“Haah…! Haah…!”
This guy is barely holding on while seriously considering the gambler known as Kangwan.
His armor and cloak have been caked in dirt from rolling on the floor countless times, and his body, worn out by relentless abuse throughout the night, is twitching feebly, expressing the limits of his stamina.
Could it be due to the nerves and senses sharpened to an extreme? Although he only endured a short time that wouldn’t even cook a cup of ramen, it felt like dozens of minutes had passed.
“I’m at my limit! I can’t use any more magic!”
Amy shouted with a voice full of despair.
All the spells like Fire Arrow, Ice Spike, and even ‘Invisible Hammer’ and ‘Light Sphere’ that could somewhat disrupt the moves of the Corpse Giant have been completely used up.
“Damn…! Just stay back for now!”
What it meant was he had become practically no different from an ordinary person. In other words, it meant that he and Gerda would have to face the monster with only their strength.
The last remaining person, Friede, had run deep into the woods after chasing the Abyss Priest while he was struggling against the Corpse Giant.
“Gerda, do you have any good ideas!?”
“Do I look like I have one! I couldn’t even stand in front of that thing!”
Gerda, hiding in the woods, shook her head as if to say ‘don’t say nonsense.’
“True, I guess…!”
It meant she couldn’t even think about dodging when it was fast enough for him to barely evade.
Even if he squeezed out his courage to face the Corpse Giant head-on, one punch from the giant would turn him into an undead right away.
So, it was basically saying he had to hold out against this thing all by himself…
‘…Easier said than done.’
Even fighting with Amy’s help was incredibly precarious at every moment; how long could he possibly last on his own?
“GRRRRAAAAH!”
A single strike meant immediate death, coupled with the undead’s infinite stamina. The running speed blocked any chance of fleeing.
With no opportunity to throw in a proper counterattack, the only damage done so far was only a few sword slashes on its flesh.
The foe was just too strong. Stronger than him, at least.
“Hah…”
He sighed deeply, gazing at the screeching Corpse Giant with fatigue-ridden eyes.
It felt like a dark reality was unfolding before him.
He wanted to turn around and run away just like this.
…But.
“Let’s see how far we can go.”
Instead of giving up and turning to flee into the woods, he gripped the sword tightly and summoned whatever strength remained in his trembling muscles.
“Because there’s no other option left now.”
Fleeing would only lead him to be crushed immediately. There was no other way but to fight.
“GRRRRAAH!”
He hoped that his instincts and senses wouldn’t betray him, while some uncomfortably cold feeling pooled in his heart spread all over his body.
The terrible chill traveled through his veins, granting his muscles strength beyond their limits.
It wasn’t superhuman power like against the Vengeful Spirit Spider, but…
Swoosh!
He had enough power to smash the wrist of the Corpse Giant.
“GRRRRRRRAAAAH!”
Covered in a deluge of black blood that gushed forth with its roar, he couldn’t help but smile faintly at the exhilarating sensation soaking through his brain.
◆◆
Kangwan’s activation, which he had lowered down.
He had taken a risky gamble with a one-in-five chance, and it successfully paid off beautifully.
‘…Though I wouldn’t quite call it perfect success.’
Dodging backwards as the Corpse Giant slammed its other arm down while roaring in anger, he briefly glanced at his hands gripping the great sword.
With his face drenched in cold sweat, he panted, “Haah… Hah…!”
He felt overwhelming fatigue as if he’d just run a marathon. His breath was short, and his arm muscles trembled.
When he swung his sword towards the monster’s hand, he had lost his grip on power slightly, resulting in more force than intended being put into the swing.
‘But with this level, I can still keep fighting.’
At least three more swings were still possible. Hope surged within him instinctively.
The memories imprinted in his body and his sharpened senses from fighting as of late taught him well what he was capable of, and where his limits lay.
‘Three more swings ahead.’
If he could lower his output further, perhaps five more.
That would be the number of hits he had to land on it… and his only chance given to him.
If he could sever its head in that time, he would win. If he failed, only death awaited.
A gamble where he risked his life.
His first bet had led to a precarious victory, but that didn’t mean it was over yet.
“GRRRRAAAAH!”
The monster was still alive, and so was he.
“Huu, Haah…”
Breathless, he aimed his sword at the Corpse Giant, eradicating the choice to simply endure from his mind.
Kangwan’s nature didn’t suit long fights.
Without infinite stamina, could he possibly last until the Paladins arrived while expending this much energy?
So he had to roll the dice once again. The dice where both his and the monster’s lives were at stake.
“GRRRRAAAAH!”
“…What a whiner over losing a wrist. Such a waste of size.”
Thus, he charged straight at the Corpse Giant instead of retreating out of range.
There was no hesitation.
Even after losing one wrist, the creature was still an absurdly powerful monster… but at least, his chances had improved compared to before.
He could hit it.
