Chapter 23: Midterm Exam (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Midterm Exam (4)
Where there is light, there is shadow.
Honestly, trying to divide all the world's phenomena into just light and dark is an extremely dichotomous way of thinking.
But in this world, at least, humans were clearly defined as light, and demons as dark. The dividing line lay in the difference in the power they wielded.
Humans manifest blessings, while demons cast magic.
To put the difference simply, a blessing enhances physical stats, whereas magic recombines elements to construct skills.
For the record, buff or healing-type blessings operate on a different logic than other enhancements, but since I only ever cared about raw DPS when playing Miracle Blessing, I didn't know much about them.
Furthermore, not just blessings but magic too was an academic field where countless abstract theories were tangled together, meaning interpretations could vary wildly depending on one's perspective.
Of course, right now, with a fire lit under my feet, debating such things was pointless. Instead, there was only one thing I could say for certain.
This situation was fucking hopeless.
Even though it was still the early stages of the story, the protagonist, Leon, was on the verge of sudden death from a single basic attack by that pseudo-fish-person. It was absurd how he hadn't been able to react in the slightest.
But that was proof of the sheer gap in strength between humans and demons. No matter how much one enhanced their body, defeating a magic-wielding Majin without forming a human party was normally in the realm of impossibility.
In gaming terms, the merman beasts were field mobs that spat out EXP, while the Majin Mermaid was a boss that required a party raid to clear.
Absurdly, I was now in a situation where I had to face one of those raid bosses all by myself. No matter how great the Blessing of the Sword God was, victory was hard to guarantee.
At least until now, I had been able to cope because I possessed some information based on my experience playing the game.
But I knew next to nothing about the Majin and magic, which only appeared in the latter half of the story.
At best, judging by the stab wound on Leon's flank, I could only guess that she used water-attribute ranged magic.
I locked my gaze on the Mermaid. Rough scales covered her entire body like armor, and where white teeth should have been, serrated shark teeth gleamed menacingly.
Considering everything, could I, who could do nothing but slash with a sword, even stand a chance? I was confident I could dodge most attacks, but what if an unavoidable attack came?
'Ah, fuck.'
I had already crossed the point of no return anyway. Lamenting my situation was useless; it wouldn't change a single thing. No matter how fast Chloe was, it would take her more than ten minutes to return with help.
My immediate goal was simple: cut that thing down. As I steeled my resolve, the sudden rush of panic gradually subsided.
The settling tension felt like it was scratching an itch deep inside me, and a smirk crept onto my face before I knew it. At that, the Mermaid tilted her head, her slimy, fish-like face showing confusion.
I flicked the hilts in my hands, shedding the scabbards.
"It's been a while. Let's do some proper sashimi work for once."
`[By demonstrating valor, your Mental Rank increases.]`
`[An aura of intimidation is added to your words and actions.]`
`[The Counterforce is utilized to begin adjustments tailored to the user.]`
Whirrr—
`[The Blessing of the Sword God manifests.]`
++++++++++++++++++++++
《May the Blessing of God be with you.》
++++++++++++++++++++++
* * *
Although the cut was deep, once the highest-tier healing blessing was manifested, Leon's condition fortunately began to improve bit by bit.
After checking his condition, Speed Weapon immediately shifted his gaze toward the pool. All he could see was a back holding two sashimi knives, and the Majin Mermaid, who made his body tremble with just a glance.
He knew all too well how absurdly strong Kang Geomma was from the subspace sparring match a few days ago. He had witnessed Geomma's swordsmanship, which was built on overwhelming speed, with his own eyes.
The problem, however, was that unlike back then, his opponent was not a fellow human, but a Majin.
Facing a Majin one-on-one wasn't entirely a pipe dream, but that only applied to powerhouses on par with the Seven Stars.
Kang Geomma was still just an academy cadet. A first-year, at that. It would be a miracle if he didn't die in a single blow.
Furthermore, the Mermaid was a Majin that would require at least three instructor-level fighters to even stand a chance. She wasn't a demon with outstanding physical martial prowess, but her talent in wielding water-attribute magic made her incredibly tricky to deal with.
In the first place, no matter how brilliantly one wielded a sword, physically cutting water was impossible. It was common sense—no, the very law of nature.
He had to be insane.
Should he stop him now? But would stopping him change anything? Shaking off his stray thoughts, Speed Weapon turned his head slightly.
Rachel, looking somewhat exhausted, was swinging her Sky-Piercing Halberd, cutting down the approaching horde of mermen.
He wanted to manifest a buff-type blessing for Kang Geomma or Rachel, but just healing Leon was taking everything he had.
……!
Suddenly, a creepy, undulating sensation from the pool wrapped around his entire body. It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling, but he knew it instinctively.
The resonance of mana. Just getting close felt like it would strip the flesh from his bones.
Even though the distance was easily fifty meters, his teeth chattered so hard his jaw shook just from looking. If he could, he wanted to break down, crying and shivering with snot running down his face.
Despite the suffocating aura of malice, Kang Geomma approached the Mermaid without showing the slightest hint of intimidation. If anything, a murderous intent emanated from his gleaming sashimi blades.
Soon after, Kang Geomma took a light step forward.
Tap, tap, tap—
As he drew close, the Mermaid snapped her fingers. Deep blue mana sparked between her webbed fingers.
Simultaneously, with a silent screech, a crescent-shaped water cutter shot out in a straight line from the pool.
KRA-BOOM!
The densely packed trees in the surroundings were instantly sliced diagonally, crashing down all at once. Rachel, who had been fighting off the mermen like a one-woman army, turned her head reflexively. Panic and dread seeped into both of their eyes.
