The Academy’s Doomed Young Lord Dies Ten Thousand Times

Chapter 04 - The End of Today

A carriage was busily climbing the ridge of a mountain range. It was a simple carriage, without a single ducal crest engraved on it, to the point that one could not even imagine a young lord of the Enlight family would be riding inside.

I sat in that carriage, blankly gazing beyond the mountain range. It was a sight I had seen repeatedly for 200 times, but this time, the feeling was different.

A different scenery appeared from the first death, where I had fallen into despair and given up. Because I was looking at the city beyond the dense forest.

I had to go there.

I reached for the sword that was lying on the seat right in front of me, and gripped it. And I muttered.

“I…… can do this.”

Rattle, the carriage came to a halt.

“……Young Master, you’ll have to get off for a moment.”

It was the detestable coachman's voice I had heard countless times. I slowly drew the sword from its sheath.

Let's begin. Let's return to life.

“I’m coming out now.”

Yes, I'm coming out now. You bastard.

I kicked the carriage door open and immediately lunged to the left with my sword in hand.

Thanks to hundreds of regressions, the deployment of the personnel outside the carriage was already all in my head.

Sgeok-!

The sound of precisely parting flesh and bone was heard. It had to be, he was a guy I had already cut down countless times.

The attacker in front of the carriage clutched his deeply slashed neck, and soon spurted blood and died.

A brief silence flowed. The attackers had their faces covered with masks, but the bewilderment in their eyes was evident. Even that was tedious to me.

I silently extended my left hand towards the attackers and beckoned. It was the ultimate provocation.

“How dare this bastard touch my brother……!”

“……How dare this bastard touch my brother?”

A voice I had heard nearly 200 times. I muttered along with what the attacker was about to say in a low tone.

“That's what you'd say.”

Why wouldn't you?

One attacker, who fell for the provocation, rushed at me with his sword raised. It seemed he was the brother of the one I had just killed, and thanks to him rushing in alone in his excitement, I didn't have to worry about a pincer attack. A rash fool.

“Die!!”

The guy charged in excitement and swung his sword. However, an attack that has lost its composure is easy to read.

Whoosh-.

There was no need to even meet his blade. I lightly took a step back, and his sword cut through the empty air.

“If you were planning to kill someone, you should have been prepared to die yourself.”

I aimed my sword in the posture of having taken a step back. And the sword that stretched out straight ahead right after that sharply pierced the man's chest.

Stab!

“Keoheok…… eok…….”

I pulled out the sword that had pierced his chest. Then, the guy spurted blood from his chest and collapsed wretchedly.

“Looks like you weren't prepared. Neither you, nor your brother.”

I killed two people in an instant. With my own hands. But I felt no emotion, no lingering attachment.

In the first place, it was a path I had crossed 200 times, and weren't they the ones who tried to kill me? There was no way I would feel a prick of conscience.

I lightly swung the sword to shake off the blood on it.

“……Two are already down. Don't think of him as a greenhorn, and be serious.”

The man who seemed to be the leader of the group opened his mouth. And, following his words, the attackers formed a formation.

It consisted of two swordsmen and one mage. The leader didn't seem to have any intention of stepping in yet.

Now, this was where the problem began. Killing the first guy was thanks to the surprise attack, and I was able to kill the second attacker because he had lost his composure.

From now on, the attackers would not be careless, and they would use their full power.

But there was no problem. Because this too was a path I had already crossed.

***

One of the attackers, the swordsman Donovan Wheeler, swallowed dryly.

‘Damn it, wasn't this supposed to be a simple job of catching and killing a greenhorn?’

As someone who worked in the shadows, he was often exposed to danger, but he had believed without a doubt that this job was the sweetest of the sweet.

How difficult could it be to catch and kill a single dandy without any escorts? He was a guy famous for being a shut-in, so he wouldn't have any abilities. The client had said so too.

‘But what is this situation now……!’

Rain Enlight, the shut-in of the duchy, was no dandy. What kind of dandy could skillfully exchange blows in a 3-on-1 fight? And against seasoned assassins at that? He was a guy who had even taken care of the first two in the blink of an eye.

Clang-! Kaang-!

The sound of sword clashing against sword was heard repeatedly. The swordsman who had been matching his attacks was already exhausted, and the boy called the young lord was managing to evade even the occasional magic spells flying at him while facing two opponents.

