God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 92: Episode 18 _ Defense is National Power(3)

5.

In fact, Han Simin’s rule regarding rabbit participation was inevitably an "over-balance patch" for the knights.

Even if one acknowledged that the original purpose of the Knight Tournament was a contest of pure combat power, it was an act that went against the grand premise of a one-on-one duel.

There are very few people in the world who can win against one hundred enemies attacking from all sides.

Unless there was a significant skill gap, one couldn’t ignore the damage chipping away at them little by little.

Nevertheless, the reason no tamer with such advantageous conditions had appeared in the Knight Tournament until now was simple.

Because it was impossible!

Taming isn’t that easy.

Even if you grabbed a random rabbit off the street, offered it a carrot, and asked, "Want to be mine?" what rabbit would immediately nod its head?

It would mean being subservient to a human for life, pretending to die if told to die.

And even if someone appeared who had tamed a bunch of strong monsters, this was an era where they would first be investigated to see if they had made a contract with demons.

Naturally, even if tamers appeared, their monsters were qualitatively weak, and they couldn’t block the attacks of knights who dug in with overwhelming movement to target the tamer directly.

Perhaps that was the fundamental reason why the name "Knight Tournament" was attached and it degenerated into an event where only knights appeared.

It might have been different hundreds of years ago when the Five Legends were alive, but since it was a tournament created to honor their spirits afterward, it couldn’t be helped.

In a situation that was becoming solidified like that, Han Simin was an entity difficult for the knights to deal with!

It’s not easy to calmly deal with something you’re experiencing for the first time.

Furthermore, even if they recalled what they had heard somewhere—that attacking the tamer’s main body works—Han Simin wasn’t a typical tamer, was he?!

Even if they swung their swords with a smile of conviction, they couldn’t pierce Han Simin’s upgraded armor.

The Legendary Hammer he held had also been upgraded one step further, reaching +14 enhancement, becoming even more powerful.

Thus, knights fell one after another like autumn leaves.

The equipment they were wearing was also stripped away without anyone noticing.

The victimized knights protested, but unfortunately, the answer they received was cold.

[The rules of the Knight Tournament forgive everything except intentional murder.]

It might seem cruel at first glance, but only then could they fight with all their might.

It was also an indicator that clearly revealed the nature of the current Emperor of the Empire.

Only the strong enjoy the benefits!

Damage in the process?

It can be fully endured.

By this logic, the knights who didn’t die were actually lucky, and at the same time, they should be ashamed.

Because they had essentially begged for their lives while surrounded by an unknown adventurer—or rather, his rabbits.

The Emperor remained silent.

The Emperor didn’t quite like this picture, but without him realizing it, knights were gathering one by one by Han Simin’s side.

Like that, the long preliminaries ended, and sixty-four knights advanced to the main tournament.

Naturally, one of them was Han Simin.

* * *

A strange tension filled the air.

Knights renowned in their kingdoms, the Imperial Knights of the Empire, and even hidden masters wandering about.

Normally, they would have been wary of the Imperial Knights, the greatest danger, but not today.

A player showing off a crimson aura!

Sixty-three pairs of eyes were focused on Han Simin, whose leather armor radiated majesty in all directions!

"Wow. This is totally effective, isn’t it?"

’It’s advertising itself without me saying a word.’

Originally, making oneself known to people is the hardest thing in the world, but Han Simin had imprinted himself on countless nobles and knights in the center of the continent, in the heart of the Empire that ruled it.

He might think it doesn’t have much effect right now, but in the big picture he was drawing, the situation helped immensely!

Above all, to get his money’s worth for accepting the Emperor’s proposal, from now on was important.

"Ahem!"

If he had it his way, he would go up on the podium right now and state his purpose, but he was still too much of a nobody for that.

Sixty-four knights.

He had to defeat them and get into at least the top four to be given a chance.

’I can do it, Simin.’

The plan was laid out.

Now all that remained was luck.

He just needed the matchmaking luck to follow.

"Then, we will begin the matchmaking lottery."

The real tournament began.

6.

"Haha. The matchup is good."

The Emperor rested his chin on his hand and laughed.

Because the opponent on the other side of Han Simin, who was calmly walking up to the main stage, was a knight even the Emperor knew.

"The Royal Knight Captain right from the start."

The Knight Captain guarding the westernmost kingdom of the continent!

A master whose skills were counted among the top twenty knights!

There was even talk that he had reached the state of a Sword Master.

Since such a person was chosen as Han Simin’s opponent from the Round of 64, the picture the Emperor wanted would finally emerge.

At least a Sword Master wouldn’t collapse against mere rabbits charging from all sides.

The knights stepped back, and the referee explained the ceremonial rules between Han Simin and the Royal Knight Captain, who were assigned to the first match of the Round of 64.

"From the Round of 64 onwards, matches will proceed one by one while His Imperial Majesty watches..."

It was no different from the preliminaries.

It was just a match signaling the start of the festival in earnest.

At the same time, the gambling of the nobles watching from the stands began.

"Step right up! Taking bets on the winner!"

Gambling permitted by the Emperor!

Nobles scrambled to pull out gold coins.

And they began to cheer.

Along with that, the match began.

"Father, do you think the Viscount will lose?"

"Why, do you think he will win, Princess?"

"Yes, I think the Viscount will win."

The Princess smiled and provoked the Emperor, who was watching with eyes full of anticipation.

"Hoho."

There was a slight feeling of what if in the Emperor’s heart, but he shook his head.

He was the Iron-Blooded Emperor who had pacified the continent!

He had seen performance exceeding expectations in the preliminaries, but that was it.

The knights in the main tournament were on a different level from the mediocre knights who were absurdly defeated in the preliminaries.

