Phew… We somehow managed to defeat it. It was rare for me to fight alone with Karl, but sometimes it’s nice to do such things. Perhaps from now on, it might be nice to journey together, just the two of us.”
“Karl, how is your right eye? Does it still hurt?”
“Guuu…”
Karl possessed a skill called [Regeneration], which meant that given time, his eye would eventually heal. However, the eye, being a complex and crucial organ, didn’t seem to heal quickly. It was unfortunate, but in the absence of a means to heal partial loss of body parts, time was the only remedy we had.
“I wonder if everyone else is okay?”
I looked in the direction where my companions, who had sent me off, were now engaged in a fierce battle with the False Bone Dragon.
“Should we go help them? My [Dragon Force] is still active, so even without Dragon Breath, I should be able to contribute to the fight.”
“Gaoo!”
Karl nodded vigorously in agreement with his decision. Normally, the [Dragon Force] would have been deactivated by now due to automatic recovery, but it was still active for a reason. The reason was the curse effect of the “Soul Absorption” of the Hungry Scythe. Due to the curse that prevented healing, one of the conditions for the deactivation of the [Dragon Force] skill, which was my health returning to more than ten percent, was not being met.
Well, it’s important to remember that this state will automatically end after three minutes due to the other termination condition. It’s not possible to keep this state forever, so I shouldn’t be overconfident.
“St-stop it, ahhhh!!!”
“I’ll tear you apart!” Jigoro said.
“Which do you prefer, being chopped randomly or into fine pieces?” Genjuro added.
As I thought about this, I could hear McFarlane’s screams and the angry shouts of Jigoro and Genjuro from a distance. The sounds of metal clashing and crushing were frequently coming from that direction.
Both of them were furious, vowing to dismantle our opponent, and they seemed to be seriously attempting to destroy it. Given their capabilities, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were forcibly stripping off armor or slashing through it entirely. As long as they kept their rampage within bounds and didn’t involve any of our companions, they were free to wreak havoc.
“Grrru…”
“Hm? Do you want to go over there?”
“Guon!”
“…You know we’re going to get scolded, right?”
“Guuu…”
“Sorry to make you hold back. Once this battle is over, I’ll make sure we find another opportunity to let loose.”
“Guoon!”
Seemingly convinced by my persuasion, Karl let out a cheerful roar and then soared into the sky.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
When Isam and his companions arrived, McFarlane was in the mood to lick his lips in anticipation. He saw an opportunity for his minions to gain experience, and with the power of his ring, he could transform them into new undead minions. Moreover, most of Isam’s group consisted of rare monsters, which, even if they proved useless, would still hold high value as research material. That was his assessment.
At first, everything went smoothly. He summoned additional undead minions, believing their sheer numbers would be overwhelming. He had become complacent, thinking they were nothing more than inferior monsters.
However, Isam and his team adapted brilliantly. They quickly focused their attacks on McFarlane, repeatedly exploiting the insufficient output of his staff-like magical tool’s sanctuary effect. The sanctuary was supposed to be stronger, but it had weakened over time due to deterioration.
McFarlane’s efforts to summon new minions were thwarted, and his ability to deploy more Spartois was sealed. His initial strategy of overwhelming them with numbers was no longer viable.
After being shot repeatedly and losing the ring needed to summon his minions, McFarlane was forced to resort to his last trump card, the “Type 35 Dragon Model Magic-Enhanced Armor”.
“How dare you speak of dismantling? Know your place, you mere monsters!”
As befitting McFarlane’s trump card, the enhanced armor was so high-performance that it was hard to believe that it was on the verge of breaking down. The overwhelming power generated by its size and weight that exceeded that of the False Bone Dragon and the speed that was unimaginable for its size showed that there was no falsehood in the claim that it was comparable to a full-fledged dragon.
“Too naive!”
However, the ones facing it were monsters that defied the usual bounds of players. Jigoro closed the distance by leaping into close quarters, then struck the armor with all his might. The collision between the armor and his gauntlets produced a grating, discordant noise that echoed across the battlefield.
“Shaaah!”
