Coup De Grâce

Lingzhi has been relentlessly attacking my cabin within the trailer for over two hours now. Despite her aggressive efforts, they have proven futile due to the layer of barrier spells I've cast to protect my cabin. Whenever she manages to destroy one barrier, I immediately recast it, creating an endless cycle of protection.

-- Is she still going at it? -- Esha asked.

- Yes, it seems she has quite the stamina, - I replied.

-- Perhaps she's using buff spells to enhance her stamina and physical abilities, -- Asha chimed in.

- Buff spells? -

-- Yes, buff spells are quite common among fighter-type adventurers. They use their mana to catalyze and enhance their physical strength and other attributes, -- Esha explained.

Lingzhi's face appeared fatigued as she continued her assault.

- Hey, could you please stop targeting my cabin? -

--- As I suspected, you understand human language. And no, I won't stop until you surrender the three elves!! --- Lingzhi retorted.

The sun set and the moons arise, lingzhi already stopped attacking realizing her attacked was fultile, she chained her self into my trailer, while watching my trailer carefully.

As the sun set and the moons rose, Lingzhi had finally ceased her attack, realizing its futility. She had chained herself to my trailer, maintaining a watchful eye on its movements.

Driving through the darkness, I noticed an area bathed in a soft blue light. Upon approaching, a colossal mushroom tree came into view. Emitting a gentle blue glow and luminescent dust, the surroundings transformed into a vast jungle dominated by these towering blue mushrooms in place of ordinary trees.

Ishi and Esha gazed out of the windshield, entranced by the beauty of this unique landscape. However, Esha sat tight, seemingly uninterested, with her eyes closed.

Lingzhi used a cloth to cover her nose and mouth, protecting herself from the dust in the air.

Navigating through this mushroom forest proved to be a challenging task. I promptly activated my unique skill "Lumber Jack," summoning a chainsaw from my bumper.

While driving, I cut down the giant mushrooms, collecting mushroom spores and flesh along the way. To my surprise, upon checking my status screen, I noticed my level had jumped to 71. Additionally, all my unique and non-basic skills had automatically leveled up, thanks to the experience gained.

Over the course of my journey, I had amassed a total of 11,000 points. Initially, I had spent my first 10,003 points acquiring and upgrading basic skills.

Perusing my inventory, I observed a diverse collection of items acquired during my travels. Yet, I found myself puzzled by the presence of wyvern scales, as I hadn't been in the vicinity of Mt. Evac when I defeated the wyvern. Just then, Alex interjected.

--- Since you acquired and maxed out the basic skill "GREED," 100% of each item that can be looted from enemies you defeat will automatically transfer to your inventory. ---

I see, wait a minute, why does Alex always respond when I'm thinking? Can you read my mind?

--- Since you're a truck, you don't possess a traditional mind. All your memories and intellect are stored within the system memory, As I have access to the system, it's possible for me to access everything in your "mind," including your memories. However, I follow a privacy protocol, so I can only access things that require explanation, such as questions or topics that confuse you. ---

Wait a minute, since you can access memories, can you locate the memories where I stored all the music I know and play it while I'm driving?

--- Yes, that's possible. Would you like me to install a music player module? ---

- Yes, please! -

/ INSTALLING MODULE 1/1

/ INSTALLATION COMPLETE

// RETRIEVING MUSIC FROM MEMORY...

// RETRIEVING MUSIC SUCCESS

// YOUR MUSIC PLAYER NOW HAS 1027 AVAILABLE TRACKS

- Whoa, I didn't realize I had so much music stored. -

I immediately played the music while demolishing everything in my path, startling the elves.

// RA RA RASPUTIN...

After repeating the same song about ten times, Ishi began to sing along. Esha seemed irritated, while Asha clapped her hands, following the beat.

And throughout the night, we continued our journey.

/ Human Continent / Mogul Kingdom Territory

We successfully navigated through the forest of gigantic mushrooms and were now traveling across mountainous terrain towards the Great Serpent Road. This road connected the Mogul port to the kingdom's capital and the various villages within its borders.

A heavy rain began to pour, and Lingzhi persisted in her attacks, relentlessly attempting to break through my cabin.

As always, I erected a barrier to fend off her assaults, waiting for her to tire herself out. I had already attempted to eliminate her using the mini gun, but her impressive speed allowed her to block every bullet I fired.

