bookpower Chapter 394: Captain Barbarian (4)
Chapter 394: Captain Barbarian (4)
Chapter 394: Captain Barbarian (4)
The reason I chose to fight all four of them at once was simple.
Even if I defeated them all in a 1v1 tournament, they wouldn't be convinced.
This was the only way to make them acknowledge me.
To dangle a piece of meat they couldn't resist.
"I'll say this beforehand, if I lose, I'll give up the commander position without any complaints."
An opportunity to eliminate a competitor from the stage.
"But why is everyone so quiet? Are you all lacking the confidence to win even against one person?"
My provocation finally elicited a response.
"I agree."
"What? Even if he's strong, we wouldn't go that far—"
"He's offering to step down if he loses. Why would we object?"
"Senior Akuraba is right."
The Vice-Captain agreed with the dwarf woman, creating a consensus.
The knight reluctantly nodded, and the paladin silently agreed.
They knew it too.
It might seem ridiculous to outsiders, but this was a chance to eliminate a competitor with minimal effort.
"Lihen Schuitz, was it?"
"What?"
"You'll have to keep your promise."
"Of course. If I lose, I'll gladly serve under one of you. But—"
"You want to hear our promise as well? Fine. If you somehow defeat all of us, you'll get what you want."
I made sure to get their confirmation, and the verbal contract was sealed.
It wasn't in writing, but we had a reliable witness.
"Then it's settled. Marquis, do you have a suitable location?"
"Of course."
The Marquis, without a hint of worry, readily offered us the use of his mansion's training grounds.
He probably wasn't completely trusting me.
He must have calculated that even if I lost, he could use it to his advantage.
For example, he could use it as an excuse to control me.
"We'll be waiting outside."
We went to the training grounds and I equipped myself.
「Character has equipped Adamantium Large Battle Shield.」
「Total item level increased by +1,750.」
First, the shield I had repurchased with a hefty sum after returning from the past.
「Character has equipped Steel Breastplate.」
「Total item level increased by +150.」
「Character has equipped Steel Greaves.」
「Total item level increased by +75.」
「Character has equipped War Boots.」
「Total item level increased by +45.」
The cheap equipment I had to settle for back then because of my lack of funds.
Now that I had money, I could upgrade them all to Adamantium.
「Character has equipped No. 87 Kraul's Demon Crusher.」
「Total item level increased by +4,800.」
I fully equipped myself and stepped onto the training grounds.
The four challengers soon appeared.
"It's strange. I feel more comfortable in this than in my everyday clothes."
"It's because your body has adapted. You spend more time wearing this, after all."
Their equipment looked expensive.
But even with proper maintenance, there were signs of wear and tear, especially around the joints.
I observed their equipment carefully.
'They're even wearing all their accessories... They came prepared.'
I had expected them to bring their equipment, but I didn't expect them to be this thorough.
"He's... not what I expected."
"The Blood Spirit Marquis's man... did she not even buy him decent armor?"
"Lihen Schuitz, are you really going to fight in that?"
They looked at my cheap steel armor with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.
They must have been surprised.
They hadn't expected the Marquis's chosen representative to be so poorly equipped.
"It's fine."
What was steel armor to me?
It wouldn't make a difference in this fight.
Well, their gazes did make me feel a bit self-conscious...
But it didn't matter.
"Come at me."
After all, the one who gets their head smashed would be the most embarrassed.
______________________
They say a battle between masters is decided in an instant.
But I disagree.
That might be true for agile damage dealers... but I'm a tank.
My true strength lies in endurance.
But...
The beginning, at least, was similar to the legendary battles I had imagined.
"..."
Silence fell over the training grounds.
We sized each other up, the distance between us shrinking.
Our eyes met, the tension thickening.
My muscles, honed by countless battles, tensed, ready to unleash their full power.
And...
Swoosh.
My senses, sharpened by experience, detected the first movement.
One of the challenges of a multi-opponent fight is the sheer number of things to be aware of.
So...
"What are you waiting for?"
I used their hesitation to my advantage.
I charged forward the moment they were about to answer.
My first target was the knight, who was standing at the front, his stance aggressive.
"...!"
He flinched, caught off guard.
He seemed offended that he was the first target.
Whoosh!
A seasoned knight's aura enveloped his blade, and he swung it at me.
The aura that had sliced through countless armored explorers in the labyrinth and the city.
「Character has cast [Iron Fortress].」
「[Evolved Hide] effect is increased by 1.5 times.」
I raised my shield and blocked the attack.
Clang!
The blade was deflected, and the knight's eyes widened in surprise.
But he quickly regained his composure, as expected of a veteran.
Whiiiiish!
