episode_0006

Clad in ominous shades of black and purple, the vengeful minions of Mephisto, with their venomous stingers aimed at me, are swooping down.

That there is Mephisto’s skill, “Legion Mobilization,” where he summons the minions spawned by Mephisto to one place and directs them towards the target.

These Mephistos aren’t the real deal; they’re mere illusions, so it’s not like genuinely scattered minions are being summoned—it’s all a creation of illusions.

Hmm? If they’re illusions, can’t I just pass through them since they have no substance?

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

-Clang!

“Seriously, why do illusions have substance?”

Well, unlike ordinary illusions, these illusions do have substance.

One might argue that if they have substance, they aren’t illusions, but they only have substance in a specific part, so it’s ambiguous to call them anything other than illusions.

For example, these minions only have substance in their stingers; the rest of their bodies lack substance.

Mephisto himself is entirely insubstantial. He delegates all attacks to different types of bees—generals, workers, slaves, commanders, and so on.

The reason he became one of the Three Great Calamities is due to the sheer number and variety of these bees and also because the main body, Mephisto, just wouldn’t die.

However, this doesn’t mean Mephisto doesn’t attack. He can unleash rays, for instance.

He simply finds it bothersome and leaves the work to the bees.

Now, you might ask if the bees are strong.

Oh, they’re incredibly strong.

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

The skill I just used, Momentary Capture, enhances my visual acuity and agility for a brief moment, making it a versatile skill usable for offense, defense, and evasion.

However, its drawback is clear—if used more than five times simultaneously, it overloads my body. So, it must be used judiciously. Up to four times seems to be tolerable.

-Clang!! Clang clang!

“Geez…they’re huge and incredibly fierce.”

Using the skill Momentary Capture from the Seer Line three times in a row, I barely managed to fend off the attack.

It was so swift that without Momentary Capture, blocking would have been nearly impossible. Moreover, even though I blocked, vibrations coursed through my arm via the dagger, causing me pain.

Truly formidable. If I were to block four attacks simultaneously, my arm might not survive.

What size! These monsters, about 5 meters tall, not only possess venom in their stingers but also inflict minor lingering damage like paralysis and burns. If this isn’t strength, then what is?

In the novel, the protagonist once faced such a trial of courage and almost died, but somehow managed to survive. Since I’ve awakened, I must survive.

So, how should I break through this?

-Shuuuuu!

“!”

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

-Clang!

Without a moment to think, Mephisto’s minions relentlessly continue to shoot venomous stingers at me, offering no respite.

Given their colossal size of 5 meters, those who fear bees would go insane, but fortunately, I am not one of them.

-Shuuuuu!

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

-Clang clang!

Once again, I used Momentary Capture to block the minions’ attacks.

“Ugh…!”

-Thud!

While I managed to block the attack, I couldn’t completely deflect the minions’ force. The vibrations were so intense that they affected my legs, causing me to slump to the ground.

Both my arms and legs lost their strength. Indeed, facing Mephisto is no easy task.

Now, what should I do? Lost in the same dilemma, as I sit hesitantly, fending off the minions’ attacks with Momentary Capture, suddenly, a cheerful ringing sound echoed in my ears, and before my eyes, a faint system window emitting a blue light appeared.

⁅With exceptional visual acuity and agility, you have successfully blocked numerous attacks. Your proficiency in the ‘Agility Stat’ has increased by 1.1, raising your Agility rank⁆

[Agility: E+[1.94]ㅡ>C[3.04]]

“Well, that’s unexpected.”

My Agility stat has increased.

From the trash E-rank to a somewhat tolerable C-rank.

If someone were to ask if there was any noticeable change from my agility stat going up a bit, I could confidently answer that there wasn’t.

But that doesn’t mean the situation has worsened.

“My stamina has returned.”

Thanks to the stat upgrade, my stamina, which had been draining rapidly, has now returned.

With my stamina restored, I effortlessly dodged the attacks of the one-day creatures with increased speed, enhanced visual acuity, and agility, moving forward as if swatting away flies. Of course, this is only possible with the right skills.

For now, I headed towards Mephisto. I have to approach Mephisto to clear this trial.

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

-Clang!

Even as I moved towards Mephisto, the one-day creatures did not cease their attacks.

-Clang! Clang clang clang! Clang clang clang!

Now, even without using Momentary Capture, I could adequately block the attacks of the moderately fast one-day creatures.

However, despite the increase in stamina, endurance, and vitality, the pain from the incoming attacks and the vibrations was still unbearable.

Nevertheless, I continued moving forward.

In order to obtain ‘that’ skill, which could be considered a trademark skill of the Seerline.

“It feels like my body is getting lighter, for real.”

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

[Skill: Momentary Capture]

-Clang!! Clang clang clang! Clang! Clang! Clang clang!

As I approached Mephisto, the attacks from the one-day creatures intensified.

Whether due to being an illusion with no stamina or a force stemming from a child’s instinct to protect their mother, I consecutively used Momentary Capture four times.

I thought I could manage without using it five times in a row, but even four times in a row proved to be quite challenging.

-Clang!

“Tsk.”

-Shiiiiing!

Although I neared Mephisto, I was pushed back by the hidden soldier lurking behind.

This soldier was not just any ordinary soldier; it was a Soldier Wasp, a creature more dangerous than a one-day creature, standing about 1m taller and twice as strong.

Dealing with them was quite tricky… To bring out such a formidable opponent from the start, Mephisto must be quite surprised. Whether it’s the illusion showing surprise is uncertain.

The Soldier Wasp thrust its sharp poisonous stinger towards me, flying at me.

As I tried to measure its speed to defend against the attack,

“It’s too fast!”

