Chapter: 360
As I watched the person who dealt with poison sprawled on the ground, twitching amidst the cheers of the crowd, I turned back into the arena.
That guy wasn’t particularly weak. I mean, how can anyone who uses poison not be a pain in the neck?
The very threat that just a scratch could lead to who-knows-what is enough to instill fear.
Furthermore, those who wield poison tend to specialize in injecting it rather than taking down their opponents outright, so you have to approach them differently than your average foe.
It’s just a pity for this guy that our compatibility wasn’t the best.
You see, being imbued with the divinity of my God, I’m pretty much immune to most poisons.
Without even trying, my divine aura naturally expels impurities, making even the deadliest poison utterly harmless to me.
To tackle this issue, he’d have to pump me full of a ton of poison or use something way stronger than usual, but good luck with that!
Even if he did manage a significant poisoning hit that penetrated my shield, I have an ability that cleanses toxins.
I mean, purification skills are everywhere in divine magic, and on top of that, I have that cheat skill called Armadi’s Mercy.
Unless he’s borrowing the powers of some evil god related to poison, I’d say it’s impossible to torment me with poison.
[How unfortunate. If only he had picked a better opponent, he might’ve gone further.]
‘What can I do? Luck is a skill too.’
[True. But it’s frustrating coming from you.]
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the old man’s grumbling.
Yeah, I shouldn’t be the one saying that.
The people, like the poor guy I just faced, can whine about their bad luck. That’s a legitimate complaint.
But for someone like me, who’s been dodging strong foes only to gather experience and fighting only those I can actually beat, saying such things would be pure deceit. That’s just wrong.
Sure, I can let out a laugh at the failed complains of others, but heaving a sigh as a successful person is a surefire way to invite a pitchfork.
Having been blocked many times while stirring up trouble on the Soul Academy forum, I knew this fact all too well.
And why did I bring this up to the old man, you ask?
‘But grandpa, even if it’s different times, I think I’m allowed to speak up this time, right?’
I mean, I’m about to have my own failure pretty soon anyway.
[That’s true, I suppose.]
As I checked the match schedule on the way back to the waiting room, I recalled what Benedict had shared and let out a laugh.
‘It’s still a story from when my father was just a lad. Back then, he tried to prove his strength and didn’t know what to do. He beat up everyone in the knight order, conquered dungeons, and on top of it all, abandoned a lot of family matters while wandering the continent, challenging many strong foes.’
‘It was during that time he met a woman named Lasha. Just like he was, she traveled around smashing strong opponents and came to find me to have a go at me; we clashed our weapons.’
‘She was quite the interesting opponent. I wonder how she would feel to hear that? But even back then and even now, few could match my father’s strength. Lasha was one of the rare exceptions. If her skills had been better, it could have been dangerous.’
‘Even if we fought again now, I don’t think I’d lose, but it sure would be trickier. I’ve gotten weaker, and she hasn’t.’
Lasha. The person Benedict acknowledged as formidable.
A top-tier power when looking at the entire continent.
Her name was now seated right across from me after crushing countless opponents I deemed tricky.
Winning chance?
Zero.
I’m not joking here. After watching the way Risha wiped out her other opponents from the participant’s special seating, this was the conclusion I reached after a ton of contemplation.
There’s truly no chance of winning at all.
I mean, how am I supposed to beat an Apostle of the God of Struggle that pops up in the late game?
I could consider my keyboard and mouse fights over the monitor. But facing that monster directly for real? How am I even supposed to survive?!
[Is that Lasha really an Apostle of Struggle?]
‘I hope she’s not. But yeah, it’s clear she is.’
When I first saw Lasha fight, I thought, “What kind of bizarre person is this,” never associating her with an Apostle of Struggle.
The Lasha I saw through the monitor and this Lasha here were name and body different.
But now, as I watched her smash through other opponents, a creeping sense of déjà vu washed over me.
From her way of swinging her fists to her habits when attacking and the taunts she throws during a fight.
What sealed this feeling for me was the hostile aura radiating around her whenever she glanced at Benedict.
Most folks, including Benedict, dismissed this energy as mere fighting spirit, but I wasn’t fooled.
As the rotten fruit of Soul Academy and Armadi’s Apostle, I knew exactly where that aura came from. It was undeniably the power of the evil god.
[She seemed quite sane, though.]
‘On the surface, of course. Just on the surface.’
Anyone who worships an evil god in a world where being discovered could lead to their veins being ripped apart qualifies as completely insane.
So, the Apostle of Struggle must certainly be a heavily distorted individual somewhere deep inside. Externally, they appear fine, but deep down, it’s clear they’re a lunatic. A mental case with nothing good to keep around.
‘Even if I’m wrong, the reality doesn’t change that I can’t beat this person.’
The gap in power is too vast. Even if I dumped all of my divine power into this body, I’d barely withstand a few hits.
