NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32: Edith’s Unexpected Gain
"S-stab myself?" Even Edith, who had recently discovered the strange thrill of watching her own HP chipped away, was completely taken aback, questioning whether there's something wrong with her own ears.
Olgan explained, "Yes, since your lost HP will be channeled into your sword, imagine if you let your own blood directly enchant it. The HP you lose from [Berserk Cleave] and the stab could amplify the enchantment, increasing both your fixed damage and your EXP."
Edith frowned, a resigned look crossing her face. "I know you've came up plenty of new 'exploits' ideas, but to be honest, this one seems a little too ridiculous. I don't think it'll work…"
"So you are not willing to try?"
"Of course not! Even if it sounds absurd, the idea came from you, so I have to give it a shot!" Her expression shifted to one of determination as she grasped her sword with both hands, its tip aimed at her heart, readied to drive it in.
"W-woah...w-wait a minute! I did say to stab yourself, but not to kill yourself! Please, aim for somewhere safer like your arms or your legs!" Olgan exclaimed, panic rising in his voice as he quickly advised.
"Also, you said 'slash' earlier, not 'stab'" Lenna suddenly spoke up.
Wait, I did? Yes, I did! Olgan wanted to facepalm himself.
But was a 'slash' really better than a 'stab'? Both could be lethal.
Edith paused, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she laughed embarassingly. "Hehe.. You're right, Mentor. I was just... uh, too excited…"
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and lowered her sword's aim, directing the tip toward her stomach.
Olgan felt a wave of anxiety wash over him, "I know that's better than aiming at your heart, but aiming at your stomach isn’t any better!"
Edith nodded with confidence, "I'll be fine! My HP is so high that even a fatal wound won't kill me immediately."
With his efforts to dissuade her failing, Olgan turned to Lenna, who also nodded in agreement. Resigned, he stepped back, allowing her to proceed with her action.
Edith took a deep breath, readied her sword, and plunged it into her abdomen while activating [Berserk Cleave].
She gritted her teeth against the pain, glancing at her HP before quickly withdrawing the sword and downing a Recovery Potion.
"Lenna" she called, her face pale. Lenna nodded and offered Edith another tap on her hand.
"Still 28 fixed damage," Lenna replied.
Olgan looked at the wound on Edith's stomach with worry but still pressed on, "How much did your HP decrease, and how much EXP did you gain?"
"My HP decreased by 31%, and [Berserk Cleave]'s EXP is now at 18.92%" she answered.
Watching the wound on her stomach heal rapidly, thanks to her high VIT and the Recovery Potion, Olgan felt as though he were in a surreal dream, even after having recovered from a similarly fatal injury on his first day in this world.
He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think it should be fine to combine it with the cursed armor, which will drain 56% of your HP in total."
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the cursed armor had an exposed abdomen area, perfect for self-stabbing.
Once her HP returned to full, Edith's face lit up again. "Let's do it now!"
Olgan watched as she smiled brightly, looking nothing like someone who had just pierced her own abdomen. She donned the Cursed Armor of Bloodthirst, preparing to plunge her sword into her abdomen once more.
Please don't kill me... please don't kill me... Olgan silently prayed, hoping her parents would spare him from this.
With determination, Edith drove her sword into her abdomen once again while activating [Berserk Cleave].
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared ahead.
"What's wrong?" Lenna asked, concern etched on her face, while Olgan and Aqualia exchanged surprised glances.
Not forgetting to tap Lenna's hand with her sword, Edith exclaimed, "I got a new skill!"
"What?!" the three voices harmonized in disbelief.
"Here!" She quickly shared the new skill's description with them.
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Skill: Desperado Resolution (Active)
Level: 1 (00.00% EXP)
Type: Self-enchantment
Description: In a moment of desperation, the Berserker channels their inner rage into a powerful self-enhancement. This skill allows the Berserker to sacrifice 50% of their current HP, temporarily boosting their Final Damage by 50%. This skill transforms the Berserker into a fearsome force on the battlefield, enabling them to deal devastating blows to enemies while teetering on the edge of survival.
Duration: 10 seconds
Cooldown: 6 hours
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Sacrificing 50%? I see. Olgan contemplated, spectaculating that Edith must have met the condition to unlock this skill by dealing damage to herself that exceeded 50% of her HP.
"Final Damage?!" Lenna exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
While Olgan had some idea of what it meant, he still felt the need to ask, "What exactly is Final Damage?"
Lenna, more nervous than usual, replied, "It's an increase to all damage. Most skills calculate only base damage without considering other factors, but Final Damage includes everything—like Princess Edith's [Berserk Cleave] fixed damage."
Olgan's eyes sparkled with excitement. "In other words, it's a broken skill."
Edith nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Just like Lenna said, skills that grant a bonus to Final Damage are incredibly rare, and this one gives me a 50% boost! The duration may be short, but it's immensely powerful! It doesn't seem limited to two-handed weapons either, which means I might be able to use it with magic skills and more!" The more she spoke, the more excited she became.
Though thrilled for her, Olgan couldn't shake off his concern. "It does cost you 50% of your HP. While it's your current HP and not your max HP, it's still dangerous. Please think carefully before you use it."
If this was a game, he would be jumping for joy after unlocking such a skill—a perfect combo with [Berserk]. Sacrificing 50% HP would yield an immediate boost from [Berserk].
But this was real life. Carelessness could easily lead to disaster.
Edith smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I understand the risks, but this skill is worth having."
With that, she approached him and gave him a salute. "For that, I thank you."
"W-well, it's nothing," he stammered, still not used to such genuine gratitude.
Edith beamed, "I can't find a better Mentor than you."
In that moment, Olgan felt his [Guidance] rise to Level 7, and his own level increase to 16.
With a thoughtful expression, he decided to allocate his newly-obtained Attribute Point into VIT, ensuring his survivability, even if only slightly.
As he gazed at Edith's [Desperado Resolution], he couldn't help but wonder if there might be a way to unlock a new exclusive Skill for the Mentor Class as well.