WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 79: Devour
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Attack power.
Of all my stats, it was the one I lacked most.
‘Well... aside from speed, I’m pretty evenly lacking in everything.’
Still, if I had to pick one, it was attack power.
It wasn’t as though I had a wide variety of attack methods or some straightforward finishing move.
The bugs I’d handled so far and the skills I’d acquired were mostly far removed from offense.
‘Parrying and the like, most of them feel more like invincibility or movement skills.’
The seventieth floor of Purgatory.
There had been that bug which cut the master of that place in half, but it only worked within the special space known as Purgatory.
A bug that applied only to a limited setting and limited targets.
‘I can’t use it normally.’
It was a shame.
If it had worked outside as well, I could’ve dealt with every boss monster I met with a click.
‘As I am now... I’m basically a one-trick vampire counter.’
Even that was thanks to the Stake fragment.
It was a weapon with unrivaled specs for hunting vampires.
All I had to do was use a movement skill to close in and make a few cuts with the Stake, and I could slaughter them.
Still, the Stake itself was a weapon made specifically for vampires, so it didn’t work nearly as well on other races.
‘I need more attack power.’
The reality was that I couldn’t recklessly take on anyone at faculty level.
There was no way I could beat them in a one-on-one clash of strength.
That was why I’d brought Javert in during the incident involving the traitor’s capture.
I couldn’t handle Professor Glinbert alone, so I’d arranged for suitable backup.
‘What’s the point of running around with movement skills? In the end, I have to defeat my opponent to win.’
The lack of a finishing move.
Just as I was thinking it would be a little disappointing to go on like this...
‘There’s one thing that fits perfectly.’
I happened to have a useful trump card.
I’d saved it for later, but it seemed about time to play it.
My minor stats had risen too, so it was worth attempting now.
‘Besides... this opponent isn’t going to be easy.’
Rin Glacia.
A genius who could already rival most of Grandia Academy’s faculty.
If I had to estimate my chances against her, perhaps ten percent.
Things were different from last time with Caitlin.
In Caitlin’s case, I could hard-counter Caitlin with Status Effect-Parrying.
But Rin, whom I was facing this time, was a complete all-rounder with no real weaknesses.
‘She was so absurdly overpowered that the game prevented players from making Rin an ally until the middle of the original story.’
That kind of broken character.
Of course, I had no intention of losing.
I just thought I needed to prepare.
“Ahem.”
“Student Viktor.”
Javert stood some distance ahead of me.
She was dressed in a neat uniform, her trademark inorganic gaze fixed on me.
“So... why did you suddenly ask me to accompany you to the training ground?”
We stood at one side of the training ground.
More precisely, we faced each other from opposite ends, as though we were sparring partners.
Was it her vivid red hair and cold beauty that drew attention?
Students nearby were whispering as they watched us.
“Hey... isn’t that the Chief Investigator?”
“It really is. That’s Professor Javert.”
“Who’s she talking to? What’s with that weird mask?”
“Wait, isn’t that him? The top student in Class E! The one who publicly confessed to the investigator...!”
Their voices reached my ears.
Did they not realize I could hear them?
“What? You mean that student who’s supposedly dating Professor Javert...?”
“He’s famous, isn’t he? He’s the hottest topic at the academy these days.”
“I heard he confessed in front of the entire classroom?”
“And the investigator accepted his confession without even hesitating...”
Hm.
There were quite a few embarrassing consequences still rolling around.
The dating rumor between Javert and me that had spread through the academy last time.
Rumors about it were still making the rounds among the students.
‘I think I cleared that up...’
That was how controversies worked. Hardly anyone bothered to listen to the explanation.
As a result, plenty of students genuinely believed Javert and I were dating.
Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek.
“Fuck... I’m so damn jealous.”
“Why would the Chief Investigator choose someone like that...”
“I heard his relationships with women are pretty complicated, aside from the professor.”
“There’s that girl Alice from his class too, and he’s close with the top student in Class B and the second-ranked student in Class A...”
There was plenty I wanted to explain, but I decided to hold it in for now.
It didn’t feel like anyone would listen anyway.
I chose to focus on what I had to do.
[There is not a single false word in what those children said.]
[Viktor has far too many women around him. That is his problem.]
[He claims he will devote his loyalty to this lady, yet he could not be a more disloyal retainer.]
The princess wriggled in the front pocket of my uniform.
Tap, tap, the silver bat tapped my chest, but I ignored it.
After straightening my clothes, I looked at Javert across from me.
“It’s simple. As I mentioned earlier, there’s something I’d like a little help with.”
“Hm.”
Perhaps she was willing to hear me out.
The red-haired woman listened quietly.
“You know that Lady Glacia has challenged me to a duel, correct?”
“Yes, I’ve heard about it from all over.”
“This is preparation for that match.”
“You intend to accept the duel?”
Javert asked, sounding surprised.
It seemed she had expected me to refuse.
After all, Rin’s martial ability was only slightly below Professor Glinbert’s.
When we captured the traitor, I’d brought Javert in because I wasn’t confident I could beat him.
“I don’t think there’s anything to gain from it. Isn’t there an announcement coming soon? The announcement that Student Viktor will be assigned as my personal teaching assistant. At a time like this, taking on a match that could be used against you will only damage your image.”
“A match that could be used against me... Professor, are you predicting my defeat?”
“By an objective evaluation, yes.”
“Certainly, anyone would think the same.”
I gave a slight nod.
The corners of my mask’s mouth curled into a meaningful smile.
“Of course, I have no intention of losing.”
“It seems you have some sort of plan.”
“I do.”
“And you need my help with that plan.”
“Exactly. I only need you to grant me one request.”
I went straight to the point.
