Shujinkou Janai! - CH 74

[————–Fire Enchantment! Melt!]

It was these words from the young Magic-User Nuku that signaled the beginning of the battle.

The quiet corridor was immediately transformed into a battlefield, and the situation began to move at a dizzying pace.

[————–Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh!]

Charging forward head first before the group was Radd.

With a yell, he ran through the corridor and raised his beloved sword <Brave Sword> in his hand.

The flame-clad strike caught the <Greater Mummy>, a monster covered in bandages all over its body.

As I watched him from the side, I involuntarily smiled.

(That guy’s really getting good at this.)

Even I, who am a bit fussy when it comes to Manual Arts, couldn’t find fault in the accuracy of his sword flash.

Radd’s Arts were somewhat awkward in the beginning, but after the Treasure Hunter’s trials, he suddenly became more proficient, and he’s now able to consistently deliver a blow that makes me hum.

[I’m not done yet!]

“”

And, the current Radd doesn’t just stop there.

Running past the mummy, who flinched after being hit by Radd’s Art, he let out a scream……

[—————<Over-Art: Blaze Slash>!!!

It was a signal for another onslaught.

Radd, who had completely moved to the mummy’s blindspot, struck the bandaged monster with an additional strike, whose attack power has been boosted by <Double Arts>.

A perfect clean hit.

The scathing flash, caused by the Fire-Attribute, the mummy’s weak point, burned the monster’s bandages and the monster, who had no emotion nor sense of pain, staggered.

……However……

[Radd!]

Nuku sharply warned.

Even as it staggered, the monster had raised its hand.

The burning bandage wrapped around it then stretched out towards Radd.

[U- Uwaaahhh!]

Completely unlike the expert-like movements he had a moment ago, Radd barely avoided the bandage reaching out to him.

However, that completely turned the tables.

The mummy, which was supposed to have been attacked by Radd, turned to Radd with movements that showed no sign of damage.

……However, that is something that’s just expected.

The monster they are currently facing, the <Greater Mummy>, is a Lv 42 Undead Monster.

For Radd’s party, whose levels are still in their early 30s, the Greater Mummy is overwhelmingly superior.

It isn’t an opponent that they can easily defeat just by a series of well-placed strikes.

[————–You’re as thoughtless as ever, Radd.]

However, within such a predicament, a certain someone’s cold voice changed the atmosphere of the battle.

The party’s Elven Archer, Prana.

Putting an arrow to her bow, she quietly murmured.

[—————<Mirage>.]

At that moment, her figure blurred into three.

And then……

[……Hmph!]

With a flash of her fighting spirit, her arrows were shot from her bow with the speed of a gale.

Three arrows, following the exact same trajectory, shot through the bandages that were about to attack Radd, sewing the monster’s body to the ground.

[T- That was great! Thanks, Prana!]

[Next time you do that, I’ll shoot you along with the monsters.]

Prana, who had just returned Radd’s thanks with a scathing remark, glanced to the side.

[I’ll leave the rest to you.]

[Yes!]

Advancing forward with a cheer was a petite girl clad in a nun’s habit.

The girl’s body, however, was glowing white, overflowing with magic power.

Mana points her staff at the monster, which has yet to break free of its restraints.

[————–This settles it! <Holy Pillar>!!!]

At that moment, a light so bright that makes one cover their eyes surges into the small space.

A pillar rises up around the monster’s body, burning its body and our eyes.

[Kuh!]

And when the light finally subsided, the bandaged monster was nowhere to be seen.

……The battle has ended.

[Alright! Another one destroyed!]

As Radd smiled in a carefree manner, looking at him with an astounded expression on his face, Nuku breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his staff.

[In the end, I didn’t have a part to play in the battle.]

Nuku’s shoulders drooped with a look of half relief and half disappointment, but he was mistaken at that.

[No. The reason the battle went so smoothly was probably due to the magic Nuku casted at the start of the battle. Be confident in yourself.]

[I- Is that so?]

Perhaps, it was surprising that I complimented him straightforwardly, as Nuku’s face blushed red, before he cleared his throat and settled himself.

Watching Nuku, I used <Inspect>.

If you remove the correction for the Ability Value-enhancing equipment that Nuku is wearing, his Status should be……

(His level has gone up again. With this, he had already completely surpassed me in every stat aside from STR.)

About 10 days have passed since that slapstick drama with Lily.

After the tumultuous year that caused many turmoils has ended, this world welcomed the start of a new year.

While I was struggling with Guild business, Radd’s party, Brave Blade, never stopped working hard, and they were definitely getting stronger.

Among them, Nuku was probably the one who tried the most new things.

He, who had been a forcibly-cultivated Magic-User, has decided to steadily increase his strength.

The result was a Class Change to <Sorcerer>, a user of Interference Magic and Support Magic.

He, who had been so focused on Offensive Magic, has decided to branch off and learn Support Magic.

In this party, which tends to face their enemies with an aggressive stance, I think he’s a really sensible and good guy.

