107 – 47. Unexpected Situation (2)
‘What’s going on? Am I falling right now?’
Even during the rapid descent, Ariel couldn’t gather her wits.
The shock was so immense that coherent thoughts failed to emerge.
It wasn’t the fear of falling. If that were the case, how could she devise a plan to assault the enemy right in the middle of a vertical descent from a cliff, where it was initially terrifying?
There was a separate reason for her dazed state.
‘Why did my brother kick and push me… What on earth?’
The revelation that Ian, whom she believed would descend together, had pushed her off the cliff.
It was a considerable shock for Ariel.
What made it more unjust was that, due to the excellent performance of the armor, she hadn’t even realized he kicked her until right before the fall.
‘Surely he wasn’t trying to drop me in the midst of the enemy to kill me? That can’t be.’
Falling gracefully, she entertained various thoughts.
At first, it was bewilderment, but gradually, the emotion transformed into suspicion.
The idea that he might be trying to drop her off the cliff to kill her because he was fed up with her, who persistently begged for his protection, emerged in her mind as if from a corner of her heart.
Of course, she knew Ian, whom she had seen so far, wasn’t that kind of person. But the situation seemed a bit different.
‘Dropping oneself among so many enemies alone…’
Thrown off balance by the wind from the kick, Ariel floundered in mid-air.
She barely regained her center, but she would soon have to engage in combat with enemies as soon as she reached the ground.
Understanding the potential damage of unprepared fighting, it wasn’t easy to comprehend Ian’s actions.
It could be so severe that she might be convinced he had betrayed her and might even consider him an enemy.
“It can’t be… There’s no way he would do that.”
Ariel thought the same.
She couldn’t forget the face that calmly watched her fall.
Is this really betrayal? Is Ian trying to kill me?
That was the moment when she tightly gripped her sword, thinking that way.
“Just a moment… It definitely happened. This time, it’s like testing my judgment.”
The moment she recalled Ian’s words when he conveyed his plan to wipe out the demons.
It was a passing remark, but Ian undoubtedly said he would evaluate himself.
“When he pushed me off the cliff, I wondered what he was doing. Maybe this is also part of the test?”
Ordinary people might get annoyed and ask what he’s trying to test by suddenly pushing them, but
At least Ariel understood the current situation to some extent.
The sudden situation of falling into enemy territory. Haven’t we seen this often?
“When I was active as a hero, I often got into situations like this because I rushed into enemy lines.”
If she saw the demons, she had to cut them down herself. She didn’t even consider listening to her teammates’ words and would often jump out and create these situations.
Of course, at that time, she thought of it as quickly dealing with them and giving her teammates some rest, considering that the Holy Sword was the strongest weapon against demons.
She realized through her conversation with Hexar.
Her actions were actually putting her teammates in danger.
“They said the other party members had a hard time filling my empty spot because I rushed in without considering the situation.”
The role of a warrior is to protect the dealers in the party and prevent the enemies from entering.
Of course, Hexar was the one who mainly performed that task. Even if Gragad, who was a warrior known throughout the empire, was there, it would be difficult to stop all enemies.
Due to her role as a warrior, the members of the party often regarded her as a sub-tanker.
But what would happen if the sub-tanker, who was supposed to help Hexar and defend against the enemy, charged into the midst of the enemy alone?
“Not only did I fail to relieve Hexar of her burden, but I added to it. I even put Glenidia, who was in the rear because of me, at risk.”
Filling the gap with just one person was not an easy task for a small party.
It was already difficult for each member to carry their own weight, let alone having to shoulder Ariel’s share as well.
Of course, the one who bore the most burden was my older brother, Ian.
“He would roam around, covering both the rear and the front, and if I were ever in danger, he would come running to save me in an instant.”
At the time, Ariel didn’t understand how much of a help that was.
Seeing the party members who couldn’t always keep up with her, she used to have some regrets, but that was all.
But now things were different. In the conversation with her former comrades, Ariel realized her own mistakes and resolved to change.
That was the reason.
“Maybe even pushing me off the cliff… It’s not because he disliked me. Maybe he wanted to put me in a situation similar to back then. The evaluation is probably to see how I will handle it.”
The reason Ariel thought that even being pushed off by Ian was part of the test was because it created a situation that was unexpected and confusing.
“Yeah, this is a test. It’s an evaluation to see if I can be active in the warrior party again.”
After finishing her thoughts, Ariel opened her eyes again and looked down.
She had come so close to the ground. The demons who realized that the enemies were coming down from above were pulling back their bows and raising their magic.
“Then, I have to show it here. I have the qualifications too.”
Was it because she reflected on her selfish actions in the past?
She could now feel the movements of the enemies that she wouldn’t have noticed before.
Knowing who to stop. Figuring out whose demise would secure the safety of allies trailing behind.
