Chapter 288 – Horseman of Death (14)
──What is the purpose of the aura?
If someone asked me like that, masters with high noses and stiff backs might catch the clouds by saying something about mystic logic or enlightenment, but I thought a little differently.
‘Aura is a buff that increases attack power after all.’
Just think of the time when I fought with Enrir.
The difference between aura users and non-users was most evident when warriors joined forces.
If you get hit, you’re going after it, but even if you block it, you’re going back? The knights who rode in front of the musket for the first time would have had a better chance than this. Because they won at least when they got close.
Weapons are of great importance to warriors.
It is said that a master calligrapher does not choose a brush, but if he comes with his bare hands in a game where his life is at stake, that would be an idiot.
In that sense, an aura that changes the durability of a weapon is extremely dangerous.
Just as attack is the best defense, the weapon can withstand aura only when it hits it.
The story was no different when facing a monster that exceeded the mithril class. Isn’t it a bit uneasy to believe in the durability of weapons when you’re hanging out with bastards who knead steel like rice cakes!
‘But if you think of it the other way around, it means that you don’t have to be obsessed with Auras as long as you can hold out with your weapons.’
To be honest, Aurors are expensive to maintain. No matter how much mana it is, it’s pretty burdensome.
So even if it’s not an aura, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s a buff that blocks the opponent’s attack and breaks the defense.
I was trying to prove the three-segment argument that was close to that exposé in practice.
“Gigantic Drill Stinger!!”
[Kuaaaaa──!!]
A mithril spear pierced Nukelavi’s foot.
A reckless stomp struck me to break my head. I calmly evaded. There was no trembling in my heart even in the mighty hooves that might kill me if stepped on.
When I pushed my body into the dead ground, my mind seemed to calm down strangely.
It was similar to the feeling of succeeding at [Gerture] For the first time when I finished Yerna in the past.
I gently dodged the violent kicks, and hit the hard-to-evade attack with a spear.
─Tooquaang!
Clash between the half-man, half-horse and the earth warrior!
A shock beyond common sense would have put a strain on the spear, but my spear didn’t even creak. It is the power of the green mana coating that takes over the defense of Beast Return.
‘Chit.’
But I clicked my tongue in regret.
The defense is reliable, but the attack power has not changed from before. This is because Beast Return’s body strengthening did not apply to spears.
Well, it must be greedy to want the magic that strengthens the human body to be applied to the spear.
Done. An increase in durability would have been enough. Even before I learned [Guerture], I was ignorant and wielded a weapon by relying on my strength. If it was a savage power struggle, it was his specialty.
And the skill that makes up for the lack of attack power with wild beasts.
“Grant 〈〉.”
─Quarreureung!!
When I applied 〈 arrows of lightning to the spear blade, a thicker current than before bounced randomly. As if a spear had been inserted into a generator, wild lightning! I smiled contentedly.
The old god’s mana was poured into his body. While surrendering to the flow, he unfolded the 4th Poomsae of Guertur’s attack aircraft.
─Shupat!!
I swung the spear while rotating 360 degrees.
The thunder-spouting spear electrocuted Nukelaby, shattering the knees of all four legs.
A spinning attack that scatters spears in 360 degrees in all directions when surrounded by thugs!
It was a season that required high skill proficiency and mana as it was an unreasonable move.
─Suddenly!
─Kooung!!
The young sous-vide seahorse couldn’t even scream when an electric current passed through it. As the cartilage in his knees shattered and his legs buckled, Nukelaby collapsed like someone who had been kicked in the hamstrings.
I blew out steam and fired back tumbles to avoid being crushed.
[Mr. Stella!!]
[Yes, it’s just the right height for beheading!]
The leg is smashed. It would take time for him to be cured even with seawater like a liver blood spring spouting from the forest. Stella wrapped her aura around her greatsword and dashed toward his horse’s head.
─Puffy!!