-Clang!!!

“Ughhh!!!”

The speed of the Soldier Wasp surpassed all imagination.

Perhaps because I was only reading about it, I didn’t know how fast it would be, but it was incredibly swift.

Just a moment ago, the distance between the Soldier Wasp and me was roughly 50m.

It covered that distance in just one second.

Such speed might be ordinary in the later stages, but it was exceptionally fast by current standards.

Moreover, its strength was no joke. My muscles convulsed under the sudden immense force, causing me excruciating pain.

It was unbearably painful.

If I were an ordinary person, I might have given up, but I am not ordinary.

I can do anything for the Hufip House.

-Shuuuuu!

This time, the Soldier Wasp lunged at me from a distance of about 60m.

Without time to react, I had to quickly calculate its position and raise my dagger to block the attack.

Anticipating where the Soldier Wasp would come, I raised my dagger to block the attack, but

-Shoosh!

“Huh? It twisted?”

Suddenly, the Soldier Wasp twisted its body, changing direction.

As a result, instead of blocking the Soldier Wasp’s stinger, my dagger ended up striking empty air, while the stinger aimed directly at my leg.

-Pwoosh!

Before I could use Momentary Capture to block the attack, the Soldier Wasp precisely pierced my calf and swiftly retreated.

“Ughhhhh!”

Through my leg, poison, burns, and paralysis spread throughout my body all at once.

When hit by a paralyzing venom, I fought with no hope of winning but ended up getting hit.

– Thud!

As the paralysis spread through my body, I collapsed to the ground, completely drained of strength.

I couldn’t move a muscle.

There seemed to be no way out.

– Shooooo!

Ten wasps and one soldier bee, all aiming their stingers at me, were charging towards my fallen body.

An ordinary person might have given up here and embraced death, but not me.

I,

– Chuckle.

Was smiling.

Why, you ask?

– Ding!

A cheerful chime rang in my ears as if pressing a delightful doorbell.

[You are in danger. The main characters in such situations awaken their strength! Skill awakened: Acquired ‘Surge.’]

Shieline is the protagonist of this world.

Not just any protagonist, but a key rival to the main character.

With exceptional talent, she often defeats the protagonist in novels, but I neglected to train Shieline for a whole year due to distractions, resulting in my current weakened state.

What does this have to do with the present situation?

Shieline is the protagonist.

And she is strong. Exceptionally talented.

If such a protagonist were to face death, wouldn’t someone exert effort to save her?

– Swoosh.

“Goodbye.”

I finally obtained Shieline’s exclusive skill, Surge.

Upon using Surge, my body felt invigorated as the paralysis, venom, and burns vanished, leaving me refreshed.

This is the effect of Surge, enabling fluid movement like a wave, expelling toxins from within the body.

It may not be the most powerful skill, but it suits me perfectly now and fits Shieline’s character.

Although I missed acquiring the trademark skill ‘That,’ let’s be content with this level. Being too greedy could lead to death.

Using Surge, I escaped the encirclement of wasps and soldier bees and quickly reached Mephisto’s vicinity.

Seeing me near, Mephisto swung his massive hand expressionlessly.

I could approach Mephisto but failed to clear the trial.

To overcome this trial, courage is required.

But Mephisto is an unbeatable entity. So how did the protagonist clear this trial?

– Whiiiiish!

Just take Mephisto’s punch head-on.

– Whoosh!

Mephisto’s attack passed through my body.

As a result, the wasps and soldier bees targeting Mephisto and me melted away like liquid, vanishing.

This is the condition for clearing the Trial of Courage.

Simply enduring Mephisto’s attacks, which lack substance.

While accidentally taking Mephisto’s blow may not demonstrate courage, since this is the condition for clearing, let’s not dwell on technicalities. We cleared it, right?

“Phew… That was damn hard.”

After clearing the Trial of Courage, I slumped to the ground.

It was truly exhausting. I had used Portion Capture too frequently.

Though my body wasn’t overloaded, it was still tough.

Yet, it wasn’t all in vain. I gained Gazelle’s blood as a reward and the awakened skill Surge.

– Thud!

As I sat exhausted, a devilishly adorned large treasure chest fell from the sky, seemingly promising to keep me busy.

Dragging my weary body to open the chest, inside lay a glass vial filled with some kind of blood.

This blood was Gazelle’s Blood, a hidden piece.

– Swoosh.

Holding the vial of Gazelle’s Blood, I immediately injected the blood into my body without hesitation.

– Gulp, gulp.

– Thump!

“Ugh…!”

As Gazelle’s Blood entered my body, my heart’s pumping quickened, accelerating blood circulation along with intense throbbing sounds that brought excruciating pain simultaneously.

“Kyaahhh!!”

It feels like my body is burning.

No matter how much I try to endure, the pain doesn’t go away.

I’m going crazy.

It’s so painful that it’s driving me insane.

The agony is terrifying.

To endure such pain, it truly feels like hell.

How long has it been since I kept screaming with negative thoughts about the pain?

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

As the pain subsides and my body feels revitalized, I am relieved of the torment.

My body feels much better than before, as if it has improved significantly.

This is the effect of Gazelle’s Blood.

-Ding!

After absorbing all of Gazelle’s Blood into my body, another notification sound rings in my ears, and at the same time, a system window appears in front of my eyes.

[Legendary figure. You have fully absorbed Gazelle’s Blood. Your body has completed adaptation, and Gazelle’s Blood has become integrated with your body. Your Stamina and Vitality stats increase by 9.]

[Stamina: C[3.49] -> S[12.49]]

[Vitality: E+[1.81] -> S[10.81]]