Episode 177 Akiyama Takashi (2)
* * *
– Let me show you some skills.
“Is that so?”
– I’m not so lonely that I can accept just anyone as a friend!
In Takashi’s voice, which spoke with emphasis, Kang-hoo paradoxically felt his loneliness.
Since I knew Takashi’s appearance from the original, it was a reaction I couldn’t just pass over.
Takashi’s emotional line of reacting to people and feeling attracted to them needs to be viewed with a bit of a twist.
That’s Takashi’s charm, but also his weakness. It makes it hard for people to approach him.
Whoosh!
Takashi’s clone threw the wooden dagger he had been practicing on the floor, and picked up a longsword he had also made of wood.
Takashi was amazed at how bold Kang-hoo was, yet not shy away from him and spoke his mind.
From what I’ve seen through searching, it seems like he has some decent abilities. At least, his current level doesn’t match up.
If he’s just a guy who talks big, then just cut him off. We’re not related in any special way.
So there was no burden.
If Kang-hoo passes the verification, then we can become close, otherwise we will never see each other again.
Kang-hoo also thought that a good opportunity had come.
I never thought I would pass Takashi’s test with just a few words.
‘Now is the best time.’
I was sure.
As more time passes from here, the thirteen stars begin to get closer to Takashi again.
Because we will be taking on a number of challenging dungeons within a few months.
At that time, Takashi plays a decisive role in the strategy. The ‘Pattern Theory of Everything’ that he had been babbling about like a parrot works.
From then on, the Thirteen Stars will often come to Takashi as needed. There will be more skinship.
So when that time came, no matter how much Kang-hoo tried to persuade him, there was a high possibility that Takashi would not change his mind.
– Don’t worry, the counting will be done automatically on the large monitors in the front and back. It’s 13.
As soon as Takashi finished speaking, the number 10 appeared in red on the large electronic board.
The countdown began soon.
The numbers behind Takashi were so large that they distracted my gaze unnecessarily.
Right then.
Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof.
Takashi’s clones, which were scattered all over the training ground, began to rise one by one.
Unlike the detailed clones that Takashi drives himself, these clones were crudely made to resemble his clones.
It felt like necromancy, but it wasn’t something that could be accurately categorized as necromancy.
In particular, the relationship between Takashi’s clone and his real self was like a kind of community of destiny.
If you think about it simply, the clone you are dealing with is the main body, and the rest are clones in the form of literal concepts.
‘It wasn’t my intention, but I have a useful card in my hand. I was wondering when I would ever use it.’
Kang-hoo started to mentally think about one pattern he would use aggressively as soon as he started.
I thought about several different strategies, but none seemed as good as this.
A number that has now become 1.
Ugh. Ugh.
Takashi (a clone of himself) and Kang-hoo each took an attack stance.
The two of them were staring at each other, looking sideways at the time on the scoreboard.
And the moment it becomes 0.
Paat! Papat!
They ran towards each other.
It was an active start that had long ago thrown away any strategic retreat or waiting for exploration.
at that time.
【Third, use ‘Soul Wave’ to break the mental link between enemies or summons.
It causes mental strain while consuming 250 mana, but can completely reset the enemy’s status.】
Kang-hoo took out his trick first. It was the soul wave.
This is the third constellation privilege obtained from the Strategist of the Wilderness, and it was the first time it was used.
“… … Ugh!”
Pain came over time.
I felt a severe headache that easily ignored the pain-relieving effects of the items.
It’s hard to even imagine how terrible the pain would have been if there had been no pain relief.
I was sure that I would have fallen over with my head spinning around in all directions. That was how strong the headache was.
Phew.
At the same time, Takashi’s ‘insignificant’ clones fell face down on the floor, helpless, like straw blown by the wind.
Takashi’s first clone was also caught in the soul wave.
Since this guy was also a construct mentally connected to Takashi, he could not be free from his influence.
– ……and!
A gasp of embarrassment mixed with embarrassment erupted from beyond the microphone.
Takashi was not fazed by the attack that severed his psychic link.
Because anyone can see that he has the characteristics that make such attacks a weakness.
So, as soon as the link with the first clone was cut off, I reconnected, and the gap was very short.
Kang-hoo, who was trying to stick close to Takashi, stopped immediately after seeing Takashi’s immediate reaction.
However, what surprised Takashi was that Kang-hoo, known as an assassin, used this skill.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Breaking the mental link is, of course, a mental skill. It is usually used by hunters who specialize in magic.
It wasn’t the nature of the skill to come from an assassin. It was because there was no intersection at all.
– Quite… … .
As Takashi was about to continue his comment while expressing his admiration for Kang-hoo’s attempt.
Kang-hoo used Soul Wave once more. This time, he didn’t forget to link it with Jeon Gwang-bi-do at the same time.
Approaching closely is risky, but keeping a close eye on it from afar is one-sided.
And we also found out from previous exploration that soul waves create a very brief, but definite blackout.
“Ugh!”
Kang-hoo groaned.
It’s a skill that can be used somehow up to twice, but can’t be used three times.
Mana was the second problem, and the intensity of the pain was on a different level.
It felt like I was experiencing a blackout from the pain of using the skill.
It was a brief but dizzying experience where my vision was blurred. It was not a good sign.
While Takashi was staggering due to being caught in the second soul wave, a dagger flying in like lightning struck Takashi.
I managed to block it by twisting my sword diagonally, but it was really only a block.
