Chapter: 363
I stare at my opponent. I see Lasha. I notice her foot as she steps forward. I catch the fierce glint in her eye. I witness her body twisting to launch a punch.
But this movement is different from the memories etched into my soul. The Lasha I observed through the monitor had never displayed such motions.
However, that doesn’t mean Lasha has become a completely different entity from the game.
She still seeks to battle the strong, just like she did before.
She still relies on her brute strength instead of heavy weaponry, using only her fists.
Instead of just dealing damage, she wants to toy with her opponent.
She’s prioritizing her fun over victory.
Lasha is Lasha. Even if her name changes, her appearance alters, and the world around her shifts, the essence of who she is remains the same.
And that punch, charging at me to end my life, is no different. At first glance, it seems nothing like what I know, but it actually shares a fundamental basis with the Lasha familiar to me. After all, it’s those memories she’s accumulated that fuel that punch.
Realizing this, I lament my own foolishness.
When I think about it, it’s such an obvious answer. Yet, I failed to grasp it because I was too caught up in my rotten memories.
Back when I was filled with putridness, facing bosses was no different from writing out memorized answers on a paper.
The only distinction was that I used a keyboard and mouse instead of a pen, making it similar to solving a set of fixed exam problems. I had tackled those exam questions dozens, hundreds, even thousands of times.
Having devoted so much time that I could nail the right answers with my eyes shut, I became the epitome of rotten knowledge, forgetting the actual process of discovery. At that time, what I needed was not the process but the answers.
So, even after falling into this world, I chased only the answers, ignoring the process. Living as rotten knowledge had me doing the same now.
I viewed the individual before me not as a person but as an unchanging exam question written on paper.
Thus, when the exam question arbitrarily changed its text, instead of making another attempt, I opted to give up.
Having grown accustomed to giving in and retrying rather than pushing through the decay, I implicitly followed the choices of my past.
But now, things have changed. Now that I’ve recognized what my issue was, I won’t live that way any longer.
Let’s focus my gaze. Let’s etch every one of Lasha’s movements into my vision. Remember the times before I became rotten when I was just a pure gamer.
BAM!
Lasha’s punch clashes against my shield again. Because I poured my divinity into surviving earlier, my shield isn’t as sturdy as before.
But the shock resonating through my arms is less than before. Instead of disregarding the knowledge I had, I chose movements based on what I already knew.
“Have you gotten stronger?”
“Of course! Unlike you, who’s just an old muscle pig waiting to kick the bucket, I’m still young!♡ It’s only natural to grow!♡”
“Haha. I like where this is going.”
The corners of Lasha’s lips curl into a more ferocious grin, and my own lips lift into a smile in response.
There’s no fear. No hesitation. The only feeling coursing through me is pure joy.
Yeah, this is why I loved the Soul Academy.
Because even trials that seem impossible can be overcome with effort. Because the rewards for that effort are immediate. Because it made the knowledge I had painstakingly etched useless. Because every raid sparked new enjoyment. That’s why I loved the Soul Academy.
Her right fist aims to strike my side, swinging beyond my shield.
At first glance, it seems like an attack I could block effortlessly, but instead of moving hastily, I continue to observe.
Lasha is a fighter forged through countless battles. There’s no way she would throw such a basic attack without purpose.
See? The moment her left fist nudges my shield, she’s waiting to dive into the gap.
Blocking it with my shield would be the worst move. Retreating would unbalance my posture, so that’s not ideal either.
So the solution is to move inward!
Shielding my body with my shield, I charge forward, and Lasha’s fist grazes just beside me. Simultaneously, her left fist, which had been prepared to land a blow, has lost the distance needed to unleash its power.
Ordinarily, I would be ready to strike back, thinking I’d secured the upper hand, but this time I held back.
I was sure that any rash movement would cause the precious glass I had grasped to slip through my fingers.
And sure enough, my prediction was spot on.
“Ha! Nice!”
As both my and her hands grew awkward for an attack, Lasha slammed her shield against her forehead.
Anyone observing would have wondered if she’d want a concussion, but that concern didn’t apply to Lasha. Her headbutt, turning her entire body into a weapon, unleashed a colossal shock, as if a shell had struck my shield.
BAM! Unable to withstand the impact, my body skidded across the ground, easily creating distance for Lasha.
“Time’s running out, so how about I speed up!?!”
For the first time, instead of throwing a punch, Lasha raised her leg.
Kicking from a perfectly grounded left leg, it seems like her foot whips through the air like a whip.
Trying to evade it would shred my defenses. I have to counter!
Planting my feet firmly, I brace my shield tightly with both hands, staring down the incoming whip-like attack.
With Lasha, I can’t rely on sound. Her attacks fly beyond mere noise.
I can’t trust just what I see either. Her strikes had rapidly outpaced my senses.
In the end, all I could rely on was the sense etched into my very being.
When you think about it, it’s a hopeless situation, but for some reason, a smile lingered at the corner of my lips.
BAM!
The sensation of parrying flows through, but it’s not a perfect hit. I failed to completely mitigate the impact.
