65 – 13 – The Master of the Ruins – 5

—Krrrraaaaa!

As if Hati was extremely pleased with Gi-jun’s provocation, he immediately gathered blue energy at the tips of his claws and shot out as many as five streams of giant, crescent-shaped mana.

Lucy quickly analyzed the fierce attack flying in, cutting through the air and burning mana.

—The energy of the moon…… It probably has chill mixed in. I can feel divine power too; that bastard is a divine beast!

‘Considering ‘The Last Hero’ title is activating, it must be a dark-attribute divine beast. That’s a relief, at least.’

While the two were calmly contemplating, only Ur moved busily.

Of course, if he had been an ordinary beast, there would have been no way to avoid the attack flying in while suspended in the air, but he was, after all, a spirit.

Flames flared violently on Ur’s four legs, pushing his body forward forcefully.

Drawing four lines of flame in the air, Ur sprinted parallel to the ground.

Hati’s mana, which flew past without even grazing them, exploded in the air and poured down, inflicting great damage on the nearby werewolves once again.

‘How is a normal attack an AOE ultimate move?’

One clear fact was that the monster was by no means one that could be dealt with alone.

How indeed would the party members react upon seeing the beast?

Would they join him and try to defeat the monster together?

Honestly, he could not be sure.

The reason went without saying.

As he had also confided in Laura, Gi-jun knew that there was an enemy inside the party.

To be more precise, he had seen through the fact that there was a vampire.

‘Traveling with them was what I wanted as well. Because I needed to observe the vampire race from up close and obtain more information. I planned to step in and clean things up when the time was right, but…….’

He hesitated at the unexpectedly human side the vampire displayed.

He felt that as long as they did not bare their teeth towards him, he should not be the first to attack.

Even if the vampire had joined his party aiming for something.

He considered attacking a vampire who did not show hostility to him to be no different from attacking Chabanvesh or Kipuz simply because they were Orcs.

Although the half-Orc staff-wielder In had told him to distinguish friend from foe by the light and dark factions,

the fact that the vampire belonged to the dark faction while Chabanvesh and Kipuz belonged to the light faction could not influence Gi-jun’s judgment in the slightest.

Truly, not in the least.

Because—

—Contractor!

“Hyaaaaaaa!”

His thoughts were roughly cut off by Lucy’s voice.

Before he knew it, the dark divine beast was right before his eyes.

Gi-jun, gritting his teeth, pushed his two shields forward, infusing them with light and fire to create one giant shield.

—Kroooooh!

“Hup!”

The moment he entered a range close enough to count the hairs growing sparsely on the beast’s giant body—he blocked Hati’s swinging forepaw, deflecting it at an angle!

—Crash!

Hati and Ur howled violently.

Beep—the Shock Absorber, which had easily exceeded the limit of the amount of impact it could absorb in a single collision, also wailed in distress.

“Kuh—!”

—Kiiit!

Having succeeded in deflecting the remaining, unresolved impact with Ur’s help, Gi-jun tumbled down from his back and faced Hati.

—Grrrr……!

Perhaps surprised that its full-power attack had been blocked more easily than expected, wary alertness could be seen in the divine beast’s eyes.

But that, too, was actually a miracle made possible thanks to the Shock Absorber.

From now on, he really had to endure with only his own body.

‘Ha, it’s been a while since I’ve had such a solid training session.’

While the enemy warily lowered its body, he took a firmer stance, and by operating Salutaris and Adamant simultaneously, he raised his physical abilities close to their limits.

Since the enemy was not easy, he held both shields in a textbook grip to increase defense efficiency, while preparing to attack whenever a gap was revealed in the enemy.

“Come.”

—Graaaaah!

The wolf that swallowed the moon and the human who emitted light and flame like the sun clashed once again.

Fortunately, in terms of compatibility, Gi-jun had a perfect advantage, and his stats were all Legendary-grade except for two.

However, because his low species rank and level held him back, he still could not overwhelm Hati.

—Boom! Boom! Crash!

Through a few light clashes, the wolf realized that Gi-jun was no longer as solid as before, and a sinister smile played on its mouth.

At the same time, a deeper blue light gathered on the beast’s claws, and unlike earlier when it shot the energy out, the light remained on the claws, reinforcing them and shaping them into a sharper, more lethal weapon.

—Contractor, don’t block that with your armor. It’ll tear.

‘Even though I’m reinforcing it with Adamant?’

—It will tear through divine metal too, definitely. Concentrate Adamant only on the two shields to increase their strength!

When it came to discerning the enemy’s caliber, there were few experts greater than Lucy.

