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 219
Chapter 219: Father Does Not Approve
This is inside ?Astral Online?.
Currently, we’re in one of the nameless villages scattered across the wastelands.
The scene before us features rows of wooden houses that appear to have drawn inspiration from Japanese culture, reminiscent of the Edo period seen in old TV shows.
At the center of the village is a large water source, which supplies water to the fields that sustain the villagers’ livelihoods.
Outside the village, men and women of all ages from the Oni tribe, identifiable by the horns on their heads and their traditional Japanese attire, walk about.
Hanging from their waists are weapons resembling Japanese swords, each less than a meter long.
This is not a safe zone; apparently, monster attacks occur here from time to time. Hence, most of the villagers carry weapons for self-defense.
In the Edo period, there were cases of random killings, but would something like that happen in this world?
Now that I think about it, apart from those who worship the Great Calamity or the Knights of Helheim, I don’t recall ever seeing NPCs commit acts of malice.
In ?Sky Fantasy?, the game I used to play, there was a system akin to national trust levels.
By resolving issues like banditry within the country several times, players could unlock an event to earn the title of “Knight.”
As these thoughts wandered through my mind, providing a brief escape from reality for a few minutes,
“Sora-kun, draw your sword!”
I, known as the strongest enchanter in ?Astral Online?, am now facing my greatest crisis yet.
Displayed before me is the *Duel Request* system, which unlocks PvP battles between players.
And the rules? Not the usual *Half-Defeat* mode where the battle ends once health drops to 50%, but the far more severe *Complete Defeat* mode, where a player loses one of their remaining lives when their HP hits zero.
Looking away from the system screen, I fixed my gaze on the person responsible for this request.
Standing before me, clad in black-and-white armor, was none other than Hart or Haruto, a beta player. He’s Kuro’s father and Arisa’s husband.
In his hand, he gripped the SSS-rank greatsword ?Eckesachs?, its dark blade pointing straight at me.
Since we parted ways in the Forest of Spirits, he must have been grinding hard to level up. Back then, he was level 150, but now he’s reached level 170.
I had only just reached level 100 recently, and compared to him, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Despite such a massive level gap, the reason this professional gamer issued a serious duel challenge to me, an amateur, was painfully clear.
“I won’t approve! If you want to officially date my daughter, you’ll have to defeat me, her father, first!”
“Dad…”
Kuro looked exasperated, seeing her father pointing his sword at me with tears streaming down his face.
Meanwhile, his wife, Arisa, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation. She had been stifling her laughter at her husband’s overly serious demeanor.
“I had a feeling this would turn into one of those ridiculously cliché situations, but I can’t believe he’s actually doing it…”
Murmuring, “This is why Haruto-kun is the best,” she showed no signs of stepping in to stop him, leaving me inwardly clutching my head in frustration.
Still, as Kuro’s father, I could understand Hart’s feelings as a man.
Hearing out of nowhere that your beloved only daughter has a boyfriend? It’d be tough for anyone to accept that easily.
(But just because I understand doesn’t mean I can back down with a simple “Alright, I get it.”)
My feelings for Kuro aren’t something I can yield on, not even to her father.
Just as he loves his daughter, I love her more than anyone else in the world.
So, for now, I decided to make him a proposal.
“Um, I’m okay with fighting, but I’ve only just been able to confirm the changes to my profession’s mechanics. Could we start with a light sparring session?”
“…Alright, let’s do that for the first thirty minutes.”
“And, more importantly, Hart-san, your *Remaining Life Points* is already below 50. For Kuro and Arisa-san’s sake, let’s be careful and settle this using the *Half-Defeat Rule.*”
“Hmm…”
Hart frowned the moment I suggested changing the rules.
“…No, but that would undermine my resolve!”
“Instead of a resolve closer to death, please prioritize surviving as long as possible. Beta players like you can’t leave this world until the game is cleared.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Dad, I want you to use the *Half-Defeat Rule* too.”
“Ugh…!”
Hart faltered slightly at my reasoning, only for Kuro to immediately chime in with a sharp remark.
It was clear he couldn’t completely ignore his daughter’s request.
Even so, as Hart hesitated and groaned in indecision, his wife, Arisa, quietly approached him and whispered something into his ear.
The next moment, Hart’s eyes, visible behind his helmet, widened dramatically.
“Alright, we’ll do as Sora-kun suggested! The battle rules will be *Half-Defeat,* and the first thirty minutes will be for testing skills!”
“Ah, thank you so much…”
“No need to thank me! I’m the elder here. It wouldn’t be right to keep troubling someone younger like you for too long!”
His sudden change of heart left me scratching my head with a wry smile.
What just happened?
Hart, who had been stubbornly resisting until a moment ago, now seemed oddly rattled as he accepted all my requests.
It was easy to guess that whatever Arisa had whispered to him had caused the abrupt shift.
As I looked at the *Half-Defeat* rule acceptance screen in front of me, I stole a glance at Arisa, who stood beside Kuro.
Catching my eye, Arisa flashed me a perfectly executed wink.
“I just gently told him, ‘If you keep bothering these two, I’ll beat you to a pulp in a *Full-Defeat* match’,” she said with a sweet smile.
“*Gently,* huh…?”
Remembering Arisa’s overwhelming strength from her battles against the gray angel Iblis and the Helheim knight Ritter, I shuddered.
Hart might be powerful, but judging by his reaction, there was clearly a significant gap in skill between the two of them.
Their dynamic reminded me of my own parents, and I couldn’t help but sense who had the upper hand in their relationship.
*He’s definitely under her thumb…*
As I glanced at Hart with a hint of sympathy, he noticed and let out an exaggerated cough. With a dramatic flourish, he raised his pitch-black greatsword into an overhead stance.
“Ahem! Now, let’s change locations and start with a light warm-up!”
“It’s a pleasure to spar with you.”
After accepting the duel request, a shield enveloped us, blocking any interference from others.