Hah. She really packs a punch. If only she had been this strong when she was merely behind a screen, it would have been quite the spectacle to strategize against.
As my feet, anchored to the ground, lift into the air, I brace myself for the impact that’s about to hit.
…
When I regained consciousness from my blackout, my forehead was planted firmly on the ground. Somehow, I had rolled forward after crashing into the wall.
As I tried to stand, I realized it wasn’t a great idea. The moment I braced myself with my hands, pain shot through, slamming my head back into the dirt.
Gah?! Did my arm break just from the impact of the shock from the shield?!
What the hell! If my shield hadn’t been legendary, it would have shattered.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all, even as cold sweat trickled down my back.
Terror began to creep in. The joy that had bubbled during the fight faded, replaced by shivery chills.
Complaints about pain and wails of resignation about falling now tangled with desperate pleas to let go of my rudeness, clogging my mind and halting coherent thoughts.
Through it all, I grit my teeth, healing my body and forcing myself upright again.
The dam hasn’t broken yet. The thick toad soaking up the rising fears inside me still believes it can hold on. It says I’m in deep trouble, but not completely sunk.
Then I can lift my shield.
There’s no need for accidents. I can ignore the thoughts crowding my head. As long as I have a moment to act on instinct, it will be enough.
“You really are so annoyingly tough. Are you even human?”
“I’ll throw that question right back at you!♡ Are you human?♡ You look like a mix of orc and troll to me!♡”
“Wow. You seriously don’t know when to shut up. You’re the best.”
Her laughter boomed across the arena before she suddenly straightened her posture, preparing for what would become the final blow.
The ground cracks beneath us. Mana surges toward her fist, pulling the air in like a vortex. The red-tinged ferocity filling Lasha’s eyes spells doom.
Wow. How do I possibly block that? Even at full strength, I’d be crushed; there’s no way to handle that in my exhausted state.
Should I throw in the towel? That might save my life, at least.
Caught up idly wondering, instead of retreating, I raise my shield, hoping for a miracle.
“You did well, Lucy.”
Then, from behind me, a miracle in human form appeared.
“Stay behind me for a moment.”
Stepping forward, Benedict took a stance with a neutral expression as mana surged into his fist, gathering just as forcefully as Lasha’s.
Watching that, I realized there was no space for me between monsters at the human level engaging in this clash, and I took a step back.
“Haha! Benedict! Ready for some fun after so long?”
“I’d like to think after this age, you’d gain a little wisdom.”
“You’re the one who’s gotten too wise!”
After their strangely relaxed conversation, both threw their fists at one another.
From where I stood, the clash between the two appeared not like mere human fists colliding but rather like dragons pushing against one another with their breaths.
The visible threat produced a tremendous backlash.
The earth splintered, shrieking. I had to jab my shield into the ground to keep from being blown away. Among the spectators, a few fainted from the sheer force.
And yet, the two generating the backlash weren’t fazed.
Benedict simply waved off the tension as if to shake off the feeling, and Lasha grinned ferociously without a hint of fatigue, drawing even more mana.
“Your daughter lost the bet, so you showed up? It’s nice and fast! Ready for a fight?! Let’s start right away?!”
“What nonsense, Lasha. Our daughter won the bet.”
“What nonsense are you spouting! You intruded in the middle of it! That’s clearly against the rules!”
“It’s not a violation if you kept attacking without acknowledging the outcome after one minute, isn’t it?”
“…One minute passed? Really?”
Lasha blinked, turning her gaze toward Count Bardron seated among the spectators. Once their eyes met, Bardron nodded in confirmation.
“Lady Alrn speaks the truth, Lasha.”
“What?! I didn’t take down that brat in one minute?!”
With Lasha’s voice rising in irritation, Bardron stayed silent, and Benedict drew in power. It almost seemed like Lasha was about to throw a fit over the outcome.
But I felt differently. Pulling my shield from the ground, I passed by Benedict and stood before Lasha, grinning smugly.
“Heard you were strong, but you’re just a hot mess now, huh?♡ Why don’t you bow your head like a good loser, huh?♡”
While Lasha looked at me dumbfounded, Benedict rushed over to my side.
“Lucy!? This isn’t the time for that! Get behind me, quickly!…”
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
Despite Benedict’s worry, Lasha chuckled for a while before pausing, brushing her hair back as she walked closer to me.
“Alright, kid. I’ll agree, for now, that I lost.”
“Do you think there will even be a next time?♡ You’re too slow and dim-witted for a muscle pig!♡ You’ll eternally live as a loser to me!♡”
“Ugh. Alright. Let’s meet again sometime. I hope to be strong enough to give it my all then.”
After her statement, Lasha turned her back on us, waving her hands as she stepped outside the arena.
While she left the arena, only Benedict remained, and just when he regained his composure, the referee boomed.
“The winner! Lucy Alrn!”
Maybe it was the recognition that it was all over.
The grip I’d forced upon my sanity slipped away, and my body leaned forward.
Aaaah! This is just…
Having exhausted all my strength against Lasha, Lucy Alrn was about to fall under the weight of it all, right to the ground…
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