“No way, we're the ones pincer attacking……!”

A pincer attack is an act where multiple people aim for one person's opening. To overcome this, a huge difference in skill was required.

Because one had to not only block the attack in front, but also defend against the following attacks and land a valid hit.

It goes without saying, but if the skill difference was that great, it wouldn't have been surprising. But Donovan couldn't understand the boy in front of him at all.

The boy's physical strength was pathetic. If it came to a contest of strength, Donovan would have won a hundred times out of a hundred.

The boy's speed wasn't overwhelmingly fast either. It was decent to some extent, but it wasn't to the point where he couldn't be chased.

Yes. If you only looked at what was visible, there was nothing special about the boy in front of him.

He had probably defeated dozens of enemies of a similar level until now.

But, Donovan and his party's attacks couldn't even touch a hair on the boy.

The boy had no physical strength. But if a situation where they had to clash with strength arose, he would deflect the sword and slip away like an eel.

The boy didn't need overwhelming speed. But at the most appropriate moment, with the most appropriate movement, he overwhelmed the party in both offense and defense.

Movements with not a single bit of waste. Donovan could feel it.

‘It’s like…… he's reading all of our moves…….’

Rain was overwhelming the battlefield. He was perfectly seeing through the gaps between attacks as if mocking the pincer attack, and was even pushing back the swordsman who was matching moves with Donovan.

His swordsmanship itself was excellent, but his skill in slipping through openings was far too superior.

Yes, Donovan literally felt as if even their detailed habits were being seen through.

“This little brat!!”

In the end, the swordsman who was clashing swords with Rain couldn't overcome his impatience and made a move. It was a simple and powerful attack, striking down from above. But.

Swoosh!

As if mocking that choice, Rain lightly deflected the swordsman's strike by holding his sword at an angle.

As his decisive strike missed, a large opening was created for the swordsman, and that opening was in an area that Donovan couldn't possibly cover. Because he had rushed the fight too hastily.

Swoosh-!

In the end, Rain's sword pierced the swordsman's neck, and the pincer formation collapsed.

“This is…… not right…….”

Donovan broke out in a cold sweat. The guy's skill far surpassed their own.

He turned his head to the leader as if asking for help, but……. there was no sign of him stepping in.

‘You bastard, don't tell me you're trying to take the reward money for yourself……!’

Just as he was thinking that, Rain rushed towards Donovan.

Kang-!

The sound of sword clashing against sword rang out, and Donovan faced Rain with their blades locked. It could certainly be seen as a moment of desperation, but…….

‘You fool. To not even pay attention to the mage.’

While Rain was dealing with the swordsman and clashing swords with Donovan, the mage had completely caught Rain's blind spot.

It was behind his back, a position from which he absolutely could not deflect while their swords were locked.

The mage, as if victory was in his grasp, was casting the intermediate magic ‘Flame Spear’.

And, that little brat, though his swordsmanship was excellent, didn't seem to have outstanding physical performance.

‘If that body of yours takes an intermediate magic spell head-on without even coating yourself in mana, it's game over.’

“Hey kid, you think you're going to win right now, don't you?”

Even at Donovan's provocation, there was no change in Rain's eyes. He was just locking blades with cold eyes.

No matter how excellent his swordsmanship was, in the end, he was a flower raised in a greenhouse who had never experienced real combat. He was just at this level.

And, at that moment when Donovan was certain of his victory and was holding Rain down.

The blade of Rain's sword was dyed blue. Mana was flowing through the sword.

“The end is…… Keoheok!”

A kick flew into the stomach of Donovan, who was locking blades with him. It was an action that completely overturned Donovan's thought that he would deflect or parry it.

Donovan was momentarily flustered, but he didn't lose his smile. Because at that moment, a fire bolt was flying towards the back of Rain's head.

And at that moment. Donovan couldn't help but doubt his own eyes.

Kwaang-!!

Instead of attacking him who had fallen, Rain immediately turned his body and swung his sword. The target was the incoming Flame Spear.

The moment the sword and the Flame Spear met, a huge cracking sound echoed. And it was not the sound of an explosion, but the sound of something being deflected.

‘Was the mana coating for this……!’

