**Day 38 Morning Adventurers' Guild Training Ground**
I'm spectating. Watching to learn. Turning observation into personal experience and knowledge. Discovering things I've never seen. Understanding through objective perspective. There's so much to gain from simply watching. And what I'm watching right now is probably the pinnacle of skill in this world—the Labyrinth Emperor's swordsmanship. The ultimate combat technique. Nothing surpasses it.
But I can't see it.
My eyes register it. The image reaches my retinas. Yet by the time I notice, the slash is already finished.
She's still only Lv17. Apparently reborn from Lv1 after being employed. So this is the former Labyrinth Emperor, Angelica-san. Age also 17, apparently? Her stats aren't overwhelmingly strong yet.
And the one trading blows with that technique is Lv18—me, the self-proclaimed mob who can't get strong, who has no cheat skills.
One single step forward, and her sword is already completed.
A half-step sways, and a single flash follows.
Like a dance. As if she's literally dancing.
What exists there is ruthless, precise elegance.
A sword-dance where the slightest deviation means death.
Her movements are so razor-sharp they can't be read.
They look graceful, yet the accumulated actions are too sharp.
That's why they can't be anticipated. They register in my vision, but I don't truly see them. I can't track them.
Her SpE is lower than mine—less than one-third. My movements are more than three times faster, yet I can't keep up with her speed.
If we both start swinging at the same signal, the three-times-faster me gets cut.
I have too much waste. Her swordplay is pure exchange with every single waste eliminated.
No step-in. No gathering power. No wind-up. No tension. No swing. No follow-through. She doesn't even swing. The sword tip glides the shortest path with no rhythm. No full beat, no half beat—by the time motion begins, the cut is finished. By the time I think "slash," it's already done. That's why she's strong.
I can't trade blows. Even with three times the speed, she cuts me with one-tenth the number of actions. That's why I'm always too slow.
Even weapon skills can't keep up with that speed. If anything, activating a weapon skill would make me a sitting duck—locked into one motion, unable to stop or change. Easy prey. Leek attached. Basically jumping straight into the hot pot.
That's how she breaks through level walls. Even with a level gap, you can't hit or dodge—you just get cut.
Weapon skills probably look like nothing but clumps of wasted movement to her. Completely separate from true swordsmanship.
Her footwork is slow when taking a step. Her arm swing is slow. Elbow extension slow. Wrist return slow. Shoulder squeeze slow. Center of gravity drop slow. Sword path slow. Follow-through slow. Every individual action is stripped of waste and slower than mine—yet they all finish simultaneously. That's what makes it fast. By the time I start my motion to cut, she's already finished.
Endless repetition of slash exchanges. Techniques honed to the absolute limit scatter in disarray. Only silver flashes register in my eyes.
…
…
…
Finally, it seems to be over. The thoroughly beaten-up Haruka approaches with a very suspicious grin.
"Committee Chair, want to train too? It'll be educational? Or rather, get beaten up? Or bullied? Well, it's abuse, but beneficial? Kinda?"
Haruka, now thoroughly pummeled, is apparently taking a break. He's fully intent on pummeling others. But this is an absolutely priceless experience.
"Umm… I probably won't even graze her, but with the level gap, a fluke could be dangerous? Even for training?"
"Uh… impossible? Armor-san is item-cheat level, so even with the level difference she can't be beaten? Plus, not only can I not graze her—I don't even have the intent to graze? So?"
Apparently impossible. Even Haruka at that speed can't find a chance to graze her. And even if he did land a hit, it wouldn't work. Her armor is cheat-level. How do you even win? Does this count as training? Or just getting beaten?
…
…
…
I got beaten. Of course all the girls got beaten. Even twenty of us together got beaten.
Without magic, combat isn't even possible. It's completely one-sided.
She dodges or cuts magic too. Apparently even if it hits, the effect is nullified. She's probably the strongest in the world.
Right now Kakizaki-kun's group is getting beaten too.
Those five are supposed to be the strongest in close combat? Yet they're getting wrecked in close combat. Nobody can follow her movements. We should be able to keep up with speed—at least three times faster? But when it becomes actual motion, we can't follow. The more she moves, the wider the gap grows. Her actions are small, zero waste, beautiful, clean. Ultimate beauty created by layering functional perfection and sculptural elegance into a dance.
And in the middle of everyone collapsed around her, Angelica-san stands alone. We stare in awe, envy, admiration. Humans can become this strong.
Strength from levels is only one type of strength.
We can become much stronger.
Of course, if all of us ugly-forced her with sheer numbers, ignored casualties, and swarmed… we could probably crush her. Turn into disposable soldiers with level power and overwhelm. If we didn't care about massive losses, it would be possible. If she were an enemy, that's the only way. We can't win in actual combat. Only crush. We must never fight this person.
And someone has cheat-item-armored that terrifyingly strong person. Apparently donated… since he's the summoner?
We keep challenging, keep getting beaten, keep challenging again.
Angelica-san politely, earnestly tries to convey, to teach, to guide, to demonstrate. Like a textbook, she swings her sword, shows techniques, returns techniques, instructs everyone—all while handling twenty-five people simultaneously. That's how vast the gap is. Not in levels—in pure strength.
By the way, the remaining four are getting beaten by Haruka. Their heads haven't been burned yet, apparently. They're crying, though.
We can still become stronger.
We can become much stronger.
Oda-kun's group probably grew mentally stronger.
Later we heard they gained Fear Resistance.
Must have been terrifying—having their heads set on fire.
Barrier magic leveled up too. Apparently gained "Concentrated Barrier" and "Composite Barrier" skills.
They got stronger in various ways. Especially resistance.
Yeah. Everyone got a little stronger. And we can still get stronger.