Overpowered Sword Chapter 18

Level up with swords (18)

[There are three major points deduction factors.]

El Cid’s evaluation was truly cruel.

Even though I won the game without any injuries, I still got 40 points. How many points would I have gotten if I had gotten hurt?

Leon listened to hear the reason.

[It was good that they went behind the scenes and made a surprise attack. Well, cutting down two guys wasn’t that bad. The problem starts after that.]

“From then on?”

[okay. Why did you make the surprise attack successful and then give yourself a chance to counterattack? If I had continued the attack right away, I would have been able to kill the next three without any resistance, but I hesitated for a moment and missed it. And although the judgment to be most wary of the wind gun was okay, responding passively without trusting one’s own eyesight was a mistake.]

When I thought about it, it was all true.

I was mesmerized by the sharpness of the holy sword, giving the goblins time to counterattack, and I stopped because I was wary of the blow gun.

Leon, unable to refute, cleared his throat for no reason.

But El Cid’s words did not end there.

[To be honest, the first two are probably good. This is a problem caused by a lack of practical experience, so it will be resolved naturally as you gain more experience. However, the third point deduction factor is not possible.]

In the training of martial arts, actual fighting and training could never be discussed separately. There are walls that can only be overcome through actual combat, and there are limits that can only be surpassed through training.

You cannot become a master if you only focus on one side.

I don’t know if there is a level of genius beyond imagination, but El Cid only knew of one genius of that level.

[Didn’t your stride become shorter by more than 20% because you fought on a place other than flat ground? Aside from the lack of experience, this is because the action is not intended for combat on uneven ground.]

Leon responded to those words with an aggrieved expression.

“They don’t teach you that in academy.”

[I can’t help it. Proper footwork is no different from vision, and it is impossible to correct the footwork of every student individually.]

However, El Cid spoke as if he knew that would happen.

The purpose of the academy was to nurture the majority of moderately skilled people rather than a small number of elites. Anyway, as your skills improve, your immaturity in walking techniques will be hidden to some extent, so there was no reason to spend time and effort looking at each person one by one.

In that way, the remaining sloppy parts will one day hold you back when you reach a higher level.

[As expected, I should teach footwork first. That won’t work tomorrow since we’ll be passing through the forest, so we can start the day after tomorrow.]

“Starting the day after tomorrow, okay.”

Leon returned to the campfire and sat down.

My eyelids, which had become a little heavy, feel lighter.

It wasn’t a big fight, but the blood boiling over as I cut down several goblins seemed to have chased away all the energy.

A fly caught in the light ticks and burns to death.

I was quietly watching the useless scene, and when he seemed to have no intention of sleeping, El Cid spoke to him.

[Aren’t you sleeping?]

“I can’t sleep. “I’m not that tired.”

[Then, shall we at least tell you the story I planned to tell you tomorrow? It is one of the knowledge that a warrior must know.]

Leon nodded at those words.

Unlike the academy classes, most of El Cid’s stories are interesting and new, so I never get tired of listening to them.

The story I’m going to say now was definitely like that.

[You do know that the goblin-like monsters you defeated a while ago are creatures from another world, right?]

“Oh, I learned that.”

This is a surprisingly well-known fact.

Creatures called demons or monsters come from places that are not of this world. That’s why they constantly show themselves even when the punitive force tries to stop them.

The border of the dimension is like a thin net, and transcendental species such as demons are well blocked, but weak monsters are not. It was in that context that there were especially many monsters such as goblins and kobolds.

El Cid said, bringing up that fact again.

[Monsters are a threat to this world. Regardless of its aggressive nature or strength, its mere presence has a negative impact. An ecosystem involving monsters does not circulate. It’s just broken and rotting away soon. It can be said that it is a living, breathing pollutant and a parasite that eats up resources, that is the essence of monsters.]

That is why coexistence with monsters was impossible, and why subjugating monsters became one of the responsibilities of the warrior.

Even though it was impossible to fundamentally eradicate monsters, it was possible to reduce their numbers and return their power to the goddess. Moreover, when a hero appears, it is always a time of turmoil, and the gap in the dimension widens, causing the number of monsters to skyrocket.

It’s so much that the warrior alone can’t handle it.

[So thought the goddess 500 years ago.]

A thought that was naive and had only good intentions.

[I thought, how about sharing some of the power of the monsters that should be used to restore this world to those who slay the monsters?]

At first, the intention was quite correct.

In response to the goddess’s oracle, humanity drew its sword against the monsters it had been avoiding.

Anyone can become strong.

In the face of the opportunity to overcome my innate limitations and the wall of miserable reality, I was willing to take risks. Countless people threw themselves into the fight against monsters, and those who eventually survived came to be called heroes.

Up to that point, it was a good result.

“… what?”

After hearing what followed, Leon was astonished.

El Cid’s voice also suddenly became cold.

[Humans began to take advantage of that grace. To build up power more efficiently and more safely.]

It was the vested interests that led it.

Those who took action to subdue monsters before anyone else and benefited from it hoped that their authority would not be threatened.

So the royal family and nobles secretly colluded.

