MV – Chapter 64: The Gauntlet of Spirit and the Minor Villain

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Lanpeach watched with a faint smile as the enormous Builbeat thrashed about, destroying the ruined buildings around it. The monstrous centipede, over 20 meters long, crushed the abandoned buildings into rubble and writhed, coiling around the surrounding buildings.

[Builbeat: Level 4]

[Boss Battle: Defeat the Builbeat]

“A monster that disguises itself as a building… This is the path to the Surface District, right? Don’t you think the Lanpeach difficulty is a bit high?” (Lanpeach)

[If we had left it alone, it would have eventually devoured the entire lower floors of the building, disguising itself completely as a single skyscraper. I think we’re lucky to be able to defeat it now.] (Libra)

The silver-haired twin-tailed girl giggled as she floated in the air, looking at Lanpeach, who had a resigned expression.

“…Ah, geez. I feel like there was a side quest where something like this happened. The more we left it alone, the more the centipedes multiplied. First, the slums would be destroyed, and then they would rush into the Surface District.” (Lanpeach)

He scratched his head and sighed. 

In that scenario, Lanpeach would undoubtedly be the one getting devoured while crying out for help. It was a fitting role for Lanpeach. So, it’s fortunate that it could be taken care of here.

“Thank you for saving me-usa, Boss.”

The rabbit, who had been saved at the last second, teared up with gratitude, its red eyes glistening.

“If I had taken a direct hit, I would have suffered 10 damage-usa.”

Wanting to believe it was a word of thanks, he flicked the rabbit off the building. The rabbit fell while screaming ‘Usaaaa!’ but safely landed thanks to the leg thrusters built into its spirit armor, waved its small hand, and waddled away.

“Gichi gichi gichi gichi!”

The Builbeat glared and trembled, enraged at having its prey stolen and being attacked by Lanpeach. The trembling was a sign of magic, and a buzzing sound, like the beating of bee wings, reverberated.

[Beat Body]

The debris touching the Builbeat crumbled into sand as it covered itself with a high-frequency vibration field. As the name suggests, it’s a defensive technique that inflicts vibration damage on enemies that come into contact with the body while letting out a beat.

“Ooh, it’s angry, it’s angry. That means I can’t use Air Throw anymore.” (Lanpeach)

Air Throw is a technique where you completely read your opponent’s movements, then deflect and use their force to throw them with precise timing. The same principle applies to the manually executed Strong Air Throw. It’s impossible to match the tiny tremors of an enemy like this.

“Well, it’s a kind of hidden technique, and it’s not particularly useful against monsters anyway.” (Lanpeach)

[As we discussed earlier, when there are people around, no using Telekinesis, okay? Lanpeach Kouza is a different person from the man in black who can use Telekinesis.] (Libra)

Libra pressed a finger to his forehead and poked him playfully, her cheeks puffed out in a cute pout.

“Yeah, yeah. But do we really need to go that far? I don’t think it’s a problem to just use it normally.” (Lanpeach)

[You said there might be other game players, right? In that case, you have to assume it’s switched from an offline to an online game. If player battles are possible, showing your hand is dangerous.] (Libra)

“Hmm… That’s true. There’s at least Guy and two other players, so I guess I’ll go with a playthrough with handicaps.” (Lanpeach)

[Exactly. Let’s go with the image that the man in black snaps his fingers and uses Telekinesis to defeat enemies like a mage!] (Libra)

Indeed, Libra’s point made sense. Moreover, if they are playing the game with a different system, the side that knows more about the other might end up being the deciding factor for victory.

Lanpeach was convinced that Libra had started giving serious support.

(Ufufu, the mysterious mage of the Underground District. So cool~! This is getting fun, this is getting fun. It benefits Soldier too, so no problem!) (Libra)

The little devil found amusement in imagining humans running around in confusion due to the chaos Lanpeach would create.

Lanpeach didn’t notice that there’s an enemy right next to him.

“Now then, let’s prepare to defeat the Builbeat.” (Lanpeach)

[Acquire Level 6 in Physical Combat.] (Lanpeach)

[Error. Disapproved. Your body and soul cannot withstand it. 3 skills must reach Level 5.]

“Oh, so this is the same as in the game.” (Lanpeach)

He was slightly surprised that he couldn’t level up, but it was within expectations. It worked the same way in Powder of Elements.

From Level 6 onwards, one surpasses the peak of humanity and gains inhuman strength. As a result, many of the skills gained were equally absurd in power. Therefore, the condition for leveling up to Level 6 was to raise 3 skills, excluding inherent ones, to Level 5. Currently, Physical Combat and Base Defense Knowledge are at Level 5. So, only one more skill needed to be raised to Level 5.

[Clearing the game 5 times wasn’t for nothing. Let’s make a suitable build.] (Lanpeach) 

[Acquire Supernatural Powers up to Level 5. The acquired specialties will be [Psychic Blade] and [Psychic Body].] (Lanpeach)

[Acquired.]

[Psychic Blade: Increases the attack power of the equipped weapon by 50%. Occasionally triggers instant death.]

[Psychic Body: Doubles all stats.]

[The restriction on reaching Level 6 has been lifted.]

Lanpeach, satisfied that everything was going as expected, continued acquiring skills. Now was the time to show off the skills of a hardcore gamer.

[Acquire Transcendental to Level 4.] (Lanpeach)

[Acquired.]

[Fused skill [Body Beyond Logic] obtained due to achieving Level 4 in both [Transcendental] and [Supernatural Powers].]

[Body Beyond Logic: Nullifies any attack not intended to harm oneself.]

Lanpeach smiled, finally obtaining the skill he desired. 

[Body Beyond Logic] was an absolute necessity for battles from Level 6 onwards. Whether you had it or not made a huge difference in combat.

