Chapter 61

□【Holy Knight】Ray Stirling

"Is it to become stronger? I see."

Marie listened to my story and nodded, saying, "I see."

By the way, the place was Marie's open terrace, and Nemesis was challenging a mountain of sandwiches for breakfast.

Oh, this means the money earned from the morning hunt will be gone.

"Yes! I want advice to take revenge on that <Super-Class Killer> someday!"

"......I see."

Marie covered her face with her hand for some reason.

"Marie has been in <Infinite Dendrogram> longer than me, so I thought you would know a lot."

"I know a lot of things. I've been playing Dendrogram for a year in real life without working. I'm a shut-in."

...Is that okay?

"Now, how to become strong enough to beat the <Super-Class Killer>, right? Hmm..."

Marie put her hand to her mouth and thought for a moment,

"Ray, what do you think your weaknesses are?"

"Weaknesses?"

Weaknesses, huh.

I still have a lot of holes to fill since I'm still weak... but if I have to name one.

"My range is short, and if Nemesis' skills fail, it's bad, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. Can you explain why?"

"Ah."

First, my range is short.

My trump card, <Revenge>, only reaches the range of a greatsword, and even <Inferno Flame> doesn't have much range.

If someone shoots at me from hundreds of meters away with a gun or magic, it's hard to resist. I also don't have many stocks of <Counter Absorption> for defense.

The strong enemies I've defeated so far, [Demidragworm], [Galdoranda], and [Gouzmaze], had a matching combat range.

On the other hand, I couldn't even scratch the <Super-Class Killer> who shoots bullets from a distance.

This is clearly my weakness.

Next, the possibility of my skills failing.

For example, if I get hit by a very weak attack that <Counter Absorption> can't handle, it will be a wasted shot.

Or, as I was concerned in the [Gouzmaze] battle, if the damage conduction of <Revenge is Mine> is stopped by self-cutting or something.

If that happens, Nemesis' unique skills can be easily nullified.

It might not be a problem if it's the first time, though.

"Yes, that's correct. But there's one more thing missing."

"What's missing?"

"A lack of speed or toughness."

A lack of speed or toughness?

"Now, Ray, you want to become stronger, right? First, let me teach you the game system's way to become stronger."

"Hmm, ah."

"Yes. So, the way to become stronger in the system is to raise AGI or END. That's it."

...That's it?

"No, wait. There's no way that's all there is."

"Ahaha. Yes, of course. There are many things like job and skill composition and composite tactics with <Embryo>. But to become stronger in the system, you need to clear one of these two points."

"Clear one of them?"

I feel a catch in the way she said it.

"Ray, have you ever noticed that things seem to move slower during combat?"

"...Yes."

Especially when I enter the enhanced state with <Reversal>, the world seems to move slowly, making it much easier to dodge attacks.

"That's because there's a big difference in AGI values between daily life and combat."

"Big difference?"

"Yes. When you're not in a job... your stats, except for HP, MP, and SP, are usually around 10 to 20, right?"

"Ah, that's about right."

"That's the normal human stat in the real world. When you level up a job, your stats can go up to 100 or 200... and for advanced jobs, specialized stats can reach 1000. For HP, MP, and SP, it can go up to 10,000."

"Right."

In my case, my HP will easily exceed 10,000 by the time I finish leveling up [Holy Knight].

[Holy Knight] isn't specialized in HP alone, and from Lilianna's stats, a normal [Holy Knight] probably doesn't reach that high... but in my case, I have Nemesis' correction.

Other <Masters> with <Embryo> corrections probably exceed that easily as well.

"So, with those numbers, the perceived time in combat is different for someone with AGI 10 compared to someone with AGI 100."

"...?"

"Yes. When you're not in combat, you have the normal human AGI, but as soon as you enter combat or try to do it consciously, your stats switch. Why don't you try it?"

"......"

My AGI is around 100, including the increase from [Purple Vengeful Armor].

I tried switching my stats as Marie suggested.

Looking at the road, I could see that people walking on the street seemed to move a bit slower.

I hadn't tried it outside of combat before, but that's how it was.

"The perceived time isn't exactly proportional to AGI, but the system, including Tians and monsters, is designed that way. It's probably because if you were always faster, it would interfere with daily life."

"...The difference in perceived time in combat due to AGI, huh."

I'm starting to understand what Marie meant by "clearing" earlier.

If someone has an AGI of 1000, which is ten times mine... the advantage is completely different.

"It's fine if you're a backliner, but if you're a frontliner, you need AGI to move as fast as your opponent or END to withstand multiple hits. Of course, in the latter case, you also need a way to land counterattacks."

I'm a [Holy Knight], and my stats lean more towards END.

But I probably haven't reached the level to compete with higher-level opponents yet.

After all, this is my first job, [Holy Knight], and I'm missing the stat increases from lower-level jobs.

I see, this is tough.

"By the way, riding a fast vehicle doesn't change your perceived time."

"I know."

When I ride Silver, the movement speed increases, but I don't feel that my perceived time has sped up that much.

"But with such a big difference, it's surprising you've come this far..."

...Ah, I just realized.

The enemies I've defeated so far didn't have very high AGI.

[Demidragworm], [Galdoranda], [Great Necromancer], [Gouzmaze]... they were all more durable.

