"Name? Age? Occupation? What are you good at? What goals do you have? "
"Aaron, 16, Iron-rank Warrior. My swordsmanship is pretty good. I want to earn money and become a hero that saves the world!"
Looking at the young man who is smiling foolishly in front of me, I nod my head. This simple black-faced young man reminds me of the Adam of the past.
"Next."
A 16 year old Iron-rank, what's the point of training? Can you advance to Gold-rank in 3 years? This isn't a nursery, you should find a newbie party to grind together.
"Kavin, 30 +, Silver-rank Shaman Priest. My goal is to earn enough money to buy the Flame Dragon Circus. "
"Dixu, 40 +, I am his elder brother, a proud Warrior. My goal is to be a good elder brother. "
"I am the elder brother! Diya, you idiot who can't even count properly. We were born together, why are you 10 years older than me? "
Alright, this is a rare Ogre Shaman. It is said that he used to be the pillar of a circus. After the circus collapsed, he came out as a mercenary to make a living. He even intends to earn enough money to start a new circus.
"I am the elder brother!"
"I am the elder brother. Don't think that I am afraid of you just because you know how to play some glowing tricks. I have strength."
"Alright, let's play rock-paper-scissors, whoever wins is the elder brother."
"Alright, one, two, three, ha, rock."
"I am paper, I win, I am the elder brother."
"Kavin, you are too slow, it doesn't count! Again, otherwise I will beat you up. "
"Who's afraid of you, today I will let you know the might of an elder brother. You idiot who can't even count to nine. "
But now, this rare Twin-headed Ogre Kavin and Dixu are actually fighting over the elder brother. As they fight, they are even crying out in pain. I can't tell if it is the pain of hitting someone or the pain of being hit.
I nod my head silently. This Twin-headed Ogre is indeed quite strong. He is a natural dual cultivator of magic and martial arts. His overall fighting prowess has definitely reached the level of a Gold-rank human, which is indeed rare. More importantly, the newbie just now is different.
"Next."
However, what I lacked right now wasn't combat strength, but normal people. There were already enough perverts and weirdos in my team. If I added in someone who was born to fight left and right, wouldn't that be a joke?
That day, after realizing that the 'Gentlemen Group' lacked morals and common sense, I decided to recruit two normal people after considering the need to raise their moral values.
Of course, another reason is that in this human country, there are too many different races in the Gentlemen Group. If we were to use non-humans to communicate with our clients, it would inevitably cause others to overthink it. Thus, in order to put on a facade, I intend to recruit a few human mercenaries. It would be even better if they are familiar with the local tyrants of this city.
Even if they couldn't help, they could still act as a cover. Now that a group of aliens were moving together, it would be too eye-catching. A few aliens among a group of human mercenaries would be much better.
There's no time to lose, I decided to act on it. Thus, early in the morning, I set up a stall at the entrance of the Mercenary Association to recruit people. With the 'friendly sponsorship' of the Count with broken eggs, the salary offered is rather impressive.
However, it is a pity that my identity as a foreigner and my untraceable background, coupled with the tense atmosphere of the enthronement ceremony, caused the veteran mercenaries to remain on the sidelines. Those who came to apply for the job are either completely useless newbies or those super weirdos that other groups wouldn't accept.
Glancing at Kavan and Dixu who are still fighting left and right, I shake my head helplessly. Standing up, I pack up my stall and leave. Looks like I wasted an entire morning for nothing.
However, when I pass by the bounty column, I stop.
"A-rank Bounty Mission: Find the culprit behind the destruction of the sewers in the northwest corner of the Pearl District. Regardless of life or death, the reward is 200,000 gold coins."
This is a huge sum of money. An A-rank bounty is enough to raise my unranked mercenary group by a few levels. This 200,000 gold coins is enough to buy a luxurious mansion in the Pearl District where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold. Looks like any mysterious destruction before the enthronement ceremony will affect the nerves of the Ottoman officials.
I hesitated for a moment. Considering that I have earned a huge sum recently, I don't lack money. Even though it would feel great to send that explosive maniac who is getting more and more dangerous out in exchange for the reward, it would still affect me in the end. Helpless, I regretfully let go of this opportunity to completely eliminate a troublesome person.
Yesterday, when I was communicating with the Count with broken eggs, as expected, he was looking for unfamiliar faces to work for him, intending to silence us. When he saw that there were only three of us and two females, he decided to reveal his true intentions. Diana used a [Great Sundering Evil Slash] to cut down a dozen of them. Kolos destroyed the roof and the rest of the building. Then, I took out the Devil's Contract.
