<597 – Delicious Linked Quest (21)>
There is a 300,000 won puppy.
The puppy always shows interest and affection towards its owner, following them everywhere.
If a loyal dog that has served its owner for many years gets injured and the treatment cost amounts to 3 million won, can they really afford such an expensive medical bill?
‘Of course! A pet with 100 loyalty is priceless in its usefulness!’
A companion that would never betray me.
There’s no way I’d regret spending money for my own ally.
That 100 loyalty butler Jonnas brought back a maid named Reap from the Foundation as his partner.
Reap, who always helps me with toxin resistance.
Even though she could easily harm me whenever she wanted, she always provided the right combinations for me.
‘She’s not just helping with toxins!’
She also aids in hide-and-seek and recently taught Mana Flow Technique Manual for Maids to foster Titosso, Hestia, and April as the next Assassin Maids.
Even without such help, I’d gladly rescue a dog Jonnas raises, let alone Reap, who’s human.
“Our weak and pitiful maid won’t be bullied by the bad Saintess!”
“Where’s the weakness and pity in a maid handling the vile death poison?”
I didn’t listen to the cowardly excuses of the Saintesses ganging up on one.
Just looking at Reap’s tattered clothes, I could guess how they had tormented her and what humiliations she endured to create an opportunity to take one down.
[Doppelganger Technique]
[Acceleration Afterimage Sword]
Meaningless conversation.
As they distracted themselves with chit-chat, two of me charged towards the Saintesses from different angles.
The Swordsman Saintess swung her sword in a semicircle, slashing through the afterimages and the space behind me.
[High-Speed Movement]
[Instant Acceleration]
[Front Leap]
[Mana Boost]
Even after simultaneously activating all kinds of skills, one doppelganger that couldn’t escape through the gap was cut down.
[Swift Sword Area + True Sword Area]
[One-Hit Technique: Swallowing Strike]
The previous sword strike rewound like someone pressed the rewind button and came back to slice the remaining doppelganger.
“Your doppelgangers are useless!”
“Not at all! I still have plenty of doppelgangers!”
[Doppelganger Technique]
[Acceleration Afterimage Sword]
This time, I generated four doppelgangers simultaneously, spreading out mana shields and launching a rushing combo with a [Roll].
While the doppelgangers soared through the air, changing paths at unpredictable speeds, the Swordsman Saintess panicked as the Blind Saintess began launching Holy Pages in her place.
[Tracking]
[Restraining]
[Prayer Technique]
“The faith toward the holy is making the steps of the wicked slow. Revelation 3:3.”
“That’s not how Grandius’s great declaration spell works! Holiness means the height of self-achieved accomplishments, so here, I am the most holy, right?”
[Theological Interpretation Collision Manifestation]
[Area Collision Initiating]
[Your Mana Manipulation surpasses Grandius’s Saintess’s Holy Control Arts.]
[Achievement Duel Enforced Manifestation]
[Your accomplishments exceed those of Grandius’s Saintess. The Holy Page’s restraining spell cannot dare bind you.]
“Don’t be so smug. Swapping the faith towards the gods into oneself should rightly incur divine wrath, so I hereby declare heresy! Ugh!”
“Not a chance! No matter how unjust it seems, I absolutely won’t allow any heresy declaration!”
Doppelgangers that weren’t bound by the Holy Page rushed in at a fierce speed, beginning the [Death Sentence: Soul Rending Sword] at close range, while the Blind Saintess hurriedly cast her protective spell.
“Title Change!”
[The title [Molunodi] is released.]
Molunodi: Those who assist in executing incidents you planned but didn’t manage will always recall and gain courage from the foresight of Molunodi.
[Passive Effect – 10% increased operation success rate]
[Equipped Effect – 20% increased operation success rate]
[The title [Guide to Corruption] has been activated.]
[Guide to Corruption: Every being with divine mana is exposed to the possibility of distortion by you.]
[Passive Effect – 10% increased success rate of interference on [Divine]]
[Equipped Effect – 30% increased success rate of interference on [Divine]]
As I endeavored to strengthen interference against sacred magic to twist even the Blind Saintess’s defensive spell, I felt a sudden slice in the space as the Swordsman Saintess’s sword shot towards my neck.
[Super Concentration]
[Aerial Acrobatics]
[Sense of Balance]
[Prognosis Eye]
Using the foresight, I predicted what changes would occur due to the energy contained in the sword and quickly leaned back to deploy my dedicated defensive spell.
[Interference, Cancellation]
The advanced technique can sense the flow of mana to read the opponent’s movements, attack directions, and more.
‘My real talent lies in countering all kinds of elemental powers with veteran knowledge!’
Wrapping the thunder sword’s power from the Saintess in my vine shield spell, I funneled it beneath the ground.
At the last moment, a thunderclap resonated as a prickly sensation coursed through my body just as the Swordsman Saintess’s sword rushed fiercely at me.
While my body, enhanced with toxin resistance, easily moved to parry, the Swordsman Saintess’s face contorted in rage when her decisive attack was blocked.
Her sword displayed tremendous strength, forcefully repelling mine, and the blessing spell from the Saintess began granting special effects to her sword.
“I shall offer this peace of the battlefield to the God of Peace, and until your sword remains silent, mine shall swing faster and stronger!”
[Magic Bestowal: Sword]
[Silence Magic]
I immediately cast silence magic on my sword.
As it swung and swished without a sound, the buff attached to the Saintess’s sword was abruptly cut off.
“See? It’s silenced! Such a poorly designed conditional buff!”
“I’ll kill you…!”
