Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: The Six-Armed Knight
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SHRAANK!
The violet colossus had a whopping six arms.
If I had to name it, perhaps the Six-Armed Knight?
It had an extra pair of arms, but in exchange, the creature had no legs whatsoever.
‘Come to think of it, can it even move like that?’
It seemed highly likely that this thing primarily used ranged attacks or summoned something.
That was my first impression.
But my judgment shattered the moment the Six-Armed Knight began to move.
WHIIIRRR!
“What? It’s ridiculously fast! Dammit.”
The creature moved freely along the grid-like grooves covering the floor.
A unique mechanism installed there seemed to be the source of its incredible speed.
SHRRIIK! CLAAANG!
“Whoa!”
After blocking three consecutive attacks, a sharp, tingling shock ran up my arm.
As expected, this one was a cut above the Four-Armed Knight or the black colossus.
It was so strong that hundreds of those eye-monsters would be useless against it.
‘Those six blades are the biggest problem.’
Unlike the previous colossi, the Six-Armed Knight didn't pull in natural rock or metal to create its weapons.
That was because various blades were already attached in place of its hands.
It seemed to have chosen this method because it couldn't summon weapons inside Padiac's Tower.
Whatever the reason, the power of its blades was immense.
They'd clashed with my Heaven-Severing Flash at near full power, yet they didn't even have a scratch.
In fact, I even felt like I was being overpowered.
“My pride takes a hit, but... I should probably just get past this one.”
I hadn't come to Padiac's Tower to fight in the first place.
I was just here to swipe the Latio.
There was no need to engage in a pointless battle.
*Swoosh.*
I immediately used my invisibility technique and stealthily changed my position.
Soul Shadow Evasion was an ultimate secret art that could even disrupt magic.
But surprisingly, the Six-Armed Knight's gaze followed me precisely.
‘This is a problem.’
It was clearly detecting me through some unique method, not magic.
Otherwise, there was no way it could see through a Rantzverger's invisibility.
“Looks like I have no choice but to fight.”
I glanced back at the entrance with a look of regret.
If only Kamil were here, he'd be a great help.
He's pretty good at drawing attention.
While he did that, I could sneakily steal the Latio.
Wouldn't that be some exquisite teamwork?
But I couldn't hope for such an optimistic situation right now.
‘My companions can't enter this place. I have to get through this on my own, no matter what.’
My opponent was unexpectedly strong, but was that reason enough to stop my progress?
Hadn't I even mastered the secret sword arts of the Riverune Head?
To retreat after all that was simply unacceptable.
“Bring it on anytime, you piece of scrap metal.”
—Insolent. Uncivilized. Destroy.
As I ignited my fighting spirit with a curse, the Six-Armed Knight's stiff voice echoed in my ears.
“Hey, a little taunting is normal in a fight. But calling me uncivilized is a bit... Whoa!”
SWOOOOSH! CLANG!
I was bantering as usual when my opponent's attack suddenly flew at me with terrifying speed.
If I hadn't been subtly prepared while running my mouth, my body would've been pierced with six new holes.
‘This hunk of metal really doesn't have a shred of emotion.’
CLANG! CLANG!
Amidst the feast of countless flying blades, I was calmly bobbing my head.
Outwardly, I looked as relaxed as if I were out for a stroll.
But the reality was quite different.
I was, in fact, swinging the Black Dragon Sword at an incredible speed.
—Hoh? Now that's a sword style I quite like.
As I was busy deflecting attacks, Alkheim's voice suddenly reached me.
“It has no form. I'm just moving improvisationally.”
—What are you talking about? I was talking about *its* sword style. Look closely. All six blades are performing different sword arts simultaneously.
“Oh... you're right.”
It seemed he was interested in the violet colossus.
Focusing more on the barrage of attacks as Alkheim suggested, I began to notice a unique pattern.
The Six-Armed Knight was truly using a different sword art with each arm.
Once I realized that, my opponent suddenly looked different.
‘Whoa! What is this? This is insane.’
Not that the sword arts themselves were anything special.
They were quite monotonous and lacked variation.
Honestly, if someone tried that in front of me, I was confident I could cut them down in a single blow.
The point that amazed me was the fact that it could perform six sword arts simultaneously without any interference between them.
‘Is that even possible?’
If someone told me to perform two sword arts at once, I'd just shake my head.
For starters, the footwork would be all wrong.
“Ah! Is that why it has no legs?”
Only then did I realize the purpose of those grid-like grooves.
Of course, discovering this important fact didn't turn the tide of the battle.
I was still struggling to deal with six different sword arts at the same time.
‘I don't think I can win just by blindly unleashing Nine-Ring Annihilation. Same goes for Heaven-Severing Annihilator.’
I needed some kind of breakthrough.
Because it was getting harder and harder to hold on.
KROOOM! KUNG!
“Hey, is it fair to move while doing this? Aaargh!”
I was thrown high into the air and then slammed back down onto the floor.
This was the result of the crazy tower reacting violently.
WHOOSH! THUD!
I somehow managed to regain my balance and land.
But the next part was the problem.
WHIIIRRR! SH-SH-SH-SHINK! CLAAANG!
