna from escaping.
- I've come to watch the sparring. Be careful with your words, as the Holy Knight might notice.
Understood.
I watched the sparring with Rake. Or rather, was that the right word?
Luckily, just as I used Divine Descent, the warrior facing Hanna collapsed, allowing me to see the next match immediately.
"Next challenger, Denjo!"
At the call of a loud, plump barbarian woman, Denjo stepped forward wielding a club. It wasn't just any club; it was a weapon made of iron.
He looked to be in his late fifties and, as far as I know, is Kanto's right-hand man. His most notable feature? He's bald.
When he was being healed by my blessing before, he mentioned that his hair seemed to be growing back. It wasn't, though.
"Phew..."
Standing across from him, Hanna closed her eyes for a moment and whispered softly. A light enveloped her body.
I checked Hanna's gear. She had most of her equipment—armor, sword, and shield—but the cloak, pauldrons, and boots Rake had taken were missing. She was currently wearing leather boots.
Thinking of them as Rake's spoils of war, I didn't tell her to give them back. Besides, wouldn't she find a way to get other gear on her own?
I just hoped she'd consider it the price for her life.
By the way, what was that light? A protection skill? Or a physical enhancement skill?
I stared intently at Hanna, hoping some information would pop up, but nothing appeared.
"Hup!"
Denjo leaped forward with vigor and swung the iron club, and Hanna raised her shield.
Before the iron club could connect, her shield emitted a flash of light.
Clang!
"Urgh!"
Unable to withstand the impact, Denjo was knocked back along with his iron club.
The fight wasn't over yet. Denjo was still gripping his weapon. Shaking his head a few times to clear the shock, he let out a roar and charged again.
"Uoooooh!"
A straightforward attack. Hanna raised her shield just like before, but...
Whoosh!
Denjo suddenly twisted his body and changed the direction of his attack. It was the movement of a seasoned warrior.
Hanna abandoned her defense and swung her sword.
Hanna's shimmering blade clashed with Denjo's iron club.
A normal sword would have been damaged the moment it hit a hunk of iron, but Hanna's sword remained unscathed, likely because it was reinforced with holy light.
After a few more exchanges, the fight ended when Denjo threw in the towel.
Denjo had tried various tactical probes, but he seemed overwhelmed by the difference in combat power. Even I, who don't know much about fighting, could tell he was completely outmatched in a contest of strength.
"Hahaha. I guess I just can't win."
Denjo looked relieved as he readily accepted his defeat. Perhaps his competitive drive was low because he'd experienced so many wins and losses.
"Next challenger, Dodo!"
A man named Dodo stepped forward. A face I'd never seen before. He looked like a warrior from the Brown Rock Tribe.
After taking a moment to catch her breath, Hanna was stared at bluntly, and he spoke.
"I like your jugs."
Hanna's face crumpled.
"Hm? What's with that look? Did a stupid Civilized Person actually understand our language?"
"You crazy bastard, you're asking for death."
Cursing, Hanna took a combat stance. Though that stance was simply raising her sword and shield.
"I don't know what you're saying, but I like that flapping mouth of yours too."
With a smirk, Dodo charged in with two daggers. He moved at a fairly high speed, making it seem like he wouldn't be an easy opponent this time...
"Whoa~!"
He just got punched in the face and sent flying. He was a joke.
"Next challenger, Una!"
A woman appeared—short and scrawny, yet her eyes were overflowing with venom. She was a Female Warrior of the Blue Moss Tribe.
Was she Kanto's girlfriend? Or a partner? I'd seen the two of them talking often.
"This is my chance... I'll leave a deep impression on the Chief. I can do this."
Una murmured to herself as she stepped onto the Training Ground. Her weapon was a Wooden Spear.
"Hiyat!"
She put up a good fight, bouncing around the Training Ground with her small, thin frame, but she couldn't overcome the gap in combat power.
"Tch!"
Una left the Training Ground, fumes of anger practically radiating off her. Still, she fought incredibly well.
Even more so than the jug-loving youth from before.
After watching three fights, I think I'm starting to understand.
Her skills felt more artificial... compared to the techniques seasoned warriors use based on various experiences.
The swordsmanship Rake showed while killing the snail demon was very natural. So was Denjo's fluid combo and Una's elastic movements.
However, Hanna's skills felt like they connected somewhat unnaturally.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. The biggest advantage of skills is that they allow one to mimic the techniques of experienced warriors to some extent without much effort.
Learning high-level skills can even grant superhuman abilities that transcend the realm of technique, so there are more pros than cons.
"Next challenger, Chief Kanto!"
"Hmph!"
The hulking, burly Kanto stepped onto the Training Ground with a Double-edged Axe resting on his shoulder.
I wonder how far Kanto can hold his own against a level 4 Holy Knight.