Chapter 378: Chapter 378

The sword cloaked in black lightning surged toward Lowell.

The reason the originally golden lightning now carried a foreboding black hue—

Was because I had activated the [Darkness] skill, which turns all skills pitch black.

‘Double the final damage is just a bonus.’

A sword imbued with lightning so intense it felt like it could rip through space itself.

Lowell, watching the sword flying at her, made a surprising decision.

She dashed forward. Not to the side or back—forward.

The technique of “throwing” as an attack depends on predicting the opponent’s position and movement path.

If you deviate from that “target point,” it’s actually easier to dodge than expected.

Of course, dodging to the side or back is possible too, but this method is far more efficient.

Most wouldn’t anticipate a charge forward, and depending on the situation, it could double as a counterattack.

Anyway, the [Gáe Bolg] I threw struck a tree behind her dead-on.

Wood shards burst into the air with a deafening crash.

The tree was hollow like thin bamboo, so the debris even scattered all the way to where I stood.

The sword, having lost its target, embedded deep in the ground.

It continued to crackle with black lightning for a while.

Seeing its power firsthand, Lowell gulped.

“Is that the technique you used to take down a knight in the cave? Just as terrifying as I heard.”

“Keke, I suppose Miss Rodelin must have told you.”

“That’s part of it, but I also know a similar technique. Though it’s way inferior to that old man’s version.”

“…Someone I knew. He used to be the strongest in the world.”

It wasn’t hard to figure out who Lowell was talking about.

Though Lowell looked like an elementary schooler, she was twenty-five.

She must have met Adonis several times before he left for the Holy Kingdom.

Though back then, he didn’t look like the child Adonis of today, but an old man named “Douglas.”

“Never beat him even once, and he goes and dies on me… what a dirty move from that geezer.”

“Keke, you say that, but deep down, you respected him.”

“Not a chance! I’m just annoyed that the one person who could gauge my growth disappeared.”

So she used Adonis as a combat strength measuring stick? No wonder she’s called the mad lion.

“Anyway, seems like it’s not impossible to dodge. The motion is way too exaggerated.” ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ n0velfire.net

“Keke, perhaps I was going easy?”

“Maybe I let it hit late on purpose?”

“Hmm… if you’d been even a second slower, you would’ve died though.”

“No comeback? Then I win, right?”

That wasn’t it. It was just so childish I couldn’t even respond.

Even the Trash Sprout Defense Squad wouldn’t fight this childishly!

“You’ve been lying about your age. Aren’t you actually younger than Miss Rodelin?”

“What the—! Look at me! I’m clearly an adult woman!”

Short height, immature body, youthful face, overly heavy makeup trying to look mature—

You look just like an elementary schooler, though?

“You just don’t understand a lady’s charm. But then again, what would a pervert like you know?”

I’m a pervert within the normal range, okay?

Someone who actually likes girls like you—that would be a real creep!

Hmm? Pervert? Speaking of which…

“Now that I think about it, you made me into a pervert.”

Lowell, who was brushing aside her bobbed hair, froze mid-motion.

Her testimony about pulling down my pants and doing a teabagging motion.

Thanks to that, I got into all kinds of trouble.

Lowell glanced away awkwardly.

“Ah… that? Just kinda happened. You know how life is, sometimes stuff happens.”

“What do you mean, ‘stuff happens’? Turning a champion of justice into a pervert? Take it back immediately!”

“I didn’t say anything wrong! I bet right now, behind that mask, you’re staring lustfully at every part of my body!”

I told you—I like curves! You’re no different from a grade-schooler, totally not my type!

And more than anything, I absolutely hate childish personalities like Lowell’s.

“Shut up and come at me! Stop staring like a creep!”

At this point, my life wasn’t even the main issue.

More than being called a pervert, the idea that I liked her underdeveloped body was unbearable.

For the sake of my honor, I had to win.

“If you insist… well then, as you wish…”

I reached into my Pocket Dimension and pulled out a single sword.

Lowell scoffed when she saw me.

“Going to throw again? Fine, go ahead. I’ll just dodge.”

Lowell, who had been ready to charge, tilted her head.

Because I’d thrust the sword I pulled out into the ground.

Then, once again, I drew another sword from my Pocket Dimension.

Lowell raised an eyebrow, as if she’d just figured something out.

“Hmph~ So one wasn’t enough, huh? You’re going to throw a bunch? Fine, go wild. I’ll dodge as many as you want.”

Even as Lowell kept talking, my hands didn’t stop moving.

Three, four, five swords. When I had pulled out more than six—

Lowell’s pupils started to tremble.

A moment later, the area around me was filled with swords. At a glance, over fifty.

Lowell’s face stiffened completely.

Where did all these swords come from?

‘From the ones the Trash Knights used.’

Old weapons that had dulled or rusted. I raided the warehouse where they were kept.

There was a lock on it, sure—

‘But using the hole the Trash Sprout Defense Squad had made, it’s easy to get in.’

Those kids, dreaming of heroism, were quite obsessed with weapons.

Sometimes they would sneak into the dusty storage, admire the swords, and name them for fun.

‘They gave names like Hero Adel’s Sword or the 99th Sacred Sword.’

Believe it or not, this is one of the hidden pieces in Trash Village.

As long as you don’t try to sell them, it doesn’t cause any problems.

