The Bard is Fantasizing Again

Catherine was a shrewd person.

She could always calculate gains and losses with perfect clarity—

Her innate "beauty" always allowed her to earn substantial profits.

So she treasured this face of hers.

But she didn't believe the price of "beauty" would ever exceed that of "life."

Moreover, Tang Qi and Stonecrusher were insisting on protecting her because of that bastard father's dying wish.

She was already deeply grateful.

So she absolutely couldn't become a burden to them, couldn't let them be harmed because of her.

If destroying her appearance could spare them trouble and resolve this ridiculous conflict, she had no reason to cling to this face.

But unfortunately, she was a girl from a farming family.

She possessed decisive courage, but didn't understand this world well enough.

And understood spellcasters even less.

The "Skeleton" was indeed surprised for a moment by her bravery.

But only for a moment.

He didn't feel regret at losing a collectible.

Instead, he said with some appreciation:

"Commendable courage.

But the appearance of Restoration Gel has long since filled the gap that previously could only be addressed by sixth-circle Healing spells to repair scars—though its price remains steep.

Since I'm stitching together missing limbs, why wouldn't I prepare a few extra bottles?"

Why did spellcasters themselves represent the sublime?

Precisely because they were nearly omnipotent.

"Stonecrusher!"

The moment Tang Qi realized Catherine's action hadn't dissuaded the "Skeleton's" intentions, he seized Snake's Kiss and roared.

Stonecrusher, who had already closed to charging distance and been waiting for some time, immediately raised his shield and surged forward, slamming viciously into the "Skeleton's" shoulder:

"Shield Charge!"

This was his previously invincible combat technique—its concussive force had even knocked northern giants to the ground at his feet, forcing them to look up at him.

But with a thunderous "boom," he discovered the "Skeleton" before him remained unmoved—

A twisted, pitch-black spiritual radiance enveloped his surroundings, manifesting as a dim ribcage that covered his entire body like armor.

No spellcaster would be foolish enough to skimp on a Mage Armor spell slot.

And as this impact struck toward the "Skeleton's" shoulder, that "armor" seemed to isolate all force from the outside world, not even shifting the "Skeleton's" stance by half a step:

"So, this deal can't be made?"

"Let me smash that lightbulb on your skull first!"

Stonecrusher roared and prepared to swing the spiked club in his hand.

But just as he raised his arm, a brilliant blue electric light burst from the "Skeleton's" fingertips.

The current released by Lightning Claws was extremely fine, emitting only a "bzzt bzzt" sound.

Yet it was sufficient to transmit through Stonecrusher's tower shield to his plate armor and throughout his entire body.

An indescribable tingling sensation surged across the dwarf's skin, his beard curled with the current, his whole body trembled, and he was nearly paralyzed in place.

"Earth's Grasp—"

A pitch-black spellbook inlaid with bone fragments floated before the "Skeleton," turning to a page depicting a grasping hand.

His throat uttered hoarse, profane words that reached everyone's ears like echoes in an empty valley.

The soil beneath Catherine's feet immediately began to churn. Tang Qi's whole body prickled with alarm like needles. He gripped the girl's hand and yanked forcefully, pulling her away to a distance.

The "shhhhh" sound of collapsing sand and stone instantly rang out behind them—

A slender, skeletal giant earth-brown hand suddenly erupted from underground. Seeing its initial grasp had failed, it immediately shifted across the ground, moving to strike toward them.

"Anbi, protect her!"

Tang Qi gripped Snake's Kiss, gauged the distance between himself and that hand, timed his opportunity, and stepped forward.

His waist turned together with his arm, and the pitch-black curved blade instantly cut through the night air with a whistling sound!

"Pfft—"

Tang Qi felt he had struck it solidly.

But the sensation transmitted through the blade to his hand was like sinking into a wet clay sculpture, a viscous puddle of mud—

This strike had clearly carved a gap in the bone-thin hand, but the soil at the breach seemed to come alive and stick back together.

"Rua!"

A shard of ice pierced the night, extending into a ghostly blue ray.

It struck solidly just before that hand could grasp Tang Qi, white frost flowers covering the back of the hand at the tiger's mouth, and as they spread outward, the hand's movement speed dramatically slowed.

Her beastfolk physiology gave Anbi speed comparable to a jackal.

She ran on all fours, then quickly scooped Catherine into her arms and fled toward safer ground.

Tang Qi dodged sideways, barely avoiding the Earth's Grasp's restraint—

"Well done, Kuru..."

He wanted to praise him, but when his peripheral vision looked toward the source of the Ray of Frost, he discovered Kuru had already run to a distant position, lying on the ground, trying to merge with the massive fern leaves.

At the same time, it kept making "shh" gestures at Tang Qi, apparently not wanting people to focus attention on it.

It was playing dead!

Tang Qi almost laughed in exasperation.

But he also understood that Kuru, a kobold who had only learned Silent Image and couldn't even be called a proper wizard, really couldn't provide much more help.

He could only twist his waist, turn back with one slash, and draw Snake's Kiss across that giant hand's finger bones.

At the same time, that brief tingling sensation gradually faded from Stonecrusher's muscles.

Seeing the "Skeleton" still within arm's reach, he slammed his shield thunderously to the ground. Under the violent tremor, the earth centered on the tower shield suddenly cracked and collapsed downward—

The "Skeleton" cried out in alarm and tried to flee to a distance, but couldn't keep up with the speed of the collapsing ground beneath his feet. He stumbled in the earthquake and fell to the ground.

"Ha, now you can look up at me, can't you?"

Stonecrusher, heedless of debris scraping his skin, strode before him and raised the spiked club in his hand again, about to slam it heavily into the "Skeleton's" forehead.

"Damn it."

The "Skeleton" knew he couldn't dodge, muttering continuously under his breath. Before the hammer's shadow covered his nasal bone, a pitch-black force field energy suddenly expanded before his eyes.

"Bang!"

The spiked club slammed hard into the Shield spell, the recoiling force making even Stonecrusher's palms tingle.

"I refuse to believe I can't smash your turtle shell!"

His extreme control over his muscles let him quickly steady his arm, and he immediately prepared to strike the "Skeleton" with a second blow.

This is bad.

Stonecrusher groaned inwardly.

It seemed the recoil had made his grip insufficient, making this hammer feel wrong—

But just as Stonecrusher thought he was about to lose his grip, a leaping song reached his ears:

"We dwarves just love the coldness of beer, not because we can't reach the grapevines!"

It was like a harmless current, penetrating his eardrums, merging into his blood, stimulating his heart, and in its beating, awakening his latent limits.

A refreshing and enormous strength suddenly came, pouring into the iron hammer. He even felt his biceps swelling—

"Tang Qi, fuck your mother!" Stonecrusher flew into a rage.

The spiked club shattered the barrier into fragments the moment it made contact!

"How is this possible!?"

The "Skeleton" could no longer maintain his previous calm. His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, staring like copper bells.

But he had no time left to react!

"BANG!!!"

A putrid, dark red spray of blood exploded across Stonecrusher's face.

Looking again at the "Skeleton" lying on the ground, his forehead had been forcibly caved in, a small breach exposing a crimson but writhing brain.

"Shit, when have I ever been this strong?"

Stonecrusher startled himself, looking hesitantly toward the source of the song.

He discovered that the giant hand battling Tang Qi had also crumbled to pieces with the fall of that hammer blow.

"What did you do now? Why do I get stronger the more you curse at me?"

Tang Qi, catching his breath, refused to admit anything:

"Hey, don't go making false accusations—

I was clearly inspiring you!

Quick, finish him off!"