While Lanpeach was acquiring skills, the Builbeat reared its head, with its enormous jaws wide open, capable of crushing a slender building in one bite, lunging at him.

Its red, magic-filled eyes glowed fiercely, and in the next instant, it pounced.

[It’s coming, Soldier!] (Libra)

“Yeah, let’s test it out.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach smirked confidently and stood his ground, fearless as the Builbeat came charging at him.

Finally, the moment to gain inhuman strength.

[Acquire Level 6 in Martial Arts.]

[Acquired. Please obtain a specialty.]

At that moment, the world changed. No, his perception changed.

It is not like something actually changed. But for some reason, the world now seemed more complex and beautiful, as if the resolution had increased, like switching from a CRT to a plasma TV.

The world became clearer, the enemy’s movements and trajectory more apparent, and he could see when it would bite. The world was under the control of Lanpeach’s flow of time.

He grinned fiercely, like a beast, raised his fist, and muttered.

[Acquire Size Difference Nullification.]

[Size Difference Nullification: Nullifies damage reduction due to size differences with the enemy.]

With this, the basic Physical Combat build has been completed. Lanpeach had transcended humanity. His existence was beyond that of a human being.

“Let me show you the power of Size Difference Nullification.” (Lanpeach)

[Psychic Body].

Lanpeach’s body faintly distorted as every cell was strengthened by psychic energy. Ordinary cells became semi-energy bodies, allowing him to withstand inhuman loads.

“Let’s start with a jab!” (Lanpeach)

He stepped sharply forward, dodged the Builbeat’s closing jaws, slipped into its blind spot like the wind, and unleashed a jab that made a snapping sound.

It was as foolish as punching the hull of a battleship. Normally, no matter how strong one was, they might make a dent at best, but the battleship itself wouldn’t budge. However, when Lanpeach’s left jab connected with the Builbeat’s head, the monstrous creature recoiled despite it being a small attack like a needle.

The shock ran through its body as if a human had taken a professional boxer’s jab, causing it to arch back and collapse into the ruined building behind it.

[Ooh~. This skill is amazing!] (Libra)

“The Builbeat must have felt as if it had been attacked by an enemy of its own size.” (Lanpeach)

The abandoned building collapsed, and Libra clapped her hands in amazement as the Builbeat writhed in the dust clouds. You normally would never see a Builbeat -a massive creature- react as if struck by a giant after all.

Lanpeach casually jumped off the building. He remained calm, as if stepping down a small ledge.

His hair fluttered in the wind, and though the ground quickly approached, he showed no signs of panic. 

He landed on his toes and touched down lightly without his body being crushed by the impact.

The effect of [Body Beyond Logic]. It nullified any damage not intended as an attack. In the game, it nullified fall damage and damage from crashing into obstacles—an effect beyond human comprehension.

From Level 6 onwards, you will often find yourself in high-speed combat involving falling off cliffs or being attacked mid-flight, with the risk of having magical effects dispelled and falling, making fall damage immunity skills incredibly valuable.

Now that the game follows real-world physics, this skill should also be effective during supersonic movement. Not being affected by external factors means that the environment isn’t impacted either. In other words, no sonic booms will be generated, and even if a small stone hits you, it won’t deal massive damage.

“Gyiii!”

The Builbeat swung its body with a roar of anger, smashing the surrounding ruins. It whipped its tail, hurling the debris like cannonballs.

“I’ll teach you the meaning of [Size Difference Nullification]!” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach raised his leg and kicked the approaching debris. Due to the Size Difference Nullification, the entire structure was impacted, defying physical laws, and the debris ricocheted back, striking the Builbeat’s head.

“Gi-Gi!?”

It seems like it possessed a bit of intelligence, the Builbeat recoiled in fear, its massive frame backing away from the tiny speck of an enemy in front of it. 

However, it opened its jaws wide as if shaking off its fear, and charged mana within.

[Guillotine Crack]

The jaws vibrated at an extreme frequency, and the Builbeat’s body began to glow red. It raised its head and launched another charge, tearing up the road with its intense, high-speed attack.

“In that case, it’s time to use this weapon. [Gauntlet of the Spirits]!” (Lanpeach)

An emerald light enveloped Lanpeach’s arm, revealing beautifully crafted gauntlets.

[Gauntlet of the Spirits: Grants attack power equal to physical strength and doubles that strength. This also applies to enhanced strength.]

“And now, let’s buff the gauntlets!” (Lanpeach)

[Psychic Blade]

Lanpeach’s fingers snapped into position, forming a hand blade. Space itself seemed to distort around the hand blade, transforming an ordinary hand strike into a slash with the sharpness of a legendary sword. 

The attack power of the Gauntlet of the Spirits now stood at 160. Combined with Lanpeach’s strength, his attack would deliver several tons of force.

He lowered his waist, assumed a stance like a beast about to pounce, and flashed a mischievous grin at the approaching Builbeat.

“It’s over.” (Lanpeach)

[Rush]

The move that would typically be a punch turned into a flurry of sword strikes, slashing into the Builbeat. 

The closing jaws were severed, the now open mouth sliced apart, and the attack left afterimages as Lanpeach’s fists became countless blades, cutting the metal-like Builbeat into pieces as if it were paper. 

The Builbeat, driven by its own momentum, was reduced to chunks of flesh, which tumbled past Lanpeach and splattered onto the ground.

[You have defeated the Builbeat. You have gained 20,000 experience points.]

“It seems my debut as inhuman was a success.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach chuckled, ending the battle, and…

<<Boss created an opening for us! Now’s our chance—Snow Rabbit Cannon, fire!>>

A white beam of light, strong enough to engulf a building, was unleashed, swallowing everything in its path…including him.

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