"Shall we make a bet too?"

"A bet."

So he nodded at the confident provocation of the princess approaching him.

"Tell me what you want."

"No, let’s grant one wish to the winner after it’s over!"

"Let us do that."

The Emperor readily accepted the brilliant Princess’s proposal.

He wouldn’t lose anyway.

Even if he lost, it was a wish from the princess whom he cherished more than anything, so it wasn’t a waste.

Still, a bet was a bet.

Tension was added to watching the match.

At the same time, Han Simin rushed at his opponent.

The crowd gasped.

Cheers erupted from all sides.

The Legendary Hammer was swung, and the Royal Knight Captain calmly blocked it.

Along with that, the rabbits rushed in. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

A picture not much different from the preliminaries.

A special combat style unique to the tamer Han Simin!

The tamer himself, the core weakness, directly blocks the knight’s attacks while entrusting the offense to monsters stronger than him.

It was a method one couldn’t even dream of unless their defense was exceptionally outstanding, and one had to have the confidence to respond to a knight’s swordsmanship.

But Han Simin pulled it off.

It was a sight seen in the preliminaries, but the observing nobles and knights marveled.

Of course, they also knew that the preliminaries and the main tournament were different.

Thus, there were many nobles who didn’t even watch the preliminaries.

But an adventurer who clashed swords, even once, with a knight met in the main tournament and was fine!

Interest naturally focused on him.

"Haaat!"

Perhaps envious of the attention pouring onto Han Simin, the Royal Knight Captain let out a shout and exerted force before the rabbits could cling to him.

He had also watched the matches of Han Simin, the dark horse of the preliminaries.

If the rabbits clung to him while they were facing off like this, even a Knight Captain would be restricted in movement and disadvantaged all the same.

He would end it before that.

Clang!

The Captain gasped.

He deflected the hammer while sliding his sword up.

The people watching jumped to their feet in spite of themselves.

The hammer held in two hands floated high into the sky, leaving Han Simin’s neck and heart completely exposed to the Royal Knight!

A breathtaking moment!

The rabbits were quickly pouncing, but an opportunity had arisen for the Royal Knight Captain.

A sword thrusting toward Han Simin’s heart without a shred of hesitation!

If it pierced properly, life could not be sustained, but if he slipped up here, the Knight Captain would conversely be overwhelmed by the rabbits and collapse with both his honor and pride insulted, just like the previous knights.

So he hardened his heart.

Adventurers didn’t really die even if they died, did they?!

He would make him pay the price for daring to defile the sacred Knight Tournament.

Even though he had never met the knights who suffered humiliation and they might become enemies in the future.

Thwack—

The sound of a strong and precise sword piercing into something rang out.

It was possible because everyone was tense, suppressing even small noises and the sound of swallowing, and because the stadium itself was equipped with a voice amplification system.

People’s gazes followed the eyes of the Knight Captain, who wore a smile of conviction, past the tip of the sword to reach Han Simin’s heart.

Is he dead?

"Huh?"

Some spectators voiced their doubts.

’What is it?’

There were two types of people, but the reaction was the same.

Questioning!

’Why didn’t he die?’

’Why is the Knight Captain’s expression rotting?’

It was only after a few more seconds passed that the situation was sorted out.

Squeak! Squeak!

Squeak squeak squeak!

The rabbits arrived, and the flustered Knight Captain was swept away by them without even thinking to distance himself.

If he had come to his senses, he could have avoided being defeated and thought about his next move.

Although it was a confined stadium, it was wide enough to run away from the rabbits, and if he maintained his sword strikes while doing so, it wasn’t completely hopeless.

But the Knight Captain, whose thoughts were paralyzed trying to understand the current situation, was defeated and met an end no different from the knights previously deemed to be of lower quality.

"...Round of 64, Group 1 Winner. Adventurer Simin!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

At the same time, cheers burst out.

Han Simin, grasping victory, puffed out his chest.

There wasn’t even a trace of the sword piercing his chest left behind.

And what had blocked it was the leather armor.

* * *

’Success.’

Han Simin caught his breath, calming his startled heart.

He acted nonchalant, but in truth, it was practically a gamble.

’Can it block it?’

’What if I die?’

He had the Necklace of Resurrection, but apart from that, if he was eliminated from the tournament, everything would be a bust.

He must win.

Or he had to clearly appeal the efficacy of the leather armor.

For that purpose, as soon as he felt his main tournament opponent didn’t look like a pushover, he layered the leather armor over his new underwear and under his outerwear.

A method utilizing the realism of Fantastic World to the max!

Naturally, his movements became sluggish, but since he didn’t intend to show off fast movements anyway, he went through with it, and the upgraded defense was excellent enough to block even a Knight Captain’s attack.

’Now I just have to sell it.’

He planned to sell the leather armor sets to NPCs, not players, and an opportunity for a good venue had arisen.

Unlike players who wouldn’t treat low-level items as proper gear regardless of whether they were +15 or whatever, to NPCs, the tremendous name value of "Mythic Grade" items would be attached, so he could receive a much higher price.

Also, a lot of gold would be a huge help for his future moves.

’Armor that blocks even a Royal Knight Captain’s sword.’

That means it’s the same as having an extra life.

Isn’t it a title one would want to buy even if they had to empty their entire fortune?

A wicked smile formed on its own.

Of course, about 70 percent of blocking the Knight Captain’s sword was due to the power of the new armor.

It reeked of a scam, but he didn’t care.

Because once it’s sold, it’s over!

Taking a step forward, Han Simin moved more busily.

There was still a long way to go.

He roamed the dueling grounds, waving to the Emperor, who had a face like he chewed on shit, and the princess beside him, who was warming up the Knight Tournament with a bright smile.

* * *