Vol. 1, Chapter 12: Still So Much to Learn

[Holy Weapon]: This is a support spell that adds the [Holy] attribute to the weapons of allies within range, increasing the damage dealt to enemies with [Demon] or [Corrupted] attribute.

[Holy Ward]: This is a support spell that creates a protective ward on allies within range, increasing their resistance to attacks with [Demon] or [Corrupted] attribute. Unlike regular wards, the [Holy Ward] also deals [Holy] damage on those with [Demon] or [Corrupted] attribute when attacked in melee range regardless if the caster has the skill [Intelligent Ward] or not.

Thinking about it now, I've been relying on these two spells in about every fight since I arrived into this world, haven't I? I never really thought about how to better use it, even though it's something I used so often. Just goes to show how unmotivated I am for this. Even this operation that I proposed, it was just so that I could get this job done sooner, because I thought it'd be a pain to let things drag on.

It may seem odd that I'd rather scale this mountain range than remain in the safety of the fortress just to get quicker results, but the way I see it is that the more I let this drag on, the more battles I'll have to fight, and the more I fight, the more likely it is that I'll die. The risks may not be as great individually, but as it piles up, I'm sure it'll amount to something considerably threatening. And so, with that line of thought, I felt that the mountains were a safer bet by default. I may have not been very motivated and I may not believe that this world would last very long, but I still want the option that has the highest chance of letting me live the longest, such is the wretchedness that is I.

However, that is behind me. Right now, I am in the present. Sure, it may not be in the best shape, and sure, I have thought that this world is hopeless, that I'm only here to delay its inevitable end ever so slightly, and that I'll probably die somewhere along the future with the only comfort for it all is that I get to enjoy a young body again, if only for a short amount of time. But, that's not living, is it? That's just waiting to die. I think it was a teacher who told me this: "A person needs a goal to truly live," she said. I've forgotten it for a long, long time. I wonder why I suddenly remember it now. Perhaps I've been keeping it around, for when I get the chance to affirm the validity of those words.

I'm not waiting to die anymore. I'm going to live. I'll embrace this second chance to its fullest. Futile an attempt as it may be, I'm going to save this world, I'll aim for this goal. This time, I'm going to truly live this life.

Having been struck by my grimoire and burned by the sacred flames, the Champion was able to remain on his feet. I'm not surprised, one does not so easily knock down a Champion. Though I am still a little disappointed, I did put my back into it after all.

From behind him, I see Merida and Timothy approaching. Of course, I do not doubt that the Champion can hear them coming as well. Even so, he does not turn to face them, he knows just as well as I do that his only chance of winning, is beating me right here, right now.

Having tossed one of his dual blades, only a single shortsword remains on him, and with that single sword, he charges at me, and at the same time, knowing that he would come for me, I swing my book down once more at the enemy Champion.

I was confident, assured that I had been at least a second faster that he was, and that my blow would reach him first. Yet, I ended up missing, The Champion ducked low and went prone to avoid my strike, and before I could react, he tackled me to the ground.

My back slams into the snow and to my dread, mounted atop of me is the dark armored figure of the [Demon] Champion, staring down at me with fierce rage in his eyes. Yes, now that we're so close to each other I can clearly see his eyes through the slit of his helmet, and to my surprise, they are blue, like a clear sky. His gaze gives off an impression of someone with great intellect, and for a moment, the fact that the one atop of me is a [Demon] most savage slip my mind, a moment that I am quick to return from when the Champion thrusts down at me with the shortsword in hand.

With my bare hand, I caught the blade, it pierced right through my palm but I technically caught it. I could have used the grimoire, and in fact, I initially wanted to use it, but I don't know what would happen to my [contracts] if the blade pierced through the book, which was why, at the last possible second, I used my hand instead.

It doesn't hurt!

It doesn't hurt!

It doesn't fucking hurt!

I have to stop thinking about the pain damn it! I'm supposed to be good at that, right? I have to ignore the pain and power through.

With on hand supporting the other, I hold back the blade from my throat, and though the strength of this Champion is greater than mine, I know that I need only to hold it out long enough for Merida and Timothy to come to my rescue. They weren't that far away and should be here any moment now. The Champion is well aware of that as well, and so even as he desperately pushes the blade down, the bastard even goes so far as to twist it around, wedging open my wound and further amplifying my pain. Oh god, I can even feel the steel scraping against the bones in my hand.

Even so, I have to hold, I have no intention of dying here and help should just be an arm's length away. Come on! Somebody get this guy off of me! However, against all hope, a [Demon] appeared right out of nowhere squarely in-between the Champion and Merida along with Timothy, intercepting them and stopping them from reaching me.

Where the hell did this [Demon] come from? Did it take out the rest already? With such questions in mind, I check the Hp bar of the soldier, and with a quick glance it appears that they are fine. Then how, how did this [Demon] break through? Those soldiers sent with me, they may not have very high Levels, but they were skilled and worked very well together, I'd say that their team work rivals even the best of parties found in Elysium Online and there were three of them while the [Demons] were two. Unless they were taken out, I can't imagine this [Demon] being able to break through.

Then, I come to notice it, even as the Champion pushes the blade towards my neck, with my back against the ground, I see it with my own eyes. The sky, it's clear now, and this [Demon] that came to the Champion's rescue, this bastard has wings. He flew! When the snow storm calmed down, the bastard flew over the soldiers and got over here with ease.

