VIP Chapter 330: The Victory You Granted Me (4k)
The Death Butterfly before him had only one wing left, its other wing having turned to ash after being severed.
It possessed little true “intelligence,” yet it acted based on instinct, or perhaps its “combat IQ” as a BOSS.
For instance, now…
It “plucked off” its other wing.
It actively detached its wing, and the wing, pieced together from bone, began to detach from its body. The first bone, resembling a rib, was pulled out, causing the other bones to scatter noisily on the ground, unlike its other wing, they did not disappear.
“Something isn’t right.”
The entire process took less than five seconds, and it indeed acted like an “inanimate object,” without feeling pain.
“Hmm…?!”
In an instant, Will saw the bones scattered on the ground instantly coalesce.
They formed another weapon, resembling a scythe!
Then, with its remaining body and extremely high agility, it charged directly at Will.
“…Is it purely close-quarters combat time now?”
He had guessed. If the person who wanted to kill him knew him well enough, they would ultimately choose a monster that excelled in “speed” and “agility.”
Facing such a monster, he, whose physical condition was his greatest hindrance, was likely the most helpless.
But…
He switched his staff from his right hand to his left, his right-hand fingers lightly brushing the area of the collar around his neck.
“Then I’ll be counting on you.”
The dual-weapon attacks, so fast they were invisible to the naked eye, swept towards him like a tide.
The moment the enemy approached, Will felt a chilling touch from his neck, like a hand, just taken from the snow in winter after building a snowman, gently and lightly caressing your neck.
Like the love of that small maid, who wanted to take a step forward but repeatedly stopped herself.
Will extended his arm.
He heard the crisp sound of her sword clashing against the enemy’s, like a sharp sword striking a thick layer of ice.
Although it appeared similar to ice armor, it was actually one of the most basic uses of the Ice Array, erecting an ice wall around the protected person to block attacks.
“Thank you, Iaar.”
“It is precisely because of you that I realize I am also immersed in this love, unwilling to step out.”
In his heart, Will thought this.
Now!
He fired a cast-free spell from his ring, targeting its body, and attacked—
“And it is precisely because of you that I always have a reliable backup.”
Hit!
The swift spell did not possess the same power as one after a chant, but it still blasted the bug several meters away.
The enemy, now just an ugly insect with only two legs and a pair of small wings, had to use the scythe, made from its detached bones, to support itself after being blasted.
Again!
Several attacks, which Will could not afford to worry about “defending and dodging” while “bombarding and attacking,” were completely blocked by the lowest-level magic of the Ice Array within the collar.
This also gave Will an opportunity to observe—
“Rapid recovery? Of course… monsters like bugs would also be related to rapid recovery… Wait…”
While Will was contemplating, the opponent attacked again with even greater speed.
And as the sword was about to strike Will’s arm and head, they were both blocked by the nearly automatic defenses of the Ice Array.
Whether it was the sword the opponent used or the new scythe it had just formed, Will could hear them striking the thick ice wall surrounding him with ease.
“The output isn’t high, just pure speed. Agility is pushed to its extreme, and at the same time…”
Will, who didn’t need to focus on “dodging,” could bombard more easily and see its design more clearly.
“It truly doesn’t belong to this dungeon… I recognize it. The patterns on these stone fragments from the corpses… it comes from…”
Numerous thoughts flashed through Will’s mind, recalling “his past life,” his former game company, and the “artistic style” they had decided upon for the infinite tower when implementing it ahead of schedule…
Perhaps it was because the switch for his past life memories had been flipped recently, some things he thought he should have forgotten were now crystal clear in his mind.
This was…
A “withered” shore flower, its petals still bearing drops of blood—it was the decoration for all monsters in the Death Hall at that time.
It… came from the dungeon that was undoubtedly the deepest and most thoroughly explored in the entire world – the Death Hall?!
“If that’s the case, it’s not surprising – Exploding Flame!”
Will took advantage of this opening to blast it several meters away.
It propped itself up with its sword on the sandy ground, which was not easy to stand on, and rose again.
Like most “zombie” monsters, it had no “consciousness,” could not speak, and did not feel fatigue, acting only on instinct.
The part that was hit was “repairing” at an extremely fast rate. No, rather than “repairing,” it was reassembling the “corpse.”
Will understood.
If it were truly a monster from the “Death Hall,” then death was its source of nourishment. As larvae, they stored vast amounts of corpses in their bellies, which were retained as nutrients for the adult form when it finally coiled up.
To defeat it.
Its wicked regeneration method had to be stopped, and then the maximum firepower attack had to be unleashed.
It sounded difficult, but…
Will twirled the staff in his hand.
He knew clearly that this would require some White Magic “blessed” by the Goddess, and coincidentally…
His original profession was the strongest Priest in the team.
“It moves too fast to apply the Goddess’s light debuff to it, so I can only… try the most dangerous method.”
The next attack.
He calculated the distance of its movements, estimated based on its previous attack paths, and then…
The moment it charged, Will’s free right hand clenched into a fist and swung forward fiercely!
It hit.
Just as he expected, although it wasn’t “game design,” its body, no matter how much it “repaired,” was still a decaying corpse.
So, this blow…
Allowed him to embed his right hand into its body.
“Buzz—”
It emitted no “emotional displeasure,” but rather acted according to its combat logic, like monster AI.
And as Will predicted, it did not choose to “free itself” but raised the scythe in its hand—for it, this was the most opportune moment to sever the enemy’s flesh.
At this moment, Will dispelled Iaar’s protection.
“If a battle where I don’t get hurt isn’t called a final death-matching level, then what is?”
