Felix hastily slapped his cheeks.
‘No. Pull yourself together!’
The brief panic over its unexpected size soon passed.
Ultimately, this was just another wall to overcome.
If he got scared here, it wouldn’t lead anywhere good.
‘Level…’
A frost of mana gathered in Felix’s eyes as he gauged the gap between himself and the opponent.
An involuntary sigh escaped his lips.
“…At least an Upper-Class Knight would be needed.”
Gurgle-gurgle-gurgle-
It seemed larger than the entire Colosseum.
Red scales, with countless black spots embedded between them.
He’d seen something like it somewhere before.
Jeban Ogon. A centipede born to become a dragon, an organism that has lived since ancient times. Very few individuals exist, mainly living in deserts and feeding on Sandworms.
There were scattered marks where scales had been torn off, and it looked slightly unsteady, not quite in its normal state. Nevertheless, the basic size difference was overwhelming.
With one movement from the Jeban Ogon, the Colosseum would be half-destroyed. It was fortunate that they hadn’t been swept away by the impact of it breaking through the floor.
‘What about the people?’
Felix quickly scanned the entire Colosseum for signs of life. Fortunately, there weren’t many left.
Just a few guards and the host, presumably? He could sense some managerial presence, but they seemed capable of escaping on their own.
The rest were hurriedly evacuating the Colosseum.
Due to Deadbear’s rampage in Zone 5. Though it would take a little more time for everyone to fully evacuate, the survival rate had indeed increased significantly.
Felix’s head naturally turned toward Zone 5.
‘Could it be… deliberate?’
Boom-boom!
Zone 5 tested its fists against each other and stepped forward, seemingly satisfied with its condition. It grinned and looked up at the centipede.
“Hey. Can you understand me?”
Zone 5 scratched its ears. There weren’t any proper ear-like parts, but it had made them out of sand anyway.
It must mean ‘yes.’
“Did you deliberately cause this commotion? On your own accord?”
No-no.
Zone 5 shook its head and pointed downwards. If down meant…
“Did Evan Alkart give you orders?”
Nod.
Zone 5 nodded its head, showing a faint sense of pride in its owner’s abilities.
…In various ways, it was quite an unusual Golem.
‘If I’m going to step in, now is the chance.’
However, it wasn’t wise to act rashly. The people hadn’t fully evacuated yet. If the Ogon went berserk, the entire Colosseum could collapse without much surprise.
Until they were all clear, he had to buy time.
‘For now, stop it somehow – ‘
Just as streams of light poured from Felix’s eyes,
[Celestial Magic]
[Fifth Rank]
[Veil of the Night Sky]
Woo-oo-oo-oo-ong!
The night sky descended. Countless stars dotted the night sky. In an instant, the dusk-filled sky turned pitch black, and a barrier enveloped the entire Colosseum. More specifically, the area where they stood.
…?
The centipede tilted its head, seeing something different.
“…This is…”
Felix momentarily lost for words.
The Veil of the Night Sky. He knew it well. One of the extremely rare abilities of the Witch.
It turns all damage into dreams and deceives monsters while protecting humans. Borrowing the power of the night sky, Celestial Magic. Even casting it briefly placed a significant burden, yet she had covered the entire Colosseum with it.
Boom-boom!
Zone 5 pounded its chest and stepped forward, signaling it was time to act.
Felix also steadied his resolve. Yes. Now was the moment. He couldn’t miss it.
“Huff…”
Felix calmly adjusted his stance.
He didn’t ask for much.
Just one hit. One fatal blow.
‘This is Evan Alkart’s stage.’ Cleaning up afterward could be left to him. What mattered was the heart to stand and fight without retreating.
Hoo!
As Felix steadied his mind, all his Aura spread through his body and gathered into his sword. He had never pushed himself to full capacity until now.
He had avoided opponents who required full force and only faced lower-level foes. For the first time, he could feel his Aura Vessel groaning under the strain.
It screamed under the unprecedented overload.
Ignoring it, Felix drew all his Aura towards himself and was enveloped in a bluish light.
“Ssssssuuuu-“
Zone 5, watching this, flicked its hand slightly. Realizing the meaning behind the gesture, Felix leapt high into the air. At the same time, Zone 5 struck its chest and roared.
Uo-o-o-o-o!
