chapter_0078

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
78

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
78

This is the second time I’ll
be facing a Minotaur.

The first battle ended in my
devastating defeat.

In fact, calling it a battle
is generous.

It was a one-sided beating.

With one punch from the
Minotaur, my shield shattered. With the next, my resolve crumbled,
and after that, all I could do was tremble in fear in the face of
imminent death.

How about now?

Back then, I was just an empty
vessel with a high level, but now I’ve become a veteran with fully
maxed skills.

All my stats have dramatically
increased, and I’ve even mastered divine magic.

Not to mention, my combat
experience has grown immensely.

On top of that, I’ve just
finished all the possible doping I can do right now, so comparing
myself to when I passed Ruel’s Trial would be an insult.

If this were a game, I
wouldn’t have any worries at all.

Back when I used to defeat
Minotaurs with a Level 1 character, I would’ve been able to toy with
it given my current specs.

But this is reality, isn’t it?

Or maybe it’s because of the
bitter defeat I experienced last time.

My mind is cluttered with
thoughts.

‘Why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Thinking about it makes me
angry, Grandpa. Do you want to take a trip down memory lane and visit
the trash can?’

…After making one comment,
Grandpa fell silent.

I tried not to bring it up on
purpose, but he’s the one who mentioned it first.

It’s your fault, Grandpa. I’m
still holding onto it in my heart, you know that?

Back then, things worked out,
so I just gave him a dip in the trash and called it a day.

But my feelings haven’t fully
settled yet.

Phew.

…It’s true that I’m scared.

I’m not as strong-willed as
the protagonist in some stories.

If I didn’t have the mental
skills, I wouldn’t have dared to touch the second elixir out of fear
of the pain when I first drank it.

It was the same when I started
training.

Skills pushed me to keep
running mindlessly; otherwise, I would have given up long ago.

It was also similar when I
first faced the orc.

Without overcoming fear, would
I have been able to respond calmly? I think not.

Even now, it’s no different.

Facing that monster is still
terrifying.

Moving my body like crazy is
exhausting.

But I can do it.

Because I have skills. People
who get trapped in a game typically trust in their skills and move
forward, right?

I’m the same.

I believe [Overcoming Fear]
will eliminate my fears.

I trust that [Unyielding Will]
won’t allow me to give up.

I believe [Iron Wall] will
block the Minotaur’s attacks.

So, I take a step forward.

‘I’m going.’

“Follow me, Pitiful
Prince.”

We emerge from the alley and
stand before the Minotaur.

I see its enormous build.

Its eyes, red as blood.

Its breath, so hot it feels
like it could cook my skin.

And the axe that could split
me in two.

Taking a deep breath, I raise
my shield.

“Hello♡ you filthy,
stinky, stupid Bullhead♡”

As the Minotaur’s eyes lock
onto me, I tighten my grip on the mace.

“Why are you looking at
me like that, you Sloppy fool?♡ Do you have a masochistic desire to
be slaughtered?♡ Haha♡ I understand♡ I’ll tenderise you with my
mace♡”

As the euphoric boost power
unique to the [Mesugaki] Skill hits, the Minotaur lets out a roar and
charges at me.

Damn it. It’s ridiculously
fast for its size.

But still. I can handle this.

WHAM!

I block the Minotaur’s
descending axe with my shield.

The sound of iron grinding
against iron fills the air as our weapons clash.

It’s strong. Disgustingly
strong.

My hand, arm, and shoulder,
all straining under the pressure, feel like they might shatter.

But hey, Bullhead. Did you
know?

I haven’t even activated my
buff yet.

‘As the deity sends forth
their apostle to the earth…’

I recite a prayer silently in
my mind.

One of the specialties of a
Paladin.

A magic designed to protect
the followers of the deity.

Adding to my stamina.

Boosting my strength.

Fortifying both body and mind.

And invoking a steadfast
resolve.

As an Apostle of Armadi, the
level of divine magic I can employ is impressive—even Bishop Johan,
who doesn’t like me, would be in awe.

It was enough to somewhat
bridge the gap between the Minotaur and me.

But it was Arthur who broke
the deadlock between the Minotaur and me.

Using wind magic, the Magic
Swordsman (Arthur) assaulted the Minotaur’s face.

As the dazed Minotaur
staggered back, I chased it down and swung my mace at its thigh.

Its hide might be thick and
its muscles hard, but that doesn’t matter.

Our level difference is so
significant.

No matter how high its defence
is, true damage will be inflicted.

And at the very moment I
brought my mace down—

“Kuuaaagh!”

I felt a satisfying impact.

Maybe it was enraged by the
unexpected pain.

The staggering Minotaur turned
away from me towards Arthur.

As if it believed he was the
cause of its suffering.

Hey, where do you think you’re
looking?

Isn’t there a small, cute girl
here you’d want to punch?

You’re failing as a male by
taking your eyes off me.

Wait a second. Are you
actually a female?

You’re pretty grotesque for
a female, though.

Hmm. Ah!

Fruity for a male, are you?
(Gay)

Then it makes sense you’d
look away from me.

But I can’t allow that.

I am the tank.

“Hey, trash bullhead ♡”

Look at the enemy in front of
you.

“Could it be you don’t
think you can break through my shield?♡ Of course not♡ Your
sloppy axe can’t do it♡”

Look at me, belittling and
mocking you.

“Coward♡ Sloppy♡
Idiot♡”

That’s right.

Face me, bullhead.

Your enemy is me.

The enraged Minotaur charges
at me, intent on trampling me.

I block the Minotaur’s
consecutive axe strikes with my shield.

There’s no chance to
counterattack.

Even though the gap in
physical stats has narrowed thanks to buffs, the Minotaur still has
the upper hand.

