章 162: Joint Martial Arts Practice [4]
[How naive! Do you really think I'd just obediently tell you where I sent Nox von Reinhaver?]
Aleph shouted, realizing that his identity had already been exposed.
His arms were severed, and he was restrained.
He had just come to terms with the fact that no matter what he did, survival was out of the question.
But Noah and Astrid didn't seem to care at all. How many people had they encountered in past wars who refused to reveal the location of their allies, resisting to the bitter end?
But it didn't matter to them.
Astrid casually squatted down as if she is familiar with this.
"I'm not really asking about that sort of thing, though."
"Astrid! It looks like this coordinate is… up north?"
"Knew it. The north, huh? They think sending people to the wasteland will kill them all, so they come up with these lame methods. You get it, right?"
Listening to their conversation, Aleph couldn't help but be frightened.
No matter how skilled they were, is it possible to guess the location just by looking at a magic formation?
Coordinate magic is notoriously difficult to fine-tune.
Surely, was what happening now reasonable?
'Absurd…!'
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn't make sense.
He was exceptional. Aleph had never doubted that even once.
But, he's ended up witnessing it.
Overwhelming, absolutely "heaven beyond heaven."
And on top of that, two people at once.
"So, where exactly in the north did you send?"
Noah asked, her head inclined. but Aleph just scoffed, having no intention to answer.
[Like I said earlier, I have no plans to answer.]
"You're being annoying, huh?"
"Astrid? Please~"
"Haa…"
What?
Aleph rolled his eyes, troubled. What were these two talking about?
No matter how much they pressured him, it wouldn't matter as long as he kept his mouth shut. Their behavior was downright strange.
But…
His doubts were soon answered.
Astrid approached, her eyes glowing with mana, scanning Aleph's mind as she questioned him.
"Is it near Winter Bridge?"
[N, no way…!]
"Yup, it's around there."
"Be more specific. isn't it a dangerous place if they're going to hold out for ten days?"
"Haa… then [the Valley of Cold and Blood]?"
[What nonsense are you spouting!?]
"Not there, huh?"
Astrid completely ignored Aleph's words and continued.
"Then, is it the [Frozen Frostwood Forest]?"
[Hrk!]
"Got it. That's the place. Let's go."
Aleph couldn't help but be terrified. Did that girl have the ability to read people's minds?
He couldn't even figure out what kind of power she possessed, which made him keep puzzled.
Of course, if Nox had been around at this moment, that ability to detect lies really is useful.
He must be thinking of that.
"Oh, wait, before we go…"
Noah, who had turned her back, turned back to Aleph with a smirk.
"We should clean this up, shouldn't we?"
Krrrrk!
In an instant, a massive block of ice shot up like a towering cliff and trapped Aleph. It was Noah's famous [Absolute Zero].
Since she had to go rescue her disciple, she figured she'd bind him here and interrogate him later about the movements of the demons.
Noah, with an innocent expression, held a crystal orb and contacted someone.
— This is Professor Lars von Celestia.
"Professor Lars, I've captured a demonic human. Would it be possible to keep him in a cell until I return?"
— …
Lars momentarily fell into shock as if his brain had stopped.
but then cautiously asked.
— …Where exactly are you right now? What's going on…?
"I'm in Lecture Room 2. We caught a demonic human disguised as one of the professors. Since the students are in danger, we're going to go save them. Naturally, you'll help, right?"
— … I will help write the report once you retu..
Beep—beep—
"Alright, let's go!"
"You really annoying other people."
"So, you're not coming? Even though he's your disciple?"
"Who said I wasn't going…"
Astrid rolled her shoulders and unleashed her magic.
Next, as two wings sprouted from her back, she transformed into a dragon. True to her title as the Flame Mage, a fiery red body, and sharp, shimmering scales. Then, enormous vertical pupils appeared.
Noah shouted as if she was excited.
"It's been a while since I've ridden on your back? right?"
[Noisy…]
Though Astrid spoke indifferently, Noah knew.
If she really wasn't worried about Nox, she wouldn't have gone so far as to polymorph and fly all the way to the north.
'As expected, this is fun'
Even though Noah thought like that, inwardly, she couldn't help but worried.
'Rather, it will still fortunate if just trolls or ents…. If he met 'that guy', even Nox wouldn't be able to make it out alive'
She realized they needed to hurry.
As Noah thought that, she quickly climbed onto Astrid's back.
From this moment on, it was a race against time.
————————————–
I had just taken down around 50 ents.
If I spoke about the result, I succeeded, which was fortunate. It mean there would be a brief moment to rest.
"Haah…"
But the situation wasn't exactly great.
The worst-case scenario had happened, and the items I'd hidden in my uniform were near their limit.
