NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7 - Hero Selen (3)
Selen stood straight, enduring the intense pain in her abdomen.
Her legs were trembling.
Despite using body enhancement magic to prepare for counterattacks, the pain was fully transmitted.
“The attack itself wasn’t bad.”
On the other hand, the Excommunicated Saint was unscathed.
Even though she had been precisely cut by a slash filled with killing intent.
“But next time, don’t just rush in recklessly. There are quite a few tough guys in the Demon Lord’s army.”
She was even giving praise and advice.
As if nothing had happened, calmly.
Fear slowly blooming in her heart.
She could roughly understand why this person had become a symbol of terror to people.
“You… have you become something other than human?”
Selen barely opened her mouth to ask a question.
“What are you talking about?”
The Excommunicated Saint snorted and threw off the robe she was wearing.
A striking beauty that caught the eye.
A gloomy gaze contrasting with her rough speech.
A nun’s habit in deep red color.
Her appearance matched the witnesses’ testimonies.
“Do I look like a monster to you?”
While her face was far above average, her outward appearance was undoubtedly human to anyone who saw her.
That’s why it was even more incomprehensible.
“How can you be unaffected after being cut by the sword?”
She hadn’t used aura.
What blocked the blade was just bare skin without anything.
It was difficult to think of other possibilities.
“In times like these, you should figure it out yourself. Analyze through combat.”
“……”
Another piece of advice.
Still with a relaxed attitude, not even considering her as a match.
That was so frustrating.
Selen bit her lip hard.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’ve given up?”
“I won’t back down!”
The Excommunicated Saint hesitated for a moment at the shout filled with anger.
Along with a faint smile that was barely visible.
“That’s right. That’s how you should be.”
I maintained an expressionless face outwardly while feeling pleased inwardly.
‘At least her fighting spirit passes.’
She was scared, but only for a moment.
In the end, she didn’t crumble and tried to face me again.
The goddess’s eye for talent is indeed accurate.
I’m sorry for comparing again, but in terms of mindset, Liam is no match at all.
However, it was still too early to feel relieved.
When actually entering combat, she might waver and self-destruct.
Therefore, the real important evaluation and teaching would start now.
“I will pour out all my strength.”
The hero grasped the hem of the robe covering her body.
Then the robe scattered like dust in all directions, revealing an appearance exactly as described in the article.
Beautiful.
Enough to believe if someone said she was chosen for her face.
She probably received a lot of attention even before becoming a hero.
I knew well because I had experienced being tired of other nuns envying my appearance.
While I was lost in thought, a large magic circle glowing with a purple light was drawn in the air.
Is this magic manifestation borrowing the power of a magic tool?
It meant she was using magic beyond her own capacity.
Curious about what kind of magic it would be, I watched quietly without interfering.
Soon, a translucent membrane in the shape of a rectangular prism formed, surrounding me and the hero.
“Oh.”
‘Unbalanced Space’ that makes the caster stronger and the enemy weaker.
It was a high-level magic with simple yet powerful effects.
“Magic usage, 75 points. Keep doing like this from now on.”
Even though she borrowed the power of a magic tool, this deserves a generous score.
“…Stop with the evaluations!”
The hero rushed at me, swinging her holy power sword.
Another slash aiming for the neck.
I let it hit me earlier, but the service was only once.
I blocked the sword with my left hand, while my right fist extended forward.
“Pyrite!”
However, the hero was different this time too.
Approaching heat.
The flames thrown by the fire spirit summoned by the hero engulfed my body.
It’s hot.
Thanks to our Sun Catcher, I won’t get burned, but the pain remains the same.
An opening created by the scorching pain.
The hero’s sword, blocked by my left hand, approached my neck again.
Of course, it couldn’t wound me.
Perhaps because I was unaffected despite being cut by the blade again, the hero’s face contorted.
“Maintain composure during battle.”
I grabbed the hero’s collar and threw her back.
Without rest, I jumped up and strongly punched the body of the flaming eagle flying in the sky.
The fire spirit couldn’t even block a single hit and was immediately unsummoned.
“Spirit control, 30 points. The spirit is weak because your natural affinity is lacking.”
The hero, frowning from the aftermath of the unsummoning, tried hard to maintain her posture and pointed her sword.
“Your body should be getting heavy soon.”
Indeed, my movements were slower than usual.
They had dropped to less than half of my normal level.
As expected of high-level magic.
It has a terrifying power, but that means it’s also consuming a lot of mana.
She probably can’t use other magic now.
Of course, this was a restriction that wasn’t a big problem for the hero.
Aura, magic, spirit arts, holy power.
The hero is the only being who can handle all four types of power.
The next attack method the hero chose was aura.
Platinum-colored aura enveloping the holy power sword.
It was as large as a greatsword.
It seemed she had poured all her mana except for what was maintaining the ‘Unbalanced Space’.
“This is my full power!”
A huge slash cuts through the air.
Surprisingly fast body movements, opposite to mine.
