Chapter 49: Choice

Helpert was a formidable opponent.

Among all the adversaries I had faced so far, he was by far the most difficult.

“Light, come forth to this place.”

The moment Helpert’s voice echoed, I stepped back. As his voice rang out and he made his move, a faint white glow enveloped his greatsword.

It was a kind of skill unique to boss characters.

Since it was the first time encountering this skill pattern, I decided to step back and respond cautiously.

Helpert’s attack followed swiftly.

The greatsword was swung with fierce momentum.

However, since the speed was something I could react to, I tried a parry without hesitation.

“Ugh!”

Instead of the clear metallic clang I had expected, a groan escaped as my warrior tumbled across the temple floor.

“What? Is this an unparryable attack? There hasn’t been anything like this until now.”

[ᄃᄃ You have to dodge it no matter what]

[New pattern]

[Isn’t there a stamina penalty if you fail the parry?]

[Maybe it’s because the sword is on fire?]

“Looks like it’s the fire. It’s a game where parrying is pretty important, so I doubt they’d make it impossible to parry. If it’s a skill, it probably has a duration, so I just need to avoid it until it runs out.”

The faint glow surrounding Helpert’s weapon gradually transformed into a blazing white flame.

It was holy fire — a sacred flame often wielded by clerics.

A weapon exclusive to inquisitors who judge and punish heretics.

<HalmeoniPyejiRiyokaEoppeobeorineunMollu has donated 10,000 won!>

— “Mollu, purified by the sacred fire… That’s what you get for not living righteously.”

[Truly demonic lol]

[Honestly, it’s strange that she wasn’t purified earlier]

[With that “momma” aura, she feels like a succubus type]

[Hey, watch it]

[Manager is here]

[When did they join?]

[They were so quiet I didn’t notice lol]

With the sword now lit, Helpert’s attacks felt noticeably less sharp.

They were slow enough to be dodged with ease.

As I avoided Helpert’s attacks and played for time, the flames on the sword began to die down.

It took roughly 20 seconds.

As soon as I saw the flames go out, I dashed in and slashed twice.

The health bar displayed above Helpert’s head.

For all the damage I dealt, his health barely budged.

“Man, that’s a massive health pool.”

Honestly, I wished they would just reduce his health and make his patterns more difficult instead.

This just dragged out the fight unnecessarily.

They say combat is like a turn-based game.

Since I had just approached and attacked Helpert, now it was his turn to strike.

Whoosh!

The wind howled.

With both hands, Helpert swung his greatsword, cleaving through the air.

Due to the sheer weight and speed, it didn’t produce the usual “slice” sound but rather the deep “boom” of compressed air, like a cannonball hurtling past.

It was a ferocious attack with no warning.

If it had been anyone else, they would have been caught off guard.

But I dodged it with ease.

It was too fast to parry, so I opted to dodge instead.

A clean downward slash aimed at my left shoulder.

I took a step to the right, avoiding Helpert’s sword stroke.

When I pressed the movement key to dodge to the right, I thought I had escaped it.

“You think you can dodge this!?”

Helpert roared as if scolding me.

At the same time, the sword that I had dodged suddenly came back toward me.

To be precise, the vertical slash that had been cutting straight down abruptly veered sideways in my direction.

The sudden change in direction didn’t diminish the power of the attack one bit.

“What the hell…!”

This isn’t some Brazilian kick.

What kind of swordsmanship changes its trajectory in mid-air?

To avoid an attack that felt like it would be a critical hit with just a graze, I took the risk and rolled forward.

Rolling to avoid it, I ended up in a spot where the greatsword had struck the ground, creating a deep indentation.

The greatsword was stuck in the earth.

I barely managed to dodge the attack.

But my turn hadn’t come yet.

I had forced the large movement to avoid the attack, which had disrupted my posture.

Helpert was not the kind of opponent who would let an opening slip by.

“I won’t miss…!”

Helpert pulled his greatsword from the ground and charged at me with fierce momentum.

An unrelenting barrage, a lightning-fast thrust came flying toward me.

The warrior, who had been reeling, stood up.

Clang!

He had underestimated me.

It was the same straightforward attack as before, but it lacked the force due to being rushed.

I was able to parry it easily.

I raised my sword and deflected the tip of Helpert’s greatsword.

With a dull metallic sound, Helpert’s stance momentarily wavered.

The brief stagger after a successful parry was something boss characters went through.

