kscans

Chapter 144 - Gilding, Jester, Crown

The time it took for us to swallow our embarrassment must have been quite long.

Eventually, we exchanged glances, and the conclusion Sora and I reached was one and the same.

In short: "Let's just forget about it for now."

Abandoning deep thought, we feigned composure with exaggerated artificiality and sealed away the memories of the last few minutes. Then, as if to escape reality, we turned our attention to our long-neglected title settings...

""Seriously...""

Though we were looking at our own respective windows, we both let out the same dry voices, staring at the same thing—the description for a completely incomprehensible special title called 'Twin Wings.'

I mean, what is this? A title? What even is a title again...?

"It's like... what is this? Some kind of ultimate attack...?"

"A... title...?"

As I muttered in disbelief, Sora, with a dozen question marks floating over her head, echoed my confusion.

"A special title, huh... From your reaction, I guess you didn't know about this either?"

"I didn't... no... I mean, I'm not really familiar with the finer details of the system, like titles, to begin with..."

Sora's knowledge mostly comes from videos and such, so it's broad but shallow. When it comes to detailed player builds, there's a mountain of information you wouldn't get just by scratching the surface.

—Even so. This ridiculous effect is always active without needing to be set?

..................Seriously???

"Somehow, everything written here looks wrong..."

"Don't worry, it all looks wrong to my eyes, too."

Teleportation, revival, invincibility... There are way too many words that shouldn't be casually written in a skill's effect description.

What's also strange is that, for some reason, Arcadia's trademark 'brain installation' of information isn't working for this. I've had this broken unique title installed on my avatar for who knows how long, but I seriously never noticed until now?

"...And then there's this."

Yes, that's right. There's another special title (unique title).

I'll never forget it. That moment when I earned the rank of Ninth.

Looking back, amidst the various announcements, I remember a message that I had acquired a special title.

Unnoticed, a 'Special Title' tab had appeared next to the regular title tab, and listed there was a second title. Its name was none other than—

Special Title: 'Acrobat' — During combat, the cooldown time of all skills is reduced according to the total amount of self-inflicted damage. When the total self-inflicted damage in a battle reaches 90% of max HP, the user gains the enhancement effect 《Crown Crown》.

・《Crown Crown》—During combat, nullifies HP reduction from self-inflicted damage.

The accumulated self-inflicted damage and the enhancement effect are lost when an HP recovery effect is triggered.

"...For starters, can't something be done about 'Acrobat'...?'"

That subtly uncool feeling, as if it's telling me, "It suits you," is just growing more and more irritating over time.

But more importantly, the effect.

...What is this broken nonsense?

"Sora-san, Sora-san."

"Yes?"

I materialized the window and showed the incredibly insane effect description to Sora, who had turned to face me.

And the girl—

"..................Wow."

—gave a textbook 'recoiling in disgust' reaction and, for some reason, shot me a deadpan stare.

"That's what you get for hurting yourself over and over again without any hesitation, you know?"

"Seriously...? But the skill..."

My skill,《Ignition》, demands a price...

The name is lame, the effect is insane in multiple ways, and now Sora's glaring at me... This is just the worst.

—But I won't be discouraged.

Hey, you, random monster passing by. I see you.

Mind helping me out for a second?

"Here, have a [Bullet]."

Still sitting on the rock, I casually tossed a [Parabellum Bullet] into the muddy swamp—and in the next moment,

"Hyaah—!?"

SPLASH! With a spray of heavy mud, a creature about four meters long... a creature that's... what is that?

A crocodile with the head of an anglerfish? ...Wait, is it a crocodile? Do crocodiles have six legs?

My sudden action and the flashy appearance of the creature—a [Dropple Elgator]—must have seriously surprised her.

Sora shrieked and grabbed my sleeve. "It's okay, it's okay, nothin' to be scared of," I soothed, standing up and summoning the black blade of [Panga Fool] into my left hand.

"W-Wha!? What, wha—!?"

"Ah, it's fine, it's fine. It's just a weak mob, no need to be on guard."

Categorically speaking, it's like a relative of the [Wall Lizard] we encountered in the tutorial map.

If you imagine a version that's about thirty times stronger than that, you'd be pretty much spot on.

Well, you know—we're also more than thirty times stronger than we were back then, right?

"Time for a test run. Let's make this quick."

First, that fulfills the "in combat" condition.

Next up, one, two, three, four—a total of nine times. To an unknowing observer, it would look like sheer madness, but I spammed the self-damage trigger, gouging out my own HP...

"...Huh, did anything change?"

No special animations or effects?

"Haru!? It's coming!!"

Ah, okay, okay. Here we gooo—!!

"Hup!!"

Furious at having a dagger thrown at it for simply passing by, the giant creature charged, its bloodshot eyes glowing.

The Elgator lumbered forward and leaped straight at me. I used 《Blink Switch》 and mercilessly batted it away with a one-handed [An=Re Galta].

It didn't seem to have a cry, letting out only a pathetic, choked sound as the air was forced out of it. The crocodile-anglerfish went flying.

I paid it no mind and focused again on my avatar's status.

Sora watched the whole spectacle with an unreadable expression.

...Hey, I had no choice.

When I was hunting the [Misty Snake] solo, I didn't know how to find them at first. Eventually, I got tired of it and just started walking around, throwing weapons at any place where I felt some kind of presence.

And boy, did I reel these guys in... The first time, I was intimidated by their insane toughness, but after fighting them over and over again, you get used to it.

This swamp is apparently their home, not the [Misty Snake]'s.

They both hide—one by turning invisible, the other by burrowing in the mud—so maybe they get along? I don't know the details, but I heard the snakes coexist here, mixed in with the Elgators.

—Anyway, that's not important. In the end, this title's enhancement effect is...

"Um, Haru...?"

"Yeah?"

I was called out as I watched the pathetic crocodile fly nearly ten meters and roll through the swamp. I turned around—huh, Sora's gaze is on top of my head.

"The effect for the title, right? I think... that might be it."

She said it, pointing to the space above the left side of her own head.

Even if she says that, I have no way of seeing my own head. As I was wondering what to do, she pulled a hand mirror from her inventory—how very ladylike.

Sora's bag is my bag, too, but I had no idea that was in there... huh............

"..., ..."

Speechless, I stared at the hand mirror Sora held up for me. In it was the reflection of a plain-faced guy.

And above his head—a translucent, crown-shaped effect, looking as if it had been split in two, was floating at a jaunty angle............

"...Hhhhhhhhhhhhh—"

—THIS IS SO LAME!!!!!!!