Mightiest Melee Magician-Novel - Chapter 18

Mightiest Melee Magician

[ Translator – Jreaming ]

[ Proofreader – Artethrax ]

Chapter 18

“You… Do you understand how dangerous what you’re doing is?”

Repeatedly asked Coulter to Ruin, but he wasn’t paid any attention.

Ruin’s focus was solely locked on the ogre.

“Hoo… This frustrating kid.”

Coulter asked Professor Hydel, who was standing at the rear,

“So, what do we do? Do we really just sit around here, watching him?”

“……”

Professor Hydel was always ready to cast high-level Barrier magic on him and jump in to help, but his eyes were observing the situation with a cold, calculated gaze.

It was a gaze full of trust and faith in the boy.

Coulter narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Ruin.

“You… What’s your identity?”

At Coulter’s question, Ruin responded with a quiet shake of his head.

“I’m just a student who wants to get a good mark on his test.”

* * *

I didn’t know what type of courage it was, against this ogre that was at least five times bigger than me, that made me recklessly run in while swinging my fists.

Of course, I was nervous at the beginning,

Even a little scared.

However, there were two reasons that made me turn these emotions into ‘reckless courage’.

Firstly, it was an ability I had.

The title I received from the Ancient Ogre Kingram a few days ago.

The ability it gave allowed me to communicate with ogres.

This meant I could understand what the ‘KROAAAR!’ the ogre was shouting meant.

‘That guy, he’s scared.’

Normal people who couldn’t understand the ogre’s language may only see it as a merciless and violent monster, but it was different for me.

That guy became nervous from the suddenly changing situation.

At the sight of many people watching him, and the magicians and knights that surrounded the area, he was actually getting very scared.

Next, my second reason.

A quest that suddenly appeared.

A quest that gave 30 strength, the equivalent of 3 days of Repeatable Quest completion, had arrived.

Who wouldn’t flip out at such an offer?

That was why I charged recklessly at the ogre.

Thanks to that,

“KROAAARR!”

“……”

The ogre was now beyond enraged.

However, I…

“Come at me.”

I smiled mockingly against the bloodshot ogre who desired to shred me to pieces.

Right,

Now, all I had to do was win.

[Human! Kill you!]

It only sounded like the simple roar of a monster to others, but to me, that guy’s words and intention were clearly heard.

The ogre started to pour out a bloodthirsty aura against me.

And after cracking its neck and readying a charging stance, after taking only a few steps, it jumped to right in front of me in an instant.

Fast.

Fast enough to question how that huge body could accelerate to that speed.

[Your head! I crush it!]

“……”

Of course, I had no intention of letting it do that.

Woooosh-

The ogre’s fist missed over my head by the width of a hair.

“Woah! Did you see that?”

“How did he dodge?”

Exclamations could be heard from the corner of the testing grounds.

Having felt the danger, Professor Hydel had cast barrier magic on me

But Professor, I didn’t get hit.

“You idiot! Look in front of you!”

“Hm?”

I quickly refocused from Knight Captain Coulter Pirante’s shout.

The moment I was distracted, the ogre was charging towards me again.

“Oops.”

I hurriedly activated the skill <Bend Time> and quickly moved out of the ogre’s attack range.

And then,

“Hooo… let’s go.”

After bending my body like a bow, I charged forward in a split second.

Being affected by the skill <Bend Time>, my movement exceeded 200% my normal speed.

This movement became faster and faster until it was nearly too fast for me to handle.

‘My strength is affected by my movement.’

It was the effect of the passive skill ‘The Mad Magician’.

And then, I clenched my fist hard.

Ignoring the ‘Rule of Three’ of Collect, Empower, Process, my casting speed was second to none, and after making two spheres in an instant, I punched my fists straight into the ogre’s abdomen.

Boom! Boom!

“KUAAAAHR!”

Sparks flew every time my fists impacted, and the ogre let out a terrible scream, groaning in pain.

However, it wasn’t the finishing blow.

“Woah, this skin is really…”

The attacks definitely hit it perfectly, but the ogre’s skin was hard, like it was made from stone.

Well, I never expected to defeat it in one strike.

‘Little strokes fell great oaks.’

I was determined to keep hitting until it fell.

[Humaaaan! Die!]

Fully blinded by rage, the ogre ran at me like it was throwing its body.

I, instead of dodging, used the entirety of my <930> strength and faced the ogre head-on.

BOOM!

Strength versus strength.

A battle of strength between a human and ogre had occurred, and the testing grounds became chaotic at such a strange fight.

“Insane…”

“W-what am I looking at right now?”

If one were to be pushed back here, it wouldn’t simply end with a few broken bones.

However, the one who broke in this tense balance of strength was me.

‘Was it still too much…?’

Even if I could maintain a certain level of strength against the ogre, to suppress it using strength alone was still too much for now.

