Chapter: 153
There’s a huge problem right now for Karl.
Naturally, it’s not about his skill level. What could possibly be wrong with the monstrous knight’s prowess who completely overwhelms me even after several months?
It’s a different matter. If I had to pinpoint it, it was a psychological or perhaps disciplinary issue with Karl.
Right now, Karl is pushing me harder than usual.
Thanks to the Mesugaki Skill, there’s a slight magical energy imbued in his heated sword strikes, enough to shake my shield.
I’m managing to endure by getting used to parrying his strikes, but if it weren’t for that, I would’ve already collapsed, right?
Think about it. What would happen if an ordinary person got hit by that sword?
The wooden sword Karl is holding might as well be a blunt club since it has no sharp edge. But even a club can break bones or worse if you take a hit the wrong way.
Especially the way Karl swings that wooden sword, it’s more dangerous than a normal blade! If one of the academy students gets hit by that, they’d be fighting for their lives!
Karl knows this better than anyone. He’s a knight so skilled that even Grandpa acknowledges him; there’s no way he wouldn’t know the weight of the weapon he wields.
Despite that, he swings it purely because he is confident I’ll block it.
Now, what if—just what if—the situation arises where his wooden sword could seriously injure me? How would that guy react?
Doesn’t that sound fun?
I wait behind my shield, biding my time.
Block. Block. Block again.
Then, at some point, I noticed an opportunity.
With that swing, I can definitely parry.
Watching his incoming strike, I stepped forward without a second thought.
Ding!
As I activated the parry, Karl’s swing ricocheted away, creating an opening.
At first, Karl was taken aback by this phenomenon, but having grown accustomed to dueling with me, he narrowed his eyes slightly in response.
Having to recover after the rebound, his swing was fiercer than usual.
As his trajectory was etched into the air, my Iron Wall Skill whispered to me.
That sword is aiming for my head.
That’s a good thing.
The more dangerous that attack feels, the greater the bewilderment Karl will feel.
He still believes that I will block his sword.
He always has until now.
He hasn’t allowed a single effective hit.
But this time, it’s different. I didn’t move my shield.
Instead, I stepped forward, challenging him to try and take me down.
In that moment, clarity returned to Karl’s previously clouded eyes.
Self. What will you do?
It was already too late for him to pull back the sword.
No matter how strong he is, he can’t handle this situation.
Karl’s judgment was quick.
He ground his teeth, trying to slow down his sword.
Even if he couldn’t stop the attack, he aimed to avoid wounding me.
I knew you would do that. I smiled at him and stepped forward again.
And in that moment, I poured the divine power into the mace’s tip.
Not just any divine power, but the fiery heat of the Divine Sword Technique.
At the same time, Karl’s sword struck my forehead.
There was a shock, but it wasn’t too great.
He desperately tried to halt his sword, and the divine power I held helped absorb some of the impact.
Starting from my forehead, a sharp pain spread, meaning I would probably have a bruise, but so what?
More importantly, because he struggled to stop his sword, I had the chance to strike.
The technique I used when throwing punches could be applied the same way while swinging my mace.
Instead of just swinging with my arm, I fueled the swing with my entire body.
Though Karl caught my movement in his eyes, it was already too late for him to counter with his sword.
Instead of forcing a swing, he chose to receive my mace.
Up to this point, everything followed the scenario I had mapped out in my head.
Now all I had to do was bring it to its conclusion.
Alright, Karl. If you can block my attack without taking any damage, you win.
That’s impossible!
Back then, when I first resolved to hit you, I was weak.
Just a cheeky kid who didn’t even know how to swing a mace properly.
I’m still weak now. But not compared to then.
I don’t know what power you imagined my attack to have, but there’s one thing I can assure you.
My attack is stronger than what you’re imagining.
The mace comes crashing down on Karl’s wooden sword, which he’s using as a shield.
Whoa. This guy really is a monster.
Trying to endure my attack with just his own strength?
With all the divine power I have left?
His response, completely outside the realm of common sense, made me snicker.
Seriously, he’s a monster.
But hey, even if you’re strong, the wooden sword you’re holding isn’t that strong.
Even if Karl has applied magical energy, it’s still a wooden sword.
There’s a limit to the force it can withstand.
In the standoff that felt endlessly short yet eternal, cracks started forming in the center of the wooden sword, and soon it split in half.
The mace, having shattered the obstacle, continued towards its original target.
I aimed for Karl’s abdomen.
Thud!
As the mace connected, Karl’s body was sent flying backward, eventually ascending into the air.
Feeling the sensation in my hand, I was assured.
My attack had struck true.
Seeing Karl fly from the hit, I grinned and toppled to the ground.
[Was that a strike where you gave it your all?]
‘Yep.’
Given that I had half destroyed my divine sword technique by testing it in reality.
To deliver a proper strike, I had to pour everything into it.
Now my arms and legs aren’t moving at all.
I guess I’ll have to stay like this for a while.
Oh well. Still satisfied since I got one hit in on Karl.
