Chapter 166

I’ve encountered plenty of geniuses and prodigies in my life.So-called “talented” people.

Even though the prestige of the Crimson Aegis had gradually declined, it was still the kingdom’s top order of knights.

Sitting in the captain’s chair of such an order, it was only natural for me to meet many talented individuals.

Among them were people I could truly call geniuses, and others who made me think, “Is that all their talent amounts to?”

People who shone brightly in small towns but, when placed on the larger stage of the world, turned out to be merely slightly better than ordinary folk.

Yuki belonged to the former.

“Is she a once-in-a-generation genius?”

That remains to be seen.

After all, Yuki’s power comes from the system.

But even if one relies on borrowed strength, fighting the way Yuki does isn’t something anyone can do.

She instinctively finds the path to survival and makes the best possible decision in any given situation.

Moreover, the way her thoughts translate into action is remarkably seamless.

Some might dismiss it by saying:

“Isn’t running up and attacking something anyone can do?” Searᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Well, could they, really?

Evading attacks that shake the very ground, blows that would pulverize you if they so much as grazed you.

Charging at a giant so massive it’s exhausting just to look up at it and delivering a full-force strike—if that were easy, there wouldn’t be a single monster left in this world.

If all it took to succeed was grabbing a sword and recklessly charging, what would there even be to worry about?

Of course, I don’t believe something capable of ravaging a kingdom’s capital in mere moments would be brought down so easily.

Maybe Yuki was only able to inflict that tiny… microscopic wound because the giant underestimated her.

But even so, the results Yuki achieved cannot be ignored.

Exploiting an enemy’s overconfidence is a skill in its own right.

“Is that all there is?”

I spoke without revealing my inner thoughts.

“Doesn’t seem like much for all the confidence you showed.”

Yuki pouted her lips.

“It wasn’t bad.”

“That?”

I raised a hand and pointed at the giant’s foot.

Violet liquid was trickling steadily from it.

Given the giant’s sheer size, the amount of liquid spilling from the wound wasn’t small, but compared to its body, it was far from significant.

“If left alone for a few years, it might die. Or maybe it’ll regenerate blood faster than it loses it.”

Wait, is that even blood?

Dimensional Creatures are so unpredictable it’s hard to say for sure.

Well, it came from the wound, so it must serve that purpose somehow.

“Uooohhh—!”

Like pricking a finger while sewing, it was a tiny wound at best.

Yet the giant howled loudly over such a small injury.

“What a drama queen.”

For something so massive to howl like that over such a tiny cut.

I clicked my tongue, and Yuki proposed an interesting theory.

“Humans get annoyed when bitten by a mosquito, right? Maybe it’s like that?”

“Are you calling yourself a mosquito?”

“It’s just an analogy. Or maybe it’s like stubbing your toe on a doorframe?”

“Ah.”

That made sense.

I nodded in understanding.

“So even you get hurt stubbing your toe on a doorframe, Master?”

“I’m still human.”

Technically, it’s less pain and more surprise, but that’s not important right now—

I grabbed Yuki and leapt.

A fist slammed into the spot where we had been standing.

Usually, when a heavy object falls, it makes a “thud,” but the sound from that punch was far more intense.

“Not exactly delicate.”

The fist that fell from above was certainly a threat.

But it wasn’t unmanageable. I only dodged because of the person in my arms—Yuki.

Given the giant’s size and the speed of its swing, the force behind that punch couldn’t be light.

Even if I managed to block it, the resulting shock would have killed her.

That’s why I made the decision to dodge—

“Did a meteor fall here or something?”

And it turned out to be the right call.

As I endured the wind slamming into my mask, I looked at the impact site—a massive crater, as if a meteor had struck.

Yuki muttered in disbelief, and I nodded in agreement.

“This is your fault.”

“…Huh?”

“It got mad because of you.”

Because you hit it.

When I said that, Yuki gave me a look of utter disbelief.

“You told me to hit it, Master.”

“I did.”

“And you said you’d reward me for fighting well.”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“…”

Now, to say that?

The expression on her face clearly screamed,

“You should finish what you started. You’re just making a mess and leaving them injured—that’s why they’re mad.”

“Joanie, she’ve been putting up with this all this time? I feel like punching you.”

“Go ahead if you can. But I doubt you’d manage, seeing as you can’t even take down a creature like that.”

Actually, it wasn’t Da-eun enduring anything—I was the one putting up with her nonsense. And how could she say something so harsh?

I thought about clearing up the misunderstanding but gave up on the idea. This wasn’t the time for idle banter.

“Is it fire this time?”

Seeing the blazing red flames inside the giant’s mouth, I let out a dry laugh.

What was it with that wolf last time?

Oh right, it was spewing some kind of acidic mist.

“You really pull out all the stops.”

Are you a dragon or what?

“If you don’t want to die, get out of here.”

Maybe I’d stick my neck out for Da-eun, but not enough to protect Yuki from those raging flames. Surviving that kind of attack is a skill too, isn’t it?

Painful as it was, I hoped she’d grow stronger, like a stern teacher disciplining a student.

“Think of it as tough love.”

“I’ll report you. For being an abusive teacher.”

