Chapter 287

Chapter 287

With each step I take off my horse, I can feel the mud seeping into my armor.

My gait is noticeably slower than it was at first.

However, I'm not the only one who's slowed down.

"Ugh!"

Perhaps to check my approach, the general controlled by Ray tried to keep his distance by swinging his spear, but I was faster.

Kagak──!

Sparks fly as they scrape against the surface of the armor.

The armor was dented in the shape of the sword's impact.

Barely regaining his center, he points his spear in this direction, ready for the next attack.

"Well, that's certainly something."

His stance doesn't waver, even though the attack must have done a lot of damage.

A knight, indeed.

"Come."

"You don't have to tell me, I will."

But for the moment, he's just an enemy to be defeated.

I lunge at him before he can fully recover from my damage.

Then, utilizing the spear's long reach, a fierce stab flies toward my heart.

As I leaned sideways to avoid the attack, he swung the spear sideways, striking my body and knocking me down.

"Ouch!"

But I was already prepared for the impact.

It was fortunate that the impact was not fully transmitted because the floor had given way. I put the guy's spear between my arms, blocked his movements, and then pointed my longsword at his head.

───!

He dodges the longsword by twisting his neck sideways, but I'm able to make a sideways attack as well.

As I attempted to slash sideways, he released his spear and grabbed my body for a tackle.

A white-armored man and a black-armored man fell in the mud.

As they toppled over each other, their armor became muddy and indistinguishable by color.

-That's a fierce battle!

-This is the final! This is the real final!

His gauntlet slams down on my side. I twist my neck to dodge it, then wrap my arms around it and try to switch.

But he leans forward and grabs my upper body. It's a stiff stance, as if he's trying to hold on for dear life.

But in a bare-knuckle fight, this is where I'm confident.

I bounced off his waist, gaining momentum, and in an instant, I had him down and crushed him.

-Ah, two people switching positions!

-Was it possible for aura to control a weapon so precisely? That's some orbital aura control! I've never seen such spectacular hand-to-hand combat before!

I can feel the rain on the back of my helmet with a clatter.

I feel like my senses are almost merging as I push my Aura Control to the max.

My fist crashes into his head with a loud bang.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Unlike my real body, this frail fist couldn't knock him down with a single blow.

Besides, my stamina gauge automatically shrinks in the mud, so I can't stall for too long.

I had to take my chances.

Eventually, the guy underneath me chose to raise his arms to protect his face.

Whether he does or not, he keeps throwing punches.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Ray's general raised his guard and tried to get out by flipping his waist, but there was no way he could transfer any power to the move, his body already embedded in the mud from the impact.

"Holy shit......!"

A fist swung from below.

With an evil-fueled yell, he abandoned his defense and went back on the offensive.

But

"No way, you're gently punching me just to lose?"

There was no way the force transmitted from above could be the same as the force transmitted from below.

Kwajik─!

-This seems to be the end of the battle between the......generals, right?

-Yes, because there's nothing else to do, Ray Pendragon's body is already halfway to the ground.

In the end, the White Team commander sank and could no longer move.

A giant cruise ship floated on the river with its lights flashing brightly and at the entrance to the dock stood a nondescript male employee.

His expression didn't change as I approached, dressed in a very suspicious outfit, and he simply held out his hand.

"May I see your ticket?"

A smile spreads across my face at the familiar joke I've heard so many times in gaming.

The ticket referred to here is a secret word that means proving that you can enter this area.

"Dark Spirit."

It meant the villain's name.

And because he never showed himself to others, I used the name of a secret identity that I had completely taken over.

The employee's expressionless face twitched at the unexpected name.

"......Sir, can you say that again?"

"Dark Spirit. If you make me say it again here, I'll kill you."

A horrible ringing sound that I can't tell if it's a man or a woman.

In an instant, the man's expression sagged and turned sharp.

"──You're Dark Spirit?"

From the man's mouth, a soft feminine voice came out, not the voice from earlier.

"Hmph, this is quite interesting. You hadn't shown yourself to anyone before, not even me, so why did it bother to show itself here today?"

"Because it's important."

He's suspicious of my appearance as he should be.

You look like an ordinary employee, but you're a villain, a member of the Villain Alliance top brass.

As far as he was concerned, it was a legitimate question.

This was, after all, the first time he'd seen the real Dark Spirit in action.

"If you're the real thing, bring proof."

"You're trying to test me after all."

Well, if you ask me for proof, I'll show you.

"Cairo. The hawk and the cat. London. The Sleep of the Black Fairy. China. The Eucharist of the Dragon. United States. The end of passage A-1 in the B-35 sewer......."

Cities around the world and building names are starting to come out of my mouth.

The places that are now coming out of my mouth are all secret rendezvous points held by the Villain Association, and places that sent Dark Spirit on missions.

"......Need I say more, Dolce Puppet?”

This villain known as Dolce Puppet is a villain with his own black markets around the world and one of the leaders of the Villain Alliance.

It was a foregone conclusion that he would be here at this time.

"......No, thank you, I think that's enough."

As if his test of me was over, the man flicked his arm and said to me.

"You can go in, Mr. Dark Spirit......just don't cause any unnecessary trouble."

"I'll try."

As I passed the dock and climbed onto the boat, I noticed people holding champagne around me.

They've all gathered to take advantage of today's black market.

As I slowly turn my head to look at them, a woman who appears to be an employee approaches me and offers me a glass of champagne.

"Sir, would you like some champagne?"

I wave my hand in the air to indicate yes, and she nods.

"Today's Black Market will run until dawn, and the first auction is scheduled to begin in two hours. Please, I hope you enjoy yourselves."

With that, the employee bows and exits.

I've definitely made it this far, but I'm also curious about the auction items, so I decided to take a quick look around to see if I can find what I'm looking for.

I slowly make my way to the second floor of the ferry, where the poly markets are located.

The vendors are already at the entrance with their bags open and selling their wares.

Not only were the items rarely seen, but the skill of the vendors seemed to be exceptional.

The tense atmosphere made my heart skip a beat.

The first item I set my sights on was a moonstone.

As I slowly walked around the stalls, I could feel eyes on me since I was a character they had never seen before.

I hadn't intended to stand out, but my outfit, which was constantly bunched up to make my figure unrecognizable, was sure to attract attention.

And the rule of thumb in a place like this is, "Beware the stranger.”

"Hey there, I don't recognize you."

The smile that comes naturally with the clichéd line.

"You mean......?"

And, of course, in this situation.

"I'm really curious what you're here for."

It was all about getting the steamer under control.