The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 260

Clank-

Noah said that, ignored all the attacks directed at him, and lowered his sword.

As the thorns surrounding the castle wall disappeared, Mio and Rwen's combination attack and Bodra's arrow attack went straight into the sword's gap and struck Noah's body.

Thud-thud-thud-

However, none of the attacks could penetrate the armor's defense and damage Noah.

A human fist cannot leave a mark on a huge rock.

As if to say that, the shining armor firmly enveloped and protected Noah's entire body.

"My turn."

Noah said that and swung the longsword held in his hand with a heavy momentum.

Whoooosh-

The sword ki wrapped around the sword was ocher, unlike before, and its size was twice as large as before.

Thud-thud-thud-

At that, Mio and Rwen hurriedly stepped on their footwork.

The flames scattered, and the lightning was shot.

Thus, the two distanced themselves from Noah and avoided the attack.

Drip-

Thanks to that, they were able to get away with only a slight tear in their skin.

Of course, since this was also an attack from the sword ki, it was ambiguous to call it a small wound.

However, the two were more concerned about the fact that the opportunity for close combat they had finally obtained had disappeared.

"Hmm, did I focus too much on the limbs? Well, it doesn't matter since I can just cut them next time."

Noah said that and grinned at the two.

That smile was telling them.

It wasn't that you dodged my attack well.

It was that I let you go to repay the humiliation I had suffered a little while ago a hundredfold.

"Are you showing off just because you inflicted this much of a wound?"

"A wound like this will be fine with just a lick of spit."

At that, Mio retorted with a smiling face, and Rwen shot back at Noah with a frown, as if she was in a bad mood.

As if to say they truly thought so, the two didn't pay any attention to the wounds from which blood was flowing.

Sssssk-

No, there was no need to pay attention.

The two's bodies were not ordinary bodies.

Their bodies were based on the bodies of the Dragonkin, which were more friendly to magic than anything else and sturdy, and were the bodies of super-organisms that had accepted the organs of various creatures through numerous experiments.

The powers of various creatures, which had originally been mixed up like a hodgepodge, constantly clashing and devouring each other, ruining their bodies, had been rearranged around the Dragon Heart and had newly settled within them.

Therefore, the two's bodies, just like their physical strength, had a recovery power that far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

A wound of this level would heal quickly.

The two knew that very well through their lessons with Irehgue.

Grit-

Nevertheless, the two burned with anger towards Noah in front of them.

"Hey, who dared to wound my sister's leg?"

"Who are you to make my sister's arm bleed?"

The two said, glaring at Noah with fiercely shining eyes, as if chewing on their words.

Noah sneered at them and said.

"Instead of resenting me, why don't you resent your own pathetic skills and the wealth of your master who didn't even prepare a single piece of armor for you?"

"...Hey, do you know why we don't have weapons and armor?"

"Is that a question? Well, fine. I'll play along. Why is that?"

At Noah's words, Mio and Rwen said in a voice full of annoyance.

"Because we have to melt down the weapons and armor you have and take them, so we don't have them yet."

"Now that you know, just bow your head to the ground and die, then hand over your weapons and armor."

Chuckle-

"Try it if you can."

At Noah's words, the two took their stances and were about to rush at Noah again.

Swoosh-

However, faster than the two could move, an arrow flew, aiming for Noah's face.

"Hmph, is this all?"

Noah lightly moved his head and dodged the arrow.

The arrow that had been flying towards Noah's face hit the tree behind him and stuck there.

At the same time, the thin string tied to the tree was cut.

Thwack-thwack-thwack--!!!

Numerous daggers shot out from the bushes, aiming for Noah.

'A trap?'

At first, Noah was going to just ignore the daggers.

But the moment he saw the green light shining at the tip of the daggers, he quickly swung his sword and deflected them.

"You were showing off as much as you could..."

Thud-

"Even if you can physically defend, it seems you can't defend against things like poison."

Bodra said that and appeared on the battlefield, holding a bow in one hand and a shortsword in the other.

Seeing the revealed Bodra, Mio got annoyed.

"Hey, what were you thinking, throwing poison daggers when we could have jumped in first?!"

"I don't know, so who told you to follow me here and fight?"

Bodra retorted Mio's words and clicked her tongue softly.

Originally, Bodra had intended to use the two as bait and continue to check Noah by shooting arrows, slowly hunting him down.

However, after confirming the performance of Noah's weapon and armor, she felt that the two were not enough and had come to the front like this.

"For an archer, you sure have the guts to come to the front."

"That's how little I trusted you."

Bodra replied to Rwen's words.

But contrary to her words, it wasn't that she had come out without any thought.

By Bodra coming to the front, the archer who could have dealt an unexpected blow and checked Noah was gone.

But now, in this place, there were numerous traps that could take Bodra's place.

Activate the traps with arrows, and while she distracts from the front, attack from behind with the pre-installed traps.

Although it had been pushed back because Mio and Rwen had suddenly intervened, that was the way Bodra had originally intended to fight.

"And..."

Bodra said that and lightly rotated the shortsword she had held between her fingers.

"I'm as good with this as I am with a bow."

Bodra said that and lowered her stance so that she could react to Noah's attack at any time.

