232: Pubstomp
What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck!? Number Twenty-six’s mind raced as he watched what little damage he managed to do to his masked big-breasted opponent heal right before his eyes. His attack was meant to—if not outright kill the demented cock-gifting corrupter of women—at the very least rupture her diaphragm, bashing the air right out of her and rendering her completely powerless. Instead, he watched the tiny bruise—that was barely more serious than a hickey—dissipate in a matter of seconds.
Meanwhile, seeing with her own eyes the results of her “test” play out in real-time, Beatrice learned to appreciate just how incredible her regeneration stats actually turned out to be. What at first was a somewhat considerable annoyance when it came to the regeneration of Arousal Points, now proved borderline broken when it came to Health Points.
No matter how much I level up, the Health Regeneration continues to increase along with the additional Health Points I gain from each level up, Beatrice analyzed. The regeneration speed is not affected by the additional Health I gain from items, but even with the bonus Health... From zero to full HP in under ten minutes!
Unless I fight an opponent that can repeatedly dish out serious damage, I will be favored to win any battle of attrition. And that’s without any serious investment into my Combat Craft! Beatrice was pleased with how quickly her arsenal of potential combat tactics expanded. And while some would foolishly consider stalling strategies cowardly, something within Beatrice enjoyed watching the shock in her opponent’s eyes turn to despair. Who wouldn’t despair if they saw their best efforts erased in seconds? When their life was on the line? A fighter with his spirit broken is already defeated.
Beatrice made mental notes to check with Ember and Samantha for armors with a very specific stat: additional Health Regeneration. Beatrice wanted to find out how far it was possible for her to push this regeneration angle.
“Is that restoration magic?” Number Twenty-six asked Beatrice. Apparently, his line of thought went very similarly to Beatrice’s.
“Do I have any reason to tell you?” Beatrice asked in return.
“Don’t take me lightly!!” he screamed, adjusted his glasses, and went into his combat stance again.
“Alright, I won’t! If you tell me your name!”
“A-are you making fun of me!?”
“Guilty as charged,” Bearice confessed. Anyone who is even remotely genre savvy or at least familiar with basic story structures would know that—usually—unnamed side characters are as low on the threat level as they can get. And while this was not one of those roleplaying campaigns her colleagues used to run, Beatrice was inside her wish-fulfillment world. And sensing any danger from her current opponent evaporating, Beatrice was simply being cute. As if finding out her opponent’s name would suddenly make him stronger!
“I swear I’ll make you regret this if it’s the last thing I do!!” Number Twenty-six screamed even louder as a reddish aura manifested around him. “Berserker’s Spirit! Defense for Offense! Reckless Assault!”
Number Twenty-six kept shouting Skill names and different auras manifested around him, one after another.
Ah, there was a name for it! Beatrice tried to recall the term for when characters temporarily increased their stats in role-playing games. Meanwhile, Number Twenty-six charged at Beatrice for a second time with double the fury and, more importantly, double the speed.
Unfortunately for Number Twenty-six, all this accomplished was that Beatrice didn’t feel like she needed to wait for quite so long this time around for her opponent's attack to reach her. Still, if the speed increased, the damage must have increased as well, Beatrice concluded. The impact that speed has on kinetic energy is as basic as it gets.
Beatrice did not have any intention of willingly letting herself be damaged for a second time, especially by a stronger attack. Beatrice activated her [Sharp Claws] passive, effortlessly sidestepped Number Twenty-six’s straightforward attack, and slashed at the exposed, vulnerable arm, aiming to cripple her opponent’s attacking power.
“GHUAAAAAAAAARGH!!!” Number Twenty-six screamed as he grabbed his bleeding arm and fell on his knees, next to the several severed pieces of his forearm.
“Ah!?” Beatrice took a step back, taken aback by the brutal amputation that she inadvertent ended up performing.
Eh… Oops? Beatrice looked at her long, sharp, blood-drenched claws, and could barely hold herself back from apologizing for causing such unwarranted, needless suffering. And as the succubus watched the auras around Number Twenty-six evaporate faster than they appeared, she remembered, Buffs!