Episode 33.10

The enemy is standing leisurely.

The sword in its hand looks a little bit short for a longsword.

Lecan walked straight at it while making sounds with his footsteps.

Sounds of his boots hitting the rock floors are resounding in the room.

As he got within 10 steps away from the magic beast, Lecan lifted up his left shield hand.

Then he put strength into every fiber of his being and dashed forward, that was when.

The enemy raised its sword overhead.

And swung it down.

Lecan did not dodge it.

Because the sword wasn't swung at Lecan, it was more like a practice swing.

Or so he thought when suddenly, his body shook and his charge slowed down.

He feels sluggish, as if his entire body's weight has increased. The difference is not much, but it's clearly not normal.

His sword feels abnormally heavy as well.

(Is it a curse?)

However he's got <Dagger of Harut> on him. Hard to believe a curse managed to get to him. Or perhaps it's a Curse that surpasses <Dagger of Harut>'s Grace.

(Screw it!)

Lecan put strength in his slowing legs, regained his balance and resumed his charge.

The enemy swung at empty air once again.

THUD, Lecan's body got heavier. It felt even more bothersome.

And yet, Lecan kept on charging forward.

His target is right before his eye now.

Lecan raised his sword overhead and savagely swung it down the beast's head.

The beast also swung its sword down at Lecan's head.

<Shield of Wolkan> blocked that sword.

Lecan's sword cleaved the beast's head in two down to its chest.

The mysterious shackle binding Lecan's body immediately vanished, liberating him to move around unhindered again.

Opening the dropped treasure chest revealed the sword the magic beast had.

"<Appraisal>!"

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

<Name: Mass Heave Sword (Daspithscylla)>

<Type: Sword>

<Grace: Mass Heave>

※Mass Heave: Objects within a 30 step radius will double in weight with the first swing. Second swing triple it. Third swing quadruple it. Fourth swing quintuple it. Effect disappears when this sword is sheathed.

"What the heck is this."

It's one messed up Grace.

Suddenly a sharp pain ran on Lecan's left wrist. He had sprained his wrist trying to block the magic beast's attack earlier. There was just that much power behind that attack.

"<Recovery>."

After healing his left hand, Lecan drew the <Mass Heave Sword> and took a swing.

"Uwoooh."

His body immediately grew heavier. No. That's not it. It's his equipment that got heavier.

Meaning this sword's Grace applies to its user as well.

"How the hell are you supposed to use this sword!"

Then it hit him as soon as he said that.

<Armored> may have an exoskeleton that looks like armor, but that's no armor, it's part of their body. Hence <Mass Heave> has no effect on them. Only the sword gets it. So long as you're aware of that, it's a simple matter to deal with your sword suddenly getting heavier. And swinging down a heavier sword effectively doubles its strength.

Besides, what if you use this sword on knights. Swinging this toward a full plated armored knight. They're not gonna be able to even move a finger. Which means this sword by itself is capable of neutralizing an entire order of knights. No. Since it's got a limited range, that's not entirely true. Nevertheless, all knights within 30 steps will tumble down right on the spot, unable to move.

"This sword could net you some crazy results depending on usage."

That said, it's not really that threatening to Lecan. Even if his light armor got five times as heavy, he can deal with it as long as he knows it beforehand.

With a bit of struggle, Lecan put the sword back in its sheath.

The shackle disappeared like a dream.

The issue now is its effective period. How one proceeds with using this sword against one's enemies hinges entirely on its effective period.

Lecan drew <Mass Heave Sword>, swung it once, and lay down there while keeping count. The effect disappeared on the count of 221.

"Fumu. Gotta check out its maximum effect with four swings too."

Just as he muttered that, he recalled his current situation.

"Oh yeah. Stairway."

It's there.

The stairway is there.

It's wide open, waiting for Lecan. Thin fog is drifting from it, but you can see stairway behind the door.

"Ooh."

Lecan passed through the fog into the stairway. After descending five steps, he stopped.

"<Floor>!"

It comes out. He can't pick it, but the floor number 121 is displayed for sure. Lecan has taken a step below the last floor.

He picked floor 120 among the choices.

"<Warp>!"

Lecan got warped to floor 120 right away.

He took a step forward onto floor 120.

"Lecan-dono!"

It's Arios. He looks relieved. And overjoyed.

"Are you okay? Must have been a tough one, isn't it."

"Yea. I guess."

Can't exactly tell him that most of that waiting time was spent on checking out the sword he got.

"So how did it go?"

Lecan grinned and laughed fiercely.

"It's there. The stairway down."

"Oh! Congratulations."

"Yeah, thanks. Come now, it's your turn to grab the pass down floor."

Arios's face tensed up.

"Can I really win, I wonder."

"Aa. Well, you'll be fine."

"Was the enemy on the same level of strength as the ones that spawn with two people?"

"I wonder. Think it was about the same."

"What about the Grace Gear?"

"It's this unheard Grace that doubles weight with one swing, triples with two."

"<Mass Heave> is it."

"You knew 'bout it?"

"I have heard of that Grace before. I believe it has a limited range."

"Around a 30 step radius."

"Is that right. But there would be no escape if it's used in a dungeon room."

"Considering this just got dropped, the next one's probably a different Grace Gear."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

Arios mulled over something and then he looked at Lecan with strength in his eyes.

"I shall be off then."

"Yea. I'll wait at the stairway over there."

Arios headed for <Guardian>'s room.

Lecan went back to the stairway and recited the spell to warp to floor 121's stairway. Then he sat down there, grabbed some jerky from <Storage> and bit on it. He drank down water. So good.

Eventually, Arios got in the stairway. Holding a shortsword in his hand.

"Congrats."

"Thank you."

"What was the Grace Gear?"

"I think it was <Darkness Sword (Azbalscylla)>"

Appraising it, he's right. The Grace makes living beings in a 50 step radius lose their sense of sight when swung.

"Well done prevailing against this."

"Well, I managed somehow thanks to presence sensing. I've been wanting to get my hand on this sword too. Another good gift for home."

Arios put <Darkness Sword> in his <Box> as he said that.