CH 19

Chapter 19. Stampede

Stampede. It is a cow going out of control. That’s what the original story was about. This time it was a man-made disaster, but it’s still a stampede.

Sakimori was on top of the barricade wall, glaring at the goblins who were filling the area below him, and kneading their magical power. I kneaded it consciously as if I was spinning a thin, thin thread.

Thinking I was lucky to have this rain, I held out my hand and unleashed my magic power as thin as a thread. Rain is a water magician’s strong ally.

[Water Strings]

I sensed Shingen and the others were staring at me, but the concentrated me was unconcerned.

There are thin, near-transparent water strings, like a fishing line, that are quietly released. Softly dip into the rain, and the line soon disappears.

Sakimori squints and checks the status display. Perhaps because of the increased magic power, the mana depletion rate shows it decreases by only one every three seconds. Since it used to decrease by 1 per second, the maintenance depletion of magic is much improved.

It’s kill level 2. No matter how hard I try, I can only manipulate an amount the size of a volleyball.

[Shadow Strings]

But if I use 2 magics, I have 2 volleyballs. And I can handle each effect separately or combined.

[Shadow Eye]

Shadow ability. It has an outstanding effect among other magic. It’s the Shadow Eye. Even though it’s not in the form of a familiar, the shadow can see its surroundings, and Sakimori sees all the surroundings. The enormous amount of information overloads my brain, but it doesn’t matter. If it doesn’t kill me, it regenerates me, which is my remaining skill.

And it is also the only way to be visible in this heavy rain. Furthermore, shadow and water strings that have turned into strings can travel long distances.

Not only from all around, but Sakimori receives the volume of information of all the places where the threads go. I see what I want to see and get what I want, even as my brain begins to feel a searing pain.

“I see.”

Sakimori sees exactly what the enemy looks like, and my mouth contorts in amusement.

[Kyupin. I see them too, Tataa]

Shizuku gleefully incomprehensibly intertwined their hands, snapping their fingers. Shizuku-san, don’t get in the way.

[Ice Needle]

The tip of the thread, which had been brought close to the goblins’ eyes, was transformed into an ice needle, and I thrust into both of their eyes in one fell swoop. Against 30 goblins at the same time in an instant. The long, thin needle with great vigor.

“Gogyaa!”

“Adaaa!”

“Buf.”

Holding their bleeding eyes and screaming, the goblins scratch their faces in pain. It can’t pierce the brain. It is not that powerful. But it’s enough. With this power.

I shake my arm and turn to the next goblin. The rain is coming down hard, and the goblins’ eyes are pierced without them noticing the serpentine strings coming right at them. One after another, Sakimori, who can see their exact location based on the information from their shadow pupils, pierce the eyes of their enemies without any confusion.

They crawl through the torrential rain. Countless threads spread out to the surroundings, approaching to swallow the crowd of demons. The enemies never notice either the strings of water or the strings of blackness in this rain.

If it were not for the rain, the enemy would have noticed the approaching strings and tried to dodge them, but the torrential rain did not allow them to notice the strings of fear.

Humans can’t control invisible magic. However, there is no limit to the distance between the shadow pupil and the eye. Sakimori is dealing with 2 magic, and the same amount of information as if he is a computer. Sakimori accurately penetrated both eyes of the 1,500 goblins shortly.

The monsters above the hobgoblins were left alone. Probably because they would repel the thorn-level magic. But that was fine. About 100 hobgoblins. About 10 shamans and knights. And there is only one boss who leads them. We have guns. I should take care of the rest slowly.

On the contrary, it was more effective than expected. The goblins, blinded, swung their clubs wildly, knocking down the other goblins. The axe also hit a hobgoblin, and the enraged hobgoblin smashed the goblin with its log-like arms.

The goblins mistakenly believe that there are enemies nearby and pounce on them. A spectacular mutual attack quickly ensued.

With a fidget and a wave of his hand, he stopped maintaining his magic and exhaled.

“Hmm? I got a nosebleed.”

A trickle of blood runs down my nose. I quickly wipe it away.

The old man is slightly embarrassed, saying I wasn’t thinking of anything erotic. I have an old memory that nosebleeds are embarrassing. Sakimori wasn’t quite sure yet.

Then about 3 minutes. That’s all it took for the stampede to live up to its name. It was a frenzy of monsters killing each other. Sakimori destroyed the army of monsters.

With only 18 mana remaining, I realized I still had time to spare.

The screams of the monsters turned into screams of despair, and they became a lot of corpses. Magic power swirled in it, and by absorbing it, Sakimori felt that his power had increased.

My body, which had been on fire, suddenly cooled down, and I felt my body had become one level lighter. I had been on the verge of leveling up, but this battle must have just raised my level. I guess each level up brings more experience. By the way, even at level 1, I predict it would take several hundred thousand experience-like things and magic power, sensibly. That’s a specification that would be a crapshoot in a net game.

“Status.”

Muttering, I should check my status.

