Chapter 25

Successfully, I managed to perform the <Shadow Step> on the Golden Toad Lanner.

No matter how fast it can move, now that it's like this, the Golden Toad Lanner can't escape from me anymore.

“Geh! Geh!”

The Golden Toad Lanner is desperately trying to get away from me, but it stops moving at the range where the shadow from the <Shadow Step> can be extended—about two meters—and can't go any further.

“Great job, Elma! You’ve completely captured the Golden Toad Lanner! Now, it’s just like hunting it down!”

Luze came running over, excited, and said this to me.

“...But, I heard that you managed to capture it, but how do you plan to finish off the Golden Toad Lanner?”

Indeed, the Golden Toad Lanner has two strengths.

One is its extraordinary movement speed... and the other is its high defense.

Not only is its defense value extremely high, but it is also completely resistant to various status abnormalities, debuffs, and attribute attacks.

With a mediocre attack, you can't even scratch the Golden Toad Lanner.

“I can only finish it off with a critical hit.”

In <Magic World>, when you read the opponent's movements and land a precise strike, it is treated as a critical hit, dealing much more damage than usual.

However, to prevent the game balance from collapsing, it is designed to occur with a probability based on luck, even when the conditions are met.

Moreover, the timing is very delicate, and depending on the difference in agility between the two parties, it is practically impossible to consistently land a critical hit.

I've heard that the developers adjusted this based on the limits of human reflexes.

The damage from a critical hit is 1.5 times the normal amount.

Additionally, it has a penetration effect that bypasses 50% of the opponent's defense.

“I see, since the opponent is restrained, you have all the time to aim for a critical hit! Do your best, Elma!”

Luze made a fist and cheered me on.

“No, even if my attack lands a critical hit, it won’t deal any damage.”

“Huh...?”

“Didn’t I say that? Both cornering it and piercing its defense will have to be done by Luze.”

After all, the heavy knight has low attack power.

The sword I’m currently equipped with is just barely usable at my current level, and it’s quite weak for my current level band.

With my current stats, even if a critical hit occurs, it won’t deal any damage.

Moreover, the heavy knight has a slow movement speed.

The opponent can still move a bit even after the <Shadow Step>, and since I can’t lift my feet, I can’t chase the enemy and land a perfect strike.

I can’t meet the conditions for a critical hit.

There’s still a chance of a lucky hit, but it’s not zero.

However, it’s a common joke in <Magic World> that a defense-focused adventurer used <Shadow Step> to catch a Golden Toad Lanner and kept trying to land a critical hit, but it never hit, and other monsters came and ruined hours of effort.

“So, are you saying I should chase it around and try to land a critical hit...? But I’ve hardly ever landed a critical hit before!?”

It would be impossible under normal circumstances.

Luze is also much slower than the Golden Toad Lanner.

Moreover, the Jester class has low attack power, so a normal critical hit won’t deal any damage.

“Don’t you have a skill? The <Dice Thrust> that Luze originally had.”

It’s an attack skill obtained from <Fool’s Performance> [2].

I had already confirmed that Luze had obtained it when I checked her stats.

It’s a thrust skill where numbers from one to six randomly appear.

Depending on the number, different effects are applied, and if it’s a six, it deals 1.3 times the normal damage and is guaranteed to be a critical hit.

To be precise, it becomes a critical hit as soon as it properly hits the opponent’s body.

“<Dice Thrust>? But that’s a useless skill that’s inferior to normal attacks in terms of expected value... But, indeed, with that...!”

Originally, <Dice Thrust> was the skill that led to Luze being kicked out of her previous party.

Luze, who had no skills and no natural combat ability, finally learned <Dice Thrust>, which was inferior to normal attacks in terms of expected value, and her treatment by Klein and the others worsened.

However, <Dice Thrust> has the potential to easily finish off defense-focused monsters.

When caught by a monster that can’t be defeated normally, adopting <Dice Thrust> with its wide range of damage can create a winning strategy.

Moreover, it’s relatively easy to meet the conditions for hunting Golden Toad Lanners.

A six in <Dice Thrust> increases the attack power by 1.3 times and makes it a critical hit.

The total multiplier is 1.95 times.

Additionally, the 15% penetration from <Iron Piercer> and the 50% penetration from the critical hit are additive.

In other words, it becomes a strike with 1.95 times the attack power and 65% penetration.

Based on Luze’s current attack power, it can deal exactly 2 HP damage to the Golden Toad Lanner, which has a defense of 200.

The probability of rolling a six is 16.6%, and the influence of luck is not extremely high, so even if we estimate it generously, it’s around 25%.

However, with the Golden Toad Lanner restrained, there are opportunities to land <Dice Thrust> multiple times, whether it’s six or ten times.

“There are no useless classes or skills. They may just have limited or slightly delayed opportunities to shine.”

This is true for humans as well.

“It’s not good to be too fixated on evaluations from others. It just happened to look unimpressive to Klein and the others. To reiterate, I need your strength, so I hope you will continue to help me.”

Luze listened to my words with her mouth open, then tightened her expression and readied <Iron Piercer>.

“Y-Yes! I’ll do it! I’ll show you! If I can’t meet these expectations, it would be a waste of becoming an adventurer!”

Luze ran towards the Golden Toad Lanner, jumped, and aimed a thrust with <Iron Piercer> at its back.

“<Dice Thrust>!”

The number six appeared in the air.

With a light sound, cracks appeared on the Golden Toad Lanner’s golden surface.

“Geh!”