Chapter 68

EP.68 There's a monster here that has been consumed by the concept.

It was a quiet place.

The surrounding scenery was full of vitality, with a blue sky and green mountains.

A small bird perched on a thin branch, chirping, and a deer without antlers strolled by the stream, grazing on the grass—a warm and peaceful scene.

However, when you turn your head,

When you turn to face the front,

A desolate area appears before your eyes, as if a painter had accidentally spilled their watercolor paints.

Just a few steps away, the area was filled with the sound of crows and an ominous atmosphere.

Black swamps, opening their mouths like maws, bubbled up here and there,

And the people who had not met their end groaned like mummies, unable to form coherent words.

It was a wasteland.

The aftermath of black magic, to be precise.

According to the game's setting.

The background was made exceptionally sinister.

Such was the scene that came to mind.

And the appreciation of the scenery ended there.

Because,

A thin rapier was aiming for my midsection.

The rapier extended straight without a single curve.

"…."

While rapier-type weapons lack the heavy impact of a crushing blow or the deceptive changes that can dazzle the eye,

They possess a speed that no other weapon can match.

The instantaneous speed of an attack after a lunge, where the attacker thrusts forward, is so fast that even a stealth thief who successfully infiltrates and receives a bonus for a rear attack can hardly keep up.

There's another reason why people who face a rapier tremble.

Another advantage of rapier-type weapons, which excel in thrusting attacks, is that they are almost entirely composed of thrusts.

Since they focus on thrusting like a push, ignoring slashing attacks,

A rapier is always presented in a straight line to the opponent.

Thus, when you have to parry it,

You can only see the sharp tip of the blade, not the flat surface,

And the opponent's weapon often feels like a large dot.

Another reason it's difficult to deal with a rapier's attack is that it's hard to gauge the distance.

Almost all close-combat weapons, including long swords and great swords, have a common feature that the rapier lacks:

The movement of the blade's surface is not visible.

When defending, the basic principle is to see the moment of attack and react with the right timing to defend or dodge.

But a rapier, which is not as short as a dagger and moves at a speed that is hard to see, makes it incredibly difficult to gauge the distance and react appropriately.

However.

Ting-

A refreshing sound, like glasses clinking, echoed through the desolate wasteland.

No one would fail to recognize the nature of this sound effect now.

The holy maiden, wielding a terrifyingly large hammer, parried the attack at the perfect timing upon my command.

Half of it was prediction.

You could call it luck, and I wouldn't argue.

I could always say that the basic speed difference of the weapons made it inevitable.

But the other half was due to my direct observation and reaction.

A body that can penetrate even the briefest moment of a second divided into sixty units.

If my physical stats, which boast cheat-like performance, couldn't handle this, I'd have to give up on close combat.

The opponent whose devastating attack had been thwarted didn't panic and quickly took a few steps back.

Like drawing back a bowstring, they prepared for the next attack.

That's not going to work.

Giving a rapier user a chance to attack is something only fools do.

While rapiers excel in complex thrusting attacks, they perform almost the worst when it comes to defending.

If it's a rapier against another rapier, they can clash blades, but what if it's against a long sword, great sword,

or a blunt weapon like this?

It wouldn't be the weapon that ranks first in destruction due to overall stats and durability.

And the advice to just attack recklessly, accepting a few hits to avoid the rapier's thrust, isn't just idle talk.

So, to sum up,

This was the moment to seize the opportunity when the rapier user's attack was disrupted.

The holy maiden leaped forward with a powerful step.

The opponent, despite being in an unstable position, attempted another thrust,

But dodging an attack from such a position was as easy as eating cold porridge.

The holy maiden ducked to the right, evading the incoming blade.

As the sun-like golden hair fell like a few autumn leaves to the ground,

A powerful blow, fueled by her core strength, struck the opponent.

The attack, intended to decapitate, failed to achieve its purpose.

The hammer crushed the opponent's unarmed arm, the left shoulder, and continued to slice through the air.

It was a bit slow.

Judging the character's actions and the weapon's center of gravity, I quickly re-input the command,

Spinning around to finally strike the opponent's head….

But then,

A white flag appeared above the opponent's character.

『Match Over!

The opponent has surrendered.

I can't believe it.

To surrender in a fierce battle of honor and belief between great heroes….

According to the covenant engraved on this land, you can no longer harm your opponent.

However, the victory is yours,

And it is also your right to decide the treatment of your opponent, who has put down everything to beg for their life.