With all her nerves focused on Noah, she moved only her mouth towards the two.

"Why don't you guys just go back now? You must have realized from the previous exchange that your attacks don't work on that guy."

At Bodra's words, the two's eyes trembled slightly.

Because what she said was the truth.

"How about you say you lost to me now and bow your head? Who knows? Maybe I'll think you're cute and allow you to run around as my hunting dog."

At Bodra's words, Mio frowned.

"You're talking nonsense. I haven't even shown my real skills yet."

"...Then hurry up and show those real skills and kill that guy faster than me."

Thud-

Bodra, who had said that to Mio, kicked off the ground and shot an arrow at Noah.

The arrow moved as if flowing with the wind like a bird and attacked Noah.

Whoooosh-

At that, Noah swung his sword and deflected all of Bodra's arrows.

As long as he didn't know where the arrows would fly and what traps they would activate, it was best to cut down all the arrows flying towards him.

Thwack-thwack-thwack-

However, no matter how much Noah had advanced a step further with the help of his tools, he couldn't cut down the arrows that flew secretly, unseen.

"Wind?"

"Correct."

Noah frowned, feeling the wind that had accurately penetrated the gap in his armor.

At that, Bodra smiled and placed new arrows on her bow.

"An invisible arrow of wind hidden among the visible arrows. Do you think you can block all of them?"

"...Do I look like a joke to you? Do you think I can't even do that much?"

Although it was clumped up by the wind and hidden among the real ones, its essence was an arrow of aura.

If he raised his ki sense, it wasn't something he couldn't find.

"No, you probably can."

Bodra knew that well.

"So, one more thing on top of that."

Grin-

"I'll have to add my special trap."

Tick- Tick-

The moment Bodra said that, the arrow of wind cut the string that was holding the trap.

Poof-

Then, a huge cloud of smoke rose from where Noah was, and a huge capturing rope resembling a fishing net fell like rain towards that place.

Watching that, Bodra shot arrows like crazy.

The arrows swam through the air like a hawk hunting for fish and fell towards Noah.

It seemed like a continuous onslaught that would not allow one to regain their senses, but this was only a momentary time-buyer.

And for the current Mio and Rwen, the short time Bodra had created was as sweet as a drop of honey.

'Che.'

Mio, who saw the trap of smoke and rope, clicked her tongue inwardly at Bodra.

'I came with the intention of receiving help in a 'what if' situation, but it feels dirty to actually receive it.'

So, she would repay this debt right now, immediately.

As Mio was thinking that, watching Bodra who had provoked them and was now drawing Noah's attention and holding his feet.

Squeeze-

Rwen, who was next to Mio, grabbed one of Mio's hands and said.

"I'll do it too."

"...Yeah."

If she could, she wanted to say that she was enough on her own, so it was fine if she didn't do it.

But Mio knew very well that she was still too weak to say such words confidently and appease Rwen's worries.

That was frustrating.

Squeeze-

Pressing down that frustration, Mio, along with Rwen, rummaged through her memories.

-Listen well. This is a technique created by mixing the buff-type technique he has and a certain demonic art.

Then, the teachings she had received from Irehgue a while ago came to her mind.

-The essence of this technique is to cut one's own flesh and eat that flesh to temporarily raise one's power. As you can guess from this explanation, it is a technique with side effects.

Irehgue in their memories said that and looked at the two.

-I do not think you will be able to fully withstand the side effects of that technique. So I have divided that technique into three stages for now.

Woooong-

The two began to move the internal energy in their dantians as Irehgue had taught them.

At that moment, the flow of internal energy that had been smoothly circulating in their bodies began to reverse its flow.

In that flow, along with a mind-numbing pain, a huge power came out, and the internal energy contained in their dantians churned more strongly than ever before.

Grit-

The two ignored the screams of their bodies and gritted their teeth.

-You should be able to somehow endure the first stage at your current level. But from the next stage, it would be best not to use it unless you have to.

'Even if I've reached the peak, I shouldn't use it?'

'Then at what level can I use it?'

At that time, the two had asked Irehgue that.

At that, Irehgue had chuckled.

-You can endure it with your bodies. The reason I told you not to use it is for a different reason.

'Why shouldn't I use it?'

At Rwen's words, Irehgue answered as if it were simple.

-Because it will be so painful that you won't be able to handle it.

Irehgue, who said that, sneered at the two.

-Well, if you do use it, it would be best to use it as short and intensely as possible. Because if you're in a situation where you have to use this technique, a short, decisive battle where you raise your power to the limit in an instant is the best.

Irehgue, who had said that, widened his eyes as if he had just remembered and said.

-Ah, and when you use it, be sure to say the name of the technique.

'Why the name?'

-There is a reason that it helps to grasp the image while moving the internal energy... but that reason is just a side branch. The reason I told you to call out the name when you use a technique is because it was I who named your techniques.

It wasn't just something he had decided on simply.

It was a name he had created by rummaging through Lee Shin's memories with a mental connection and racking his brain.

Recalling the appearance of their master, who had such a cute side, the two simultaneously spoke the name of the technique.

""Mad Dragon Transformation, 2nd stage.""

For a name that he had racked his brain to come up with, it was a technique name that smelled strongly of plagiarism.

(End of Chapter)