episode_0282

The three members dispatched to battle the monster ‘Roaring Crescent Moon Bear,’ who was expected to appear in the western part of the forest, or more accurately, might not even appear at all, were me, Edan, and Caraham.

To be honest, it was a bit of a close call in terms of the battle. The level of the Roaring Crescent Moon Bear was roughly around 35, while my level was still only 22.

I couldn’t accurately estimate Edan and Caraham’s levels, but since we were all in the same academy grade, our levels were probably similar.

Normally, one would feel a sense of crisis, but honestly, it didn’t feel that intimidating. As I mentioned before, this battle was almost unlikely to happen.

In this event, the monster attacking the northern altar was almost confirmed to be the ‘Moonlight Wolf.’ If it were a game, the probability was almost 99 percent.

“The higher the party members’ combat power, the higher the chance of the Moonlight Wolf appearing as an enemy in the north.”

And the level of the party members gathered in the Witch’s Forest was quite substantial.

Three Sword Experts consisting of Gyeommyeojoshegwi, Edan, and Colt.

Serista and me. Two awakened Holy Maidens for their own reasons.

Caraham, the Inspector on the verge of breaking through the Sword Expert’s barrier.

Serafin, known as the Moonshadow Princess.

The next Red Tower Master, the Fire Mage Agnes.

Antonio… well, just about decent enough.

Even in the game, gathering this level of power was impossible. You would probably need to receive several buffs and use cheats to reach this level.

Especially the most absurd part was having three Sword Experts and two Holy Maidens. Natalie, the first companion to awaken as a Sword Expert in the original, only awakened around the middle of the third part, and both Holy Maidens, Serista and I, awakened in the latter part of the fourth part.

In this situation, it was beyond belief that the Moonlight Wolf didn’t appear and the Crescent Moon Bear did. If it were a game, the appearance of the Crescent Moon Bear would be considered a bug.

Of course, this world was more like a world between a game and reality, but the most important thing was that the main events of the ‘Luminor Academy’ were flowing almost similarly to the original.

So, it was inevitable that my tension eased a bit.

In any case, the monsters that would appear were a pair of Moonlight Wolves. If by any chance the Crescent Moon Bear appeared, we could hold out for 2-3 minutes until the party of Gyeommyeojoshegwi, who heard the commotion, came to support us.

Of course, if no monsters appeared on our side, then we would go to assist in subjugating the Moonlight Wolves.

…That was the perfect plan.

“Edan! Lightning strike from the left! Don’t block with your sword! And Caraham Gongja! Swing from the left!”

“Lilith! It’s dangerous to step forward like that!”

In the final event in the Witch’s Forest, Edan, Caraham, and I had to engage in a battle where our lives were at stake.

…Why did it have to turn out like this?

***

“Haha! Looks like we’re dividing the swords again, Edan Gong. And Lilith Yang.”

The end of the ‘Secret of Lala’ episode. Caraham, who approached with peaceful words while moving to the west of the forest for the altar defense battle.

“Let me correct you, Caraham Gong. What we need to do is not just divide the swords among ourselves, but to eliminate the threat that may appear in the west.”

“I understand. If a monster appears that could disrupt my sister’s trial, I can’t just stand by.”

***

Edan’s height seemed to be about 3 to 40 centimeters taller than mine. And seeing Kara-ham, who was holding a giant greatsword as big as his height, I couldn’t help but feel that he was indeed the mid-boss of Chapter 3.

Of course, in terms of skill and ability alone, Edan, the mid-boss of Chapter 2, was slightly more formidable. But the sheer strength emanating from Kara-ham was not something to be easily dismissed.

“So, the hero mentioned that the Crescent Moon Bear is a giant bear-like monster! It would be great to face a monster big enough to swing a sword properly for once! I’m not used to swinging a sword against people, haha!”

“…I have to agree that your sword is definitely not for human use.”

“Kara-ham Gong-nim’s sword is merciless in many ways. In the last evaluation match, he accurately split his opponent in half…”

“Haha! It’s not that impressive! I just follow Professor Harold’s teachings to think about where the opponent will move while swinging the sword slowly. After that, as long as I have overwhelming strength, cutting down one or ten people is a piece of cake!”

“….”

