The clash between the Troll Chief and Roy was a series of strategic retreats and retaliations. Due to the absurdly low agility stat the boss monster had in contrast to its strength and constitution, coupled with the size difference, Roy was able to take advantage of all this.
Roy maintained a steady rhythm of calculated movements, making sure to keep his range from the boss monster, lest he be pulverized. After all, though things in this new realm functioned like a game, it didn’t have the extra life features games had... death meant game over forever.
He frowned. This is getting too drawn out. This much should be enough. I already know how I fare without a buff against a monster of this level...
As he finished this train of thought, a skill burst into full bloom deep in the depths of his soul. It was the innate ability all Lords possessed that made them unrivaled in their territory.
The will of the land resonated with his soul as the Ether in the atmosphere congealed into his very being. His stats doubled, tripled, and kept stacking until they were ten times greater than before.
The laws of space unraveled before him, and he felt he could pierce through reality, moving wherever he wished...
"Sigh! If only I had a baton right now..." Roy mused in disappointment, as the epic gun in his palm vanished back into his inventory. If he had a baton, he would get an extra ten‑times buff, elevating his strength stat by a hundred times!
With such stats, killing the likes of the Vitality Troll Chief would be reduced to paste with a single whack. He clicked his tongue. He had searched for a blunt weapon in the shop earlier, but all the weapons he found were one‑time use — grenades, flash bombs, and so on.
Though he said this, his stats after the buff weren’t bad...
Status: Lord (Bearer of the Justice Order)
Agility: 30 ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
Ether Unit: 100/100 —]
At least with this buff, though his constitution wasn’t up to par, with his agility coupled with his size he still had an advantage.
Just as he got into a stance, ready to engage in an all‑out battle with the boss monster, his skill Martial Arts quickly worked its magic as ancient combat knowledge of the past flowed through his mind.
His Ether unit burst into motion as it circulated, channeling downward to his feet, forming a spring‑like pattern beneath them. His calves and hamstrings clenched, and like an arrow loosed from a bow, his figure blitzed through the air, appearing before the heaving boss monster.
This was the culmination of his buffed agility of 30 and an ancient martial art called Flash Step. Normally, the feat he had just pulled off was something only those with the innate skill or acquired skill could accomplish. But with his Martial Arts skill, he could emulate any skill he wanted in the form of a technique and Ether control. Wonderful indeed.
His fist contracted as an azure flame‑like cadence bloomed on it. The azure embers flickered ominously as he shot out a punch, striking the boss monster right in the knee. Due to the size contrast, it was just like a toddler throwing a fist at a grown‑up.
But unfortunately for the boss, though the fist looked small, the force behind it wasn’t. A bone‑crunching noise rang out as the Troll Chief burst into a shrill roar.
Double Impact — a technique that used inner Qi, or in this case Ether, to deal double damage. It gave Roy’s punch a force the boss’s constitution couldn’t resist, twisting the knee into an odd angle.
Before the enemy could recover, in a swift motion his figure flashed to the other supporting foot. He unleashed another punch, this time more practiced and efficient than the first. The overwhelming impact wrought by his fist completely obliterated the foot out of sight.
The Troll Chief, on losing both feet, fell backward in an awkward motion. But before he could even land, a cascading glow of green bloomed as his absurdly fast regeneration began.
On the other end of the battlefield, Richard and Alpha were also fighting their battles, keeping the tide in check lest it decimated the outpost. High‑level trolls had begun arriving, with Alpha currently facing nine level‑6 trolls, and Richard having just finished decimating two level‑7 trolls with the machine turret.
He wheezed out of breath as his Ether was quickly replenished. Every second he forced himself to wield the turret, the more he felt a massive burden‑like force on his being, constantly weighing on him. This was normal — after all, he had been warned by the system.
His hands trembled from the pressure. Just as he rested his back on the operator’s chair, thinking of sneaking in a few minutes of reprieve, his ears twitched as he heard his master’s call.
He was exhausted down to his bones.
His muscles and joints were so sore, he wasn’t sure he could even move at this moment.
But regardless, he sat up, dragging his weary arms into motion. His teeth clenched tightly as the familiar pressure returned. Somehow it was a few times greater than before. Deep down he knew why — it wasn’t that the pressure had increased, it was that he had gotten weaker.
His eyes flickered with determination. He had promised his Lord, and just as his Lord had fulfilled his end of the bargain, he would fulfill his.
His hands clamped around the controls. He made sure there was a new string of chain bullets attached. His Ether pumped, his muscles braced, and with every strand of strength dwelling in his body, he summoned power.
Roy had given instructions before the battle started. He knew that fighting a boss monster couldn’t be easy, so he told Richard to be ready. If he needed help buying time, he would call on him.
And right now, Roy was in desperate need to buy time. Why? Well, right beneath the now fully healed figure of the boss monster, one could see a green, spiked grenade with its safety pin pulled all the way out.
Looking at the furious behemoth, which seemed to have undergone some weird changes, Roy could see the troll’s stats rapidly increasing. It was none other than agility, and the damn thing didn’t stop climbing until it reached a full 40.
Escaping from the behemoth wouldn’t be as easy now. Though with his Lord’s Blessing he could directly teleport out of sight, he needed to keep the monster grounded — otherwise the grenade would be wasted.
Looking at the crimson sheen of the monster, seemingly locked on him as it growled ferally, Roy knew he had inflicted more pain on it than it had ever felt in its life. Now it knew why all Lords were so fearsome. Grinding its teeth together in anger, its killing intent soared. But it didn’t dare move, as the Lord had once more pulled out that evil weapon. Its arms braced together to block the incoming storm of bullets.
The Crystal Crimson Drake was back in the fray as its nozzle ignited, unleashing a furious rain...
And just then, from the distance, another rain of bullets descended. Though not carrying as much damage, the massive caliber rounds mercilessly pounded through the Troll Chief. The boss monster was overwhelmed by the torrents as it hunched down, attempting to protect its body with its back.
And just then, its eyes were drawn to an unassuming metal device staring it right in the face...
Its instincts screamed danger, but it was already too late. Roy’s figure had long vanished out of sight as the thorned grenade burst into a storm of flame and metal!