Overpowered Sword - Chapter 18
Overpowered Sword Chapter 18
Level up with swords (18)
[There are three major points deduction factors.]
El Cid’s evaluation was truly cruel.
Even though he won without any injuries, he still got 40 points. How many points would he have gotten if he had been injured?
Leon listened to hear the reason.
[It was good that they went behind the scenes and made a surprise attack. Cutting down two guys wasn’t that bad at all. The problem starts after that.]
“From then on?”
[okay. Why did you make the surprise attack successful and then give yourself a chance to counterattack? If I had continued the attack right away, I could have killed the next three without any resistance, but I hesitated for a moment and missed it. And the judgment to be most wary of the blow gun was good, but not trusting one’s own eyesight and reacting passively was a mistake.]
When I thought about it, it was all right.
I was mesmerized by the sharpness of the holy sword, giving the goblins time to counterattack, and I stopped because I was wary of the blow gun.
Leon, unable to refute, cleared his throat for no reason.
But El Cid’s words did not end there.
[To be honest, the first two are probably good. This is a problem caused by a lack of practical experience, so it will be resolved naturally as you gain more experience. However, the third point deduction factor is not possible.]
In the training of martial arts, actual fighting and training could never be discussed separately. There are walls that can only be overcome through actual combat, and there are limits that can only be surpassed through training.
You cannot become a master if you only focus on one side.
I don’t know if there is a level of genius beyond imagination, but El Cid only knew of one genius of that level.
[Don’t you think your stride length has become shorter by more than 20% because you fight on a place other than flat ground? Aside from lack of experience, it is because the action is not intended for combat on uneven ground.]
Leon responded to those words with an aggrieved expression.
“They don’t teach you that in academy.”
[I can’t help it. Proper footwork is like a vision, and it is impossible to correct the footwork of every student individually.]
However, El Cid spoke as if he knew it would happen.
The purpose of the academy was to nurture the majority of moderately skilled people rather than a small number of elites. Anyway, as your skills improve, your immaturity in walking techniques will be hidden to some extent, so there was no reason to spend time and effort looking at each person one by one.
In that way, the remaining sloppy parts will one day hold you back when you reach a higher level.
[As expected, I should teach footwork first. That won’t work tomorrow because we’ll be passing through the forest, so we can start the day after tomorrow.]
“I knew it was the day after tomorrow.”
Leon returned to the campfire and sat down.
My eyelids, which had become a little heavy, feel lighter.
It wasn’t a big fight, but the blood boiling over as I cut down several goblins seemed to have chased away all the sleep.
A fly caught in the light ticks and burns to death.
I was quietly watching the useless scene, and when he looked like he had no intention of sleeping, El Cid spoke to him.
[Aren’t you sleeping?]
“I can’t sleep. “I’m not that tired.”
[Then, shall we at least tell you the story I planned to tell you tomorrow? It is one of the knowledge that a hero must know.]
Leon nodded at those words.
Unlike the academy classes, most of El Cid’s stories are interesting and new, so I never get tired of listening to them.
The story I’m going to say now was definitely like that.
[You do know that the goblin-like monsters you defeated a while ago are creatures from another world, right?]
“Oh, I learned that.”
This is a surprisingly well-known fact.
Creatures called demons or monsters come from places that are not of this world. That’s why they constantly show themselves even when the punitive force tries to stop them.
The border of the dimension is like a thin net, so it is good at blocking transcendental species such as demons, but not weak monsters. It was in that context that there were especially many monsters such as goblin kobolds.
El Cid said, bringing up that fact again.
[Monsters are a threat to this world. Regardless of its aggressive nature or strength, its mere presence has a negative impact. An ecosystem involving monsters does not circulate. It’s just broken and rotting away soon. It can be said that the essence of monsters is a living pollutant and a parasite that eats up resources.]
That is why coexistence with monsters is impossible and why subjugating monsters has become one of the responsibilities of the warrior.
Although it was impossible to fundamentally eradicate monsters, it was possible to reduce their numbers and return their power to the goddess. Moreover, when a hero appears, it is always a time of trouble, so a gap in the dimension opens up and the number of monsters skyrockets.
It’s so much that the warrior alone can’t handle it.
[So the goddess from 500 years ago thought.]
A thought that had only good intentions, even to the point of naivety.
[I thought, why not share some of the monster’s power, which should be used to restore this world, to those who slay the monster?]
At first, the intention was quite true.
Following the goddess’s oracle, humanity drew its sword against the monsters it had been avoiding.
Anyone can become strong.
In the face of the opportunity to overcome my innate limitations and the opportunity to overcome the wall of miserable reality, I was willing to take risks. Countless people threw themselves into the fight against monsters, and those who eventually survived came to be called heroes.
Up to that point, it was a good result.
“…what?”
Leon was shocked to hear what followed.
El Cid’s voice also suddenly became cold.
[Humans began to take advantage of that grace. In order to build up power more efficiently and more safely.]
It was the vested interest class that took the lead.
Those who took action to subdue monsters before anyone else and reaped the benefits hoped that their authority would not be threatened.
So the royal family and nobles secretly colluded.
