Episode 143:
Speed up
…Gérard’s mansion.
This place was a little different from what I saw in the original.
In my memory, the interior of this mansion was quite dark with all the lights turned off and relying only on the dim sunlight outside the window.
Even though the mansion was preserved by powerful magic, the entire inside of the mansion was filled with thick dust.
‘Yes, it was definitely a dark dust pit.’
That was Gerard’s mansion that I remember.
But the interior I was seeing now was completely different from what I remembered.
Candles were lit all over the hallway, as if someone had just touched them.
dust?
I didn’t even see anything like that.
“….”
This part was also very clean, as if it had just been cleaned.
‘Do you think you would believe it if someone were living in this mansion right now?’
…Is it possible that Gérard Gunther, who was famous for his neat personality, is still alive as a ghost?
A chill ran down my spine from the terrifying imagination.
But even with those thoughts, I couldn’t stop running.
[There are 3 minutes and 51 seconds left.]
Because there was no time to stop and think about other things.
Even if there were some differences from the original, I had to run now.
‘First, obtain the black seal and set your running speed to maximum.’
Only then would I be able to salvage something, be able to deal with any unexpected situation… and,
crucially, be able to escape before this mansion collapsed.
‘Straight hallway.’
Now, then, it was time to use the movement techniques of Frontier Swordsmanship in earnest.
[Movement Skill: Storming Frontier]
My new type flashed and crossed through space.
As Carls created a new approach, the movement technology of Frontier Swordsmanship also achieved significant growth.
I was able to replace the energy of anger that had been sealed in various parts of my body with mobility.
Shuuuuuk!
Therefore, I moved forward, flying through the air as if I were a flashing fluorescent light.
The speed was so incredible that I had to put Piyong in my inventory for a while.
‘But you can’t just run fast and you have to adjust the spacing of your jumps well.’
This was because a certain pattern of defense devices was installed in this straight corridor.
‘The fastest way is to move forward without touching the trap.’
When I was halfway across the hallway.
“Your Majesty the Third Prince!”
I heard a voice looking for me from behind.
…It’s fast.
When I glanced back, I saw Rodrigo and other knights holding swords and looking at me with shocked expressions.
“New new style Blink!”
“Is that the frontier swordsmanship of the Imperial Knights?”
“I think so? But applying the footwork in that way! “It’s quite surprising…”
They all opened their mouths in shock, probably because they had mistaken the Storming Frontier I was using for a new level of Blink.
Just then Rodrigo Iesta stepped forward.
“Lowering! Please wait!”
“…?”
“Don’t go alone, come with us!”
Unlike when he lunged at me and said he would slit my head, Rodrigo was now showing a very refined tone and look in his eyes.
But I snorted.
“what? “On the topic of ghosts.”
Anyway, their role from the beginning was to mess with the traps and guardians of this mansion.
So I just turned around.
“Do you want to come with me? Then, just follow the real people and not the ghosts.”
“…yes?”
Yeah, I didn’t even expect you to understand my story.
[Movement Technique: Storming Frontier]
The moment I started moving again.
“Everyone chase after him!”
The knights started shouting and running down the hallway.
The result of that reckless action.
bang!
“Ugh!”
“It’s raining arrows!”
“Everyone watch your step!”
The trap has begun.
The defenses protecting Gérard Gunther’s mansion were not at a very lethal level, but…
‘They are set at just the right level to hold back, aren’t they?’
So, from my perspective, it was inevitable that I would avoid them one by one.
But right now, Rodrigo and other knights were working hard on the traps.
‘Thanks to you, I’ll be somewhat comfortable when I come back.’
Once the trap is consumed, it will not be activated again, so my way out of the mansion will be twice as fast as it is now.
…Thank you guys.
[There are 3 minutes and 30 seconds remaining.]
After checking the time, I ran like crazy and passed through the hallway.
And I grabbed the doorknob of the first room.
There was a black seal in this very room.
‘But Rodrigo was confronting the ghost knights just now, so when did they end up on the same side?’
A question crossed my mind for a moment, but it wasn’t that important.
‘…Maybe it’s a ghost or something.’
I immediately opened the door and went inside.
* * *
‘You’re using us as a fodder for your arrows.’
Rodrigo Iesta, who was left behind, was quite upset.
“Are you all okay?”
“Shit. “An arrow got stuck in my shoulder.”
“What on earth is this shuriken….”
“Since I can’t use my magic properly, it’s hard to deal with it even if I detect a trap. Damn it…”
The knights who entered the mansion together were instantly covered in blood.
The reason was the meticulously installed defense devices throughout the mansion.
However, Third Prince Guilroshan ran away like a ghost and disappeared, as if he already knew about their existence.
The knights who had missed him were sighing.
“Sir Iesta, do you really need to go to this extent?”
“….”
Rodrigo was lost in thought for a moment.
And he chuckled.
“Did you hear what I said earlier?”
“What are you saying?”
“You said to us, ‘Only the real ones should follow us.’”
“Ah….”
“Having heard those words, my whole body is broken and I have no choice but to follow.”
“….”
All the knights fell silent.
Rodrigo looked back at them and opened his mouth.
