Chapter 100: Humans Dream of the Impossible; Time to Walk the Sky

"Wait, you bastard!!"

"Giiiiiiiiii!!"

The moment our eyes met, one side chose a hasty fight, and the other chose a hasty flight. Predator and prey, attacker and attacked.

If there is one mistake, it is that the undead Wyvern, the predator who hates the living, is the one fleeing in fear of the dead, and the human and rabbit, the prey, are the ones chasing.

"Trying to fly away is cheeky! Emul!"

"Yes sir! [Magic Chain]!"

The moment Emul chanted the spell name, magical chains shot out from the magic circle generated above my head. They rushed straight toward the Undead Wyvern and entangled its wings.

"Stopping because of annoyance was a bad move... or bad wing since they aren't hands?"

"[Magic Edge]!"

A magical blade scrapes away the decayed scales stuck to the rotting flesh of the neck. The Decapitation Sword smashes into the wound gouged by the magical blade, and for good measure, a corrected Luck punch strikes the Undead Wyvern's cheek.

Finally exhausted there, the Undead Wyvern burst into polygons. Good grief, the Curse that was handy for keeping trash mobs away at first glance instantly class-changes into a restrictive element when it comes to leveling.

"Good grief... I don't want to play tag, you know."

"I'm comfortable desu wa~ but Sunraku-san hops around pyon-pyon so it's hard to aim desu wa! I want you to drive a little more safely desu wa!"

"That's a tough request; right now I'm truly a Prancing Horse... Bird, though."

Well, since she's clinging to my head, she saves the effort of running. Plus, the miasma is repelled by me, so she must be quite comfortable.

However, Emul, who has turned into a complete support turret, is far from baggage; she's capable enough that I'd consider carrying her even if she were ten times heavier.

First, the [Magic Chain] used on the Undead Wyvern just now. This magic, a higher-tier version of [Magic Bind] with similar effects, reflects the level difference between the target and the user in its binding power.

In other words, the stronger you are, the higher the binding power.

But the greatest advantage of this magic isn't binding; it's that the opponent performs a "shaking off motion" even slightly.

In the case of the Undead Wyvern earlier, it interrupted its action of flying away because it disliked the Magic Chain wrapped around its wings. In that opening, I could close the distance and shave off its HP to zero in one go. Although there seem to be restrictions like being unable to bind at all against overwhelming level differences or certain monsters, it's an extremely excellent magic for not letting trash mobs escape.

Honestly, my wallet was one step away from being empty, but what supported it at the last minute was that Female Knight Figure.

When I showed it to Peets, it turned out to be a very rare item, and he bought it for a considerable price. I heard at that time that basically complete humanoid idols, especially those with carved expressions, have very high value.

By the way, the most valuable idols are apparently modeled after the Seven Colossi... or rather, do idols modeled after Unique Monsters drop?

"Ah, once I finish everything, I'm definitely going to collect idols..."

"Sunraku-san! It's a Dullahan desu wa, a Dullahan!"

"Ooh, Experience Points (Rare Enemy)."

Moreover, this time it's a Dullahan properly possessing its head. Doesn't that prove that that Dullahan was just clumsy...? Recalling him who was home-runned out of existence, I enter a combat stance.

"Emul, Operation Heroic Fall!"

"Eh, wait, first I've heard of it desu wa!?"

"Hahaha! I just thought of it!"

"Fubyaaaaa!!"

Allow me to explain! Operation Heroic Fall is!

"A strategy to beat a Dullahan, who was likely a famous general in the past, to death like a trash mob by binding its limbs and ganging up on it."

"Sunraku-san ruthlessly trampling on the honor of the dead is amazing desu wa..."

"Remember this. What the dead are happy to receive isn't a wedding ring or a two-rank promotion. Letting them sleep silently, that is the greatest offering we the living can give to those who lived in the past."

"Sunraku-san..."

I honestly think this line itself is cool, but having a Medic (Player) repeatedly side-hopping between life and death next to the NPC who said it makes it a gag.

There are two types of Trash Games. Regrettable Trash Games that have shining points here and there, and Genuine Trash Games that have only the light of landmine explosions from pressing the start button to turning off the power.

The former makes you feel compassion like "I realize you have good points too," and simultaneously a sorrow like watching a wildebeest calf targeted by a lion or a swallow chick fallen from its nest in a typhoon—truly profound.

The latter? Sinful enough to play while laughing through your nose.

Why do I feel guilty when Emul looks at me with sparkling eyes?

"Let's split a watermelon!"

Difficulty is No Blindfold (Very Easy), and of course, the watermelon role is your head!

Due to the Magic Chain fired by Emul and the Infinite Slash fired in timing with it, the headless knight's arm falls off the horse that tripped over its own feet, and I kick its head like a soccer ball.

