Chapter 50

The battle between Tenson Rin and the Orc General was intense from the moment it began.

At close range, they swung their unnamed sword and iron axe at each other. However, the paths of the blades they swung were entirely different.

Rin's unnamed sword sliced shallowly into the Orc General's body one after another. In contrast, the iron axe swung by the Orc General was narrowly avoided by Rin, and sometimes deflected by the unnamed sword, never landing a direct hit.

However, this did not mean that Rin was overwhelming the Orc General. On the contrary, the situation arose because, while a single blow from the Orc General would finish Rin, the damage from Rin's attacks was negligible to the Orc General.

(What a nuisance. Still, I have no choice but to continue this way.)

With each swing of the blade that Rin dodged, her nerves were worn down. Yet, she had no other choice but to continue this strategy.

A single, all-out strike might deal significant damage to the Orc General. However, doing so would create an opening, allowing the Orc General's attack to land. For Rin, the top priority was to evade the enemy's attacks.

Hit and Away.

This was the fighting style Rin had honed over time. She stubbornly continued it, even in this desperate situation.

She never stepped onto the enemy's turf, instead prioritizing speed and forcing her fighting style upon the enemy. This was the only and most effective way for the underdog to fight.

Perhaps her resolve bore fruit. Gradually, the number of times Rin swung her blade began to far exceed that of the Orc General.

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"...Amazing."

From a distance, Kurosaki Rei watched the battle. He was overwhelmed by the evenly matched fight between Rin and the Orc General.

However, alongside his admiration, several questions arose in his mind. How did Rin get into the sealed boss room? And more importantly, how could someone who was not even level 700 a week ago now fight the Orc General on equal terms?

No, it was already strange that she could protect him from a level 1500 knight. That alone should have been a remarkable feat for the Rin of a week ago. Yet, she was not satisfied with that and threw herself into a battle with an even stronger enemy.

Suddenly, Rei remembered something. The words that Kaze Fumi had said earlier.

Once, the King of Uniques had a hindrance. His name was Tenson Rin. Despite possessing the unique skill of Dungeon Transfer, he was more incompetent than any other adventurer.

"Dungeon Transfer...?"

At that moment, Rei realized why Rin could enter the sealed boss room. If the skill allowed free movement within the dungeon, there was no need to enter through the door.

Still, one question remained. How did Rin become so strong in such a short time? Even with a unique skill, it should be impossible to fight an enemy with a level difference of more than five times.

Could it be that she defeated a large number of higher-level monsters to gain experience? It was the most realistic scenario he could think of, but even then, it would be difficult to level up so much in just a week. After all, unless she ignored the rechallenge period and continued to receive dungeon rewards, it would be impossible to become that strong...

"Could it be..."

A possibility floated in Rei's mind. It was an absurd, ridiculous idea. But it was the only thing that could explain the scene before him.

In any case, he could only confirm if his theory was correct if they survived this. Rin had to defeat the Orc General for that to happen.

"Win... Rin."

Clasping his hands, Rei whispered in prayer.

Still, one last question remained. Despite Rin's attacks landing on the Orc General, the tide of the battle did not shift in her favor. If the gap between Rin and the Orc General was so great that dozens of strikes could not bring him down...

Why could Rin continue to fight, looking only forward?

In the face of a superior enemy, he and Kaze Fumi had despaired and been defeated. There seemed to be something in Rin that they lacked.

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Tenson Rin knew she was the underdog. She had fought countless superior enemies before. That was why she understood better than anyone what was important in such battles.

Unnecessary emotions only held you back on the battlefield. Arrogance, complacency, and even fear were unnecessary. She had to discard everything and focus solely on the enemy before her.

To grasp the thin thread of victory that dangled before her, the underdog had to bet everything.

And being the underdog was the greatest terror for the superior enemy.

"Roar!"

By now, only Rin was swinging her blade. The Orc General, perhaps realizing he would be overwhelmed if this continued, leaped backward with a roar.

"Not a chance!"

Rin kicked the ground hard and charged at the Orc General. However, the enemy was not about to let her do so easily.

The Orc General raised his iron axe, not to strike downward but to slam it into the ground from behind, creating a shockwave. The ground shattered, and debris flew toward Rin.

