Chapter: 275
Ignoring the eldest son’s protests, I stepped forward, and the kid covered the tip of his wooden spear with energy.
“Stop, or I’ll take you down!”
Even though his threat was filled with clear hostility, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the shimmering aura in front of me.
Because in my eyes, the aura—or rather, the imitation of aura—was exposed for what it truly was.
He had just layered his own magic over it to make it look convincing, but what filled it inside was the foul energy of the Evil God.
It only made sense, considering this dungeon was crafted by that Evil God; the boss wouldn’t be immune to its influence.
Especially since this pathetic noble brat was weak enough that when I entered the academy, I could have easily wiped the floor with him.
“What’s that?♡ You planning to give me a massage with that?♡ Wow~ So intimidating~♡ I hate massages, you know?~♡”
Beyond my giggles, I could hear the sound of the spear cutting through the air.
Is he really falling for bait that easily?
With an attitude like that, there’s no way he’ll ever become a gentleman.
And come on, his moves are so obvious.
It’s almost like he’s begging me to block his attacks.
As I laughed mockingly and deflected his thrust with my shield, a sharp pain shot up my arm.
Even after parrying, it hurt this much.
Maybe the scars from facing Duke Burrow played a role, but the sheer strength of the eldest son was impressive.
If this battle dragged on, my defenses would surely break apart.
“I’ll say it again. Back off.”
“Are you trying to play tough in front of your little brother?♡ You just want to run away because you’re scared, right?♡ You coward!♡”
So, my course of action is clear.
Make this short and decisive, not a drawn-out fight.
I have to smash him before I run out of steam.
Though it’s contrary to the insights I gained from fighting skeletons a few days ago, I think it’s alright this time.
Because I can already predict how he’ll move.
“If you won’t step back, then I have no choice but to take you down!”
“Go for it!♡ If you can!♡”
With a self-assured voice, I monitored his movements.
I had to confirm whether my initial guesses about the boss room’s landscape were accurate.
And the moment I blocked the eldest’s spear, I felt confident.
Just as I suspected, he was using the Burrow family’s spear techniques.
This is going to be easy.
It’s not unexpected at all; Burrow family techniques aren’t well-suited against me.
Their spear techniques center around long-range attacks, letting them pile on damage gradually.
Though handed down through the Duke’s family, this spear art is fantastic.
Even grandpa praised it as impressive just from watching.
But there’s one glaring flaw.
The idea of overwhelming the enemy relies entirely on keeping a calm demeanor.
If you can’t maintain composure, then it’s yourself who’ll end up overwhelmed.
“Wasn’t it supposed to be a massage?♡ Why are you just flailing at nothing?♡ Is there an invisible man or something?♡”
I mocked him, just like the eldest son who couldn’t control his emotions, swinging his spear wildly.
“How’s it feel to be trolled by a girl in front of your brother?♡ Embarrassed?♡ Humiliated?♡ Angry?♡”
With each taunt, the eldest son’s movements grew more and more erratic.
Rather than sticking to the basics of spear arts, his sole intention was clearly to ‘teach a lesson’ to this charming brat in front of him.
Thanks to that, I easily spotted multiple weaknesses in his technique.
He swung his weapon without regard, creating gaps in his defenses.
He didn’t focus on his footing, causing his balance to falter.
He sometimes forgot about distance control and stepped forward too far.
“Maybe your dumb little brother is thinking the same thing now? ‘My brother is such a hopeless loser!’♡”
I caught a glimpse of the eldest son, losing reason and rushing toward me.
That’s exactly the movement I was waiting for, so I purposely lowered my shield, exposing my head.
A blatant trap inviting him to go for it.
If he had any semblance of sense left, he would’ve suspected something, but he was already lost to his emotions.
It’s quicker to stab than to question!
I avoided the thrust aiming at my head just as planned.
Then, I shoved my shield forward, knocking him down.
I aimed to finish with a blow from my mace, but it failed.
Before my mace could embed itself in the ground, his form fell apart.
Catching my breath, I looked up, and the surrounding scenery began to shift.
The once vast field of the Duke’s lands began to transform into a forest, the boss room unknown.
“Monsters!”
I turned my head upon hearing an enormous shout that sounded like it would shake the leaves.
There was a broken carriage.
Next to it lay the dead or dying.
