A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 199

[Rene]

[Hello]

[New Dimension | 8,972 viewers | 01:59:11]

In front of me stood Ereshkigal, the monster who calls Tagirion ‘father.’

No matter how I think about it, her patterns seemed far too bizarre.

Could those patterns be perfectly countered, even if I used light gear instead of full body armor and a warhammer?

At first, I believed it was possible, but after three attempts, I had no choice but to change my mind.

When I got close, I ultimately got swept away by the magic circle patterns and the storm of whips created by Ereshkigal. And trying to control her from afar was futile because her whip boasted a range far greater than most weapons.

Of course, there are attacks like bows or magic, but considering the room’s size, they didn’t seem more efficient than her whip.

I even found out during the third attempt that Ereshkigal’s attacks rapidly reduced my equipment’s durability.

In other words, regardless of how I held out, it was faster for my equipment’s durability to hit zero than for Ereshkigal’s HP to reach zero.

In other words, this was a monster I couldn’t take down under the current circumstances.

And since it was proven that it wasn’t a defeat event, it meant I had to find another way to defeat Ereshkigal.

Since the announcement of the World Quest Tagirion, many players speculated, “Will Tagirion’s gear be needed?”

Naturally, most expected it would be used to face the final boss, Tabung.

“Oh ho ho ho! Are you the strong one recognized by father? I, Ereshkigal, will take you down and receive endless praise from him!”

But if my thinking was correct, it was clear that equipping Tagirion gear was the right answer.

“…But wait a minute. That energy… father? Why do you have father’s energy?!”

“Your prediction was spot on…”

─This is equipment made by killing your dad.

─??? : Ah… your father? ‘This’?

─Kisamaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!

─Ereshkigal, the fire goddess in the making ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

Ereshkigal’s face showed a noticeable bewilderment.

Just that alone was enough to prove that my recent choice was indeed correct.

“Why… why… what on earth happened to father…? What have you done…!”

And I couldn’t afford to let her have any openings.

I threw my body forward, focusing on Ereshkigal’s movements and swung the warhammer.

She didn’t move… not even at the last moment.

<Kwaang!>

“Gyaaaaaah?!”

With a thunderous noise, Ereshkigal crashed against the wall.

Her HP had dropped nearly ten percent in a single blow, utterly different from before.

Previously, no matter how much I attacked, she didn’t budge…

─Eat the attacks from the weapon made from your dad!!!

─Weapon made from your dad’s materials is excellent!

─These bastards are just trash…

─What do I do when I’ve broken all Tabung equipment????

─M?R

─Seems like the patterns change entirely if you have no Tabung equipment?

A change in patterns; does it mean that those with Tagirion equipment have a slightly easier way to break through, acting as a shortcut?

That wasn’t too bad, but I was curious about the patterns without Tagirion gear.

But what really mattered right now was taking this monster down, so…

I could always check out other people’s videos later.

“Don’t make me laugh… how dare you insult my father… how dare a mere human…”

Ereshkigal only muttered like that, showing no other movements.

Is this really how it’s going to end?

Even so, it felt too pathetic.

…I don’t know.

For now, I’d just keep attacking and hope for the best.

Reaching that conclusion, I swung the warhammer continuously at Ereshkigal.

“Gyaaaaaah!!!”

She only screamed, showing no signs of counterattack.

And when her HP dropped to thirty percent…

“My name is…”

Ereshkigal’s eyes sparkled once, and the atmosphere drastically changed.

With a flash, a red barrier spread and my body was pushed back, while Ereshkigal, now looking at me, had black tears of blood flowing from her eyes.

“My name is… no. This body’s name is Ereshkigal! The Great Demon of the Scorching Flame, the embodiment of absolute evil, daughter of Tagirion! I shall purge you, the one who insulted my father, from this place!”

Ereshkigal’s HP restored to seventy percent.

“…Well, of course, it wouldn’t end like this.”

There was no need to explain the beginning of the next phase.

“Despair!”

With those words, Ereshkigal began to whip wildly.

This attack was entirely different from before, akin to a torrential downpour.

In the chaos, there were no visible openings.

Putting aside the thought that I might perfectly block it, I pulled the warhammer as close to my body as I could.

Swish! Swish!

I fully rejected the idea of being able to defend perfectly, deflecting attacks with minimal movements.

My HP decreased slowly.

But thankfully, the durability of my equipment didn’t change significantly.

That was enough.

Just like the day breaking, Ereshkigal’s whips began to lose their force.

“Haah!”

And with that battle cry, Ereshkigal swung her whip harder than ever.

A strike that vertically cleaved through space.

Unlike anything before, her attack was riddled with openings.

In other words, it was the time for a counterattack.

Kaificant!