"..."

The amount of debris was overwhelming. Dodging one only led to another. If she tried to confirm the position of each piece, she would slow down and become an easy target.

Then!

"Search."

Rin activated the Search skill. While primarily used to find people or monsters, it actually detected magic power within a specified area. The debris floating before her, being part of the dungeon, naturally possessed magic power.

By doing this, she could grasp all the debris in three dimensions and approach the Orc General at full speed without slowing down. The Orc General, caught off guard by her approach, was slow to raise his iron axe.

In this situation, a powerful strike was highly likely. Without hesitation, Rin increased her momentum.

But—

"Rin, watch out!"

Rei's voice came from behind. The Orc General had chosen an action that made her yell in alarm.

The Orc General threw his iron axe into the air and brought his hands together, slamming them down. While the power was reduced, the absence of the heavy iron axe increased the initial speed, threatening to crush Rin.

The timing was too tight to dodge. If Rin had stopped to swing her sword, a grim fate would have awaited her.

However,

"Sorry, but I've already experienced that tactic."

Rin whispered and accelerated further.

The Orc General's massive hands left a large dent in the ground where Rin had been a moment ago, missing her entirely.

Feeling the shockwave at her back, Rin continued to charge.

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Gale LV3: +30% Speed (10 MP per second)

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Gale, an advanced skill obtained when High-Speed Movement reaches LV10. It was a new skill she had acquired yesterday, which she had been saving due to its high MP consumption. However, she activated it without hesitation, allowing her to dodge the Orc General's attack.

However, the speed was too great, and she approached the Orc General too quickly. It was not a distance where she could swing her sword, but Rin was not fazed.

"Retaliation—take this!"

With a powerful lunge, she punched the Orc General in an uppercut. It was a critical hit, and the Orc General's feet left the ground slightly.

Rin had recreated the tactic of attacking with bare hands by using her item box. She had also activated Adamant Force, a higher-level skill similar to Gale.

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Adamant Force LV3: +30% Attack Power (10 MP per second)

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"I'll end this here!"

Keeping Gale and Adamant Force active, she summoned her unnamed sword from her item box. MP was being consumed rapidly, but she had no time to worry. She intuitively understood that this was the final moment.

Rin launched her final assault. She ran on the ground and even on the Orc General's body, focusing on cutting his vulnerable torso and limbs.

She was about to deliver the final blow. Just as she thought that, the next moment—

"Roar!"

The Orc General, forgetting both attack and defense, roared with all his might. The gale force wind from the roar sent Rin flying. She managed to land, though her balance was off.

The Orc General, having repelled Rin's assault, grabbed his iron axe and let out another loud, long roar to gather his strength. After several seconds, his eyes glowed red, and he prepared to counterattack.

This was the Orc General's final mistake.

"Grumble!?"

The Orc General's gaze did not find Tenson Rin. The time needed to activate her skill had already passed.

The Orc General's actions had given Rin the time she needed most. Ironically, it was a payback for the time the Orc General had given to summon and strengthen the unnamed knight during the battle with Kaze Fumi and the others.

Only Rei saw where Rin had disappeared to. She whispered something and vanished from the spot, reappearing above the Orc General's head.

(—As I thought, Rin...)

At that moment, Rin kicked the ceiling and flew toward the Orc General. Gravity accelerated her body, and the energy was transferred to her unnamed sword.

The Orc General finally noticed Rin's position. Panicking, he swung his iron axe at her.

"Roar!"

"It's useless!"

Rin was not so easily hit by a desperate attack. She rotated in mid-air to dodge the iron axe, converting the momentum into additional attack power.

And finally, the moment arrived.

"This is the end!"

Rin's all-out, full-bodied strike was unleashed. The shining silver blade drew a crescent in the air.

With a thud, Rin landed on one knee, still in the stance of her downward strike. The Orc General's head slid off his neck a moment later.

Rin slowly stood up, turning her back to the collapsing body of the Orc General. She swung her unnamed sword twice to clear the blood from the blade.

And then—

"It's over, Rei."

She smiled slightly and announced it to Rei.

The battle was decided.

I wrote a hot, intense battle scene with all my might. If I could convey the excitement of an underdog overwhelming a superior enemy, I would be happy.