With a trembling spit, the horse’s head spewed poisonous smoke. It’s just a struggle. I aimed the poison dart and turned the windmill.
“Close, wind blood!!”
Kuwhaaaaa-!!
A blast of steam spewing out!
Although it had no lethal power, the steam launched according to the principle of the absolute sky area was indeed a small typhoon. The wind, incomparable to the horse head’s lung capacity, blew away the poisonous smoke.
[Thank you for your help from one to ten!]
As soon as I opened up a gap, Stella took off. She swung her greatsword like a yam sword as Nukelaby’s horse’s head tucked under her neck to prevent it from dodging.
─Puffy!!
[Kuass!! Hummmm!!!]
Nukelaby managed to avoid being decapitated by cocking her head as if she had been hit with an uppercut.
Blood sprayed from her throat, which had been split in half, but at that level, she didn’t know how to recover. If I let my legs heal, I’m sure they’ll run away.
──That’s why I also dealt an extra hit.
While the half-man, half-horse bastard was distracted by Stella, I jumped on the back of his head.
“A half horse like a half horse—”
As if the humanoid upper body finally realized it, it tried to throw a giant-fight at me, but it was already too late.
“——Crawl on the ground!!”
Steam spewed from the spear blades, adding momentum like a rocket.
Simple ignorant wielding. However, trusting in the stronger spear, the attack that carried away all the buffs was never something to belittle.
The feeling of penetrating into the flesh of a creature that is vividly transmitted to the fingertips!
─Suddenly!
─Fuhuaaaaak!!
My spear pierced thick muscles, split blood vessels, and crawled out through the other side, shattering even bones.
The severed, thick horse head radiated a final glare.
─Corruption! I dodged the rushing palms and landed twisting my body on the head. Even this giant claw is bigger than me. It was enough for a foothold.
‘I’m not dead yet.’
My eyes grew cold. The real Nukelaby didn’t die by cutting off the horse’s head.
Stella cannot continue the battle. There must have been too much mana spent maintaining the aura.
So I have no choice but to do it.
I cast a steam dash at the giant’s head.
“Mung-ge-mung-soon-bo.”
─Puff!
The leg power (estimated) 30 times that of ordinary people and the explosive power of steam like a grenade turned my body into a cannon ball.
I showed a three-dimensional maneuver suitable for killing a giant. I put a kick into his neck, and landed on his nape using the recoil and spear.
Mana was blown into the thunder spear that fired sparks.
“Don’t build it!!”
I let out a roar and inserted the thunder spear into a 100 cm × 10 cm space near the base of the nape of the neck.
End with this.
─Kurrureung!! Kwagwagwagwang!!
A bolt of lightning pierced Nukelaby’s spine.
It was the magic of maximum firepower that used the amount of mana that doubled after beating Enrir like water.
[Aaaaa────!!!!!]
─Pajijijijijik!!
Sparks erupted from the seven holes on her bare face. The fingers that were trying to crush me also hardened like wooden stones and stopped without reaching my body.
What are all the demons that have been passed down as legends since ancient times? If you hit it with a grandiose title, I have nothing to bow down to anywhere.
If it’s a legend that’s only a name, even the thunder god in mythology is all over the place, but there was no reason to be afraid of a half-human, half-demon.
I grinned as I endured the tingling splash damage that came up through my shoes.
─Puuong!
I pulled it out while exploding the spear with a compressed jet of steam. Without the defense of Beast Return, it would not have been possible.
I leaped by using the reaction force. As if a bomb exploded inside, he aimed his spear at Nukelaby’s neck and performed the technique.
Trade and trade affairs.
“Seongseongmangeum (星成萬禽).”
─Tukak!!
I used the season to rip the giant’s head off and tore it apart. The body, which conducts electricity much better than the human body, was well accustomed to lightning strikes and became vulnerable like the tofu.
Fangreure…
Wow… !!
The huge human face spun around and met my eyes before falling to the floor.
I landed next to Nukelaby’s disintegrating body.