He used the recoil to spin in midair and swung his sword again.
This time, he aimed for my lower body, a difficult angle to block with a shield.
He was targeting my calves, protected by steel greaves.
'Does he think Adamantium is the problem?'
He was quick to analyze the situation.
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Clang!
My steel armor was unscathed.
And...
"Ugh!"
I kicked him in the jaw.
Boom!
He was launched into the air.
It was the perfect angle for a hammer swing—
「Jun Arsene has cast [Light of Protection].」
Damn it.
But that was a testament to his skill.
He was adapting to the situation.
Kwaaang!
The weapon slammed into my shoulder.
The impact wasn't that strong.
But a searing heat spread through my body.
'What kind of weapon is that?'
No. 761 Roam's Blast Furnace Hammer.
A Triple Numbered Item.
It added fire penetration damage proportional to your physical strength.
Thankfully, my fire resistance was high enough to endure it for now.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
I activated [Wild Release], my Strength surging.
I kicked the paladin back—
'What? Why isn't he moving?'
My instincts, honed by years of gaming, knew the answer.
「Jun Arsene has cast [Divine Avatar].」
He had activated his trump card.
'This is getting difficult...'
They were no longer holding back.
I couldn't rely on my Strength advantage against the paladin anymore...
「Titana Akuraba has used [No. 1911 Paveler's Broken Pocket Watch].」
And the dwarf joined the fight.
She was a support ability user.
Dwarves relied heavily on Numbered Items, and support ability users were as valuable as warriors.
「Cooldown for all skills is removed for 5 minutes.」
The pocket watch was a Double Numbered Item.
It would normally reduce cooldown by 70%... but it had a special effect for dwarves.
She must have all her core items.
She was a 9th-floor explorer, after all.
So, what was her signature skill again?
「Titana Akuraba has cast [Bloodsucking Spike].」
Ah, that's right.
A 2nd-grade skill with low MP cost, decent damage, and MP drain.
Its only drawback was the long cooldown.
Whiiiiish!
A giant spike shot towards me.
I would have dodged it... but the paladin and the knight were blocking my escape routes.
Kwaaang!
I blocked it with my shield.
It was a physical attack, despite being an ability.
My arm ached, but I could endure it.
The problem was that it left me open.
The paladin and the knight seized the opportunity and attacked.
Kwaaang!
One attack felt like my body was on fire.
Kwaaang!
The other one shattered my bones.
His [Divine Avatar] had doubled his Strength.
'Okay, let's abandon defense.'
I quickly changed my strategy.
If I was going to get hit anyway...
It was better to attack than defend.
Kwaaang!
I blocked the major attacks with my shield and focused on swinging my hammer.
The other three responded by unleashing their full power.
And...
"Wake up and grab your bow!"
The Vice-Captain rejoined the fight.
Kwaaang!
My armor was damaged, and...
Whiiiiish!
Stab!
An arrow pierced my flesh, adding to my injuries.
Whoosh!
The heat from the Blast Furnace Hammer was unbearable.
Kwaaang!
The paladin's mace shattered my bones.
Ah, they were actually shattering and regenerating in real time, right?
Well, it probably was.
But...
"Why... are you smiling?"
I smiled.
I had expected this to be a tough fight.
Whoosh!
I spat out the blood that had pooled in my mouth from biting my tongue.
It wasn't acidic blood anymore...
But it was enough to obscure their vision.
"...That monster."
"I have to admit, you're stronger than me."
The knight finally acknowledged my strength.
"But you can't fight all four of us at once. Give up."
What? Give up?
They were the ones who were exhausted.
And I still had plenty of MP left.
「Character has cast [Soul Dive].」
「Soul Power is regenerated proportionally to the amount consumed.」
My depleted MP was instantly replenished.
The battle continued.
And after a long time...
"Why... won't he fall?"
The knight, who had been urging me to surrender, muttered in disbelief.
"You're like a bottomless well..."
The paladin also seemed confused.
"Stop it. You can't win."
The dwarf, tired of my stubbornness, spoke.
"Let's forget about the agreement. How about we end this here?"
The archer seemed like he just wanted this to be over.
But...
"You're all... so talkative."
I focused on one thing.
"Are you... scared of losing?"
What I could do.
What I had to do.
And...
"Just fall already!"
What I had always done.
「Titana Akuraba has cast [Bloodsucking Spike].」
「James Kala has cast [Piercing Light].」
「Jun Arsene has cast [Healing Touch].」
I endured, and endured, and endured.
And then...
「User does not have enough Soul Power to cast the skill.」
「User does not have enough Soul Power to cast the skill.」
「User does not have enough Divine Power to cast the skill.」
The one who stands last is the strongest.