“As you all know, I am the one who has a very bad relationship with the 3rd Prince. “My sister is still on the loose after her brief encounter with you.”
But Rodrigo was quietly smiling.
“But now you are acting as if you don’t even remember those days. “I’m sure you remember that incident…”
When talking about honor, the 3rd Prince immediately retorted, saying that survival comes first.
Whenever I brought up something from the past, he would yell at me and tell me to focus on the present.
It was unpleasant at first.
But the more I thought about it, the more meaningful those words and actions became.
‘Okay, I see what you mean. For now, I’m just asking you to act purely as a knight with a sword.’
In particular, those words were very painful advice to Rodrigo, who had reached this point after disobeying the orders of the 2nd Prince Lapishan.
Therefore, Rodrigo Iesta had no intention of confronting Third Prince Guilroshan any longer.
‘I should also join the Blue Flame Knights and ask about his intentions.’
In fact, I had decided to do the opposite.
In fact, this change in attitude was the same for other knights.
“It would be too dangerous to wander further here.”
“Why on earth did you come looking for a place like this?…”
“Wouldn’t it mean something?”
Contrary to what Giloshan expected, everyone was taking a very friendly attitude toward him.
Gilroshan and Cals thought that the nine knights, including Rodrigo, might stab them from behind, but this was actually the case.
…of course.
The identity of the knights he predicted to be ghosts turned out to be ghosts.
However, the ghosts of the jungle appeared while the nine knights were clearing out the surrounding monsters for Giloshan.
Even that was slowly being sorted out through the ‘fia identification procedure’ of the imperial knights.
Unfortunately, the process was distorted and a battle broke out between the knights of Salet Firdin, but that was actually the case.
However, Gilroshan entered the mansion without knowing it…
In conclusion, the nine knights, including Rodrigo, were now in a dangerous situation.
However, the vice-captain of the Attack Knights did not back down.
“Everyone, please wear shields. “We will continue to pursue it like this.”
“…!”
“Things are going a bit strangely, but shouldn’t I die after giving you a proper word?”
A refreshing smile appeared on Rodrigo’s bronze face.
“…So, I am not talking about the ‘real knight’ you mentioned.”
Then the other knights nodded and agreed.
“Good!”
“Of course it’s Sir Iesta! “It’s exciting!”
“Even if I go, I can’t go without hearing people say it’s a ghost or a fake!”
An unfamiliar jungle, an unknown mansion, and an incomplete mana heart.
…and even a lack of confidence in the master.
Although there were many adverse conditions, the knights moved forward with fighting spirit.
The goal was to avoid the traps set up in the hallway, block the body, and follow Giloshan’s path.
“Fire bomb!”
“Everyone get down!”
When the knights were struggling like that…
Sigh.
The shadow that had been watching, waving in a corner of the hallway, moved somewhere.
It was a being whose identity not only the knights but even Gilroshan could imagine.
* * *
As a player, the way to obtain the Blessing Seal was very simple.
After all, a seal is just a seal.
‘Just take a picture like this and that’s it.’
[‘Seal of the Black Mark’ has been acquired.]
[The effect of all movement skills is doubled.]
‘…Good.’
I grinned as I looked at the image of a black leopard stamped on the inside of my forearm.
This doubled the effectiveness of all my movement skills without exception.
Accordingly, my movement speed jumped at least 1.5 times.
‘I think if the magic circulation becomes a little smoother here, the cost of movement skills can be offset.’
Then my movement speed would also be doubled.
‘Then shall we start by eating the epitaph of heaven and earth and raise the level of spiritual magic to increase the ability to reabsorb magical power?’
I thought for a moment, but then shook my head.
‘no. The root is tangled. Let’s go as we originally planned.’
Outside the room, the sound of the mansion’s traps being activated was loudly audible.
It was the disobedient knights messing with the defense mechanism, just as I had wanted in the first place.
‘Whether it’s a ghost in the jungle or a knight who rebelled against me…’
He would die appropriately through this process.
Thanks to this, my goal was to gain movement speed and ultimately eat the epitaph of heaven and earth.
Everything was rolling along one by one.
‘…But why do I feel so strangely uncomfortable?’
Regardless of those feelings, I moved my body without delay.
[The remaining time is 2 minutes and 23 seconds.]
‘It’s already half way.’
But now that I have the black seal, I can move around the mansion at a much faster speed.
“Yes, here!”
I was able to win the most important thing at this event.
They had found a swordsmanship textbook containing Gerard’s Gunther’s S-class soft sword technique, ‘Gaias Swordsmanship’.
[Obtained the technical book ‘On the Beginning and End of Gaias Swordsmanship’!]
“Okay, this is it! The highest dignity of soft sword art! Gaias!”
But it wasn’t the time to just admire it.
‘Now, next is the essence of the ancient dragon.’
Now, there was less than two minutes left in the time limit, so we had to move quickly.
So I threw the swordsmanship textbook into my inventory and turned around.
But at that moment.
“…!”
I literally had no choice but to freeze.
Except for me and the knights, this was a mansion where there should not have been any human figures.
“….”
Someone was leaning against the doorway, looking at me with their arms crossed.
he told me
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