So, it was impossible to prevent Kang-hoo from being caught up in the ‘pushing’ that Jeon Gwang-bi had sent.
– 100 million!
Takashi’s body flew forward in a parabolic arc. It was the destructive force created by a push that he was completely unprepared for.
Without further ado, Kang-hoo leaped and accelerated in succession, latching onto Takashi.
For someone with this kind of skill, the same opportunity never comes twice. Even one opportunity is too many.
That’s why I thought this was my last chance, and things were looking pretty good.
at that time.
Swiping!
Takashi, who was holding onto his longsword tightly even as his body flew away, drew his longsword above the ground.
It was a movement that seemed as if he was intentionally trying to create a spark.
Tsutsu!
Soon, something of crimson light mixed with the flames that had formed fiercely attacked Kang-hoo.
‘shit.’
As expected, level and skills are not accumulated in vain.
Even after getting hit properly, Takashi was already in the counterattack phase.
It was a surprisingly similar tendency to my own, where I thought about all possible scenarios before going into battle.
In an instant, I was engulfed in light.
From the beginning, I couldn’t avoid it because my body was completely focused on chasing Takashi.
So I turned it over.
At that moment, Kang-hoo realized that it was a skill that caused blindness. It was because he couldn’t see ahead.
【Resonance Field of View】
The response was immediate.
A resonance vision skill that automatically consumes 0.5 mana per second only when blinded.
Like the soul wave I wrote about earlier, I wondered when I would ever have a chance to use it, but thanks to Takashi, I was able to get started.
‘It looks good.’
It’s a shame that while your real name remains, you see the world in black and white.
The skill’s value was very great because it was not affected by real names at all.
I feel grateful to Gloria for contributing to the skill theft.
Kang-hoo staggered around, making gestures as if he was possessed by a spirit. It was a deception.
Pfft!
Then, as if he thought this was the moment, Takashi created a sword energy with his longsword and shot it at Kang-hoo.
It was not sharp because it was based on a practice wooden sword, but it was a sword skill that was sufficient for blunt striking.
However, it was a meaningless attack for Kang-hoo, who could see the path clearly thanks to his resonance vision.
Tatt.
Kang-hoo avoided the path of the sword energy with light and nimble movements.
Takashi doubted his eyes.
This is because the blindness status that was placed on Kang-hoo has not been lifted yet. He was still under the debuff.
But Kang-hoo dodged the attack too easily, as if he had seen the path clearly.
It was a clean evasion that moved just enough leisurely to be called a prediction.
– Heh heh.
Takashi smiled with a sense of emptiness. In the space of a moment, Kang-hoo surprised him twice.
First, I was surprised to find that there was a skill that forcibly cut off the link with the clone.
Secondly, I was surprised by the number of responses that could easily overcome the state of blindness.
An assassin who focuses on extreme attacks, making him vulnerable to debuffs and hindrances.
This characteristic of an assassin and a kind of ‘chronic disease’ did not apply to Kang-hoo.
and.
– Are you starting to get excited?
The reaction that Kang-hoo wanted came from Takashi. It seems like the medicine is working.
– Wait a minute. Just bite the beginning of the cigarette and then come back.
Then came the second reaction that was expected.
Although the term “cigarette” is used, it is not the type of cigarette we normally think of.
Takashi was burning something of unknown origin, a sort of finishing move used when mental concentration was absolutely necessary.
In the original work, there is only a theory that it is related to drugs, but it has not been proven.
Anyway, the fact that he had it in his mouth meant that he was more serious than ever about the situation.
And then the real battle began.
The practice weapons they are holding are not threatening, but their attitude towards each other is more threatening than ever.
It was a very fierce battle.
* * *
As the battle continued, Kang-hoo began to realize more and more that Takashi was a tough opponent.
It was frustrating that I couldn’t scan the constellations at all because the target I was dealing with was a clone and not the main body.
So it was difficult to see through the guy’s specialty or purpose at once.
Since the original work did not explain the constellation settings in detail, there was not enough to guess.
Of course, the level difference between them was quite significant to begin with, so it was a situation where they could have been given full marks just for holding on without collapsing.
The biggest reason why combat is becoming increasingly difficult is.
‘The pattern is being analyzed.’
It felt like Takashi was increasingly ‘learning’ and ‘studying’ his own movements.
The trick of reading the opponent’s pattern wasn’t something only Kang-hoo could do. Takashi could do it too.
Rather, it was more persistent.
In order to add variables to the battle, Kang-hoo actively used Shadow Step in conjunction with the Clone and Illusion techniques.
But, no matter where I read it, my true position kept getting revealed. The trick didn’t work at all.
‘Is it a habit?’
Although he asked himself, Kang-hoo was unaware of it.
If you can’t recognize it yourself, then it’s a really subtle habit. A habit that’s barely noticeable on the outside.
That’s what it looked like to Takashi.
at that time.
– Haaaat!
With Takashi’s scolding, the wooden sword he raised with all his might cut through the face of Kang-hoo, who was approaching from behind.
A fleeting moment.
Saaaaak… … !
The front of Kang-hoo’s hair, caught in the maximum sword energy created by the wooden sword, was cut off coolly.
If this had been a real fight and my body had been leaning forward just a little more, it would have been a blow that would have obliterated the front of my face.
“f*ck.”
Kang-hoo’s forehead wrinkled again as he worked hard today.
As expected, Takashi was no ordinary player.