And so……

[Indeed. You’re much better than the guy who ran off on his own and almost killed himself.]

As I’m talking with Nuku, Prana suddenly appears with a smirk.

Just like Nuku, she has also decided to branch off in order to make herself stronger.

Her current Class,<Trickster> is just like <Treasure Hunter>, a Unique Class that can be obtained by achieving certain conditions. However, it’s a Class System that isn’t under the Bow-Users, but under the Thief-type Class, which specializes in melee and ranged attacks.

The <Mirage> Skill used by Prana in the battle just now can be described as <Trickster>’s Secret Technique.

This Skill allows the user to create two clones of oneself at the cost of a large amount of MP.

Although the cost is heavy, the clones have almost the same ability values as the Skill user, and move in exactly the same way as the Skill user to fool the enemy.

With clones that have stats the same as your own, one would think it’s an extremely strong ability that gives you triple the actions, but unfortunately, those clones are actually more for distractions and aren’t really that suitable for attacking.

In addition to having only 1 HP, those clones have the sad characteristic that if it hits something, it will take damage and disappear in an instant.

Because of this, even if you have them attack, those clones will disappear the moment their weapons hit an enemy.

Even if their attacks hit the enemy though, the damage is so low that it’s no different from an invalid attack.

However, this doesn’t matter if you’re a ranged weapon-user who doesn’t come into direct contact with the enemy.

Rather than by the melee Thief-types who were originally intended to use this technique, this technique can triple the attack rate of those who use ranged weapons, such as bows and projectiles.

(Though I said that, I usually don’t opt to use this Skill because the effects of Skills won’t get carried on to the clones……)

The clones only mimic the user’s movements, so it doesn’t copy the effects of magic or offensive Skills.

No, as per usual, this Skill also favors those who can use Manual Arts as their effects are applied normally, but if you use an offensive skill with your bow, the clone’s portion of the effect won’t be activated and it will be just a normal attack.

And so, unless you have a special fighting style where you prepare a lot of arrows with special effects while buffing yourself and opt for dealing damage with normal attacks, tactics surrounding this Skill aren’t often employed……

[……What?]

Perhaps sensing my gaze to her, Prana looked back at me.

[No, it’s nothing. It’s just, your timing for covering fire, I thought it was great. As to be expected of Prana.]

[……It’s not that great. I’m just doing as I always do.]

I answered to her half seriously, and the other half to divert the topic from my gaze, but Prana just responded curtly.

Looking away while holding the magic power-filled Attribute Arrows that she carefully collected, it doesn’t look like she’s gonna respond to me anymore.

I don’t think she hates me, but I just can’t seem to mesh well with her.

As I was feeling at a loss about her……

[I think Prana-chan is happy that Rex-san praised her.]

Thereupon, as if to intercede at that moment, Mana, Prana’s best friend and the party’s Healer, walked up to me and said.

Whether it’s in a good or a bad way, this girl seems to be the most “normal” in <Brave Blade>.

However, I know that she isn’t just that simple of a person.

(Her stats are as outrageous as usual.)

While Nuku and Prana have expanded their options, Mana has gone straight toward her strong point.

Her aptitude for praying is extraordinary, as evidenced by her nickname <The Praying Little Saint”.

She is the only one in the party with an A rating for her Specialized MND stat, and the power of her Light Magic is nothing short of spectacular.

Of course, that may be because of her high MND stat, but she probably also has a very high aptitude for Light Magic.

When it comes to fighting against the Undead, Mana could be the main firepower of their party.

And of course, the last member of the party……

[Old man, my level increased again! As expected, fighting against more powerful monsters makes leveling up quicker!]

Although he’s inferior to the other members when it comes to a specialized stat, his overall strength and stability are the best in the party.

Above all, after the Treasure Hunter’s trial, not only did he have the Manual Arts, but he also seems to have grasped the “know-how” for going through situations.

(……Seriously, what a terrifying bunch.)

Even though they’re something I’ve trained myself, I can’t help but think as such.

And then……

[Nii-san, what are we going to do next?]

The biggest monster in the place called out from behind me.

A dizzying amount of killing intent.

Her AGI stat, which has increased even more since she became a Ninja, is now one notch above the specialized Mana’s MND.

(D*mn it, every single one of them……)

If it had been the me back then, being around them would have made me discouraged.

……However.

It’s not just Radd and the others that have grown up.

I looked at one of the mirrors hanging in the corridor, reflecting my own image.

—————–<Lone Wolf Adventurer>, Rex Toren.

A character whose growth potential has been cast aside in exchange for his blessed Initial Level.

With ability values of only 200, he was often the target of memes on the internet.

However, 3 months have passed since I was sent to this incomprehensible world.

Through my various experiences, I myself have clearly grown.

Taking off the rings that increased my abilities, I turned to myself in the mirror.

Thereupon, facing the unfriendly guy with a black color theme staring back at me, I activated my Skill.

[————–<Inspect>.]

Do you see this, Rex?

This is the culmination of the 3 months I had been risking my life.

This is my, the current Rex’s power!!!