NOVEL WEB Chapter 84
**Episode 84: The Last Chance**
“Did you really think I would attack in the same obvious way?”
Beatrice kicked me in the back, pushing me away with her foot.
As the two daggers embedded in me were pulled out, blood gushed from the wounds like a fountain.
“Ah…”
“Every time I stab the back of those who think they’ve won, this joy wells up inside me… I truly can’t hold it in.”
“Cough! You’re insane… Is there only someone like you in the Adventurer’s Guild at Ring Guard?”
I struggled to endure the pain and tried to get up.
“That’s none of your business, and I’ll end this right now. You’ve held out long enough, kid.”
Just as she said, I had held on for a long time.
‘My current situation…’
I had already sustained damage that would instantly kill an ordinary person.
Even for someone who wasn’t ordinary, taking this level of damage in battle would likely mean defeat.
My strength stat, as the name suggests, increases my physical power and stamina.
Fortunately, since I had managed to raise my strength stat to 20, I hadn’t died outright.
“Now, let’s make this easy.”
– Spot!
Once again, Beatrice vanished from my sight.
‘My vision is fading… If this continues…’
– Whoosh!
The sound of a cold blade slicing through the air, cutting through the resistance of the atmosphere.
‘Shadow Attack… activated.’
– Thrust!
I hid under the black shadow stained with my blood.
– Bang!!
A vicious sound echoed from outside the shadow.
“Damn it, where did he hide? Come out right now!”
‘Was this a meaningful action…?’
In a hurry, I utilized the technique called ‘Shadow Attack’ to take refuge in the shadow.
From Beatrice’s perspective, it probably looked like I was being sucked underground.
‘Ugh… The bleeding won’t stop. Is this the end?’
I had heard that just before someone dies, time feels like it slows down and an illusion of past events runs through one’s mind.
I didn’t believe it.
But after experiencing it myself, I could believe it.
The thought that came to me at this maximized moment of awareness was.
No matter what happened, I wanted to survive.
‘But for what purpose?’
Living solely for a reason is not the entirety of life.
And I had already inherited a will.
‘What will have I inherited?’
The will of Verdium.
Just a short phrase at best.
The words asking me to take care of Irlya.
Even if that weight crushed me, for the inherited will, I had to show victory in this battle.
‘Right… I can’t just give up in this fight, can I? I finally managed to borrow some of Verdium’s power.’
I gathered what little strength I had left to grasp the hilt of the sword that was barely within reach.
“Hehe, when I first received the system’s power, I was just thinking of using it for my own selfish desires… But this seems to have escalated.”
The fact that I could stand against such an absurdly powerful being wasn’t just because of Verdium’s strength, nor the thoughts echoing in my head, nor even the need to protect Irlya.
It was simply because—
– Ding!
Those wills were outweighed by the message that appeared before me.
[The system user is facing a death crisis.]
[Due to the effect of the System’s Blessing (EX), the user ‘Han Shiwoo’ can use a one-time means to avert the death crisis.]
[The means used will be replaced by another random evasion technique.]
[Death Evasion]
1. Time Machine
[You can turn back time by 5 minutes.]
2. All Damage Reduction
[All damage received for 1 minute is reduced by 99%.]
3. Teleport
[You teleport to the last position where you ‘slept’.]
The guiding light that sprang up before my eyes filled me with hope.
Previously, I had used a death evasion means called ‘Vitality Recovery’ to recover 50% of my previous health, so it had changed to something else.
‘Now then, let’s see which evasion means can save my life this time?’
Number one allows me to turn back time by 5 minutes… It looks promising, but it’s only useful if I’m on equal or stronger footing with my opponent.
Though it looks good like a poisoned chalice, it’s insufficient as a means to turn the tide.
Number two, the newly acquired death evasion means is ‘All Damage Reduction’.
‘If I can choose this ability and fight like a berserker…’
Number three is again Teleport… Honestly, being able to regroup and fight again seems like a good option.
‘Where did I last sleep?’
It was the carriage that Beatrice had driven when she was Triche.
The last words she had said to me before we were in a hostile situation.
– “I have a place to return to work. So please.”
Beatrice had dropped us off in front of the mansion and headed towards the back of the property.
Since I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of that carriage, there was a possibility that using Teleport could lead to a more dangerous situation.
‘Logically thinking, I have no choice but to go with option two.’
I would enter a state where all damage I receive for one minute would be reduced.
But would one minute be enough?
Ignoring the hesitation ringing in my head, I decided to get out of this narrow space first.
‘When I looked at the explanation of Shadow Attack before, I think it said I could pop up from someone else’s shadow… Let’s see.’
– Whoosh!
– Thud!
“Whoa… Hiding in the shadows, I shouldn’t have underestimated him.”
My sword barely grazed her skin.
But that was barely a scratch from the blade, so it didn’t deal significant damage to Beatrice.
“But dragging this out too long isn’t good. I’ll cut off your escape route now!”
Beatrice readied her dagger high.
The bright sunlight reflecting off her dagger made me squint.
– Slash!
‘Now?!’
– Whoosh!
Once again, the sound of a cold blade drew near, seeking to take my life.
But this time, it would be different.
‘I think one minute will be enough… Number two, All Damage Reduction.’
– Ding!
[You will enter a state where all damage received for the next minute is reduced by 99%.]
[0:59]
– Crash!
“What, what’s going on? You didn’t dodge?”
I endured the onslaught of Beatrice’s dual dagger attacks, and my skin was left battered.
Flesh was ripped, blood flowed, but… there was no pain.
No, there was a slight sting.
After all, 1% of the damage got through.
I gripped her wrist tightly.
– Snap!
“What are you doing? Let go of my hand?!”
