Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Battle
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This world's zombies were weak—hardly a match for the low-grade Corrupted Beings that showed up from time to time.
Even against a mid-grade Corrupted Being, he figured he could handle it without much trouble.
But he never imagined they'd form packs and move with such organized precision.
"Hoo... Let's do this."
The moment he steeled himself for battle, his body responded in kind—a light thrill running through him, his senses sharpening.
His mind cleared, and a surge of anticipation for the fight lifted his spirits.
Did I always have this fighting spirit in me?
Who cares.
Such thoughts were a luxury he couldn't afford right now.
Time to focus on the fight.
He impaled the head of a charging low-grade cat Corrupted Being with his spear.
In that instant, the mid-grade monster cat lunged at him.
-Boom!
Isn't that a bit much?
This was tough enough as it was, but the mid-grade cat was using its brain in a way no beast should.
It was clever.
That didn't mean he could ignore the low-grade cat Corrupted Beings, though.
Thinning their numbers was progress, and in this situation, it was their only way through.
Their strategy was simple, if effective.
The mid-grade Corrupted Being sicced the low-grade cats on him to keep his attention divided.
Then it exploited the openings for low-risk strikes.
Simple, but it worked terrifyingly well.
He couldn't just shrug off the low-grades' attacks, either.
Pushing his physical senses to the limit, he pressed on with the fight.
He dodged the endless onslaught of cat assaults in a trance-like state, slipping in counterattacks.
Weapons constantly flickered in and out of the Inventory without pause.
From their perspective, the sudden appearances threw them off, letting him smash their skulls one by one.
He wanted to quickly mop up the low-grades, but that mid-grade monster cat always demanded his vigilance.
Without it, he could've handled any number of low-grades.
Should I target the boss?
In war, taking out the king was the most effective move.
These weren't human, just animals—but beasts followed leaders even more rigidly. Snag that mid-grade, and the rest might scatter.
While staying mindful of the mid-grade monster cat's attacks, he feigned an opening while striking at a low-grade.
Here it comes!
He took the low-grade's attack head-on.
-Slash!
The claw ripped into his Combat Suit, but he could repair it with his mana anyway.
And in that gap, he thrust his spear straight at the mid-grade monster.
Got it!
-Sizzle!
But just before the spear hit its hide, a faint mana reaction deflected his strike.
Is this thing using mana now?
Were C-Rank monsters always like this?
He'd never taken one down himself before awakening, so of course he didn't know.
Pre-awakening, C-Rank monsters might as well have been from another world.
And he couldn't assume they were the same as his original world's C-Ranks, either.
If monsters here were this intelligent across the board, his home world would've fallen long ago.
This is insane.
If it could manifest mana offensively, would that change things?
His attacks just lacked punch.
What about Mjolnir?
-Crunch!!
The beast seemed to sense the massive hammer's threat—it dodged with speed belying its bulk, and some unlucky low-grade took the hit instead.
-Slash!
And it didn't miss the opening: a low-grade Corrupted Being's claws raked across his thigh.
"Shit!"
These sneaky bastards were pissing him off with their hit-and-run tactics.
No. Can't get heated.
"Hoo..."
He took a light breath to calm himself.
One-on-one, the mid-grade monster cat would've been tough to damage.
This absurdly heavy hammer might land a blow if it connected, sure.
But its guard was up now—further attempts would likely whiff.
The hammer was slower than the spear, too.
And this cat-derived Corrupted Being moved at speeds leagues beyond the others.
Mid-grade lives up to the name, huh?
No, it wasn't the rank—it just didn't feel like fighting an animal.
Who could've guessed a mid-grade would fight this dirty?
Targeting it was a bad idea. Losses outweighed gains.
How many left?
He'd already cleared the quest once by smashing low-grade Corrupted Beings just moments ago.
That left him with 2 Skill Points now.
Just 2 more points, and he could max out Body Strengthening.
That was part of why he was risking it all to take down these low-grades.
Level-up status?
As expected, hitting Level 2 was a pipe dream right now.
Take out these 9 low-grades, absorb the Mana Stones, level up once.
That nets 1 point from the quest reward, 1 from the level-up—total 4 points to upgrade Body Strengthening.
