‘Grandpa. If you don’t stop soon, I might actually get angry?!’
This is the moment I really need to focus, and he keeps doing this?!
<But! Hahaha! How can I not laugh at that?! Forget it! Punish me if you want! I’ll accept anything!>
‘Really? You’ll accept anything?’
Oh. Poor grandpa. He’s uttered words he absolutely shouldn’t have.
You’ll accept anything, huh?
It seems you still don’t understand the depths of human malice.
There’s no helping it. Up until now, I’ve only learned from you, so this time, I’ll kindly teach you.
From now on, you won’t be able to say “anything.”
<...Girl? What are you thinking now?>
‘Well?’
<Is it the bathroom? Or are you thinking of handing me over to the forest’s master?>
‘Hmm. Is that the extent of your imagination, grandpa? Your brain is quite stiff, isn’t it?’
<...What? There’s something worse than this?!>
The truth is, I’m not thinking of anything at all. I have no plans to do anything to grandpa.
But grandpa doesn’t know that.
Not knowing, he starts to imagine the horrific punishment he might receive.
<Canceled. I’ll take back what I just said! Stop being so loud!>
I wonder what terrible thoughts are passing through grandpa’s mind right now? I don’t know for sure, but they must be quite horrific.
‘Grandpa. You don’t have to worry. I like you very much.’
<Right? That was just a joke, wasn’t it?>
‘I know that a great knight like you wouldn’t retract a word once said. I will protect your honor!’
<...Girl? What does that mean?>
‘Absolutely!’
<Girl? Girl?!>
So, I didn’t give him any answer. Bringing it up would only kill grandpa's imagination.
The terrified voice of grandpa was loud in a different way, but it was better than before. At least it wasn’t grating on my nerves.
Once this is over, I’ll let it slide for today, but next time, I’ll tell him to be careful.
Listening to grandpa’s frantic voice, I looked up to see the skeleton descending from the left.
As I tried to step forward, Kal and Luka recoiled in fear, insisting that the skeleton was not something I could handle. However, I ignored them.
“Hey♡ Do I look like a fool who can only see what’s in front of me?♡ I wish you wouldn’t treat me like a monkey just because you are one!♡”
It was I who suggested coming here.
It was I who found the entrance to this dungeon, which no one knew about.
I was the one who led them through a maze that could send you back to the entrance with a single misstep.
Did they think I wouldn’t know about that skeleton?
Upon hearing that, Luka seemed to have a realization and nodded, stepping back. Kal, too, reluctantly showed signs of retreat.
“Are you not afraid?”
As I stood alone, the skeleton that had come down from the left posed the question.
Am I not afraid?
‘Not at all.’
“Who is afraid? You? Hahaha! Not at all! Why should I be scared of a skeleton that would be happy if I tossed it a puppy?”
What I fear are variables. Variables that I don’t know about. Why would I be scared of you, who is no different from what appeared in the game?
Rather, I’m quite pleased to meet you. If you’re the opponent, I can precisely check how far my shield can block.
To face an attack mimicking a hero without fear of death?
Ah, just thinking about it excites me.
“...Indeed. I like your bold attitude.”
Does he know? That his voice was trembling slightly?
The skeleton, trying hard to maintain a calm demeanor, cleared his throat and raised his arm.
As he did, magic gathered in the empty wrist of the skeleton, and soon it took the shape of a shield.
To describe it in one word, it was pure white.
Even after countless battles.
Even after jumping over countless crossroads of life and death.
Even standing more proudly than anyone in the face of darkness.
The enormous shield that did not lose its noble white light was certainly the shield I had longed for.
Ankhir.
The indestructible shield bestowed upon a hero by the gods.
I tried using my appraisal skill to confirm whether it was genuine, but unfortunately, my proficiency was still too low to appraise it.
‘Grandpa.’
So, I called out to him. He was the one who had seen that shield more closely than anyone else.
<Tsk. That pure white shield must certainly be Ankhir.>
Even without me saying anything, grandpa caught on to my intent and answered immediately. However, there was one strange part.
‘Pure white?’
<...That’s something.>
‘So now you won’t cooperate either? If you keep doing this...’
<It’s a highly personal matter! Even if you threaten me, I cannot answer!>
Ah. Is it personal?
What else can I say? I thought grandpa was hiding something out of spite.
Well, it’s clear that it’s genuine, so now my job is only to pass the trial.
“This shield was granted by the divine messenger to a lacking knight. Therefore, I cannot give it to one unworthy. If you truly wish for this shield, you must overcome the trial I set.”
Listening to my words, I spread divinity throughout my body. I was preparing myself for the optimal physical condition I could achieve.
“The trial is as follows. I will attack you five times from now. You must perfectly block those attacks.”
The trial set by the skeleton, who believed himself to be Garard, was simple.
To block his attacks five times.
More precisely, I had to see his barely visible attacks, match the direction, and successfully parry them five times without a single frame of leniency.