With a firm grip on the spear wrapped in Beast Return’s mana.
***
‘It was easier than I thought.’
I muttered in my heart as I reaped the mana from the spear.
It seems that the higher my skills go, the quicker the battle ends. It sounds obvious at first glance, but it won’t be a sluggish fight even against enemies who are stronger or comparable to me.
Come to think of it, it was just that.
If you are an outstanding master, you must have a special move that will surely knock out your opponent! It wasn’t just the strong attack in the first round, but also included the flow until the special move was landed.
A fight aimed at killing each other with a boungkwon that would make Banfi fly away if they hit each other.
It might be a battle between real moon warriors.
“Winning… Are you afraid?”
─Blow up. These were the words of the chieftain, who had sat down as if his strength had been exhausted.
I was able to leave more mana than I thought, but that was because I had a leisurely time away from the field. In fact, Stella, who would have been better than me in terms of stamina, looked tired.
“The fight is over. Nukelabi, crispy to the inside.”
“Call the remaining people and bury them properly. It would be a big deal if it was immersed in the sea and resurrected.”
It’s unlikely that even one of them will. I reached out to the chief, and she took my hand and stood up.
“… Thank you Nord-nim, thanks to you.”
“Well, I did work hard.”
Nukelaby’s attempt to drown the commander by crossing fresh water was quite risky.
We wouldn’t have made it this far if the kelpie hadn’t fled to the river or something, and then the casualties would have increased. It is true that it was luck.
Of course, it’s true that I tried hard to get my dick sucked out of it. The chief laughed shyly.
“Whoops. You are honest.”
“It is my virtue.”
When I answered in a chic way, the chief turned his face.
“As our ancestors said, it is right that there must be a reward and a price for good and bad deeds. We will think of a return, so will you never leave without our knowledge?”
“They say they give you presents each, is there anything you don’t like?”
Let’s be grateful I thought so and tried to see where our party members had come, but then I heard the sound of battle in the distance.
“… Mr. Stella? What about the warriors under his command?”
“It’s the opposite way. They must be your friends.”
Damn, what else is left? I got a bit ominous and tried to focus on the presence.
It doesn’t seem very dangerous. It seems that the fake Nukelavies are still active and started fighting with our party members.
I was about to run there quickly but hesitated. The chief said as if he noticed.
“Go. I can’t help you, but I can’t hinder you. It won’t be a big deal if you don’t worry.”
“Yes. I’ll be back. Talk about compensation, come and go.”
“How about our daughter?”
“That’s a bit.”
I resolutely declined and ran to where my wives were. The spear in my hand was coated with green mana again.
And on that day, there were no more living, half-man, half-horse left in the Flusmirror Forest.
***
For two days after killing Nukelaby, we stayed in Ulster Village to pass the time.
There were several reasons for this. First of all, I was worried about how the conversation with the village of Flusmirror would flow, and secondly, it was because the reward they were supposed to give us hadn’t arrived yet.
“Tweet! (Sex!)”
And the third was to talk to the animals in the forest and find out where the bicorn holy ground was in this forest.
─Flap and flop.
I slung the spear over my shoulder and stroked the little bird perched on my finger.
It is said that this cub is quite old and has a nimble body, so he is familiar with the geography of the forest, but it actually helped in the search. Because I was able to stay in the village and investigate the forest.
Fran’s Sparrow Golem is not suitable for a place like this.
It’s fine if you’re scouting from the sky, but if you’re going to wander through the forest, avoiding trees and bushes takes too much of your concentration. Our franc still had a lot of room for growth.
I gave the sparrow the caterpillars I had received from the village in a bowl and choked them. I didn’t want to touch it with my hands.
“Chwi-chi-chi-jj-jj-jae-jaek. (Then let’s do it again).”
“Fuck it! (Yes!)”
─Dadadak!
I sent the rune-covered sparrow flying.