The ability that can activate through physical contact with someone of the same kind.
We’ll see if it treats her as a ‘ability user’.
Human, Beatrice.
‘Nerf.’
– Ding!
‘Bingo.’
[The awakened ability of the currently contacted entity ‘Beatrice’ will gradually weaken over time.]
[Do you agree with this content?]
[Yes] / [No]
‘Yes.’
[The content is applied.]
[The awakened ability will partially decrease within a year.]
– Ding!
[Since it’s not an ability gained through awakening, only a portion will decrease.]
[Because you are a resident of another world, the nerf effect is halved.]
‘When I first used the nerf, it was stated that the abilities of the reawakened individual would be completely depleted, but this time it doesn’t seem to be the case… And since it’s a person from another world, the effect is halved. I can’t expect a consistent effect, but…’
‘Acceleration, activate.’
– Ding!
[The weakening of Beatrice’s nerf effect accelerates.]
‘That’s enough for this fight.’
– Whoosh!
I swung my sword.
Beatrice bent at the waist to dodge my sword and swatted my hand away.
She couldn’t hide her surprise and seemed to take a step back.
“Are you insane?”
Beatrice looked at me as if I were a real madman.
“You’re the coward here! Reflecting light with daggers to hinder my sight…”
I readied my stance.
“Why do you think that’s cowardly?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to chat with you… I’m coming in again, ready yourself!”
[0:50]
‘Bleeding Partner, activate.’
– Whoosh.
Once again, a red aura began to swirl around my sword.
‘From now until the damage reduction ends, I’ll unleash four consecutive attacks with Bleeding Partner.’
I dashed towards Beatrice.
Seeing my attack trajectory, she realized that blocking it with the same method would result in a hit, so out of the four consecutive attacks, she dodged three and blocked the final one with her two daggers.
Clang-!
“Cough… How can I be losing in a power struggle when I’ve unleashed my magic… This is unbelievable.”
I spent every ounce of strength trying to pressure Beatrice.
Clang-!
Clang!-
Clang!-
[0:44]
Beatrice deflected my sword as if to repel it, taking another step back.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m stronger!”
She rushed at me with all her might as if she were determined to kill me.
But I didn’t prepare to block.
Instead, I readied myself to receive her attack unguarded.
– Crash!
Once again, her brutal slashes hit my skin.
“This time it’s my turn.”
– Crash!
“Hah?!”
Beatrice let out a cry that was uncharacteristic of her.
I inflicted eight cuts on her beautiful skin.
“This bastard!”
I attacked Beatrice’s abdomen with my knee as if I had lost my sanity.
“Cough…”
Beatrice got knocked back from my knee attack, falling away.
[0:35]
Once again, I didn’t prepare to block and was ready to take her attack.
This was the only way to successfully deal damage to Beatrice.
With my level, I couldn’t keep up with her speed.
I had to use the damage reduction to lead her to attack me, then I would counterattack.
It was a simple repetition.
But what if she doesn’t attack from the opposite side?
‘That would be troublesome…’
Beatrice managed to rise, clutching her belly.
“So painful… You… I won’t forgive you. I can’t stand being at a disadvantage… Before I return to the headquarters… I’ll definitely find a way to get back at you!”
Her tone had lightened up.
Each word indicated that her stamina had reached its limit.
“Stop talking and come at me.”
“… I don’t want to.”
[0:27]
I couldn’t delay any longer.
I had no choice but to provoke Beatrice’s dual onslaught.
‘Shadow Attack, activate.’
I hid in the shadows.
Soon, I moved right beneath Beatrice’s shadow and popped out to use four consecutive attacks.
– Whoosh!
She rolled back, putting distance between us to dodge.
So only the sound of air cutting through was heard.
– Whoosh!
Again.
– Whoosh!
I couldn’t catch up to Beatrice’s speed.
“Why do you keep running away?!”
– Whoosh!
[0:20]
“Hah, ugh… This isn’t good…”
“You foolish boy… At your speed, you can’t catch up to me. I don’t know how you’re holding up at your current state, but you’ll have to wait for your chance.”
I absolutely had to decide the outcome within one minute.
As time passed, the one with the advantage was becoming Beatrice.
The flustered look on her face was nowhere to be seen, and only a calm assassin remained.
‘But I cannot give up. I have to stubbornly follow her to make it back alive…’
– Charge!
I gathered my strength and lunged at Beatrice.
– Whoosh!
But the result was the same.
Continuously.
[0:13]
“You’re starting to run out of stamina, aren’t you?”
Beatrice’s tone reverted to its original form.
‘Ugh… My arm is straining, making it hard to execute four consecutive attacks…’
“Then should we start to play?”
‘Just one hit, just once my blade needs to touch her body…!’
[0:10]
“What you’ve become this berserker-like… I’ll end it with this next attack.”
Beatrice lowered her posture to charge at me.
[0:09]
She was probably very exhausted, running away to finish things in one go, trying to wear me down as much as possible.
If I were to compare our current state to a game, both of us had a minuscule amount of HP left.
[0:08]
It was like a duel in the wilderness, where each side would only get one chance to attack.
You could say each of us had only one bullet left in the chamber.
[0:07]
‘I cannot lose here.’
Absolutely.
[0:06]
I readied my stance.
This time, it was not to brace for an attack but to charge at her.
[0:05]
I must win.
‘If I wait for the split second… it might just be possible.’
[0:04]
“You seem heavy, how about giving up?”
“Shut up, you brat.”
[0:03]
“I am strong… But… Brat, you are not.”
“You’ll see if you try… Come at me.”
[0:02]
“I’ll end it with this attack!”
“This is it! Beatrice!”
[0:01]
We both charged at each other.
Swish!—
At last, our blades and bodies crossed paths.