Now I can say to that punk, “You got hit by your master, shoddy shoddy piece of trash.”
Based on the repertoire flooding my mind, it seems I’ve been looking forward to this moment for quite a while.
As I stared at the nonsensically blue sky, I suddenly recalled something and frowned.
Skills like the Divine Sword Technique and Iron Wall gradually increase in proficiency each time they’re used, right?
Then doesn’t the Mesugaki Skill also get better?
As I pondered how to mess with Karl, several Mesugaki phrases popped into my head, probably because the proficiency of my Mesugaki Skill had increased?
Alarm!
Zoom!
Yeah, thinking about it, there are a ton of strange things.
Like how swears like “shoddy” and “trash” have become second nature.
Or how I’ve been muttering “shoddy” in my head more often.
Or how my vocabulary has enriched while provocation others.
…Am I gradually being consumed by the Mesugaki Skill? Is that it?!
Realizing this shocking fact, my eyes widened as footsteps approached me from the side.
I lacked the strength to turn my neck, so I couldn’t see who it was, but I knew their identity.
“Uh… Young Lady. You were amazing.”
It was Karl. That guy, even after taking my full-powered strike, was casually smiling with no apparent damage.
“It was as painful as when we dueled at the Allen Family. I can’t believe you’ve gotten this strong already. You truly are someone of the Allen bloodline.”
Even though I thought he’d believe my attack would be healed at the academy anyway.
What? That it was painful? Is that all it amounts to?!
Karl probably said that to praise me, but it felt like a deception to me.
It was like a bad guy in a comic saying, “Oh, you injured me. Remarkable.”
Ugh. Karl. Just you wait. You might be able to smile now, but as time goes on, it’ll get tougher for you.
I’m a veteran gamer from Soul Academy, you know.
One day, I’ll make you say, “This shoddy dog can never beat the Young Lady!”
While thinking that, I realized I’d silently muttered “shoddy” again and let out a silent scream.
*
Even after that, I spent all day thinking about the proficiency of my Mesugaki Skill, but in the end, I came to no conclusion.
Is it even possible for me to choose not to increase my Mesugaki Skill proficiency?
Every time I speak, those words automatically turn into Mesugaki lingo.
As long as I’m alive and not planning to keep my mouth shut for eternity, it’s inevitable that my Mesugaki Skill will level up.
Even if there’s some compulsion, I still have to make use of the Mesugaki Skill.
Apart from having to speak in a Mesugaki way, the skill’s performance is overwhelming.
Absolute provocation ability. The forced anger debuff hitting the opponent. Plus, the stats climbing with the more enraged they get.
I expect countless crises worse than I’ve faced so far will be upon me, so it’s impossible to survive without the Mesugaki Skill, right?
So the increase in proficiency of the Mesugaki Skill and the words “shoddy” and “trash” sticking to my tongue is unavoidable.
I’m a bit scared that one day, even if the Mesugaki Skill disappears, I’ll still be saying “shoddy shoddy.”
But what can I do about it?
Soon, I might even be calling Grandpa a worn-out old junk when talking to him silently.
No way. That might actually be fun.
When I practice with Grandpa in Practice Mode later, should I jokingly call him that?
After pondering for a while, I reached the conclusion that thinking about it would only lead to sighs, so I went to the dining hall for a change of mood.
When you’re feeling down, you have to eat something delicious.
Meat and sweets are the best when you’re gloomy!
[So are you eating alone again today?]
‘…Grandpa. Do you really have to point that out?’
It’s quite rude to ask someone who’s eating alone why they’re eating alone.
Why is someone who knows so much about the social circle saying this to me?!
[No. I just wondered if there’s a reason you’re eating alone right now. It’s not like there are only enemies around like when you first came here.]
‘That’s true.’
The reason I ate alone at the academy in the beginning was that there was no one to have a meal with.
But that’s different now.
If I wanted to eat with someone, I could find people willing to join me.
Visi and Avery are in a position where they have to follow my orders if I command them.
Joina and Phoebe would happily leave the people they were eating with and come to me if I asked.
Arthur is a bit uncertain.
Frey? She doesn’t listen to me at all, so who knows if she would come or not.
As for the Sloppy Fox… I dislike her. Just glancing at her while she’s eating makes me feel like I might actually choke.
Anyway, to summarize, I’m in a situation where I could easily escape eating alone if I wanted.
Still, the reason I’m eating alone is simple.
‘What if I make them dislike me?’
I’ve put so much effort into raising my favorability; what if the Mesugaki Skill started blabbering nonsensically and lowered it instead?!
[I doubt they would grow to hate you over something so trivial.]
‘I know that too.’
But you see.
If I talk about shoddy stuff during a meal, even if they don’t mind, I’d feel uncomfortable.
I felt that during my last field trip when we ate together.
Rather than eating while awkwardly looking out for each other, I’d rather eat alone!
[You’re so hearty during fights, but why are you so clumsy when it comes to human relationships? ]
‘Shut it, Grandpa.’
After replying lightly to Grandpa while waiting for my order to arrive, someone approached me from afar.
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