With a bizarre sound, the violet colossus's attacks rained down on me.
I was reminded of a second reason why that damn thing had no legs.
‘Wow! Even when Padiac's Tower moves, it's completely unaffected.’
Since the bastard sticks to the grid-like grooves, it probably wouldn't care even if this whole space turned upside down.
It would just stick to the ceiling and whir around.
KROOOOOM!
“Agh! Dammit!”
An irritated curse escaped my lips.
Because while I was thinking that, Padiac's Tower began to move violently again.
While my body shot into the air, the violet colossus swiftly closed in and unleashed its attacks.
As if it had been waiting for this very moment.
WHIIIRRR! SH-SH-SH-SHINK!
‘That one was really dangerous.’
To be suspended in mid-air while six sword strikes rained down at once.
What kind of insane, crazy ordeal was this?
“Cough!”
Was it because I'd blocked the attack from an unstable posture?
Along with a slight internal injury, I felt a hot liquid trickle from my mouth.
Coughing up blood in a situation like this, what an annoying phenomenon...
“Oh, it's a nosebleed.”
It seems I was mistaken.
A nosebleed? How lame.
I roughly wiped my upper lip and corrected my stance.
The mid-air clash had sent me flying far away like a ball.
But that didn't mean I was completely out of the opponent's attack range.
The Six-Armed Knight's movement speed was simply beyond imagination.
WHIIIRRR!
‘Look at that. That bastard, again?’
With a bizarre mechanical sound, the violet figure shot forward like an arrow.
Padiac's Tower was rattling and shaking, but it remained completely unaffected.
And then, after one big shake?
KROOOM! SH-SH-SH-SHINK!
“I knew it, you predictable bastard!”
It shakes the space to launch its target into the air, then rushes in to unleash a barrage of sword strikes.
Having figured out its pattern, I had already thrown myself into the air.
Since I was going to be thrown anyway, I figured I might as well fly in the direction I wanted.
When I was unexpectedly sent flying in a completely different direction, the Six-Armed Knight couldn't attack properly.
The situation had unfolded very differently from what it had predicted.
KRA-GA-GA-GAK!
Sliding down the tilted floor, I slammed the Black Dragon Sword down hard.
I completely shattered the neat grid pattern as I passed.
—Eliminate threat. Madman. Madman.
At that, the opponent suddenly spat out a curse.
It had been a mechanical voice with no emotion, but what was this?
The Six-Armed Knight's voice was filled with rage.
“So this was it!”
What I had figured out after experiencing three attacks wasn't just its behavioral pattern.
In truth, I couldn't help but have a fundamental question about its movement.
Every time Padiac's Tower shook, I couldn't even control my own body, yet my opponent could move around freely?
The situation itself made no sense from the start.
So I considered what made the Six-Armed Knight and me different.
The conclusion was simple.
‘That thing doesn't move with its legs.’
What was even more peculiar was the fact that it only moved along the grooves in the floor.
Seeing that reminded me of the magitech train.
Its characteristic of only being able to move where tracks were laid.
That's where I had my epiphany.
“If I destroy the floor, you won't be able to move properly, will you? Now, feel the pain of being tied down.”
SPING! KRA-GA-GA-GAK!
I unleashed Heaven-Severing Demonic Moon consecutively, completely tearing up the grid pattern.
Just as I expected, even though it could have attacked with just a slight movement, the Six-Armed Knight didn't budge.
To be more precise, it *couldn't*.
—Cannot move. Damned intruder. Cannot move. Cunning intruder. Rail restoration is urgent.
The creature muttered incomprehensible words, its violet eyes gleaming from within its helmet.
‘Come to think of it, the tower has stopped too.’
Padiac's Tower, which had tossed me into the air with every attack.
Now that the Six-Armed Knight was completely neutralized, it no longer rumbled around.
It seemed to have stopped moving because there was no longer a need to.
“Well then, farewell, you hunk of scrap metal.”
I touched my index and middle fingers to my forehead and then flicked them lightly towards the Six-Armed Knight.
As if annoyed by the gesture, the creature flailed its six blades.
My goal was the Latio, anyway.
There was no reason to fight a life-or-death battle with that dangerous thing.
However, my steps were halted by Alkheim.
—That energy you're looking for.
“Hm?”
—It's inside that hunk of metal.
“...Are you sure?”
—My sense for energy is far superior to yours, you insignificant thing.
“Damn it.”
Stopping dead in my tracks, I turned around with a creak.
The Six-Armed Knight was still unable to contain its rage towards me.
“To think I have to defeat that monstrous thing of all things...”
Of course, it was still far better than facing Padiac's Tower directly.
But while its body was relatively smaller, the Six-Armed Knight's combat power was also immense.
Six different sword arts performed simultaneously, supported by incredible strength and speed.
It was an opponent that lacked nothing.
‘But it can't move anyway, right?’
Then that changes things.
Towards the Six-Armed Knight, standing in its awkward position, I began to cast the ultimate sword art of Riverune.
Broken metal fragments floated into the air, and an intense vibration spread across the floor.
DR-R-R-R-R!
“It's payback time, tin head.”