In situations , it’s the perfect hidden piece.

I grabbed one of the swords embedded in the ground.

Black lightning surged over it.

I raised my right hand toward the sky and immediately took a throwing stance.

The target was, of course—

“…You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Lowell started to run. Black lightning chased her relentlessly from behind.

She had no choice but to flee in panic.

Because each of those lightning bolts was a [Gáe Bolg].

If you had to list the most broken skills in this game, [Divine Imitation] would always be in the top five.

But it was still a skill with “restrictions.”

Skills like [Demon Slave], which required the full chant to activate, or [Ragnarok Blade], which constantly drained stamina—others demanded large amounts of mana, set turns, time, or sacrifices.

You had to fulfill those requirements for the skill to activate.

In fact, most skills came with conditions, even if it was just a tiny bit of mana.

But sometimes, there were skills with no such restrictions.

Skills that made you wonder if it was a developer’s mistake.

And among those, the most famous one—

Was the very [Gáe Bolg] I was using right now.

Adonis’s original secret technique, [Gáe Bolg], had no requirements regarding mana, level, or stats.

Ah, there was one special requirement.

But that was more of a “given” than an actual “condition.”

Hmm? Wondering why I’ve been acting like a fool when I had such a broken skill? Sure, I haven’t faced many strong enemies since the Carpathia defense, but—

‘Too many eyes were watching.’

Even with my low stats, it still shows terrifying power.

Even the great Adonis couldn’t use this repeatedly. And if I started recklessly throwing this around in front of people?

I’d be perfect research material.

‘But now that I’m wearing the mask, it doesn’t matter.’

Right now, I’m not “Zero” from Annwood Academy, but “Snake Mask” of the Dark Beast Squad.

And reports already peg me as someone with at least 8-star strength.

This level of performance wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.

‘Well, I can’t use secret techniques from other families, though.’

If Caron hears that Snake Mask used another family’s secret technique, he’ll immediately suspect me.

So I couldn’t use skills like [One Flash] or [Silver Flash].

I’m in a situation where I can’t use one of my greatest strengths—secret techniques of other families.

But it doesn’t matter. Because—

[Gáe Bolg]. With this one skill alone, I could overwhelm Lowell.

“This, this is insane!”

Perhaps she realized she couldn’t keep running.

Lowell, who had been fleeing, suddenly switched directions and charged straight at me.

Even while dodging lightning, she had been steadily closing the gap. Her effort now bore fruit.

Lucid Family Style’s second secret technique.

A thrust filled with desperation.

I instinctively knew. This was not an attack I could block with my current skill alone.

But there was no need to worry.

Lowell’s sword, which looked like it could pierce through a mountain, was blocked by a shield covered in runes.

As I immediately threw my sword, she leapt back in retreat.

Attack with [Gáe Bolg].

Block visible or interceptable attacks using [Dynamic Vision] and [Reflexes].

Any attacks I couldn’t react to, or ones that were too powerful, would be blocked by [Absolute Defense].

That was the basic framework of the strategy I’d prepared.

“Tch! Damn hard. Aura and advanced magic? Don’t you think that’s kind of cheap?”

Maybe she was frustrated her all-out attack hadn’t even left a scratch. Lowell grumbled.

‘It’s more about frustration than complaint, really.’

The [Mountain Piercer] she just used is a piercing technique focused on a single point.

And yet it didn’t even leave a scratch? That meant none of her attacks would work.

The unease that she might not be able to win.

Her complaining was probably just her way of shaking off that anxiety.

“Hmm… I suppose that’s how it might look from your perspective. Then how about this?”

Lowell’s expression twisted.

The black aura covering my sword had vanished.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s a limit to looking down on someone! Are you trying to die?! You little—&%&^!!”

Maybe she thought I was mocking her. Lowell spat out curses I couldn’t even write down.

‘Actually, it’s not that I’m going easy on you… I just ran out of mana.’

Because [Absolute Defense] consumed all my mana, I had to conserve it however I could.

Abandoning [Aura], which drained mana like a black hole, was a no-brainer.

Now that I didn’t need [Aura] or [Lucid Family Mana Technique].

I replaced them with [Swordsmanship] and [Body Reinforcement], and once again launched a [Gáe Bolg].

Lowell rolled, scraped across the ground, and even flew(?) through the air trying to dodge.

Watching her like that filled my entire body with joy.

‘Pay for turning a normal person like me into a pervert!’

Just as I was gleefully throwing more—

All the swords I’d stuck in the ground were gone. I had already used up all fifty of them.

“Huff… huff… Serves you right. What now?”

Lowell panted heavily as she mocked me.

Ignoring her, I picked up a branch lying on the ground.

One of the remnants left behind by Lowell’s training and my [Gáe Bolg] wrecking the trees.

Lowell, watching me, muttered.

Unfortunately for her, that “no way” was exactly right.

Black lightning surged from the branch.

[Gáe Bolg]’s condition for use—

You must be holding something “throwable.”

Which means even a branch lying on the ground can become a powerful throwing weapon.

That’s why I said earlier—it’s not a “condition,” it’s just “common sense.”

If you don’t have anything to throw, you can’t throw in the first place.

“Keke, then shall we begin again?”

“…You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Lowell’s face turned completely pale.

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