Arrogance

Not in many cases having a wide array of skills in your arsenal will be advantageous, in fact, it would be the opposite. Momonga thought that rather than having only a few variations, it would be better to have something else without further consideration.

Anubis was well aware of the long casting time required for 「Firebolt!」, which was almost three times longer than its basic spell, promising increased damage in prospect. However, it was actually a slight misconception.

The lengthy cast time was a distinct weakness that Anubis took advantage of, using that duration to strategize. It can't be said if it was lucky that no one tried to disrupt Momonga's chanting, but it didn't mean Anubis couldn't do it at all; he simply assessed the situation wasn't a dead threat.

Furthermore, the cooldown of 「Firebolt!」 was almost twice as long as that of a regular 「Fireball!」. Combining all of this, it only brought disadvantages to the caster rather than an advantage.

"Certainly, if a mage masters Firebolt! not only in a matter of the skill's level but also its application in a real battle, they would be troublesome in many ways," Anubis calmly stated.

But there is one crucial thing among all, this issue is completely overlooked by those adventurers. "...That is, you treat skills just as one-time-use utensils, which is a tremendous waste," Anubis continued.

Momonga was taken aback by his own realization. He was a gamer, so it was natural for them to view skills as something to use, right? But no, this wasn't just a game. No, Momonga refused to accept that this world was merely a game, even though he was "playing" it.

By adopting that perspective, the use of skills would be truly diverse, not limited to simply pressing a button. Momonga completely forgot that this wasn't a console and instead brought his old-fashioned habits into this world. It was a massive misconception.

Looking ahead, there were his companions who hadn't fully recovered yet after being hit by his 「Firebolt!」. As a result, not only was his avatar immobilized, but Momonga also received double the damage, causing his health bar to immediately turn red in flicker. "So... is it also your thinking that has brought me to this critical state as well, Sir Anubis?" he questioned.

The two adventurers behind Anubis had taken some serious damage, thanks to the 「Firebolt!」 cast by Momonga. Yes, he had indeed already shaped this situation in his head before. But not in the case of the caster himself. "I simply intended to reduce your HP in various ways, but this outcome was a little unexpected."

Initially, Anubis planned to attack the mage with physical strikes as much as possible, as leaving him who played the role of magic DPS, unchecked, could be quite troublesome. Anubis never expected the caster to be completely paralyzed and receive twice the amount of damage he dealt to his comrades. "You refer to it as a penalty, don't you? I have just learned about it."

Momonga smiled wryly upon hearing that. "Of course, you're just an NPC after all, how could you know about us player's perspective?"

It would make more sense if they simply referred to Anubis as a vampire instead of 'NPC'. It seems the calling is a distinguishing term between the adventurers—or as this person called themself as 'players' just now—and Anubis, who is a vampire. It's also his obligation to seek out the meaning and usage of the various words he has learned during this encounter.

Interrogating them is what Anubis is most interested in right now. At least that way, he can learn more from these humans and expand his knowledge. However, the circumstances are not favorable for him to do so. The two adventurers behind him are already awake.

There was a calculation that occurred during the first battle. Anubis measured his own strength and those above his level. Each individual human and classes may have different resistances, but just looking at the big picture can still be useful in such situations.

Anubis did manage to inflict damage, but it wasn't significant enough to defeat them in just two or three attacks. On the other hand, the damage from the Lv.1 0s Momonga was greater than what he could inflict.

However, nonetheless, the action of choosing the safest option is the most appropriate way of surviving.

There are reasons for this as well.

At first, Anubis doesn't consider these humans to be a major threat, but there is something extraordinary behind it all. It is their potential for improvement and development, which is significantly fast. All of this can be seen from their previous battle against the blue monster.

Besides, Anubis doesn't have any significant reason to let them live after obtaining this golden opportunity, where all his foe's HP's critically low. Now, as long as he doesn't allow them to recover, his chances of winning will be ensured.

And thus, perhaps, one of his curiosities after his awakening in this world would be answered.

In this moment, the mage falls to his knees as the penalty period ends, he should be able to move his avatar. However, the spirit within him had extinguished.

Speaking of magic—fire spell, to be precise—Anubis is briefly reminded of something. Unconsciously, his right hand extends towards Momonga's face. "I... myself also want to show you something," he mused in a somewhat uncertain tone, "but my current state doesn't allow me to do so."

Intrigued, Momonga raises his face slightly. He can't clearly see the vampire's expression as most of it is obscured by the open hand in front of him.

Is this vampire talking about a skill? Speaking of which, Momonga has never seen Anubis use any magic skills since the beginning. Is he finally going to use one now, to kill him?

As a Pure Vampire, different from just a Vampire, Anubis possesses several special skills and talents. "I can feel them... but for a reason, I still feel unable to materialize them," he stated.

As Anubis takes a resigned breath, he delivers an absolute attack. In a fleeting moment, streaks of light, five in total, cleave through Momonga's body as Anubis finishes his hand motion.

Momonga witnesses it too. In the moment of his death, he finally realizes something. That the figure standing before him is not just—but his health bar vanishes, followed by his in-game character.

[Base Exp+819%]

[!] Base Level-UP: 1 » 8

[Class Exp+409.5%]

[!] Class Level-UP: 0 » 4

_

"Why so weak," Anubis complains.

It's reasonable to feel disappointed. Obviously, Momonga only had a small amount of HP left, but Anubis couldn't finish him off with his strongest attack. In truth, Momonga's HP was depleted because of the Bleed+ effect that accompanied Anubis's claws.

Maybe if he wasn't under the effect of 「Rays Susceptibility」, his damage he dealt would add in numbers, but in the end, it's all the same. Anubis's attributes status are too low. Has it been like this from the beginning?

"You..." Kiritwo wakes up after realizing he's too late to save his comrade. "Just because you killed that Mage doesn't mean you can be arrogant, vampire!" he yells.

Anubis turns to face him. It seems someone has misunderstood his murmurs just now. Anubis was only commenting on the discrepancy in his status, not belittling anyone. Although they are indeed weak, yes.

"Straight to Lv. 8, huh? You're not stronger than that Noisy Witch," sneers Kiritwo. Losing one person in their group doesn't leave any emotions in him. After all, this is just a game. In fact, the fewer players remaining, the better for him. Because—"That way, I can keep your drops for myself."