The areas where monsters mainly appear were isolated and prevented from entering or exiting without their permission. Even the information that ‘you can become stronger by subduing monsters’ was concealed by laying the ground work, knowingly or unknowingly. It was truly a shameless maneuver.

[It was the starting point of the gap. The vested interests grew stronger, and the marginalized continued to be left behind. In the end, it wasn’t enough to monopolize it, so people appeared who wanted to farm monsters.]

The goddess could not bear it anymore and punished the impious people.

“Uh, maybe… ?”

[What you thought was probably right.]

When Leon widened his eyes, El Cid answered in the affirmative.

A catastrophe that occurred 500 years ago.

A meteor shower fell without any warning, a disaster that devastated entire continents. Strangely, the destruction was concentrated on the royal palace and the private properties of noble families, and it is said that numerous families were reorganized at one time as a result.

Who would have thought that the meteor shower was the wrath of the goddess!

[From that day on, the goddess withheld the power she had been sharing with humans. That’s why humanity’s power is weaker than it was back then. Well, it seems like the higher-ups still don’t know that and are working hard to subdue monsters. In the end, it was a good thing, right?]

“… “I think I heard a ridiculous secret.”

It was truly a continent-wide black story.

It was also the darkest part of human history, and it was a direct spit on the modern class system.

Leon guessed the weight and even broke into a cold sweat. If he goes somewhere and talks, he won’t survive even if he has ten lives. Even a lie is dangerous, and this was the truth testified by the Holy Sword.

[I just lost the mood while talking. This is just nonsense, and I haven’t even started on the main topic yet.]

“No, it’s scary enough, please stop!”

Leon, who was pale, waved his hands. From what he had heard so far, it was clear that he would have nightmares, let alone a good night’s sleep.

Then El Cid chuckled and said.

[All of that information is over, so listen comfortably. Do you remember that we gave that power to those who slay monsters?]

“uh.”

[The hero is a little different. There is a bit of favoritism.]

When Leon tilted his head at those words, El Cid paused for a moment and then got to the point.

[When a hero defeats a monster, he can absorb all of its power and use it to strengthen his own specific area. It is a privilege granted only to true warriors.]

“what?”

[Don’t you get the idea just by hearing the explanation? Seven goblins won’t do much, but let’s see… .]

Before Leon, who was stiff, could say anything, El Cid drew upon the power of the goblins he had defeated earlier.

It is at a trivial level. Even though it is everything, there are many contaminated parts of the monster’s power, so it just absorbs the remaining parts after purification. If you’re a weak goblin, you’re probably just a handful.

Nevertheless, the power clearly existed.

Keying.

In an instant, the blade of the holy sword burned brightly.

Aura.

The holy white aura did not stop there, but soon came over the sack and flowed into Leon.

From fingers to wrist.

From wrist to elbow.

and.

[Well, I wrote it all down.]

It broke off at the elbow without being able to go any further.

While Leon was reeling from the loss, El Cid was sobbing with regret at the power he had used up.

[There are only 7 of them, so goblins won’t work either. Trolls and dryads are efficient, but you probably can’t catch them with your skills yet, right?]

“… … .”

[what? Why did you stop talking?]

Leon, who pursed his lips for a moment, finally spoke.

“Oh, an Auror? “Did I use an auror?”

[Are you stupid?]

El Cid, who denied it in one word, fired back.

[I made it and injected it into your body. It’s thinner than your elbows, but if you have enough strength, you can build up your aura that way. This is why it was said that there was no need to receive the elixir, and why the warriors actively went around killing monsters.]

“indeed.”

Leon was immediately convinced.

It was said that even if one trained for 100 days with the Auror practice method of a prestigious family, the growth rate of the Auror was terrible. Even if you keep taking the elixir, resistance eventually develops, so everyone reaches their limit.

But what El Cid showed was different.

Absorb the power of monsters and change their essence into your own power. It was a cycle in which effort led directly to results. Above all, unlike elixirs, there is no room for resistance to develop. Once you enter the ascending stage, it will not be enough to simply build up strength, but until then, it means that you can increase your capabilities at a steady pace.

[oh? It looks like you are motivated.]

El Cid read his thoughts and giggled.

Not only was it something he had experienced once, but the process of directly building strength was a pleasure in itself.

Everyone has no choice but to be proactive.

I feel like I want to subdue monsters starting tomorrow. Leon himself knew how foolish that thought was, but even knowing that, his heart wavered.

[Well, bear with it for now.]

El Cid understood that greed and gave advice.

[You are still in the process of making the vessel, and the power you gain from defeating monsters is the work of filling the vessel. Whatever you pour into an unfinished bowl will just leak out meaninglessly.]

“… Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Leon didn’t waver any longer and composed himself.

It may be difficult for the average person, but for him, patience has been cultivated through years of penance.

That will is the virtue necessary for a warrior of the Holy Sword.

Since he will have more power than anyone else, he must be able to endure more than anyone else. El Cid knew well that there was no creature more dangerous than a strong man swayed by selfish desires.

[You can do it.]

As if he had promised himself, the Holy Sword encouraged him.