Pick Me Up!

Chapter 140: On The Sea (4) (1)

The base capture process was over.

We had gathered all the items needed for the subjection, and the party to kick off the mission was decided.

Han, Jenna, Velkist, Katiio, and Eloka.

Now, until the time for hunting came, all we had to do was sharpen and polish our swords.

The next day, I gathered all members except Katiio at the training grounds.

“…Hehe.”

Eloka was smiling for some reason, looking quite pleased.

Ignoring her, I continued.

“Once the mission starts, we’ll lead the airship and find the statue of the goddess as quickly as possible.”

“And then activate the goddess’s blessing, right?”

“Right. With our current manpower, we won’t last long. The more we delay, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us.”

Reviewing the logs of Anytng, we could see that there were 25 heroes available for the boss battle.

It was the same setup as the 30th floor.

“We have five bottles of Mermaid’s Tears. That means five of us will fight at the forefront. The rest will defend near the statue of the goddess.”

I scanned the room as I spoke.

“The attacking team will be me, Jenna, Velkist, Neryssa, and Eloka. That’s how we’ll split up.”

“Is it possible to fight underwater? It won’t be easy.”

I looked at Eloka.

“Eloka, can you use level 4 flame magic underwater?”

“I’ve gotten used to it on land. I can barely manage for 30 seconds. Underwater is… well…”

“Speak clearly.”

“I, I can do it!”

“Good.”

Her response seemed uncertain, but as long as she could use it, that was enough.

I explained the positions of the first party members.

Velkist, Neryssa, and I would take the direct aggro of the boss in the front.

Jenna would handle the minions likely to be near the boss and interfere only when possible.

Finally…

“You’re on the attack.”

“…Me?”

“Our damage is weak underwater.”

Even with equipment modifications and training, it was inevitable that our combat power would be reduced compared to on land.

Magic, as long as the environment was right, could unleash its full power anywhere.

“We’ll create an opening, and then you use your magic. Can you do it?”

Eloka hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly with a serious expression.

“It’s not like there’s no room. Just maximize the specs within that time.”

“Understood.”

I directed the training.

We skipped all training regimes other than underwater training, allowing only the minimum necessary rest.

The training duration was about 20 hours a day. If it were in the waiting room, we could adjust the time, but we were in the middle of a mission. There was no time to rest.

“Let’s start right away.”

I stood up, gripping my sheath.

‘The most important thing is…’

With Katiio excluded, the key to this battle was Eloka.

She would be responsible for the primary attack of the first party.

The training began.

Eloka seemed to have learned basic swimming in the waiting room.

She moved through the water easily, splashing around. But…

“Magic is not that easy, okay?”

“First of all, spells don’t work underwater. You have to keep your mouth shut. If you don’t chant spells it becomes very difficult to control elemental magic.”

Eloka hurriedly added as I remained silent.

“It’s not that I can’t do it! I just need time, until I can perform silent chants.”

I pulled up Eloka’s status window.

She had mastered multiple chanting and rapid chanting.

Her magic casting on land had noticeably sped up.

“I’ve mastered the theory. I just need practice.”

“Understood.”

“I can do it.”

Eloka confidently tapped her chest and entered the water.

She practiced magic on wooden dummies underwater. But for now, bubbles were just bubbling around the dummies.

‘For now, all I can do is watch.’

I need to be able to play my part first.

Clearing my mind, I dived into the pool.

The red circle in the sea was gradually covering the entire field.

The airship slowly retreated to the outskirts, and we dedicated ourselves to training day by day.

Two days later, Jenna and I were able to rise to level 4 in underwater combat.

After our skill level increased, we immediately measured our 100m time, and it barely broke the 40-second mark.

World-record level. In a way, it was expected. As we approached level 30, we easily surpassed the limits of human physical ability. Diving with a handful of breaths became possible for up to 10 minutes.

Late into the evening, after underwater practice, we dedicated ourselves to weapon skills training outside of the water.

“…”

I took a breath.

Filling my lungs halfway, I gripped the hilt of my sword firmly and put strength into my toes. I swung the sword horizontally.

Boom!

A V-shaped column of water exploded upwards.

Swinging the sword had created a storm-like air pressure.

As my level increased, my physical abilities surpassed human limits, continuing to improve steadily.

The same was true for skills. Various passive skills, including swordsmanship, had noticeably improved since my visit to Niflheimr.

But…

‘This is problematic.’

I opened my status window.

[Han Israt (★★★) Lv. 33(Exp 134/330)]

[Class: Warrior]

[Strength: 73/73]

[Intelligence: 10/10]

[Stamina: 66/66]

[Agility: 64/64]josei

[Owned Skills: Intermediate Swordsmanship(Lv.4), Heavenly Sword Spirit(Lv.2), Power Strike(Lv.3), Insight(Lv.6), Fire Resistance(Lv.3) Pain Resistance(Lv.6), Composure(Lv.7), Frenzy(Lv.8), Invincible(Lv.3), Dragon Slayer(Lv.1), Horsemanship(Lv.1), Underwater Combat(Lv.4)]

A total of twelve skills.

Three related to weapon skills. Three related to mental abilities. Two resistances. Three auxiliary skills. And one extra.

‘It’s not good.’

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!