I can’t take her down. If defeat is certain, isn’t it better to just quietly face my demise before the Apostle’s identity is exposed?
My status window could go flying out the window, and the perverted apostle and the clumsy fox can have their fun, but what’s the point? I don’t have a solution here.
Ahhh. This is so unfair!
Why does the dude with the top reputation charge in right when I’m almost there, shouting “Let’s fight!”?
Why does he have to block my path?!
“Whoa. The daughter of Benedict.”
While I was feeling like my life was filled with unfairness and wiping my face, I heard a chuckle from the side.
Turning my gaze to the source, the first thing I noticed was a massive muscle set that was totally mismatched with the feminine voice.
The muscles were so huge that they made even the average knight look skinny, leading me to question if we were the same species.
“Whoa, you’re really small. How can such a tiny thing be born from that giant?”
That sentiment seemed shared by Lasha, who was looking down at me from way higher, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lasha, the one who fought your dad a while back.”
Her smile was full of warmth, but inside my head, everything was a chaotic mess.
I’m an Apostle of the God, and she’s an Apostle of the Evil God of Struggle. The moment my identity is revealed, I know her nice smile would flip upside down, so I couldn’t open my mouth carelessly.
“Hmmm. Want some candy? It’s sweet and delicious.”
‘…No, I’m good, Lasha.’
“Come on. Who thinks you’re a kid? Unlike you, my mental age is higher. I’m the muscle pig.”
As I saw Lasha’s gaze drop downwards, I inwardly groaned while preparing to pull out my mace and shield at any moment.
“Ha ha! Muscle pig? You’re gutsy, like the daughter of Benedict.”
Fortunately, the worst scenario I had imagined did not unfold. Lasha just filled the hallway with her hearty laughter, showing no sign of being offended.
It seems she doesn’t know my true identity yet. She just thinks I’m Benedict’s daughter. If that’s the case, I can just lose clearly and back off without any issues.
“Or are you subtly trying to cause trouble for the Apostle of the God?”
Her seemingly casual words sent a cold shiver down my spine.
Has she figured out I’m the Apostle of God? How? I’ve been completely hiding my divine power!
“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? Haha. Benedict’s daughter, it’s true that you’re outstanding for your age, but you’re still a child. There’s so much that can’t fool me.”
The moment Lasha took a step closer, I took a big step back while drawing out my shield and mace.
It’s fine. Benedict is nearby. As long as I can hold out until he arrives, he’ll sort everything out.
The question is whether I can keep my life intact until then.
Guess I have to.
If I don’t, I’m toast.
While generously unleashing my divine power and preparing for the clash, Lasha laughed heartily once again.
Her laughter echoed so loudly that it vibrated the hallway, enough for people in the waiting room to start pouring out one by one.
What’s going on? Why does she want to draw so much attention? There’s nothing good that comes from this, right?
As my questions grew louder in my mind, Lasha cut the sound between us and the surrounding crowd.
“Calm down. I’m not planning to touch you yet.”
‘Do you expect me to trust that?’
“Do you want me to trust you? Has your muscle gotten big enough to invade your brain or something?”
“I’m not going to cut down the budding talent in front of me.”
Seeing Lasha shrug her shoulders made me recall her backstory.
“It seems there’s some misunderstanding, so let me clarify. It’s not like I became this Apostle because I believe in an evil god. I took the offer simply because doing bad things lets me mess with more strong people.”
The Apostle of Struggle.
“Even if that evil god is barking at me now. Is it my problem? The one who can reach an equal or higher level than that Benedict Alrn who defeated me is you. So why would I want to kill you now? Just think about how much more fun it would be to fight you once you grow stronger.”
A mad person who thinks if they can fight a strong opponent, nothing else matters.
“Well. If I snapped your neck now, Benedict would throw everything he has to come kill me, and that would be quite the laugh. But that’s something I could just do after you’ve grown stronger and become someone who’s worth fighting.”
Her expression was one of someone who isn’t very clever but at least has some patience, grinning widely.
[You’re right. That one’s definitely crazy. Treating an evil god as just a tool.]
‘Well, at least she’s crazy in a useful way for me.’
I mean, being this kind of crazy is a lot better than someone charging directly at me ready to rip my throat out.
“Participants, is something wrong?”
As the staff of the arena rushed in, alerted by the commotion, Lasha waved her hand, surrounding us with magic.
“Sorry! I got too excited meeting such young talent that I ended up threatening them. Must have scared the living daylights out of them.”
“Ah, I see.”
“We talked things out, so don’t worry. Right? Daughter of Benedict?”
At Lasha’s prompting glance, I nodded while lowering my weapons.
Knowing that causing unnecessary chaos would endanger not just me but everyone else here.
The staff, relieved, left after asking us to keep the noise down, and Lasha waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh! By the way, Benedict’s daughter! Even if you can’t win, put in your best effort. I have a feeling I might get a bit grumpy if you don’t.”
…Is this a murder threat?
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
