Chanting a lengthy setup like a prolonged sutra, summoning a mountain of skills to fell the enemy is truly enjoyable.
But, it’s the worst when you’re on the receiving end.
In TRPGs, there’s a setup phase—essentially a preparation timing—before everyone makes their move, allowing for some preparatory actions. You can散布轻量buffs or initiate simple movements, but sometimes it also involves launching devastating attacks. Performing intricate actions, however, can take up a lot of time.
Yet, the result can be surprisingly straightforward.
It becomes disadvantageous for us, and advantageous for the enemy as we approach the climactic battle.
Without the time to ready our swords, a sudden lightheadedness overtook us. Simultaneously, the space distorted before our eyes, and in an instant, the six undead arranged themselves into formation from their double-file line.
There are numerous systems with skills to move or position oneself advantageously during setup phases, but… isn’t that a bit petty of you all? In a longitudinally lengthy room, two lightly armored undead took the front lines, with heavy-armed swordsmen in a charge-ready stance behind them…
“What!? Why are they behind!?”
To make matters worse, two undead teleported behind us, flanking us in an encircling maneuver. Any way you look at it, this is utterly excessive, isn’t it?
“Mika, brace for impact yourself!”
“Huh… Uh!?”
In an instant, I concentrated my ＜hands＞, grabbed my friend by the collar, and hurled them to the left. I figured dispersing would be easier to handle than being surrounded by attacks from all sides.
Mika can erect barriers using construction materials, but they’re just wood and not capable of blocking heavy sword strikes multiple times. In that case, it would be safer to get them out of the melee area and off the list of targets.
Besides, it seems like they’re after me.
“Gurble… gurgle…”
Approaching is a lightly armored undead, their decay surprisingly fresh—they still appear quite beautiful despite the gobs of black, corrupted blood dribbling from their mouths as they crouch and charge with a pair of daggers. Could the clean cut on their slender neck be the cause of death?
It was a sharp and swift thrust. By opening the body fully in a swift step forward, they used not only their arms but their entire upper body, extending their reach beyond the dagger’s natural limitation. This tactic nullifies the weapon’s short length, expertly utilizing its accessibility and ease of use, showcasing the skill of a true master.
Simultaneously, a dwarf leapt over the undead’s back. Half skeletonized, perhaps contributing to its remarkable lightness—though it might seem somewhat disrespectful—this dwarf soared like a feather, skillfully wielding his curved sword and aiming for an overhead strike.
From behind, the sound of armor clashing could be heard. Two undead that had been teleported around via the space distortion now charged forward, armed with spears and a two-handed blade. Thankfully, the fragile Mika wasn’t targeted for close combat.
We’re in a tough spot. Four skilled foes surround us, and our stamina is near depleted. Judging by the situation alone, it looks like certain death—or at least something very close to it.
But, is it me, or am I being underestimated here?
“Not holding back, then let’s go!”
While the enemy chants spells during their setup, I’m all for chanting either major or minor spells myself.
With ＜Lightning Reflection＞ and ＜Observance>, determining which strike would land first and be fatal is easy. Plus, I have four times more “hands” than an average person. If completely overwhelmed, I’ll have no choice but to cry and die…
A battle like this, so orthodox for a swordsman, feels like they’re inviting me to give it my all.
“Gurgle….”
I began by using my invisible hand to press hard on the knee of the female undead rushing me, and then forcefully pinned her head down, slamming her into the ground. My “hands” don’t have the power to dismember a human body, but knocking her off balance in her forward-leaning stance is simple enough.
“Gurgh!?”
The corpse’s cry as it face-planted into the ground could be heard. The momentum caused its already detached neck to hang by only a thread of skin. Luckily, with the head severed, this could be considered a minor wound, so I’ll have to deal with it later.
Next, I used my “hands” as a foothold to launch a counterattack against the jumping dwarf.
If I simply blocked, his curved blade would have removed either my head or wrist, so I deflected the strike with my left dagger, released my Sending Wolf leaving my right hand empty, and used it to grab the almost bone-dry throat of the dwarf as we collided forward. The sound of his dried, fragile vertebrae cracking was rather interesting, but I ignored it. After dissolving the “hands” I used as a foothold, I formed another in the air, spun around, and hurled the dwarf corpse toward the spearman’s spear.
“Jackpot!”