That fat Count was quite knowledgeable. When he saw how the Holy Knight skillfully used the Devil's Language to change the evil contract, his jaw dropped in shock. It was as though he had seen an angel and a devil dancing together.
What happened after that was even simpler. After signing the contract, looking at how he was scared stiff, I thought that it would be better for us to go all out. It wouldn't be good for either of us to perish together, so I didn't ask for too much. I just extorted a huge sum of money and a luxurious mansion to use as a temporary base. Then, I got him to act as my informant and provide him with intelligence.
Of course, the Devil's Contract increases the price bit by bit, luring people to take the bait bit by bit. If I were to play too big at the start, wouldn't it scare away the fat sheep?
My old mansion was also in the Pearl District. I was quite satisfied with it. It wasn't right to stay in a hotel all the time. Even though the mansion was a little old, the decorations and garden were of high quality. Currently, the members of the mercenary group were cleaning up the temporary base. As the leader of the humans, I took the opportunity to recruit people.
If it was just me, it wouldn't be so eye-catching. Without those fellows who lacked moral integrity dragging me down, I should be able to recruit normal people.
Un, it definitely wasn't to avoid the responsibility of cleaning up. Finding an excuse to slack off or whatnot, is this something that a righteous Holy Knight like me would do?
"Looks like without a reputation, I won't be able to recruit any decent people. Why don't I try the legendary compulsory course for all Transmigrators and try to dig out those future heroes who aren't achieving their ambitions? Un, if the plot time is up, they should have already been born. Sigh, when I got that guide, I thought that I would be able to recruit quite a number of super underlings. I didn't expect that their ancestors were still in the state of fertilized eggs. At that moment, I was really embarrassed. This should be even more depressing than the time when I finally managed to create glass, only to find out that it had already been created. Heh, I don't have any qualms about poaching the people of the Ottoman Empire. "
Imagining how cool it would be to walk out with a bunch of Epic heroes following behind me, I couldn't help but let my imagination run wild.
"I remember that 'Swift Sword' and 'Teacher of Magic Engineering' are both in the Ottoman capital. Why don't I look for them tomorrow? Un, let's first look for that Count with broken eggs to get some intelligence. Now that the recruitment mission is done, where should I waste my time? "
"Hey hey! This big brother. "
"You still haven't told me that you aren't going to hire us. We want money to revive the Burning Fire Circus. We are very obedient. "
Just as I stared at the wanted poster in a daze, even starting to think about how long it would take for the cleaning to be completed and where should I go to waste my time, suddenly, my vision darkened. Then, two ugly faces suddenly appeared in front of me and a foul stench sprayed onto my face.
"Ghosts!"
Alright, what was even faster than my exclamation was my physical instincts. Before I could react, my fist had already punched out. That touch, it felt as though I had hit something solid.
"He hit me! He actually really hit me. "
"Hah, to actually dare to provoke this foolish Ogre who doesn't differentiate between friend and foe. There's going to be a good show to watch."
"If he is killed, the compensation will be 3: 1. If he is severely injured, the compensation will be 1: 10."
"Pitiful Fire Dragon Circus. They were already heavily in debt due to their poor management. Now, their former member has injured someone. This time, no one can save them."
From the exclamations of the bystanders, just as I expected, Kavan and Dixu's strength isn't too bad in my eyes. In the eyes of normal mercenaries, they are extremely frightening. However, no one dares to use them. The reason is because this Ogre is easily provoked into a Berserk state. Once they enter a battle, it is easy for them to not differentiate between friend and foe.
"I'm sorry, who told you to suddenly appear. It was an accident."
I smile sheepishly and retract my hand from Kavan and Dixu's stomach. However, there are already kind-hearted people who exclaim in shock.
"Brat, hurry up and run. How can an Ogre be reasonable? Half a month ago, he severely injured a Northern Berserker. Hurry up and run. "
"You actually dare to hit Kavan …" The 4 eyes of the 3-meter tall Twin-headed Ogre start to turn bloodshot. Then, the whites of his eyes start to show and saliva drips from his mouth. The rest of his words can no longer be said.
"This is a Complete Berserk state! Everyone, charge together, otherwise, we will all die here! "
Alright, looking at the scene in front of us, there is already an old mercenary leading the charge with a furious roar.
Complete Berserk is the ultimate killing move (racial talent) of Beastmen, Berserkers and Ogres. They will give up all rationality and use their life force in exchange for the most fearsome power. Perhaps, if they don't receive treatment in time, they will basically die from exhaustion. However, before it ends, they are definitely a killing machine that doesn't fear death.
