I could finally calm down only after confirming that Reshi was safe.
Only then was I able to think clearly about my ability.
Now I get it.
I think I finally understand why Reshi and the goblins were so startled when I first arrived in this world.
Now I get it.
I think I finally understand why, during the goblin cave raid, the enemies sometimes looked like they were frozen in place.
I think I finally understand why the mana in my Status Window was being depleted.
Mana was being consumed proportional to the time I stopped.
Just saving Reshi earlier had cost me 2 mana.
Mana: 33/35
I couldn't know the exact rate, but at this level, I figured I could stop time for at least a minute.
That might be plenty of time to kill an ordinary person.
But it wasn't enough to take down multiple foes or rescue someone.
I had to split this precious time of mine into the tiniest efficient fragments.
Damn... what a half-assed cheat this is.
"Is that magic? What trick is this?"
Katona must have been pretty shocked that I'd dodged his attack and saved Reshi. Unlike before, his voice carried a hint of panic. From his perspective, it had all happened in the blink of an eye.
I decided to use this opening to make up for my shortage of 'time.'
First things first—Reshi's safety.
"Baetgeuk, take care of Reshi one more time. Get her back to the villagers."
Baetgeuk startled at my sudden approach but quickly caught on, crouching low to bare his back.
I hoisted the unconscious Reshi onto it and secured her. Before setting off, Baetgeuk turned to look at me.
"I'll handle things here. You go on ahead."
Did those words get under Katona's skin?
"You pathetic worm! You think I'll just let those bitches go?! Wolves! Tear them apart!! Rip them to shreds!!"
Only then did the wolf riders encircling us spring into motion, cutting off Baetgeuk as he tried to flee with Reshi on his back.
The massive brown wolf Katona rode snarled at the front, the rest of the riders fanning out to surround us.
I'd wanted to save time, but that wasn't happening.
As I moved to help, Baetgeuk glanced back at me briefly.
"!?"
Taking it as a signal, I scanned the surroundings. Unlike the lead wolf, more than half of them weren't growling—they were turning their heads away.
No way!?
Baetgeuk bared his teeth silently only at Katona's brown wolf, facing it down.
As they eyed each other, exchanging murderous intent...
Suddenly, Baetgeuk barked urgently.
In response, faint sounds echoed from afar.
Woof!! Woof!! Yap!! Whine!!
Six puppies were racing toward us from the distance. Especially the one in front, Pidga, tumbling along in frantic haste.
Innocent, adorable pups trying to keep up with their parents—but the timing couldn't be worse.
The brown wolf's fangs turned toward the pups. It had a sneakily vile face for a wolf, I thought—
Right then!
"GRRAAAAAHHH!!"
A massive black wolf ridden by an orc lunged, clamping onto the brown wolf's scruff and tearing.
The other wolves behind it threw off their riders, biting into other riders mid-air and shredding them, or snapping at the legs of resisting wolves and hurling them aside.
"Kyaaah!? You bastards!! Kyaaaak!!"
Even the goblin wolf, brimming with vengeful fury, had its scruff ripped clean off in an instant, sending the goblin flying into the darkness somewhere.
Blood sprayed massively as the wolves' hierarchy reasserted itself in a flash.
The black wolf spat out the chunk of flesh torn from Katona's brown wolf's scruff and tilted its head to the sky.
"Awoooooooooh!!"
In response, wolves that had ripped apart their orc riders and killed off those defying the new order—covered in gore—joined the howl one by one... two by two.
Baetgeuk and his pups joined in too.
"You finally saved your family, huh."
Baetgeuk came close and licked me. Pidga wagged his tail between me and Reshi, darting back and forth.
The howling wolves all turned to stare at Katona as one.
Blood-soaked, their eyes gleamed as they bared their fangs.
"Y-You worthless mutts..."
Baetgeuk and the others were ferocious beasts capable of massacring armored orcs in seconds. They were no ordinary wolves in size or bloodline.
Even Katona gripped his greatsword tightly, tensing up.
But.
"Baetgeuk, I'll take this one. Protect Reshi and the villagers."
These wolves that had wiped out Katona's elite were solid allies. But the bulk of the forces surrounding the village were still likely chasing or attacking the villagers.
"And you should head back to your family too."
Baetgeuk met my eyes, rubbed his head against me, then turned toward where the villagers had fled.
The other wolves glanced at me once before following the white wolf.
Pidga hesitated by my side, but the black wolf that had bitten the brown wolf's scruff earlier came over, grabbed him by the scruff, and carried him off.
They'd rescue the villagers and return to their homeland afterward.
Celebrations could wait. I had business to finish here.
"Hey, coward. You can drop the tension now."
I called out to Katona, who'd been holding his breath until the wolves vanished. Plenty of people had died by this bastard's hand.
"I... I'll present your head to Her Majesty. You who command wolves and dodged my blade... What is your name?"
Planning to excuse his failure to the king by claiming it was due to some formidable foe like me, not his own incompetence?
"You idiot who can't even remember a person's name. It's Kirgil."
"A lowly human dares!!"
The demon's massive frame closed in abruptly. Movement swift for his bulk.
His heavy greatsword swung down light as a feather. An unblockable strike.
...If it were the me from moments ago.
Village Chief Agnes had said innate talent was required first for magic. Even with talent, you needed knowledge and imagination to firmly visualize your will, and express it flawlessly in the ancient tongue for the spell to activate.
Then, you manipulated your own and the ambient mana to amplify or sustain the effect.
I knew the ancient language but couldn't cast magic. No talent.
But I had a blessing.
"Stop"
Just uttering it, just willing it strongly, activated my blessing.
The same method worked to trigger or draw out the magic sword's power.
