A Place Still Beyond My Reach

"I heard about it. Congratulations."

When I returned to the armory, Baldo looked at me and offered his sincere congratulations.

"Knowing you, you'd want to head straight for the third floor... but honestly, I can't recommend it."

"Why not?"

"There are Death Knights on the third floor. To stand up to their swords, an iron staff would really be best, but—"

Baldo glanced at me, then shifted his gaze to the staff in my hand.

"At the very least, you'd need to gain one more Rank before that'd be manageable."

"I won't do anything reckless. Just let me try it once."

I looked straight up at Baldo.

"Haa... Fine. Then at least try swinging this."

The wooden staff he handed me was considerably heavier than the ones I'd used before.

But it was just the right weight for me now.

I put my left foot forward and took a middle stance.

As if sweeping aside the flat of an opponent's sword, I swung the staff around from my right hand.

The sound of it cutting through the air echoed through the silent armory.

I immediately drew back my left hand and thrust toward face level.

"Those aren't a healer's movements... But fine. If you think you can't handle it, retreat immediately."

Saying that, Baldo handed me a lantern and holy oil.

I descended the spiral staircase.

My footsteps bounced off the stone walls, and a low, muffled echo answered from deep within the stairwell.

The third-floor door was larger than the others, densely covered in imposing reliefs.

I slowly pushed it open.

Unlike the featureless stone corridors, stone pillars and arches adorned with intricate carvings lined both sides.

Faintly reflected light brought out the shadows in the carvings.

Beyond the corridor lay a spacious hall.

Light glittered from the chandeliers on the high ceiling, casting faint patterns of light and shadow across the floor.

In the center of the hall stood a suit of armor, holding a longsword.

――So that's a Death Knight.

I cast 'Enhance' on my brain and stepped into the hall.

The Death Knight began to move slowly.

I raised my staff and cautiously closed the distance.

Before I knew it, the Death Knight had raised its sword to strike.

I reflexively knocked it aside with my staff.

I avoided a direct hit, but a deep gash was cut into my staff.

I healed it with 'Heal,' then strengthened it with 'Enhance' for good measure.

I could follow its movements.

But it caught me in a momentary lapse in awareness.

This enemy was different from all the others—it moved with purpose.

In my accelerated thoughts, I carefully observed the Death Knight's movements.

Its footwork.

The position of its hips.

The movement of its shoulders.

I didn't take my eyes off it for even an instant.

A thrust was already coming at me.

I twisted my body and barely dodged it.

A sharp impact struck my shoulder, and fresh blood spilled out.

So I hadn't missed the movement after all.

The Death Knight had merely thrust its sword straight forward.

It was just that the movement had been far too natural.

I couldn't recognize it as an attack.

――It was on another level.

It wasn't an opponent I could beat right now.

I cast 'Heal' and backed away little by little, keeping my eyes fixed on the Death Knight.

The Death Knight swung its sword with the same natural movements as before.

Avoiding fatal wounds, I burned the Death Knight's movements into my mind.

I healed each wound as soon as I got it.

So I could observe the Death Knight's movements for as long as possible.

Eventually, the longsword pierced through my stomach.

The Death Knight shook the blood from its sword as it sheathed it, then returned to the center.

I used 'Resurrection' to keep my life from slipping away, then fled the hall.

Fortunately, the Death Knight didn't pursue me.

I passed through the door covered in imposing reliefs and looked back on the battle.

――I was lacking in every way.

Strength and skill.

I climbed the spiral staircase, recalling the Death Knight's movements.

As soon as I flung open the second-floor door, I unleashed all my mana.

The wraiths gathered in no time, and I knocked them aside one after another with my staff.

I didn't use 'Life Steal.'

I swung my staff, trying to match the movements of the Death Knight I'd burned into my eyes.

Blunt attacks don't work on wraiths.

But that was exactly what I needed.

I struck at targets moving in three dimensions.

By chance, my thrust caught a wraith's magic core.

The wraith dissipated from a single thrust of my consecrated staff.

This time, I deliberately aimed for its magic core.

Hitting a small, moving target was extremely difficult.

I tried imitating the Death Knight's footwork from memory.

I slipped a wraith into range and thrust.

But I missed the core.

Even so, I kept at it without giving up.

Before long, I was running low on holy oil.

I finished off the remaining wraiths with 'Life Steal.'

I stuffed the scattered magic stones into my leather pouch and returned to the underground chapel.

"You seemed to know when to retreat, but you look like a complete mess."

Baldo grimaced at the sight of my blood-soaked robe.

"You were right, Baldo-san. It seems the third floor was still too soon for me."

I lowered my head meekly.

"You made it back alive. That's all I need to know."

Saying that, Baldo handed me a new robe.

"Change into that, and get some rest for today."

After making my offering, I carried the new robe up to the rest area.

I lay down on the stone bed and thought back over today's battle.

――I won't be able to challenge the third floor for a while.

If I come back with another hole in my robe next time, they might stop me from exploring.

At the very least, I need to learn to handle a group of wraiths without 'Life Steal.'

Fortunately, I'd burned the model movements into my mind.

I wouldn't run short of practice targets.

I sorted out what I needed to do, then quietly closed my eyes.