Chapter 51 – The True Value of Legend Skill

Аt Аmy’s words, Аsuto furrowеd his brоw.

Аvаtаr Itеms are рroducts ехclusivе tо Аngеls аvailаble аt the Gold Shор.

Тhеir pricеs varу wildly, but they аrе all items that humans саnnot use.

This is becаusе Angels cannot tоuсh anything оn Eаrth.

Givеn thаt, thе items they cаn handle аrе оnes that humаns саnnot touсh—items that еxist in another dimеnsiоn.

“I actuаllу havе something I wаnt, y’know. A сamеrа—”

“Denied.”

“Hey, wаit. Don’t bе sо hаsty. Тhis camеrа is high-rеsolution аnd high-definitiоn, аnd it саn rеcоrd vidео toо, у’know? Especially the recorded footage, it can even be given to humans—”

“Denied.”

Asuto declared flatly.

It’s true that there are Hunters who purchase Avatar Items for their Angels.

For example, buying them clothes they like to “doll them up.”

Clothing starts from a few hundred Gold, but an Angel-use camera costs fifty thousand Gold—a price set with no intention to sell.

Even if it were cheap, he had no intention of spending even 1 Gold on an opponent who would one day destroy Earth.

“Damn, you’re impossible. What are you gonna do with that huge amount of Gold just sitting there? It doesn’t even earn interest, y’know?”

“I might buy another Skill once I’ve saved up enough.”

“Huh? You’re not gonna buy Armor Gear?”

“Ah, now that you mention it, I haven’t given any thought to Armor Gear at all.”

“At the very least, it’s better to have Equipment that protects your life, right?”

“That’s certainly true.”

“…So, are you gonna buy it or not?”

“I’m not.”

“Why not!? If you take a hit, you might die in one blow, y’know?”

“If it doesn’t hit me, then it doesn’t matter.”

“Tch! Don’t come crying to me if you die!”

For Asuto, who has Return, Armor Gear doesn’t hold much meaning.

It’s best not to get injured during battle, but Armor Gear hinders movement.

The good ones don’t hinder movement, but then the price becomes high.

Also, while Armor Gear can block some attacks, it inevitably fosters complacency—the thought that “it’s okay if I get hit a little.”

Once that mindset takes root, Evasion gradually becomes sloppy, and combat maneuvering worsens.

Right now, “getting hit means death” is just right.

Without that level of pressure, for a talentless person like Asuto to become the strongest Hunter would be nothing but a pipe dream.

“…Now then.”

As the sun set and the surroundings were dyed in pitch darkness.

Asuto placed his hand on the hilt of his Dagger while intently staring at one of the only entrances.

After night fell, the presence of Monsters had grown extremely dense.

Soon, Monsters that had caught Asuto’s scent should invade this building.

The second Night Battle in the Outer Region.

He had recalled the failure of the first time over and over, thinking of countermeasures.

This time, he would fight inside a building to avoid being overwhelmed by hordes of Monsters.

Moreover, he had also obtained a Legend Skill.

If he couldn’t overcome this with all this preparation, it would purely be due to Asuto’s own lack of strength.

It would be better to take time to level up.

After a while, he felt the presence of Monsters approaching from the other side of the passageway.

Asuto drew his Dagger and stood up without a sound.

He lowered his stance slightly and readied the Dagger.

His consciousness fixed forward.

He repeated deep breaths.

His concentration increased.

Eventually—distracting thoughts vanished.

Sss…

He inhaled and held his breath.

The next instant,

“Shh!!”

In a fraction of a second, he severed the head of the Lesser Lycaon that appeared in the room.

Continuing with that momentum, he pierced the heart of the next Monster.

“——!!”

Letting out a soundless scream, the second Lycaon collapsed onto the floor.

“W-wow. Instantly killing a C-Rank Monster…”

Amy’s murmur was mixed with intense fear.

When he glanced at her, she had quickly retreated backward.

Did she think she would be killed next?

Asuto returned his gaze and began piling up the Lycaon corpses.

The room had only one entrance.

By placing the corpses here, he could hinder the enemy’s movement.

After setting up the obstacle, Asuto returned to the back of the room and sat down again.

The smell of Lycaon blood filled the room.

Because he had chosen a room without windows, ventilation was impossible.

The raw, metallic smell spread throughout his mouth.

(My head hurts…)

Enduring the headache, Asuto waited for the next Monster.

From then on, the battle continued almost entirely one-sided.

The room’s entrance was narrow, allowing at most only two Monsters to enter simultaneously.

With just two, Asuto could kill them in a fraction of a second.

In the darkness, the shining Mortal Light, the piercing blade.

Flowing seamlessly, Asuto took lives.

When the entrance became clogged with corpses, the Monsters pushed through their comrades’ bodies to invade the room.

Defeating Monsters that were now completely exposed was easier than twisting a baby’s arm.

(What was all that struggle about…)

When he fought outside, no matter how many he defeated, waves of Monsters kept surging forward, eventually overwhelming him.

But the moment he took position inside the room, the battle’s Difficulty dropped sharply.

(I never imagined that fighting in a location advantageous to oneself could change the battle’s Difficulty this much.)

Even if you understand the logic in your head, you don’t truly comprehend it until you experience it firsthand.

No matter how many he defeated, Monsters kept appearing one after another.

That alone showed how many Gates had Broken in the Outer Region.

About two hours had passed since the first Lesser Lycaon appeared.

Asuto realized his Stamina hadn’t decreased at all.

(Is this the power of Life Steal?)

With battles like this, he felt he could continue for days.

In reality, just fighting for one day would make his mind feel dead from the mere routine of combat.

—To the point where he was worrying about his Spirit, his Stamina was so abundant.

Three hours had passed, and he was beginning to feel the limits of his concentration.

That’s when he sensed an exceptionally powerful presence approaching.

“—Hm?”

Terrain Effect, important