74. A Curse Upon Slow Feet
I tossed and turned for a bit on the bed prepared just for me. It had been ages since I'd spent time just lying still like this. Of course, even calling it "time spent" was generous—barely thirty minutes had passed. Any longer, and the itch would set in, making it impossible to stay put.
The duel over Elenoir's fiancé spot had ended in my victory. Mercedes, reeling from the backlash of pushing Mana Reinforcement too hard, couldn't overcome me even after I activated Unyielding. We exchanged a few more blows after that before the outcome was decided, and the dark elves carried me back to the village, leaving me alone like this.
Well, having won the fight, it was only natural there was nothing left for me to do. If anything, I'd basically played the role of Elenoir's champion. She'd handle the aftermath. There were a few things for the duel winner to take care of, but apparently nothing so critical they'd make a patient like me do it.
And so, I got some alone time to rest.
"Alright, then."
But as always, I had no intention of just lounging around. First things first: review the duel.
I'd won, sure, but had I truly surpassed Mercedes? Not quite.
She'd been suddenly summoned by that prince and thrown into the duel. Her gear was shit as a result. She had her main weapon, the sword, but no shield—which is basically a second weapon for a close-range warrior. And on top of that, she'd fought in that uncomfortable uniform without any proper armor.
Compared to the fully armed state I'd seen her in when I first hit Floor 7, she'd definitely been operating at reduced combat power.
Plus, she'd been insanely overconfident from the start. Until I started reading and matching her movements, she was fighting with one hand behind her back. If she'd gone all out with Mana Reinforcement from the jump, who knows how it might've ended.
And in the late game, after I sliced off her ear, she lost her shit and went berserk, her technique going dull. Not my fault, though—that's on her.
Up to here, I'd give myself an 80. Solid performance.
The problem? I couldn't reproduce that performance again.
"Completely empty."
I'd just been lying on the bed sorting through my inventory. Not only the material items I'd stocked up, but most of my spare armor and weapons were gone too. Sure, most were junk I wasn't using anyway, but they weren't easy to replace.
The strategy of dumping items to obscure vision and force openings? The downside is it burns through way too many items, junk or not. I'd conscripted them as one-time shields against absurdly powerful attacks, and their durability got shredded in seconds. Especially the low-floor loot with crap base durability—it shattered beyond repair.
All the stuff I'd scraped together from Floor 1 to 7, gone in one fight.
If some other challenger ever entered this tower someday, what would they think of the asshole who'd swept up all those resources and flushed them down the drain?
"Not like any noobs are showing up anyway..."
They'd think I was a fucking dickhead, obviously. Not that I give a shit what they think. What're they gonna do about it?
Enough pointless thoughts. Back to sorting this out.
The inventory dump strategy worked fine, but it's a one-and-done. Too item-heavy, and it only worked because she was a warrior. If Mercedes had been a mage, one wide-area spell would've vaporized the pile.
Even a warrior with something like Aura Mastery could've swept the area. And against stronger high-floor enemies? Warrior or not, it wouldn't land.
That's strategy for you. No strategy works on everyone. This was tailor-made for Mercedes.
I dumped every trick I had, pulling what you'd call an "all-in." I squeezed out 150% of my usual power. She was at maybe 80% thanks to overconfidence and crap gear.
And it was still a brutal fight. Can't say I've surpassed her yet.
Time to redouble training. Hitting a decent wall is great fuel for growth. Especially when you've glimpsed what's beyond, even briefly.
First goal: sharpen mana sensing and control. Mercedes is a wall I can clear. Next time, my 100% tops your 100%.
And if you keep picking fights after that—I'll slice off the other ear too, you high-and-mighty bitch.
Finished the duel review and reflection. Dumped the rest of the time into meditation. Leveling Mana Sensing and Mana Operation was the immediate priority, and I'd felt Mana Reinforcement's power firsthand.
But fuck, meditation never goes smoothly for me. Probably the mental clutter Elenoir mentioned. Chaos in the mind stirs up the mana too, she'd said.
I'm a walking bundle of base desires. But I hate that about myself. I wish I'd just drop dead. But I can't die. Gotta clear this tower.
Until I sort this contradiction, perfect mana control might be impossible. But thinking about slacking off on that excuse fills me with self-loathing, so I stubbornly keep at the fruitless meditation.
"Hoo..."
I opened my eyes and exhaled. Night had fallen outside before I knew it. Time flies during meditation. Guess that means I'm focusing, at least.
Elenoir still not back? She'd said the aftermath would take time.
Whatever, as long as that perv elf doesn't bug me, it's all good. Still, she'd usually spill about Tower happenings by now. Feels kinda empty.
"No, what the hell."
Can't be feeling empty. I'm starting to lose it. Need to hit Floor 8 ASAP. I'll see Elenoir there too, but no lazing around in that setup.
Then, a powerful presence I'd etched deep in my mind approached.
-Creak.
The door opened, and Elenoir slipped in with careful steps.
"Are you asleep, my dear?"
I'd thought it a few times, but her presence was always so damn distinct.
Given the brutal fight, she must've figured I'd be out cold.
"Nah, come in."
She wasn't in her usual négligée, so she'd come straight from handling the aftermath. Honestly, I barely noticed her outfit anymore.
"Still awake? You must be exhausted—why not rest?"
"This ain't enough to wear me out."
"Rest is crucial. Even for you."
Elenoir smiled faintly and sat beside me. I'd gotten used to it over time—no big deal now.
"Thanks to you, that engagement's properly shattered. Relations with the tree-huggers are nicely fucked too. Quest complete."
Dark Elf's Oath - Chapter 1
🎁 Reward: Preparing...
Sure enough, the quest window showed Dark Elf's Oath - Chapter 1 as complete, reward pending.
"Oh, and don't worry about the promised reward—I've got something you'll love."
Truth be told, I'd half-forgotten about the reward. She hadn't specified anything grand, and I doubted it'd match what other challengers got from community quests. Even something meh would've been fine. Why I'd thought that, no clue.
"From now on, do whatever you want."
Elenoir sidled closer, her warm breath tickling me. Her hand overlapped mine on the bed.
"Stay here forever, or leave—it's all your choice. You're officially my fiancé now."
Elenoir had only asked me to break the engagement—no further instructions. I'd claimed the spot, but I could bail anytime. That was the deal from the start. Or stick around and live with her.
"The more I look, the more you're my type. Won't find an ideal man like you in centuries."
Her already-close face drew nearer. Lips almost brushing.
Then, she stopped right there.
"You're leaving, aren't you."
"Yeah."
"Those eyes said as much."
Elenoir said it calmly, like she'd known. No real regret in her voice. Like spotting my fleeting pang of reluctance was enough satisfaction.
Classic Elenoir. Seems like a total perv, but thinks deeper than you'd believe.
"Tch, thought I might snag a mood-kiss at least."
Yeah. Even this was familiar now. Too damn much had become routine.
I couldn't tolerate it anymore.