As expected, the undead dwarf corpse impaled itself on the spear. Regardless of how light it was, the weight of a human caused the spearhead to heavily sink. With the dwarf reflexively thrashing about, the spearman struggled, only driving the spear further in. Good, keep going!
With that, I dissolved my “hands” and landed heel first, targeting the waist of the fallen female undead. The landing was perfect, the sound of dry bones shattering filled the air, and the sensation of crushing something hard underfoot was quite pleasant. By crushing the waist, which is the motion pivot, this undead can be left alone for now.
“Up, down, all around, oaths, combinations…”
I could hear the oral incantation, the coughing likely a result of my rough toss damaging its back. I’ll apologize later, but now it’s time to clean up the rest as the two heavily armored undead started moving, realizing the failure of their encirclement plan.
Manipulating my “hands” during the toss, I re-gripped the Sending Wolf with my now-empty right hand and swung it downward, severing the fingers of the fallen female undead. Her unwilling dagger fell like a wiggling worm, providing me with a side-arm.
“Steel thorn is the mark of refusal, this side is ours, the other side is theirs…”
Listening to the song-like incantation, I summoned my invisible hands yet again to take the daggers, making me a three-sword fighter… or four, counting the fairy knife in my left hand. Hmm, why do I suddenly feel weaker for some reason?
Setting that aside, the last two-handed sword-wielding undead charged recklessly. Either to avoid friendly fire or for some other reason, it launched a thrust from the hip. Gently blocking the strike with the flat side of my sword, the blades scraped and locked into a stalemate.
“Guh…”
What incredible strength! The grating of the locked swords exerted a pressure that wanted to crush the edges. The bones strained, and the muscles cried out in protest due to the enormous load, but the undead can simply ignore it—what cunning creatures.
Still, I wasn’t planning a strength competition. How am I expected to overwhelm such a brute force with my above-average but petite body?
It’s better to be smarter about it. After all, I am not your average swordsman.
A dull sound rang out. The sound of the daggers piercing through the armor layer and thin clothing, easily driven into the flank and knee by my invisible hands.
Even such a robust undead cannot function well once the muscles that move their body are severed. Gradually, the great strength contained within the sword weakened…
However, before I could rejoice, my opponent leaned heavily on their sword and lunged at me with their entire bodyweight. Realizing two limbs and one leg had been crushed, they decided to crush the enemy alongside themselves—what a spirited warrior indeed. Are you even a corpse?
I can’t allow myself to be crushed by the weight of an adult male and their armor. Instead of stubbornly resisting, I pivoted half my body, spun, and barely avoided a dire situation while stumbling…
It hurts!?!
Thinking I had escaped the situation, the next moment a tremendous impact and pain ran through my back.
It must be the sharp pain from the spear tip piercing me. Though mostly stopped by the armor and cloth, it still hurts a great deal. Moreover, this impact…
“Chirp… chirp…”
Damn it! This undead dwarf corpse is still driving the spear deeper into me!?
With a strained hand that was forcibly moved out of its range, the collar of my shirt was grabbed, and as the spear was pulled out, the undead corpse latched onto my back. Tiny hands started crawling around my neck, searching for a way to bite down. This is what it feels like to be in a zombie movie, huh?
“Don’t… underestimate me!!”
“We’re over here! You’re over there! Do not cross the fence!”
As I yelled, Mika’s incantation completed. The chanting sounded like a nursery rhyme, completely unfit for this horrifying scenario. Someday, I’d like to hear that again in a bright and open square.
For that to happen, I need to deal with the nuisance clinging to my back.
I retreated with full force, sandwiching the dwarf between a nearby wall and my body. Dwarves are a small and lightweight race only about 1m tall, and structurally have brittle bones. Despite their undead strength—though the principle is a mystery—their bone density does not increase. So, this partially skeletonized dwarf is even frailer than a typical dwarf.
Clamping between the wall, my padding, and my muscles produces more than enough impact…
A nasty feeling of crushed bones and decayed flesh spread through my back. The strength faded from the hand around my neck, and the rotten blood-dripping flesh peeled away in chunks.
At the same time, a fence appeared in the corner of my vision, a wooden barrier wrapped with steel thorns. The two advancing heavily-armored undead collided with it, their impact absorbed, and were immediately entangled by the thorny wires which moved of their own accord.
Attempting to use their strength to rip the wires, the supposedly hard steel thins spun like silk and only further ensnared them. Gradually, more wire coiled around, quickly encasing the undead in cocoon-like metal shells. It would be impossible for them to move until the magic powering the trap drained and the laws reverted to normal.
