NOVEL NEXT Ch. 11
Chapter 11 - Magical Beast Test (2)
The trick I played on the bracelet was simple. I had just made a small incision in it. Just enough so that I could break it with force when I wanted to. And so that I could break it when I wanted, die, and regress.
It might have seemed reckless, but it was, of course, an action with a basis. And that basis was the examiner Jenna's explanation of the test.
-You might wonder what happens if the bracelet gets damaged, but the monsters will avoid the bracelet when they attack you. Also, it’s an item that has never been broken before, so don’t you worry!
Jenna had mentioned that this item had never been broken before, and that the monsters would not attack the bracelet.
But thinking about it the other way around, it also meant, ‘it is an object that can be sufficiently broken by physical impact.’
Since it had never been broken, they probably never even thought about countermeasures.
That's why I made a small incision in the bracelet, in a blind spot from the supervisor's view.
With so many new students to supervise, they wouldn't have paid attention to my every move.
Who would have imagined it in the first place? That someone would try to break their own lifeline with their own hands.
Well, even if it hadn't worked, I could have just killed myself after the test was over…….
Anyway, thanks to that, I was able to die in one go from the Ogre's attack without any pain.
The sensation of everything just flashing and then being back in the morning was incredibly convenient.
“Hmm…….”
I stroked my chin, replaying the last battle in my mind. It was about stage 6, so…….
“About ten times should be enough.”
In the morning, walking on the path to the examination hall, I muttered as such.
I felt a little like something was off-kilter……. but I just brushed it off, thinking it couldn't be helped.
Once it was proven that my little trick worked, what I had to do was clear.
Repeat the monster suppression test and develop my sense for fighting monsters. In gaming terms, it would be like retrying to learn the patterns.
‘Stage 1 Imp, stage 2 Hound are nothing special. Should I focus on shortening my record?’
Swish-.
Imps moved in a straight line, so I could just swing my sword as they charged, and they would be sliced apart. The Hounds were the same.
However, the Hounds were four-legged beasts, so their movements were a bit unfamiliar and tricky, but their specs were low to begin with, so it didn't really matter.
‘Stage 3 Zombie, stage 4 Skeleton can be handled easily once I figure out how to deal with them.’
Both Zombies and Skeletons were fundamentally human-shaped. Because of that, I unconsciously used swordsmanship intended for fighting people……. During several regressions, I focused on completely correcting that habit.
Screech-.
Against these two, rather than precisely aiming for vitals, attacks covering a wide area and attacks on their limbs were more effective.
They didn't have vitals in the first place, so if I just neutralized their movements, it was game over.
‘Stage 5 Owlbear, stage 6 Ogre……. From here, it gets a bit tough.’
Basically, upon entering stage 5, it became impossible to push through with basic specs anymore. Both the Owlbear and the Ogre were opponents that one generally couldn't win against in a head-on clash of strength.
Of course, the top-tier students could win even in a direct confrontation……. but that was a story unrelated to me.
“What's needed here is strategy and understanding of the enemy.”
Thud!
The Owlbear's heavy hands came crashing down vertically toward me. It was certainly a heavy and fast attack, but if I knew it was coming, there was nothing I couldn't dodge.
‘These two monsters are strong, but not very intelligent. Their attacks come in honestly, just as I lead them.’
Slash-.
I quickly etched a sword strike on the neck of the Owlbear that had made a large movement.
Naturally, a single sword strike from my meager physical specs wasn't going to bring down that massive Owlbear.
But if once isn't enough, then twice.
If twice isn't enough, then five times.
If five times wasn't enough, I just had to attack ten times.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Inside the sub-space for the test, the heavy sound of the ground being struck echoed continuously. But those attacks never reached me. I was reading them all.
Screech-!
And, when my twentieth sword strike hit the Owlbear.
Stagger- Thump.
The blood-drenched body of the Owlbear finally collapsed. On my first attempt, I didn't know this and took a beating by just ramming my head into a wall.
Stage 6, the Ogre, was just a repetition of that process. The attacks just came in a bit sharper, and a bit stronger.
Yes, the basic framework itself didn't change. Lure the attack, dodge, and insert an attack.
‘I didn't think about it when I played the game, but the academy seems to have its own criteria for allocating the stages.’
It took only two regressions to clear stage 6 without a single scratch.
This was obviously not something possible at an ordinary level, but it was possible because I had the A-grade trait, 『Combat Sense[A]』.
Anyway, what remained was to see how far I could go……. to reach the highest possible stage while maximizing the cost-effectiveness of my deaths.
The test supervisor for Combat Department's Class B, Jenna, was utterly flabbergasted. And the cause of her astonishment was the test performance of one student, Rain Enlight.
“Does this even make sense……?”
Rain's test performance was so perfect that it made the usually composed Jenna voice her astonishment out loud.
It meant that he had surpassed the passing criteria in both skill and strategy.
Until he cleared the stage 4 Skeleton without a scratch, she had just thought it was okay. In other words, it was just at a ‘not bad’ level.
‘Well, the Imp and Hound are really just basic level tests. The Zombie and Skeleton can be dealt with if you just handle them as you studied. He seems to have studied hard……. His skills are also upper-middle tier.’
But that impression soon transformed into admiration when he cleared stages 5 and 6 without a scratch.
‘Did he completely see through the attack patterns of the Owlbear and the Ogre just now……?’
Rain induced the attacks that created the largest openings for the Owlbear and Ogre, then continuously etched sharp sword strikes into those openings.
It sounds easy, but an attack that creates a large opening is an attack with correspondingly great power. If he got hit even once, he would be immediately eliminated and ejected from the examination hall.
