novelFestival closing ceremony
| ← Ch.050 | Ch.052 → |
"Since we have clashed with chaos, this must also be inevitable fate. We will give all we have to the victor. So please, at least spare the women and children behind me. They truly do not know anything."
Rep A pleaded on his knees, and I replied along with a shrug of my shoulders.
"Me, well, I'm a sucker of a Hero with a damn serious tendency to care for the business of others, so I am inclined to forgive so long as the reward is enough! Only, because my companion is of an entirely different race, I don't think it'll let them off for being women and children..."
"Chaoooooo..."
Noebius looked down at the angels with fear-inspiring eyes, and Rep A hastened to speak while trembling all over.
"G-give me just a moment! Time to convince...!"
"Alright. Go on then."
"The residential areas of the angels are decided by their roles. Among those, we were entrusted with the safekeeping of treasures. That is why we have various other treasures aside from the last reward of the festival.
The angels took out all sorts of things from inside the bomb shelter; weapons, shields, potions, clothing, tools, books, accessories... the type and uses were of great diversity, and their quality weren't any inferior either. Even the final equipment I had created by gathering materials and making requests of those fellows called legendary blacksmiths and tailors weren't as splendid as these.
However, I could only be unenthusiastic as I was right now—my own body that was covered all over with good Skills was far sturdier than what was presented.
While my defensive ability would rise slightly if I were to wear armor on top of my Skills, these things were no different than one-use items to me as I pursued the combat style of equally exchanging blows with the opponent. In short, they lacked in quality.
For armors or shields to be worthy of me, they had to be of far better quality than what were brought before me; at the very least, they had to be on the standard of Holy Sword 2. As such, my interest quickly switched over to the massacre event.
"What about the main event reward?"
"This is it."
Rep A held out three antique-looking boxes the size of baseballs to me. There were nameplates generously placed on the boxes.
[Top-grade Summoning Ring Type A: Devious Angel]
[Top-grade Summoning Ring Type B: Adorable Angel]
[Top-grade Summoning Ring Type C: Cheerful Angel]
I could feel my eyes fall in disappointment the moment I saw them.
What exactly had I been expecting...?
"These are the rewards given to the final remaining three of the festival. Sealed in each of the rings are troublemaking children who are awaiting punishment. They will doubtless have no complaints, as they are children who admired the life on earth. You can be assured of their capability."
Rep A proudly explained about the rings, and the other angels nearby nodded in agreement as well.
[?]Affirmation: Student Kang Han Soo! Isn't it truly amazing? Omnipotent angels who can help out with everything, from combat to housework! And this is a trade secret, but... it's possible to use a powerful fusion technique when these three angels who were always on good terms with each other assemble!
Miss Trainee Teacher helped promote the rings as if in support.
"Omnipotent, huh..."
I quietly put on the Type A ring and tried summoning the angel.
Light enveloped the ring and—
Flash!
"Master's devious guardian angel, Sexy Riel, taking the stage~☆"
Along with a flashy performance showing off a rainbow-colored power of Divinity, a pretty angel looking to be in her early twenties appeared.
Shake, Shake, Shake, Swaying~
She even shook her limbs, waist and hips to go with it. I could tell at a glance that this was a choreography prepared for a long time with her heart and soul.
She was outfitted in a crudely made iron plate armor that barely covered her important parts. As for her neck, shoulders, waist, buttocks, thighs, chest... her bare skin was completely out in the open making for easy targets to cut or stab at. If the spear held in her right hand wasn't an ornament, then that would mean she was a combat type, but I felt she needed protection instead of her protecting her master.
?Race: Angel
?Level: 800
?Job: Lancer(Horsemanship=Spearmanship↑)
?Skills: Spearmanship(S) Divinity(S) Horsemanship(A) Interpretation(B) Chores(B)...
?Condition: Anticipant, Excited
Setting aside her attire and mental state, her Status as an angel itself was on the excellent side. Of course, this appraisal was based on the graduates and not me. To them, who had miserable Statuses, the addition of this angel would definitely be encouraging.
I gave my overall rating.
"Have I ever seen such trash...!"
Was I to view it as all three of the summoning rings being like this?
I had just thought up to that point when I felt Holy Sword 2 shaking—it had reacted to the disappointing main event reward.
And the vibrations coming from Holy Sword 2 reached the three rings.
Crack, Crack, Crack.
It seemed like the rings had been about to fracture, but they ended up being directly destroyed.
"Wh-what the heck?!"
The Devious Angel who was summoned from the Type A ring let out an adorable scream. Without even a chance to do anything, she disappeared into specks of light like the destroyed rings and vanished into thin air.