“…Scary…”
That’s a pretty malevolent spell my friend concocted. A nightmare for all front-line fighters. If you fail the magic resistance check, you’ll die. What on earth was that guy thinking when he made something like that?
Being so cleanly wrapped up must be due to the unnatural nature of undead allowing magic to work efficiently. Placing myself in their shoes, even if the magic resistance succeeds and the effect weakens, the fear alone is terrifying. I feel like I’ve seen something like this in a horror movie with a death game theme.
While I was shaking with fear, a heavy thud. It seemed my companion had collapsed, head resting on the floor.
“Mika!?”
No response. Avoiding the slashes of the undead swordsman, I saw my fallen friend. He gave a weak wave to show he was still alive, his eyes firmly closed. Likely suffering from a severe headache brought on by excessive magic use.
It’s something I’ve experienced myself. I once tested how much magic depletion affected performance under the supervision of Lady Agrippina. When you drain about half, migraines start setting in; when you dip below a quarter, it grows into a serious headache. We stopped there, but at an estimated sixth depletion, you’d likely collapse.
Magic depletion can be fatal, much like blood. You can’t bleed out and feel fine. Mages and sorcerers truly fight by squeezing the life out of themselves.
Thinking about it this way, it reminds me of mahjong or something off-topic like that. In the meanwhile, I kicked up the curved sword used by the nearby dwarf corpse and struck the last remaining undead, reflexively knocking off its wrist with the momentum of its parry.
They’re certainly strong. But, to have the reflexes to move like “living swordsmen” should also be a concern. If they had approached me with the mindset that they can take any damage as long as they deliver the killing blow, I would’ve had a much tougher fight on my hands.
With its weapon lost and standing alone, dismantling this undead felt as carefree as butchering a bird. With its lack of resistance, they’re quite similar. Well, to be precise, I “prevented” resistance.
“So… the main dish”
Cutting away the clinging dead blood, my loyal Sending Wolf shone brightly, ready for more.
In response to my words, the corpse that had been watching the battle from the rear calmly stood up. Carrying the large sword with ease, as if not feeling its weight, it swung it faster than the wind itself, leaving only an eerie sound in the air.
Not a gust of wind from the speed but rather a calm silence—a sign that even the void is cut through by its razor-sharpness.
Uh… hold on, is that stronger than me?
A cold, greasy sweat broke out on my forehead. Its skill was apparent even in just two simple practice swings. I may be inexperienced, but I have enough experience to evaluate an opponent’s strength accurately.
And that, to me, is strong. On par with Mr. Lambert… no, is it? Despite how broken that gentleman was, did it feel this hopeless? At the very least, it wasn’t to the point where I felt completely outclassed purely in swordsmanship skills…
The pressure and intimidation make my heart feel like it’s about to snap, but I grit my teeth, firmly gripping the hilt of the sword handed down by my father to steady my resolve.
Level adjustments, balance adjustments, malice points, none of that matters in this hellish labyrinth filled with broken enemies in its innermost sanctums. It’s understood; this isn’t some beginner dungeon meant for two teenage PCs. Even if the heart breaks, it can be forcibly grabbed and turned into a bludgeon.
A tangible willpower is evident in the steady approach of the last undead. Dignified strides forward, he held the sword in salute before his forehead—an act akin to prayer, compassion, or solace…
… Fine by me.
“Come on then, over here!!”
GMs who screw up difficulty adjustments—or those hellbent on killing with malice—are more than just metaphors; they can feel downright personal. If that’s the case, then let’s roll the dice and hurl our usual curses and killing intent in response.
Come on, it’s so simple, isn’t it? It’s always said…
Clear it, and clearing it suffices. With the fervor of my spirit, I prepared to run the character I call myself at full power……
【Tips】 Critical hit. Absolute success. The miracle in the system’s decision. On a 2D6, it’s a 12; on a 1D100, it’s 1-5. Even with low odds, if the miraculous result is rolled, it’s possible to thread the camel through the eye of a needle. By extension, this probability is referenced as something that requires prayer to achieve.
It didn’t take too long to wait for this update, which is a relief. Your reviews and Twitter follows gave me great encouragement and helped my crumbling mental state recover. I’m very grateful for that.
As the date for the next update remains undecided, I’m aiming for this weekend.
I’ll also tweet about the next update. Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing you again.