Even just doing this would make users curse, but every time that insane skeleton attacked, he would change the direction, timing, and power, making it even harder for users.
It was practically a trial designed to be broken.
So, normal users didn’t attempt the trial. They didn’t have to; they could obtain Ankhir by simply smashing the skeleton.
I had also thought that way before. Until I aimed for the achievement.
One of the Soul Academy achievements was to pass Garard’s trial five times in a row. So, to achieve 100% completion, I had to perfectly counter this bastard's trial.
Even now, thinking about it, I can't help but curse. It took me days to break through that.
It must have taken at least over a month. I distinctly remember the day I saw a physical monster break the achievement in a single day and cursing up a storm.
“Are you ready?”
As soon as I finished all the doping I could do, the skeleton posed the question. I nodded and readied my shield.
‘I’m ready.’
“What about you? Are you ready to cry like a baby after blocking all my attacks?”
“...I’m ready.”
Focusing my mind as I watched the skeleton raise his sword.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.
The method I used to succeed in breaking the achievement was simple yet crazy.
I memorized every movement of the skeleton. Then, based on that memorization, I drilled the timing into my body.
In the past, my physical abilities were far too lacking to react to that skeleton’s attacks, so there was no other way.
At first, I wondered if it would work, but when a person hits the wall of time and madness, nothing is impossible.
Thanks to the efforts I put in back then, I had not failed in the skeleton’s trial since then.
It seemed that now wouldn’t be much different.
Why?
Because I can see.
The movements of the skeleton.
He raised his arm.
Seeing that his wrist was above the height of his nose indicated a strong blow.
His shoulder tilted slightly to the left.
A diagonal attack coming from the left.
Having assessed the direction and power, I just needed to watch the timing.
Ah. His wrist moved.
Now!
The moment I caught all three necessary conditions, my body moved naturally.
The efforts of my past self.
The proficiency I had accumulated in using the shield.
The experience from countless battles.
All made my body move.
As if following that, the voice of the Iron Wall brushed past my mind.
The advice from the Iron Wall perfectly matched the movement I had chosen.
Ting!
The moment the sword hit the shield, the skeleton’s sword was deflected backward.
The extreme shield technique returned all the impact to the opponent.
I couldn’t help but smile at the desperate appearance of the skeleton trying to maintain his balance.
I couldn’t help it.
The joy that traveled up my spine filled my mind.
Ah. Yes. This is it. This is why I wield a shield.
“Is this the trial?♡ No way!♡ This must be a warm-up attack, right?♡ Isn’t it?♡”
But you know, there’s one thing I don’t like.
It’s that skeleton's attitude.
What is he doing moving so slowly when he’s throwing attacks that are barely visible? It bothers me.
While passing the trial, I intended to check my shield technique right now.
But to reduce power so much that anyone could tell? Are you joking with me?
“Eh♡ Was it really a trial?♡ Really?♡ An attack that would only be useful for pruning?♡”
I want a stronger, faster, and more intricate attack.
I want to feel the results of the effort I put in the past and the effort I’ve built up now.
“Hahaha! You, psychotic skeleton knight, do you have no plans to work as a gardener in our mansion?♡ I’ll make sure you learn from the basics!♡”
So come at me properly.
Don’t treat me like a kid.
“...The remaining four will be different.”
I smiled as I looked at the skeleton gripping his sword.
So, what’s next? How will you try to break my shield?
“Ready.”
I saw him step forward with his right foot.
He’s trying to charge at me with maximum power, isn’t he?
I could see the sword aimed behind his waist with both hands.
At first glance, it seemed like he was going to swing horizontally, but I know.
Only I know.
Having faced that damned skeleton countless times, I know too well.
That’s a fake.
The actual attack will be a thrust that slices the ground from below to the sky.
What’s the timing?
When the skeleton's jaw shakes.
So to put it simply.
Now.
Ting!
The sword, which was trying to soar from the ground to the sky, was blocked by my shield and slammed back down to the ground.
“Didn’t you say it would be different?♡ Ah!♡ You don’t have a brain, so you don’t know what different means, do you?♡ How nice and kind I am, I’ll explain it to you~♡”
It was faster than the first time, but still lacking.
Not threatening at all. You stupid skeleton.
You weren’t like this in the monitor! You were shining brighter!
“Different means not the same!♡ Like a pathetic skeleton with awful swordsmanship compared to a noble knight who was once a true hero!♡”
“...Are you saying I’m worse than that stupid old man Ruel?”
“Absolutely!♡ Do you stupid skeletons lack comprehension?♡ It’s not that you can’t do it; it’s that it’s different!♡ You were never a valid comparison!♡”
I could see the skeleton’s hand trembling.
Ah. Finally, I’ve properly made him angry.
Since grandpa was cursing, I thought their relationship wasn’t good, and I was right.
“Arrogant. Impudent.”
Now, come on. You pathetic skeleton.
“I’ll engrave a hero into that body.”
Use all your strength.
Try your best to take down this arrogant brat.
That way, it’ll be satisfying to smash you.