Then, Genjuro, narrowly avoiding attacks, leaped towards the enhanced armor and slashed down with his Odachi (large sword) in a powerful strike. Both of them deliberately targeted the less damaged parts of the armor, so they were unable to inflict any real destruction.
The reason they purposely aimed for the tougher parts of the armor was, of course, their competitive nature. Being told that their attacks were ineffective only spurred their pride. If it had been Isam who was fighting, he would have undoubtedly targeted the peeling parts of the armor with his acid mist without hesitation. This difference in approach to winning highlighted the different personalities between them.
“Youuu!”
“Tch! It’s really tough!”
“But that’s precisely what makes it worth cutting!”
Jigoro and Genjuro were actively dodging counterattacks while contemplating how to penetrate that formidable armor. For both of them, using martial techniques that could damage the harder parts was a last resort. Part of this was due to their unfamiliarity with such techniques, but more so, they felt that relying on the system to destroy the armor would feel like a defeat. They would have used these techniques in a normal boss fight, but their competitive nature was at its peak here.
“We need to get serious, or we’ll be here till sunset.”
“Indeed.”
However, they were planning to unleash skills that boosted their stats. This world was close to reality but it was still a game. To penetrate enemy defenses, martial arts alone sometimes weren’t enough, and now was one of those times.
“Here we go! [Divine Beast Transformation], [Incarnation of Flame and Thunder], [Demon God’s Sturdy Body]!”
Jigoro has already been strengthened by Isam’s [Enchantment], but in addition to that, he was going to strengthen himself as much as possible. This was similar to what he had done during the battle with the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord in Bigdareio. Yet, his pride kept him from using the [Armor Breaking Fist] which would surely shatter the armor.
“I’ll join in. [Swordmaster’s Descent], [Dawn’s Hour], [Carnage of the Starving Insect].”
Just like Jigoro, Genjuro was also strengthening himself. He currently held the title of “Swordmaster” and [Swordmaster’s Descent] was a skill he acquired upon choosing this title. The effect of this skill was to increase his strength and agility, but it came with a unique downside: if he was defeated while the skill was active, the enemy would gain increased experience points.
It is only natural that you will gain fame if you defeat someone called a swordmaster. Although it didn’t generate hate, in PvP situations, it would likely make him a prime target.
The [Dawn’s Hour] was an effect of his Odachi (large sword), and it was also used in his battle with the Tarrasque monster. This skill enhanced the weapon’s attack power but after its effect expired, the attack power would decrease. It was suited for short-term combat, so it fit well in the current situation.
The [Carnage of the Starving Insect] was an ultimate technique that could only be obtained by insect-type monsters. Its effect was almost identical to Jigoro’s Demon God’s Sturdy Body] but instead of reducing health, it depleted the hunger gauge. On top of that, the increase in stats grew higher the hungrier the user was. Essentially, the closer he was to starvation, the stronger the technique made him.
The effect persisted until the user ate something or starved. Thus, it couldn’t be immediately turned off at will, but for a short-term battle, this wasn’t a problem. After breaking McFarlane’s enhanced armor, he just needed to eat something.
“Let’s gooooooo!”
“Let’s settle this with a single Odachi swing.”
Jigoro, his muscles bulging all over his body, dashed out with the speed of a bullet. In the meantime, Genjuro sheathed his set equipment, the cursed blades and gripped the Odachi with all four of his arms. Therefore, the first strike that was unleashed with full force came from Jigoro’s fist.
“Ooooraaaaaa!!!”
“Uh?! Uooooooh?!”
The moment Jigoro’s fist struck the side armor, an ear-piercing metallic clang, unlike any before, echoed through the air. The impact caused the enhanced armor, which should have been incredibly heavy, to stumble.
McFarlane was startled by the blow that even shook his cockpit and was astonished by what appeared on the screen before him. The armor on the struck side was shattered, and the artificial muscles behind it were shown to be torn apart. This was the moment when the Jigoro fist reached what McFarlane called the pinnacle of human wisdom
“Hahaha! I did it!”
“Impossible! How can this be?”
