Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Sophomore Jinx (8)
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The power I could sense wasn't all that great. But considering that, the speed it had just demonstrated was no joke—it was hard to let my guard down. So unless Karin was in serious danger, I decided to take it slow and observe. It had stopped advancing for now, which meant less risk of her getting dragged around and hurt even more. And it didn't seem intent on snapping her neck right away.
Dual swords carry a strong aggressive image in general, but in reality, since both blades can handle attack and defense alike—and you can't perform shield charges or the like—they end up emphasizing defense more.
That was exactly why, even against Danil, I'd stuck to defense and probing attacks until the situation was ripe for a perfect win.
What I needed to do right now was pry that mutt—lolling its tongue with black drool spilling from its jaws—away from Karin immediately.
An unknown monster from the labyrinth in this sequel I knew nothing about. Steel myself even more cautiously, with no idea what might happen next, I raised my sword.
If it really was connected to a fragment of the Demon God, there was no reason to hold back my strength.
"Hoo."
With one exhale, power surged through my entire body. Forcing out too much came with side effects, but this was a matter of life and death again.
A golden light slowly emanated from my heart and settled onto both swords. The black hound, growling deep in its throat, flung Karin aside and charged straight at me.
Just like a beast, huh. I couldn't help but chuckle at how it abandoned its presumed original target to go after the immediate threat.
Still insanely fast—I clicked my tongue inwardly. Starting from a standstill let me read the preliminary motions and react, but once it slipped from my sight, keeping up visually was just as tough.
No need to take unnecessary risks. I wrapped my body in aura to solidify my defenses, honed my senses to the max with mana, then timed it perfectly as it closed in. I brought down the shorter sword—the holy sword—smashing the center head of the charging wolf.
"...Not much power, but fast as hell. Not particularly tough or resilient, but regeneration's quick. Stats skewed ridiculously toward one extreme."
If this was just the early phase, it made for a fitting boss monster. Strong, but with clear weaknesses—stay calm, observe, and you could take it down.
Not that it was much of a challenge from my endgame spec perspective in the main story.
The three-headed hound, already regenerating in earnest, had fully healed everywhere except where my aura had touched.
As expected of something tied to the Demon God—killing it the normal way wouldn't cut it, huh.
The fact that no adventurers had tales of struggling against things like this prowling the labyrinth depths meant that damned cur was probably some gimmick: it only stirred after spotting the bracelet.
Whatever. Didn't matter.
Karin was safe now, and I'd confirmed my aura worked on the mutt. One thing left.
Go all out and incinerate it completely, leaving not even scraps to regenerate.
Feeling the blood vessels in my face bursting in real time, I drew power at full throttle from the core in my heart.
The power started at my heart, flowed through my limbs, enveloped my body without gaps. A conviction poured into my brain via the goddess's voice: now, a mere touch from my hand could erase it.
The holy sword in my left hand shone brighter than ever, feeling heavier even for me in my current state as I slowly pressed it down toward the dog that now looked sluggish.
I'd meant to slash with the blade, but the moment aura touched it, the monster began crumbling as if rotting away in an instant. It turned to dust and scattered without ever reaching the sword proper.
"...Bland if it's bland, but with the goddess's power, it makes sense."
If Karin had arrived here normally, forming a party centered on adventurers, it'd be no easy foe for sure.
Speed too quick for average reflexes to even react, regeneration near-impossible to overcome fatally without a light magic user.
So, how exactly did Karin take it down when she reached this point in the original story?
As if answering my question, the bracelet on the fallen Karin's wrist blinked on its own, absorbed tiny particles from where the monster had died, then went dark for good.
Absorption, huh...
"Karin. Wake up. If you've got any major injuries, groan or move your hand to let me know."
With a groan, Karin sat up, looking at me with slightly dazed eyes.
"...I remember getting dragged off by some weird thing."
"A monster tied to the Demon God snatched you and bolted. I caught up and dealt with it for now."
"Ah. Thank youuu..."
"And that bracelet—it reacted strangely just now. Mind checking it?"
Rescued quick as it was, she'd been hauled around roughly; her face still blank, Karin tapped the bracelet. She peered at the hologram it projected, blinked, rubbed her eyes, then spoke.
"Says it's 63% charged. No idea what for."
Hearing that, I shared everything I'd observed so far and learned from taking it down.
"...So yeah, it's absorbing Demon God and goddess power. Whether fighting or receiving transfer, it needs stuff it can consume."
"Right. Not sure if it's the right call to feed an item whose power I don't fully get."
"...I can't say I know for sure, but this bracelet—I feel some kind of pull toward it. Like it'll definitely help me."
Yeah, figures.
She's the protagonist.
And it's an item meant to grow alongside her.
The issue was whether its evolution path would actually benefit her.
Since this world was game-based, think of it in game terms: games with multi-endings don't always prepare just the happy one.
In games that starkly show player actions and choices, they often introduce good/evil or karma systems for bad endings too.
And what worried me was exactly why it was collecting Demon God power.
Assuming choices could lead to a Demon God route, Karin would become a globally special-monitored target from here on out.
But I couldn't exactly say that to her face.
"...Alright. First step anyway—might as well fill it up as it wants."
"You're giving permission?"
"Try it out first. If something feels off, we decide then. We know too little as is, and letting you choose freely matters too."
Turning away so she wouldn't see my sigh as she fiddled happily with the bracelet, I spotted Ermina panting her way over from afar.
"Hah, hah... Everything okay?"
"There was something. It's gone now."
"Huh?"
"Dealt with the monster that snatched Karin. Checking her condition now."
"Ah! Karin! Glad you're safe!"
"Ahaha..."
"Looks like a few wounds, but nothing fatal. Bracelet's fine too, at least."
"Wounds? Let me take a look."
She needed to lift her clothes, so at Ermina's request to turn around, I did—and started puzzling it over again.
From Karin's state so far, assuming she could choose good or evil, she wasn't the type to walk the dark path.
Handing that kind of choice to a girl like her meant she'd likely face something utterly despairing along the way, or something had happened in the time gap between now and the original sequel.
This is when you really feel the need for social influence. But regaining it meant abandoning all the efforts I'd made to escape my shut-in life so far.
With greater power and authority comes greater responsibility.
That's the law of this world.
"All done."
"Bad wounds?"
"No. Just scratches and cuts—not deep, and fresh enough I healed them scar-free."
"Good. Anything weird or need something?"
"Eh? No, no. I'm fine."
"Then rest easy alone for a bit."
Confirming she'd collapsed onto the grassland at the mountain's base, eyes closed—mental fatigue, probably—I asked Ermina, who'd been up on the mountain moments ago.
"See anything odd on the mountain? Anything strange happen?"
"Huh? Strange, you say..."
"...Never mind. Just wondered since you were alone."
"Ehehe. Nothing like that. Feels nice being worried about."
That weird deer—now a unicorn, probably—had given Ermina nothing. Hadn't even shown itself.
Why it appeared to me.
Why it didn't to Ermina.
A monster presumed Demon God fragment on the very layer with that deer.
Felt like a fishbone stuck in my throat—uncomfortably off.