That was why I used <Bend Time> to quickly turn my body out of the way.

[……!]

As the strength stopping it disappeared, the ogre lurched forward and hit its body on a tree trunk.

Crash!

Of course, the thing that broke was the tree trunk.

[You rat-like human!]

Regaining its senses after shaking its head violently and drumming its chest, the ogre poured out its savage aura and charged at me while swinging its fists.

Woosh! W-Whoosh!

The savage fists were strong enough that even a small graze would pulverize my bones, but luckily for me, the fists couldn’t hit me.

It was at a level where I could dodge while my movement was being supported by <Body Arts> and <Strength>.

Crash!

Another fist crashed into the ogre’s abdomen, and as the ogre lost its balance, I kicked at its legs.

Crack!

[Kugh!]

Being attacked just above its thigh where the skin was relatively weaker, the ogre lost its balance and fell down backwards.

It was a dizzying moment, like watching a huge tree topple down.

I jumped on top of the collapsed ogre and raised my open hands.

Crimson hellfire began blooming from between my palms.

“Now. Let’s end this.”

Skill, <The Ogre’s Fury>.

A skill to borrow the strength of an ogre and rapidly increase my strength for 30 seconds.

Shwaaaa!

My fist blazed with a crimson light.

An unknown strength endlessly flowed into me, and the immense strength was crying out to be released.

Maybe the ogre felt a sense of familiarity at the ‘strength’ overflowing from my fist.

The ogre muttered,

[A-are you real human?]

Strength comparable to an ogre.

And an unmistakably familiar scent pouring out from the skill <The Ogre’s Fury>.

As I looked down at the frowning ogre, I gave it a disgusting smile.

“You weren’t really expecting an answer, right?”

[…You. Did you understand what I say?]

“You’re also understanding what I’m saying, right?”

[……]

A human and an ogre.

Both of us were speaking a different language, but we could understand each other.

Confused beyond belief, the ogre could only blink at this strange situation.

Now was the finishing blow.

“Mana Burn Explosion.”

This was the strongest magic I could cast, and also the spell that granted me 100 points from the Ancient Ogre Kingram a few days ago.

A small ‘key’ appeared in my palm and I flicked it a little before shoving it straight into the ogre’s chin with my fist.

K-K-K-K-KABOOOOM!

The ogre’s chin, which felt hard as stone, melted and ripped away as soon as my fist touched it.

‘……!’

It was an oppressively strong power that was enough to surprise even myself.

K-K-KABOOM!

At the intense heat from the flame and the explosion created from my fist, the ogre’s jaw vaporized, and the burning ogre fell unconscious, unable to even scream.

Shooooo-

The unpleasant smell of burning flesh spread throughout the testing grounds with the black smoke.

The testing grounds were filled with a deathly silence.

“……”

“Is-is it over?”

The one who broke this silence was the knight captain that was observing my battle from the closest position.

Coulter Pirante.

“You…”

He walked up to me, looking speechless.

“…what’s your real identity?”

“I’m just…”

“Sure. You’re just a student who wants to get a good mark on the test. Then I’ll ask you again. Student who wants a good mark on their test, what did you say your name was?”

“It’s Ruin Ardell.”

“Ruin Ardell, ey?”

My shoulder was throbbing.

Anyhow, it seemed like I had excessively used my body as this was the first time I had fought in a real battle.

I massaged my stiff shoulders while Knight Captain Coulter Pirante kept asking me questions, as if overcome by curiosity.

“I don’t know the Ardell House that well… Has your family perhaps produced any sword masters? Or Archmages?”

“We had none.”

“I’m an amateur when it comes to magic, so I don’t know very well, but this is the first time I’ve seen that magic. That immense strength is also a different story…”

“Do I need to give an answer?”

“Hm? No, if you’re uncomfortable. Since I’m asking, I’ll ask one more question. That body art, did you perhaps learn that from someone separately?”

“No.”

“Then is it self-taught?”

“Yes.”

Coulter scratched his chin and laughed, amused at my answer.

“Is that so…”

His face looked like he was crafting a cunning plan.

I lowered my gaze from Coulter and looked towards Professor Hydel.

Professor Hydel was showing a pretty shocked expression, even if just for a moment.

His expression was saying something like,

‘He actually won.’

But his expression quickly faded and he walked up to me with a neutral face.

“I thought it would be a tough opponent for you, but you never even gave me a chance to come to help you.”

“……”

“You always exceed my expectations, Ruin.”

“Are you saying…”

“That’s right. You pass.”

Pass.

“…I like that.”

As a faint smile started to appear on my face,

“WOOOOOAAAAAH!”

A thunderous shout flowed out from the testing grounds, enough to blow it away.

Simultaneously, a half-transparent status window appeared in front of my eyes.