Kavan and Dixu's overall fighting strength is already at Gold-rank. After Complete Berserk, they would at least be at the Legend-rank. The old mercenary's judgement is correct. If they don't kill him in time, I'm afraid that no one here will survive.
However …
In the next second, the 4 eyes of the drooling Ogre completely turn white. Then, his head suddenly tilts and he falls to the ground. His humongous body falls to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
"How is this possible? It wasn't Complete Berserk, but he was knocked down? He was punched by that young man? "
The face of the strongest old mercenary is filled with shock. He couldn't believe it. He had partnered with Kavan and Dixu before, so he knows how thick the skin and flesh of this Shaman and Berserker Ogre is. He even saw the Berserk Ogre Kavan and Dixu tear apart a war elephant. Yet, he was knocked down by a human with a single punch?
After the dust settles, the young man who was smiling cheerfully has long disappeared.
At the same time, I, who accidentally used my full strength in that punch, had already made use of the chaos to retreat.
The basic strength of a normal Ogre is 16 points, and Kavan and Dixu, who are Warriors, have at least 18 points. Compared to a human with 10 points, it is indeed terrifying, but compared to a human with 20 points, which exceeds the limits of mortals, there is a qualitative difference. Furthermore, I accidentally used the strength exertion technique that I recently practiced, which is the main reason why I was knocked down by that punch.
As for why I wanted to escape?
"Darn it, I just wanted to make a name for myself, but this kind of appearance is too unsightly. If I don't escape now, I won't be able to escape the title of Ogre Knight or something."
I still have some understanding of the profession of mercenaries. For veterans, nicknames tend to spread even further than their real names. Furthermore, these nicknames are usually related to the first time they become famous, so it is hard to change it. If I have a good title like Giant Dragon Slayer or something like that, it would be good. However, if I were to have a title like 'Kobold Professional Killer', 'Goblin Destroyer', 'Wild Dog Banisher' and so on, I wouldn't be able to raise my head for the rest of my life.
As for the strange nicknames like 'Holy Knight with Greater Magic Power than an Ogre' and 'Ogre Holy Knight', based on my luck, it is definitely possible for me to obtain them. Thus, it is better for me to run as far as I can.
Of course, before I leave, I completed my goal. The wanted poster in my bosom is just nice to pass the time before the big cleaning ends.
"B-rank wanted poster: Blood Hand Brotherhood, wanted for this bunch of darned pickpockets and killers, dead or alive. An ordinary member is 100 gold coins, at least 1000 gold coins for a high-ranking member, and 50,000 gold coins for the bandit leader, Blood Hand Jim. If it is completed before the enthronement ceremony, the reward will be doubled. "
Although this bounty is much lesser than the A-rank bounty just now, I am in dire need of intelligence and a target to practice on. In terms of intelligence gathering, who can compare to the Thief Guild who is also an intelligence peddler?
Very quickly, I got some basic information about the Blood Hand Brotherhood from the Count with broken eggs. They are a lower-middle class Thief Guild with less than 200 members. They just made a big deal to steal the tributes of a certain country to His Majesty. Now, they are on the wanted list and it is said that their nest is in the harbor area.
"200 people huh? Let's end it before dinner. Un, if I bring the intelligence back, no one will say that I am slacking off. "
…
【Roland Mist, Strength 20, Agility 19, Stamina 20, Intelligence 29, Will 19, Charm 19. Talent: War Angel Form, Sinful Demon God Form, Order Sword, Titan Body, LV22 Order Knight/LV22 Chaos Witch King】
In fact, from the moment I was resurrected, I had been thinking about what kind of cultivation path I should take while I was pleasantly surprised by my high starting point.
Putting aside Ice Magic and Necromancy Magic, as a veteran Holy Knight, I am confident in my close-combat skills.
However, with this balanced and powerful physical body, if I were to walk the path of a heavy armored two-handed swordsman, then my 19 points of Agility would be wasted. If I were to walk the path of a light armored Agility Warrior, then it would be a waste of 20 points of Strength that surpasses mortals.
What surprised me the most is that the basic job, Order Knight, actually doesn't have a main attribute. Raising any attribute can raise one's overall fighting prowess. Thus, I hesitated.
"Could it be that I should walk the path of dual blades? Or should I learn from the barbarians and wield a heavy weapon in each hand? That doesn't mean that I have to start all over again. "
Changing my fighting style isn't an easy task. However, a small accident made me make up my mind.
