Chapter 26: Battle of Bloody Baron (2)

A horrifying appearance unthinkable for a vampire.

Saliva dripped from the mouth split horizontally.

Where the saliva touched the ground, it melted as if acidic.

The soldiers, witnessing the human-shedding show in real-time, flinched back in terror.

“Ah…”

Even though these soldiers had spent their lives subjugating numerous bandits and monsters.

They couldn’t adapt to the Baron’s hideous form.

Their sky-high morale plummeted in an instant.

“Do not fear! Behind us stand countless families and the Empire. If you fall, who will protect the nation! The Saintess is with us!”

Amidst the frightened soldiers.

The General’s booming voice awakened their spirits.

“R-Right. We can’t die here.”
“Don’t be afraid! As long as we don’t die, the Saintess will look after us!”
“I keep saying I’m not a Saintess…”

Edelin muttered softly.

Whatever the case, the morale heading towards rock bottom stopped at an acceptable level.

The tide of battle was still in the army’s favor.

• A solo Baron raid!

• When we group up in the next Gate, Baron is just a mini-boss…

• He gets stronger if you don’t skip him!

• Still, isn’t he just the Baron?

• It’s a raid, so we don’t know what patterns will appear lol

The viewers treated the Baron as a weak monster.

Thanks to the system where monsters reduce their innate power when moving between gates.

Those who had only faced the weakened Baron couldn’t possibly know.

What the true power of the Baron was.

• The time for the Feast of Blood has arrived!

The Baron let out a sound filled with glee.

In the eyes of the simple monster, it was as if a table was laden with delicious food.

It was the Baron who moved first.

Crack!

The sound of bones twisting came from the Baron’s body.

The sound was loud enough for everyone to hear, even from afar.

[Be careful.]

[He’s coming!]

“I know even if you don’t tell me!”

Edelin instinctively held her sword vertically.

Clang!

Before she could even register that something had flown towards her, a sharp metallic sound rang from her blade.

Along with the relief of having deflected something heavy.

When Edelin surveyed the battlefield.

Massive spurts of blood erupted to her left and right.

“Kuh… Keok!”

Soldiers hit by that ‘something’ died without even managing a scream.

“Uwaaaaah!”
“D-Damn it!”
“Aaaaaah!”

By the time one realized a soldier had died.

Two more were dead.

By the time two more were dead.

Three were torn apart.

• This feast is magnificent.

At some point, the head of someone who used to be a soldier was impaled on the Baron’s hook.

The Baron casually opened his mouth and chewed the head.

• Ugh, I was eating chicken, what is this disgusting imageㅠㅠ

• Ah sh*t, I’ve lost my appetite for dinner tonight lolllll

• Should have turned on the mosaic censorship if I knew this would happen.

Despite the nauseating scene, Edelin didn’t bat an eye.

With the sole determination to figure out the pattern.

Her gaze was fixed solely on the Baron.

“It was too fast; I couldn’t see it.”

[If you look closely, you can discern the preparation stage.]

He maximally compresses his arm, then fires and swings the hook-shaped arm.

It was a ridiculously simple attack method.

But because the attack was so fast, failing to recognize its approach meant immediate decapitation.

A menacing attack.

Using the advantage of overwhelming reach and speed.

The Baron prepared his hook once more.

Crack-

[Can’t you just dodge it?]

Edelin, having figured out the Baron’s pattern after clashing swords once.

However, knowing in your head and actually moving are two different things.

“I cannot dodge.”

[Why not?]

Before Edelin could answer, the Baron’s hook flew at her.

Once again, the grating sound of the sword and hook colliding was heard.

This time, Edelin deflected the hook towards the sky with all her might.

• Anyone know what’s different?

• My brain isn’t smart enough to know.

• Deflecting sideways or upwards, it’s still deflecting, right?

Edelin, having deflected the hook, answered.

The hook-hand, resembling a whip.

Was undulating left and right as it returned to the Baron.

“Hook-type whip weapons are more dangerous during retrieval than during the attack. If I had dodged here, the hook would have taken the lives of the soldiers protecting me as it retracted.”

• Wow. We failed to grasp High School Girl-chan’s grand plan!

• Knew we could trust you!

• Look at her kind heart, caring for the soldiers even now.

• Did she figure out the counter in just one exchange?

• Seriously don’t know if it’s game sense or just high intelligence.

• Let’s just say it’s both ㅇㅇ

Subjugating the Baron was important.

But to Edelin, the soldiers’ lives were more important.

Minimum casualties.

Maximum efficiency.

Edelin’s eyes became tinged with cold calculation.

• Quite impressive. Human.

Perhaps sensing something from the brief exchange.

The Baron’s pattern changed after being blocked just once.

• Uwaaaaah, I was eating, why are you doing this!!

• Should have turned on the mosaic earlier

• Guess I won’t be eating today.

