“Darling, did you learn a Combat Arts skill?”
“Yes, apparently.”
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I guess I’ll try it right away.”
“Master, Combat Art skills spend a lot of magic power. Please be careful not to overuse it.”
“Really? Thanks for telling me.”
I see, so it uses the same power as Fire Magic and Elemental Magic.
…I’m wondering if I should, because of how much I’ve grown, but testing how many times I can use it before I start to feel sick sounds like a pain. My Magic Power is four hundred forty-one. It would take about one hundred fifty normal Fireballs, and since I have Magic Energy Recovery Lv2, I’d have to check every time.
Is there a better way to check how my magic power is spent…
“Do something about it, Luck…”
“Darling?”
“It’s nothing… Crimson Sword.”
I chant, and the way to activate the skill pops up in my head.
…I see, so it’s like a Fireball on my swords.
That’s what I picture, and my swords are enveloped in flames.
I can feel the heat when I reach towards the blade, but it doesn’t reach the handle. It wouldn’t be usable if the heat reached the user.
“Wah… It’s all sparkly and pretty!”
I test it on a nearby goblin, and it seems it scorches where it cuts, and has the ability to spread fire. Is it like a Fireball with the sharpness of a sword?
This should be useful.
The fire puts itself out after ten minutes.
I thought this might be a problem for the blades, but apparently the heat doesn’t damage them. Actually, looking at it more closely, is the heat generated from the outside of the blades? Well, in any case, it boosts its attack power.
“It feels great to use. And I can activate it on both at the same time, so it’s a good skill.”
“Congratulations, master.”
“I’m proud of my darling for getting even stronger!”
“Let’s hunt the last one hundred then.”
“Yes!”
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
“That’s ninety-nine.”
Just before I hit a hundred, I look at the two girls. Ayane looks a little tired, but Aira’s face lacks any emotion, as always. Even I’m a little tired.
“A rare monster is going to spawn, but it might be different from the others, so watch out.”
“I am aware. A powered up one, is what they are called?”
Says Aira.
“Yes… By the way, how do you know?”
“I heard it in the meeting!”
“Is one of your parents a branch manager or something?”
“Yes. I listened in!”
She said she knows the two sisters because of their families, so I guess it makes sense that she knows that stuff. Maki was in the meeting despite not being a branch manager, so they might be lax when it comes to relatively trustworthy families joining them.
I heard during lunch that the meeting was cut short because of all that stuff about requests, but… Did they get through the main points?
“I’ll go ahead, and you can support me if you feel that’s necessary.”
“Are you sure we can make that call?”
“Yes. I trust you at least that much.”
Ayane’s face brightens, and Aira immediately lowers her’s, so I can’t see her expression.
“Here I go.”
I take down the hundredth goblin near the corner, and the smoke heads there like always. But it’s twice as fast.
It looks like powered up ones appear faster. The Golden Worm’s speed was also not normal despite the distance.
The smoke wells up immediately after reaching the corner, and it emerges from it.
But once I see it, I immediately notice that it’s different.
“Hey, isn’t this one bigger?”
“It is. About three meters tall, I believe.”
“You are right, lady. And its weapon and armor are bigger to match its body.”
“Appraisal.”
*****
Name:Hobgoblin
Agility:150
Intelligence:40
Luck:None
Equipment: Magic iron great sword, magic iron full armor
Skills:Super Strength II, Limit Break
Drops: Random magic iron equipment, Hobgoblin trophy
Magic stone: Large
*****
The Golden Worm didn’t get bigger, but this is a lot different.
“…I see. This one looks like trouble. Help me, you two.”
“Yes!”
“Leave it to me.”
“Let’s go. Crimson Sword, Swift II!”
I unsheathe my swords, envelop them in flames, and let out a battlecry.
And once I clear about half the distance between us, it finally looks at me.
“Guoooooh!!”
Being that big means its voice is also fifty percent louder.
“Shut up!”
I grimace and move to slash it, but it’s big. And it’s wearing that big magic iron armor.
At a glance, it doesn’t look like there’s any place I can attack, but being that big also means its joints are clearly visible.
“Orah!”
I slash and burn its flank. It looks like Crimson Sword even works to some extent through magic iron.
“Guoooh!?”
“It’s so noisy! Big Fireball!”
Ayane fires a giant Fire Magic Lv3 Fireball. Its diameter is about the same as her height, so it also uses a heavy thirty magic energy.
It hits the Hobgoblin directly in the face.
“Guoaaaah!!”
It drops its weapon, and desperately covers its face.
“You’re wide open.”
Aira reveals herself behind it and stabs both of its achilles tendons.
It falls to its knees because it can no longer support its own weight, bringing its neck to just the right spot.
“Darling!”
“Master.”
“Yes! Super Strength III, Adamantine Strength II!! Oryah!!”
I use the two swords like scissors and cut it. The slashes themselves aren’t enough, but the added flame blast sends its head soaring.
And then the head, much like the rest of its body, turns to smoke that soon dissipates.
“Ahh…”
【Received Hobgoblin trophy.】
【Level up】
【Leveled up from five to forty-six】
Haha, I went up forty levels in one go. I rely too much on the low level compensation, uh?
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
Thank God it’s not a cliffhanger. Now I feel satisfied.
I don’t think that mentions how a trophy affects one’s stats.
Thanks.