Tip: You cannot kill a surrendered opponent.

You can't kill a surrendered opponent! (haha)』

Haha, my ass.

There must be a pervert among the developers pretending to be cheerful.

Still, it's a bit disappointing.

In my judgment,

The opponent was clearly a skilled player.

I've been using this enormous hammer for four days now and have met over fifty people, but no one has been as good as this.

I actually lost a few matches.

No, in fact, I lost almost ten matches.

Out of frustration, I requested several rematches, and this was the first time I managed to get a chance at victory….

And then they suddenly surrendered.

I really don't understand why they surrendered.

Clearly, the opponent was on the defensive due to my dramatic parry,

And even allowed me a few hits,

But that alone didn't determine the defeat.

There was still a chance for a comeback if they could catch their breath.

I thought they were serious, but maybe my judgment was wrong.

The doubts were somewhat alleviated by glancing at the viewers' comments.

[Finally won lololololol]

[Wow… you won that]

[Even the room owner, Red, finds it tough]

[Was the opponent Red? No wonder they were so good]

[Yeah… sometimes a super high-level player comes and goes in Rainbow]

[Red is a rapier master]

[Winning one match is impressive]

[It's great to see you grow in every match]

[But why the sudden surrender?]

[Healers can't control anything, and if they switch to a damage dealer, their tier drops 100%]

[The room owner is unique; it's a fact that support characters have lower physical stats than damage dealers]

[To reach this level with a two-handed blunt weapon in just four days is just amazing]

[More is coming]

[What?]

[Rosemary's surrender combo]

[What?]

[The opponent's nickname is Rosemary…]

[This moment has been awaited…]

[Thank you… Rosemary, thank you to the room owner who defeated me…!]

Surrender combo?

What is that?

[Rosemary: Kyu]

[Rosemary: Kill me…!]

"…."

No,

You surrendered.

What are you doing, making it impossible to touch you?

I typed a question mark, filling my mind with a series of question marks.

[Holy Maiden: Huh?]

Then,

[Rosemary: .]

[Rosemary: You]

[Rosemary: Don't trample my pride!]

She spoke like a noble from the Middle Ages, making me slightly dizzy.

The concept is well-captured.

And only then did I notice the opponent's character in detail.

I thought it was well-made from the moment they entered the waiting room,

But upon closer inspection, every detail was impressive.

The female silver armor, shining through the desolate ruins without a single exposed part,

And the elegant and refined rapier with a rose decoration near the hilt.

Well, the equipment is one thing,

But her appearance, um,

….

In a nutshell, she was a beautiful and fierce knight.

She had long blonde hair down to her waist,

And her pupils, a mix of red and pink, always seemed to glare at her opponent.

Despite kneeling in surrender, her gaze was incredibly insolent,

Yet her face was beautiful, and it seemed like her stunning figure, hidden under the tightly wrapped armor, would be revealed if it were removed….

Ah, what am I saying.

Anyway, judging by her appearance,

There was a knight who, after losing, would surely be captured and humiliated, and her arrogant personality would be tamed.

I remained silent, and the knight, Rosemary or whatever, seemed to realize that I was examining her entire body, as she shrank back.

To be precise, the opponent on the other side of the screen input the action for the character to shrink back.

I've been meeting a lot of knowledgeable people lately.

When the holy maiden finally put away her hammer,

The opponent reacted immediately.

[Rosemary: Are you not going to kill me?]

[Rosemary: Then what are you going to do to me?]

[Rosemary: ….]

[Rosemary: !]

[Rosemary: Ugh, Kyu, Uuuu….]

[Rosemary: You shameless…!]

Each of her words was followed by a reaction in the chat.

[You're a concept fanatic lololololol]

[Let's call you a named character instead of a fanatic lololol]

[Note: The key is the punctuation and exclamation marks in the middle.]

[What kind of thoughts did you have to call me shameless?]

[Oh… it's so exciting….]

[The holy maiden is too beautiful to be called shameless lolololol]

[If the holy maiden humiliates you, isn't it a reward? lolololol]

[Rub ○○ just rub until it catches fire]

[Damn, I want to be thoroughly dominated by a blonde, blue-eyed, super busty, top-tier beauty]

[You're disgusting, human]

[It's coming, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming]

[The surrender combo finish is coming…!]

[Rosemary: Ugh…]

[Rosemary: I'll do anything, just not that…!]

[Rosemary: Holy Maiden: You'll see a sight worse than death]

[Rosemary: Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii