Chapter 18: Plot Armor Isn't a Stat

Well, the result was obvious. It’s not like I was going to suddenly awaken and unleash a powerful counter! Or get saved by some mysterious high-level player... Dramatic things like that don't just happen.

"Well, figures."

Right now, I’m lying on the ground with 1 HP left, my legs bitten off below the knees, watching Lycaon the Night Raider slowly approach me. I’d really like to ask why I survived with 1 HP. If player skill alone was enough to win everything, I'd be training my body in real life instead. If everything was decided solely by skill, "gamers"—a breed of humans who are only strong within games—wouldn't exist.

But if there's anyone out there who would tell my story as "the weird bird-head who got instant-killed by a Unique Monster," hold on a second. I lasted five minutes, you know? I landed about two hundred hits, and over a hundred of those were criticals. I just never expected to deal zero damage! Hahaha.

No, seriously, that’s not fur. It’s like he’s growing armor compressed into the shape of fur all over his body. Look at my Vorpal Choppers; they were nearly pristine, and now they're on the verge of breaking. And that’s just from attacking what looked like soft spots. Was I slashing at a rock? And what was with those moves? Is it a skill? His roar forcibly froze my character in place, and just when I thought he vanished, he appeared right behind me... Praise me. Actually, praise me for lasting five minutes using every trick in the book!

By the way, the Redcaps got desperate and attacked Lycaon too. One got kicked by a hind leg and exploded into polygons like a water balloon. Redcap A—the one I cornered earlier—managed to land a single hit, but his rusted longsword snapped, and while he stood there stunned, he disappeared into Lycaon’s mouth. If this game had a Monster Tamer class and I was playing it, I would have definitely scouted him. I liked his guts... though in the end, it’s just data. Namusan.

"Ah, dammit... this really is a God Game..."

The only thing in my chest is a sense of satisfaction. Lycaon the Night Raider was undeniably strong. Unreasonably tough, unreasonably strong, and unreasonably fast. Even though I’m critically injured with my legs bitten off, having my HP almost entirely depleted despite not taking what felt like a fatal hit to the vitals is crazy. Did I survive with 1 HP because of my LUC stat or something? I’ll look it up later. But this unreasonableness was the result of proper programming. Lycaon is exactly as strong as his creators intended him to be. In other words... he is a "beatable unreasonableness."

"I don't know when it'll be... but I am absolutely going to kill you."

"............"

I don't care about the final boss or the story anymore. I can feel my reactor core—my Gamer Soul—igniting. In this moment, my motivation for playing this game has been decided.

"Don't you dare get beaten until then, Lycaon."

"......Grugh."

"Eh, wait, do you actually have high-end AI install—bwegh."

Midway through complaining to Lycaon, who clearly curled his lips into a smirk, my upper body was bitten off, and my remaining 1 HP became 0.

[“Lycaon’s Curse (Marking)” has been applied.]

"..............."

I woke up on the bed in the inn at Secondil. I silently opened my status screen.

PN: Sunraku LV: 28 (50) JOB: Mercenary (Dual Wielder) Money: 2,000 Mani HP: 30 MP: 10 STM: 40 STR: 10 DEX: 15 AGI: 40 TEC: 20 VIT: 1 (6) LUC: 55

Skills:

• Spin Slash -> Rush Slash
• Screw Pierce -> Spiral Edge
• Knuckle Rush
• Slide Step -> Slide Move
• Just Parry -> Repel Counter
• Loop Slash Lv.1 -> Lv.4
• Edge Climb
• Accel Lv.3

Equipment:

• Right: Vorpal Chopper
• Left: Vorpal Chopper
• Head: Gazing Bird Mask (VIT+2)
• Torso: [Lycaon’s Curse]
• Waist: Split-Edge Belt (VIT+4)
• Legs: [Lycaon’s Curse]
• Accessories: None

Apparently, simply fighting a Unique Monster grants experience points. The stat points are delicious... well, putting that aside. Some skills are new, others have evolved. It’s a shame I didn't use my unarmed skills... well, putting that aside.

Lycaon’s Curse (Marking) Lycaon the Night Raider favors only the strong. Without regard for good, evil, wisdom, or foolishness, Lycaon carves his curse only onto those who have proven their existence. It is a brand marking one as his prey. The presence of the Black Wolf emitting from the cursed scars demonstrates the remnant of a great power to lesser beings. There is no way to lift the curse other than by unraveling it with a power surpassing the Black Wolf, or by defeating the Black Wolf.

• Equipment cannot be equipped on body parts applied with Lycaon’s Curse.
• Monsters of a lower level than the character bearing Lycaon’s Curse will flee.
• Characters bearing Lycaon’s Curse gain strong resistance against other curses.
• Characters bearing Lycaon’s Curse will experience a modification in interactions with NPCs.

Wait, isn't this a softlock?

Author’s Notes & Lore

The Conditions for the Curse

I won't say exactly what they are, but the conditions are:

• 1. "Take no damage for five minutes as a Vanguard class."
  2. "Receive an instant-death attack but do not suffer full HP loss (survive with 1 HP) (No items, skills, or magic used to survive)."
  3. The protagonist also achieved one more: "Land a certain number of critical hits without taking damage against an opponent with a level difference of 100 or more."

Translator’s Remarks

• Softlock (Tsumu): Sunraku asks "Are, kore tsun de ne?" (Huh, isn't this 'tsunda'?). Tsumu comes from Shogi (checkmate) and is used in gaming to mean a state where progress is impossible or the save file is ruined.