Her momentum is fierce, as if intending to cut me in half.
“Aura generation, 10 points. Don’t just increase the size, build substance.”
I counterattacked while giving a cool evaluation.
With my left elbow against the sword.
My right fist against the hero’s face.
Two consecutive strikes unfolded.
The sword blocked by my elbow lost its power and bounced off.
The hero, hit by my fist, rolled on the ground.
“Watch carefully.”
It seemed a special lesson was needed.
“This is how you use aura.”
Mana concentrates in my right hand.
The first stage.
Anyone can do this.
The mana gathered in my right hand becomes red aura, fluctuating intensely.
The second stage.
A power that can only be acquired through repeated, painful training.
And the final third stage.
“This is the level you should aim for from now on.”
The aura stuck to my right hand like skin.
Unity of body and aura.
It was a level that transcended simple physical force.
“Let’s end the game here.”
I thrust my right hand into the air.
For a moment, the forest was enveloped in silence.
Then, the ‘Unbalanced Space’ shattered into pieces.
This is the true value of aura.
If it’s made of mana, it can be crumbled even without substance.
“Do you want to continue?”
“……”
The hero looked around while fallen, then lowered her head to the ground.
Is this as far as it goes?
Still, for a novice of just two months, she did unbelievably well.
“Now to finish…”
“It’s not over yet!”
But.
The hero, whom I thought had given up, stood up again.
Even though she must have fully realized the difficult-to-close gap between us.
She was still burning with fighting spirit.
“You don’t have any mana left.”
“I still have faith and belief left.”
The hero piously clasped her hands together.
The sunlight that had been pouring down focused on one spot.
To brilliantly illuminate the hero overflowing with holy power like waves.
“…Holy power usage, 90 points.”
A method of using holy power as fuel to raise physical abilities to their limit.
As expected of a genius.
It was a tricky technique that even nine out of ten high-ranking holy knights fail at.
“To prevent any more victims, I will surely defeat you here!”
The hero, who had created a sword with holy power again, moved her body.
Much faster than before.
She was moving between trees at a speed difficult to follow with the naked eye.
Then my neck was cut by the sword.
It didn’t even leave a scratch, but she disappeared without giving me a chance to counterattack.
The same pattern of slashes continued to repeat.
Aiming for exactly the same spot each time.
How should I deal with this?
It’s admirable, but I can’t let her get away with it and develop bad habits, so there was only one answer.
I stood still and focused my attention.
Holy power approaching from behind.
Without dodging, I extended my hand while exposing my body.
“Ugh…”
I caught her.
The hero, whose neck was grabbed in reverse, let out a pain-filled groan.
“Does it hurt a bit this time?”
The hero’s attack had also connected.
Blood flowed from the side of my neck that she had been persistently targeting.
But soon it healed cleanly without even leaving a scar.
As if I hadn’t been injured from the start.
“Holy power…”
“Correct.”
I can’t manifest holy power.
But while I can’t release it outwards, it remains inside my body.
“Don’t tell me… you’ve appeared unscathed all this time because you heal at an extremely fast rate?”
“That’s correct too.”
In fact, I still felt the pain.
I had a hard time pretending to be fine.
“Now it’s really over.”
I struck her abdomen with my knee cloaked in aura.
The hero finally couldn’t endure and slowly collapsed.
“Good job. Just keep doing like that from now on.”
I wiped off the blood that had flowed down and gave my final advice.
“Always remember today’s battle. Fight to the end even against enemies you can’t possibly defeat. Then someday, you’ll be able to win against anyone you fight.”
This should be enough for mental education.
As I was immersed in satisfaction, the hero laughed while fallen.
“So that’s how it was.”
“What?”
“You approached me to teach me from the beginning, didn’t you?”
“……”
How sharp.
I didn’t bother to deny it.
“How did you know?”
“Did you expect me not to notice when you didn’t even use your full strength and kept giving generous advice?”
Was it too obvious?
Since she was right, I quickly made an excuse.
“If you’re too weak, it’s no fun to kill you.”
This should be a line fitting for the ‘Excommunicated Saint’, right?
“I see. I understand.”
She doesn’t seem to believe it.
Her grinning face while lying face down on the ground somehow looked like she was dealing with a dishonest person.
This isn’t good.
Before my image deteriorated further, I turned around and left the place.
“I’ll be stronger the next time we meet.”
A voice full of determination was heard from behind me.
“And I will stop your evil deeds.”
“Do as you please.”
I spoke bluntly, but I actually liked it.
Isn’t that saying ‘I will defeat you’?
“My sun, you can be proud. It was an excellent choice.”
The hero was a talent with capabilities beyond expectations.
Is it okay to be this happy?
A miserable defeat wasn’t far away.
It’s already brilliant alone, but how would it be fighting together with companions as a hero party?
Anticipation slowly bloomed.
‘Companions… I should check out how they are too.’
A new goal was set.
Let’s find the hero’s companions before the hero does.
It was the moment when a plan for a touring mental education across the continent was established.