Whether it was because the greatsword was heavy or Helpert’s grip was strong, my warrior’s hand trembled from the effort.

It was the same as when I was countered by an attack earlier.

“Wait, does parrying also cause stamina loss?”

Stamina was running low, so I couldn’t perform powerful attacks.

After landing a few strikes on the staggered Helpert, I retreated.

[How many patterns does this thing have?]

[Is this really meant to be beaten?]

[Seems like hitting the greatsword causes a stamina debuff?]

[Becoming a paladin is tough]

[It’s not something anyone can just get into]

[What kind of paladin is this, a berserker knight]

[LOL]

[The design clearly wants to prevent quick wins]

[Is it true that the sword can change direction mid-air? How strong is that?]

[The physics engine is so messed up…]

[This game’s a mess]

[Extreme praise lol]

[At first, I thought this was a trial where the senior paladin was mentoring the rookie, but now it’s more like a mouse hunt]

[Ah lol, they’re giving a lesson]

[It’s just a “newbie discipline” lol]

Still, my health hadn’t dropped at all.

I hadn’t allowed a single attack to hit me.

I readjusted my grip on the sword, took a step back, and faced Helpert.

There shouldn’t be any additional patterns here, right?

“Tough, really tough.”

I muttered while sitting on Helpert’s fallen body.

Fortunately, there were no other patterns beyond the ones I had observed, except for stamina being drained when I parried the sword’s trajectory.

Once I had figured out the pattern, everything else became easier.

It took time, but slowly wearing him down was all that was needed.

He had a large health pool and many patterns where I couldn’t attack, which extended the fight.

[Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu! Mollu!]

[Is this the one with the win at the end? LOL, impressive]

[Didn’t even get hit once]

[It sure is tough. How much HP does it have?]

[Feels like it’s on par with a dragon]

[Dragon Knight ㅋㅋ]

[Guess I’ll have to give up on a fast run]

[So, did you finally change your class to Paladin?]

[Let’s go, Paladin~~~~~]

“It’s about time for the notification to pop up.”

-You have completed the trial!

*You have cleared a hidden challenge!

-Additional choices will appear!

#Guide of Light (引導者)

“The one who leads and guides. Those who follow the light shall find illumination.”

[Job Effect: You can use skills exclusive to Paladins. The power of the skills increases with proficiency.]

#Corrupted Berserker (狂戰士)

“Why can’t I die? The more blood I shed, the clearer my mind becomes.”

[Job Effect: You can use skills and traits exclusive to Berserkers. The power of the skills increases with proficiency.]

“So Helpert was a Berserker all along.”

[No wonder]

[What did you do this time? Why do you have two choices?]

[Tell us what the hidden challenge was.]

*With Overwhelming Power!

-Defeat Paladin Helpert with dominance (Condition: Defeat Helpert without taking any hits.)

“That’s what it says.”

I showed the system window to the viewers as I spoke.

[His techniques were weird for a Paladin, come to think of it.]

[Probably a Berserker who got promoted to Paladin.]

[Typical backstory.]

[This is definitely a route only Molru can unlock ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Who even beats a boss like that without taking a hit?]

<“MachoManStyle” has donated 10,000 won!>

-So, which one are you going to pick? It’s obviously the Berserker, right?

[“MachoManStyle” always picks Berserker.]

[But Molru is a girl.]

[Doesn’t matter if she plays like a macho man.]

[True macho men pick Paladin for the romance.]

[Heavy armor looks cool, and you’re giving it up?]

[Considering how Helpert summoned sacred flames earlier, Paladin isn’t a bad choice.]

[If you’re not picking Berserker, turn in your man card.]

[Info: She never had one to begin with.]

[Honestly, Berserker fits Molru’s style more.]

[What are you talking about? She fights while dodging everything. Berserkers are supposed to get hit.]

[The idea of that demon-like girl becoming a Paladin is hilarious.]

That’s true.

I don’t think I suit the image of a Paladin either.

Me, a person far from piety, chanting prayers, cutting down enemies, and offering prayers to the divine?

Honestly, I can’t even picture it.

But what about the Berserker in comparison?

The more blood they shed, the stronger they become — a literal demon of the battlefield.

Drenched in their own and their enemies’ blood, they fight on, unyielding like a leech.

I prioritize efficiency in battle.

I leave no openings and never allow my enemies to strike me.

With that in mind, the Berserker playstyle doesn’t suit me at all.

After considering all these elements, the job I’m going to choose is…

“I will…”