NOVEL NEXT Chapter 133
Thud! Thud!
“Hiiyaa!”
As Lily’s summoned golems drew the hellhound’s attention to rescue the students.
Shahhh…!
A holy aura began to envelop the sword Edwin was holding.
It wasn’t completely uniform, reflecting his complex feelings, but it seemed sufficient to deal effective damage to a demon like that.
‘Right…’
According to the canon, towards the end, Edwin receives a holy sword from Liris.
With a holy sword, the caster’s sacred power would greatly increase.
‘I’ve left Liris behind…’
While I was regretting, a colossal demon with a mane of black flames, Cerberus, seemed to finally recognize us, glaring with its fiery red eyes.
It was probably catching the scent of the sacred power.
‘View Details.’
I quickly opened the details.
Ding!
——————————————————
[Skills Acquired]
[Balance of Hell (Passive)]: The three heads don’t share health, and if one head’s kill conditions are not met within the time limit, the health recovery speed of the others increases by 2000%.
[Hell Beast (Passive)]: Strength, health, and agility stats significantly increase. Stats can exceed the upper limit by up to 30%.
[Gatekeeper of Hell (Passive)]: All stats increase while in the domain of demons. However, it only activates when commanded by the master of the minion (currently inactive).
[Tooth and Nail (Passive)]: A target bitten by the first head of Cerberus falls into a hemorrhage status. (*Level 8 debuff) (Damage proportional to the target’s max health)
A bleeding debuff stacked twice will spread to random targets within a 5m radius.
[Blade Fangs (Passive)]: A target bitten by the second head of Cerberus falls into a poisoned status. (*Level 8 debuff) (Fixed damage proportional to the target’s current health)
If the target dies from this effect, the poison debuff will spread to random targets within a 15m radius.
[Iron Jaws (Passive)]: The third head of Cerberus pierces through 50% of the target’s defense.
——————————————————
‘Additional damage from holy attacks… the rest is mindless.’
Nothing strange.
Since Edwin could potentially get bitten by that thing, it was a priority to create some distance.
“Everyone, get away from Edwin. Lily, come this way.”
At my words, Lily dashed toward me.
“I was scared, Lily!”
I gently hugged Lily with one hand and directed Aria.
“Aria, if Edwin gets attacked, dispel any status ailments immediately. Remember, dispelling takes priority over healing magic.”
“…Okay.”
“And Lily?”
“I’ll cheer for you!”
“Yup!”
After that, I handed Lily a quiver filled with crossbow bolts.
Rrrrrr!!!
Rawr!!!
Grrr!!!
Cerberus lunged straight at Edwin, letting out distinct roars from its three heads.
Ding.
——————————————————
[Edwin Gwynn]
[Average Status]
: 5.5
[Specialization]
Swordsmanship (8)
Two-Handed Sword Mastery (3)
Sacred Power (7)
[Unique Traits]
Tenacity (Lv.Max)
Execution (Lv.7)
Acceleration (Lv.4)
Resilience (Lv.4)
Will (Lv.1)
[General Traits]
Blessing (Lv.5)
Shield (Lv.5)
Counterattack (Lv.1)
——————————————————
I checked Edwin’s stats and gave the next instruction.
‘Blade, Tooth, Iron was the order.’
“Edwin, focus on the center. Leave the rest, just concentrate on the center.”
“Ce… Center! Got it!”
Clank!!!
Cerberus moved even faster than I expected.
Its biting attack clashed against Edwin’s sacred shield, and even amidst that, Edwin forced his sword into the middle head—Blade Fangs.
Pow!!
!?
Crack!
Cerberus’s massive jaw retaliated against Edwin’s sword strike.
“Uwaaa!”
Thus began a contest of strength, but Edwin would prevail.
It was due to the effect of his newly acquired trait, [Will], after seeing Melissa and Caeran.
The effect of Will is a cheat trait that gives an advantage in a strength contest against a foe with higher stats.
Fwhoosh!
Through this, Edwin persisted and inevitably completed a single, decisive slash.
Zzzzt!!
Boom!
The gathered sacred power clashed with the demon’s black aura, causing the surroundings to start sparkling as if struck by lightning.
“Lily.”
“Yup!”
Not missing that moment, I loaded a bolt crafted by Hazel into the Gray Ashen Bolt.
Ding.
——————————————————
[Crafted Crossbow Bolt – Sacred]
[Rarity: ?]
A bolt completed through alchemy. The silver that constitutes it is currently in a very unstable form, making it unlikely to be used as a weapon without special methods.
Currently Applied Enhancement Effects
1. Ignores status ailment resistance
2. Pierces defense
3. Holy effect (Current attribute: Light)
4. Causes additional status ailments
[Usable: 24 times]
——————————————————
I scraped together my money to purchase the silver crosses, melted them down to create the bolts.
Originally, in [Hwanseangyongsa], items not created through equipment crafting cannot be used as weapons.
However, since the crossbow is an unpopular weapon, there are very few types of bolts it supports.
‘Only practice bolts and steel bolts are left.’
So, I exploited a loophole in the system again.
‘Normally, enchantment magic can only be applied once per weapon, but…’
Items not appearing in [Hwanseangyongsa] are not recognized as weapons in the system, allowing overlapping enchantments.
