#194
White Giant (1)
In fact, as I followed Geos to this rural territory, I was already prepared for the possibility that this might be a wasted trip.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Coordinating the party’s schedule was no big deal, so I willingly invested my time, but can one truly be certain they’re dealing with an Earthling based on just Geos’s single testimony?
I thought it would be awesome if they were truly an Awakened One, and I was satisfied if I could gather even a bit of information…
‘The harvest turned out to be much greater than I expected.’
Not only did I meet Chehai, a genuine settler from Earth, but he also generously provided high-level information that’s hard to come by.
On top of that, I even received personal guidance from him, allowing my Unique Skill to grow—what more can I say!
‘Thanks to that, I ended up staying longer than anticipated.’
However, it wasn’t like Heinrich and the hero party could remain stuck in this rural backwater forever.
Truth be told, taking such a lengthy break was quite unusual.
“Well then, see you next time, Uncle Geos!”
“Be careful on your way, big sister!”
“Anyeong~!”
Although it had only been a few days since the party had been living between the villa on the hill and Chehai’s orphanage, the children had grown quite attached, as they rushed out to the front door to bid them farewell.
Honestly, aside from Geos, parting ways now left no certainty for when they might meet again—it was merely a fleeting connection…
Yet, despite the hint of sadness, the children waving with bright faces bore no signs of gloom.
‘They’re all strong… sigh …better than me.’
In a harsh world where even adults struggle to survive, he couldn’t even begin to fathom how many hidden scars lingered behind those smiles of the children.
Perhaps it was the love of a few adults who embraced those scars and the ever-present friendship of companions that allowed them to show such joy.
After a brief farewell, the party left the orphanage.
While walking away, Chehai approached Heinrich, who had been accompanying them for the send-off.
“I tried my best to be of help in my own way. I wonder if it did any good. I hope I didn’t just waste the time of busy folks.”
“What are you saying? You’ve been a tremendous help. Now, please leave the remaining tasks to us, and continue to protect this place like you have with the children; after all, they are the future of the world, aren’t they?”
“Hahaha, you speak the truth. That is what I’m most confident about.”
The two exchanged warm wishes while shaking hands.
Then, after sharing a few more swift words with the others, Chehai finally approached the last one remaining.
“Geos.”
As he called out quietly, Geos gazed at him silently.
He had hoped that being in the orphanage would have improved his mood, but now that he was leaving, his expression was once again filled with gloom.
“Why don’t you try to let go of the weight? If you remain bound to the past, nothing will ever begin.”
“I don’t want to start over. That day, my world already ended.”
“Anna and Nia wouldn’t want you to be like this.”
“Well, that might indeed be the case.”
Still, since they were people he would never see again, all such hypotheticals were utterly meaningless.
He merely stared vacantly at the void, as if indifferent to others’ opinions around him.
“Haa—.”
Looking at him with concern, Chehai could only let out a sigh.
In truth, if he were in Geos’s shoes, he would likely act the same way, so he felt no convincing power in his own words.
A brief moment passed.
They arrived at a suitable location to prepare for teleportation—at the mansion on the hill, promptly setting up a magic circle in the backyard.
“I’ve used this magic circle so often lately that I feel I could draw it even with my eyes closed now. I specialized in elemental magic… particularly ice magic, but maybe I should change my focus to spatial magic?”
“That just means your teacher is incredibly versatile! Why not master all the branches at once? I happen to be interested in a certain school; how about we…?”
“Hmmm….”
As Isea set up the magic circle using the materials she took from the Spatial Dimension Magical Equipment, Hesperon quickly filled her with air.
Even though he could receive help from Hans, it’d likely increase efficiency if they could brainstorm together while learning another branch!
‘By the way, she really is impressive.’
It might seem easy since it felt like a part of daily life, but spatial movement was high-tier magic that couldn’t even be attempted without considerable skill and preparation.
Even in a Magic Tower, it required grand facilities, abundant materials, and the cooperation of several mages to attempt.
Thus, Isea being able to perform it alone indicated she was an impressive individual.
Of course, Hans, being the Undead King, was an exception.
