Genichi pulled a bottle of Earth Elixir from his pouch and tipped it back in one gulp.
The liquid slid down his throat and instantly turned into a warm current that spread through his entire body.
The heavy injury in his chest, the one caused by that blow, began healing at a visible rate.
Shattered bones reconnected. Damaged organs rapidly repaired themselves. The bruises and cuts on his skin faded little by little.
A few moments later, all of Genichi's injuries were gone.
If not for the bloodstains still left on his clothes, no one would have been able to tell he had been wounded at all.
Genichi rolled his shoulders and moved his body, feeling that replenished strength welling back up inside him. His gratitude toward Demeter deepened yet again.
For this extermination mission, Demeter had prepared a full six bottles of Earth Elixir for him.
Each bottle sold for more than five hundred thousand valis on the market.
Even with a friendly discount between Familia, it would still cost at least four hundred thousand.
Six bottles. That was nearly three million valis.
Three million.
And Earth Elixir was difficult to brew in the first place. Even if you had the money, there was no guarantee you could buy it.
But Demeter had handed it all over to him without even blinking.
"The effect really is insane."
Genichi muttered softly, then bared his teeth at Goliath.
Then he lifted his head and looked toward the Black Goliath in the distance, the monster still panting for breath.
After that last exchange, he had more or less figured out this monster's combat stats.
Its attack power was absurdly high. If not for the heart-guard armor softening that palm strike just now, he might already have been gravely wounded.
If he took another hit head-on, his Level 3 body absolutely would not withstand it.
Its defense was incredibly high. His blade could only leave shallow cuts on its body, and those wounds would quickly close under its monstrous regenerative ability.
Its speed was terrifying. For a creature of that size to move that fast was almost unbelievable. Fully avoiding its attacks required extreme concentration and reflexes.
The conclusion was obvious.
He could not fight it head-on.
He had to circle it.
Avoid its attacks to the greatest extent possible, look for openings in the gaps between them, and slowly build up damage bit by bit.
He had already tested its physical defense.
Next, it was time to test its magic resistance.
Genichi took a deep breath.
Magic power surged through him.
"Gospel!"
The invisible voice turned into a shell of force and blasted toward Goliath.
Boom!
The sonic blast struck Goliath square in the chest and exploded.
Flesh and blood flew.
But...
That was all.
Back when he fought an ordinary Goliath, one cast of Gospel had been enough to blow its entire head apart.
This time, Gospel only blasted open Goliath's skin and surface muscle.
It did not even reach the bone.
Genichi's pupils contracted slightly.
This Goliath's resistance to magic was just as far beyond his expectations.
Gospel was not his strongest spell, but its offensive power was still formidable.
With his current magic output, a single cast was enough to seriously injure an ordinary Level 4 monster.
But when it hit the Black Goliath, it left behind no more than this.
What did that mean?
It meant that of all the magic he currently possessed, aside from Genos Angelus, none of it would likely be able to inflict a fatal wound on this monster.
And Genos Angelus...
That was his trump card.
He could not use it lightly.
Genichi fell silent for a moment, rapidly simulating the rest of the battle in his mind.
At his current strength, there was no way for him to kill this Black Goliath in a single blow.
Which meant there was only one option left.
Grind it down.
Use repeated attacks to stack damage little by little until the monster finally died.
But there was a prerequisite for that.
He needed enough stamina and enough mind.
And throughout the battle, he would have to stay fully focused and avoid every single one of Goliath's attacks.
Any mistake could leave him badly wounded.
Or dead.
Genichi drew in a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.
The moment he reached that conclusion, he understood something instantly.
He was about to be dragged into a brutal fight.
A brutal fight that might last a very long time and consume an enormous amount of strength.
One slip, and everything could collapse.
But he did not retreat.
And he could not retreat.
This was the path he had chosen himself.
He raised his head and looked at the Black Goliath in the distance.
The monster was staring back at him with those deep red eyes.
Man and monster faced each other across dozens of meters.
The air was thick with tension.
Genichi suddenly smiled.
It was a faint smile, but there was a savage pride in it that could not be hidden.
"Come on."
He murmured under his breath.
"Let's see whether I grind you to death first..."
"Or whether I go down first."
"Thou Art the Dragon!"
He bestowed the dragon attribute on Goliath. His damage against dragons surged upward, its regenerative ability was weakened, and with the Dragon Eater skill amplifying his anti-dragon power, his attacks grew far deadlier.
His figure moved again.
Like an arrow loosed from the bow, he shot toward Goliath.
Goliath roared and raised a giant palm, bringing it crashing down on him.
Genichi shifted his footing and slipped aside at the very last instant.
At the same time, the sword in his hand slashed viciously across its arm.
Another wound opened.
This time, it was like cutting through cream, slicing through Goliath's skin and muscle in an instant.
Goliath let out a pained roar, and its other hand swept across.
Genichi ducked under it and followed up with three more slashes across that arm.
One strike, two strikes, three strikes.
He moved around Goliath like a phantom. Every dodge was paired with a counterattack.
Each slash did only limited damage, but once they accumulated, Goliath's body became covered in a dense web of wounds that could no longer heal quickly.
Goliath was completely enraged.
It stopped relying on its hands alone and began using magic as well.
Its mouth opened. Magic power gathered.
An invisible blast of magic roared toward Genichi.
Genichi immediately activated Silent Garden, forcing it down in an instant.
But in the very moment he blocked the blast, Goliath's other hand was already swinging toward him.
Genichi's eyes sharpened, and he activated Apparition.
Pop!
His figure vanished from the spot and reappeared several meters away.
The giant palm missed and smashed into the ground with a thunderous crash.
Genichi stumbled slightly when he landed. Using Apparition was still unbelievably unpleasant.
But he had no time to rest.
Goliath was already charging at him again.
He gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on his sword, and rushed back in.
The battle continued.
Time passed second by second.
Genichi did not know how long he had been fighting.
Maybe half an hour. Maybe an hour. Maybe even longer.
Several fresh wounds had already appeared on his body.
His movements were starting to slow.
His reactions were beginning to dull.
His breathing was growing ragged.
And Goliath...
That monster, though now covered in countless fine wounds, was still moving with the same savage speed as before.
Even with its regenerative ability weakened by Thou Art the Dragon, its wounds were still slowly regenerating.
If this kept up...
For the first time, a trace of unease flashed through Genichi's heart.
But he quickly crushed it.
He could not give up.
It was not time to give up yet.
He still had a trump card.
He still had Alfia.
It just was not time yet.
He had to hold on a little longer.
Just a little longer, let Goliath burn through more stamina.
Then he would try to kill Goliath with his own hands.
(End of Chapter)
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