A sound so powerful it was hard to believe it was made by a whip resonated, stirring up dust and etching a straight crack into the floor.

If I hadn’t dodged, I’d have taken considerable damage, I thought as I swallowed that thought.

I leaped toward Ereshkigal, swinging the warhammer.

Normally, at the moment of approach, Ereshkigal should have conjured magic circles and continued with her whip.

But this time, she moved completely differently.

“How dare you! Get away!”

Just like before, the whip shrank in a flash.

Grabbing both ends, she readied herself to take my blow.

Unlike the previous elasticity, her warhammer was prevented by a hardness that caught me off guard, and thus our power struggle began.

Five seconds passed in that standoff.

My conclusion was, ‘I can’t break through.’

I immediately released my strength and slightly retreated, causing Ereshkigal, who had pushed against me, to lean forward and lose balance.

Thanks to that, her side became exposed.

I gripped the warhammer with my left hand and stretched my right hand toward that opening.

Pruuump!

“Kwaah?!”

With a sensation that pierced the flesh, a scream echoed.

I quickly regained my stance and aimed the warhammer at the now thoroughly unbalanced Ereshkigal, bringing it down with all my might.

Kaang!

“Ugh?!”

Ereshkigal crashed to the ground spitting blood.

Shush!

Thinking I had seized the flow, I immediately attempted to continue my assault, but a sudden flash pushed me back.

“Kiheeheeheehee!”

Ereshkigal, still on the ground, wore a displeased grin that didn’t match her earlier grimace.

Three magic circles floated around her.

Where that flash had come from was easily inferred, without needing any deliberation.

Shush!

“Tch…”

Ereshkigal’s previous magic circle pattern would attack a large radius all at once but was slow to activate.

But now, her circles were quick, to the extent of being outright flashes, but narrowed in range.

If she wouldn’t use her whip while activating those magic circles, that would have been great, but she lazily swung her whip and stood up.

I felt a little tired…

“Phew.”

…No, focus.

I’ve only been at it for just over two hours.

In the other world, I’d fought continuously for three days without rest; thinking I was tired after just two hours was unacceptable.

Ereshkigal’s remaining HP stood at about fifty-five percent.

I didn’t know exactly what hidden patterns were left, but I could certainly break through.

If I carefully observed the surrounding terrain and her subtle movements, and moved perfectly, I was sure I could break her this time.

“Haah…”

“Gya hahahaha!”

An unpleasant laugh echoed.

Then her right shoulder slightly lifted.

The air stirred with the whip’s movements, and flashes raced toward me.

“Ugh…!”

I twisted my body slightly to the right as I stepped forward.

I allowed minimal damage from the diagonal whip action and dodged the flying flashes by deliberately disrupting my balance.

Then, I found the barest moment of, quite literally, a fleeting opening.

Confirming that, I leaped with all my strength.

Of course, my intended movement had to be much quicker than this.

I couldn’t tolerate even the slightest hit.

Accelerated thoughts compared the movements from the other world to the current me, presenting a baffling sense of frustration.

Yet I could not afford to stop.

If I couldn’t move like that now, I had to reconsider.

I needed to visualize the best I could perform with my current movements.

I deflected the whip with my elbow and swung the warhammer to clear the dust.

I didn’t need to think about anything else.

Avoid the flashes forcing me backward and just dive into her space to attack.

Currently, Ereshkigal’s whip attack had an incomprehensibly broad range that left no room to escape if she initiated the attack first.

But in return, she needed time to gather strength for such attacks; if I acted first, I could react swiftly.

As I pressed forward, I aimed to enter her range.

I could land a decisive blow.

“Don’t get cocky! Get away!”

At that, she shortened the whip as before and readied herself to take my strike.

I knew the pattern by now.

It was sufficient enough to pierce her vulnerabilities.

Feigning a swing of the warhammer, I lured her movements, turning on my foot and perfectly flanking her.

Channeling the rotational momentum, I poured that force into her.

Ereshkigal’s face smashed into the ground.

I had no intention of giving her a moment’s respite.

“Ugh, no?!”

Dodging the incoming flashes, I re-strategized even when faced with some unfamiliar patterns.

Ereshkigal writhed, trying something to counter, but made no move to concede the mount position to me.

A minute felt as brief as a second; a second felt as long as a minute.

Time passed uneasily.

“I’m sorry, Father…”

With those words, Ereshkigal turned to ash.

“…Huh?”

It’s over.

Yeah.

─Damn, that crazy girl! Hahaha!

─She didn’t say a word midway; so scary, damn!

─Is it normal for her to tank every pattern head-on?

─This beast just doesn’t know fear.

─Truly next-level shit here, man.

─Killing the daughter with a weapon made from her father…

─Whoa, haha!

─So brutal…