Gi-jun obediently followed Lucy’s words and concentrated his power on the shields, then once again blocked the wolf’s attack as it pounced with the momentum to tear him open from head to groin.

—Crash!

It was not just a clash of pure physical force.

As terrible cold and heat collided, steam rose up like clouds.

Did it intend to freeze, shatter, and tear Gi-jun apart in an instant? When its attack was blocked once again, a chilly spark flared in the wolf’s eyes.

—Krooooar!

The moment the full-scale melee began.

The wolf swung its two forepaws mercilessly, trying to tear him apart, and Gi-jun gritted his teeth to avoid backing down, parrying every single blow.

Although the chill residing in its forepaws was terrible, fitting for a divine beast,

the holy fire dwelling in Gi-jun’s two shields, combined with class effects, skill effects, and title effects, harmonized with the divine metal, so even if it was the chill emitted by the wolf that swallowed the moon, it could not breach past the shields and ended up evaporating.

“Ugh—is that all you’ve got!”

Even while frantically moving his two shields to block the beast’s attacks, Gi-jun began to provoke the enemy.

If he only kept blocking the attacks like this, it would certainly serve as training, but he would never be able to overcome the beast.

To face and defeat it alone, he had to create an opening in the beast even if it meant taking risks.

Indeed, that was assuming there was no support from others.

‘So it ends up like this after all.’

The wolf’s howls, the pouring frost, the blooming flames, the steam, the violent collisions.

His savior, holding together his creaking body and breathing strength into it once again.

His bones, muscles, and shields, obtaining new energy and being reinforced with divine metal.

Even as he blocked the path of the giant wolf and provoked the beast at the top of his lungs,

he thought about his party members once again.

‘I thought that for the sake of the NPCs, who are third parties, we might be able to join forces.’

Even if the vampires’ invasion of the Gratia Kingdom was already a decided matter, and the vampire who had joined the Jahil party also belonged to that crowd, making it inevitable for them to eventually be hostile to each other,

since the NPCs they met inside these ruins did not belong to either side, he had thought they could become temporary allies for their sake.

‘I thought that could have been the case, though.’

Recalling the conversation he had with the party members the previous day, Gi-jun smiled bitterly and adjusted his grip on the shields.

An offensive form where the sharp edges of the shields faced forward.

Since he had grown somewhat accustomed to those damnably heavy beatings, he intended to somehow break the enemy before he himself collapsed.

After all, when had he ever fought hoping for someone to help him? Having formed a party full of holes, expecting it to function properly was greed.

‘It’s fine. Because Teacher Nietzsche and Teacher Copernicus are with me.’

—Ah, those guys were still here.

—Kaoooo!

Gi-jun thrust his left shield forward to strike away the wolf’s forepaw, and at the same time, spotting its giant tail sweeping up from the ground from outside his field of vision, he reached out with his right hand as hard as he could.

The flame blooming at the edge of the shield absorbed light and was shot out like a laser.

The moment the blue chill in the tail and the holy fire clashed, Ur’s full power was loaded into the holy fire, which swelled up with a whoosh and swallowed the beast’s tail whole!

—Kaaaaaak!

Feeling the golden-shining flames instantly blow away the chill and burn down to the tail, Hati was startled and rubbed its tail against the ground in terror.

—Now, Contractor! Its internal mana is concentrated on the tail, so other parts have weakened!

It was Lucy’s shrill cry.

Gi-jun laughed inwardly, thinking that a divine beast was still an animal after all, but without missing the opportunity, he targeted the beast’s opening.

‘What I must aim for—of course.’

Gi-jun’s two arms transformed into brilliantly shining fangs; one pressed down on the beast’s forepaw, while the other accurately bit down on the weapon-like claws growing from that forepaw.

Crunch, the fangs that tore through the flesh finally ripped out one of its claws from the root!

—Kyaaaaaaaak!

—With a masterful slaughter skill, you have succeeded in plundering a part of the body from an enemy in the legendary domain. You have obtained [Moon Claw (L-)]. Although it has weakened somewhat after being separated from the main body and losing its source of power, gathering several of them together will restore its true power.

—The Slaughter (R) skill has reached Level 17!

—With a masterful slaughter skill, you have succeeded in plundering a part of the body from an enemy in the legendary domain. You have obtained [Moon Claw (L-)]. Although it has weakened somewhat after being separated from the main body and losing its source of power, gathering several of them together will restore its true power.

—The Slaughter (R) skill has reached Level 17!

The beast’s claw, which flew into the air and was thicker and longer than an ordinary sword, was sucked into Gi-jun’s inventory.

Unlike the werewolves, perhaps it lacked a terrible level of regeneration, for the beast could not regenerate its broken claw, and howling in pain, it rushed madly toward Gi-jun.