Psss...
Pzz...
Although they hadn't gotten the chance to even make their appearances, the fates of the angels sealed inside the Type B and Type C rings were likely no different.
The main event rewards disappeared in a ridiculous manner; however, it didn't simply end at the rings being destroyed.
Whooosh~
The black and white whirlwind enveloping Holy Sword 2 greedily absorbed the broken remains of the three destroyed rings, as well as the specks of light that were formerly the Type A angel.
Summon(D)→Summon(B)→Summon(A)→Summon(S)
The summoning capabilities that had been contained inside the rings were wholly passed over to me. Thanks to that, my Skill 'Summon' suddenly rose up to S-rank in one go!
But the chance didn't end at that.
"Uh, uhh-?! Master?!"
Saintess H, who was still wearing the collar as ever, called out to me as if screaming.
Chwrrr-!
The silver leash of the collar stuck tightly to the hilt of Holy Sword 2—then began to pull at Saintess H like she was a bluefin tuna caught on a fishhook.
Pop! Pop!
Saintess H disappeared like she was sucked into a vacuum cleaner, along with her collar and leash.
"... Just what is all this?"
It had truly happened in the blink of an eye. In all my 11 years spent in this fantasy world, it was my first time experiencing such a bewildering development.
However, this was but the beginning.
Sss...𝘧r𝗲𝘦𝒘𝘦𝙗𝚗ove𝙡 - 🅽🅽novel
The form of Holy Sword 2 changed: a snow-white pair of wings was added to its crimson heart-shaped hilt. I couldn't suppress a shudder upon seeing this.
"A feminine touch on top of being boorish...?"
Just what on earth was being done to a man's claymore! It was a preposterous design, which almost suggested that being stabbed with the sword would turn you into a slave of hot love instead of a cold corpse, like being shot by the arrow of a cupid.
[?]Startled: Student Kang Han Soo! Look up! Up! Up!
Miss Trainee Teacher began to make a fuss all of a sudden. Could there be something even more surprising than Holy Sword 2's changed design?
I took a furtive look above me and...
?Race: Chaos Angel
?Level: 1
?Job: Saintess(Faith→Resurrection↑)
?Skills: Interpretation(S) Festival(F) Infinite(F)
?Condition: Summon
An angel who looked exactly the same as Saintess H was floating in mid air. On her back were three pairs of snowy-white wings, and for some reason she was wearing the garter belt which I had exchanged for using points. And a collar. A collar that was connected to Holy Sword 2 by a half-transparent chain. Putting aside this immoral style of hers, she boasted a figure that could very well be likened to the advent of a goddess.
"Rice Cake?"
While ignoring Miss Trainee Teacher's nagging of telling me not to call the festival mascot in that manner, I examined Saintess H's reaction.
"Yes, Master."
Judging by her tone and the way she smartly addressed me, it seemed her mind and memories remained as they were despite the change in her race. That being the case...
"Go in."
"Yes...?"
The gracefully flying Saintess H disappeared like a mirage.
I took a glance at my Status.
?Race: Chaos Human
?Level: 999+
?Job: [?][?][?](Chaos=[?][?]↑)
?Skills: Battle Spirit(SSS) Divinity(SSS) Dark Energy(SSS) Massacre(SS) Fabrication(SS) Chaos(SS) Destruction(SS) Tolerance(SS) Deadly Venom(SS) Physical Strength(SS) Endurance(SS) Agility(SS) Fighting Skill(SS) Five Senses(SS) Swordsmanship(SS) Majesty(SS) Oblivion(SS) Governance(SS) Swimming(SS) Boxing(SS) Sword Ki (SS) Slaughter(SS) Judgement(SS) Summon(S)... Festival(F) Infinite(F)
?Condition: Holy Sword, Saintess
There was a change to my Skills: two skills that weren't there until just now had been added.
Festival(F)
Infinite(F)
The Skills possessed by the angel version Saintess H. They were treated as separate while she was summoned, but it seemed I would completely inherit her Skills when we became as one like EXP. To start off with, I decided to examine them one by one.
?Type: Skill
?Name: Festival
?Rank: F
?E: Move an event forward.
?F: Be acknowledged as an official of the festival.
It was obvious with one look that this Skill was exclusive to the Hero Festival. The Skill had apparently been hidden from the time I first met Saintess H back at the great temple until its appearance now. Perhaps its rank had been higher while it was hidden? Its usage was unclear as of the present. However...
?Type: Skill
?Name: Infinite
?Rank: F
?E: Level will not decrease.
