9 When You Don't Have Any Weapon, Use Your Head, Literally!
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Veronica was always told that her complexion was weak and frail in her second life. She could never gain muscles even when she trained and did exercises every day. She was barely able to hold on armor in her light and frail body, and even less a shield.
For three years, she practiced. Coupled with her magic classes, she always practiced Shield and Armor Technique, but never managed to obtain the Skills.
However, in her third life, things seemed to differ. Her new body was heavy, slow, and steady, it was capable of wielding a heavy shield with ease, and its entire body was now a full set of armor.
The requirement for learning Shield Technique was not only to wield it and receive hits with it, but it also required the user to wield it properly, and to have a certain weight on its body, possibly to be able to withstand and attack instead of being sent flying away as she did in her previous life.
She was capable of withstanding the attack, and also to infuse her Mana into her Shield as if it were more natural than breathing, the acquisition of the Skill was a matter of time.
The Living Armor Commander was surprised. Its powerful attack that combined both its Bloodthirsty Aura, Charge, and Naginata Technique was blocked by a simple shield.
And to add a cherry on the top, he lost his balance and had to fall back, its naginata trembling.
Veronica could not celebrate her acquisition, as the very moment that she got the skill, her shield cracked into pieces and fell over the ground, it was only capable of withstanding one attack before it was destroyed. She needed to get a new shield, but there wasn't any left, that Living Armor was the only one wielding a shield in the entire room.
"My shield…! No, I cannot distract myself! Veronica, don't be stupid, concentrate on your foe!" she thought, glancing at the still baffled Living Armor Commander.
"Charge! Piercing Attack! Heavy Blow!"
"Guoon…?!"
Veronica shouted the command of the Skills and Techniques, as she charged towards her 'father' with great speed, her two fists were covered in a thick coat of Mana as they suddenly became dangerous weapons. The Living Armor Commander saw her left hand as if it were a sharp lance, while her right hand resembled a heavy mace.
The attacks hit directly into the Living Armor Commander's torso, the speed of Veronica's movements made him think that her attack was going to be way fiercer and stronger than it really was!
Only two small scratches appeared on its torso, though. While Veronica's gloves cracked.
However, she did not give up to it, still making it seem as if her attacks were to be lethal, she braced her fist with her Mana, and with the use of Charge, her speed increased exponentially.
She released several Unarmed Fighting Techniques over the bewildered Living Armor, leaving no openings and hitting it on the joints of its arms or legs before it could try to punch or kick her.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
Veronica once again saw hope as the Living Armor Commander had its torso armor pierced, cracks began to blossom from within. But just at the same time, her armored gloves exploded into pieces.
Crack!
"Guoon…?!"
"Like I am going to let you rest!"
The Living Armor Commander thought that Veronica would stop if her own hands, her main weapon, was to be broken into pieces…
But that was not the case, Veronica kept releasing powerful blows by using the armor that made up the rest of her arm, the elbows, and even her legs.
A powerful kick hit her foe's chest as she quickly continued with a blow with her elbow armor, creating another crack on the left side of its torso. Veronica's 'father', moved its large hands while using 'Charge', trying to catch her flashy movements but always failing.
Suddenly, it grabbed on its Naginata as it tried to release a Level 3 Technique!
"Guooooonn…! Ugh…?!"
"Hah! You already wasted your Mana into using Charge multiple times while trying to catch me! You cannot use any of your flashy powers anymore, not even your Aura! Now you are just a big an easy target for me!" shouted Veronica, filled with confidence as she kicked a piece of one of the Living Armors nearby and activated 'Absorption Healing'. The piece of armor became a liquid metal-like substance that adhered itself to her arms, making new armored gloves appear.
"To think that Living Armors have such convenient Skills… if it weren't for their primitive minds, they would be fearful monsters!" Veronica thought.
The Living Armor Commander was enraged by Veronica's words, although it could not comprehend them, it understood that it was something related to mocking him.
"Guoooonn!!!" it roared, as it gathered all the strength it could fathom from within its scarlet soul, releasing a powerful fist that weighed hundreds of kilograms. The feeble Naginata was thrown away into pieces due to its rage.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
However, Veronica was faster than him, who naturally had a heavier body and couldn't use 'Charge' anymore until its Mana recovered back. Veronica was lighter and knew how to use 'Charge' to its fullest potential due to having trained in the arts of evasion in her second life.
Because she had a weak and frail body, she needed to train evasion more than anything, and by using 'Memory Retention', she was able to accurately recall all of her movements and all the training she underwent.
The Living Armor Commander's powerful blows brushed her armor several times, her shoulders were completely blown into pieces, she was not capable of evading all the time and was caught by its attacks several times.
Veronica felt the decrease in Health Points but at the same time knew that she was doing already her best to evade and to retaliate with her Unarmed Fighting Techniques.