【Frozen Air】
This extremely sinister additional ability can be attached to the blade, causing the opponent to unknowingly fall into a desperate situation during a fight. Initially, I thought that using the dazzling Holy Light on the sword to conceal the Frozen Air would be more discreet and lethal.
However, reality always falls short of expectations. I tried many times, but regardless of whether it is Holy Light or the Power of Law, as long as they come into contact with the Frozen Air, one of them would definitely melt. If it isn't for their innate conflicting natures, I wouldn't be able to fuse them together.
Not using Holy Light to focus on the Frozen Air? Is a Holy Knight who doesn't use Holy Light still a Holy Knight? He is obviously a pure Warrior, a novice second-rate Warrior who is unable to focus on his swordsmanship.
Of course, I turned my attention to the dual blades. One of them is infused with Holy Light while the other is infused with Frozen Air. In theory, if I were to use two unique powers to attack, it would definitely make the opponent feel like crying.
Furthermore, this way, not only would I be able to bring out the advantage of my extremely high basic attributes, this kind of battle strategy of using two attributes at the same time is also very suitable for me, who has many different attributes. I can choose the attribute of the two swords according to the opponent.
However, when I suggested this plan, the Knight, including Diana, didn't think that I was courting death.
"Dual-wielding isn't as simple as using two swords at the same time. It is completely different from wielding a sword with both hands. The cycle between attack and defense is extremely important. When the left sword is used, even if the right sword isn't used to attack, it still has to move. Otherwise, the balance of the body will be broken. Multitasking is the norm. At the same time, it has a high requirement for balance and agility. It is basically the specialty of Elf Rangers. You are a human …"
This is what Diana wanted to say but stopped herself. She was just short of saying "Two-handed Swordsman is the specialty of Elf Rangers. You won't be able to learn it."
"Dual-handed swords? Or two two-handed swords? Haha, are you a 3-meter tall Ogre or a 2.5-meter tall Highland Barbarian? To think that you can come up with such a ridiculous idea. If you are able to do it, tonight, I will … "
Alright, looking at the scene before her, Momo swallowed the rest of her words.
Back then, I was wielding a two-handed sword in each of my hands. At the start, I was still very unfamiliar with it. However, as I swung it around, I got used to it. Following which, it was as though I was a veteran who had been practicing for decades.
"I don't believe it. It must be a feint. Come, let's spar."
Alright, Momo personally stepped onto the stage. Amidst everyone's astonishment, after I got past the initial fluster, I found my own rhythm in the battle. I wielded the two heavy swords as nimbly as my own limbs. The coordination between the two swords brought about a brisk rhythm, playing a high-speed waltz that resembled the flowing water of a clear spring.
Momo, who was lacking in strength to begin with, only lasted for less than 30 seconds before her hands went numb.
"This is a miracle!"
The gaze of the Legend-rank Holy Knight Diana when she looks at me is filled with disbelief. Then, she smiles and nods her head, as though this is how it should be.
In reality, there is no doubt that I cheated.
【Dexterous Hands: Allow your left hand to be as nimble as your right. Learning Requirement: Agility 15 + — System Evaluation: There is really no difference between the left and right hand. Please do not use this skill for senseless things】
Back when I was roaming around the Kingdom of the Elves, I trained my Dexterous Hands out of boredom, which resulted in this option appearing in the greyed out skill window. However, as this is a core job skill of a dual-wielding Ranger, even though my basic stats are up to the mark, I still paid three times the skill points.
【Giant Soldier Wield: With your astonishing strength, you are able to wield a two-handed weapon like a one-handed sword. However, if you are not proficient in using one hand, your accuracy and damage will be greatly reduced. Learning Requirement: Strength 18 + — System Evaluation: Although Giant Soldier Wield is a common talent for close-combat, 18 points of Strength is only enough to learn it. If you want to wield it well, you will need at least 20 points of Strength. If you aren't a Giant, only a Legend-rank Warrior would be able to gather enough points. However, by then, your fighting style would have already been set. Why would you switch to dual-wielding weapons? Thus, this is also known as the most useless skill.】
Along with the investment of 4 skill points, countless battle techniques and experiences flowed into my mind and were memorized by my body. Only then did I manage to save a large amount of training time. Under the incredulous gazes of the crowd, I managed to grasp the basic techniques of wielding a two-handed sword.
Of course, this was only the beginning. It only provided me with the possibility of trying out this fighting style. However, if I wanted to become a grandmaster in wielding a two-handed sword like I did in the past, I would still need to spend countless hours grinding and actual combat training. The opponent in front of me just happens to be a suitable sparring partner for me.
