"...Huh?"
My eyes snapped open.
How did I die again?
Oh, right. Puppeteer ate me. Recalling that fact sent a wave of hollow despondency through my entire body.
What should I have done?
If I was going to escape this dungeon and exact my revenge, I needed to become much stronger than I was now.
"I don't necessarily need to rely on Puppeteer, do I?"
The sword was nothing more than a tool to help me grow. If the end result of using it was being consumed by it, then it was a worthless tool. In that case, I needed to find a way to get stronger without it.
With that resolution, I set off.
First, I made my way toward the hidden room containing the Crystal of Wisdom. I had to avoid the numerous monsters prowling the path; with my current strength, being spotted meant an instant, pathetic death. Fortunately, having repeated this route countless times, I was able to navigate the halls with practiced ease.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Please select "one" skill you wish to acquire from the following list:
S-Rank <Item Box>, <Enhanced Recovery>, <Enhanced Mana Recovery>, <Intimidation>, <Reading>, <Precognition>
A-Rank <Healing Magic>, <Fire Magic>, <Water Magic>, <Wind Magic>, <Earth Magic>, <Lightning Magic>, <Alchemy>, <Curse Magic>, <Telepathy>, <Enhancement Magic>
B-Rank <Swordsmanship>, <Archery>, <Axemanship>, <Spearmanship>, <Martial Arts>, <Staffmanship>
C-Rank <Physical Enhancement>, <Presence Detection>, <Mana Generation>, <Fire Resistance>, <Water Resistance>, <Wind Resistance>, <Earth Resistance>, <Sharpness Enhancement>, <Accuracy Enhancement>, <Evasion Rate Enhancement>, <Night Vision>
D-Rank <Appraisal>, <Strength Enhancement>, <Endurance Enhancement>, <Agility Enhancement>, <Vitality Enhancement>
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
I stared at the list of skills that appeared upon using the Crystal of Wisdom. As I reflexively moved to select <Swordsmanship>, I hesitated.
"Wait. Is <Swordsmanship> really the right choice?"
I pulled my finger back. I had always picked it because of the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer. It was the obvious choice to complement that weapon. But if I wasn't going to use Puppeteer, I'd be fighting unarmed. That would make <Martial Arts> the more logical selection for a weaponless state. After all, I didn't have any other way to get a weapon—
"No, wait. Thinking back, I have plenty of opportunities to get a weapon, don't I?"
With that realization, I chose <Swordsmanship>.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
You have acquired the Skill: <Swordsmanship>.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
Normally, I would retrieve Puppeteer now and kill a few monsters to raise <Swordsmanship> to level 2. This time, however, I left the sword where it was. Since hunting monsters would be far too dangerous without a weapon, I also gave up on leveling the skill for the moment.
Still at level 1, I headed straight for the Golden Living Armor Hidden Room.
"Hey, you piles of scrap! Come and get me!"
I used <Provocation> on the Golden Living Armors. By expertly dodging their initial lunges, I manipulated them into hitting one another.
Clang! One of the golden suits slammed its heavy blade into its comrade. The victim toppled over, clattering against the floor and struggling to right itself. I didn't miss the opening; I lunged forward and snatched the Golden Living Armor's Sword from its grasp.
"I can procure as many of these as I want from them."
This was my new plan: scavenger logic. As long as I had a blade equipped, my <Swordsmanship> skill would activate, making combat significantly more manageable.
Or so I thought.
"Damn it... it's still too hard to fight!"
I had expected a drop in efficiency, but the struggle was worse than I’d imagined. Compared to Puppeteer, the Golden Living Armor's Sword was a clumsy, blunt instrument. Puppeteer was on an entirely different level of power.
Still, there was no use whining. Since I’d decided Puppeteer was off-limits, I had to make do with what I had.
As I braced myself for the next wave—
"Ah—"
A blade tore through my back.
The sensation of pain and the loss of consciousness happened in the same heartbeat.
◆
Trial Count: Approximately 560.
I attempted to break through the Golden Living Armor Hidden Room without using Puppeteer over and over again.
"...It's no use."
After another death, I finally reached my breaking point. I could manage to take down maybe five of the Golden Living Armors if I played it perfectly, but there was simply no path to victory against all twenty of them plus the Living Knight.
"Do I really have no choice but to use Puppeteer...?"
But if the price was being devoured, there was no point.
Wait.
Puppeteer only turned into that monster with the giant jaws because I had raised it to level 3 and unlocked the derivative skill <Brutal Predator>.
"What if I just stop it at level 2?"
I was the one who allocated the skill points. If I simply chose not to raise it to level 3, it couldn't evolve further.
The Lv2 form's derivative skill, <Pulsating Greatsword>, was incredibly powerful on its own. It provided more than enough combat strength to clear most hurdles. There was no reason to push it into the dangerous territory of level 3.
"It's worth a try."
With renewed purpose, I turned my steps back toward the location where the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer lay waiting.