Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: No Unfair Treatment?
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After suffering endlessly from a magic book as thick as my body, finally.
I learned it all.
With dark circles thick under my eyes, I hauled myself up and said,
"I, I feel like I'm gonna die."
If you had any conscience, you'd stay quiet.
I never imagined it would be this brutal.
If puzzles were about insights and calculations, this was a pure bomb of rote learning.
Anyway.
Once I finished acquiring the proficiency, I crashed right into bed.
I planned to wake up refreshed, catch my breath, and then tackle the 5th floor.
A day passed.
"Time to go full throttle now."
I recalled the clone that had been diligently slicing up lizardmen in the training grounds.
I'd kept it hunting lizardmen nonstop because they're the main monsters on the next floor.
This should make it a lizardman killer by now.
I reshaped the clone and reverse-summoned it.
To stand on the front lines, a sturdy giant of a man beats my appearance any day.
Then I reviewed our forces and felt confident.
It's enough.
Two D-rank combatants.
Magic potential beyond expectations.
So I headed straight into the 5th floor.
The moment I entered, the surroundings shifted.
A sinister forest atmosphere filled the air.
It was so dark I could barely see.
The 5th floor objective is...
I was a little surprised.
And so was the Constellation Gallery.
That's how it is, huh.
I couldn't help smirking.
They screwed me over so much that now even if they tried, it'd be pointless, so they've given up?
Then they'd have to hand out massive rewards, so yeah, they're throwing in the towel.
"In that case, I'll just bulldoze them."
I snapped my fingers, summoning the clone.
A massive man appeared in midair in an instant.
The clone I summoned wore heavy plate armor.
Yet it gripped a huge greatsword.
Its sheer size and intimidation made its expressionless face look fierce.
That gear is a combo I carefully put together.
Nothing fancy since resources were scarce—top F-grade at best—but plenty for lizardmen.
On the surface a reversal warrior, in reality a tank that wrecks the battlefield. Guaranteed.
I turned my head, gazing into the distance.
With my D-rank upgraded body, I could pierce any distance at a glance.
There sat a lizardman fortress.
Thousands of lizardmen packed that massive castle, no doubt.
Hence the assassination objective.
Frontal assault there is suicide.
But no need.
I drew my sword.
The Reversal Sword I'd used so handily was now mid D-rank+, high quality.
I also pulled out my hairpin.
My hairpin hit D-rank mid-grade, so all combo requirements are met.
Reversal Sword, fiance's ring, Binding Ribbon—glorious light converged.
The sleek blade now in my hand featured prominent blue wave patterns.
Influence of the Binding Ribbon, one of mana’s sources.
Checking the result, I couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
"Whoa..."
Hitting D-rank high-grade turned the specs monstrous.
If high-grade D is this nuts, what about top-grade or C-rank?
I gasped in awe.
I slowly sheathed the ornate, dignified eternal sword.
Shing-
Preparations complete.
Time to sweep them clean.
I advanced, my clone stomping ahead in heavy plate.
The noise was anything but stealthy.
Get a bit closer, and the clang of its armor would draw them for sure.
Especially lizardmen with super senses—they've probably already sent scouts after hearing it.
Constellations split down the middle.
Some said frontal was fine; others said no way.
The former a tiny minority?
Doesn't matter.
- Keeeeek.
- Kegegek!
Soon, scouts from the fortress detected us and swarmed.
Forces to handle outside intruders.
A horde of massive, reptile-scaled brutes rushed in.
Lizardmen had superior physiques and sharp intellects.
And there were more than a couple.
One... hundred?
More coming from behind, looks like.
Hmm.
A bit many.
The sheer numbers made the gallery want to stop me even more.
To answer their doubts,
The three spells I acquired.
Shield, Magic Formation, Intermediate Elemental Magic.
Each simple yet powerfully advantageous.
Shield's obvious.
Intermediate Elemental Magic is just a step up from basics.
Magic Formation controls terrain—the mage's core foundation.
Remember the shadows overwhelming me at the black mage base?
Without parrying magic, I'd have been trapped.
Mages excel at terrain dominance like that.
I eyed the charging lizardmen.
Spotting the enemy, they drew weapons to engage.
Over a hundred foes made my skin prickle.
The armored clone drew its greatsword to meet them, but I shook my head and pulled it back.
Let them come.
I'll show you my power.
['Eternal' activates.]
[Body rank rises 1 step.] [Swordsmanship rank rises 1 step.] [Mana rank rises 1 step.]
My mana proficiency hit Lv.20.
Item/skill wise, D-rank high-grade equivalent.
D-rank maxes at 30 levels.
My sky-high mana let me skip hand-drawing formations stroke by stroke.
Draw mana threads, gesture—and the ground etched itself.
I added hypercognition on top.
Accelerated thinking.
Wind-tossed weeds slowed.
In this slowed world, I slowly calculated paths for a perfect formation.
C-rank skill power is immense.
Complex calcs, yet I mapped the mana routes.
Head throbbed like splitting, but I gritted through repeats.
Nosebleed from overclocking thought.
Worth the strain.
I scraped nearly all my mana.
Thud-!
Stomped the ground—blue mana tendrils erupted, blanketing the area in a massive formation.
Giant magic formation claimed the terrain.
"Hoo."
Somehow... fulfilling the fantasy?
Felt so good, I snorted.
Real badass vibes.
One foot slam, massive formation unfurls.
Charging lizardmen? Irrelevant.
Once the formation etched, no fear needed.
Constellations were awed too.
Ahem, anyway.
May look like kid stuff to constellations.
"Wonder if this works too?"
I drew my sword.
- Kreaaak!
- Kaaak!!!
About a hundred lizardmen around sensed doom and tried fleeing.
Sudden glowing formation at their feet.
Even I'd bolt first.
Too late.
Thud-
One more step, triggered the ground formation.
Engraved circuits fired—blinding blue engulfed, then detonated.
Flames blanketed the area in seconds.
Kwaaaang-!!!
Huge explosion, flames surged—I activated shield simultaneously.
Test its power too.
Of course, if it breaks and fire pierces, sword at ready.
Kwagagagak-!!!
Formation flames pulverized surroundings nonstop.
My amps—skills, circles, formation, elemental magic, eternal sword—made destruction untouchable.
Shield cracked under strain; even maxing mana via circle/sword wasn't enough.
Guess sword it is.
Kwaduk-!
Chwak-!
Shield shattered—I swung.
Flames aiming to incinerate me post-shield? Vanished perfectly.
Mana-infused blade suppressed the magic clean.
D-rank high-grade worth it.
Some embers singed my hem though.
All-consuming flames died down.
I looked up.
Once lush forest now barren wasteland.
Lizardmen vaporized; distant clone staggered, soot-covered.
I was dizzy from mana drain too.
...Should've gone easier?
"Whatever."
I brushed ash from my hands.
Now to sweep.
Kill them all.
Complete the 'assassination'.