And just as the preparations for spatial movement were about to conclude…
“I will always await you in perfect condition, so you can return and rest whenever you wish, my lord. Please remember that.”
Oliver, the mansion’s caretaker who packed provisions for the journey, bowed politely to Geos.
He shared the same concerns as Chehai but, given his position of employment, he could not dare overstep and chose to express his thoughts indirectly.
In times of need, he wanted them to return to this place… ‘home.’
“…Alright. Thank you.”
Naturally, Geos responded with his usual dry reply.
“Everything is ready! Everyone, gather here!”
With nothing more to accomplish in this village, there was no reason to remain.
After saying goodbye to Chehai and Oliver, the group gathered around Isea, waiting for the transmission.
“Well then, let’s depart. As you all know, adjust your magic resistance to not resist the spell…”
However.
Before she could even activate the magic.
Zzzzttt—!
An alien sound that would be hard to hear even once in a lifetime.
A bizarre noise that seemed to tear through space echoed all around.
“Hmm…?”
“…!!”
Everyone’s nerves sharpened at this strange occurrence.
This was not the effect of Isea’s spatial movement magic.
The group surrounding her and Chehai, who was seeing them off, all turned their heads toward the direction from which the sound came.
The very village they had just passed.
“Wait a minute…!”
“Could it be?!”
And at the outskirts of the village, a massive crack had opened in thin air, with a pure white ‘hand’ slowly prying it wider.
As if something was trying to forcefully emerge from a closed door.
If there was one issue, it was that the entity emerging was enormous—fitting the size of the crack.
“No, no!”
The orphanage was located nearby that crack!
*
The being was not just a hand; its entire body was painted white, as if smeared with paint.
It tore the crack apart with both hands and stepped one leg outside, making its first move.
Kuuwuung—!
With just that one step, a sound like a bomb detonating echoed as the ground quaked, with deep footprints of five toes stamped into the earth.
Finally, as it pulled its whole body out from the crack, it straightened its back and lifted its head.
At that moment—
[———!]
A stifled roar emanated from the being, shaking the surroundings.
It was a deep resonance, akin to a whale’s song, imbued with a distinct feeling of ‘joy’ even without any language.
If only it had a little more consideration, it might have genuinely celebrated.
Kuugugung—!
But the audience’s situation was far from congratulatory.
The destructive energy released from that overwhelming giant naturally carried over into the sound waves, violently disturbing everything around.
The roots of trees were uprooted and knocked down, stones flew crazily in all directions, and various structures crumbled to the ground.
It was obvious what would happen if a living being were to take a direct hit from such waves.
And right near that chaos lay the village…
“Ugh, my ears… what the hell is going on…?”
“Mommy—!”
“Heek? Wh-what is that monster?!”
Fortunately, amidst the commotion and property damage, there didn’t seem to be severe casualties.
“Ha, ha… that was close…”
Isea gasped for breath, gripping tightly onto the staff she received from the palace.
By now, a green light had enveloped the entire village, shaking vigorously as it tried to hold back the fierce current of bewildering energy.
It was unfortunate timing, preparing for teleportation, that her response was somewhat delayed, yet she was an archmage at the pinnacle of magic.
As soon as she sensed the anomaly, she assessed the situation accurately, canceled the spell she was preparing, and swiftly constructed a new one—all in just a matter of seconds.
However, covering the entire village, especially a fairly distant area in that short time was understandably quite a burden for her.
Luckily, since the giant’s attack wasn’t intentional but merely a residual effect, it was manageable.
“By the way, what is that…?”
While stabilizing the barricade she hastily conjured, Isea stared intently at the colossal white being that disregarded perspective.
A typical humanoid giant, easily over 30 meters tall.
What was unusual was that all seven openings from its face—its eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth—were stitched up with something black.
[———!]
Just then, the giant let out another strange roar from its throat.
But this time, unlike before, it conveyed clear irritation rather than joy.
Well, that was to be expected.
The hero Heinrich, barbarian warrior Harley, and knight Geos of the hero party had already moved in front of the giant, attacking to divert its gaze away from the village.
