How to Live as a Knight After the Ending - Chapter 105



Only Noblemtl

Episode 105. The Aesthetics of Evasion

Although he said it would hurt if he got hit, it was also a kind of habit that Ossian didn’t hit back with his sturdy body.

‘If it can’t be avoided, it’s best not to be avoided.’

In the game that Ossian played, no matter how much stamina he had, it was useless if he got hit by a boss monster.

How is it possible to take a hit when your stamina is completely drained with just one hit?

The same goes for the common monsters scattered throughout the field.

It’s because the attack pattern is simple, but even at max level, if you get hit, you’ll lose a lot of health.

So, when dealing with boss monsters, evasion was the most important thing.

After watching the pre-emptive motion and reading what kind of attack it would do, the priority was to analyze the pattern and dodge or block the attack.

So there were a lot of moves in this game. The hitboxes were also implemented very well, so it was possible to dodge with the motion of a really awesome skill.

Ossian was an old hand at this game, and as such, he focused more on evasion.

It’s become a kind of habit.

Moreover, this game had a tendency to make the very act of ‘fitting something’ a sort of taboo.

Matching is also a fighting style of its own, but doesn’t that give off a strong image of having to hit with one’s body because one couldn’t analyze the pattern?

Got hit once while taking down the boss?

Then, I couldn’t sleep that day because my pride was hurt.

There is only one thing I want.

A no-hit perfect game where you clear the level without getting hit even once.

It has also become a kind of culture among hardcore users.

Question: Guys, I cleared the 67th boss. Did I do well?

-Your blood is hot? I can’t admit it.

-You drank the potion? I don’t admit it.

-What? You enchanted your weapon? You also got a food buff? Don’t you know you can only kill it with a rolling normal attack?

-I am a member of the recognition association, but I cannot recognize this.

It must have been so bad that there was even a term called the “Recognition Association” to refer to hardcore users.

Anyway, as someone who had received the [Not Human…] certification mark from the Association of Recognition, Ossian had a strong perception that attacks were something that had to be avoided.

‘Now that I think about it, there was no need to ask for that kind of recognition here.’

Of course, now that it’s become reality, it’s natural to dodge when you’re attacked because you actually feel the pain.

I never expected my body to be this strong.

But now, I can’t force myself to take an attack just to test how strong my body is.

Common sense tells you that if you see a bullet flying at you and can cut it with a sword, you should dodge or block it, not take it with your body.

‘But I guess I should be thankful that I learned something new.’

However, there was one thing that left me a little questionable.

Aaron’s surprise attack was effective. I had no idea that the man who had been begging for his life so cowardly would use the capsule at close range.

But Ossian had a keen sense.

It was something like a sixth sense that alerted him to danger, but it didn’t react at all to Aaron’s surprise attack.

‘No. I am reacting. But I am reacting to a greater danger.’

Ossian knew why.

Because something more dangerous than the three-star lightning magic capsule used by Aaron existed in these ruins.

His sense of danger was alert to something that existed within the ruins.

So, I didn’t react to the capsule because I didn’t even feel it was worth considering.

‘If there is a greater danger, do you not even consider other, smaller dangers? This feeling is not necessarily absolute.’

So then I wonder what that big risk is.

If you think about it, the answer came quickly.

‘A boss monster that exists in the ruins, or a guardian that has not yet been encountered.’

Balud, who had been examining the wall behind him, returned to his seat.

“The way back is blocked.”

“Are you okay?”

Ossian asked Balud, for it was nothing more than being separated from his men.

It was not a good sign, considering that most of the weapons and luggage were with their subordinates.

There were too many dangerous factors for just three people to explore these ruins.

“Even if it’s not okay, nothing will change. The terrain around here has changed, so the way back is blocked.”

“No matter what, we have no choice but to move forward.”

“Well, it’ll be okay for now. There’s plenty of food and materials needed for exploration.”

Illua said not to worry.

Even just the luggage that Aaron and his men were carrying contained many valuable items.