“….”

…I didn’t mean to praise him, I just wanted him to use that overflowing power more appropriately, but his absurd response left me and Edan speechless.

Having already split his opponent in half twice in evaluation matches…no, completely decimated them, Kara-ham was ranked first in the “most unwanted opponent” list within the swordsmanship department.

Even if you enter the evaluation match with death prevention magic, the sensation and fear of death are not easily recovered from once experienced. Some people even prefer to face a hero or Edan rather than Kara-ham in a match.

I had faced Kara-ham in magic swordsmanship classes, and I could somewhat empathize with that feeling. Every time I clashed with that insane muscle giant and his sword, the strongest emotion I felt was ‘frustration’.

The sword itself was so monstrously large that it couldn’t be parried with just a small dagger, and his body was as tough as if he were facing a knight in steel armor.

Ranked fourth within the swordsmanship department, but overwhelmingly first in terms of opponents you don’t want to face. Truly a living embodiment of fear.

It was a relief to think that his future as the mid-boss of Chapter 3 had disappeared. Of course, even if it hadn’t, I wouldn’t be the one facing him, it would be the hero.

“Hey, Kara-ham Gong.”

“Why do you ask, Edan Gong?”

“I just had a thought, can you really swing that massive sword of yours properly in this narrow forest? It seems like you might end up changing the terrain of this forest with every swing.”

It might be a bit rude for Edan to comment on someone else’s weapon, but even I couldn’t help but have the same concern when I saw that massive sword in such a dense forest.

Swinging that huge sword in this thick forest would likely result in cutting down several trees with each movement, leading to a battle where it was hard to tell if he was a swordsman or a lumberjack.

“Haha, if that’s the case, there’s no need to worry, Edan Gong!”

“…Huh?”

“Oh, there’s a young tree over there, it would be a good test to try it out!”

With those words, Kara-ham suddenly swung the sword on his back and made a big swing.

It looked like the path of the sword would inevitably cut down the trees in its way, so I wondered what he was up to. But what we saw next was enough to surprise both me and Edan.

-Crash!

“Wow…”

“Hmm.”

Karaham’s black sword swung and cut down only a young tree that should have been cut down, without touching any of the other trees that should have been cut.

No matter how you look at it, I couldn’t help but be amazed at that strange technique that seemed physically impossible, and Edan was the same.

“…How did you do that? I couldn’t see anything with my own eyes.”

“Haha, it’s the Vision Swordsmanship of the Auguste family. Our northern swordsmanship has been passed down for generations, focusing on the use of broadswords, so it is the duty of the one who inherits the Auguste sword to also master the swordsmanship that teaches what should be cut and what should not be cut!”

“…Impressive. This Vision Swordsmanship of the Auguste family.”

“Of course, we hardly use it because it loses its taste if used too often! After all, isn’t a sword meant to be swung boldly for the best experience! Swish! Clang! Shaaah! To cut down monsters in one fell swoop! It must have the taste of cutting down to truly be considered swordsmanship, ahaha!”

Watching Karaham’s truly northern appearance, we arrived at the point where the “roaring crescent bear” appeared.

Perhaps if we waited here, the roaring crescent bear would appear within an hour and head towards the altar, and our role, Edan’s and mine, was to block it for as long as possible.

“I don’t know if that roaring crescent bear will actually show up, but it feels like my heart is pounding! I wonder which is stronger when compared to the northern brown bear!”

“…As you’ve already mentioned, the most important thing is the safety of all of us. Instead of rushing to defeat it, if we just buy time, the hero and others will come to support us, and we can all work together to subdue it safely.”

“Haha, but in the end, it’s all about whether the hero’s support arrives on time! There shouldn’t be a problem if we take care of it before the hero arrives!”

“…Did Karaham not hear what Lily just said? Think of safety as the top priority. And remember, the most dangerous thing is when you act recklessly, especially because you’re my sister.”

“…Of course, I understand, haha!”

…It was an uneasy response that lacked trust.

Especially with a character like that, who can’t predict their next move. It was even more so since it was a battle related to my sister, I could only hope that they would exercise restraint.

I fervently hoped that they wouldn’t make any sudden moves like wanting to fight one-on-one, which could create a hole in our defense.