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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“Huu…”
He sighed deeply and slowly unfurled the scroll in his hand. A faint, holy aura enveloped her, pulling her consciousness back from the depths of the abyss.
“Ugh…”
A faint breath escaped her lips. Her eyelashes fluttered, a sign that she was about to wake up.
“Mmm…”
She finally opened her eyes. Her gaze, initially hazy, slowly focused on him.
“Arnold…?”
She muttered, her voice weak, as if waking from a nightmare. Her eyes were filled with confusion and exhaustion, but also a hint of relief.
He looked at her quietly. The reason he had gone to such lengths was simple. The holy power of the scroll would temporarily free her from Louisil’s grasp. But it hadn’t been easy.
“Are you alright, upperclassman?”
He extended his hand. She hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took it, her fingers trembling slightly. She hadn’t fully recovered yet. He gently helped her up.
“I’m fine… Arnold, you… Ugh?!”
But just then, she stumbled, her body swaying as she lost her balance and fell towards him.
“Be careful.”
He instinctively caught her, her slender body pressing against his, her warmth seeping through their clothes. The air between them froze.
“Oh…?”
Lucy’s eyes widened at the sudden physical contact. But before he could help her up, her face flushed crimson.
“Ugh?!”
She sprang back as if struck by lightning, a stark contrast to her previous dizzy state.
“S-Sorry!!”
She apologized profusely, her hands flailing, trying to hide her face by pulling down the brim of her hat, but her flushed ears were still visible.
She looked around awkwardly, unsure where to look.
He watched her for a moment and then said in a low voice,
“It’s alright. You don’t seem to have fully recovered yet. You should rest for a bit.”
Lucy bit her lip and nodded, still trying to hide her flushed face.
“I’m fine… By the way, where are we-”
*Boom-*
Just as she was about to change the subject, a massive tremor shook the space around them.
*Boom-*
This time, it was stronger. It wasn’t just a sound. Something was approaching. Something with an immense weight and presence.
He composed himself and looked around. This wasn’t just a footstep. It was a deep, heavy vibration, as if the earth itself was groaning.
“…….”
It was here.
A massive shadow emerged from the darkness.
“There you are…”
A figure of transcendental size, clad in pitch-black armor. It was too large to be a human.
A blue flame flickered from the gaps in its armor, and in place of eyes, an otherworldly flame burned in its helmet, as if alive.
Its very presence seemed to warp the space around it. As it fully came into view, Lucy froze.
“…Balan?!”
Her voice trembled as she uttered the name, her eyes filled with terror.
He glanced at her. This wasn’t just surprise. It was utter despair, the reaction of someone who instinctively knew they were outmatched.
Balan.
The mid-boss of this dungeon. A giant clad in black armor, one of Louisil’s most loyal and powerful creations. Lucy, also a creation of Louisil, knew who he was.
In the game, countless players had fallen before him.
*Boom-*
The giant took another step, the ground cracking, massive stones crumbling from the ceiling. Dust filled the air as Balan looked down at them.
His dark blue flames flickered, his gaze like that of a beast sizing up its prey.
“Our master has ordered me to bring you to her.”
His voice was deep and resonant, as if the very space around him vibrated with his words. It was a voice that inspired fear and despair.
Lucy instinctively took a step back, her face pale.
“Arnold, we have to escape, just the two of us!”
She cried out, frantically searching through her bag.
“I’ll explain later, but that thing is too dangerous!”
Her hands moved quickly. She should have had the emergency Warp Scroll they were given. It would allow them to escape. But…
“Ugh, it’s not here! Did I lose it when I fell?!”
Lucy’s face was filled with panic. She frantically searched her bag, but she couldn’t find it. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, a testament to her growing anxiety.
As expected, this was how it was supposed to be. Then there was only one option.
Balan took another step forward, this time with more force. The weight of his massive armor seemed to compress the air, making it difficult to breathe.
“Prepare yourself, Lucy.”
“In that case…!”
Lucy gritted her teeth and gripped her staff tightly, her hands slick with sweat, her mind focused.
She aimed her staff at the monster before her.
“Fire Hurricane!”
A fierce vortex of fire erupted.
“Electric Ranger!”
Lightning crackled from the tip of her staff, a brilliant blue arc.
She unleashed a barrage of spells, her voice desperate. But—
*Fizzle—*
*Crackle…*
—the flames died down, the lightning fizzling out.
Lucy gasped in disbelief.
Balan’s armor wasn’t just ordinary steel. It had the special ability to weaken and ultimately nullify any magic directed at it.
This, combined with his overwhelming physical strength, forced his opponents into close-quarters combat, a strategy that had frustrated and defeated countless players in the game.
“…Hmph, pathetic.”
Balan didn’t even flinch, as if mocking her futile attempts. He raised his massive arm slightly, then lowered it again, his demeanor arrogant.
“Kuh… It’s not working.”
Lucy bit her lip, her face darkening with fear, a look of despair in her eyes. The realization that she had no way to defeat this massive foe weighed heavily on her.
But.
“Upperclassman.”
He stepped forward, breaking the silence.
“Arnold…?”
Lucy looked at him, her expression a mix of disbelief and confusion, a natural reaction to his seemingly reckless action.
But she had overlooked something.
Who he was.
He smiled faintly and said in a low voice,
“Don’t worry.”
His words seemed to ease her frozen expression slightly.
And then he slowly, but surely, looked up at Balan.
“…A human male. You don’t seem special.”
Balan’s voice was deep and resonant. The dark aura around him swirled, as if alive, reaching out towards him. He looked down at him, a flicker of amusement in his glowing eyes.
“Do you really think you can face me?”
His mocking voice vibrated through the air.
But.
*Clang—*
He drew his sword and declared firmly,
“Today, you’ll get a taste of your own medicine.”
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