-!
The Jeban Ogon’s head turned toward Zone 5. Using nearby sand, Zone 5 increased its volume.
Its massive figure seemed to instinctively trigger danger in the Jeban Ogon, which began to crouch slowly. Then, flashing its jaws, it charged forward.
Koo-oo-oo-oo-ong!
Zone 5 swung its fist toward the charging Jeban Ogon’s head. Despite the overwhelming size difference, it was pushed back but managed to grab onto the centipede’s head, engaging in a power struggle while shouting loudly.
‘Now.’
Tak!
Felix rushed forward, using the Jeban Ogon’s leg as a launchpad to leap high into the air, gripping his sword backward. He poured all his strength into it!
The target: the torn scale above.
[Erym 1st Form]
[Descending Strike]
Pook!
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiek!
The sword pierced through the exposed flesh between the torn scales. The centipede let out a scream. Apparently taking real damage, it started climbing up the barrier, screaming.
‘Kuh!’
Cch-cch-cch-cch-cch-cch-ccht!
Felix tried to hold on with all his might, but it was clearly beyond his limits. Gradually, his strength waned. Eventually, losing grip with both hands, he fell down.
Kiiiiiiiiii!
Kaang!
“Guh!”
The Jeban Ogon rammed him with its horn-like protruding scale. Felix crashed into the ground, spitting out blood.
His head spun from the concussion, and his vision blurred. His vision gradually turned red. Having depleted all his Aura, he couldn’t even twitch a finger.
“Father… I’ve done my best…”
Kiaaaaaaaa!
Just as the Jeban Ogon lunged to cut off his breath,
Suru-ruruk-
A shadow engulfed Felix’s body. Zone 5 intercepted and caught the Jeban Ogon.
“…Cough.”
“Lapis. Please heal him.”
“Yes! Uncle! Drink this quickly!”
The liquid flowing down his throat, Felix opened his blurry eyes.
“Well done.”
Standing against the backdrop of the Veil of the Night Sky, Evan, with golden light gleaming in his eyes, held an unfamiliar puppy in his arms.
Though his single spoken word was indifferent, tears almost welled up in Felix’s eyes.
To have his utmost effort acknowledged, to have his hard work recognized, was enough.
Pew-sooooooo!
Blood sprayed from the split gap where the sword pierced the Jeban Ogon’s head.
Even if he hadn’t won, this was sufficient.
Felix fainted outright.
…Split the Ogon, huh…
*
‘Surprisingly well-fought, considering.’
Unexpected.
Evan glanced down at the unconscious Felix while holding the sleeping puppies Hati and Skoll in his arms.
Hardly more than an Intermediate Knight,
A wandering knight ignorant of the true meaning of pilgrimage,
A directionally challenged man who didn’t know which path he should walk.
Calling him a named character felt awkward. He wasn’t particularly strong or regularly appearing in games.
So, no great expectations.
Yet, surprisingly talented?
‘The heart to protect someone seems outstanding too…’
After all, he didn’t become a future guard of the White Sight for nothing.
‘Hmm, rather, should I hire him as my guard?’
Better than losing oneself as a knight of the White Sight. And more reliable for Evan to have a familiar face around.
While at it, why not?
Handle some miscellaneous tasks.
Carry things occasionally.
In exchange, give him a hefty salary. After all, it wasn’t Evan’s money anyway.
“Oh, it’s really big.”
Evan snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the Jeban Ogon. Definitely large. Although it was being pushed back by Zone 5’s immense strength due to its injuries, that was thanks to Felix.
Otherwise, it might have been slightly tricky.
‘Is it smaller because it woke up earlier than expected?’
Originally, it should have coiled around this Colosseum like a snake with room to spare. Now, it didn’t appear to be that long. The numerous missing scales suggested poor health.
Later, it grew larger and more intact. It was called Tian Di Ogon then, meaning it could traverse heaven and earth.
‘Ah, still early, I guess.’
Time to finish it off. Evan stepped back like a gentleman.
“Lapis. Isis. I entrust this to you.”
“Yeah! Don’t worry!”
“I’ll handle it quickly. Split heads are easy.”
Isis stepped forward with her signature fluid pose while Lapis emitted threads from both hands. Before fully entering combat mode, Evan handed over a potion.
“What’s this?”