Will felt no regret from the pain or the severed limb; instead, a smile curved his lips.
The moment his arm was severed, the corner of his mouth, raised on his right cheek, was stained with his own blood.
Will created distance, raised his black and white “Tai Chi Staff,” channeled the protection granted by his “Witch” blood, and began to chant.
“Buzz…?”
The bug, standing its ground, seemed to finally sense an opening and was about to “recover its severed part” to resume its advance when…
It found itself unable to recover.
Will’s severed arm radiated a powerful white light, as if it would illuminate all darkness, suppressing its ability to utilize the corpse.
Therefore…
“Buzz—”
It chose to kill its opponent.
It darted towards Will.
—As expected, it would do this.
This was also within his calculations, as Will, holding a staff with one hand and with the other severed, appeared to be a vulnerable enemy with a massive opening, easily conquerable.
So…
It was bound to close the distance.
And it thought that by killing Will, it wouldn’t need to dodge that attack.
This perfectly played into Will’s hands—
Will opened his purple left eye, still glowing with an demonic purple light, and the power of “Black Magic” bestowed by the “Empress,” staring intently at it.
Bang.
Its attack did not strike Will’s more vulnerable neck or the more lethal head, but…
Was blocked by Will’s “right hand.”
That right hand regrew from the sleeve, which had been cut off and was still bloody.
“I’m very sorry, but I’m not the only one who can ‘regenerate’…”
This was Will’s gamble.
He had never realized the strongest function of his staff, which possessed the miraculous ability to “flip black and white magic.”
This was a problem easily recognized by someone from the perspective of a “game value planner.”
Black and white conversion, the most seemingly useful magic was “turning White Magic into offensive Black Magic,” because output is everything.
But that was not the case.
Magic defined as “Black Magic” often represented attacks and “death” against “enemies,” especially after Will gained the Demon’s Left Eye, he was even more adept at “attacking enemies.”
And “White Magic” was best developed in healing, with only a few holy light attacks, mostly used for special attacks.
It’s simple.
The values of attacking enemies are always much higher than the values of “healing oneself”—isn’t this common sense for value planners?! Because enemies have thicker health bars, making it more interesting to play!
What if, the “offensive black magic property” was converted into “white healing for oneself”?
Then the magic that was merely “speeding up recovery”…
Will looked at his right hand—it was somewhat frail, but it was covered by the hardest ice defense gifted by the “Maid,” making it an impenetrable shield.
—it would become an astonishing thing that rapidly restored and grew the body.
—The calculation was successful, and with the conversion at maximum power, it was indeed possible to regenerate an arm in such a short time.
—Of course, currently, only he with such a staff could use it.
The staff, composed of a bizarre black and white sphere, emitted white light, aimed at its head at the closest range. Together with the severed hand within its body, stained with white holy light magic, they offered fireworks on the desert.
As a BOSS born in this place from the “Death Hall,” its end was also sealed at this moment.
“This is, the victory that you all granted me—”
“Victory.”
Before Will’s eyes, the light capable of devouring and burning the disgusting bug flashed and exploded.
Like a scorching future.
…
…
The moment of victory, Will instead recalled the conversation before reaching this point.
“So, fundamentally, you want to live for them, right?”
Before Will set out, Shuna had looked at the still dark sky and asked this question.
“Not entirely—”
“Then it’s still for…”
“It’s also for you.”
“Be se-ri-ous~”
“This is the most serious. I’m doing this because you told me something…”
“What?”
“If I really died—died as I always knew I would. They would be very sad, just like when you cried at me with a knife.”
“We… Sigh… Really, can we not mention that?”
“Before this, I had never realized what my death would mean.”
“Mm-hmm, as expected, and then?”
“In the past, I had no influence on the world and its fate; I was insignificant. Even my death was merely because the creator didn’t need an extra supporting character…”
“Correction, you are not a supporting character—at least not in my heart.”
“The more I live in this world, the reason I fear death the most has changed from not wanting to see my future disappear, to not wanting the people who formed bonds with me during my life to fall into regret and pain after my death because of me—regretting not spending more time with you, and suffering from being unable to see you again.”
“Mmm… While I can understand it if I think about it carefully, could you simplify it?”
“So, I want to see with my own eyes the future that was originally supposed to be beyond the point of my death. Perhaps… like in the stories I wrote… like their future.”
…
“Now, I have fulfilled my promise.”
“This is the victory you granted me.”
“If I win this stage, and there’s nothing that can ‘kill’ me, then…”
“It’s equivalent to me seeing how the story of the future will unfold, right?”
Panting, Will raised his head and used his Demon’s Left Eye to reconfirm the “monster” before him.
It had completely disappeared. There were no more reactions; like all defeated BOSSes, it vanished along with its main body.
The only difference was…
There were no drops.
Nothing was left behind.
—Why?
—How could nothing be left after defeating a “monster”? No… wait, there is one possibility, for example… this dungeon is not the first floor of the “Dust Bone Corridor” that adventurers can clear.
—He had seen this situation before, a “mezzanine” within a dungeon! Lia had demonstrated such a “situation” to him; the entire dungeon was not a straight vertical descent as they had imagined.
—It had mezzanines that allowed “Witches” to move, so it would naturally expand into more spaces like a net.
—Therefore, there would be no drops at all, because this was not a place for adventurers to clear.
—If that’s the case, then he had guessed some of it correctly…
At this moment, he alertly heard “footsteps” from behind, as if appearing out of nowhere, and…
The sound of a revolver gun spinning in his hand.
“Are you celebrating too early?”
“Young Master Will Systom—”
