‘Grandpa. If you don’t stop soon, I might actually get angry?!’
This is the mont I really need to focus, and he keeps doing this?!
‘Really? You’ll accept anything?’
Oh. Poor grandpa. He’s uttered words he absolutely shouldn’t have.
You’ll accept anything, huh?
It seems you still don’t understand the depths of human malice.
There’s no helping it. Up until now, I’ve only learned from you, so this ti, I’ll kindly teach you.
From now on, you won’t be able to say “anything.”
‘Well?’
‘Hmm. Is that the extent of your imagination, grandpa? Your brain is quite stiff, isn’t it?’
The truth is, I’m not thinking of anything at all. I have no plans to do anything to grandpa.
But grandpa doesn’t know that.
Not knowing, he starts to imagine the horrific punishnt he might receive.
I wonder what terrible thoughts are passing through grandpa’s mind right now? I don’t know for sure, but they must be quite horrific.
‘Grandpa. You don’t have to worry. I like you very much.’
‘I know that a great knight like you wouldn’t retract a word once said. I will protect your honor!’
‘Absolutely!’
So, I didn’t give him any answer. Bringing it up would only kill grandpa's imagination.
The terrified voice of grandpa was loud in a different way, but it was better than before. At least it wasn’t grating on my nerves.
Once this is over, I’ll let it slide for today, but next ti, I’ll tell him to be careful.
Listening to grandpa’s frantic voice, I looked up to see the skeleton descending from the left.
As I tried to step forward, Kal and Luka recoiled in fear, insisting that the skeleton was not sothing I could handle. However, I ignored them.
“Hey♡ Do I look like a fool who can only see what’s in front of ?♡ I wish you wouldn’t treat like a monkey just because you are one!♡”
It was I who suggested coming here.
It was I who found the entrance to this dungeon, which no one knew about.
I was the one who led them through a maze that could send you back to the entrance with a single misstep.
Did they think I wouldn’t know about that skeleton?
Upon hearing that, Luka seed to have a realization and nodded, stepping back. Kal, too, reluctantly showed signs of retreat.
“Are you not afraid?”
As I stood alone, the skeleton that had co down from the left posed the question.
Am I not afraid?
‘Not at all.’
“Who is afraid? You? Hahaha! Not at all! Why should I be scared of a skeleton that would be happy if I tossed it a puppy?”
What I fear are variables. Variables that I don’t know about. Why would I be scared of you, who is no different from what appeared in the ga?
Rather, I’m quite pleased to et you. If you’re the opponent, I can precisely check how far my shield can block.
To face an attack mimicking a hero without fear of death?
Ah, just thinking about it excites .
“...Indeed. I like your bold attitude.”
Does he know? That his voice was trembling slightly?
The skeleton, trying hard to maintain a calm deanor, cleared his throat and raised his arm.
As he did, magic gathered in the empty wrist of the skeleton, and soon it took the shape of a shield.
To describe it in one word, it was pure white.
Even after countless battles.
Even after jumping over countless crossroads of life and death.
Even standing more proudly than anyone in the face of darkness.
The enormous shield that did not lose its noble white light was certainly the shield I had longed for.
Ankhir.
The indestructible shield bestowed upon a hero by the gods.
I tried using my appraisal skill to confirm whether it was genuine, but unfortunately, my proficiency was still too low to appraise it.
‘Grandpa.’
So, I called out to him. He was the one who had seen that shield more closely than anyone else.
Even without saying anything, grandpa caught on to my intent and answered imdiately. However, there was one strange part.
‘Pure white?’
‘So now you won’t cooperate either? If you keep doing this...’
Ah. Is it personal?
What else can I say? I thought grandpa was hiding sothing out of spite.
Well, it’s clear that it’s genuine, so now my job is only to pass the trial.
“This shield was granted by the divine ssenger to a lacking knight. Therefore, I cannot give it to one unworthy. If you truly wish for this shield, you must overco the trial I set.”
Listening to my words, I spread divinity throughout my body. I was preparing myself for the optimal physical condition I could achieve.
“The trial is as follows. I will attack you five tis from now. You must perfectly block those attacks.”
The trial set by the skeleton, who believed himself to be Garard, was simple.
To block his attacks five tis.
More precisely, I had to see his barely visible attacks, match the direction, and successfully parry them five tis without a single fra of leniency.
Even just doing this would make users curse, but every ti that insane skeleton attacked, he would change the direction, timing, and power, making it even harder for users.
It was practically a trial designed to be broken.
So, normal users didn’t attempt the trial. They didn’t have to; they could obtain Ankhir by simply smashing the skeleton.
I had also thought that way before. Until I aid for the achievent.