With a single cast of magic, the lush forest landscape was instantly transformed into a desolate plain.
A low groan escaped at the absurd destructive power. Perhaps as an aftermath of the magic, a thick white mist settled over the area.
Kang Geomma was nowhere to be seen.
Speed Weapon's panicked eyes frantically searched for the black hair. His heart hammered wildly.
“Kang Geomma!”
With a sharp whoosh, Kang Geomma burst through the dense water mist and lunged at the Mermaid. As if expecting this, the Mermaid fired sharply formed water spikes.
Swoosh—!
Utilizing his forward momentum, Kang Geomma leaned his body back in midair, dodging the bullet-like water spikes by a hair's breadth.
What? He reacted to that?
His movements were like flowing water, as if time flowed slowly only for him. Speed Weapon felt proud of himself just for barely managing to track Geomma's afterimage with his eyes.
The Mermaid fired water spikes like a submachine gun, but whenever Kang Geomma vanished into the hazy mist, the innocent trees behind him collapsed, spitting out splinters.
The Mermaid's expressionless face gradually filled with bewilderment and shock.
Tap—
The footsteps, which had sounded light and crisp on the right, suddenly echoed from the left.
In the blink of an eye, Kang Geomma twisted and swung his sashimi knives, which he had seamlessly switched to a reverse grip.
Her composure shattered, the Mermaid flinched and retreated. She tried to widen the distance and cast a red-tinted defensive barrier.
At this point, it was impossible to even tell what was happening.
Just how many tactical exchanges had occurred in a fraction of a second? Before the fragmented pieces of information could even be processed into a single picture, another clash occurred.
If Kang Geomma's previous performance had been about overwhelming the enemy with transcendent speed, now he was closing in while parrying attacks with swift, precise technique.
I thought he was just fast, but his speed control and stance switching based on the enemy's attack patterns... Kang Geomma's combat sense was being etched into Speed Weapon's mind.
Speed Weapon thought to himself: the moment he faced a demon alone, Kang Geomma's level had already far surpassed that of a mere academy cadet. He wouldn't be out of place being hailed as an unprecedented genius.
Was he instructor-level? No. Though overshadowed by Kang Geomma's swordsmanship, the lethality of the magic the Mermaid cast was enough to make one tremble just by looking.
Then just how strong was this guy? Ending his brief musings, Speed Weapon hurried to engrave the fierce battle into his memory. He couldn't help but feel that he might be witnessing a legendary moment.
Kang Geomma took a giant stride forward and twisted his sashimi knife. The blade flew like a bee, striking the fish-woman's right leg.
Slash—!
The severed leg fell with a wet splat.
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”
Her elongated fish eyes slowly widened horizontally as she shrieked through her serrated teeth.
A watery fluid sprayed from the cut, and her torso slowly began to tilt to the right.
Speed Weapon was speechless. How can a human be this strong? The absurd strength, which seemed to defy reality, felt like a blunt blow to the back of his head.
He couldn't even count how many slashes had occurred in those split seconds. The movements he had missed alone probably numbered twenty, no, over thirty.
Like a skilled chef expertly handling a flopping live fish on a cutting board, he was doing far more than holding his own against the Majin—he was dominating her from start to finish.
“Aorlorlorlorlorlorl!”
Clutching her severed leg, the Mermaid let out an angry cry. At the same time, the leaves fallen in the mud fluttered and swirled.
The Mermaid trembled, then cupped her hands together in front of her chest.
Swirrrr—
Drawing in the thick mist and the water from the pool, a deep blue magic sphere condensed within the circle of her hands and floated into the air.
Overflowing mana.
Both Speed Weapon and Rachel, who were present, could tell that an attack of an entirely different dimension was coming. At this rate, it wouldn't just change the landscape—it felt like it would redraw the map of the island.
That's unblockable. We have to run right now. Just then, the fallen Leon groaned and caught his breath. Seeing how he had already regained consciousness after only a few seconds of the blessing's manifestation, this guy was clearly no ordinary person either.
But Leon's safety wasn't the priority right now.
“Kang Geomma, you bastard!!!! Dodge it, fuck!!!!”
Speed Weapon screamed at the top of his lungs, veins bulging in his neck. If not for Kang Geomma, his head wouldn't even be attached to his shoulders right now. Geomma was an incomprehensible bastard, but Speed Weapon couldn't help but cheer for him.
Kang Geomma still didn't look back. Even in a situation where his life hung by a thread, he did not show his back to the enemy.
Speed Weapon muttered to himself what the world called someone like that.
A hero.
“Geomma! Kill that fish bastard!”
Rachel, who had finished up her battle at some point, also turned her head and shouted at Kang Geomma's back. It was a cry of trust, not desperation.
At her words, Kang Geomma took a stance similar to before, lowering his upper body as if suppressing his own presence.
The murderous intent emanating from his razor-sharp sashimi knives surged like a wave, swallowing the Mermaid's mana.
“Aorlorlorlorlorlorl!”
Her scales standing on end, the Mermaid fired her cannonball.
K-K-K-K-K-K-RASH—!
An ear-splitting roar. Sweeping up the surrounding debris, the magic sphere drew a straight spiral, hurtling toward Kang Geomma like a bolt of lightning.
Both Speed Weapon and Rachel let out silent screams.
Strain—
Bundles of veins began to bulge on his forearms gripping the sashimi knives.
Kang Geomma threw himself toward the torpedo-like sphere that was fired with a rumbling explosion.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
S-l-a-s-h—!
The blue sphere was split cleanly in half.