And standing before it, armed as promised, was the eldest son.
“Your opponent is me!”
Is this the second phase?
He’s putting up a fight, huh?
After getting wrecked just a moment ago, he should have just kept quiet.
Considering you’re using the Burrow family’s spear techniques, you’re bound to flounder again. Why even bother trying to fight?
Or maybe he’s discovered a strange taste for getting taunted?
[Young lady, don’t let your guard down. You never know what will happen.]
“I know, grandpa.”
This is exactly Tariki’s style—digging for weaknesses. I won’t let my guard down.
I didn’t just save my divine powers earlier for nothing.
The moment I lifted my shield in response to my grandpa, a sudden chill of danger surged through me.
Despite the distance from the eldest son.
And even though there was no sound around me.
I didn’t doubt the voice of my shield.
Because it had saved my life several times now, I blindly moved my shield to follow its warning.
And as my shield reached the point it was directed towards…
It was pushed back fiercely, sending a jolt of pain through my arm bones.
It was only after that pain jolted me awake that I realized I was already floating in the air.
Oh no.
This is bad.
When I regained consciousness, initially painted black, I felt pain becoming searing.
There wasn’t a single part of my body that didn’t hurt, making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.
Next was the foul odor of blood that I had grown to recognize during the dungeon raids.
And then, there was the sensation of something grabbing me.
By this point, I had a dreadful feeling about what was coming next, so I forced my heavy eyelids to open.
In front of me were the bodies of knights, maids, and personal servants. And more.
Cough!
…
With my senses scrambled, I couldn’t quite grasp what had just happened.
But given the ringing in my ears and the severe pain in my face, I could only guess I’d been kicked in the head.
When I tried to stagger to my feet, my arms wouldn’t cooperate.
To be more accurate, I simply couldn’t muster the strength.
No matter how hard I struggled to get up, my body stubbornly remained buried among the bodies.
Did I break a bone?
Wow. This really is a proper mess…
Gah!
Something nudged my side.
Though the impact wasn’t strong, it was enough to stir a pang of pain through my ruined body.
Now a creeping dread began to settle in.
At this point, I wasn’t quite ready to break through the dam of fear yet.
“Ugh!”
Just as I was trying to gather my wits, someone stamped on my neck.
With the heel of a shoe. Deliberately made painful.
“Did you think you’d won?”
Through the peals of my cries, I could hear Nakrad’s voice.
“Did you think this dungeon was that easy?”
His voice dripped with the smug satisfaction of a man certain of his victory.
“You should’ve suspected something. Why is this going so smoothly?”
Was the intended deception in the quest a brief respite?
…Oh.
Wait a second.
The line of bodies was intentionally arranged, not to mentally attack me.
They’d been set up to observe how I tackled the dungeon.
And they likely learned that I relied on sound.
I thought I was conquering the dungeon, but in reality, they’d been analyzing my every move.
True, they weren’t mere game enemies.
They’re thinking, reasoning, and judging beings.
Naturally, they’d also think about how to best exploit me.
Ha. How foolish I was.
“Well, let’s stop this chit-chat. From now on, I’ll enjoy tormenting you!”
Well, it’s not entirely hopeless.
That lingering fear hasn’t broken the dam yet.
“First, let me ask you this. Which do you prefer: being skinned alive just before dying, or thrown naked into a pit of monsters?”
“…You’re a pompous jerk… Do you have no dignity?♡”
“Haha! Begging for your life like that…”
“Hey… You… I bet you think you’re still a virgin, don’t you?♡”
It hurts.
It hurts.
It hurts so much.
As my consciousness dipped beneath the surface again, it began to resurface.
Help me.
I don’t want to die.
It hurts.
Someone, anyone.
Ha. Damn. That kick was harsh.
Daddy.
Mommy.
Anyone.
Someone.
Well, at least I achieved my original goal.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
The shock from a moment ago had sparked my divine energy to rise.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
Please, please, please.
Armadhi.
Usually, I wouldn’t bother you with a plea, but this time my life truly hangs in the balance!
I’m counting on you.
‘Almighty being existing among countless gods, have mercy on this humble apostle.’
As I prayed for Armadhi’s mercy, I felt divinity pierce through my heart.
In that moment, I was certain.
I still have one chance left.
A chance to smash my mace into Nakrad’s smug face.
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