Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Encounter with the Black Princess

 

???Silver Sword Princess?.

 

That was the nickname everyone in Astral Online was talking about, and they gave it to me.

 

The source of this nickname originated from a certain social media post that my younger sister showed me in real life.

 

Among players, it has become quite well-known, and one customer mentioned that there isn’t a high-level player who doesn’t know about it.

 

If she’s referring to me by that name, does it mean she’s also a high-level player?

 

To be sure, I activated my Insight skill.

 

What appeared in my view was the status of the girl standing in front of me.

 

——————————

?Adventurer? Kuro

?Level? 14

?Profession? Martial Artist, Skill Level 7

——————————

 

I see, her level is higher than Glen’s and Kirie’s.

 

Given her class as a ?Martial Artist?, it seems she specializes in close-combat fighting.

 

The black-haired girl stood in front of the register, gazing at me with half-closed eyes that looked sleepy.

 

…What kind of eyes does she have?

 

Her eyes were dark and cold, with a chilling, almost sinister aura.

 

There wasn’t a hint of light in them.

 

Staring back at her for too long felt like being trapped in an illusion that eroded my spirit.

 

Despite her gaze, which seemed unimaginable for someone in their teens, I faced it head-on and endured.

 

Unfortunately, I’m also a VR gamer.

 

The only things I truly fear in this world are my younger sister and my cousin who lives abroad.

 

She looked slightly surprised, then a smile appeared on her lips.

 

“You’re impressive.”

 

“Impressive in what way?”

 

“…You’re only the fourth person, including the captain, Kirie, and Shio, who has looked me in the eye and not looked away.”

 

“I see. That’s good to hear.”

 

If Kilie, who is strong-willed, were to face her, she could do so with ease.

 

I was curious about what kind of person this ‘commander’ the girl mentioned was and how strong they are, but I’ll put that aside for now.

 

What’s a bit surprising is that she knows my younger sister, Shio. I’ll ask about her when we log out for dinner.

 

While I was lost in thought, the girl suddenly extended her right hand and said to me with her small lips.

 

“I came to pick up the sword I had for maintenance. It’s the black sword—did Kirie leave it here?”

 

“Oh, that sword was yours?”

 

I told the girl to “wait a moment” and turned my back to her, picking up the black sword, ?Night Cherry?, which was hanging on the wall behind me.

 

I handed it to her with both hands respectfully. The black-haired girl accepted it with one hand, strapped it to her waist, and proceeded to pay the fee.

 

Sora bowed her head as the payment of 10,000 El for the maintenance was made with a ‘ting’ sound.

 

“Thank you very much—”

 

In that instant, my instincts, honed from countless deaths in the VR dark fantasy game ?Dark Knight?, triggered an urgent alert.

 

Something was coming. I cut off my customer service routine and sharply turned my head to the side.

 

I saw a sharp, black flash dart past me, barely grazing my ear.

 

Though there was no damage, my ear stung a bit.

 

Despite my sixth sense prompting me to take evasive action, I couldn’t understand what had just happened.

 

The system detected my tense state, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on my forehead.

 

Slowly, I raised my gaze from the floor.

 

There, as if nothing had happened, stood the black-haired girl. She was frozen in the stance of her sword attack, having just drawn the blade from its scabbard and performing the sword strike skill, Strike Sword.

 

…Huh?

 

I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing.

 

It was fortunate that I had avoided the attack, but if I had been hit with the blade, the damage pain system would have activated and blocked pain beyond a certain threshold.

 

However, we weren’t in a duel.

 

Even if I had been hit by the blade, my life points wouldn’t decrease, and any actions causing pain outside of a duel would result in a count of “sins” and potentially a penalty for her.

 

Besides, this was our first meeting.

 

I had no recollection of doing anything to provoke her to strike at such a vital spot so suddenly.

 

As I stood there, confused, the girl sheathed her sword with a graceful motion and introduced herself with genuine enthusiasm.

 

“I’m Kuro. What’s your player name?”

 

“……”

 

In this situation, is she completely out of her mind?

 

The other players in the store, as well as Shin and Rou, were all staring in shock at the girl, clearly taken aback.

 

Honestly, I don’t want to engage with such a psychopathic girl, but I am a person of normal common sense.

 

Reluctantly, I rubbed my stinging left ear with my fingers, shot her a disdainful glance, and said my player name.

 

“…I’m Sora.”

 

“Sora, got it.”

 

She nodded without paying much attention to my glare and began operating something with one hand.

 

It didn’t take long for me to realize what was happening.

 

A notification arrived through the system from her.

 

It was an application for a complete duel resolution.

 

Seeing the “YES/NO” prompt that had been sent by Gald in the plaza earlier, I widened my eyes and shot her a suspicious look.

 

Is this woman out of her mind?

 

Moreover, this is inside Kirie’s shop, someone she knows.

 

Requesting a duel—especially a complete resolution where life points are entirely depleted—in a place that could inconvenience an acquaintance is beyond inconsiderate.

 

I sighed and, with an exasperated tone, firmly told her.

 

“I’m entrusted with running Kirie’s shop. I can’t just casually accept a duel.”

 

I immediately selected NO.

 

Kuro placed her hand over her mouth, thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and looked around.

 

“Where’s Kirie?”

 

“Kirie is currently in the workshop making my weapon.”

 

“I see… Then I’ll wait here until she returns.”

 

Kuro said this and then moved to the register counter, sticking very close to me.

 

Moreover, to make sure I couldn’t escape, she subtly entwined her arm with mine.

 

“What?”

 

The unexpected turn of events nearly froze Sora’s thinking.

 

Normally, a beautiful girl like Kuro sticking close to her would be something a man might enjoy, but unfortunately, she was not a normal person.

 

With a dangerous individual who might suddenly launch an attack at her head clinging to her, Sora looked to her friends for help.

 

However, when their eyes met: ?Sorry, can’t help?.

 

They shook their heads and went back to cleaning.

 

Other players who had been glancing at Sora now turned back to the products and stopped looking her way.

 

She was completely isolated. Someone, please help!

 

Meanwhile, Kuro cheerfully said, “You’re the first person who perfectly avoided my surprise attack,” as if discussing something sinister.

 

Could it be that this girl does this to everyone she meets?

 

With a strained expression, Sora noticed Kuro shaking her head in denial.

 

“Of course, I only do it to people who look strong,” she said.

 

“No, you shouldn’t do it at all.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m careful not to hit anyone who doesn’t look like they can avoid it.”

 

“That’s not the issue…”

 

“?”

 

Kuro tilted her head like a small animal.

 

Seeing this, Sora gave up on explaining common sense and stared up at the ceiling.

 

This won’t work. She’s fundamentally messed up, and nothing will get through to her.

 

What kind of upbringing did her parents give her?

 

Sora wanted to say just one thing about how they raised a seemingly cute girl into a psychopathic troublemaker.

 

“Alright, I’ve decided.”

 

“Decided what?”

 

“Once Kirie returns, we’ll have a duel with a half-damage resolution. If I win, you’ll never try to test players with surprise attacks again.”

 

“What if I win?”

 

“I’ll do whatever you ask. But that’s only if you win.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Kuro’s expression brightened slightly.

 

Sora, seeing her contemplating what to ask for, smiled a malicious grin in her heart.

 

Don’t think you can beat me, little girl, especially when I’m using a cheat character.

 

Her two best friends watched this exchange and thought there would likely be another altercation.