Crunch.
I eat half of the remaining four chocolates.
“Mmm, tasty.”
“You.”
Before the enemy, he shows a face that expresses not understanding but anger at my act of eating something, yet I do not respond as it can be considered a kind of buff for me and I swallow the bite.
Then, I take a stance and grab one of the stone fragments that had fallen on the ground in my hand.
“Hehe, old man! Come at me!”
[Current drunkenness: 7%]
What will come out of my mouth after this fight depends solely on my judgment.
It could be the curry I had for lunch, or perhaps my internal organs and blood.
If I had to pick what I wanted, I wouldn’t want to spill anything… but judging by how dizzy I feel right now, the probability of me throwing up pancakes seems quite high.
As I smile and gaze at the old man, he finally speaks, unable to hold back any longer.
“Die.”
“Hey, isn’t that a bit of a cliché line…?”
“Shut up…!”
WHOOSH!!!
A red sword falls, tearing through the air.
Before I can see it, my body reacts first.
Thud!
It seems that merely having lived a long time isn’t enough to dare to assume the position of a bishop.
Isn’t it commonly said to be careful of the old man, woman, and child?
To have survived means to be strong.
“Oops.”
CRACK!!!
As I turn my body to the side, a massive shockwave erupts where I was standing, splitting the earth apart.
This is not an evasion support but an attack dodged solely by my will.
If I relied on evasion support and let my body do what it wanted, Noah and the guard behind me could get hit.
When I need to block an attack during a situation, I must endure it without dodging in any way.
Perhaps I can somewhat understand what Philia Professor meant by not trusting the senses too much.
“How.”
“?”
“How do you act as if you know everything?”
“Um? Because you’re simple?”
“……”
And then comes a question that the opponent naturally has.
The old man seems to question why I’m avoiding his attacks so easily, but I’m not the type to enjoy explaining things.
It’s not like it’s some animation or comic; the reason I know the bishop’s patterns is that I have played through many rounds.
It’s not simply about predicting the future; I wouldn’t carelessly talk about the secrets of the world.
Moreover, I may feel relaxed due to the alcohol now, but the moment the old man transforms his attack into a long-range one, I would be at a disadvantage.
Thus, there is no doctor to explain why.
“Like a fly…!”
“If anything, I’m the one who wants to ask. Why do you believe in such a strange religion?”
“Strange religion?”
Though I’ve played several rounds, I haven’t had many opportunities to directly converse with these guys.
I only knew that they were a group trying to invoke [the End] in the game.
“Haha! To call Him ‘that’…!”
The old man, shocked by my words, bursts into a crazed laugh.
Or perhaps, it might have been a cry.
Taking advantage of the old man’s brief moment of distraction, I threw the stone I had been holding at his head with all my strength.
CRACK!
“Nice shot!”
“Cough!”
“Did you expect to just stand there laughing?”
“You have no sense of decency…!”
“I’d rather die than be polite to the enemy!”
After all, there’s no point in being polite to someone I won’t see again.
“Now, you’re getting tired.”
The bishop finally looked exhausted.
[Phase 3]
CRASH!!!
The old man inserts his sword into his body and scatters it into dozens or hundreds of forms in the air.
Like a red rain, each mist is distractingly dangerous and can lead to instant death.
If it were Philia Professor, who has a tough body and knows defensive magic, it might be different, but for me, it’s dangerous.
Yet this is the situation I wish for right now.
‘It’s coming.’
Originally, the bishop would have done everything he could to maintain close combat.
That would make his pattern simple and strong, thus easier to avoid.
This form is perfect for holding out until the professors arrive.
But as I felt the presence of Noah and the guard again, all my strategies crumbled.
Even if I could dodge the close-range charge attack, the people behind me could get seriously hurt or die.
If I don’t dodge and try to block, I am overwhelmingly outmatched in terms of durability and strength.
In other words, this was an optimal form meant solely for killing, not for breaking the surrounding terrain.
On the other hand, while the previous close-range attacks were overwhelming, this was something I could defend against.
The danger level has increased significantly, but paradoxically, the probability of being able to survive has also increased.
“Fuh.”
[Current drunkenness: 8%]
“It’s over.”
ZSHHHHH!!!
Front, back, sides, and below.
Within the range that my vision can perceive.
Red thorns rush towards my body to pierce holes through me.
Ratatatata!!!
With all the aggro directed towards me, I naturally activate Drunken Fist and deflect dozens of thorns.
But behind that come hundreds more thorns.
‘This won’t do.’
Ultimately, I must aim for the main body.
The opponent can’t shoot thorns at me forever.
According to the information I possess, those red thorns were made from the blood of victims the old man had devoured.
