episode_0017

“Haah… Hoo…”

Breathing is difficult. I want to breathe, but it doesn’t come easily.

Pain accompanies each inhale and exhale from my lungs.

Yet, I must endure. I calm myself and breathe again.

I regulate my breathing. In combat, strength alone isn’t everything.

Breath, technique, and stance matter.

But without a solid foundation in breathing, the fight cannot progress.

Blood flows endlessly from my side where the Chimera struck.

Though I try to staunch the bleeding with torn cloth, it refuses to stop.

Initially, the situation wasn’t so dire.

I chipped away at its squares, slowly wearing down its stamina.

And I even managed to sever the tail of the serpent.

But that was my downfall. Cutting off the tail was a good move.

However, the serpent’s final act was to bind my foot, allowing the Chimera to attack.

I managed to blind one of the Chimera’s eyes and escape, but I can’t hold out for long.

If only I could use magic to cauterize these wounds with fire.

“I should use a skill that restores both health and mana.”

Yet, there’s no guarantee that such a skill will heal wounds.

For now, I rely on additional stats from nature’s grace to persevere, but the situation remains dire.

The durability of the Longsword bought from the shop is also running low.

Damn, this sword has decent durability. It’s on the verge of breaking.

“Chimeras are still Chimeras, even if they’re half-baked.”

“It’s not going to be easy.”

The only way to defeat it is to avoid its right eye and strike.

But with the sword’s durability waning, can I muster enough strength?

Will the sword penetrate the massive body of the creature without breaking?

Even if I tear through flesh, targeting its heart without magical aid is challenging.

I’m exhausted and wounded.

Apart from my side, my back and chest are slashed, and my arms are in tatters.

My legs seem paralyzed, perhaps from burns, making movement difficult.

This terrain, not entirely flat and nestled in the mountains, limits my mobility.

I’m walking towards death right now.

But even as death looms, can’t I struggle a bit longer?

I want to return home alive.

I want to go back to my hometown where my family awaits.

Can I overcome this?

No, it’s impossible.

Despite my determination not to yield, my promise to survive.

The circumstances don’t oblige. Who wouldn’t want to live?

We’re always forced to make choices.

And I made mine.

Even if I could turn back time, I’d make the same choice.

Yes, I’ll keep moving forward.

Even if despair is all that awaits me, I’ll forge a new path from it.

To survive.

“Ha, I’ve retreated too much. The game isn’t over yet.”

I promised not to give up.

I vowed not to lose anyone, not to die.

I picked up the fallen sword from the ground.

Its blade stained with red, whether it’s my blood or the Chimera’s, I couldn’t tell.

But now, this sword will be soaked in the Chimera’s blood.

With my battered arms, I firmly grasp the sword.

I adjust my stance with legs that barely respond.

“The game starts now.”

Skill activated.

The ultimate skill saved for the very end, tenacity.

A hidden skill that restores all health and mana.

Without being able to use magic, my mana is already more than sufficient.

So, what happens to the excess mana once restored?

There’s only one answer. It likely converts into healing for my health since mana restoration is impossible.

“But now’s not the time to worry about that.”

A red aura began to swirl around my body as I activated the skill.

The fatigue ingrained in my body vanished. It felt like my body was becoming lighter.

However, something… something felt off.

“Cough!”

Tremendous pain surged through my body.

It felt like my skin was burning. The agony was akin to being struck all over by a hammer. My legs felt like they would snap, and my arms were too painful to move.

On my back, a tearing pain like steel claws ripping through it was felt dozens, hundreds of times in a short period.

I almost collapsed right there from the dizzying pain that felt like I would lose consciousness, but I endured.

If I collapsed here, I wouldn’t be able to withstand the thorny path ahead.

With that in mind, I endured the excruciating pain coursing through my entire body.

Though it was only about 10 to 20 seconds, it was pain beyond imagination.

They say anything in excess is poison.

Even excessive healing can become toxic to the body.