If you find a sense of incongruity in that bastard’s movements, there is a high possibility that there is a barrier hiding the holy place of the bicorn.
If the guy who was going straight ahead suddenly takes a detour in the shape of an O without my instructions, wouldn’t he be unknowingly blocked by the barrier?
Likewise, the barriers of the forest of divine beasts were not perfect. That’s probably why the Unicorn’s sacred map was also discovered.
─Pasasak.
“What are you doing? Are you busy?”
Thinking that even a tiger will come if you speak to it, as I sensed the position of the rune, Alice the Unicorn appeared.
“I was doing something for a while. What are you doing here?”
“That tattooed girl called me.”
“… Are you talking about the chieftain?”
“Huh. A chieftain is a chieftain. A tattooed girl with a head of flowers is enough.”
Alice complaining. When Hi Lo Main was being healed, he stayed next to her and cried, but he seemed to be angry.
No, maybe that’s normal. I made a mistake on the basis of the strategy, so I almost went to the goal because Hi Ro Main was hit by a body shot (shotgun version).
Well, it’s me, I pushed my neck because I wanted to and I didn’t get hurt, so I think it’s okay.
“The preparations for repairs are over. Can you come when the time is right? Did I say it right?”
“Yes.”
I gave a rough answer and tried to focus on the bird drone, but Alice didn’t leave my side. I blinked.
“Why?”
“Oh no, that… Thank you. It was you who lifted my curse and saved Jeanne, right? But when Jeanne wakes up, I don’t think there will be time to thank her.”
Alice hesitated before she said so.
“Are you great? Even the warriors of the Holy Land weren’t that great. I can’t underestimate him as a human being. No, that doesn’t mean I underestimated it.”
“Hehe. The skill of gilding someone else’s face is still lacking. Practice with your professor or something so that you can become more diligent.”
“Miss Lee, are you serious?”
Alice pouted when I let her go. Pouty.
“Even though longevity races have an advantage in terms of training time, in the end, there is a limit to individual growth.”
Even the gods feel their limits and perform human sacrifice on their own. The time and growth required for training in another world are not directly proportional.
‘After all, it’s a world full of talent.’
That’s good news for me. I lifted my finger and put Beast Return’s mana coating over it.
“ᛒ(Berkanan).”
─Mongle.
A green mana coating bubbled out. When I enchanted it, it burned like a drop of oil.
‘It was worth investing in this rune.’
I invested some of the mana I gained from defeating Enrir to strengthen the ᛒ (Berkanan) rune.
Runes that have gained true enlightenment have multiple uses. In particular, it was a great advantage in that it was a rune that could be tracked even if it was far away from me like that bird.
‘Usually other runes are canceled when they fall.’
Because it is a rune that causes change, regardless of the distance, it shows maintenance in proportion to time.
In other words, it means that it becomes advantageous for tracking, etc. Of course, it can’t be better than Fran, but there’s nothing wrong with increasing your hand.
It would also help when wrapping the yam aura on the window.
‘──I can still grow.’
I felt that way.
I set off a bubble of fire. How much more can I, a short-lived race, grow in this world of blood-sucking talents?
Even if you face a wall, you will have to get over it right away.
Even to protect my beloved wives.
─Prick!
I sensed the rune’s mana and turned around. It seemed that in order to become stronger in the future, it would be necessary to plan more thoroughly than before.
“Let’s go to the chieftain. It’s still early, but go ahead and wait.”
“Yeah? What were you doing?”
“No, it just ended.”
The rest of the food in the bowl will come and eat on its own.
I confirmed that the mana of the runes I sent to the northwest of the forest could not enter a certain range and hovered around. There was a barrier that could not enter without rune’s mana.
In other words, the barrier of the bicorn is in the northwest of that forest.
‘Next, Veronica just needs to learn space movement magic.’
If that’s the case, you’ll be able to move around the world a little more unstoppably to get your hands on the power. I put on a satisfied smile.
Preparations to become stronger were steadily progressing.
