Episode 1.17-18 (1/2)

Lecan is currently standing on top of a small hill, looking over a great beast crouching on the side of a mountain.

The monster's naked eyes could only see things very close to them, he won't be discovered at this distance.

The eye that apparently can see mana is maxed out at 100 steps range.

After all, such a gigantic beast probably has no real need to detect faraway foes.

Looks like it's sleeping. Here's his chance.

Lecan groped his chest and grabbed a jewel. It's the blue jewel he got from Lady Rubianafale. He could sense some mana in it, it might carry some sort of effect. No clue what kind, but today it would serve as a good luck charm. The chain part is too delicately made, he plans to replace it later.

He put the magic jewel inside his shirt, erased his footsteps, and carefully yet quietly approached the monster.

He's gotten right next to it, and the monster still has its eyes closed.

--Allow me to claim the first strike.

Lecan held his trusty sword high and locked his gaze at the scruff of the monster's neck.

There are several wound marks on it. They're from Lecan's attacks. Every one of them is a shallow wound.

Lecan swung down his sword. The feedback betrayed his expectations.

--What?

His sword sank deep into the beast's neck.

After a momentary pause, the monster got up while violently writhing, and let out a skull shaking roar. Its forehead eye is firmly locked on to Lecan.

Lecan took a stance. He's got to be ready to dodge the frost breath if it's coming.

Afterward, the monster took a slightly comical action. It began to lumberingly turn around with its short legs.

Lecan swiftly jumped back about 30 steps.

--Just as I thought.

The monster is attempting to launch its spines since its opponent is close by. But it has exhausted its front spines in the battles yesterday and three months ago. It's already got new spines growing, but those likely cannot be launched off before they get big enough.

The monster finally rotated enough to turn the side with spines toward Lecan, and then it shook its huge body.

While staring fixedly at it, Lecan took another 10 steps back.

The spines were launched off.

These spines could only fly straight from their initial location. The farther Lecan is from it, the wider the gaps between each launched spines. Dodging these incoming spines is child's play for those with superior reflexes like Lecan.

Afterward, Lecan waited for his chance to strike at the same spot. He can't dodge the spines if he's too close, yet the monster will shift to other attacks if he's too far away.

The monster finally ran out of spines to launch off after the fourth volley. Some of its spines still remain on top of its back, but that's probably unusable for enemy that walk on land.

Instead, the beast points its head straight at Lecan and exhales. Lecan took another 20 steps back.

He couldn't dodge the breath fully, it hit the outer layer of his overcoat. He's fine. Just as he thought, Overking Bear's fur could safely block the frost breath at this range.

Now that he knows, he just needs to keep dodging the breath while maintaining the distance.

Every time the monster moves slightly forward, Lecan steps slightly backward.

When the monster lets out its frost breath, Lecan moves out of a direct hit.

These pushes and pulls lasted about 12 breaths before the monster finally stopped with the breath attack and curled up its body.

Lecan turned his back and ran just as the monster began to roll. He's running while leading the monster toward a location with bare rocks.

There's nothing that obstructs his dash here. The monster will never reach him if he just keeps <Gust> up.

After leading the monster by the nose for awhile, it eventually stopped rolling, curled out and plopped down on the ground.

It might be faking it.

Lecan carefully approached the monster's head.

And when he was 20 steps away, he rushed in with <Gust>, landed a hit on the monster's scruff and used <Gust> again to back away 20 steps.

The monster shook and growled, but then it fell down on the ground again.

Looks like it's lost its offensive capability due to exhaustion. It must have used up all its mana.

Still, his strike just now sank deep again. Just what's going on.

He rushed toward the monster with <Gust> again, and struck its scruff.

Surprisingly, that strike sank deep into the monster's neck.

The monster shut its eyes and stopped moving.

Surprisingly, the blue dot disappeared in his <Life Detection>. It's dead.

But, why.

Why was his attack more effective only today.

Is it due to a circumstance on the monster's end.

Or perhaps something changed on Lecan's end.

What has changed on Lecan's side anyway.

Suddenly, it hit on him.

The blue jewel.

The jewel he got from Lady Rubianafale.

This jewel must possess the power to increase attack power.

So he thought for an instant, but he laughed off the idea.

Even in his former world, dungeon's floor bosses sometimes drop abilities that increase attack power.

He himself has met adventurers who posses those abilities, <Slash>,

, <Accelerate>. Heck, he had gotten into a deadly duel with a <Slash> possessor. Once he chanted the activation spell, swings from that guy's sword managed to cut a breastplate made of Rock Dragon's pelt and even split Lecan's trusty sword at the time in two.

However, those are ultimately abilities bestowed only to adventurers who braved the depths of a dungeon and defeated the boss there, a technique that can only be obtained during an extremely rare occurrence, and not something that can be passed over to someone else.

It's also possible for jewels to have <State Preservation> or <Auto Restoration> effect, if an enchanter with a special talent enchanted jewels using a magic gem with unique mana. In fact, Lecan's trusty sword is embedded with a jewel enchanted with <Auto Restoration>.

However, he's never heard an accessory that gives the effect of increased attack.

If something like that really exists, it would be a legendary class artifact.

Lecan tried to do a little experiment.

He tried to cut at the dead magic beast's neck and legs, with the blue jewel equipped and with it stored inside <Storage>.

The result made it obvious.

This blue jewel has been enchanted with an effect that grants an enormous increase to attack power. No mistake about it.