During the time she had spent on the manor, I had suspected she might be similar to Adel in character, but I had to change my mind almost immediately. She was an incredibly sweet and cheerful girl, able to bring a smile to everyone she met. Perhaps her only flaw was that inexplicable obsession with her brother, which made Adel, in her eyes, the kindest and most reliable human being in the world… a total absurdity, considering that I would have gladly strangled him more than once.
Anyway, even if I didn't want to, I had to lie to her for the moment.
"Your brother is fine," I said with a smile I truly hoped looked natural. "He's still out there, but don't worry, his vitality is higher than that of cockroaches."
The joke drew a slight smile from her, enough to distract her from the tension seeping from every corner of the island.
She's beautiful… no, damn it, not the time!
"Lena," I continued firmly, "take this crest and go straight to the treasurer. Get some of my men to help you and bring as many magic stones as possible to my office. Now."
I handed her the crest. She nodded sharply with her dark hair falling over her shoulders, and darted off without asking any further questions.
As soon as she disappeared from sight, I strode toward my office. Tremors could occasionally be felt, caused by the distant blows of the monster ravaging the island. Inside, I slammed the door shut, then pulled a book from the top shelf of the library. A metallic click echoed through the room, followed by a low mechanical hum.
The wall behind me groaned and slid open, revealing stairs that led me to a stone chamber. In the center, on a reinforced pedestal, stood a small crystal.
The moment I interacted with it, the stones began gathering at the center, quickly forming a tower that pierced through the ceiling. At its tip, a stone similar to the one I was touching appeared, but much larger.
Although many treasures and weapons of the Agorath kingdom had vanished, some remained hidden, like this defensive magic tower.
Its power was strong enough to repel even Grade 6 monsters, but I didn't need all that strength; I just needed something to kill or seriously wound that Grade 4 beast.
I heard quick footsteps in the corridor. Lena had returned, followed by three men carrying bags and crates full of magic stones.
"Here, put them here!" I ordered, pointing to the end of the passage.
I inserted the first batch of stones into the power feeder. The runes lit up weakly, flickering like a flame in the wind.
My bloodshot eyes widened at how expensive this weapon was; that amount of stones wasn't even enough to fully activate it.
Adel, if you die after this loss, I swear I'll haunt you in the afterlife.
"What is this thing?" Lena asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and fear.
"Our last and only lifeline… if we can give it enough power before that monster reaches us."
The tower began to vibrate, absorbing energy. The runes glowed more intensely, but we were just getting started.
— Adel —
My breath burned in my lungs as if I were inhaling burning coal.
That damned creature wasn't giving me a single moment to catch my breath, and the wounds I had taken were slowing me down too much.
The night wind brought no relief. It whipped against my skin, already slashed in a thousand places, amplifying the pain. I knew I was losing blood; I could feel it running warm and sticky down my left side.
Behind me, the beast let out another guttural roar, a sound so irritating it made you want to tear your ears off. Its clawed legs shattered rocks like glass, closing in fast.
The only thing keeping me alive was the cluster of buildings on the island, making it harder for the monster to pinpoint me.
Earlier, I had tried to escape to a more open area, hoping I was fast enough to lose it, but when a tentacle strike split the air and missed my head by a centimeter, I quickly changed my mind.
I can't keep this up…
I coughed up a mouthful of blood. The damage to my ribs had worsened since I never stopped moving; most likely, I had internal injuries.
The building behind me collapsed just seconds after I ran out, the monster roaring in frustration. The dust cloud gave me the chance to activate Shadow Veil, and I darted into an alley, leaning weakly against a wall.
My breathing grew shorter and more irregular. My vision blurred, black spots creeping at the edges. I shook my head hard, trying to stay awake; falling now would just mean dying.
I kept running down the alley, aiming to exit on the opposite side from where I heard the monster, but as if to mock me, something jumped down from above.
I dived forward, pain stabbing through me, then scrambled up just in time to dodge a strike from a massive claw.
"Damn you!" I hissed through my teeth, gripping my halberd tightly and deflecting the next blow.
The monster was a Grade 2 creature, and I had neither the strength nor the time to fight it, so I retreated fast. Luckily, it was too big for the alley, limiting its mobility.
I burst out onto one of the main streets, aiming for the next group of houses, but to my horror, the creature was already there, waiting for me.
In that split second, I moved purely on instinct. I activated Scale Armor, crossed my arms over my chest with the halberd in front, and jumped slightly.
The next moment, an unstoppable force hit me like a tidal wave.
I didn't even have time to react before the air was forced out of my lungs and my body was flung like a comet.
I felt walls shatter behind me; every impact hurt so much that no sound escaped my mouth.
Finally, my body slammed against a wall and slid down to the ground, limp.
"BFUAH!"
A huge gush of blood spilled from my mouth. My face pressed to the ground, I almost drowned in it, unable to move.
My body had given up.
I didn't know my exact condition. Waves of pain tore through every part of me.
I had done my best to reduce the impact, yet it hadn't made much difference.
This… is really… bullshit.
From the very start, I had known the danger.
The difference between grades was almost exponential. If someone had asked me whether I'd rather face ten corpse golems or a single Bafael, I would've picked the first without hesitation.
That's how deep the power gap between grades ran.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I felt the creature's footsteps shaking the ground as it drew closer, but my body still showed no signs of movement — no, forget that, even my mind was more darkness than clarity.
The only thing left intact was my consciousness, still searching for a way to turn the tables — though without much success.
Contrary to what most people would expect, I wasn't afraid. Even though my situation looked like the end, it wasn't. I was still alive and still thinking, which meant there was still a path to victory.
A person could only be truly defeated when they died or gave up on themselves.
CRASH!
The wall I had smashed through crumbled, and on the other side appeared the bafael.
I felt its gaze on me as it began to approach. When it took a few steps, I smiled.
Runes on the ground lit up, and dozens of water spears shot toward the monster.
Even though my body was immobilized, I could still move my finger, and while the beast had been coming, I'd used my blood as a catalyst and the last of my mana to inscribe as many runes as possible.
With all my mana drained, I was suffering from mana depletion. My head spun like a tornado, yet I could still hear the beast's irritated roar as it defended itself from the strikes.
Unfortunately, the effects wore off quickly, buying me only ten seconds.
I used every last bit of strength to turn my head toward the monster, its jaws just steps away, but too bad for it… Ten minutes had passed.
I smiled coldly. Even in this state, I could sense something approaching fast, and how could the beast possibly avoid it?
The Bafael raised its head, alarmed, but it was too late.
In the next instant, a beam of energy pierced through the roof and tore straight through the monster's body.
The Bafael staggered, dark blood pouring out in torrents. It held on for several seconds, then finally collapsed to the ground, while I savored the sight.
I win… again… I… win…
My eyes grew heavier and heavier.
"Kill any other monsters you find!"
"Look for injured civilians!"
"We've found him! He's in critical condition, badly hurt. Get the medics here now!"
With noises and voices fading into the distance, I completely lost consciousness.