If even one of its frenzied
attacks strikes me directly, I’ll suffer a fatal wound.

So I wait.

Shield raised. Like a
crocodile hidden in the water.

Waiting for the moment my prey
steps into the river. The life force of a Minotaur is incredibly
tenacious.

Among all monsters, it ranks
near the top.

But tough doesn’t mean
infinite.

After all, this thing is still
a living being.

It’s not a ghost without
flesh. It’s not an undead that doesn’t tire.

There will be an opening
eventually.

Are you saying the same
applies to me? Well…

While I was enduring, the
Minotaur prepared a massive attack.

It twisted its waist
forcefully.

Drawing its arm back.

Trying to prove how much
muscle it has under its hide.

That strike is dangerous.

[Iron Wall] screams that I
can’t block it, that I must divert or dodge.

Grandpa says I should rush in
and break the attack.

I know both are right.

How could I not after all the
gruelling training I’ve been through?

But my body, worn out from
blocking the Minotaur’s earlier attacks, wouldn’t follow my will.

The best I could do was to
block that attack with my shield. The moment the Minotaur’s massive
side swing hit my shield, my body was lifted off the ground.

Ah. Haven’t I experienced
something like this before?

Just as that irrelevant
thought crossed my mind, my body smashed into the wall.

Damn it. That hurts like hell.

Coughing several times as I
inhaled the dust knocked loose from the wall, I grabbed my trembling
legs and stood back up.

Then, I saw the Minotaur
charging towards me again, not giving me any time to rest.

In my current condition, I
wouldn’t be able to block that attack.

Even if I held up my shield,
it would just break along with it.

Despite knowing this, I
remained calm, not only because I had [Overcoming Fear].

[Armadi’s Mercy].

Though I hated that the name
of that incompetent, sloppy, perverted, and trashy deity was attached
to it, the skill’s effectiveness was undeniable.

As soon as I used it, my body
returned to normal, and I blocked the Minotaur’s attack without much
difficulty.

I could see the Minotaur
flinch in surprise.

Ha ha. What’s the matter?
Did you think you had won?

Too bad for you.

Bullhead. Want to hear
something interesting?

Guess what? I can still use
[Armadi’s Mercy] at least ten more times.

With the potions in my pocket,
I can use it even more.

So, come on, let’s see who’s
tougher:

The life force of a beast with
a Bullhead, or me, this stubborn thorn.

“Bring it on♡ you
sloppy Bullhead♡”

Lucy Allen stood firm. Even
though the shield she held in one hand was dented,

Even though her armour was
broken.

Even though blood flowed from
her head, staining her face red.

Even though her hair, usually
tied in two braids, was now dishevelled and messy.

Even though she screamed in
pain from numerous attacks.

She did not falter.

She stood tall, blocking the
Minotaur’s path with her characteristic annoying grin.

And what about the Minotaur?

That opponent they thought
they could never defeat?

It was in a state where it
could no longer grip its axe.

Its legs, battered from
countless attacks, wobbled as if standing was a struggle. Lucy no
longer had the strength left to maintain her offensive against the
Minotaur.

The creature, perhaps out of
sheer pride, was forcing itself to stay upright, but that was all it
could manage.

The fierce terror it initially
projected was now nowhere to be found.

And even the last shred of the
Minotaur’s pride was shattered the moment Lucy Allen swung her mace.

The Minotaur’s legs gave out,
and it collapsed to its knees.

What started as an
overwhelmingly one-sided battle between the monstrous creature and a
little girl, reached an entirely unexpected conclusion.

It was Lucy Allen looking down
at the Minotaur, while the beast, now trembling with fear, looked up
at her as if she were a monster.

‘Is this the bloodline of
the Allen Family?

A little girl from a family
that has produced countless heroes?

It wasn’t just talent.

She exceeded her extraordinary
talents to become something divine.

Ha, now I find myself filled
with respect.

The idea that I would think
this way about Lucy Allen…

If someone had told me this a
week ago, I would have accused them of losing their mind.’

Lucy Allen, having reached the
Minotaur, raised her mace high.

And as she brought it down,
the Minotaur’s horn fell to the ground.

“Let’s go, Pitiful
Prince.”

Wiping the blood from her
face, Lucy Allen’s smile was more reassuring than ever.

Battling the Minotaur was not
an easy task.

That stubborn ox-headed
bastard.

To put it bluntly, holding out
against it was manageable.

I had various divine magic
spells, [Armadi’s Mercy], and other skills at my disposal.

But the real issue was the
lack of damage.

No matter how many true damage
hits I landed, it was only about 5% of my attack power.

If it were as fragile as the
undead from last time, that would be fine, but the Minotaur, known
for its toughness, had its limits.

If Arthur hadn’t created
openings and attacked its weak points with magic from time to time,
it would have been a tough battle.

Well, anyway, we won, and I
levelled up.

That’s good enough.

Don’t you agree?

Ding

Just as I stepped into the
safe section thinking that, a message window popped up as if it had
been waiting for me.

Having been caught off guard
by Agra once, I quickly glanced at the message window in surprise.

[Quest Clear!]

Fortunately, this time it was
from that damn, useless, perverted, trashy god.

Claiming to be a god but
unable to even block Agra’s Curse—what a useless deity!

Ugh, this really makes me
angry.

[Stoffee’s Special Ticket has
been granted.]

At least the reward is proper
this time.

If he didn’t give me at least
this much, he would be a scam artist, not a deity. Right.

Okay, hand it over quickly.
Let me put it in my pocket and rest.

[…]

[It has been confirmed that
you have successfully repelled Agra’s Touch.]

…What?

[An additional reward will be
given.]

What’s going on?

Why is this incompetent god
suddenly acting like this?

This isn’t like him at all!

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