Chapter 67

I think this is probably the fastest way.

-- Rex will tackle the trial.

In response to my unexpected suggestion, Rex smiled sheepishly.

"Actually, I have some guild business this afternoon, so I don't have much time. That's why it's going to be a one-shot deal."

At his words, I swallowed hard.

How many times did I fail, and how much time did I spend to reach the third trial? But Rex is saying he will finish it in just one try.

"It's okay, you don't have to look so worried. I came here today for a reason other than feeling uncomfortable in town. Actually, this trial is relatively easy if you know the Saint Swordsman's skill."

"It might be a bit of a cheat," he said with a cheerful laugh, reaching out to the central pedestal and picking up a brand new magatama. Then, without even a weapon, he walked toward the 【First Trial】.

His posture was so casual, as if he were just going for a stroll nearby, and it was hard to believe he was about to face a difficult trial.

(…No, it's not just hard to believe. For Rex, it's probably really that easy.)

The trial that I struggled with and despaired over. But for this hero, it's just a matter of whistling while he works.

Understanding this, I felt a mix of pride and unresolved frustration in my chest.

Unaware of my feelings, Rex stepped into the trial room with his usual nonchalance and continued to talk as if giving a lecture.

"Active skills and Arts have similar roles, but Arts have various advantages, like being able to customize the movements of techniques or use techniques you haven't learned as long as you know the movements. However, some skills have effects that can't be replaced by Arts."

With a thud, a stone knight descended in front of him and charged at Rex, but Rex didn't change his expression and continued explaining the skill to me...

"The skill I'm about to show you is one of those useful skills. It's a variant of the Saint Swordsman's unique technique, Instant Blade, and it's the most versatile counter skill I know. Its name is..."

Just as the knight was about to strike Rex,

"--- Instant Step!"

In the next moment, Rex was behind the knight.

"Huh...?"

It wasn't just a quick dodge. The moment the knight's attack hit, Rex disappeared and reappeared behind the knight.

The knight lost sight of Rex for a moment, and just as it thought Rex had pulled back his right arm,

"--- Flying Flash Palm Break!"

A loud sound like metal being forcefully pierced echoed, and the knight was blown forward, rolling on the ground. It wasn't until the knight fell two meters away that I realized it had been pushed back by Rex's palm strike from behind.

"That was..."

I asked in a hoarse voice, and Rex answered matter-of-factly.

"That was the Saint Swordsman's skill, Instant Step. It's a technique that instantly teleports you behind the attacker the moment you take damage. It's powerful but hard to use. The skill I used afterward is the Fighter's skill, Flying Flash Palm Break. It's not very powerful, but it has excellent attack speed and knockback distance. I used it for the first time in this trial, but it seems like it could be useful."

Rex said this with a cheerful smile. At that moment, I noticed something odd.

"Huh? The knight... isn't getting up?"

The knight that had been struck by Rex's attack and blown away was lying on the ground, not moving.

Could it be that the attack was fatal? But Rex had said the skill wasn't very powerful, so that didn't make sense.

"Yeah. Apparently, when the knights are pushed out of the trial room, they just stand there. If you can lure them to the edge and push them out, they become powerless in the trial room."

"Really...?"

I was overwhelmed by the series of surprises. I couldn't even think about where he had gotten this information.

Rex, who had been looking at the fallen stone knight, turned his gaze back to the trial's goal.

"I can take care of the next one with Instant Step and Flying Flash Palm Break, but that would be too easy."

Rex said this, switched the magatama to his left hand, and for the first time, took a weapon from his inventory and held it in his right hand. It was an Iron Sword, the weakest weapon.

I wondered what he was going to do with it, and Rex, still in a low stance with the weapon ready,

"Watch closely, Rad. This is the 'alternative solution'!"

With that declaration, he charged down the corridor, swinging his sword.

(--- So fast!)

I was once again amazed by his speed.

If we look at the stats, Rex's agility is 200, while mine is 238. Mine is slightly higher, but according to Rex's lecture two months ago, the difference in agility only significantly affects action speed up to 100. After 150, the action speed is almost maxed out, so in practice, the conditions should be the same.

But...

"--- Wind Blade, Wind God's Arrival, Meditation and One-Point Thrust!"

Rex chained Arts with movement bonuses, moving at a speed I could never achieve, and the reaction of the stone knight at the end of the corridor was completely left behind...

"This is the goal!"

By the time another stone knight landed with a thud, Rex was already holding the magatama to the pedestal.

***

"Still, your Arts are really something, brother."

"You can't even give a compliment normally, can you..."

"Stop calling me a contrarian. I don't say things like this to anyone but you, brother."

Back in the central room, Rex was joking with Resilia, but my face was tense. I felt a mix of admiration and jealousy for Rex, who had easily cleared the trial that I had struggled with so much.

"How was it? Did you learn anything?"

"That..."

So, when Rex called out to me with a smile, I couldn't help but say something harsh.

"Sure, your skills were impressive, but they won't work in the 【Second Trial】! What are you going to do?"