Rather, since there are so few of them, it would be difficult for three people to use them all.

First of all, there was no need to starve to death or die from lack of water.

“Let’s get moving first.”

“Are you okay with it like that?”

Ossian pointed out Balud’s condition.

The battle just now left Balud’s clothes tattered and torn here and there. Although the wounds had healed, to be honest, it didn’t look all that great.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Balud shook off his clothes, saying that his worries were for nothing.

Then something amazing happened. His worn and dirty clothes returned to their original condition.

“Automatic repair?”

“You are the director of an organization, so you should be able to afford something this luxurious.”

The white suit was now clean of even the blood stains.

From automatic repairs to automatic clinics. It was a magical power engraved into the clothes themselves.

‘As time goes by, all kinds of magic come out.’

Considering Balud’s neat personality, it was a very suitable outfit.

Aside from that, the self-repairing garment looked pretty good.

‘If I earn money, I might buy something like that.’

Given the city’s stature, it was likely that they would have clothing that was also bulletproof.

‘Of course, that would be possible assuming that you get out of it safely.’

Ossian looked at Illua and Balud. They knew it too. In this situation, going all the way to the end was the only way to survive.

“Don’t let it move.”

Everyone nodded and moved forward.

One fight filled his pockets, but the wariness of having to fight people made him less mentally relaxed.

On the way like that, we came across the road again.

It was a fork in the road, and this time, as expected, there was an inscription on a stone slab.

‘I couldn’t read this in the game, I just thought it was part of the background texture.’

Now that it has become a reality, the inscription on this stone tablet is the most important clue to exploring the ruins.

Balud and Illua’s gaze naturally turned to Ossian.

Ossian turned his gaze back to the stone tablet, not knowing what those eyes meant.

‘I wonder if I can read it this time.’

Those worries were for naught, and the moment I read the text, I read it naturally.

As if I had known the language from the beginning, the interpretation and meaning came to mind immediately the moment I read the text.

“What, what does it say?”

“You who wish to enter this place, you will soon face trials.”

Ossian translated the text on the stone tablet verbatim.

“You must fight against yourself, and you will face the strongest of them all.”

“That’s a bit far-fetched.”

Balud seemed not to understand what Ossian was saying.

Illua, who was lost in thought for a moment, expressed her thoughts.

“The part that says ‘you’ seems to belong to the singular. So, if only one person comes, you have to fight with yourself.”

“Does the sentence you said after that refer to when several people come?”

“It’s very likely, especially since it’s you guys.”

“To meet the strongest as an enemy is… … .”

“It seems that among the many people who come here, the strongest one is the one they consider their enemy.”

“Hmm,” Balud commented, crossing his arms.

“Your strongest ally becomes your enemy. It might be a kind of mind control.”

“That’s probably true, but it’s also strange. If you go in alone, you’ll have to fight against yourself.”

Balud and Illua’s gaze turned to Ossian.

A look that seems to ask what your opinion is.

But Ossian was also lost in his own thoughts and could not easily answer.

‘You become your own enemy?’

It’s a phrase I’ve never read in a game.

But Ossian had a feeling something was coming to mind.

‘I clearly remember experiencing something similar to this… … .’

It was at that time that I tried to go back in time, reminiscing.

Ossian and Balud stood in front of Illua, staring down one of the hallways.

“Wh, what’s going on?”

“Someone is coming.”

I felt a presence. There were quite a few people. I think there were about twenty.

That means it wasn’t a guardian of the ruins, a monster, or a trap.

But the expressions on the group’s faces didn’t seem to soften.

Even if they were humans, it wasn’t like they weren’t dangerous.

The people coming from beyond also stopped for a moment when they saw Ossian, Balud, and Illua standing in front of the stone slab.

An uncomfortable silence hung between them.

‘They must be feeling uneasy too.’

There are only three of them, but that’s why it’s suspicious.

Because they could let their guard down with small numbers, others hiding somewhere could launch a surprise attack.

At that moment, the wind blew with a whooshing sound.