‘……This isn't something that can be done with just study and practice. These are the movements of someone who has experienced actual combat.’
It was a tactic only possible if one could completely read the monster's movements.
Considering that most of the academy's upper-middle tier students failed at stage 6, he was already at the top tier of the academy in monster suppression.
And just as Jenna was supervising the test, half in a daze.
“Ho ho ho, Professor Jenna?”
From behind Jenna, Professor Hugo's oily voice was heard. Normally, Jenna would have been inwardly repulsed, but that wasn't important right now.
“Ah, yes, yes.”
Jenna replied absentmindedly, her eyes fixed on Rain's screen. Then Hugo spoke again.
“Ho ho ho. I hear there's a good-for-nothing in your class, tarnishing the Enlight name. Has anything interesting happened?”
It was a conversation that had definitely passed by before. But the situation had completely reversed.
“……He's insane, completely.”
“……?”
Hugo, looking puzzled by Jenna's words, glanced at the screen she was watching.
And soon, his expression was painted with bewilderment and astonishment. No matter how incompetent of a parachute professor he was, there was no way he wouldn't feel anything after seeing this spectacle.
“Hah……. Ho ho……. We-well, even if it's tainted blood, an Enlight is an Enlight, I suppose……. To be at this level……. I should live my life……. always grateful for the grace bestowed upon the House of Enlight…….”
Hugo stammered, unable to hide his bewilderment, as if trying to belittle Rain somehow. But his words didn't reach Jenna's ears at all.
‘There was a reason why Senior Acaite praised him so highly…….’
Jenna was no longer supervising the test but had expectations for Rain. What kind of fight would he show in the next stage?
‘What will that kid show me next?’
It was only the sixth regression.
Craaaaaash-!
-Stage 7 complete. In 30 seconds, the stage 8 monster, Living Armor, will be summoned.
Student, please prepare for battle.
As I pierced the core of the stage 7 monster, the Golem, with my sword, its form collapsed with a loud roar. And then, a calm announcement flowed out.
“Tsk…….”
I looked at my left arm. The form of my arm had become slightly blurry with particles of light.
My sensation was also faint.
This was the bracelet's ability. It prevented me from feeling pain, while simultaneously making me lose corresponding combat ability when I took a hit.
Still, taking this much damage in stage 7 was a pretty good state to be in. Unlike stages 5-6, which only required tactics and a decent amount of physical ability, stage 7 demanded more rigorous skills and higher physical ability.
‘As I thought, reaching stage 9 will be impossible.’
What I felt over ten regressions was that the wall of stages 7-8 was indeed high.
In fact, it was understandable. In the game, up to stage 6 was the realm of ordinary people, the standard for the academy's upper-middle tier……. and from stage 7, it was the standard for the academy's top tier.
And most of the top-tier powerhouses met their defeat at these stages 7-8. Just clearing them would be enough proof of my abilities.
‘I might be able to reach stage 10 if I repeat the regressions……. but it's not worth it.’
I could feel it. This was the point of maximum efficiency for the number of regressions.
“……Then shall we start wrapping this up.”
The conclusion was set. And…….
-5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Stage 8 monster, Living Armor, has been summoned. We wish you good luck.
When the countdown that had been ringing for a while reached 0, the stage 8 monster, Living Armor, was summoned.
“Goooooh…….”
The Living Armor that appeared from the magic circle had, as its name suggested, a body of sturdy armor without a single gap. There wasn't a single opening in its joints.
The biggest difficulty I felt when facing the Living Armor was, as expected, that physical attacks didn't work well against it.
Clang-!
I swung my sword at its steel body to test it out, but it only made a small scratch and bounced off.
“Damn, it's ridiculously tough.”
Well, I already knew that, of course. I had faced it several times already.
And right after my sword strike landed, the Living Armor lifted the sword held in its massive arm and swung it at me.
Screeeeech-!
I raised my sword and barely managed to parry the heavy attack, but attacks flew at me without rest.
This was what was terrifying about the Living Armor. It relentlessly hammered you with heavy, Ogre-class attacks, without pause. It could be called a monster of perfect offense and defense.
But it wouldn't be a test if there wasn't a way to overcome it.
Clang-! Clang-! Clang-!
After barely deflecting the Living Armor's continuous attacks, I intentionally distanced myself from it. It was to induce ‘another attack.’
There were two ways to deal with the Living Armor. The first was to use magic.
In the game
Since this was a test for the Combat Department and not the Magic Department, they probably intended to test if one could use magic as well as weapon skills……. or something like that. Or if one possessed overwhelming physical ability and skills to crush the disadvantage.
But I don't know how to use magic. Also, my skills are excellent, but my body doesn't support them. So the first method was obviously a pass.
And the second method left was…… to induce a pattern.
“Gooooooh-!”
I had distanced myself, but the Living Armor did not pursue me. And the reason for that was its use of a different pattern.
Pshhh-.
Smoke began to seep from the body of the halted Living Armor, and the gaps in its armor began to widen. Its interior, where purple mana flowed, became visible.
“The core.”
And in the gap of the Living Armor's opened armor, in the chest area, was a purple core.
Just piercing that with my sword once would be my victory. But…….
Wheeeeing-.
Mana began to slowly gather in the chest area of the Living Armor.
The Living Armor's pattern, the ‘Magic Beam Pattern,’ had been activated. It was a pattern that fired a beam after a short mana charge.
‘If I happily jump in, aiming for the core, I'll get hit by that powerful beam and go straight to the afterlife.’
But.
Dash-!
I rushed towards the Living Armor without hesitation.