Minori swung his magic sword with one hand, slashing downward in a clean, fluid motion.
A sharp wave of magical energy surged from the blade, a visible arc of light cleaving through the air and meeting the oncoming fireball.
Boom!
The fireball exploded mid-air, split cleanly in two. Flame and debris scattered outward—but the magical slash kept going, piercing through the chaos and continuing toward the demon snake Naga.
Startled by the slash flying through the flames, Naga yanked hard on the ghost bear's fur, urging it to leap aside.
Bang!
The attack landed exactly where Naga had stood a second earlier, carving a deep three-meter gash into the forest floor.
"That...wasn't magic," Naga muttered, narrowing his serpentine eyes. As a spellcaster himself, he could instinctively recognize the nature of attacks—and what he just witnessed was not traditional magic.
Was this human... a warrior and a magic caster?
Minori stood calmly atop a broken wooden stake, the magic sword slung over his shoulder. His tone was dry as he addressed the distant Naga.
"I only came to say hello. Maybe cooperate.""But I guess your kind is more prejudiced than even the trolls."
In the anime, Naga had submitted quickly when facing Ainz Ooal Gown. But now, in the face of Minori—a human with no undead aura—he was showing pride and hostility. It revealed just how deep-seated the world's disdain for humanity ran.
Still, as one of the self-proclaimed rulers of Tob Forest, Naga couldn't just flee. He glanced at the undead troll standing nearby—controlled by this human—and felt a flicker of unease.
"Entangling Vines!"
Naga waved his withered arms. Weeds on the forest floor pulsed, surged, and rapidly transformed into thick vines that lunged toward Minori like striking snakes.
Faith magic?
Without hesitation, Minori took out the enchanted item Forest Crossing and activated it. A green glow flashed forward, and all the incoming vines veered away from him as if repelled by an unseen barrier.
Boom!
Minori pushed off the ground, kicking up dirt as he launched himself toward Naga with astonishing speed.
"I hope your bite matches your bark," he said coldly. "Don't disappoint me too quickly."
"You arrogant bastard!"
Naga roared in fury and smashed his tail into the earth.
"Rock Scatter!"
The struck ground exploded into a shower of sharp gravel. Hundreds of stone shards shot toward Minori like bullets.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But Minori didn't slow down. He blurred his blade in front of him, effortlessly swatting the incoming projectiles aside with precise, flowing strikes.
Naga leapt from the ghost bear's back and shouted:"Beast Control!"
"GRAAAH!"
The ghost bear's eyes glowed red. It bellowed with rage and charged, becoming a living wall between Minori and its master.
Minori grunted.
He reversed his grip and swung upward.
Slice!
The massive ghost bear, despite its bulk and enchanted hide, was bisected cleanly down the middle. Not even its rock-hardened fur could withstand the boost from Minori's Slash Boost and Weapon Mastery passives.
[Experience Gained: 1511]
Minori's gaze swept the battlefield. Naga was gone.
"Kuro!"
"Awoo!"
The small black evil dog growled sharply, chains bursting from its collar and striking at a seemingly empty patch of air.
Whip!
"Damnable mutt!"
A crackle of dark energy revealed the demon snake Naga, who had been hiding invisibly. His face twisted with fury.
But he didn't have long to seethe. Minori was already rushing toward him again.
Naga chanted quickly:
"Mist of the Forest!"
"No Visualization!"
A thick white fog erupted from the ground, engulfing the battlefield. Minori frowned—visibility dropped to zero.
Suddenly—!
His body tightened. Something coiled around him—fast.
"Human, die!"Naga had coiled his massive tail around Minori, trying to crush him outright.
"Break off!" Minori growled."Holy Impact Shield!"
Boom!
A burst of black energy exploded outward from Minori's body, hurling Naga back and clearing the fog in one shockwave.
Skill: Holy Impact Shield Uses: 2/day
Effect: Generates a burst of cursed energy with knockback and magic-cleansing effects.
This was a skill from his new class: Valkyrie (Level 4). After defeating hordes of monsters and trolls in the eastern zone, Minori had poured all his accumulated experience into advancing it.
[Experience Slot: 26933/60000]
Crash!
In an instant, Minori closed the gap. He grabbed Naga by the tail, lifted him overhead, and smashed him into the ground with brutal force.
"Didn't you claim to be one of the forest's rulers?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Minori swung him like a hammer, slamming him repeatedly into the ground. Cracks spread through the earth as blood sprayed.
"I surrender! I surrender!""I'll serve you! Please—!"
Minori tossed him down. Bloodied, broken arms dangling uselessly, Naga wheezed on the forest floor.
"Good," Minori said flatly. "You're smarter than the trolls, at least."
He stabbed his magic sword into the ground beside him, then summoned an old, rusty iron blade.
Dark, cursed energy coiled around the weapon.
Shhk!
He slowly drove the tip into Naga's chest—not deep, but enough to send searing pain through his body.
"AAAHHH!"
Naga writhed, veins bulging as black magic entered his body. His limbs shook uncontrollably. The sense of death was no longer abstract—it was imminent.
"What… what is this…!"
"It hurts! Gods, it hurts!"
The demon snake screamed in pure agony, his pride long since shattered. He crawled pitifully toward Minori's boots, sniveling like a beaten animal.
"I'll follow you! I'll obey—please don't kill me!"
This time, there was no deceit in his words.