Amano Sakimori

Mana 150 -> 300

Strength 20 -> 30

Strength 20→30

Dexterity 20→30

Magic 30 → 40

Unique Skill: Equivalent Exchange Store Level 2 → 3

Remaining equipment level MAX

Skill: Shadow Magic Level 2→3

Water Magic level 2→3

Fire Magic level 2→3

Amano Shizuku

Mana 50 → 100

Strength 60 → 100

Strength 60 → 100

Dexterity 60 → 100

Magic 10 → 30

Unique Skill: Combat Talent level MAX

Remaining talent level MAX

Skill: Combat Artistry level 2→3

[You’ve got a lot of mana to spare. You now have more mana to spare.]

[The levels of the skills you have to go up one by one individually. That goes up at the same time and even the status. Because of the abnormal level of manipulation of magic power, Sakimori-san has no waste of the level up done with the absorbed magic power, it has become an event of raising multiple skills. Still, the magic power remained, and must have been used to strengthen your body].

“Well, thanks.”

[I’m sure that the skills you’ll get from now on will go up to their current maximum level at a frighteningly fast rate. After all, the amount of magic power absorption has jumped up. You’re an anomaly, aren’t you? As I expected].

While Shizuku calmly communicated in a tone as if she knew everything as usual, Sakimori could naturally understand the new performance of magic. It’s not only a physical phenomenon. But also a mysterious performance that defies the physical laws of magic.

My status increased, and the maximum amount of mana increased, but it doesn’t seem to heal me. It’s a pity, but it’s okay.

“Hey, you did it, Sakimori!”

Shingen taps me on the shoulder with a thud and smiles. I don’t want to see an old man’s smile, but with all the smiling old men around me, it seems like the only thing that can soothe him is Shizuku.

“Look, they’re running away!”

One of the men who had been defending against the enemy cheered and pointed at the goblins. Unlike the game boss character, the enemy had understood that the army had collapsed and was running away. That’s what they do because it’s real. They think and act. It’s said that there will be some restrictions, but it is unknown.

Accompanied by a knight and a shaman, the enemy boss, the Goblin King, dressed in full plate mail, armored like a lump of iron, with a long sword on his back, left without pulling it out or showing the defensive power of his magnificent armor.

To survive, without pride.

“Okay, boys! It’s bonus time from now on. You guys, lead the big rats away! Take out the goblins with your arrows! You’ll get plenty of cores.”

“Oh!”

“Bring more and more arrows!”

Or rocks!

Everyone’s morale was boosted by the quick change in the enemy’s form. They picked up their weapons, but the defenders watched them coldly.

“Not yet, Shingen.”

“An?”

“Not yet.”

I speak indifferently as I watch my enemies disappear into the torrential rain.

“If the Goblin King remains, the same thing will happen. No, it’s even nastier than that. They might try to conduct a guerrilla campaign along with knights and shamans. In that case, you could end up with a community infiltrated before you know it.”

“But we can’t beat that guy, can we? You’re just going to have to get rid of it, aren’t you?”

Shingen has also encountered the Goblin King several times in the past. But the people of the abandoned town have no choice but to wait with bated breath until the army of the inner town defeats it. If they can’t count on that, too – the Goblin King’s pattern of behavior is simple and easy. It leads its goblins to pillage and establish a stronghold. When its men get hit to some degree, they flee. The only way is to take advantage of their nature and use manpower tactics to take the goblins under its command while inflicting significant damage, then fight until it escapes.

That’s how dangerous the Goblin King is. Until now.

“I felt my strength increase just now. I might be able to do it.”

As I move my hands, I feel my power. I feel my power growing. It’s not like I’m thinking about eroticism and making my hands waki-waki-waki-waki. Sakimori complains that people who look at him like that are discriminating against old men.

Shizuku-san. I’m not wagging his tiny little hand with a smirk, and I’m not grinning. I’m a hard-boiled old man who is fascinated.

“You mean it increased? …… Your level? Did you get to level 3? I ain’t never heard of that, have you?”

“Me neither. But I’m up. I’m going to see if I can fight the Goblin King.”

How many ranks does the core have? It’s a secret that I don’t have mana, so I’m leaving it up to Shizuku-san.

“It would be easier if we beat him here, but can we do it?”

“Yeah, and I’m sure that rank E and above is mine, right?”

I have to make sure I get my money’s worth. Besides, I’m borrowing a hunting rifle. Here’s my chance to take down a powerful enemy.

[Leave it to me. It’s possible to defeat the Goblin King. That’s a rare D-core.]

[I know the ranks, I have never defeated it, and I can rely on you]

[No, no. I’m here to help you, Sakimori-san.]

I say sarcastically, and Shizuku bails out in a ridiculously polite manner. Well, I can’t start worrying about the secretive Shizuku-san.

Sakimori gathers the rest of his magical power to see if he’ll pursue the enemy.

“Well then. I’ll chase after it and see if I can beat it.”

[Shadow Move]

New power. With the magic to move into the shadows in sight, the defender chased after the Goblin King in the torrential downpour.