“Activate. Shield.”
Shwaaaak-.
Something wriggled from my fingertips.
Wriggler, which had been a glove, soon transformed into a pitch-black shield.
“Would you hit me once? With everything you have.”
“...Excuse me?”
Javert looked puzzled by the sudden request.
I held the shield out before Javert’s impassive green eyes as though pleading with her.
“You mean... you want me to attack you?”
“That’s right. With everything you have.”
“I do not understand the intention behind this request at all.”
“That’s fine. Just hit me without holding anything back.”
It was a bold demand.
Javert impassively furrowed her brow.
“That could injure you. If I strike with my full strength...”
“Don’t worry. I’m making this request after considering all of that.”
“Hmm.”
Was it reluctance to throw a punch at a student?
Javert hesitated to clench her fist.
I stood there and waited quietly.
Only after several minutes did she nod.
“Knowing you, Student Viktor, I’m sure you have something in mind.”
Clench-.
She made a fist.
A brilliant white radiance surged around Javert.
It began at her fingertips and soon bathed her entire arm in light.
“Will one hit be enough?”
“Yes, please give it everything you have.”
“If you are injured, I will take you straight to the infirmary.”
“Haha, I’m happy you’re worrying about me so much.”
Whoooosh-!
Her red hair whipped fiercely in the wind.
Within the storm of light, her green eyes flashed savagely.
‘Now.’
I lightly rubbed the hand resting behind my shield.
The rhythm was important.
I had to rub it at the proper tempo and in the proper directions.
Twice to the left, five times to the right, then three knocks against the back of my hand.
When I repeated that process quickly, a faint haze soon rose.
‘There it is.’
A bug had appeared.
A blue screen floated before my eyes.
Ding!
[You have discovered a new Misunderstanding.]
-Misunderstanding Name: Self-Double Counting
-Description: Damage that should originally be received is applied as overlapping calculations. The damage from all attacks directed at the system user is applied two to four times.
To summarize, it meant getting hit four times as hard.
The damage from incoming attacks would be increased fourfold.
‘Perfect.’
It had no other function whatsoever.
A bug whose entire purpose was simply [getting hit four times as hard].
It was infamous as a particularly malicious bug in the original story too.
It was one of the few hated bugs that directly harmed the user.
‘You might wonder what I could use such a trash bug for...’
Trust me.
This would give me overwhelming explosive power.
I gripped the shield and signaled to the woman beyond it.
“Come on.”
“Yes, then...”
Squeeze-.
Light compressed brilliantly around Javert’s fist.
Its afterimage flickered across the entire training ground.
She lightly kicked off the ground.
Thwack!
In the blink of an eye, her fist had reached right in front of me.
So much power had been compressed into it that the air rippled as if it were being torn apart.
Without hesitation, Javert thrust out her arm.
-Droit Style Martial Arts, Fourth Form-
‘Annihilation’
As it erupted, a radiance worthy of dawn burst forth.
At the same time, a sound like the air splitting apart rang loud enough to tear my ears.
Kwoooooong-!!!
A violent backblast swept through the entire training ground.
Several students watching us were knocked down by the wind.
“Eek, aah...!”
“What was that all of a sudden?!”
The noise reached my ears.
Her fist should have pierced through the shield and come straight for me.
But the mask’s effect detected it and stopped her.
A notification from my status window appeared before me.
Ding!
[Item ‘Mask of the Evil God’ has activated.]
-Remaining uses: 2/3
-Time remaining until uses recharge: 47 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds
Light had filled my vision in a murky haze.
Only after it faded could I see Javert’s expression.
She was staring at me with clear surprise in her eyes.
“...I did not expect you to remain completely unmoved.”
Of course not.
The Mask of the Evil God had blocked it.
Still, I felt like I should pretend it hurt, so I put on a small act.
“Gah... The impact felt as though my arm had shattered.”
“Are you all right? Shall I take you to the infirmary?”
“No, it isn’t that bad, but...”
It was fortunate I was wearing a mask.
My current expression was not that of someone in pain at all.
‘It worked.’
Far from being in pain, I was grinning from ear to ear.
As I forced the laughter from my voice, Javert asked me something.
“Is that all? The preparation you mentioned, Student Viktor?”
“Yes... I think this will work somehow.”
It was more than enough.
A new message shimmered before my eyes.
Ding!
[The second skill of the exclusive weapon ‘Black Mist’ has activated.]
Self-Double Counting.
That bug was undeniably trash.
Taking four times the damage?
‘But.’
Combined with a few in-game items, that fourfold damage took on a completely new meaning.
Mask of the Evil God.
Black Mist.
This bug was meant to be used with those two items.
I tapped at my status window and opened Wriggler’s information panel.
‘Exclusive skill.’
The two skills Wriggler possessed.
The first was Myriad Transformations.
It was a technique that changed its body into all kinds of forms.
As for the second, I had never used it until now.
Ding!
[The second skill of the exclusive weapon ‘Black Mist’ has activated.]
[Skill Name: Devour]
-Stores damage applied to the user exactly as it was received.
-Damage cannot be stored consecutively.
-Storable damage is limited to a single attack.
-Even if an attack is successfully defended against, the damage applied can be stored.
-Stored damage can be released.
Javert’s full-powered strike.
With the bug applied as well, it was damage increased fourfold.
Ding!
[Damage has been stored in the exclusive weapon ‘Black Mist’.]
[You may release the stored damage at any time.]
Wriggler seethed with pure white light.
A faint hue subtly seeped into its black surface.
It meant Wriggler had been charged with the damage.
I hid the wide smile spreading behind my mask.
‘Ah, sweet.’
Now then.
My finishing move was ready.
Footnotes:
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