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 58

Chapter 58: The Girl’s Tears and the Intruders

 

Kuro’s parents.

 

These two statues?

 

Hearing such an unbelievable statement, Sora looked alternately between the statues and Kuro.

 

Indeed, now that it was pointed out, the gentle features of the mother’s statue did seem somewhat similar to Kuro’s.

 

However, what the ?Insight? skill revealed was only that these were the statues of two adventurers, intricately recreated by a wind spirit craftsman.

 

Of course, personal details such as who the parents were wouldn’t be included.

 

What could be understood from the situation was…

 

The adventurers who helped Aria’s parents in their romance were two adventurers from a long time ago.

 

These two adventurers were Kuro’s parents, who had passed away according to Shino.

 

Thus, it could be inferred that the adventurers from long ago were players just like them.

 

And the number of people who had played ?Astral Online? in the past was limited.

 

Yes, during the “Closed Beta Test.”

 

Sora, reflecting on this, arrived at a troubling conclusion.

 

A very unpleasant feeling arose.

 

The “Closed Beta Test.”

 

The statues of Kuro’s parents who had passed away according to Shino.

 

She had recently researched an urban legend that connected these two points.

 

In other words, her parents were—

 

“Kuro, could it be that your parents were part of the “Closed Beta Test” for Astral Online…?”

 

When he asked, Kuro nodded slightly in affirmation.

 

“…Sora, will you really listen to my story properly?”

 

“Yes, I’ll listen carefully.”

 

“You won’t call me a liar?”

 

“No, I won’t say that at all.”

 

Gazing directly into her eyes.

 

Receiving Sora’s heartfelt words, Kuro spoke through her tears about her parents.

 

Her parents, who had won the chance to play the closed beta test for Astral Online, were excitedly playing.

 

One day, suddenly, right before her eyes, they turned into light and vanished.

 

Even when she spoke the truth, adults other than Shino told her they had left her behind.

 

Her classmates at school called her a liar, and no one believed her.

 

Her beloved parents were nowhere to be found, leaving her heartbroken and in despair.

 

“…I didn’t know what to do…!”

 

So, when Shino invited her, she started playing Astral Online.

 

At least, she wanted to find out what had happened to her parents.

 

Hearing this, Sora made a sorrowful face and embraced her, holding her tightly as she looked at her with pleading eyes.

 

Kuro grasped Sora’s clothes tightly with trembling hands, choking on her sobs.

 

“It must have been so hard for you, Kuro.”

 

“Sora… do you… believe me?”

 

“I do. Of course, I believe you. After all, Kuro, you are my junior and an important partner.”

 

“…Sora…”

 

Unable to hold back her overflowing emotions, the girl cried out loudly.

 

“……”

 

The enormity of her misfortune was beyond words.

 

The rumors about the many missing persons during the Astral Online beta test turned out to be true.

 

They vanished while playing the game.

 

Given the situation they were in, there was only one plausible explanation.

 

Kuro’s parents likely had their “Life Point” drop to zero while playing.

 

Though this is only a guess, it is the only explanation that makes sense.

 

During the beta test, there was no visible impact from Astral Online on the real world.

 

However, unbeknownst to Sora and the others, that game had been influencing reality since then.

 

One such instance was the “disappearance of high-level players” that occurred just before the beta test ended.

 

“Kuro-sama…”

 

The girl with emerald hair also didn’t know what to say and was at a loss for words.

 

Her face showed that she wanted to support Kuro in any way she could as a companion.

 

But could their words, coming from someone whose parents were still alive, truly comfort her?

 

Thinking about that, Sora found herself unable to say anything.

 

“Kuro…”

 

So, Sora, wanting to offer whatever support she could, embraced the crying girl tightly.

 

‘…Both of you, your daughters are crying,’ Looking up at the statues, Sora murmured to herself.

 

As she continued to gaze, a thought crossed her mind.

 

The father’s name was Hart.

 

The name of the Dark Knight she encountered yesterday was also Hart.

 

Although her face was hidden by armor, upon closer inspection, there were matching details like height and the greatsword.

 

Moreover, the Dark Knight had said…

 

?I has a daughter, about your age. I haven’t seen her in over six months, so I’m extremely worried.?

?I don’t know how to get back. On top of that, I’ve become separated from my wife. I need to find her first to find my way home.?

 

Hey, could it be…?

 

A hypothesis surfaced in Sora’s mind, and if it were correct, the identity of the Dark Knight might be…

 

No, it might not be right to raise such hopes and give her false expectations.

 

If it turns out to be wrong, it could hurt Kuro even more.

 

After a brief hesitation, Sora steeled herself.

 

“Kuro, actually, I—”

 

?? It was at that moment.

 

Sora felt an overwhelming killing intent from behind, and her entire body broke out in goosebumps.

 

Years of intuition screamed danger with all its might.

 

There was no time to warn with words, and in her current state, Kuro couldn’t move properly.

 

Supporting her, Sora turned around and saw a pitch-black greatsword descending from above.

 

Faster than her thoughts, she drew the ?Silver Sword? from its sheath at her waist and activated ?Sword Guard II?.

 

He intercepted the incoming strike head-on.

 

“Ugh…!?”

 

“Oh, so you’re stopping this?”

 

If she had been even a second late, she would have been cut in two.

 

The immense force caused her knees to buckle, almost bringing her to the floor.

 

With blades crossing between them, Sora locked eyes with the fully armored Dark Knight.

 

The character ?Dark Knight? Hart, whom she had met during the search quest yesterday, was the one trying to cut through both her and Kuro.

 

“Ah, you are…!”

