Chapter 18: Protagonist's Plot Armor Isn't in the Stats
Well, the result was obvious from the start. There's no way something dramatic like suddenly awakening and landing a powerful counterattack, or being saved by a mysterious high-level player, would happen that easily.
Sunraku: "Yeah, I figured..."
If you're wondering why I'm saying that — right now, with only 1 HP left and my lower leg bitten off, I'm lying on the ground watching Lycagon the Nightslayer slowly approach. I mean, if I could beat everything with just player skill, I'd be working out in real life. If player skill alone determined everything, then the concept of "gamers" as people who are only strong in games wouldn't exist.
But hey — if anyone ever tells the story of "that weird bird-head who got insta-killed by a Unique Monster," let me stop you right there. I lasted a full five minutes. I landed about two hundred hits. Out of those, about a hundred and something were criticals. I just never expected to deal literally zero damage through its fur! Hahaha.
No, really — that's not fur. It's like it's growing armor compressed into the shape of fur all over its body. Look at this — my Vorpal Chopper, which was almost undamaged before this, is now on the verge of breaking. And I was only attacking the parts that looked soft. Was I swinging at a rock? Plus, it must have some skill — its roar forcibly locked my body in place, and just when I thought it disappeared, it suddenly appeared behind me... Praise me — praise me for lasting five minutes using every means available!
By the way, the Redcaps either got desperate or just snapped. They attacked Lycagon the Nightslayer too. One was kicked by its hind leg and polygon-exploded like a water balloon. Redcap A, the one I'd already worn down, actually managed to land a hit — but then his rusty longsword snapped in half, and while he stood there in shock, he vanished into Lycagon's mouth. If this game had a monster tamer class and I were one right now, I'd recruit him without hesitation — I really liked that guy. He's just data now, but still... rest in peace.
Sunraku: "Ah, damn... This really is a god-tier game..."
What I felt in my chest was pure satisfaction. Lycagon the Nightslayer was definitely strong. Unreasonably tough, unreasonably powerful, unreasonably fast. Even though having my lower leg bitten off is a serious injury, calling it a fatal wound is a bit questionable — yet my HP was almost completely drained. Seriously, what the hell? The fact that I had 1 left — was that the effect of my luck stat? I'll check later.
But this unreasonable difficulty came from properly programmed mechanics. Lycagon the Nightslayer was exactly as strong as its creators intended. In other words... it's a beatable kind of unreasonable.
Sunraku: "I don't know when it'll be... but I will definitely beat you."
Lycagon: "............"
I don't care about the final boss or the story anymore. I could feel my gamer soul ignite. Right at this moment, my motivation for playing this game was set.
Sunraku: "Don't you dare get defeated before then, Lycagon the Nightslayer."
Lycagon: "......Grr."
Sunraku: "Wait, are you running on some pretty high-level AI? I was saying—"
Just as I was about to call out Lycagon for clearly smirking with the corner of its mouth, my upper body was bitten off, and the remaining 1 HP dropped to 0.
『"Lycagon's Curse (Marking)" has been applied.』
Sunraku: "......"
Waking up on the bed in the inn at Secondale, I silently opened my status screen.
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PN: Sunraku
LV: 28 (50)
JOB: Mercenary (dual-wield user)
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
- Scoopias → 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: Staring Bird Mask (VIT +2)
- Body: Lycagon's Curse (Marking)
- Waist: Splitblade Leather Belt (VIT +4)
- Legs: Lycagon's Curse (Marking)
- Accessories: None
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Apparently, simply fighting a Unique Monster gives you experience points. The stat points are nice... Well, that aside. Some skills are new, and some have evolved. It's a shame I didn't use my unarmed combat skills... Well, that aside too.
Lycagon's Curse (Marking)
Lycagon the Nightslayer favors strong foes. Neither good nor evil, wisdom nor folly are considered. To those who have proven their existence, Lycagon carves its curse. It is a mark of prey. The black wolf's presence emanating from the scarred curse reveals the vestiges of a great power to lesser beings. This curse can only be lifted by power surpassing the black wolf, or by defeating the black wolf itself.
- "No equipment can be equipped on body parts afflicted by Lycagon's Curse (Marking)."
- "Monsters whose level is lower than that of a character bearing Lycagon's Curse (Marking) will flee from that character."
- "A character bearing Lycagon's Curse (Marking) gains strong resistance to other curses."
- "A character bearing Lycagon's Curse (Marking) receives modifiers in conversations with NPCs."
Wait... am I soft-locked?