My body couldn’t withstand the healing power of the skill.

The healing force, lost in the constant regeneration process, began to exert pressure on my body.

However, those forces soon began to heal all the injuries on my body.

The resulting side effects were truly dizzying.

Despite the immense pain, the effects were undeniable.

It was a gamble using the concept of excess, but it seemed to have succeeded.

All the torn, cut, and bruised wounds had completely healed.

But it was a method I truly never wanted to use again.

That’s why the saint was such a great character once you got close to her.

Healing potions generally work by drawing upon one’s basic life force for healing, so their limits are clear.

However, the saint’s healing with divine power had no side effects and no burden in continued use—it was truly amazing.

Now that my body was fully healed, it was time to finish this.

I stepped out of cover and gazed at the giant monster approaching me from afar.

Its red eyes had turned yellow since I first saw it, and it was breathing heavily.

A state of frenzy doesn’t last long.

“It should be wearing off by now.”

The incomplete chimera’s health was fundamentally below 60%.

With injuries from cutting off the snake’s tail, bleeding from wounds, and blindness in the right eye, its health wouldn’t even be at 20%.

Since my body was fully recovered, I just needed to aim carefully while being cautious.

It’s truly the end now.

The creature began to scream and then charged towards me.

“Do you not want to die either? Sorry, but understand this.”

I can’t die here either. We made a promise.

“Let’s go.”

I tightly gripped my sword and moved forward towards a new path.

“This will be the final blow. Farewell.”

Thud!

….

“I heard a loud noise coming from where Bern is! Hurry!”

“Elin, are you sure this is the right direction? I don’t doubt you, but it’s dark, and I can’t see anything…”

“It’s the right way! We need to hurry! Bern is in danger!”

Following the student Elin’s words, Elisha was heading towards where Bern was.

But it was nighttime, visibility was poor, and the path was rugged, making the descent challenging.

It had been over 20 minutes since they started descending from the summit.

Although she didn’t want to believe it in just 20 minutes, Bern was probably…

The image of the changed Bern in her mind wasn’t pleasant.

But that didn’t mean she wished for his death.

However, facing the chimera alone was tantamount to suicide.

Even if it was imperfect…

He, who didn’t take care of himself well, didn’t wield the sword proficiently, risking his life to protect others.

She truly couldn’t believe it.

Upon arrival, she thought that Bern had fled.

No, she was certain. Bern was not the kind of person to sacrifice himself for others.

No matter how confident he was, risking his life in a situation where he couldn’t use magic wouldn’t be easy.

But on the other hand, she hoped that he had fled.

Though she disliked him, they had grown up together like siblings before he changed.

They had drifted apart from the transformed Bern now, but she didn’t wish for his death.

So, in a corner of her heart, she silently wished that he had escaped.

However, her expectations were completely off the mark.

At the place of arrival, a man with black hair covered in blood stood motionless.

He held a broken sword in his hand, staring blankly at the sky.

His eyes somehow seemed relieved.

“Bern! You’re covered in blood…! Are you okay?”

“…..”

“….I’m here. I took care of the Chimera.”

Unbelievable. Even if he had fled, she would have understood.

But he hadn’t fled; he had even defeated the Chimera.

Reluctantly believing it as she watched the Chimera’s body disappear beside him, unable to use magic or his sword due to the barrier. Why? How?

“…Why didn’t you run away?”

“…Alisha. There’s no particular reason. It’s just… bothersome to explain. Figure it out yourself.”

“…..”

Was it really for that reason?

Risking his life? Bern Flame?

As she pondered this, the man with black hair added,

“And there are guys lying over there. Call for help or move them yourself. I’ll be resting for a bit since I’m tired.”

“B-Bern! Come with me!”

With those words, he disappeared from Alisha’s presence with Ellen, a girl with pink hair.

“……”

Lost in thought, she continued to gaze at the spot where Bern had departed.

The long day was finally beginning to come to an end.