Chapter 60
“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”
Deatharmed pounded the ground with all its legs.
The entire area shook, and Luche hurriedly backed away from Deatharmed.
“I-I hit it, but! Um, um, um, what do I do now?!”
“Luche! Run around the huge boulder in front of you!”
“O-Okay!”
Luche hurriedly dashed toward the enormous boulder.
“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”
Deatharmed swung its massive body around, turning its head toward Luche.
It had switched its target from me to Luche.
Luche had slashed at Deatharmed’s most sensitive spot: its tail.
Since I’d been dealing with Deatharmed until now, it had lost interest in me after I used 〈Shield Bash〉 to put some distance between us.
The priority of its targets had changed in Deatharmed’s mind.
“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”
Deatharmed pursued Luche, its anger plain to see.
It was fast, but by my calculation, it would take a little while to catch up with Luche, who was near the tip of its tail.
In the meantime, I ran across the boulders and moved into position.
If I stood here, I’d be able to exploit Deatharmed’s decisive opening.
“The circumference of the huge boulder Luche ran around is equal to Deatharmed’s total length...”
In other words, when Luche made a full circle around the boulder, Deatharmed’s sensitive tail would come into view right in front of her again.
“E-Elymas-san! What do I do from here?! I-I don’t think I can keep this up much longer!”
Luche had come back into view, with Deatharmed’s head chasing her from behind and its tail directly in front of her.
“Step on its tail and jump onto the boulder!”
“Y-Yes!”
At my words, Luche stepped on Deatharmed’s tail.
“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”
Deatharmed let out a furious roar.
It must have thought Luche was about to slash at its tail again, the part of its body it most hated being touched.
It opened its powerful jaws and suddenly accelerated, lunging straight at Luche.
Luche leaped nimbly into the air, then used 〈Acrobatic Footwork〉 to climb the boulder and escape.
Deatharmed’s jaws sank into its own tail.
The severed tail flew through the air, and a tremendous amount of its bodily fluid sprayed everywhere.
“Giiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Deatharmed let out a tremendous scream.
“I-I-I did it! I pulled it off, Elymas-san!”
Luche’s voice was on the verge of tears.
When Deatharmed took massive damage and lost its tail... it was stunned and left defenseless for a brief moment.
During that instant, even the countless legs protecting its body were useless.
“Well done, Luche! I’ll finish it from here!”
I opened my 〈Status〉.
――――――――――――――――――――
【Skill Tree】
[Remaining Skill Points: 14]
〈Oath of Heavy Armor〉[34/100]
〈Beginner Swordsmanship〉[5/50]
〈Smoldering Frenzy Fang〉[5/70]
――――――――――――――――――――
I spent 【10】 Skill Points on 〈Smoldering Frenzy Fang〉.
Until now, I’d only been able to imitate an attack-focused class to a certain extent, but that was about to change.
I could draw out the power of a Heavy Knight... the class that had been 〈Magic World〉’s balance breaker.
――――――――――――――――――――
【Skill Tree】
[Remaining Skill Points: 4]
〈Oath of Heavy Armor〉[34/100]
〈Beginner Swordsmanship〉[5/50]
〈Smoldering Frenzy Fang〉[15/70]【+10】
――――――――――――――――――――
【You acquired the Normal Skill 〈Desperate Resolve〉 because 〈Smoldering Frenzy Fang〉 reached [15/70].】
There it is... 〈Desperate Resolve〉!
It came with an enormous risk, but granted explosive power to match... and it had incredible synergy with the Heavy Knight class.
It was the Skill that formed the foundation of a Heavy Knight’s firepower.
――――――――――――――――――――
〈Desperate Resolve〉【Normal Skill】
Can only be activated when your remaining HP is 50% or less.
Sets your Defense to 【0】 and increases your Attack by the amount of Defense lost.
Continuously consumes MP while active.
――――――――――――――――――――
〈Desperate Resolve〉... sets your Defense to 【0】, excluding equipment, but adds the amount lost to your Attack.
However, its uses are limited, and the benefit it offers is rather modest considering the enormous risk you take on.
Since it can only be used when your HP is at 50% or less, using it against a powerful enemy means risking being killed in one hit.
On top of that, both activating and deactivating it leave you wide open, so you can’t switch it on in a pinch.
And more than anything, in 〈Magic World〉, Defense was usually set far lower than the other stats.
For an attack-focused class, Defense was often around half of its Attack.
A 50% boost to Attack.
Not a bad ratio.
But there were plenty of Skills that were safer, usable in more situations, and had a lower MP cost.
That was why, early in 〈Magic World〉, people didn’t think it was a particularly powerful Skill.
But for a Heavy Knight, Defense was twice their Attack.
The moment you used this Skill, your Attack effectively tripled.
Even more frighteningly, 〈Desperate Resolve〉 stacked with 〈Deathline Rampaging Dragon〉, and its Attack increase was calculated first.
In other words, the sum of my Attack and Defense would be doubled to determine my boosted Attack.
My current Attack was 【40】, and my Defense was 【73】.
With the effects of 〈Desperate Resolve〉 and 〈Deathline Rampaging Dragon〉 applied, my Attack would jump to 【226】.
With my new Blacksteel equipment, it would reach 【241】.
That was enough to pierce through Rana the Nouveau Riche’s Defense twice over, without even relying on the critical hit effect that halves Defense.
And on top of that, I’d get stat boosts from my Title.
If I unleashed a flurry of attacks while Deatharmed was stunned and defenseless, its high HP, sturdy armor, and troublesome regeneration wouldn’t matter.
With my current stats, I couldn’t keep 〈Desperate Resolve〉 active for long.
I had to activate 〈Desperate Resolve〉 right in front of Deatharmed, then unleash a flurry of attacks within the next few seconds, while ensuring its Skills and writhing legs couldn’t hit me.
It was a difficult set of conditions, but thanks to Luche’s efforts, we’d managed to meet them.
“〈Desperate Resolve〉!”
I shouted, raising my sword.
The red glow of 〈Deathline Rampaging Dragon〉 crossed with the pale blue glow of 〈Desperate Resolve〉.
I kicked off the boulder I was standing on and leaped at Deatharmed.
“Take this!”
I brought my blade down on its defenseless body.
An attack from 〈Magic World〉’s balance breaker.
A huge crack split Deatharmed’s sturdy carapace in a single blow.
The impact made its massive body bounce.
“Giiiiiizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”
Deatharmed screamed.
My second swing finished it off.
Deatharmed’s body split in two.
The Heavy Knight’s firepower, several times greater than its normal stats, could take down enemies above its level to an absurd degree in 〈Magic World〉.
That said, I hadn’t planned on fighting this recklessly in this world.
【You acquired 4,059 experience points.】
【Your level increased from 54 to 62.】
【You acquired 8 Skill Points.】
An enormous amount of experience poured into me.
It had been an unexpected turn of events, but this time, it was really over.
I’d successfully defeated the master of the 〈Centipede Tunnel〉 after it had undergone existence evolution.