NOVEL NEXT chapter 13
Chapter 12 The Secret Chamber (4)
Chapter 12 The Secret Chamber (4)
Werewolf.
In ＜Song of Sword and Magic＞, it has two defining characteristics.
First, the hard skin produced by its body covered in bristly hair.
Possessing both physical resistance (low) and magic resistance (low), its HP doesn’t deplete easily against either knights or mages.
Second, it casts Howling when its HP drops below 10%.
It inflicts area-of-effect fear, making control impossible for a set time.
Therefore, in the original boss fight, the player’s control is paramount.
Not only is it hard to deal damage, but after whittling down its HP, you might get hit with fear and counterattacked.
The key is for both damage and tanking to be on point to clear it.
Now. But this boss fight is a bit different.
Originally, only the protagonist could enter the ‘Library’s Martial Arts Manual’ area, but I’m here with them.
That means we can see a clearer path to victory.
“What should we do?”
“Let’s divide roles. I’ll take the front, you do damage.”
“Isn’t that backwards? Aren’t you a magic major, senior?”
“I’m a bit of an oddball.”
There’s no need for one person to bear the burden of both damage and tanking.
If I draw the werewolf’s aggro, Isolet can whittle down its HP.
Of course, Isolet’s question is valid.
‘They probably think I’m a mage.’
When a knight and a mage team up, the former usually takes the tank role.
It might seem odd to assign the damage role to Isolet, who’s a knight major.
“Don’t worry. We have a good chance.”
After all, I can’t use magic. This is the right way.
I approach Isolet and whisper a summary of our upcoming battle plan. She’s slightly startled by the sudden whispering, but wordlessly nods her head.
Having reassured Isolet, I take a step forward.
At that moment, the werewolf opens its eyes.
─Awooo…
The howl of a wolf.
It raises its sleeping body. As it stands upright on two legs, its height dramatically increases.
Roughly three heads taller than me, it stretches its lips into a snarl.
It probably looks down on me. It probably thinks I’m being cheeky, standing there without even a sword.
Another step forward.
I loosen up. Quickly relaxing the muscles in my whole body, accelerating blood flow.
Activating my senses to react the instant the opponent approaches.
I glance sideways at Isolet subtly retreating, her hand on her sword hilt, then beckon to the werewolf.
Tap, tap.
“Come here, mutt.”
Even if it doesn’t understand the words, the nuance will be delivered. The werewolf bares its teeth.
Crunch. Its two feet dig into the ground. Just like a human about to charge, it leans its upper body forward—
—Awooo!
And leaps straight up, lunging at me.
In ＜Song of Sword and Magic＞, werewolves surprisingly don’t use their claws and nails much.
They fight with their muscular bodies as is, employing battle tactics similar to a human.
Whoosh! The sound of fabric tearing through the air.
The werewolf’s fist hurtles towards me. Even at a glance, it seems two or three times bigger than my fist.
If we collide like this, a hundred out of a hundred would expect me to tumble helplessly to the ground.
The werewolf surely expects that too, but—
Bang!
—that future will not come to pass.
“…Hah.”
—Oowl?
Following my short breath, the werewolf howls.
Its eyes widen, as if it doesn’t understand what just happened.
Brrr… our fists collide and struggle.
Considering size, it’s nowhere near a match, yet my fist is bravely holding its ground against it.
No, it’s more than that.
—…Oowl!
Rather, my fist is pushing up against his fist…!
Understanding the situation, the werewolf pulls its fist back.
It must have intended to throw off my stance, but it didn’t work. I also pull my hand back and readjust my position.
Next is time for a fistfight.
Bang! Bang bang, bang!
“Hah!”
—AWooo!
The werewolf throws a punch. Right to left, left to straight, above to center.
I meet each path with a punch of my own. Not yielding in strength, cutting off every attack.
It’s thanks to 【Ultimate Physique】.
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【Strength has increased!】
【Vitality has increased!】
【Agility has increased!】
【Strength has increased!】
【Vitality has increased!】
【Agility has increased!】
【Strength has increased!】
【Vitality has increased!】
【Agility has increased!】
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Notification messages pop up in the corner of my vision.
Appearing in rapid succession, not enough to be a distraction, they tell me the current state of my body.
Even in this exchange, I’m raising my stats.
*Clang!* *CRASH*, *Clang!*
A barrage of continuous punches.
Neither it nor I back down, meeting each other head-on.
But if things continue like this, there won’t be any significant hits.
Neither it nor I possess a sure attack to bring the other down—
“Hah!”
—……An owl?!
*Thwack!*
A blade wound appears on the werewolf’s right calf. Isolet landed the cut.
Though, it’s not a deep wound. Covered in tough fur, it didn’t greatly reduce its HP.
“That’s how it was in the original too.”
The werewolf has physical resistance (low) and magic resistance (low).
As the main character in the early stages, it’s bound to take a long time to catch it.
Later in the story, the main character devises a finishing move because of this boss fight.
Anyway, just like in the game, Isolet’s attacks weren’t a decisive blow.