The potions and healing supplies were particularly problematic.
However, the bigger issue was something else entirely.
[Player has exhausted both lower and middle dantian mana.]
[Natural recovery will take approximately three days.]
['Magic Restriction' penalty is now in effect.]
A situation with no potions left and now the "Magic Restriction" penalty activated
'To think it was [Magic Restriction] of all things… Like this, I won't be able to use magic properly for a while. Protecting this girl and fighting at the same time is impossible'
But, I realized the situation always turns worse.
It's because I noticed in the next moment that the extreme moment has just come.
"Cough…!"
Even the sound of my own shriek didn't fully reach my ears, drowned out by system messages filling my vision and hearing.
— Due to the effect of [Prone to Minor Illness], [Cold Lv5] has been applied to the player.
— Due to the effect of [Prone Minor Illness], the player's negative trait [Cold Limbs] has temporarily worsened.
— Due to the effect of [Prone Minor Illness], [Action Restriction Lv3] has been applied to the player.
Two penalties.
The worst ones—[Prone to Minor Illness] and [Cold Limbs] activated at the worst possible moment.
In addition [Cold Limbs] was even upgraded.
Damn it. My luck is terrible, but this is beyond unlucky. Just right after I got some stats, a bullshit came in this way.
What did I do to deserve this?
'Damn it. I need to stay sharp.'
"Are… are you alright?"
Eleanor asked, pretending it was no big deal. But I was already at a situation where I couldn't even respond to her.
I tried to steady my swaying body, but my body had already reached its limit.
I had never complained a pain to this extent before, and when I had been hurt, other units had always been on my side. So, predicting and dealing with this kind of situation was in fact, impossible for me.
Anyway, in the end…
Thud.
"No, Nox!? What's happening all of a sudden?!"
Caught in the illusion, as if the world tilted, and the ground is shaking, I collapsed to the ground.
This is dangerous.
To think I end up in such a miserable state after cutting down 50 ents…
But there's no time to slow down. I need to think. This trouble will definitely over soon too. I have to think now. I can feel myself losing consciousness.
Even though Eleanor was speechless due to shock.
She'll probably okay
"Wh, What happened?! Why did you collapse all of a sudden?!"
Her face, sincerely looking at me with worried expression.
Fortunately, that wasn't an act.
Suddenly in this moment, I feel it.
Eleanor de Rivalin, a truly beautiful character.
Known as the [Golden Fox], she was perceived as cold and distant by people, but the reality was far from that. She was always warm.
And that's why I repeatedly recruited her to my team.
In every new game, she showed me a different side of her, like a chameleon.
Though she's a character with a cold exterior, she hide a warmth more than anyone inside. Someone may think it was just a game, and I was too invested.
But for me, who had always been alone, she's truly like a friend. So, this time, I decided to be honest with her.
"Eleanor."
"Nox! Snap out of it! Your pupils… Why are your eyes like this!?"
"Leave me here and head deeper into the cave. Once you're there, use this."
The item I pulled from my inventory and handed to Eleanor was [Veil of Mistery], an artifact that hide its user presence.
As long as you're wearing this, the enemy won't attack unless you strike first.
The problem is, it's single-use, and for a one-time item, it's ridiculously expensive.
I recently won it in a black market auction through Grain, but I never expected to use it like this.
Well, for a merchant Eleanor caliber, she would instantly recognize this arfifact, so I didn't need to explain it. That was a plus.
But there was one more problem with this item.
And that exactly…
'The main protagonist cannot use it'
The [Veil of Mystery] was an item designed to save heroines or surrounding characters.
That was the identity of [Veil of Mystery].
A leftover from the affinity and favorability system.
But right now, it would give her the biggest support more than anything.
"Where did you get this…! No, rather than that, are you serious?! If you had something like this, naturally you should've used it yourself and left me….!"
"You really think I'd naturally abandon you?"
"…What?"
Eleanor asked back.
But there wasn't time to explain. Even now, my consciousness keep fading.
I wasn't handing her the item because I wanted to die. This is in order to realize the only option left.
The odds of success were close to a gamble, but I'd learned something from Astrid. I just think things will turn out somehow
Either way, luck is an essential element for survival.
In this harsh world of Inner Lunatic, for the sake of my existence, no, to stand strong as Nox von Reinhaver, I need overwhelming power.
And to obtain that power, absolute luck is necessary.
I know my limits.
Even with two [Genius] traits, I never thought to get conceited.
Those traits belong to the character I created. Nox von Reinhaver, I'm just the one controlling him.
I'm Yoochan.
And even if in the past, every day I wasted my time like trash as Yoochan, I never thought to repeat it this time.
"Go."
"…"
That was my final word.
My consciousness completely shut down.
Before I could hear Eleanor's response.
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