With the [Demon] holding back Merida and Timothy, I can no longer hope for them to come to my rescue. What now? What can I do to save myself? I could use [Bind Circle], but that will only hold the Champion for but a moment. Will that be enough?

"[Feather Weight]!"

While wondering what am I to do as the tip of the blades draws ever closer, feeling the cold steel touching my throat even, an ember glow surrounds the Champion's body. All of a sudden, his push against me becomes all too light, and I am able to hold him back with ease. I can't believe it, the spell that I had thought was useless in the game may very well turn out to be one of the most powerful abilities in this world, this world where weight accounts for more than just one's movement speed. This is freaking brilliant!

With a kick, I easily send the neigh weightless Champion into the air, almost letting out a laugh as I watch him floating helplessly in midair, his arms flailing, trying to reach for the ground to pull himself back only to fall short.

From the corner of my eyes, I see a blur of gold charging in. Even though I told her to keep her distance and away from enemy focus, she still does whatever she pleases, that's a classically willful princess for you alright. However, this time at least, I'm more than glad to see her here. Though, if I think about it, was there really a time when I'm not glad when she's around? Apart from that one time she snuck up this mountain disguise as a solider that is. Can't say I can think of any. Besides, now isn't the time for thinking back, now is the time to think about what comes next.

With a tackle, the princess sends the Champion floating off into the distance, close to the edge of the ridge in fact. She must be hoping to send him off the mountain with that one push. This princess is more dangerous than I thought! Unfortunately, while he's neigh weightless, he isn't completely without weight, and the Champion got close enough to the ground to thrust his hands into the snow, stopping himself from just floating off the edge of the mountain. Of course, I have no intention of just letting it end here. I'm taking this Champion out, right here, and right now.

Recklessly, I pull the Champion's shortsword out of my hand, feeling something being cut as I do so. However, at the moment, I really can't care less. Right now, my mind is focusing on one thing and one thing only, to win this fight. Tossing the blade aside, I start running, rushing towards the Champion who had just barely managed to stop himself from floating off the edge. The Champion sees me coming and raises his arms to receive me, but I know that's a feint, that he'll try to dodge at the last second, he knows that his current light-weighted self can be all too easily be driven off the edge. Which is why, despite my apparent recklessness, I remember to cast my spell.

"[Bind Circle]!"

The instant I cast the spell, I see it in his eyes, the frustration of his final gambit being foiled, the agitation of being checkmated.

"Be gone!"

I leap into the air and send my entire body towards him legs first, dropkicking and sending the Champion flying, all the way over the edge. The moment he crosses that very edge, I see a white aura surrounding him and remember a similar visual effect from Elysium Online, the visual effect of the Cleric spell [Dispel], a spell that removes all magic effects on a single target. Having [Dispel] casted on him, the Champion starts plummeting even while the momentum from he was neigh weightless carries him further and further from the edge. There won't be any surprisingly sturdy branch or a surprise cliff-hang to save him at this rate.

Speaking of cliff-hanging, that is exactly what I ended up doing after dropkicking the Champion. The bastard had far less resistance than I had anticipated in his light-weighted state, and I ended up almost sending myself off the cliff as well. Now I cling to the ledge with my arms buried in the snow to keep myself from slipping. I'm not too worried, as the princess is on her way to save me, though I am a little concerned as with my [Insight] skill, I realized that the durability of the piece of the ledge I'm hanging onto is rather low when compared to other areas of this snow filled mountain, and I suspect this to be a snow pack, a cluster of snow that have accumulated over time, forming this fragile ledge.

"Princess, please be careful, this ledge is rather fragile."

"I- is that so. What should I do?"

"Crawl on all fours, that should distribute you weight better. Or even better why not use the spell you used just now, [Feather Weight], that should make things much safer."

"Very well, hang on tight, Sir Aurelius."

Casting the spell on both herself and me, the princess pulled me up from the ledge and we immediately moved away after into safer grounds.

But to think that the spell could be so useful... the princess practically disabled the Champion with it. Could it be? That the princess is the true Champion of the Beastkins?

"Sir Aurelius......"

"Yes?"

Turning towards her, I am surprise to fine the princess collapsing into the ground. Quickly, I grab hold of her before she hit the snow, and with her in my arms, I can feel her warmth, no, her heat. Is she having a fever?

"Princess, are you alright?"

"I- I'm fine. That spell just took a little too much out of me, that's all."

That spell? [Feather Weight]? But that's a dirt cheap to cast spell isn't it? No wait, that was just in the game. While back in the game, it may be a hardly useful spell, here, it's a spell that practically defies the laws of gravity. Wouldn't such a spell be costly? To nearly negate to weigh of the Champion and his full set of armor, it must have cost a great deal of energy to do, and she even casted the spell two more times to save me. It seems like I still have much to learn. Once I get back, if I get back, I'll have to start figuring out how things work here, and how the system that came with me interacts with this world.

I hold the princess close to me, keeping her warm as I carry her back to the rest. From what I can tell, it seems like the remaining [Demons] have been taken care of while we were dealing with the Champion.

And with that, the battle atop the snowy mountains came to a close.

***

End of Chapter 12