"This feels as if I was beating a large sandbag made out of metal that can punch me back and kill me with one blow!"
Veronica already had in mind that her 'father' also had 'absorption healing', and even at level 2! She could not give it any rest, or the moment she would, he would grab on the scattered armor pieces and heal himself completely back to normal!
Thankfully, the brute was immersed in its rage, as its entire body began to scatter debris made out of armor all around.
"The last hit!"
Veronica knew that she only needed one more 'Heavy Blow' to smash her 'father's' torso and destroy his soul.
"Charge! Heavy Blow!" she shouted, victory finally at her grasp.
However, fate was never too fond of her.
Flash!
All out of a sudden, a large dark-colored armored glove appeared from behind Veronica's, floating.
"Huh?! W-When?!"
Veronica then realized that since a few blows, she had been only evading a single fist.
"Could it be…? It recovered a little Mana and immediately used 'Long Distance Control'?! Shit!"
The floating fist was launched towards Veronica at incredible speed, if it were to hit her torso, it would be her end. Meanwhile, another fist, the one still attached to the Living Armor Commander came from her opposite direction. No matter which one she decided to evade, the other would surely crush her!
"I have no other choice! I will have to use my head, literally! Charge! Throw!" she shouted, grabbing on her helmet, and throwing it towards the floating fist while using Charge and Throw at the same time, the helmet was launched at an immense speed, covered with her Mana.
Veronica had already seen it several times, whenever a Living Armor lost its helmet, it would not die! They would instinctively seek it, but she lacked such instincts.
Flash!
Clash!
However, the floating dark fist was not stopped by the helmet! Its power easily blasting it away!
Meanwhile, from the other side, the fist was already closing in.
Veronica decided to move towards the floating fist direction, evading the arm attached to the Living Armor Commander.
Her helmet did not manage to blast the floating fist, however, it slightly moved its direction, instead of hitting her torso, it hit her shoulder.
Clash!
The floating fist then flew away due to its centrifugal force, as Veronica finally saw an opportunity yet again. The Living Armor Commander torso was exposed to her the moment it hit the ground with the arm attached to its body.
"Now…! With my remaining Mana! Charge! Heavy Blow!"
Her Mana once again gathered in her fists as they glowed in a bright blue, the powerful heavy force of her punches cracked the remaining torso of the Living Armor Commander, exposing the weak, crimson-colored soul!
CLASH!
"Guuoonnn…!!!"
Her mana imbued fists exploded against the crimson soul of the Living Armor Commander, the force made the weak soul shriek in pain, as it slowly dissipated.
The giant dark-colored armor fell over the floor, motionless.
"I-I… somehow… did it!"
[Experience Points have reached the required level!]
[Individual 'Copper Living Armor' 'Rank' has increased from level 10 to level 100!]
[Furthermore, the Individual's 'Job' has increased from level 15 to level 100!]
[The Levels of the [Unarmed Fighting Technique; Level 2], [Strengthened Physical Power; Level 2], [Throwing; Level 1], [Armor Rearrangement; Level 1], and [Physical Damage Resistance; Level 1] Skills have increased!]
Veronica felt the incredibly generous amount of Experience Points from a Rank 3 monster flow through her body. She was only Rank 1, so the amount given was already enough for her to reach the max level in both of her Rank and Job.
Beating a monster two ranks above her was an incredible achievement, she could not help but jump in happiness… if she could. She was currently in the ground; her legs had suddenly collapsed.
There was still a large number of armor pieces scattered around that she could use to restore her body, but she voraciously glanced at the dark armor of the Living Armor Commander instead, as if it were a delicious delicacy.
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[Name: Nameless (Veronica)
[Race: Copper Living Armor
[Age: 0
[Titles: None.
[Type: Undead/Ethereal/Material
[Rank: 1
[Level: 100/100
[Job: Armored Unarmed Fighter
[Job History: None.
[Level: 100/100
[Health Points: 50/50 > 125/125
[Mana Points: 130/130 > 180/180
[Strength: 40 > 98
[Defense: 95 > 170
[Magic: 42 > 82
[Resistance: 35 > 57
[Agility: 30 > 65
[Passive Skills]
[Memory Retention; Level 4]
[Special Five Senses; Level 6]
[Soul Form; Level 1 (Weakened!)]
[Mana Enlargement; Level 5]
[Magic Enlargement; Level 5]
[Abnormal Status Immunity]
[Strengthened Physical Power; Level 3]
[Physical Damage Resistance; Level 2]
[Armor Rearrangement; Level 2]
[Absorption Healing (Mineral, Materials, Armor); Level 1]
[Active Skills]
[Hardworking; Level 7]
[Appraisal; Level 6]
[Charge; Level 2]
[Coordination; Level 1]
[Unarmed Fighting Technique; Level 3]
[Throwing; Level 2]
[Shield Technique; Level 1]
