Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Growth (2)
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Garujan's spear hurtled toward the Death Knight.
Boom!
The Death Knight swatted away Garujan's incoming spear with its sword. It was a world apart from regular monsters.
Unlike the ones that just took hits without fighting back.
It glanced toward where the spear had come from, then charged straight at us.
Jaira gripped her spear and leaped forward first.
The Death Knight's sword came swinging down at Jaira, but she raised her spear to block it solidly.
As a warrior-class Valkyrie more than capable of tanking, Jaira held the line steadfastly.
From behind her, Lussera vaulted forward like she was flying, raking her claws across the Death Knight's face as she passed.
A deep gash scarred the Death Knight's helmet.
At the same time, Arin's arrows began thudding into the Death Knight.
Sensing that Arin's attacks were packing real heat, the Death Knight moved swiftly, positioning itself so that Arin and Jaira overlapped.
But even with Jaira blocking her view, Arin loosed arrows through the gaps in her limbs, landing hit after hit.
"Kyaooooo!!"
The Death Knight let out a furious roar, enraged beyond measure.
A golden aura erupted around it, shoving Jaira and Lussera back in a flash.
Not missing a beat, the Death Knight ignored them and barreled toward Arin.
Arin backpedaled, firing her bow, but she couldn't keep up with the Death Knight's speed.
Finally, it closed in right up to her nose and swung its sword down.
Claaang!
The Death Knight's blade failed to cleave Arin. Lije's shield had protected her.
It slashed repeatedly, as if trying to shatter the shield, but Lije's barrier held firm. Even as it darted around, seeking an opening, Lije's shield shifted to match its strikes, blocking every sword blow.
But it couldn't last forever. As expected of a boss monster, cracks were starting to spiderweb across Lije's shield.
Still, the brief window Lije bought to protect Arin was crucial. Jaira and Lussera regrouped and stuck to the Death Knight like glue, keeping it from closing in on Arin again.
In the meantime, Arin managed to put some distance between them.
Then the Death Knight raised its sword to the sky. I knew exactly what that meant. It was the telltale sign of the Death Knight's Earthquake skill.
"Everyone, fall back!"
Having studied its patterns, my warning prompted the Valkyries to leap away, widening the gap.
As the Death Knight's uplifted sword slammed into the ground, the earth split open and the ground quaked violently. Flames erupted from the fissures.
But not a single Valkyrie got caught in the blaze. My call had worked perfectly—they'd all evaded it.
Once the skill missed, the Valkyries pressed their assault.
Jaira focused on defense, doggedly holding the Death Knight at bay. Meanwhile, Lussera circled it, striking relentlessly.
Garujan seized openings to hurl her spear, chipping away at the Death Knight's armor.
Landing a hit on her was tough, but when she connected, it was devastating—that was Garujan's specialty.
But the deadliest blows came from Arin's arrows. True to her Demon Slayer trait, black smoke billowed from every spot her arrows pierced.
Wherever they embedded, it looked like the inside of the Death Knight's armor was boiling furiously.
"Kraaaa!"
The Death Knight tried roaring again to shake off Jaira and Lussera and go after Arin, but Lije's defenses foiled it every time.
Nereisia's spells and songs from the rear were debuffing its attack and defense power too.
The Death Knight's armor bristled with arrows like a porcupine.
The golden glow in its helmet slits was flickering out.
Even so, right up to the end, it swung its sword in desperate resistance.
Finally, Lussera's claws pierced the gap between its armor and helmet at the neck. The light in its eyes died, its body crumbled to ash, and it got sucked into my status.
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Lije's level has increased.]
[Jaira's level has increased.]
[Lussera's level has increased.]
[Garujan's level has increased.]
[Nereisia's level has increased.]
[Nereisia's level has increased.]
The Death Knight's defeat leveled up every Valkyrie.
Especially Nereisia and Arin, who were lower level, gained two levels each.
True to its boss status, it dished out far more experience than regular mobs.
On top of that, it dropped two weapon reinforcement stones and two armor ones.
Reinforcement stones were made by dismantling weapons or armor for reinforcement crystals, then combining them.
You couldn't buy them with diamonds—hunting was the only way.
Weapons and armor reinforced easily up to +4. Accessories were a pain even at +1.
For weapons and armor, +4 was a breeze, but after that, success rates tanked. Failures could even downgrade them.
At +7 and above, they could shatter outright on failure.
That gambling element, alongside gacha, sucked up diamonds like crazy.
But item enhancement was essential for getting stronger, making reinforcement stones a vital resource.
Four of them was a generous haul.
It could drop the S-rank Death Knight Dark Sword too, but the odds were abysmal, so I wasn't counting on it.
Still, since I planned to hunt here a while for growth, it was worth hoping.
Rumor had it field bosses respawned every ten days or so.
You couldn't farm the same ones indefinitely like in games.
But that was fine. With the Death Knight down, nothing here threatened us anymore.
"Alright! Let's go!!"
Morale was sky-high right after taking down the Death Knight.
Especially for Lussera and Jaira—they'd avenged their near-deaths.
"But Kai, how did you know the Death Knight was about to use Earthquake?"
Lussera asked, hugging my arm. Vampires, huh? Cute as hell and dripping with affection—she might just charm the pants off me.
"That's what studying's for. You think your pilot just sits around?"
"Eek! Our pilot's the best, huh?"
Her softness pressing deeper into my arm felt damn good.
Maybe I should buy her some items soon to boost affection too.
And grab that max stamina upgrade. Essential for handling all these Valkyries. Pricey, but it'd pay off big in the end.
Too gorgeous to just bench them.
Real women and Valkyries hit different.
Real ones felt like girlfriends. Valkyries? Obedient maids or slaves, devoted solely to me.
Ah, but Sua's different. She's my Valkyrie, yet more girlfriend than any real girl.
I lightly stroked Lussera's hair as she clung to my arm, and she practically purred with pleasure.
No way I'd get away with that with a real Lussera or Arin.
But they loved every touch. That was the difference.
Regrettably, I unsummoned Jaira, Lussera, and Garujan here. Plenty more Valkyries needed leveling.
Death Knight EXP had boosted levels nicely, so next up: Sua, Tiny, Elastra, and Holla.
Sua was highest level among them, so I summoned Tiny, Elastra, and Holla.
Swapped them in for Lussera and Jaira up front, but no issues now.
No Death Knight, and with Lije and Arin, any combo would crush here.
.
.
.
Time flew by, and Diana's moving day arrived.
She'd wanted to grab a drink with me beforehand, but I hadn't made time.
Tomorrow, she'd transfer out and move. The bank loan—1.6 billion gold, collateralized by Lussera—was squared away, so no hitches.
Plus, with savings piled up, replacing furniture post-move was no sweat.
I wrapped hunting early afternoon and headed back to the mansion.
Diana had asked for my time.
My Valkyries were all around level 34 now—knight order trials would be a breeze.
Hainelrune entry was a done deal for me, and now even outsiders would buy it.
Back home, I showered and changed. My wardrobe was stuffed with luxury threads now.
Besides Isteir's gifts, I'd splurged on plenty myself.
Back in the gositel days, I had zero interest in clothes or accessories. But trying the good stuff sparked some greed.
Hunting gold flowed in heavy—no more money worries.
I picked a sharp suit and knocked on Diana's door.
"Come in."
Her voice called from inside. I entered, and she greeted me with a radiant smile.
Matching my vibe, she wore a form-fitting evening dress.
The black number hugged her curves perfectly.
Older than the girls I'd met, but Diana had her own allure.
"Shall we?"
She beamed brightly.
I took her hand in an escort hold, and we left the mansion together.