I don’t know how many there are, but they certainly won’t be infinite.
However, before that, my probability of getting exhausted and pierced to death is much higher.
Tlick!
Thus, what I need is a single gap.
I strike down and lift the thorns at maximum speed, creating a narrow path to slip through.
[Understanding of Drunken Fist is increasing.]
[Understanding of Drunken Fist is increasing.]
[Understanding of Drunken Fist is increasing.]
Little by little, I begin to grasp how to effectively use the skills I possess and how to move.
Chop.
I grab a few of the incoming thorns and use them to propel my body towards the wall, aiming at the old man’s chest.
“Do you think that’s possible? You must think very little of me…”
“Oh, is that a no?”
But of course, the thorns that circled around his body moved freely, completely nullifying my attack.
After all, this had never worked in the game either.
The old man’s own attacks within his range simply return the consumed resources back to him.
Still, I haven’t given up.
“I’ll borrow this.”
The guard’s spear is now in my hand.
“Hah, do you think holding a weapon will change anything?”
“Many things will change.”
A heavy spear that feels distinctly weighty with my current stat boost.
Holding that spear, which feels even heavier due to my small stature, I hurl it at the old man.
“You think that little thing will…!!”
Of course, I hadn’t learned how to use a spear, so right now it might only hinder me.
However, there’s no weapon as useful as a spear for opening a path.
WHOOSH!!!
The old man quickly gathers the surrounding thorns and creates a barrier.
When the barrier collides with the spear, the attack fails.
But in that single instant.
The moment the old man’s vision was momentarily blocked, I dashed right up to him.
‘0.01 seconds on the battlefield can mean life or death.’
BOOM!!!!
And I land a direct hit.
The bishop allows the attack to land, momentarily causing his face to take the impact as he steps back.
“……”
Yet, in a situation where even a pained groan can’t be heard.
Click.
A completely defenseless bishop.
The muzzle of a gun perfectly aimed at his mouth.
[Current drunkenness: 9%]
The moment I pull the trigger, something pierces my body.
WHOOSH.
My abdomen? No, more precisely, a hand and a foot.
“Ugh.”
BOOM!!!!
Shards burst out and smoke billows.
My body is thrown against the wall, fixed in place like a taxidermied animal.
And the bishop stands up while uttering a line.
“Alright, I admit it. That last attack was quite creative. But… it seems you’ve gotten a bit carried away since I played with you a little.”
“……”
He stands up, a mix of slight anger and curiosity, as he approaches me, who is pinned to the wall, and laughs as if he has enjoyed every moment.
Click.
And he removes his mask to reveal the grotesquely charred inner face of the old man.
“You are sufficient to be with us. So allow me to enlighten you.”
“Do you think I’m going to let that happen?”
“It will happen. Placing this on you is a rare occurrence, so dare to feel honored.”
He laughs with disgust as if it was meant to happen and places the goat mask over my face.
The higher the stats of a character, the higher their mental stat must be, and such an item that continues to keep such a being in a state of brainwashing must possess powerful effects.
Though I fought like I was utilizing the information in the game and my traits, to the bishop, it was merely a fleeting struggle.
The gap between the old man and me is just that much.
“The world is rushing towards death. Wouldn’t it be right for everyone to surrender to the End beforehand?”
“Your kind is saying that humans should die because you’re ruining the environment. If that’s the case, you should die first.”
“Well, don’t worry this time; I won’t fail. You’ll understand the true meaning of this too.”
Neither of us is willing to have a serious conversation.
“……”
Click.
Then, a mask is placed over my face.
With the intended smoke and situation, I have reached the desired outcome.
Now… it’s time to leave it to fortune.
***
[External interference detected.]
[ is observing you.]
[Warning]
[Mental state is being consumed.]
[Resist.]
[Resist.]
[Resist.]
.
.
.
.
[Mental strength is above a certain level.]
[An existence of a higher curse of the same kind is detected.]
[Detection of a similar grade curse.]
[Priorities are being measured.]
.
.
.
.
[Existing curse classified as a higher curse; additional curses are nullified.]
[ is shocked.]
[ has gained curiosity about you.]
[Access denied.]
[ is silent.]
[Curse nullification completed.]
[ withdraws.]
***
An overwhelming sensation flips my brain.
Amid that unpleasant feeling, I grit my teeth.
I don’t like being manipulated by that damned old man.
That’s all there is to it.
Do I look like someone who would engage in a suicide terror act?
And when I opened my eyes, I saw a spear floating in front of me.
[A new item detected.]
[Resistance to the curse!]
[A random stat increases.]
And reading the final sentence, I smiled.
[Mental strength stat has increased.]
I succeeded in the gamble.