?F: Rank will not fall.
... this one was different.
"Awesome...!"
I was in an overall difficult situation from having lost the Job 'Hero'. Although it wasn't noticeable yet as I hadn't been participating in the Hero Festival for long, my B-rank and below Skills which I didn't use much normally were falling in rank, one after another.
But there was no longer the need to worry any further.
The Skill Infinite(F) would protect them!
[?]Shudder: A whole two Administrator Skills on an outsider...?
Miss Trainee Teacher, who had been quietly watching on, couldn't continue her words. Skills for administrators, she said. Surely it meant it was that good?
"Why is nothing happening...?"
"How has the festival...?"
The angels including Rep A were all currently stunned.
Why?
[?]Explanation: You should know as you've experienced it back at the great temple, but a anti-crime system is placed on event rewards. This time, however, the system didn't activate. Maybe my seniors let it slip from their minds? I don't know the clear reason either.
There had been another ulterior motive behind the angels obediently handing over the main event rewards—to awaken the powerful watchmen deployed throughout the skies, like the 3, 141 golems that guarded the great temple.
However, the watchmen didn't move.
"I knew it was too easy."
It was thanks to the anti-crime system set up by the teaching staff dysfunctioning. The exact cause for this was unclear.
"Is the main event finished with this?"
It wouldn't be strange if the Hero Festival came to an end any time from now on, which was why I needed to hurry a little.
Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop.
I put away a part of the angels' treasures into my 'Storage'. Given my way I would have taken them all, but the space was far too lacking with the Skill at D-rank.
"Chaooo."
My business was finished with this, but the young Oblivion Dragon King licked its lips while looking down at the angels.
"Hiik?!"
"At least the women and children!"
"Gasp! Please spare just my life...!"
I prayed that the angels could do well in appeasing the humiliation and shame felt by Noebius who had been domesticated until recently. I was a third-party from here on.
But at that moment...
?Sir Hero, was the festival enjoyable?
It was neither Miss Trainee Teacher or Professor Morals.
It was a disgusting copy and paste-er.
?The path of a true hero is truly difficult. But you who did not lose your hopes and dreams formed countless bonds with people which encouraged you on. From them you learned friendship and love, and after maturing together with them you became the final victor at last. Congratulations truly!
'Final victor my ass!'
There were still crowds of graduates below on the ground, but it seemed the festival was forcibly proceeding with the closing ceremony due to me monopolizing the main even rewards.
?Shall we take a look at your grading now?
'My! And they said it was a festival? These people ran a scam again!'
[?]Defending: Student Kang Han Soo, I told you from the start, that the Hero Festival also has the purpose of making it so the graduates didn't forget their lessons. But since there's no special benefit or the like from getting a good grade, I think you can just have a look with an easy heart.
'Oh! That's how it is, is it?'
?Please check your report card carefully!
?Name: Kang Han Soo
?Combat Power: SSS
?Achievements: SS
?Reputation: FF
?Character: FFF
?Note: The festival that was prepared with difficulty became like this...
Truly a beautiful report card it was. While I simply couldn't be convinced by my character grade being lower than my reputation, it seemed my combat ability and achievement were evaluated objectively.
?The festival has ended.
The phenomenon which always occurred upon receiving a report card took place—light began to envelop my body.
Flash!
*
*
*
And I furtively opened my eyes. Mm?
"Where's this?"
Lanuvel and the palace knights weren't in sight. I wasn't even inside the palace.
Was this place... a colosseum?
?The path of a true hero is truly difficult. You will now be presented with two paths. The final three of the festival have gathered here. You may kill the other survivors and steal the reward; however, a large amount of EXP will be granted should you choose unity and coexistence. The time limit to decide is 10 minutes.
It was difficult to understand even after listening to the explanation. A large amount of EXP?
"Where the hell is this?"
"The festival ended already?"
"Kyah! Don't look!"
The colosseum was crowded with graduates who were summoned like I was. A guy who was summoned while he was battling a monster, a hussy who was summoned in the middle of her showering, a couple summoned while they were tumbling about in bed... all sorts of people were all gathered here.
It seemed like the final 3 were a bit too many?
[?]Troubled: I think the internal system has gotten messed up with the festival coming to a forced end due to unintended circumstances...
'Miss Trainee Teacher, don't you worry too much on that. This great Hero here, yours truly, is gonna lend a hand for free!'
"I just gotta kill 'em all except for just two within 10 minutes, yeah?"
I swung Holy Sword 2.
| ← Ch. 050 | Ch. 052 → |