It was the best plan his weary brain could squeeze out.
Assuming he survived, anyway.
-Boom!
As the fierce battle dragged on, the large shield blocking the mid-grade's attacks finally shattered.
When he bought it, he'd never dreamed it'd break like this.
No time to panic, though.
Time to improvise.
"Defend with Mjolnir."
Under the mid-grade's command, low-grade Corrupted Beings swarmed from all sides.
"You little punks."
He charged forward at the sight, cleaving the nearest low-grade in half with a greatsword.
At the same time, low-grades targeted his back and legs.
He left the mid-grade to Suni.
Priority was clearing these speedy low-grades.
He gave up on guarding his back and tried stomping the one at his legs, but it slipped away like a ghost.
-Slash!
Damage to his back exposed bare skin, but the Combat Suit absorbed his mana and patched itself like living flesh.
-Boom!
The mid-grade monster's forepaw clashed with Mjolnir in a thunderous roar.
He snatched the hammer and stowed it back in the Inventory.
-Grrr.
The massive mid-grade monster cat kept appearing and vanishing, clearly annoyed by the giant hammer blocking its strikes.
No injuries yet, but the low-grade cats were wearing down his Combat Suit.
Suit repairs drained his mana.
The more damage it took, the more he fatigued.
How long can I hold out?
If I keep this up, I can make it.
The bait came charging.
He pierced one bait's skull—right on cue, the mid-grade exploited the gap.
But as it lunged, he summoned Mjolnir; it dodged like it expected it and swung razor-sharp claws.
A timing attack he hadn't seen coming.
Can't dodge this!
You crazy bastard!
It had learned from every Mjolnir pull during its strikes.
-Thwack!
He twisted away as best he could, but his left shoulder felt like it was torn clean off.
"Gah!"
Bones intact, but he was a wreck.
Damn. Left arm's out. How many?
Almost there.
The mid-grade monster cat licked his flesh from its claws.
Then its eyes changed upon tasting his blood.
-Kyaaang!!
G greed gleamed in its stare at him.
Tasting blood got it riled up?
Thinking him critically wounded, the cats' assaults intensified.
The mid-grade timed its decisive blow, using low-grades as distractions while eyeing him hungrily.
Mindful of it, he fought on—but even the low-grades were getting harder to handle.
These agile cat breeds were a problem; fatigue aside, his serious wounds were the real issue.
Lock down the low-grades with the hammer.
It was waiting for him to tire further, prepping its finisher.
Suni-based defense was learned by now anyway—probably wouldn't work.
Better to speed-clear the low-grades and claim the quest reward.
No choice. We'll wither away like this.
-Thud.
Mjolnir's unexpected swing—meant for mid-grade defense—pinned two low-grades in place.
He seized the moment, whipping out a greatsword one-handed and shredding both at once.
As expected, the mid-grade's massive claws closed in.
He'd half-anticipated it and rolled clear.
His back burned with pain.
Not a perfect dodge.
A low-grade lunged in the gap.
Using his roll's momentum, he sprang forward, drew a spear from Inventory, and neatly skewered the low-grade's skull.
-Thud!
Low-Grade Corrupted Being Elimination Quest Complete.
Quest refreshed.
Gained 1 Skill Point as reward.
Welcoming messages flashed as a massive forepaw rocketed toward him.
Shit. No dodging this.
-Boom!
The huge paw slammed into his back.
-Crunch.
Something inside him shattered.
"Grk!"
The blow sent him tumbling wildly until he crashed into a building wall, jolting to a stop amid massive impact.
"Kuhk!!"
Blood filled his mouth as his vision spun.
He staggered his wrecked body upright.
-Kyaaang!!
Seeing him, the monster cat let out a triumphant roar.
-Kyaaang.
Its minions echoed in response.
He could read the monster's eyes.
Prey in the bag.
That look grated on him.
Hoo... you filthy sneaky dog.
Hating the smug sight, he pulled a javelin from Inventory and hurled it.
But the beast hopped aside effortlessly.
Maybe it saw it as his final desperate flail.
But his hand was full now.
"Shit. Absorb them."