The areas where monsters mainly appear were isolated and prevented from entering or exiting without their permission. Even the information that ‘you can become stronger by subduing monsters’ was concealed by laying the ground work, knowingly or unknowingly. It was truly a shameless maneuver.
[It was the starting point of the gap. The vested interests grew stronger and the marginalized continued to be left behind. In the end, it wasn’t enough to monopolize it, so people appeared who wanted to farm monsters.]
The goddess couldn’t stand it anymore and punished those impious people.
“Uh, maybe…?”
[What you thought was probably right.]
As Leon widened his eyes, El Cid affirmed.
A catastrophe that occurred 500 years ago.
A disaster in which a meteor shower fell without any warning and devastated many parts of the continent. Strangely enough, the destruction was concentrated on the royal palace and the private properties of noble families, and it is said that many families were reorganized as a result.
Who would have thought that the meteor shower was the wrath of the goddess!
[From that day on, the goddess withheld the power she had been sharing with humans. That’s why humanity’s power is weaker than it was back then. Well, it seems like the higher-ups still don’t know that and are working hard to subdue monsters. In the end, it was a good thing, right?]
“…I think I heard an outrageous secret.”
It was truly a continent-wide black story.
It was also the darkest part of human history and was a direct spit on the modern class system.
Leon guessed the weight and even broke into a cold sweat. If you go somewhere and say something, you won’t survive even if you have ten lives. Even a lie is dangerous, but this was the truth testified by Seonggeom.
[I just lost the mood while talking. This is just nonsense and we haven’t even started on the main topic yet.]
“No, it’s scary enough, so please stop!”
Leon, who was pale, waved his hands. From what I’ve heard so far, it’s clear that I’m going to have nightmares, let alone a good night’s sleep.
Then El Cid chuckled and said.
[All of that information is over, so listen comfortably. Do you remember that the power was given to those who slay monsters?]
“Huh.”
[The hero is a little different. There is a bit of favoritism.]
When Leon tilted his head at those words, El Cid paused for a moment and then got to the point.
[When a hero defeats a monster, he can absorb all of its power and use it to strengthen his own specific area. It is a privilege granted only to true warriors.]
“What?”
[Are you not sure if you can understand just by hearing the explanation? Seven goblins won’t do much, but let’s see…]
Before the stiff Leon could say anything, El Cid drew on the power of the goblins he had defeated a moment ago.
It is at a trivial level. Even though it is everything, the power of the monster has a lot of contamination, so it just absorbs the remaining parts after purification. If you’re a weak goblin, you’re probably just a handful.
Nevertheless, the power clearly existed.
Keying.
In an instant, the blade of the holy sword burned brightly.
Aura.
The holy white aura did not stop there, but soon came over the sack and flowed into Leon.
From fingers to wrist.
From wrist to elbow.
and.
[Well, I wrote it all down.]
It broke off without being able to go any further at the elbow.
While Leon was reeling from the loss, El Cid was whimpering in disappointment at his wasted strength.
[There are only 7 goblins, so it won’t work. Things like trolls and dryads are efficient, but you can’t catch them with your skills yet, right?]
“….”
[What is it? Why didn’t you say anything?]
Leon, who pursed his lips for a moment, finally spoke.
“Oh, Auror? “Did I use an auror?”
[Are you stupid?]
El Cid denied that in one word and shot back.
[I made it and injected it into your body. I’m thin beyond my elbows, but if you have enough strength, you can build up your aura that way. This is the reason why it was said that there was no need to receive the elixir and the reason why the warriors actively went around killing monsters.]
“Indeed.”
Leon was immediately convinced.
It was said that even if one trained for 100 days with the Auror practice method of a prestigious family, the growth rate of the Auror was terrible. Even if you keep taking the elixir, resistance eventually develops, so everyone reaches their limit.
But what El Cid showed was different.
Absorbs the power of monsters and changes its essence into one’s own power. It was a cycle in which effort led directly to results. Above all, unlike elixirs, there is no room for resistance to develop. Once you enter the ascending stage, it may not be enough to simply build up strength, but until then, it means that you can increase your capabilities at a steady pace.
[oh? [It looks like you’re motivated.]
El Cid read his thoughts and giggled.
It was something he had experienced once, and the process of directly building strength was a pleasure in itself.
Everyone has no choice but to be proactive.
I feel like I want to subdue monsters starting tomorrow. Leon himself knew how foolish that thought was, but even knowing that, his heart wavered.
[Well, just hold on for a while.]
El Cid advised, understanding that greed.
[You are still in the process of making a bowl, and the power you gain from defeating monsters is the work of filling the bowl. No matter what you pour into an unfinished bowl, it will just leak out meaninglessly.]
“…Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Leon didn’t waver any longer and composed himself.
It may be difficult for the average person, but for him, patience has been cultivated through years of penance.
That will is the virtue necessary for a warrior of the Holy Sword.
Since he will have more power than anyone else, he must be able to endure more than anyone else. El Cid knew well that there was no creature more dangerous than a strong man swayed by selfish desires.
[You can do it.]
As if he had promised himself, the Holy Sword encouraged him.