Using the death ray gun wasn't an option since i don't want my trailer to be filled with melted human flesh. Suddenly, large stones started plummeting from the upper ground, prompting me to hastily cast a barrier over my entire body to shield us from the incoming projectiles. I noticed there were people on the higher ground.

-- Those are mountain bandits. Since these mountains offer a quicker route to the Mogul port, merchants often take this path, making them prime targets for bandits looking to steal their goods, -- Esha explained.

- You seem to know a lot about the human continent, despite being an elf, - I replied.

-- Yes, since the three of us were former adventurers. Before the Third Great War, we used to travel from continent to continent, - Esha explained.

Suddenly, Lingzhi unchained herself and leaped from my trailer towards the bandits. She swiftly hurled her spear at one of the bandits, piercing his head. As the spear impaled him, she expertly caught it and used it to strike down another bandit. The leader of the bandits emerged and swung his large blade at Lingzhi.

In a display of skill, Lingzhi evaded and parried his attacks. The bandit leader then uprooted a nearby tree and hurled it towards her. Lingzhi spun through the air, effortlessly dodging the incoming tree.

She swung her spear, kicking up dust and soil as it struck the bandit leader's face.

The air filled with dust, temporarily blinding the bandit leader. In his disorientation, he swung his blade wildly, inadvertently striking his own comrades. Seizing the opportunity, Lingzhi thrust her spear into the bandit leader's chest and began murmuring incantations.

-- Coup de grâce... --

Suddenly, the bandit leader and the wounded bandits coughed up blood and fell lifeless.

As I drove away, Lingzhi sprinted and leaped down from the higher ground onto my trailer. She promptly chained herself once again, sitting and closing her eyes in what appeared to be meditation.

-- Coup De Grace, -- Ishi whispered.

- Coup De what!? - I asked.

-- It's a deadly curse, a high-tier spell that instantly crushes an opponent's heart once the user has inflicted severe damage to the target, -- Asha responded.

- I see, an overpowered skill. What is she doing now? -

I asked.

-- Coup De Grace has other effects beyond just killing. If the user kills someone using Coup De Grace, the target's soul will be stored in the user's body and act as a nutrient to significantly boost the user's stats. However, using this skill as a human carries far greater risks than for demons.

Since demons can control their mana at will, they create a mana container to store the souls until they are absorbed by the body. But since humans can't control their mana as easily, the souls might attempt to attack the user's mind. This can lead to the user losing their sanity or the souls successfully controlling their body.

In the latter case, the souls will permanently control the user's body while the user's soul is absorbed. However, if the user possesses a strong will, mental strength, and self-awareness, the souls won't be able to reach their mind. So Meditation is an effective way to prevent the souls from taking over the user's mind. -- Asha explained.

- I see. Alex, can I acquire Coup De Grace? -

--- Absolutely. It will cost you 1500 skill points. ---

- WHAT!? WHY SO EXPENSIVE? -

--- Coup De Grace is a unique skill, and obtaining it comes at that price. ---

It's fortunate that I can communicate with Alex through my mind. Explaining the system and Alex's nature to the three of them, who aren't familiar with technology, would be quite challenging.

- Alex, unlock Coup De Grace! -

--- Are you sure you want to spend 1500 skill points to unlock "Coup De Grace"? ---

Without hesitation, I responded, - Yes! -

/ Coup De Grace unlocked...

I successfully unlocked Coup de Grace and continued driving. The road was quite muddy, making it hard to move. Then, a heavy mist filled the air, obscuring visibility. Suddenly, a figure in a white dress emerged, resembling a priest.

I immediately stopped in front of him. Lingzhi seemed shocked and quickly unchained herself, jumping away from my trailer. Without warning, I found myself surrounded by 16 men dressed in white robes. They raised their arms, palms facing me. As I scanned each of them, it became clear that they were all at level 50.

Their palms emitted a golden light, and a thick barrier materialized around me. Lingzhi managed to jump away just before the barrier formed, positioning herself behind the priest.

A magical circle appeared in the sky directly above the barrier. I tried to drive away, but the dense barrier prevented my escape. A light shone in the center of the magic circle, and the 16 men began to chant.

The three elves gazed at the sky through my windshield. Esha's eyes widened, and she started to speak.

-- This spell, there's no doubt about it. This is "DIVINE RETRIBUTION!!" --