‘Although I realized it too late….’
The moment she recalled that fact. Only then could Ariel change.
Kwang!
As the descent began, a roar echoed, and the ground began to tremble around Ariel.
“Keuk!”
“Buooo….”
The demons, taken aback by the sudden appearance, showed signs of confusion.
Some took hesitant steps back as they beheld the radiant splendor of the Elysion.
“In the past, I might have recklessly charged in times like these. Not anymore.”
A shameful past where she prioritized those visibly present over the confusion of enemies…. Ariel wanted to forget it and never bring it to mind again.
Accepting it as part of herself and showcasing the transformation, Ariel decided to grow even further.
From Noble mtl dot com
“If you seek proof…. I’ll provide it.”
Kiing!
Sticky mana emitted from her body, enveloping the Elysion.
Chwaaack!
Eventually, as Ariel swung her sword, the enemies vanished into the light.
***
Kwaang! Chwajak!
“Kraaa!”
“Where are you going! Trying to escape!”
Shwaaack!
“Ke, Keuk…”
As soon as she landed on the ground, Ariel relentlessly swung her sword without a moment’s rest.
The already powerful onslaught of Elysion became even more formidable as Ariel’s mana was added, resembling a tactical weapon.
Ariel even meticulously controlled the recoil coming from that power.
It was evident that she had extensively studied the sword, unlike her previous inexperienced self.
But that alone wasn’t surprising.
“Fighting much better than I thought? It’s been at least 30 minutes, and there hasn’t been a single dangerous moment…”
In contrast to the past, where she was like a tadpole, her tail naturally rose at the growth of her tank-like brother.
It was also thanks to the items carefully chosen to enhance survival and durability.
Even if the items were good, it was practically useless if one acted without thinking and died before maximizing efficiency.
With such thoughts in mind, Ariel had certainly changed.
“Unlike before when I fought with an empty mind, now it seems like I’ve learned to make appropriate judgments according to the given situation.”
Where did the previous appearance of ignoring the enemies in the rear while dealing with monsters in front go?
The current Ariel prioritized solving threats to her comrades without overlooking elements that could be a danger.
Even when facing a monster on the verge of death right in front of her.
If Glenidia’s words were true, then she had definitely changed. Just by looking at that, it could be said that she was fulfilling the role of supporting her party members as a warrior.
Although she might still lack in leading her party members at the center, her dedication to throwing herself without hesitation for the sake of her comrades was clearly evident.
Ian looked down, filled with emotion. At the same time, a question arose in his mind.
“I never knew he could step up like that all of a sudden… It can’t be just a temporary improvement… Did he simply grow?”
What on earth could be the reason for Arielle’s sudden change?
If there had been an opportunity for growth, he could understand. But Ian couldn’t comprehend why Arielle had grown so much in a situation where most people would have missed out.
“Even if there were hidden quests or events that I couldn’t see, there couldn’t have been that many, right? And they were all completed without even having a chance to use them.”
If only he had caught demons and received rewards, it would have been understandable. But even that would have been monopolized by himself, so it was inevitable that Arielle’s growth would be slow.
“But looking at the mana that he poured into Elysion now, it seems like he has reached the advanced level of an expert… What on earth could be the reason for him to be able to do that? Is it because he receives an experience bonus as the protagonist?”
One could argue that it doesn’t make sense, but at the moment, Ian really thought that way.
And he had a similar experience as well.
“When I used to play games, there was a frustrating character who I thoroughly destroyed any chance of growth… But when I became the chapter where I met that guy, he was already at a similar level.”
Heroic Academia, which Ian played, was a game with high freedom but low difficulty.
What do I mean by that? It means that you can hinder the growth of enemies you will meet later, but when you push the story and meet that guy, he automatically has a level similar to the player.
“I was even angry because of my foolishness… Anyway, the secret DLC protagonist of the Ian I played is Ian… and if there’s a rival character that can compete with him, it’s Arielle.”
No matter how much Ian tried to hinder his younger brother’s growth, Arielle would inevitably grow to an equal level according to the flow of the world.
“It’s not even a training camp meta… Although it’s a bit strange to receive experience points like this in the late stages…”
If it’s not that, there’s no way to explain Arielle’s rapid growth.
Of course, Ian’s speculation might not be true and he might have completely missed the mark.
But… what does it matter?
Whether it was a misconception or a complete misinterpretation, there was no problem for him.
“Well, for me, there’s nothing better than Arielle’s growth.”
The important thing was whether Ariel had grown enough to keep up with her own level.
If that was resolved, then everything would be fine.
“Equipment testing is sufficient at this level…. Now, I should go down too.”
If he had seen this much, further testing would be meaningless.
Ian, who clapped briefly, started to fall off the cliff immediately.