"Hah."
The two-handed sword in my right glows with a golden light, illuminating the pitch-black basement. In the next instant, the thief hiding in the shadows is sent flying.
Un, it's a slap, not a chop. Two-handed heavy swords are a classic example of using strength to subdue others. If I can swing it with all my strength, I can split Mount Hua. Naturally, I can also use its weight and massive body to bully others by slapping, smashing, and chopping.
However, looking at the opponent who was sent flying and fell into a wooden chest, there isn't any difference between a slap and a chop to a weak thief.
"It's a pity. Consider yourself unlucky."
Shaking my head, I continue walking forward. The moment I step into the next room, an explosion sounds and smoke rises. The thieves and assassins in front and behind me kill their way out from the booby traps.
Alright, looking at the lush green dagger, if I were to go easy on them, it would be equivalent to courting death. Thus, going all out, it becomes a one-sided battle.
From the start of the battle, I finally understand why the Silver-rank Momo was defeated so easily. It is just that I changed to a fighting style that brings out the advantage of my basic stats to its fullest, causing my fighting prowess to increase exponentially.
It is still the swift, accurate, and ruthless sword of the King. It doesn't take any side paths or play any tricks. Every strike is faster and heavier than the one before it, using strength to subdue others and speed to subdue others.
But for Agility-based Assassins, it would be fatal.
The attack range of a two-handed sword is huge to begin with. Furthermore, the basement is rather narrow. The moment two two-handed swords start dancing, the space for dodging becomes even smaller.
After the agility that the assassins are so proud of is suppressed, the one who makes the first move is basically me. At the same time, they have to withstand at least one round of my heavy sword in close combat.
The heavy sword that I just barely managed to block the radiating Holy Light makes my feet wobble. The sword in my left hand is like a venomous snake. It doesn't strike but as long as it strikes, it is aimed at the vitals, either slashing at the waist or stabbing at the throat.
The strongest Silver-rank shadow assassin was only able to block three strikes. Before the effects of the freezing air could even take effect, he was sliced into two by the sword in my right hand.
In just a short ten seconds, the thieves lost seven to eight of their comrades.
When the strongest leader died meaninglessly in battle, the thieves finally confirmed that the opponent in front of them is an undefeatable one. Then, without any hesitation, they scattered in all directions.
I didn't chase after them because the Queen of Banshees is already grumbling in my ears.
"If you don't hurry up, that fellow is going to run away. My clone is going to be taken away too. It isn't easy for me to split a clone right now. Don't waste it."
She does have a reason to grumble. It is all thanks to her that we were able to find her all the way here.
How did we find the hidden Thief Guild? I only disguised myself as a fat sheep and allowed the pickpockets of the Blood Hand Brotherhood to steal my wallet. There is a very valuable Tear Gem in it.
Then, just like what the intelligence said, the Blood Hand Brotherhood has a tight control over their lower ranks. Very quickly, even though there is some strange mucus around the gem, the Tear Gem is transferred to the hands of the higher-ups of the Blood Hand Brotherhood. Then, following the guidance of the clone of Greed, I followed it all the way here.
Harloys's grumbling is still ringing in my ears. If I don't hurry up, I would have done this for nothing. If the head of the bandits runs away, the rewards and tributes would be gone. Naturally, the historical intelligence of the Thief Guild would be gone as well.
Since I am already at the location but I can't see the path, there must be a secret passage in this basement. Thus, I hastened my search. But very quickly, I realized that I didn't add any points into Search and Mechanisms. Even though I can feel that the clone of Greed is below, I can't find the mechanism no matter how hard I try.
"Forget it, technology isn't my cup of tea after all. I am still used to smashing the door with violence. Sword of Order! Open a hole for me! "
I have long intended to find a chance to test out this talent skill. But before I could test out the damage it causes, a familiar voice rings in my ears.
"Ding! In your absence, you have become a hot topic among the mercenaries. Congratulations to host for obtaining your first honorary title after rebirth. Un, it matches well with your style of smashing the door. Alright, I didn't lose my appetite. That title is very impressive — — 'One Punch to Subdue a Demon'. Congratulations, it isn't the Ogre Knight that you have been worrying about. What? This title sounds like Warrior Monks? Un, knocking down an Ogre with a single punch and you still expect to become a Holy Knight? Dual Swords? Everyone is treating you as a Warrior Monks disguised as a Holy Knight, Lord One Punch to Subdue a Demon. "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