—Kyaooook!

“I’ll pull out the remaining seven too……!”

However, just as the thoroughly enraged dark divine beast opened its maw and lunged as if to swallow Gi-jun whole—

—Boom!

Along with the sound of a bomb exploding, a bullet flying from behind lodged itself in Hati’s throat as if sucked in.

It was a giant, silver-plated shotgun slug, but the immense mana contained in that bullet belonged to someone Gi-jun knew all too well……!

“—Hervunt!”

Even as he realized the identity of his reinforcement in an instant and called out his name, Gi-jun did not make the mistake of missing the opening Hati had left wide open from the two consecutive shocks.

Crunch, the sharply thrust blood-red fangs bit into the beast’s other forepaw, which was still intact, successfully tearing out one more claw.

Looking at the giant wolf retreating with blood streaming from both forepaws, he almost laughed.

—Now we only need to collect six more!

Letting Lucy’s voice, which sounded lively yet somehow a bit chilling, go in one ear and out the other, he glanced back; standing there, as expected, was the gentleman with a calm impression.

What was different from usual was that he was wounded here and there and looked quite exhausted, as well as holding a triple-barrel shotgun. The fact that he held that gun meant……

“I am sorry, Jun. I am late.”

“Is that so?”

He probably did not mean he was late to help him.

The fact that Hervunt had been held up until now proved that the opponent he fought was by no means an easy enemy.

And if there was such an enemy, then naturally.

Suppressing the rising bile, Gi-jun asked.

“If you were late, then Gin……”

“The boy is safe, at least. Probably. There seemed to be a barrier…… so I left him alone without touching it unnecessarily. His parents had prepared well.”

Although he knew it was not the time for it, Gi-jun closed his eyes for a moment.

Countless thoughts whirled fleetingly, before finally settling heavily.

There would be no end if he let himself be swayed by what he failed to protect.

Now was the time to focus on what he had protected, and what he had to protect.

He opened his eyes again.

“Thank you.”

“It was naturally something to be done for the quest. Of course, depending on the boy’s mental state, the silver we painstakingly brought might end up being of no use, but—”

“I mean, coming to help me.”

Hervunt’s eyes widened at Gi-jun’s words.

But he soon feigned a calm expression and spoke.

“As a party member…… helping the leader is only natural.”

Hervunt, who had managed to tend to his wounds, pointed his triple-barrel shotgun at Hati, who was slowly creeping toward them again.

“So, let’s think about the rest after we kill the bastard.”

—Krooooooooo!

“……Yeah, let’s do that.”

As the two shields in Gi-jun’s hands emitted a bright light once again, provoking Hati, the beast forgot about being shot by Hervunt and lunged straight toward Gi-jun.

The shields and the wolf collided with a roaring sound, and the shotgun, aiming for the beast’s opening, spat fire.

Once again, it was the start of the boss battle.

* * *

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Jun, you have something you’re curious about regarding me, right.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): You know, wondering why I didn’t explain in advance.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): You’ve already noticed that I’m from the dark faction, haven’t you?]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Was it too obvious? I could have just told you, but that was a bit difficult. Stupid, isn’t it?]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): You could have asked first. It’s not like I couldn’t answer you or anything…….]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Ah—sorry, this was a bit cowardly. I’ll be honest.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): I didn’t want to say it myself.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): I didn’t want you to be prejudiced against me.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): It was bound to be caught the moment you crossed over to Leta anyway, I’m such a fool.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Still, I’m sorry. If I had known something so dangerous would happen right away, I should have told you beforehand.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Who is dangerous in the dark faction, how they act, what to be careful of…… I should have told you all of it.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): (This message has been deleted.)]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Thank you for pretending not to know until now.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): But don’t go easy on others for no reason just because of me.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): You see, since I’m a tutorial NPC, I’m relatively free when it comes to faction issues. But the Letans, who fight over the hegemony of the continent, are different, you know?]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): Regardless of their own will, there are many who have no choice but to follow the will of the faction or civilization they belong to.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Waiting Room): And to defy such ‘destiny,’ it requires a fairly large price. Like a soul, a body, or an ego…….]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Rift): Or a massive amount of points. Heh, do you understand why I’m collecting points now?]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Rift): Praising me won’t get you anything, you know? Instead, I’ll go there myself. So wait for me.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Rift): Oh, right. If a species undergoes an irregular mutation in an extremely special situation, their faction can change, but this is such a special case that there’s no need to even consider it.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Rift): ……But saying things like this makes me a bit anxious that such a thing will definitely happen around you.]

[Biche♥ (Dimensional Rift): What’s this? Why isn’t the message being deleted?]