Despite her complaints, Yuki quickly moved away.

The giant’s eyes momentarily followed Yuki’s retreat, but sensing that I was the bigger threat, it didn’t turn its fiery maw in her direction.

The flames, poised to surge toward me, felt oddly familiar.

“Oh, right. That time.”



The scene reminded me of when I fought Krumo’s Shadow. Compared to that thing, though, this giant was—

Sizing up its strength, I tilted my head.

“Now that I think about it, where’s Grasid?”

Back then, Grasid had made things easier. Not that it wasn’t a winnable fight without him, but I did suffer from some nasty aftereffects.

…Wait, why was I even missing him? On second thought, his absence wasn’t a loss at all.

In fact, weren’t the downsides greater?

Finally ready, the giant opened its mouth wide. Flames gathered in its maw and roared toward me. Even from a distance, the searing heat seemed to lick my face beneath the mask.

“No time to think, huh.”

Muttering whatever came to mind, I drew my sword.

Fire, huh?

A sudden sense of amusement made me smirk.

“Well, this is awkward.”

I’ve dealt with hotter flames before.

And unlike the past, now I had a weapon that excelled in fire.

As mana surged into the sword, Crimson Aegis blazed a fierce red, as though it had become fire itself.

With the breath attack almost upon me, I swung the sword.

A crimson dragon erupted from the blazing sword.

The fiery dragon tore through the air, its jaws wide open.

A clash of fire versus fire.

The two torrents of flame intertwined, gnashing at each other with violent ferocity.

There was no sound of friction. Only the roaring of flames, their fierce crackling the sole noise.

If I closed my eyes, it might’ve sounded like a calm campfire. But the scene before me was anything but serene.

One moment, one side seemed to falter. The next, it gained the upper hand.

The two torrents of fire viciously tore into each other.

And then, after what felt both like an eternity and a mere instant—

A victor emerged.

The crimson dragon sank its fangs deep into the breath attack’s side and twisted its head with force.

With a sound like tearing paper or burning wood, the breath attack split apart, and a slash of sword energy streaked through.

Sensing its imminent defeat, the giant hastily tried to flee.

“Too late.”

Where do you think you’re going?

I’m already standing before you.

If I struck with my right foot before, now it was the left.

I swung my sword at the giant’s left ankle.

The pink Sword Beam slashed deeply through the ankle, and flames followed, searing the wound.

I couldn’t completely sever it, but that didn’t matter.

“After all—”

The giant, with its nearly severed and dangling ankle, tried to flee in a hurry, but its injured ankle couldn’t support its weight and tore off completely.

Losing one of its supporting legs, the giant’s massive body began to tilt.

“—this was bound to happen.”

As the giant collapsed to the ground, the tremor that followed was far more intense than before.

The earth shook violently, but I stood firm, staring at the fallen giant.

“Even after taking off one leg, it still weighs this much.”

If people lived nearby, they’d probably file noise complaints. The stomping, the pounding on the ground, and now playing with fire…

What a nuisance.

“Well, I guess it’s time to help it shed a few pounds.”

After all, I was once a knight. It was my duty to eliminate a monstrous criminal threatening the public.

As I took a step forward, the giant’s eyes darted toward me.

Enraged, the giant began pounding the ground furiously.

Each time its fists struck the ground, the earth cried out in protest.

The craters it created made me wonder if the entire area would cave in.

The ground was becoming a complete wreck.

“Ugh…”

I leapt gracefully to avoid the tremors, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, the giant swung its fist toward me.

This time, its fists were wrapped in violet flames.

I raised my sword, now enveloped in pink Sword Beam, to meet the attack.

Who would believe this sound came from a collision between a fist and a sword?

One stray ember from the violet flame stuck to my mask but was quickly swept away by mana.

“This is getting a bit annoying.”

The giant pounded the ground with its remaining foot and fist, creating tremors to unbalance me.

If I lost my footing or leapt into the air, leaving myself exposed, it would ruthlessly strike.

Its slow movements from before were gone, and each swing of its fist now sliced through the air with a sharp, menacing sound.

I dodged, parried, and blocked, slowly closing the distance between us.

“…?”

Something seemed off. Was its body smaller?

Thinking it might be my imagination, I studied it carefully.

“No doubt about it.”

It was definitely smaller.

I didn’t need to pinpoint the exact changes. The more it exerted itself, the more its body seemed to shrink.

Noticing this, I adjusted my strategy.

The frequency of my sword clashing against its fists decreased noticeably, while its attacks began to graze closer to me, barely brushing past my hair.

The giant let out an enraged cry as I dodged nimbly like a slippery eel.

“And so what?”

Did it think shouting would change anything?

To think this thing wreaked havoc on the capital…

“No wonder they deserved it.”

If the Royal Knights had worked together, they could’ve defeated it. But if my guess was right, they probably fled before even trying to fight.

Finally, as the giant shrank to about half its original size, I leapt just before its fist could hit the ground.

The leap disrupted its timing.

The giant tried to adjust and swing its fist toward me, but it couldn’t pull back its fist from the ground fast enough.



My flaming sword pierced through the violet flaming fist.

—

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