How to Use the Lord’s Future Diary

Chapter 8

Cyclops, or also called a Cyclops.

One of the monsters that widely inhabited this area.

It was a one-eyed giant monster, standing about 5 meters tall, ranked as a 3rd-class.

A rather troublesome monster that used various abilities through its single eye.

Its numbers weren’t that many.

Unlike trolls, it didn’t live in groups, so it was usually discovered as a solitary creature.

If that thing had lived in groups, it would’ve been truly horrifying, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Right now, what appeared before our eyes was just a single Cyclops.

“That's a variant.”

But that one was a Variant Cyclops.

It had four arms, strange scales embedded into its chest, and its massive eye burned red.

The rank of a Variant Cyclops was mostly 2nd-class.

A formidable opponent that was excessively burdensome for us to face.

“Damn it.”

The strongest in Johnson Territory, Iron Johnson, was a top-class knight.

Iron prided himself on being a top-class knight infinitely close to Master, but he had yet to reach the realm of a Master.

I was probably the same.

Just because I had changed, there was no way my realm would suddenly rise.

For a top-class knight, the level was about being able to face a 3rd-class monster alone.

If the compatibility was good, they could attempt to fight a 2nd-class monster, but it would require putting their life on the line.

And even if they risked their life, victory couldn’t be guaranteed. That was obvious.

On top of that, this bastard wasn’t even a good match for me.

‘The scales on its chest are serving as armor. Its superior physical ability is its greatest strength, while my Aura’s quality is high but the quantity is lacking. That makes me nearly the worst possible match against it.’

No matter how good my physical ability was, it couldn’t compare to that of a giant monster. And since it was clad in those unusual scales like armor, I could only feel troubled.

On top of that, its four arms each held a thick ironwood club.

Ironwood didn’t conduct mana as well as iron, but its toughness was enough to rival steel weapons.

Especially when wielded as giant-sized clubs by a race of giants, the sheer weight and force alone could turn a human into dried fish.

As a knight wielding a greatsword, it felt like it had been a long time since I faced an opponent where even maintaining distance was impossible.

‘From the start, why did something like that have to appear here?’

High-class monsters mostly didn’t leave their territory.

Not just unranked monsters, even 1st and 2nd-class monsters were very strict about their own territories.

Generally speaking, 4th-class monsters—something like trolls—were the upper limit of what one might encounter on a road.

But here, out of nowhere, a 2nd-class monster?

It seemed that a Disaster-class monster had risen to a Catastrophe-class, expanding its territory, and the Variant Cyclops, whose territory had been taken, had fled here in search of a new one.

‘Damn it, I really stepped in shit. To think I’d be forced to rely on luck.’

My last remaining weapon was the mana cannon.

Though it was single-use, its destructive power was unquestionable.

That guy Peter, who never exaggerated, had vouched for its destructive power, so I could trust it.

But could this mana cannon really inflict fatal damage on a 2nd-class monster?

‘No. I have to believe it can. This is the only option anyway. But how do I make it hit…?’

-Uoooohhhhhh!

While I was briefly lost in thought, the giant frame strode forward toward Johnson Castle.

It was already within sight of the place where the knights were waiting.

And at that moment.

Like a true giant who thought of humans as snacks, it let out a rough roar and charged toward us.

Its speed was tremendous.

It was almost suspicious how something that big could move like that.

And from that alone, it became clear this wasn’t an opponent I could recklessly lay a hand on.

Its movements were already leagues beyond the 3rd-class monsters my body remembered.

“Scatter! Don’t approach recklessly! Survival comes first!”

I ordered a scatter.

If it were the reckless knights of Johnson Territory, they’d probably try to charge in somehow and land a strike on the thing.

And just as I expected, the moment my order came down, they all flinched and pulled back.

What the hell was with this aggressiveness? These guys were really insane.

In a place where manpower was precious, there was no need to smash eggs against rocks.

Losing knights needlessly in a fight like this was nothing but a terrible loss.

“I’ll assist. I’ll take the left. What do you say?”

The captain of the knights, Rudick, was also a top-class knight.

A bit weaker than me, but still a solid force.

But this guy wasn’t all that agile.

He was stronger than me, but a bit sluggish, I should say?

Perfect prey to be flattened by an ironwood club.

“No, just surround it for now and wait for an opening.”

“What’s your plan?”

“There’ll be a chance. Save your Aura for then. Make sure you can pour it all out in one strike.”

“Click. Fine.”

So I had him hold back for now.

He had enough firepower in him that, given the right chance, he could create an unexpected effect.

‘That means, in the end, I’ll be the one facing it.’

I had already spoken with Peter beforehand.

He told me if it ever came down to using the mana cannon, I must not hesitate.

He was a clever guy, so he must’ve already realized that time was now.

He was probably charging the mana cannon atop the wall at this very moment.

-Graaah!

The Cyclops swung its ironwood club.

It was just a swing, yet the pressure was enormous.

-Boom!

The spot where the club struck the ground caved in, leaving behind a massive crater.

As if a heavy excavator had dug out a huge scoop.

How the hell could anyone call that just a club swing?

The thought of deflecting it with my sword was out of the question.

-Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thing had four arms.

And four clubs came flying at me in succession.

I rolled and tumbled across the ground, using it as cover, barely dodging every time.

-Kraakkk!!!

It seemed to be getting very angry.

It stomped the ground several times with its massive feet, letting out rough breaths.

-Boom!

And then another club strike.

Perhaps from rage, its movements were even larger.

“Haaahhh!!!”