"Even though there are six lower-level jobs and two advanced jobs, the difference in combat power depends on how much you've leveled them up."

"I'm still far from being strong with just my first job and a mediocre level."

"Yes. Oh, by the way, the AGI of AGI-type super-class jobs reaches five digits."

"Five digits!?"

The inflation is crazy for super-class jobs.

"They can move at supersonic speed, deflect or grab incoming bullets. And, according to rumors, the <Super-Class Killer> is also an AGI-type super-class job, so you need to raise AGI or END to compete."

The <Super-Class Killer> is also an AGI-type... I need to raise AGI or END to compete with him.

Hmm? Speaking of getting stronger...

"By the way, is it bad to specialize in STR?"

I think increasing attack power is the simplest way to become strong.

"You'll die."

Die!?

"If you specialize in STR, your AGI and END will be lacking. No matter how powerful you are, if you can't avoid attacks and aren't tough, you'll be taken down quickly."

"Is that how it works?"

"Yes. There are people like the [Beast King], who has all stats ridiculously high and is known as the 'Physical Strongest.' But just having high STR makes you a sitting duck."

I see...

And, the [Beast King] is one of the <Super-Class> of the Imperial Kingdom, right?

He has the title 'Physical Strongest.'

"Now, this is the foundation for becoming stronger and fighting. From here on, it's about player skills."

After saying that, Marie took a sip of tea to wet her throat and took a breath.

"Phew, there are many types of player skills. For example, if you can do martial arts in real life, you can use them here, or if you're good at drawing in real life, you can draw well here without taking a skill."

"Real-life martial arts..."

I think of my brother.

My brother, who once won in Anclara.

But here, he carries a gatling gun and rides a tank.

...Can he do martial arts in that costume?

It seems hard to move... rather, wouldn't he be taken down by a martial artist?

"Real-life skills vary greatly from person to person, so let's put that aside. There are three important concepts in combat, especially in player vs. player battles."

"Concepts?"

"Knowing the situation where the opponent can exert the most power. Knowing the situation where you can't exert power. And reading the opponent's ultimate move. These are the three points."

"......"

The first one makes sense. Don't fight on the opponent's terms.

I remember the first battle with [Demidragworm].

I won that time, but if he had dragged me underground like he did with my brother, would I have been able to win even with Nemesis in the dark, in his survival zone?

The second one also makes sense.

The situation where I was killed by the <Super-Class Killer>.

I was hit by countless bullets from a distance where I couldn't dodge or counter.

That was a death trap for me, who only had close-range attacks and single-target defense.

I can move more now and have a longer range, but I still can't say I'm prepared for long-range battles.

I don't understand the third one.

"Ultimate move?"

"Combat types have one when they reach a certain level of strength. Whether it's a <Master>, a Tian, or a boss monster like a <UBM>... it's a trump card that can kill the opponent if it hits."

A trump card.

I think of my and Nemesis' <Revenge is Mine>.

[Great Necromancer]'s original <Inferno Flame>.

[Great Necromancer] and [Gouzmaze]'s <Deadly Mixer>.

"A powerful skill, right?"

"It could be a skill, a weapon, or a strategy. The stronger ones have multiple ultimate moves. <Embryos> also have a specific 'Ultimate Skill.'"

"Ultimate Skill?"

"Hmm."

Nemesis, who had been eating sandwiches, joined the conversation with shining eyes, apparently interested in the Ultimate Skill.

"The Ultimate Skill is the <Embryo>'s strongest and most powerful skill, named after the <Embryo> itself. It always reveals the <Embryo>'s characteristics in a powerful effect."

The <Embryo>'s strongest skill, named after the <Embryo> itself...

"The video I showed you before... in the battle between Figaro and the PK clan <Fierce Castle>'s owner, the skill the owner used at the end was an Ultimate Skill."

Ah, I remember.

It was the rush after Figaro's movement was momentarily stopped.

Figaro dodged it, but a huge crater was left on the ground.

"Hmm, an Ultimate Skill. So, if it's me, it would be <Nemesis>, right?"

"Yes, that's the name it would take."

Nemesis as a skill name doesn't sound strange.

"But, there might be cases where the <Embryo>'s name doesn't fit as a skill name."

For example, <Momotarou>.

"Well, that's true. Among the <Super-Class> of Granborea, one of the <Seven Great Embryos of Granborea> is named Abrasax."

"Abrasax..."

I can only think of Shigeru Mizuki's illustration.

It doesn't seem very powerful at all.

"Oh, don't let the name fool you. Abrasax is one of the top ten most dangerous <Embryos> I know."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It can turn any liquid it touches into an explosive. It can turn seawater or bodily fluids into high-performance explosives, more powerful than nitroglycerin. It once turned all the seawater within a 500-meter radius into explosives and obliterated a group of monsters."

What is that, scary.

"And this is a story from a conflict with a pirate clan. After fighting one of the pirates and letting them escape, it used the pirate, whose bodily fluids were turned into explosives, to blow up the clan's hideout."

That's gruesome.

"Thus, it earned the nickname 'Human Bomb'..."

That could be traumatic.

...I might not be able to look at oil paintings straight anymore.

"Well, the name and strength don't necessarily correlate."