In truth, it wasn't a mana coating but the use of ‘Spellbinder’s’ ability, but there was no way for Donovan to know that.

“Eu, uwaaaaah!!”

The deflected Flame Spear flew accurately towards the mage, and the mage had no choice but to be burned by his own magic.

“You…… crazy…… monster bastard…….”

Slash-!

Donovan tried to get up himself, but he couldn't. Because Rain, who had deflected the Flame Spear, immediately slashed his neck.

***

With this, I had taken care of five of them. The pincer attack was a bit tough, but still, I should consider this as having no losses.

I sheathed my sword and looked at the man who had been watching all along. It seemed he was the leader among these attackers.

The man was smiling leisurely, and soon he clapped and drew his sword.

“Well, this is great. Thanks to you, I can take the reward money for myself.”

Now was the final gateway. In fact, it had been possible to deal with the other small fry since around the 160th regression, but……. this bastard, I just couldn't see an answer. It was a wall of lamentation, so to speak.

‘His average stats are at least B……. I should probably see him as Senior Knight level.’

Objectively speaking, the man's stats greatly surpassed mine. In addition to that, he would have perfectly grasped my level while observing the battle, so it would be impossible to win under normal circumstances.

As if to prove my thoughts, the man also had a relaxed expression as if he was certain of victory.

But, I have a trump card prepared for this moment, don't I.

[System : Do you want to use the skill 『Moment of Decisive Battle[A]』?]

The ‘Moment of Decisive Battle’ I had acquired earlier. It was one of the instant enhancement type skills. It had the effect of greatly increasing all stats for 1 minute.

Other instant enhancement skills mostly had risks, or had insignificant effects in exchange for having no risks, but this skill was not like that.

An excellent effect with no risk. It was a go-to skill I always used when playing . The only flaw was that the duration was a bit short.

I gripped the sword with both hands.

‘In one strike, at most within three strikes, I'll end it.’

I don't know the exact abilities the opponent has. I don't know what skills he has either.

To figure all that out, I might have to die, and die, countless more times. I refuse.

The best way to eliminate such variables is……. to end it before he can show his abilities.

I lean my body's center of gravity forward, and hold the sword forward.

The fastest attack technique among the Alles Sword Style taught to me by Jeduin Cortes, ‘Swift Sword’.

“Since there's a difference in skill, are you trying to settle it in one go? An excellent judgment.”

The attacker in front of me struck a pose with a swagger. His intention was to counter my attack. Since he had completely grasped my skill, he would think it wouldn't be a difficult task.

In reality, even if I used Moment of Decisive Battle, my skill itself would barely be on par with his. Which means, the moment the duration of Moment of Decisive Battle ends, I would lose.

However, the subtlety of a match comes from a hidden move.

[System : You have used the skill, 『Moment of Decisive Battle[A]』!]

[System : You have comprehended the principles of battle. The rank of 『Combat Sense』 increases to A!]

[ Strength : D- → B ]

[ Agility : C+ → A ]

[ Stamina : D- → B ]

[ Intellect : B → A ]

[ Mana : F+ → C ]

[ Dexterity : B+ → A+ ]

Muscles expanded in my forward-leaning body.

I could feel the flow of blood pulsing within my body.

I kicked off the ground I was standing on and shot forward.

And with that speed.

I cut.

Just once.

Sgeok-!!

“Keua…… aak!!”

That single sword strike properly and deeply cut the guy's body. As if to prove it, a huge sword wound had appeared on his chest.

“This bastard……. how……!”

The attacker, flustered, swung his sword as if in a last-ditch effort. It would have been a threatening attack according to his original skill, but…….

Swoosh-!

I held my sword at an angle and easily deflected that attack. As it was an attack swung out of reflex, its path was all too obvious to see.

I raised my sword, aiming at the guy's defenseless body.

And, once more.

I cut.

Chwaak-!

Bright red blood gushed from the attacker's neck. It was a fatal blow, making it impossible to continue the battle.

“How…… could…….”

Thud, in the end, the guy's body collapsed as it was. It took only two strikes.

And that meant the temporary end of my shitty regression.

[System : [ Episode 1. Beyond Death ] - Clear!]

[System : 『Overcoming Ten Thousand Deaths』 has reached a checkpoint!]