7 A Living Armor's Strongest Cheat is...
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By using 'Appraisal', Veronica analyzed her foes and selected the weakest one stat-wise to target first.
Living Armors in this room were weaker than she had expected, but they were still dangerous if they were to overwhelm her from all sides.
Veronica needed to abuse their slow Speed and constantly move around to not be overwhelmed.
By using one of the Skills that she got when she was born in this third life, 'Charge', she enhanced her speed for a small glimpse of time, pouncing towards the weakest Living Armor at her left side, which was only holding a rusty dagger.
She raised her right hand and formed it into a sharp shape, with the fingers raised as if it were a spear, using the speed granted by 'Charge', her arm enhanced itself with her Mana and released a powerful attack, resembling a real spear for a few seconds.
"Piercing Attack!" shouted Veronica, activating a Technique from the 'Unarmed Fighting Technique' Skill, that could be learned after reaching Level 2 on that Skill.
Clash!
The powerful piercing force punctured the Living Armor holding the dagger with immense precision and speed, piercing its entire torso, and leaving a large hole. The Living Armor's arms trembled for a moment as it fell motionless over the floor.
[Experience Points have reached the required level]
[Individual 'Copper Living Armor' 'Rank' has increased from level 3 to level 4!]
[Furthermore, Individual's 'Job' has increased from level 1 to level 3!]
As Veronica's mind felt the overflowing energy of Experience Points rushing through her very soul, she became fervent, the ominous dungeon now seemed like a playing ground for her to harvest as many Experience Points as she desired.
"This feeling… it's almost addictive…" she murmured.
However, she couldn't fall into the ecstasy of this feeling, she needed to remain coolheaded. To observe every move of her foes. Even if they were slow, many could easily slip off her sight if she were to immerse herself into the slaughter for too long.
"I must use every opportunity given to me as if it were the last one! Time to put in use my Throwing Skill!"
Using the remaining speed of 'Charge', she quickly grabbed on the dagger of her victim and by using 'Throwing', she fired the weapon towards a Living Armor wielding an Axe, its movements were dull and it couldn't even perceive the dagger until it pierced its helmet and sent it flying. The Living Armor fell to the ground and then it began to desperately look for its 'head'.
"I'm not going to let you run away!"
Taking a hold of this opportunity, Veronica mercilessly used her armored legs to pierce the beheaded Living Armor's torso. It seemed that their torso was their weak point, as most of them immediately died the moment it was pierced. She suspected that it could be due to their souls being stored in there.
Clash!
Without even using an Unarmed Fighting Technique other than her own Strength stat, the torso was easily pierced.
Without even leaving her a moment to observe her level up, two Living Armors charged towards her together by using the 'Charge' Skill, raising their weapons, a spear and a long sword, they worked together spectacularly well, seemingly as if they were part of a 'hive mind'.
"I'm not such an easy target as you think, you piece of junk!"
Veronica quickly ducked by using 'Charge' again, and then using her left fist, she released 'Piercing Attack' into the torso of the Living Armor wielding a spear, leaving a gaping hole.
The other Living Armor wielding a long sword decided to pierce Veronica's helmet while she was still ducked, Veronica could only receive it with her armor, with powerful strength and speed granted by 'Charge' made the blow strong enough to pierce her armor, Veronica felt a very dull pain, as she felt a small amount of her Health Points decrease.
"So my HP decreases like this…"
It seems as if aside from the torso and helmet, parts such as arms and hands wouldn't decrease Health Points as much.
There was also something interesting in that Living Armors didn't bleed, so their Health Points wouldn't constantly decrease as they took damage, each attack would only take a part of their Health but not constantly drain it away.
Veronica grabbed the blade of the long sword which was stuck in her arm and forced the Living Armor to fall to the floor, taking away the long sword, she fiercely used it to pierce her foe's torso and helmet in a series of unrefined stabs.
Slash! Slash!
"Clack, clack!"
The Living Armor seemed to shriek in pain for a small moment as it suddenly stopped moving as if a switch had turned off a machine.
"Phew… My Mana hasn't decreased at all either, using Techniques is less draining than magic…"
Veronica felt as her Mana Points hadn't decreased much since she started fighting for her life, most likely because compared to the rest of her siblings, she had 'Mana Enlargement', which increased her Mana Points even if they were low.
The cost of using Throwing at level 1, Unarmed Fighting Techniques at level 2, and Charge at level 1 was not much for someone like her, who had used magic for the majority of her previous life.
However, to her Living Armor siblings, it was very draining, they could barely use Charge twice before being completely drained of their Mana.
Mana was a powerful energy that flowed inside any creature, be it alive or Undead. It stored inside of the individual soul and it grew as they leveled up and practiced the use of Magic or Techniques that used Mana.
'Mana' is said to be the primordial energy that Anir, the Great Bright God, and Kelsus, the Great Dark God wielded, after their deaths, the world was filled with it and all living creatures that came to existence were capable of wielding it, some more talented than others.
Veronica didn't have much time to ponder such thoughts, as she quickly moved with the help of 'Charge' and blew away the helmets of several of her siblings while releasing flashy attacks with her armored fist and legs.
Clash!
Flash!
The Living Armors quickly dimmed in numbers as they saw the 'irregular' grow stronger and stronger as it leveled up through their deaths.
"Even if I…"
Clash!
"Have to fight…"
Flash!
"For my life…!"
Clash!
"I will survive… And finally, enjoy a relaxing third life!" she shouted, as she closed her fists and released a barrage of punches towards a Living Armor wielding a mace, its torso and helmet were pierced, leaving large holes, the metallic debris flew around as her sibling fell to the floor, motionless.
Veronica had pierced and destroyed many Living Armors, but her body was also covered in 'wounds', mostly her arms, but her shoulders had received the piercing attack of a spear and the slash of an ax.
[Experience Points have reached the required level!]
[Individual 'Copper Living Armor' 'Rank' has increased from level 4 to level 10!]
[Furthermore, Individual's 'Job' has increased from level 3 to level 15!]
Finally having some time to 'breathe', she moved towards the floor and grabbed several pieces of armor scattered around.
"If I'm not wrong, I can heal myself like this…!"
Veronica activated a Skill that she had never seen back in her second life, 'Absorption Healing', which was capable of letting her regain her HP by absorbing certain materials. This version of the skill lets Living Armors heal themselves by absorbing Minerals, Metallic Materials, or Armor.
She quickly used it in exchange for some Mana to regain a large chunk of her HP, the pieces of armor that she absorbed seemed to become liquid metal as they covered her 'wounds'. After a few seconds, she was back in an almost perfect state.
[Materials absorbed; Health Points have been recovered]
"Even this skill cost some Mana, it's probably why these Living Armors with such a low amount of Mana Points couldn't use it. Well, it's not like I would let them in the first place…"
Veronica glanced at the few Living Armors remaining, one wielding a large shield, another wielding a long spear, and another wielding an ax.
But the one that troubled her the most was the still motionless 'Boss', the large, dark-colored Living Armor sitting in the throne.
Since she started fighting, it hasn't moved at all. Veronica thought that it was just a normal armor, but just as she began to think about taking its pieces for herself, it started moving.
Two crimson lights emerged from the eye gaps within its large, demon-themed helmet. It had a long red cape on its back and a sharp naginata.
"Guooon…" it groaned.
The soul inside of it seemed to be way stronger than the rest, gleaming in an eerie scarlet red, creating an aura of fear.
"Haah… You guys never give me a break"
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