Katona's strike, which I could never have dodged before, now seemed not just slow—but frozen.
But I couldn't spam it.
I sidestepped the blade to safety and slashed at the arm of the bastard right in front of me.
Infusing it with the clear will of Cut to activate the sword's magic.
Clang!!
The sword bounced off.
Startled—
Time resumed its flow.
Thud!!
Katona's greatsword cleaved empty ground.
"What!?"
He was shocked I was gone.
"Another trick!?"
And shocked again by the pain shooting through his arm.
I was a bit thrown off too that my blade hadn't even scratched him.
Come to think of it, Elias's arrows—potent enough to pierce prey—hadn't worked on him either.
Demons might have innate resistance or defenses against magic.
"I thought this too easily."
This was a hardcore isekai world, after all.
I'd gotten a cheat-like ability for once, but it wasn't making things easy.
Mana had dropped by 3 in that brief exchange. Status Window showed 30 left.
Consumption varied by focus or situation, it seemed.
Tough. So tough.
"You laugh? At me, you worm?"
"Oh, was I smiling?"
Endless frustration had somehow turned into me enjoying this mess without realizing it. But it was a smile born not of despair, but resilience.
"I don't know how you picked up this petty trick,
but it's too crude to even scratch my skin!"
Katona grimaced and tensed his muscles.
A face he'd make in the bathroom.
"You bastard!! Where do you get off laughing again!!"
His muscles bulged. The horns on his arms seemed to exude a fiercer aura. Somehow channeling mana—or whatever—into his body.
What did I know about this first demon I'd met today? Still, the effect was obvious even without seeing it.
Tougher. Stronger.
Suddenly, the ground where I'd stood exploded inward.
"You little!!"
Sword wind rent the air where my body had been.
"Rat!!"
The ground cratered again where I'd moved!
"Inferior spawn!! Guh!!"
I timed my thrust perfectly as he swung down, piercing the inside of his arm clean through.
"Wh-When!?"
The bastard was tough. Fast.
Obviously, my strength alone couldn't pierce his hide.
So I'd dodged his attack and targeted the moment of his maximum downward force.
A sword thrust is strongest and sharpest at full extension.
Adding his own striking power to my thrust. Aiming for the convergence point of that max force.
The blade tore flesh up to near his right shoulder.
"GRRAAAAAAAHHH!!"
He wouldn't wield that massive greatsword with his right hand anymore.
"Even without this puny weapon, trash like you is—!!"
His left fist rocketed toward me.
"Aaaagh!!"
This time it was easier. My blade wedged between his index and middle fingers.
Tch, my hands are a bit numb.
Even thrusting into him transmitted some shock.
Not lethal, but without the skill to time it and slacken just right, my wrist would've snapped. Beginners shatter theirs just hitting straw dummies with wooden swords.
My steady, simple training had honed the instinct to flow with heavy impacts naturally.
Sharpening my current ability even further.
"Eeeeek!! Not yet!! Not over!!"
He tensed his muscles rigidly; the blade wouldn't budge. Lodged tight.
I let go without forcing it and retreated to a distance.
As the enraged Katona flailed his left fist—blade still stuck—in empty air.
I approached Kras's severed torso, gently closing his wide-staring eyes before death claimed him.
And picked up the sword he'd held.
"I'll avenge you with this, so don't curse me yet."
Kras's sword was the one from Village Chief Agnes. Another magic sword.
Gripping the new blade, I closed on Katona—blood spraying, fist flying—and slipped past the punch to lay the edge against the flesh behind it.
Infusing the will of I will cut.
Flesh and muscle behind his fist sliced off thin as salami, blood gushing massively.
This sword from the chief packed serious magic.
Not surprise at its power, but bitterness welled up. She'd hoped Kras, bearing this blade, wouldn't die...
"Kyaaaak!! GRRAAAAAAAHHH!!"
Katona collapsed in agony and blood loss.
Both hands ruined, he couldn't fight anymore. That bleeding wouldn't let him last long.
"Don't come closer! Kaaak! You shit!! Guh!!"
Why was I so eerily calm? Had his pain cooled my rage?
Or had witnessing too many deaths numbed me?
Not even a twinge of satisfaction. Maybe this was the 'knot in my heart'—emotions hardened over.
Near Kras lay Shtai's headless corpse. When the bastard's strength finally failed, I'd take his head. Maybe that would loosen the knot in my chest.
I opened my Status Window to check mana. 9 remained.
"Got it. Hang in there."
That bleeding meant no need to rush the kill. Like finishing prey, avoid the final frenzy.
Above all, I had no intention of letting him die easy.
No emotion, really. Pure logic said this was how to handle him.
"Kuhuhuhu..."
Laughing? Lost his mind in pain?
"Kuhahahahahahaha!! GRRAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
Ugh, grating roar. Not just loud—my head throbbed.
Was this his final spasm?
Sinister red eyes began glowing one by one in the surrounding darkness.
His eerie, empowered howl drew in lingering orcs and goblins—looting or hiding.
Looks like I'd misjudged. A demon on death's door wasn't like cornered prey.
"Blade of the Century Queen Parshiana!
By Katona's name, unleash your power!! Convey my rage!!"
⟨ Ancient Language Magic ⟩
Orcs and goblins crowded closer, faces intoxicated yet aggressive.
"Kill that human!! Kirgil!! Bring him t—"
"Damn it!!"
I hastily used the sword's magic to sever his head.
But dozens of other monsters swarmed in to fill the void. They didn't flinch even as their leader's head rolled beside them.
I felt their bloodlust toward me.
"What a hardcore world, huh."
I should be used to this by now. Gotta split my remaining time even finer.
That instant—
A hole tore open in the sky.
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