Opening his mouth, the Baron spat saliva all over his hook.

As seen during the first encounter.

The saliva itself was an acidic liquid!

• Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

• Why are you doing this to us!

• Baron you bastard, you didn’t have a pattern like this, you didn’t!

Not only does he look hideous, but his actions are equally repulsive.

The Baron grinned confidently.

• Can you block this too?

He readied the hook once again.

[You must dodge that.]

“I know.”

[Do you even intend to dodge?]

“…”

Countless simulations ran through Edelin’s mind.

How could she minimize the damage?

Even knowing the saliva is acidic, the variable of the saliva itself is most concerning.

If she guards, instead of deflecting, it might slide and get ground by the hook.

Or perhaps it deflects, but the acidic solution splashes onto Edelin.

The best way to eliminate numerous variables was indeed ‘dodging’.

However, Edelin considered that a last resort.

Because the lives of the soldiers fighting for her were at stake.

[Dodge!]

But there wasn’t really any other way.

Edelin instinctively moved her body and rolled across the ground.

Kwaang!

The hook embedded itself in the ground, kicking up dust.

The area around the hook melted into blackness due to the acid.

Dodging had been the correct answer.

As the Baron’s hook returned to him, it targeted the backs of the soldiers fighting on the front lines.

Some soldiers who noticed managed to guard successfully.

But many more did not.

‘Is this really all there is?’

The leader of the vampires, once thought to be a powerhouse.

Who had almost driven the continent to ruin.

‘Not even worth stalling for time.’

All he seemed capable of were attacks using his hook.

Was it wrong of her to have thought too deeply?

If a being possesses intelligence but acts no different from a monster.

Then it cannot truly be called intelligent.

‘I just wasted time and got people killed unnecessarily.’

Edelin decided to end this battle.

‘My skills were lacking, so I fought using swordsmanship alongside magic.’

Edelin dashed towards the Baron.

‘My true essence is that of a mage. One who explores knowledge. Pursues truth. And discusses the laws of nature.’

If attacking from range is all he can do.

Then she just needed to take away that range.

• It won’t go as you think.

From behind the Baron, inside the mansion, some vampires blocked Edelin’s path.

Cannon fodder vampires, clearly meant to buy time.

Edelin had predicted this as well.

“Let’s end this now.”

3rd Circle Non-Elemental Magic
「 Magic Trap 」
A magic spell that allows a mage to set traps among the available spells.

“I will install Grease Magic.”

Although it was a 3rd Circle magic.

Being an installation-type spell, it was one of the few that even a 2nd Circle mage could use with sufficient mana and knowledge.

Grease Magic, which eliminates friction, was installed onto the trap magic.

Ppaddeuk-!

Along with the sound of the Baron firing a new hook.

Edelin pushed the trap into the hook’s path.

• Why Grease?

• What changes if you eliminate friction…?

Edelin slightly twisted her body to avoid the hook.

The Baron, seeing this, smiled victoriously.

Because his hook could be retracted mid-flight even if it didn’t reach its end!

The Baron, fully intending to retract the hook and tear Edelin apart, was instead.

• Wha-What is this!

Flustered by the hook that wouldn’t retract.

The hook-arm stretched out endlessly.

Edelin didn’t miss the chance, hopped onto the hook-arm, and sprinted towards the Baron.

• That sense of balance is insane lolllll

• How is that a mage?

• It becomes easier if you give up trying to understand, everyone.

“Foolish creature.”

As the Magic Trap Edelin had planted was accurately applied to the Baron’s hook.

The hook, having lost its friction, flew endlessly in the direction it was thrown.

The hook-hand, which seemed like it would fly on forever.

Snapped cleanly in half after just a few seconds.

• Kraaaaargh!

Edelin, having leaped through the air to arrive in front of the Baron.

「 Mana Arrows · Emerge 」

Summoned Mana Arrows imbued with the mana equivalent of a 2nd Circle spell.

A total of five arrows.

“I hope this is enough to kill you.”

Papapapapak!

• Kraaaaaaaargh!

Sharp Mana Arrows dug into the Baron’s soft flesh.

Instantly losing an arm and becoming like a pincushion, the Baron staggered, entering a groggy state.

• Wooo, solo raid.

• If she hadn’t saved the vanguard, they would’ve been crushed by the Baron’s vampires without a fight.

• It’s all part of High School Girl-chan Saintess-nim’s grand plan.

Edelin raised her sword and aimed at the Baron’s neck.

Without wasting any time, she thrust the sword towards his neck, but.

< Immune >

The sword bounced off, and an indicator showing no damage was dealt appeared.

“…?”

• Why immune?

• What the.

There was one fact Edelin had forgotten, intoxicated by the Continent.

[The Baron’s health has fallen below a certain threshold, entering Phase 2!]

The actual space she was in.

Was a game.