Of course, none of this was created through equipment crafting or bore any significant story, so it’s of poor quality, making its own power nearly nonexistent.
But since my damage formula, receiving a Gamer judgment, relies on Wind Archery and Skills, this does not matter.
Seriously, what am I even supposed to do with this… cautiously made and difficult to use?
So, Hazel created 40 bolts made only of pure silver for me.
‘I broke quite a few learning the ropes, though…’
As I focused and aimed steadily,
Ugh!
Graaaarrr!!!
Edwin was holding through a second clash and,
Hissssss!
As acidic drool dripped from the open mouths of Cerberus, corroding Edwin’s sword.
Crack! Crack!
The two heads on the sides took turns chewing on Edwin’s sacred shield.
“Yeriel, you have to attack only the middle head alongside me.”
“I’ll try!”
To break the pattern, we needed to deal a lethal blow to one head, so I infused it with status ailments to assist Yeriel’s magic hit.
Mana, erosion level, and aggro gauges had to be saved.
Fwiiing——!
I aimed for the middle head with pure wind bolts – rapid fire.
Fwoosh!
A vibrant sound, like a taut bowstring being plucked.
The pale blue crossbow bolt pierced into the creature’s neck.
[Critical Hit!]
[Additional damage proportional to Agility]
[Sniper Trait Activated! Additional damage proportional to Agility]
[Black Dragon’s tendon effect activated! Additional damage proportional to Shadow attribute]
[Additional status ailment from crafted crossbow bolt: Stun]
[Enchantment – Additional damage from Sacred]
[Damage Multiplier: 730%]
SHRIEK!!!
The creature’s head began to wail in two directions, and soon enough, half of the middle head fell to the ground.
I knew it from using it on Nicolseta, but.
‘Scary.’
Splash!
Not missing the chance, Edwin’s sword strike drew a moonlit arc, gently spreading.
Screech!!!
I fiercely mangled the creature’s head, revealing a clean cross-section like a tree stump.
“Yeriel, now.”
“Okay!”
Yeriel’s short and skilled incantation quickly became a blazing fire that engulfed the creature.
Fwoooosh!
Screeecch!!!
[Irremediable status ailment activated!]
[Fainted status ailment activated!]
[Grogified successfully!]
[Cerberus has been incapacitated!]
‘Finish with the shadow kill.’
Further assaults were meaningless.
Both Edwin and Yeriel had become markedly stronger compared to the canon.
‘With three heads, the reward is probably tripled.’
To put it simply,
It was the completion of an unstoppable combination.
*
Hwangdo, Crow Pay Guild Headquarters.
As preparations were underway for a large-scale move to Mystic Island, Rezilus’ office felt slightly chilly.
After the recruitment of student Caeran… he found himself facing a new phase.
The cooperation of high-ranking demon Liris.
Support from the noble family Haisman.
Crow Pay was more ready for a grand revival than ever.
“It’s simply the flow of changing times.”
The day to show the incompetent empire that his choice was correct would come soon.
“Rezilus-nim…!”
At that moment, a woman with ebony hair, Sara, entered his space, breathing heavily.
Without turning his gaze, Rezilus asked her, looking out the window.
“What’s Caeran’s status?”
“He seems to have synchronized correctly. He’s currently advancing into District 4 and plans to activate the Magic Tower on Mystic Island to open the Gate of the Underworld.”
“I see. Just keep him appeased. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.”
“Of course. However, there are a few things I must mention…”
“?”
As Rezilus fell silent, Sara hesitated before speaking.
“Contact with the second son of House Haisman, Nicolseta Haisman, has been cut off…”
“Just a discarded pawn within the family. Make arrangements for him to be treated as an accident. We still have Maclead Haisman, after all.”
“That’s true, but…”
Rezilus turned his head, glaring at Sara, who was trembling over something of little importance.
“Do you still have more to say?”
“Well, I was wondering if the battle between the students and the demons was all part of the planned sequence… if that’s alright to inquire.”
“Hmm?”
“I apologize if my anxious concern was unfounded…!”
“Wait a moment.”
Rezilus turned toward Sara.
This caused Sara to flinch and respond.
“Yes?”
He checked the time on his wristwatch and said.
“The academy guardians shouldn’t have arrived yet… So, you mean to say students fought against the hellhounds?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Those are some truly insane fellows.”
Rezilus chuckled incredulously.
Liris Latashia was a woman with monstrous capabilities.
There was no way she would set up weak demons that could be defeated by students.
“Just like Claris. You’ve raised nothing but moths to a flame!”
With regret toward Claris’s level, Rezilus contemplated the future.
‘This will certainly create quite the ripple.’
Should many noble heirs perish in this demon incident, the academy would undoubtedly face unprecedented backlash.
“We should prepare for a joint funeral!”
Suddenly, an uproarious laugh erupted from him.
How to hold back laughter at a funeral was the only thought already worth worrying about.
As Rezilus began to laugh heartily,
“By the way…”
Sara continued, her expression still dazed.
“…the demon has already… been obliterated, and District 3 has been breached…”
At that, Rezilus’ laughter abruptly ceased.