I ended up sounding confrontational and regretted it. I thought I might have upset him, but Rex looked awkward and avoided my gaze.

"Well, the next trial... it's not impossible to clear it the same way, but it's difficult... but..."

His hesitant words made me frown, and Rex, looking uncomfortable, said this to me.

"Actually, there's an easier surefire method for this trial."

"...Huh?"

***

Two stone knights approached Rex, who looked somewhat apologetic as he walked down the corridor.

A two-hit attack with heavy halberds. If those hit, it wouldn't be just a scratch. But...

"...Seriously?"

Even as the two blades hit, Rex didn't flinch. He walked away as if the knights' attacks didn't exist, looking apologetic.

Naturally, the knights' follow-up attacks hit his back, but the result was the same. This scene brought back Rex's words to my mind.

"The surefire method is this."

What Rex pulled out was unforgettable.

The dungeon where we made our striking debut in Free Rare, the 【Seven-Colored Lava Cave】, and the equipment item we used to clear it, the Barrier Ring.

"The condition for the magatama to break is that the person holding it takes damage. So, if the Barrier Ring's barrier takes the damage, the magatama won't break."

I understood the logic, but it didn't make sense that the barrier would be the surefire method.

"But, shouldn't the barrier have durability issues? Such a barrier would break... oh."

"You seem to have figured it out. The barrier breaks with one hit from a normal attack, but their attack power is only one. So..."

"--- 'As long as you wear this ring, their attacks will never reach you.'"

I repeated Rex's words silently to myself. In the 【Second Trial】 room, exactly what Rex said was happening.

Four knights attacked Rex desperately, but their weak attacks never penetrated his barrier. Rex walked through the trial room as if it were an empty field, though his face looked apologetic, and he easily placed the magatama on the pedestal.

***

When Rex returned after clearing the trial, my chest didn't flutter this time. The sight was so outrageous that any feelings of jealousy had flown away.

"...Damn. You really are a guy, no matter what."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

We exchanged our usual banter, but this time, I could laugh naturally.

(Come to think of it, that's what I liked about him. I was drawn to my master's unconventional and unpredictable nature.)

He would break through any plans or common sense and do the unimaginable. That was the essence of the hero I admired, and I finally remembered it.

"But, if this is the case, the final trial should be a formality, right?"

Indeed, the "Dragon's Path" is troublesome, but without the knights' interference, it's just a tedious obstacle. It will take time, but it can be cleared for sure.

"...No."

But Rex shook his head at my words.

"The Barrier Ring won't help in the final trial."

"Huh? Why...?"

"Try to 'see through' it. The final trial's knight is different from the others. It has nearly 200 strength and a powerful weapon. If you take a direct hit from its attack, the Barrier Ring's barrier will break instantly."

"Then... what are you going to do?"

Confused by this sudden revelation, I asked, and Rex gave me a reassuring smile.

"I told you it would be okay. Think about why I tested my skills in the first trial."

"Oh..."

Now that I think about it, that makes sense. If the Barrier Ring alone could clear the trial, there would have been no need to use skills there.

"From here on, if you blink, it's over. Watch closely."

With that, Rex stood in front of the door to the 【Final Trial】 and held the magatama in his right hand. The massive door slowly opened, revealing the final and most difficult trial.

"I've always been bad with narrow paths. So, I'll take a shortcut."

Saying this, Rex extended his left hand, which held a Decoy Gun, and fired it at the pedestal in the back.

(I see! He's using a decoy to distract them, but...)

Ignoring my confusion, a decoy of Rex appeared just before the goal pedestal. Then, immediately after,

-- Thud!

A stone knight landed on the central platform with a dull thud.

(I see!)

The decoy wasn't to distract the enemy but to meet the conditions for the knight's appearance and lure it to the central platform. The knight, instead of targeting the decoy, aimed at Rex, who held the magatama, and raised its spear.

Rex, without even a stance, put away the Decoy Gun in his left hand and was completely unarmed. It looked like a hopeless situation.

But the moment the knight's thrown spear seemed to hit Rex,

"--- Instant Step!"

Rex's shadow moved behind the knight. This was Rex's strategy.

He deliberately lured the knight and provoked it to throw its spear, allowing him to shortcut the Dragon's Path halfway. Then, with the knight's back exposed, he used...

"--- Flying Flash Palm Break!"

Immediately after, a flash of light and a loud sound. The attack skill with high knockback performance exploded on the knight's back!

Indeed, these stone knights have infinite durability and can't be defeated by normal means.

But that's only if the battlefield is a simple room. No matter how much durability they have, what happens when they are thrown into a bottomless abyss?

The answer was about to be shown by the will of a hero. The knight, caught off guard by the attack on its back after throwing its spear, was blown forward helplessly,

"What!?"

I couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. In the normal trial, the knight would have been thrown into the abyss.

But this knight, showing its pride as a boss, managed to stop at the edge of the circular platform, bracing its feet.

However,