One of the Soul Academy achievents was to pass Garard’s trial five tis in a row. So, to achieve 100% completion, I had to perfectly counter this bastard's trial.
Even now, thinking about it, I can't help but curse. It took days to break through that.
It must have taken at least over a month. I distinctly rember the day I saw a physical monster break the achievent in a single day and cursing up a storm.
“Are you ready?”
As soon as I finished all the doping I could do, the skeleton posed the question. I nodded and readied my shield.
‘I’m ready.’
“What about you? Are you ready to cry like a baby after blocking all my attacks?”
“...I’m ready.”
Focusing my mind as I watched the skeleton raise his sword.
The thod I used to succeed in breaking the achievent was simple yet crazy.
I morized every movent of the skeleton. Then, based on that morization, I drilled the timing into my body.
In the past, my physical abilities were far too lacking to react to that skeleton’s attacks, so there was no other way.
At first, I wondered if it would work, but when a person hits the wall of ti and madness, nothing is impossible.
Thanks to the efforts I put in back then, I had not failed in the skeleton’s trial since then.
It seed that now wouldn’t be much different.
Why?
Because I can see.
The movents of the skeleton.
He raised his arm.
Seeing that his wrist was above the height of his nose indicated a strong blow.
His shoulder tilted slightly to the left.
A diagonal attack coming from the left.
Having assessed the direction and power, I just needed to watch the timing.
Ah. His wrist moved.
Now!
The mont I caught all three necessary conditions, my body moved naturally.
The efforts of my past self.
The proficiency I had accumulated in using the shield.
The experience from countless battles.
All made my body move.
As if following that, the voice of the Iron Wall brushed past my mind.
The advice from the Iron Wall perfectly matched the movent I had chosen.
Ting!
The mont the sword hit the shield, the skeleton’s sword was deflected backward.
The extre shield technique returned all the impact to the opponent.
I couldn’t help but smile at the desperate appearance of the skeleton trying to maintain his balance.
I couldn’t help it.
The joy that traveled up my spine filled my mind.
Ah. Yes. This is it. This is why I wield a shield.
“Is this the trial?♡ No way!♡ This must be a warm-up attack, right?♡ Isn’t it?♡”
But you know, there’s one thing I don’t like.
It’s that skeleton's attitude.
What is he doing moving so slowly when he’s throwing attacks that are barely visible? It bothers .
While passing the trial, I intended to check my shield technique right now.
But to reduce power so much that anyone could tell? Are you joking with ?
“Eh♡ Was it really a trial?♡ Really?♡ An attack that would only be useful for pruning?♡”
I want a stronger, faster, and more intricate attack.
I want to feel the results of the effort I put in the past and the effort I’ve built up now.
“Hahaha! You, psychotic skeleton knight, do you have no plans to work as a gardener in our mansion?♡ I’ll make sure you learn from the basics!♡”
So co at properly.
Don’t treat like a kid.
“...The remaining four will be different.”
I smiled as I looked at the skeleton gripping his sword.
So, what’s next? How will you try to break my shield?
“Ready.”
I saw him step forward with his right foot.
He’s trying to charge at with maximum power, isn’t he?
I could see the sword aid behind his waist with both hands.
At first glance, it seed like he was going to swing horizontally, but I know.
Only I know.
Having faced that damned skeleton countless tis, I know too well.
That’s a fake.
The actual attack will be a thrust that slices the ground from below to the sky.
What’s the timing?
When the skeleton's jaw shakes.
So to put it simply.
Now.
Ting!
The sword, which was trying to soar from the ground to the sky, was blocked by my shield and slamd back down to the ground.
“Didn’t you say it would be different?♡ Ah!♡ You don’t have a brain, so you don’t know what different ans, do you?♡ How nice and kind I am, I’ll explain it to you~♡”
It was faster than the first ti, but still lacking.
Not threatening at all. You stupid skeleton.
You weren’t like this in the monitor! You were shining brighter!
“Different ans not the sa!♡ Like a pathetic skeleton with awful swordsmanship compared to a noble knight who was once a true hero!♡”
“...Are you saying I’m worse than that stupid old man Ruel?”
“Absolutely!♡ Do you stupid skeletons lack comprehension?♡ It’s not that you can’t do it; it’s that it’s different!♡ You were never a valid comparison!♡”
I could see the skeleton’s hand trembling.
Ah. Finally, I’ve properly made him angry.
Since grandpa was cursing, I thought their relationship wasn’t good, and I was right.
“Arrogant. Impudent.”
Now, co on. You pathetic skeleton.
“I’ll engrave a hero into that body.”
Use all your strength.
Try your best to take down this arrogant brat.
That way, it’ll be satisfying to smash you.
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