Still, there wasn’t a problem, though.
─Awoo… Aowl?!
The beast, furious, was about to turn towards Isolet.
But immediately, my fist hits the werewolf’s side.
Even if it absorbed damage with its thick fur, it wouldn’t be easy to ignore. I can deal that much damage.
Eventually, the aggro shifts back to me, and I raise my fist to face its attack.
If we keep this back-and-forth going, Isolet will naturally look for an opening and charge in again.
*Thwack!*
─Awoo!
After a few rounds of that repeated pattern, the werewolf’s body was already dripping blood.
─Aowl, aowl…
The beast’s eyes, bloodshot and glistening.
Despite being in a clearly disadvantageous situation, the werewolf’s spirit wasn’t broken.
Saliva dripped from the wolf’s muzzle, and then, it raised its head high.
‘Now is the time.’
The howling is coming.
*
Isolet’s heart was pounding harder than it ever had before.
‘I’m excited.’
Her first real battle.
Against the werewolf, a monster that seemed very strong for a newly enrolled Isolet.
She was fighting surprisingly well, even she was surprised.
*Thud*, *thud thud!*
Fists collide. A huge crack that you wouldn’t believe came from a human body.
Against the backdrop of that sound, Isolet catches her breath and takes stance.
Targeting the werewolf’s thigh. The height difference makes it difficult, but ‘Upper Slash’ should do the trick.
*Thwack!*
As she predicted, a clean cut appears on its thigh.
Another attack, she’s lost count.
This is definitely a situation Isolet couldn’t have pulled off alone.
‘…Amazing.’
That senior is incredible, after all. There’s so much to be awed by.
The fact he’s not being pushed back at all by the werewolf is, of course, shocking, but…
When its stamina runs low, it’ll definitely howl. If you know it beforehand, you can move faster. Remember that.
‘How does he understand the werewolf’s habits so well?’
Is it because he’s a second-year?
But he seems far too experienced for that.
Anyway, as Herak told her, Isolet steels her mind.
The werewolf’s condition is alarming. The beast, dripping with red blood and trembling, raises its snout.
‘It’s coming!’
Having already been told by her senior, she takes a deep breath.
No matter how terrible the roar is, she will not waver–
– AWooo!!!
“…!”
A gasp, not even a groan, escapes her.
The oxygen filling Isolet’s lungs is completely blocked. The breath that couldn’t come out, stops circulating.
Her body freezes at the ear-splitting howl.
‘T-this is…!’
It’s beyond imagination.
She had prepared in advance because Herak told her, but it’s not easy for Isolet to shake it off so quickly.
Every muscle cell has gone stiff. None will obey her commands.
The only things that move are her eyes. Her blue pupils dart back and forth, taking in the situation.
And.
“……”
The werewolf is charging toward her.
He’d seen it. Who was the weakest link right now.
Toward Isolette, who had been relentlessly slashing him, he raised that enormous fist into the air.
And as he was about to bring it crashing down –
“Not on my watch.”
A man stood before Isolette.
A tall frame, a sturdy build. A fine physique, not at all befitting a mage.
But he hadn’t been able to take a proper stance, arriving in such haste.
This was dangerous. He was highly likely to be taken out by the werewolf’s fist.
– For a split second, it felt like their eyes met.
Herak’s gaze settled on Isolette. She didn’t utter a single word, but she was clearly conveying her intention.
‘Why?’
Why did he save her?
Why did he put himself in front of her like that?
Herak’s answer to that was simple.
“…I’d rather die than see you get hurt.”
He said, a slight upward curl at the corner of his lips.
That image was engraved on Isolette’s heart.
For Herak, it was just a matter of logic.
It was far better for him to take the hit than for Isolette, the protagonist, to be taken out in a place like this. It was much more beneficial for advancing the story.
It was an extremely rational calculation, but –
“…Ah.”
For Isolette, things like that didn’t register in the slightest.
An unknown emotion stirred within her, causing her to exhale a quiet breath.
For some reason, her heart was racing.
It was a different kind of excitement from the one that came with battle.
…A manifestation of some feeling.
Whoosh!
But regardless of Isolette’s inner state, time continued to move on.
Just as the werewolf’s fist was about to come down on Herak.
“Point Burst!”
A werewolf’s body, crisscrossed with sword wounds.
Scars Islet herself had driven deep.
Magic flared within the split, fur-covered skin, rough and dark.
*KWA-KWA-KWANG!*
From that point, fire magic detonated, charring the werewolf’s body alive.
─Aooowooo……
A final, choked cry from the creature, now just a lump of smoking charcoal.
Then, it simply disintegrated to ash.
“What was that, what happened?! I just threw out a spell, was that even okay?!”
Behind Islet and Herac, echoing from the corridor they had just come from.
Footsteps, *dodo-do*, someone rushing towards them.
A magician with vibrant, crimson pigtails.
Irina Eletal, making a super save.
*
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【Strength stat increased by 2!】
【Constitution stat increased by 2!】
【Agility stat increased by 2!】
※ You can now view stat values to the decimal point.
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