 

At the same time as she was shocked, Sora clicked her tongue.

 

The opponent was level 156.

 

Moreover, the strength of the weapon revealed by the Insight skill was significantly superior to his own sword, with an attack power of [A+].

 

Even with ?Sword Guard II? protecting her, if she continued to endure, it was inevitable that both her beloved sword and Kuro would be cut down.

 

So, the best course of action he could take in this situation was clear.

 

“Aria, take care of Kuro!”

 

“Got it!”

 

In response to Sora’s request, Aria moved immediately.

 

The princess swiftly took Kuro, who was paralyzed by grief and the sudden ambush, from Sora’s arms and withdrew.

 

With both hands now free, Sora firmly gripped the hilt of her sword and deflected the black sword to the ground with skillful swordplay.

 

She then spun around and activated the two-hit attack skill ?Dual Nail II?.

 

Armed with a blade emitting green flashes, she charged at the Dark Knight.

 

However, despite the Dark Knight’s heavy armor, he quickly evaded with a backstep, creating distance and smiling as he readied his greatsword.

 

“Ha, as expected of someone who can deflect a Leviathan General’s attack with skills. Not only did you manage to parry my sword with your technique, but you even managed to counterattack. I didn’t expect that.”

 

The fact that he knew about the fight with the Leviathan General meant that this person must have been watching their battle somewhere at that time.

 

Sora remained on guard, with her sword poised.

 

The Dark Knight raised his index finger and said with amusement.

 

“As a reward for opening the sealing door, let me tell you my objective. I came here to retrieve the [Jade Ring] under the orders of the Queen of Helheim.”

 

“H-Helheim!? Why would the Queen of the Underworld want the ring!”

 

Aria interjected in surprise, but he shook his head.

 

“I can’t tell you that, ignorant fairy princess.”

 

“……”

 

“Aria, step back and focus on defense.”

 

Sora restrained her from pressing further with a hand and stepped forward.

 

“…Hart, is that the reason you’re turning your blade against us?”

 

“Ah, that’s right. I wanted to deal with the most troublesome one first, but life is never as planned!”

 

The Dark Knight, shouting and raising his greatsword.

 

The sharp, piercing pressure made Sora involuntarily catch his breath.

 

“You won’t give in, will you? Then you’re in the way. I’ll kill everyone here and take the ring.”

 

He had initiated the ambush first, so there was no room for negotiation.

 

The kind demeanor Sora had encountered in the flower field was nowhere to be seen.

 

Seeing the aggressive stance of the Dark Knight, Sora felt like doubting her own eyes.

 

Yet, the information provided by the ?Insight? skill only confirmed that he was indeed the ?Unknown? Hart that Sora had met the other day.

 

But if my guess is correct…

 

Facing the directed killing intent head-on, Sora asked him a single question.

 

“Could it be that you were a beta tester for this game?”

 

“…Why do you ask that?”

 

“The way you respond to my question suggests that you are not a resident of this world.”

 

“…Ah, that’s right! I am a foolish man trapped in this damned world, who left behind my only daughter in reality and became separated from my wife, the only support for my heart!”

 

The Dark Knight, furious with himself, slammed his greatsword into the ground.

 

Sora remained unshaken and stared at the enraged man.

 

“What is your daughter’s name?”

 

“What good would telling you do!”

 

“If I might know your daughter, what would you do?”

 

“Wha…”

 

The Dark Knight was at a loss for words.

I pressed on, continuing to address him.

 

“If you heard that your daughter was playing this game, what would you do?”

 

“Hahaha, that’s impossible! She’s not good at fighting. There’s no way she would play a game like this!”

 

Sora glanced briefly at Kuro.

 

Although she had been trained by Shino, her player skills were high.

 

If that’s something she desperately acquired in order to search for clues about her parents, it’s truly admirable.

 

“…Hart, what if this child is your daughter?”

 

“…………!?”

 

The Dark Knight’s gaze shifted to Kuro.

 

As Sora watched in tense silence, Hart looked at Kuro with suspicion for a while before murmuring in a small voice.

 

“Could it be, Kurono…?”

 

“Dad…?”

 

Their gazes crossed.

 

The Dark Knight, whose eyes had widened in disbelief, lost the battle intent he had been emitting.

 

His real daughter.

 

If he looked closely, he should be able to understand who she was even without words.

 

Seeing his long-awaited daughter, Hart was about to drop his sword and rush over.

 

Suddenly, deep crimson lines ran across the surface of his armor.

 

“Ahhhh!! you guys, run???Guu, Gaaaaaaahhh!!?”

 

“Dad!”

 

“What’s happening!?”

 

His eye color changed from black to red.

 

The once gentle atmosphere was replaced by a tremendous killing intent directed at them from Hart.

 

Could it be that the armor has a brainwashing effect?

 

As Sora examined it with her ?Insight? skill, she frowned.

 

—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–

?Cursed Armor of the Dark Knight?
?Rank? A
?Effect? If the wearer forgets their purpose, they enter a “Rage” state until they fulfill the king’s orders or their HP drops below 50%.

—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–

 

Growling like a ferocious beast, Hart, having lost his reason, took up his greatsword.

 

It was clear that Kuro’s words wouldn’t reach her now.

 

…The opponent is “level 156.”

 

Undoubtedly, the strongest opponent in the current environment.

 

Standing in front of the Dark Knight, who was exuding murderous intent while Kuro and Aria stood behind her, Sora said to her, “Stay there. I’ll help your father now.”

 

Having made up her mind, Sora drew her ?Silver Sword? and clashed with the charging Dark Knight.