‘Chehai must have headed directly for the orphanage.’
Almost simultaneously with Isea’s reaction, the others began to find their roles.
“…I need to get a bit closer for the efficacy of my magic.”
“Yes! I will escort you! Trust me, Master!”
Except for the still inept Hesperon.
*
The divinely infused holy power flowed through Heinrich’s body, mixed with the energy of the Holy Sword.
Crack—
His flesh, already enhanced by “Great Blessing: Knight of Light” and “Blessing: Strong Body,” transcended its limits once again and infused him with superhuman strength.
With that power, he sprinted like the wind, leaping onto the giant’s foot, knee, and thigh.
“Blessing: Light Sword” blazed intensely under the influence of “Blessing: Weight Increase,” piercing deep into the giant’s heart with “Blessing: Holy Sword.”
Guided by the “Rozia’s Holy Combat Method” and “Path of Martial Arts,” he traced a distinctly lethal trajectory.
Chwaaaak—!
[———?!]
White blood erupted from the giant’s torn body.
However, given its enormous size, he couldn’t completely destroy its heart.
Much like its appearance, it was surprisingly agile, causing him to just barely miss the heart.
Wiggle wiggle—
‘…Even while doing that, it regenerates.’
As Heinrich gracefully landed, his brow furrowed at the sight.
The giant’s gaping wound was twitching constantly, slowly but persistently stitching itself back together.
The ability to suppress recovery was one of the Holy Sword’s foundational abilities, honed from hunting various bizarre monsters.
But if this one had such remarkable regenerative power even after being attacked by that sword, it meant it surpassed the “Enhanced Regeneration” that Heinz II or Harley possessed…
In every aspect, it was a creature utterly beyond expectation.
‘What in the world is this monster? The crack it emerged from must certainly be a scar from the Abyss.’
Though this giant was humanoid, it bore no specific features to identify its gender, including reproductive organs.
Lacking even a strand of hair or any fur, it appeared merely like a roughly molded human shape made of white clay.
Because it was entirely white, the black wire stitches on its face accentuated its bizarre nature even further.
‘Could it also have drifted in from the Abyss like the Undead Army?’
The fact that it was appearing suddenly after remaining calm until now was suspicious.
And above all…
‘The degree of insanity dwelling within it is substantial. This must be… comparable to Heratos, the Bone Dragon.’
If it was a being that rushed out from the scar of the Abyss and was enveloped with madness…
‘…Could it be a monster that crawled up from the Abyss.’
Heinrich’s brows tightened.
Simultaneously, the giant twisted its face, glaring at Heinrich.
As if he was visible to it, now exuding an emotion that surpassed irritation—pure rage.
“Saint! It’s dangerous to keep fighting here! The orphanage is nearby! Now that it seems to have drawn attention, let’s lead it away…!”
Then, as Geos probed the giant’s focus with sharp spear thrusts, he shouted urgently.
Isea was busily helping to maintain the protective barrier while using magic to assist the villagers in escaping, but—
The overwhelming physical force from a creature over 30 meters tall was catastrophic in itself.
Even now, while trying to draw the giant’s attention and fighting, the village had turned into chaos, and there were casualties that couldn’t be averted.
‘Let’s be honest, it would be a lethal attack if that thing slipped and fell.’
Thus, even knocking it down had to be approached cautiously.
If they could somehow drain the giant’s life in one blow without resistance, they could still figure something out.
“I understand! It looks like the giant is particularly angry at me, so I’ll slowly backtrack towards outside the village…!”
Just as Heinrich responded to Geos, he suddenly froze, feeling a chilling sensation crawling up his spine.
It was due to the giant’s unveiled behavior.
‘No, wait. Don’t tell me…!’
With a face twisted in anger, the giant tilted its head momentarily, then distorted its mouth into a grin.
Beneath the grotesque appearance due to the black wire stitching, it was unmistakably a smile rife with anticipation for something.
‘It has intelligence…!’
And then—
The head of the White Giant turned.
‘It understood our conversation?!’
It was heading straight for the orphanage, which they desperately tried to protect.