“Averting your eyes from the truth won’t do you any good.”
It seemed that McFarlane, who was a scientist and not used to fighting, was so upset by the unexpected situation that he forgot to be wary of Genjuro. Genjuro, who had walked up to him, aimed a slash at the left shin armor. The blade of the Odachi effortlessly sliced through the armor and artificial muscles without making a sound.
“How is this happening?! This enhanced armor, to be defeated by a monster other than a dragon… huh?!”
“Heh! It’s simple, isn’t it?”
“Our attacks are comparable to those of a dragon.”
McFarlane’s emotions shifted from agitation to fear, but Jigoro and Genjuro saw no reason to hold back. They relentlessly continued their assault, damaging not only the armor and artificial muscles but also the frame that served as the skeleton.
“Stop, stop ittttt!!!”
“We’ll tear it apart!”
“Shall we chop it into pieces or chop it into fine pieces?”
In a state of even greater terror than when he was shot by Shio, McFarlane, without thinking, began to deploy the weapons of his enhanced armor. The claws heated up rapidly, glowing red-hot. Mysterious protrusions sprouted from both shoulders, both knees, the chest, the base of the wings, and the base of the tail, emitting electrical discharges that enveloped the entire body. From the tail, a blade made of magic power emerged, and from the mouth, a cannon barrel large enough to fit a human head appeared.
This was the true form of the “Type 35 Dragon Model Magic Enhanced Armor”. The claws, now able to inflict fire damage due to high temperatures and enhanced cutting power; an armor of electric discharges generated by the body’s power generators; and the cannon barrel that could perform an attack mimicking a dragon’s breath. Each of these consumed an immense amount of magic power but were incredibly powerful weapons. If all of them were activated, they should be able to defeat Jigoro and Genjuro as well.
“You are a threat worth eliminating! I will bury you here…”
“Shut up! Just be quiet and get destroyed, you piece of junk!”
However, Jigoro was undeterred by the electrified armor and charged in. Being an Infernal Thunder Evil Demon he possessed resistance to lightning, rendering it not very effective against him. But due to the side effects of his [Demon God’s Sturdy Body], his health was continually decreasing so he needed to deal with the enemy quickly.
“So, all we need to do is smash this thing, right?”
“Th-the power output?!”
Therefore, he forcefully bent the protrusions that seemed to be generating the armor’s electric shocks. With each one he broke, the output decreased, and the damage inflicted also diminished. The electric shock effect became weaker and weaker, and finally the effect disappeared completely from the front.
“Bu-but! The weapon is still operational…”
“Go on, old man!”
“Shaaaaaaa!!!”
While Jigoro was wreaking havoc, Genjuro moved to McFarlane’s right rear. Then, seizing the moment McFarlane aimed his mouth cannon at Jigoro, Genjuro struck with all his might. A sharp slicing sound rang out, and suprisingly, Genjuro’s single strike had severed the enhanced armor’s neck!
“Impossible! How can this be!”
“Look, Jigoro. I leave the main body to you.”
“Leave it to me, old man!”
McFarlane, stunned by the turn of events, witnessed something even more terrifying. Jigoro, relying on his brute strength, began to rip off the armor. The metal twisted and the artificial muscles snapped. In the cockpit, various devices shorted out, sparking sounds and alarms signaling anomalies blared.
“St-stop! Please stop! What do you want?!”
At this critical moment, McFarlane began to beg for his life. He had little experience in combat, so he had never been cornered like this. Therefore, he gave in to fear.
“What do I want? Isn’t it obvious?”
“Eeeek?!”
As Jigoro forcefully continued to destroy the armor, he finally reached the cockpit. Grabbing McFarlane by the scruff of the neck with his left hand, he brutally dragged him out.
“Pl-please, spare me! Spare me!”
“Your head, you scum.”
“Gah…”
Jigoro applied a chokehold, twisting it further until the neck was forced into an unnatural angle. In this way, this boss, the human cyborg David McFarlane, who was far weaker than his minions, was vanquished without his pathetic pleas for mercy being heeded.
Leave a Reply