Ch.11Chapter 11 – Journey with Serin Ekatos (3)

Two days had passed since leaving Oak Village and heading toward Belsalem.

Despite walking a great distance over these two days, we hadn’t encountered a single monster or bandit.

Usually in novels or games, wouldn’t you typically run into at least one bandit or monster in this kind of situation?

Some people say that encountering robbers, mountain bandits, thieves, or monsters while traveling is the romance of fantasy.

But from my perspective, with virtually no combat ability, it was better not to encounter bandits or monsters.

For this reason, I had hired Serin Ekatos, an active mercenary, as my escort, but whether she would actually demonstrate the overwhelming skills she showed in Erasto Chronicle remained uncertain.

I hadn’t actually seen Serin fight firsthand; I was merely assuming she was strong based on her appearance and stats in the game.

Since I hadn’t witnessed her abilities with my own eyes, I couldn’t fully trust her yet.

Of course, even to someone like me who knows nothing about swords, the black sword at her waist looked extremely expensive and high-quality.

To put it in my own words, even someone like me who has never fought before might be able to handle one or two opponents with a sword like that.

Well, with luck I might take down a couple of people, but what happens after that is anyone’s guess.

‘The only weapon I’ve ever handled was the K2 rifle I used in the military.’

Honestly, what I needed most right now was a firearm like the K2.

Doesn’t every healthy South Korean male go through military service or at least basic training?

So the weapon I could handle best was an assault rifle like the K2.

By the time I was discharged, I’d heard that an improved version called the K2C1 was being distributed.

‘I wonder how much time has passed in that world since I died.’

It’s only been three days since I arrived in this world, and here I am having these thoughts.

But there’s definitely something strange. Why am I not more surprised about coming to this world?

‘Shouldn’t I normally be denying death? Or am I just abnormal to begin with?’

Thinking too deeply about it in either direction would give me a headache, so I decided not to dwell on it anymore.

What matters most is that the world I’m living in now is the world of Erasto Chronicle.

There’s a possibility that Epitrina, the goddess who governs this world, lied to me, but the fact that she gave me abilities and that I can actually use them greatly reduces the likelihood of her having lied.

Actually, I’m not sure. What difference does it make whether it’s a lie or the truth?

What matters is that I’m alive.

While walking lost in thought, I felt something brush past above my head.

—Crack!

That was the sound of a tree breaking. Did something just pass over my head?

I turned my head to look behind me, and an unbelievable sight unfolded before my eyes.

‘Did a shell drop or something?’

There was definitely a tree behind me.

But now, the tree was missing precisely from above where my head had been.

Based on the circumstances, it seems something fast and heavy flew by and blew away the upper part of the tree trunk.

Since a problem had arisen, I stopped my contemplation and needed to assess what was happening.

I kept my head still and moved only my eyes to look around.

Upon careful observation, I saw something shaped like a human figure made of boulders blocking the road.

[…..]

What was blocking the road was something I knew all too well.

“Why is a golem appearing here?”

“Damn it! Pathos, get back! I’ll handle this one!”

After confirming that what blocked the road was a golem, Serin stepped in front of me and drew her sword.

The sword she drew was something I’d seen many times before.

‘Where have I seen that before?’

I racked my brain trying to figure out what sword Serin was holding.

And finally, I was able to identify the sword in Serin’s hand.

It was the famous sword ‘Diamant,’ the exclusive weapon of Serin Ekatos, a 5-star heroine before her breakthrough.

‘I never thought I’d see it in real life.’

Her sword, Diamant, was a weapon that amplified her abilities when she wielded it.

However, after she was promoted to 6-star, it became fodder for enhancement, and the reason was simple.

When Serin Ekatos was promoted to 6-star, she received additional settings and was given a new exclusive weapon.

The name of that sword was probably ‘Storm Guide.’

While Diamant was classified as a famous sword, Storm Guide was, according to the in-game description, a divine sword.

The game explained that weapons made by master craftsmen and named through their achievements were called famous swords, while swords used by heroes who accomplished mythical feats were called divine swords.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to remember all this information.

Perhaps Epitrina helped me recall knowledge about Erasto Chronicle when she transferred her abilities to me.

Anyway, that wasn’t what was important right now, probably.

“Haaah!”

After pushing me back, Serin firmly gripped her sword Diamant and attacked the golem.

I could clearly see a faint blue light gathering around her sword.

That must be the Sword Aura that skilled swordsmen can manifest.

For Serin Ekatos, Sword Aura existed as a passive skill, with the effect of ‘ignoring a certain percentage of the enemy’s defense and dealing damage.’

But even with Sword Aura surrounding her blade, golems are fundamentally made of hard rock or metal.

This means that due to their high base defense, Serin’s attacks weren’t dealing proper damage.

‘However, even seemingly impenetrable golems have weaknesses.’

All monsters in Erasto Chronicle, including golems, have weaknesses.

If those weaknesses are properly exploited, it wouldn’t be difficult for Serin to defeat the golem.

“Serin! Golems have a weakness!”

“What? Really?”

After exchanging blows with the golem for a while, Serin seemed skeptical of my words.

Seeing her navy blue hair soaked with sweat and sticking to her face, I could tell she was reaching her physical limit.

She was pushing herself like this to fulfill her contract with me.

So, just as she was fighting for me, I needed to help her defeat the golem.

“Stab the golem’s eyes! That’s where its core is!”

“What?”

The true body of a golem monster is very small, referred to as its ‘core.’

Golems communicate, learn, and assess situations through their core, which serves as their true body.

But how does a golem assess situations and learn?

“The eyes! The eyes!”

It’s through the golem’s eyes. When in its spherical form, a golem’s core is extremely hard.

But when a body forms around the core, the core becomes very vulnerable as it maintains the body.

Therefore, to defeat a golem, you need to attack its core.

It sounds easy, but it’s actually very difficult.

If just anyone could attack and destroy a golem’s core, golems wouldn’t be such formidable opponents.

Even though the golem’s core is weakened, it won’t even be scratched by ordinary attacks.

That’s why in Erasto Chronicle, golems were newbie killers to those who didn’t know the strategy, and a lucrative source of income for veterans who did.

So the only way to defeat a golem was to destroy its core.

Impossible for ordinary people, but possible for Serin who was fighting hard in front of me.

Because Serin Ekatos was the savior of newbies and had the ability to deal massive damage to bosses.

“You’re saying the golem’s eye is its weakness? Got it!”

Serin retreated as if she had nothing to lose by trying, then took a familiar stance.

I knew what she was about to cast from that stance.

“There is nothing my sword cannot cut, for my will is my blade!”

What she was about to use was ‘Sword of Will,’ the unique skill of 5-star Serin.

It was a technique that ignored the opponent’s defense and dealt damage.

This skill was precisely why she could deal massive damage to single-target bosses.

As a flash of light emanated from her sword in stance, the place where the golem’s eye had been was precisely split in half.

Her swordsmanship, which cut only the part containing the golem’s core—its eye—without damaging the rest of its body, was nothing short of artistry.

The body of the golem with its core destroyed crumbled to pieces, and the split core dropped with a thud.

And Diamant, the sword that had cut the golem’s core, broke in half.

“My, my sword?”

Serin looked bewildered at the fact that her beloved sword had broken.

But looking at her broken sword, I realized that the time had finally come.

This was the perfect opportunity to build affection with Serin through my ability.

“Um… Serin…?”