“Die!!”

The knights circling around were also watching for an opening.

Once the monster’s attention was fully fixed on me, they subtly closed in and shouted loudly.

From the Cyclops’ perspective, the knights were nothing but flies.

But even flies, if they kept buzzing nearby and making noise, would eventually get on its nerves.

Especially given that Cyclopes had only one eye and thus a narrow field of vision, this kind of approach was very effective.

True to their reputation as Johnson Territory’s specialists against giant monsters, the knights were shamelessly provoking the thing’s nerves.

“Now!”

Seizing the brief moment when its gaze shifted elsewhere, I hurled myself toward its leg.

The target was its Achilles tendon or the back of its calf.

The purpose was to cripple the Cyclops’ mobility no matter what.

My greatsword, infused with Aura to its very limit, dug deep into the back of its calf.

-Kraaak!

“Damn it!”

The monster, struck in the calf, immediately swung its club in retaliation.

It was too late to dodge.

I twisted my body as much as possible, braced myself, and used my greatsword as a shield to deflect the blow.

“Khuk!!”

From my shoulder down to my forearm, and through my waist and legs, pain flared as though they were being crushed.

So this was what it felt like to be hit by a dump truck?

A surge of fear swept over me.

If another one of its clubs came down on me right now…

“Eat this instead!”

Just as the Cyclops was about to strike me again, Rudick, who had been lying in wait, charged in from the opposite side.

I had been half a step away from death.

With sharp instincts, Rudick had perfectly understood my aim, and he targeted the tendon in the other leg that I hadn’t struck, swinging his axe.

Rudick was stronger than me and had more Aura as well.

A massive axe brimming with Aura was a real threat, even to a giant Cyclops.

-Gruaaahh!

“Get back!!”

With another leg attacked by Rudick, the Cyclops bellowed in rage.

Its massive eye flared even more violently.

I could feel it.

That thing was about to unleash some special ability.

-Bzzzzzt! Bzzzzzt!

-Boom! Boom! Boom!

“You insane—!”

From its eye, a crimson glow burst forth.

Like a laser, the red beam swept across the ground. Each time it struck, black scorch marks a meter deep carved into the earth, and with explosive roars, craters opened up.

The knights who had been distracting it at the sides, Rudick who had carved a deep wound into its thigh—

And even I had no choice but to roll desperately across the ground, dodging the red beams.

‘Damn it, no wonder the wall cracked when it blasted just once. Ngh!’

-Boom! Boom!

And on top of that, I still had to avoid its constant club strikes.

This was sheer hell.

If this body’s physical capabilities were even slightly weaker, I would’ve been flattened long ago.

‘Is it not ready yet?’

I had dodged dozens of the Cyclops’ relentless attacks already.

Meanwhile, the only damage we’d managed to inflict was carving shallow wounds into its legs.

Things weren’t looking good.

The mana cannon being prepared atop the wall was taking too long.

‘The wounds…’

Worse still, the Cyclops’ regeneration ability was greater than I had anticipated.

Even when we finally forced deep wounds onto it, they healed much faster than I expected.

‘I can’t push it further than this. The only saving grace is that my beloved weapon isn’t ordinary.’

I could force Aura out again, but I had to conserve it.

There was always the possibility that the mana cannon wouldn’t completely finish it.

And even landing the cannon’s shot would require reckless maneuvering.

The one comfort I had was my beloved weapon, Unbreakable.

An Artifact from the old era, Unbreakable possessed the properties of “Indestructible” and “Summon.”

Its toughness was beyond comparison, and its sharpness was extraordinary.

Thanks to that, even without pouring in much Aura, I could still deal accumulating damage to the monster.

But if this dragged on into a battle of attrition, we might tire out before it did.

After all, it was a giant monster with seemingly limitless stamina, while we, despite being knights, were still human.

-Bwooo!!!

A signal was fired from the castle.

That had to be Peter.

This was the most crucial moment.

Sharpening my senses to the limit, I dashed between its legs.

“Dieee!!!”

Rudick, too, had made his decision.

He charged in from the other side, burying his massive axe into the monster’s side.

He let out a massive war cry as well, just to pull the Cyclops’ attention toward him.

-Gruaaaahhh!

The Cyclops’ weakest spots were its heart and its head.

Just like with trolls.

Though it protected these weak points with scales, they were still its greatest vulnerabilities. And Rudick’s Aura-laden axe was a serious threat, even to a Cyclops.

Especially since it had already suffered a strike to its calf earlier.

After all, once you’ve tasted pain in a spot, the fear of it was worse.

-Squelch!!!

-Kraaaagh!!!

While Rudick risked his life to draw its attention, I dove in between its legs.

Gathering every shred of Aura I could, I rammed my greatsword into its instep.

Even just for a few seconds, my aim was to pin its movements.

The moment Unbreakable pierced through its foot and the ground at once—

A blue beam erupted from the castle and swept across the Cyclops’ torso.

-Ggggrrrraaaaahhhh!!!

‘Holy—what power!’

Honestly, I hadn’t expected it to be this strong.

If I hadn’t instinctively leapt aside, I might have been caught in it myself.

Through the corner of my eyes, I saw the Cyclops—two of its arms and nearly a third of its torso blown away, left in a pitiful state.

But the monster was still alive.

And mana was gathering once again in its burning eye.

“This ends now!”

With my exhausted body, I leapt once more.

I recalled the greatsword embedded in its foot and gripped it tightly.

-Slice!

With every last drop of Aura squeezed out, my strike split its neck clean in two.

We had won.