While Emul attacks the torso and horse to keep them in check, I start the head destruction work. Neck, or rather head, but since it's a severed head, will there be a correction?

"Experiment start, ORAAA!"

Homage Tensei (Sky Clear) again, readying the Decapitation Sword of the Flame General overhead and swinging down. However, this time it's not just a swing; it's a jumping overhead bamboo-splitter slash.

The revived blade strikes the decaying helmet, and the impact travels from the grip to my arm. Like hitting a water balloon filled with mud.

Frowning at the sensation where liquid and solid maintain an exquisite balance in an unpleasant direction, I attack again.

This time, a blow adding the power of falling using Moon Jumper. Next, if I had to compare, a rotten watermelon; a sensation like flesh bubbling guju-ri, but definitely a sensation of crushing.

"Ueeh."

"Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!"

The crushed head screams a death cry, the wirelessly connected torso scratches the empty space above its neck, and Magic Edges are mercilessly slammed into the writhing Dullahan who forgot to get up. Emul, you can't talk about others; you're pretty much that too, you know?

While feeling disgusted by the rotten raspberry-colored polygons flowing from the gaps in the helmet—don't put detail into useless places—I switch the Decapitation Sword to a reverse grip and skewer the Dullahan's head with the tip as if thrusting a holy sword into an altar.

"Don't be so down just because you can live without a head; either way, you're becoming my experience points here."

Pulling the Decapitation Sword from the ground, I shake off the Dullahan's head still stuck on it. The head falling to the ground beshori disperses into polygons, and strength leaves the remaining torso as well.

It seems destroying the head applied an instant death judgment to the torso part. Watching the torso and headless horse disappearing into polygons, I suddenly wonder if that clumsy guy was actually amazing.

For a Dullahan who has to hold its Weak Point (Head) like an American football player, the General Dullahan who lost the head itself is... yeah, like a vampire whose hobby is sunbathing, a vampire decorated with silver cross accessories, a vampire eating garlic toast while chugging wine... Vampire really are pitiful with obviously too many weaknesses.

"At least sleep peacefully, Dullahan... though I made your head look like a punctured tire."

I crossed myself casually, but come to think of it, what is religion like in this game's worldview?

At least I haven't seen one, but since there's an NPC called Saint-chan, the settings in that area must be obsessively detailed too. I'll ask OiKatzo, who is obviously a depraved monk but technically a cleric-type job, next time.

But Dullahan, being a Rare Enemy, the experience points you brought have led me to greater heights.

"Level 79... looking only at the numbers, it's just a single level up."

But in this game, experience is reflected in skills the moment you level up. Just 78 to 79? No, wrong. This "1 level" is packed with understanding and awakening to skills honed in battles since the Wethermon fight... against the General Dullahan, the Humming Lich, and the Four-Armed Golem.

And at the existence of the "Target Skill" whose existence I was convinced of from magazines, PVs, and various media, I distort my mouth into a crescent moon arc under my mask.

"I've been waiting for you... Double Jump!"

Name: Sunraku
Level: 79 (5)
Job: Mercenary (Dual Wielder)
Money: 62,000 Mani
HP: 40
MP: 50
STM: 100
STR: 70
DEX: 70
AGI: 90
TEC: 65
VIT: 2
LUC: 104

Skills:

• Infinite Slash -> Beast Slaughtering Infinite Slash
• Growing Pierce
• Infight Lv.MAX
• Drift Step
• Momentary Sight
• Hand of Fortune Lv.MAX
• Great of Climb
• Climax Boost Lv.MAX
• Six-Boat Jump -> Seven-Boat Jump
• Ricochet Step Lv.MAX
• Hate Trample Lv.4
• Moon Jumper -> Skywalker
• Lone Wolf [Transient]
• Off-Road Lv.MAX
• Vorpal Blade Arts [Water Mirror Moon] Fifth Form
• Ignition Lv.MAX
• Overheat Lv.6
• Nitrogain Lv.MAX
• Duelism
• Impact Fist Lv.1
• Ten Counter
• Power Slash Lv.1
• Single Stroke Bisection

Equipment:

• Left/Right: Decapitation Sword of the Flame General
• Head: Gazing Bird Mask (VIT+1)
• Torso: Lycaon's Curse
• Waist: None
• Legs: Lycaon's Curse
• Accessories: Inventory Key: Inventoria

Author's Afterword
To think the 100th chapter would be a messy watermelon splitting... (Confused)

100th Chapter Commemoration: Lore Vomit Corner (Spoilers)
Actually, there is another era before "Modern Era" and "Divine Age."
For convenience, let's call it the "Primordial Era." In that era, civilization did not exist. Only unintelligent microorganisms and things before they became continents existed.