“Rapid Freeze Potion.”
Freezes everything within a 1-meter radius upon breaking. Unsure how effective it would be against the Ogon, but better than nothing.
“Why did you bring this?”
“Because it’s hot.”
“Ah.”
Isis understood!
“I’ll handle it quickly.”
“Thank you.”
He subtly included Zone 2 as well. With this lineup, “quick” would be an understatement.
“I hate centipedes! They stole my meat when I was in the forest!”
Lapis shouted and spread her arms wide toward the Jeban Ogon. Threads shot out and tightly wrapped around the countless legs of the centipede.
The Jeban Ogon twisted its body, but the sturdy magic threads wouldn’t break so easily.
Crack!
Isis took her unique fluid stance and pressed her palm to the ground. The Rapid Freeze Potion shattered immediately, releasing its contents widely, restraining the Ogon.
Chir-chir-chir-chir!
The Jeban Ogon writhed but couldn’t do much due to the wound on its head.
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiek!
Isis’s fluid technique twisted the scales and stabbed the Jeban Ogon in reverse. Without any proper resistance, the Ogon soared upward, freezing mid-air.
Whoosh…
‘Done.’
The finishing touch was Evan’s. Using [Reconstruction], he created a massive spear from the remnants of the nearby Colosseum. The giant spear pierced straight through the Ogon’s head.
Groan!
The frozen body of the Ogon with its crushed head remained suspended in the air.
Isis exhaled deeply, looking tired.
“We would’ve struggled without the Rapid Freeze Potion. Who knew it was weak to cold?”
“Because it’s usually weak to heat in the desert. I figured its weakness might be the opposite.”
“Dditcha! 5, help me!”
Lapis grunted as she pulled the Ogon’s body downward.
Evan turned his head. A veiled witch whose nose was bleeding slightly through her fingers came into view.
“Are you alright, Witch?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
She casually wiped away the blood. Inside, she must have been battered. Even though it was only a Fifth-Rank spell, the range was extraordinary.
Already entering the domain of unique magic, Celestial Magic was powerful but taxing. Especially the Veil of the Night Sky, which inherently demanded much from the caster.
“Here.”
“…Thank you.”
The witch quietly accepted the potion Evan offered and drank it. Her complexion visibly improved.
“…Phew. I’ll live.”
“That’s good.”
The witch, feeling her battered insides recovering, smiled gently at Evan.
‘Of course, all the preparations and predictions were correct.’
The Jeban Ogon was famous as a magical ingredient. In some aspects, comparable to dragons.
This must have been the goal. Along with the wolf cub in his arms.
Therefore, he had prepared plenty of Rapid Freeze Potions and healing potions beforehand, right?
“…”
A piercing gaze fixed on the witch. It was none other than Lapis.
The witch wiped away the blood threatening to flow from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and asked kindly,
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something you want to ask?”
“It’s just…”
Just as Lapis’s mouth opened,
Gurgle-gurgle-gurgle!
The ground began shaking violently again. The witch hastily looked up at the sky. Among the countless constellations spread out, her current fate appeared.
‘There wasn’t just one ancient centipede?!’
She hadn’t read it correctly. The target of the Jeban Ogon wasn’t her and her companions.
Gurrrr-oo-oo-oo!
Creak! Creak!
Another Jeban Ogon appeared with a loud roar. This one was relatively smaller but immediately bit into its severed head upon appearance.
Chomp, chomp.
The centipede chewing clearly showed signs of improving health and growing larger.
Evan’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘Wait, there wasn’t just one?’
Though centipedes usually come in pairs, isn’t this a bit excessive?
‘Hmm, this might not be good.’
Running away while it eats might be better. Coming back after more preparation to capture it-
Zzzziiip!
At that moment, a white streak appeared. The Jeban Ogon’s head cleanly split apart, and its two halves collapsed with a thud!
Shiiiiing…
A fluttering white robe appeared before his eyes. Evan slowly raised his head.
Tsk.
It was an old man dressed entirely in white. His hair, his eyes,
As if all color had drained from everything.
Purity.
The leader guiding the Kingdom of Demesia and the strongest knight of the current continent. Purity, sweeping his surroundings with his completely whitened eyes, stared at Evan and asked,
“Are you the perpetrator of this situation?”
No.
Definitely not!!