It was a faint magical power that flowed with the wind.

‘Exploration magic?’

There was a wizard over there.

They finished checking that there were no enemies around through magic.

‘Not good. It’s been revealed that there are only three of us left.’

I never would have guessed that this was a party with a wizard in it.

When they realized there were only three of them, two people walked out from the other side.

It was a face that Ossian remembered.

A man and woman with lemon-colored hair. They were the sibling wizards from [Grand Cloister] that we had seen near the entrance.

I knew they were siblings just by their hair color, but seeing their faces up close made me even more certain that they were siblings.

First of all, their eyes were similar. However, if you just look at their facial expressions, their personalities seemed to be opposites.

A woman smiling broadly, and a man frowning with his eyes squinted.

Ossian spoke to them first.

“What business do you have?”

“you……!”

The man’s eyes opened wide as if he recognized Ossian.

Ossian couldn’t understand that reaction any more. He was glaring at him as if he was an enemy, and no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t remember ever clashing with a Magic Academy student.

‘The only time I fought a wizard was when I was in the Goldilocks family and fought against the Salamanders.’

You are a student of the school and the other side is an academy cadet.

Strictly speaking, the two affiliations were different.

Since he couldn’t guess, Ossian decided to ask him directly.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course I know. Why would she… … like you?”

It was the woman who covered the man’s mouth.

“Oh, my. What are you doing now? Why are you talking about that here?”

That person was my younger sister.

“I’m sorry. My brother has a very different personality.”

“… … No, it doesn’t matter.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Thalia Frogenen. This is my older brother, Terence Frogenen.”

“Phew! Thalia! You! You dare speak into someone else’s mouth… …!”

“I told you to be quiet!”

Could it be because of the appearance of the bickering siblings?

The tense atmosphere has eased a little.

Of course, I didn’t let my guard down. I could have acted like that and then suddenly launched a surprise attack.

“Hey, please don’t be so cautious. It’s fate that we met like this, so it’s okay to at least exchange names, right?”

“Hmm. I see. My name is Ossian. I am a troubleshooter and a knight.”

“Are you… … buying it?”

Thalia tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand Ossian’s introduction, but didn’t delve any deeper.

“My name is Balud. I am a director at North Blinders.”

“Hi, my name is Illua. I am an explorer from the Archaeological Federation.”

“It’s fate that we met like this, so should we share some information with each other?”

Thalia had a rather bubbly personality.

When you think of wizards, you might think of them as arrogant or something, but she had a sad smile and treated me in a friendly manner.

Terence, the older brother, had a sullen expression the whole time, as if he didn’t like something.

In particular, he would often glance at Ossian and furrow his brow when their eyes met.

‘Still, I guess it’s fortunate for now.’

They didn’t seem to be a party that plundered or anything like that.

The fact that wizards were also Academy cadets played a role.

Because it meant that society was less affected by the times.

Illua met with the explorers of the opposing party and exchanged the information they had obtained.

Where there are traps, or what dangers lurk.

Among them, their common interest was one thing.

Guardian of this relic.

“One party has already been defeated by the Guardians.”

“It’s not one. If we combine what we saw, it’s two.”

“That, that kind of… … .”

“It seems that the guardian of this relic is not an ordinary strong person. So what do you think? Let’s join hands.”

“There are only three of us… … .”

“Even if there are only three, it doesn’t mean that they are useless.”

“Okay then.”

In this way, an alliance was formed.

Terence approached Ossian and spoke to him in a warning tone, seemingly unhappy with the decision.

“I tell you, I do not recognize you as a colleague.”

“… … I’m curious, but why do you hate me so much?”

“What? You, don’t you even know the reason?”

Terence shuddered as if shocked.

Ossian didn’t understand.

“How can I know if you don’t tell me?”

“T-T You weren’t even paying attention to me!”

It seems that these words had the opposite effect.

Terence glared at Ossian with a sour look on his face.

“You, you! You wouldn’t say you don’t know Elise Denarova!”