Furious, the Swordsman Saintess drew a second sword, but in that moment, I charged at the Blind Saintess.
[Doppelganger Technique]
[Acceleration Afterimage Sword]
Taking advantage of the Swordsman Saintess’s surprise, the Blind Saintess gritted her teeth and began reciting a new divine spell.
“Wisdom and knowledge guide us to higher enlightenment, for the power that calls peace dwells here. Chapter 4:17 of the Opening of Heaven.”
“The unworthy covet strength, leading to the disappointment of gods who took their powers away. Chapter 5:16 of Condemnation!”
“?!”
[Prayer Technique]
[Dark Corruption]
As I mimicked the incantation toward Grandius within some of the Holy Pages that should respond with power, one of the Blind Saintess’s pages tried to fly towards me but got snagged on another page.
The absurdity of being attacked by a Prayer Technique with another Prayer Technique shocked the Blind Saintess profoundly.
“You’re really a heretic utilizing the scripture of the deity in a prayer technique?”
“Hmph. For a veteran, reciting the scriptures of 24 divine classes is basic, you know? In my presence, I won’t permit any divine spell to unfold comfortably!”
Let’s think logically.
Could a veteran who has played so many games not know divine spells?
Of course, they know everything!
That’s precisely why I turned away from becoming one of the gods’ minions and the apostolic contract.
Even if I’m not a minion, I have no reason to suffer the restrictions bestowed by gods to use techniques I can utilize freely!
“Newbie trait, wrapping defense spells around oneself at the first sign of danger!”
“Hmm… Is this enough?”
“That’s a bit too passive; it’s not impressive enough.”
“I bet even Grandius in the heavens would be sighing heavily! The Swordsman Saintess, once so formidable, is being battered by a child!”
“It seems they didn’t pray hard enough. The divine defense spell’s defensive power is pretty terrible!”
As I unleashed a ferocious assault with some of my doppelgangers pushing forward, utilizing interference spells to pierce through the defense, the Blind Saintess quickly became flustered.
Without allowing even the slightest hint of counterattack, I choked her backwards.
The sharpness of the attack was one thing, but as I pushed through her defenses, my cutting words began to shake her faith, creating visible signs of doubt in her belief.
This is also a veteran’s strength.
Having tried every job class, I know precisely which words would disturb the mental state of a class specialist.
The gaslighting that flowed as smoothly as breathing shook the Saintess, just as rookie players can’t decipher the deceit of malicious old players pushing inferior builds onto them.
As the Blind Saintess swiftly found herself in danger, the Swordsman Saintess raised her second sword high and shouted.
“I offer my inner peace to the God of Peace, may the Light of the Soul and the Holy Radiance descend upon my sword!”
With the divine spell, the second sword drawn by the Swordsman Saintess began receiving buffs at insane speed.
Increase in physical attack power.
Increase in piercing attack power.
Increase in sacred attack power.
Increase in sword rate.
Expansion of hit range.
Certain probability of [Lightning] generation.
Certain probability of [Overwhelm] manifesting.
Certain probability of [Flash] triggering.
Certain probability of status anomaly [Paralysis] upon hit.
Certain probability of status anomaly [Submission] upon hit.
It was clear that the Swordsman Saintess had diligently honed her divine Prayer Technique, as evidenced by that list of buffs.
The expected increase in attack power and the likelihood of causing status anomalies was no small matter.
Even a master who can take down one doppelganger with a single strike would still be overwhelmed by such buffs.
The conditions for those buffs were also well-designed.
She reduced the factors that could be influenced by outside interference and made her effort and accomplishments the trade-off, meaning it was impossible to negate with my own power.
“I’ve decided!”
I’ll also share the good stuff.
[Prayer Technique]
[Manifestation of Greatness]
“Grandius, if you give me that sword, I’ll share my achievement acquisition conditions with you!”
“You think very little of the gods. How many achievements do you possess for it to catch the eye of a god?”
Pffft. Seems the deity has a different mindset!
Holy Radiance shone down on me like a pinpoint from the sky.
It was a sign that the God of Greatness, Grandius, had rushed to hear my prayer.
[The God of Greatness Grandius is astonished upon seeing your title list.]
[“You witnessed the world’s destruction without anyone knowing, and you saved the world from ruin, so where does the weight of that causal chain lie? Are you saying you were an unknown savior who glimpsed the future of the world and prevented the impending doom?”]
[“Answer me. Why does the world regard you merely as the unfortunate daughter exploited by the Dark Princess and Seonhwang of the Foundation?”]
[Grandius requests a sincere answer as a condition for responding to your call.]
“Grandius?!”
The Blind Saintess hurriedly looked up to the sky and shouted, but it was already too late to interfere.
Once a god takes an interest in humans, it’s extremely difficult to obscure their sight with mere human power.
“I just didn’t want others to know. For veterans, it’s not that great, and it’s only embarrassing to receive praise with a fuss, right?”
For someone walking a great path, achieving accomplishments worthy of reporting through titles is as natural as breathing.
The veterans’ acceptance of titles aligns perfectly with what one should carry as a devotee of Grandius, the God of Greatness.
As soon as the Saintess of this deity stepped into the Academy, the hierarchical relationship between these Saintesses and me was established.
[The God of Greatness Grandius praises the appearance of a true apostle who emerges once every millennium.]
[Grandius’s will forcibly seizes control over the holy sword consecrated by the divine protection spell of the God of Peace, Tranqilo.]
As the sword that had received every possible buff found its place in my hands, an unbearable injustice welled up in the Swordsman Saintess’s eyes, filled with tears.
“Pissing off a veteran triggers heartfelt mode, shattering their mental state!”