If so, he could kill it.
So, there was nothing to fear.
The certainty felt more like hope or desire rather than confidence.
He kept murmuring those words to suppress the anxiety in his heart, pouring every ounce of strength he had towards the Corpse Giant.
◆◆
“GRRRRAAAAH!”
“Haaah!”
Having abandoned the notion of holding back, the battle grew fiercer and more dangerous than before.
He completely threw out his previous battle plan of running back whenever the monster attacked and instead stepped forward, trying to find openings and timing his counterattacks.
And he realized something.
That something had changed.
“GRRRRAAAAH…!”
‘…Is it slower?’
The giant’s limbs swinging toward him were just a tad slower than they were before.
It wasn’t that it was exhausted; being an undead, it didn’t tire…
So then, did something happen to the Abyss Priest who summoned it?
While Friede was certainly an impressive adventurer, could she possibly take down the Abyss Priest alone and in such a short time?
He doubted it. It was likely that Hug had lost focus on the undead’s management because he was fully concentrated on the fight with Friede.
Honestly, it felt like the heavens were helping him.
Thanks to the Corpse Giant’s slowed movements, dodging attacks was somewhat easier than before.
Even without Amy’s help, he was able to avoid some attacks somehow.
‘No, not just that. It’s not just the giant that’s slower….’
His own body movements and reaction speeds had also become sharper compared to before.
‘Can I see its movements…?’
He could see them.
Even without sight, he could feel them through his senses.
The warnings of the attacks coming at him. Vulnerabilities to slip into. Every little one’s flaw and the best moments to counterattacking even more clearly than before.
All the things he couldn’t perceive when he was focused solely on retreating.
As his exhausted body paradoxically grew ever more agile, it felt like all his senses were extending outside of himself.
He realized his body was telling him something. It was teaching him. It was urging him.
This was the right choice.
Life wasn’t for those who looked back and pondered their past mistakes but for those who boldly leapt forward.
He dashed ahead.
The ecstasy of realization pulled his weary body onward.
◆◆
“Haaah!”
He catapulted himself like a gymnast, landing his sword in the Corpse Giant’s knee.
He moved like an acrobat. With a splash, the blood sprayed on his face, and the sensation of muscles tearing enveloped his fingertips.
“GRRRRAAAAH!”
The Corpse Giant let out a scream that sounded half like a snarl.
Not yet.
He immediately kicked off from its thigh, slicing his sword through the exposed side.
Swoosh!
The second Kangwan activated. The black blood and rotting entrails gushed forth as he sliced through its side.
“Hah…! Hah…! I’m not done yet!”
Pulling out the entrails, he dashed towards the massive tree behind the giant.
As the dried trunk loomed closer, he stretched his legs to propel himself off the tree, diving toward the ground.
Bang!
His body shot down like a thrown ball.
The Corpse Giant’s flailing arm missed him by inches as he passed overhead.
The cloak he wore was shredded by the wind pressure, and his sword that he held aloft slid across the giant’s arm.
The perfect dodge and counterattack. He slid to land right in between the giant’s legs.
Thud…!
The earth crumbled underfoot, dragged through the dirt like the rain washing away mud. He twisted his waist to glide forward, pivoting on his toes.
With all his speed, weight, and muscular resilience, he targeted the giant’s ankle, tracing the line created by his prior slash.
“Ugh…! It’s still tough!”
The moment the great sword pierced into its ankle, intense resistance jolted up his arm.
The grip on the hilt felt as if it were scalding hot.
However, this was enough…
“Haaah!”
With a fierce shout, he squeezed every ounce of strength he had, forcing down the resistance of the giant’s massive muscles and tendons.
Crack!
The blade screamed as it began to crack and together with it, the giant’s ankle was deeply sliced.
Since this wasn’t an actual strike from Kangwan, he hadn’t reached its bone yet… but this much was sufficient.
“GRRRROOOAAAH!”
With blood bursting out like waves, the Corpse Giant faltered, collapsing to its knees as it fell to the ground.
Like a child who had tripped forward after being kicked in the gut.
It resembled a tipsy drunkard that had reverted from bipedal to quadrupedal stance, supporting itself on its arms and legs, curling helplessly.
Yes. It had severed its tendons, so it couldn’t run on two feet anymore now.
“Now’s the time! Hilde!”
From afar, Amy shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice brimming with disbelief and hope.
He shared the same sentiment.
Now was the moment.
There was no other chance left.
With the creature thrown off balance and unable to steady itself, now he could—
“Stay down!”
He pushed through the sharp pain in his chest as he leaped over the Corpse Giant’s forearm, diving toward its neck.
Gathering the drained energy once more, he ignited the last of Kangwan.
“GRRRRAAH!”
Realizing the threat, the Corpse Giant desperately tried to pull itself back up.
But my body, fueled by the strength of Kangwan, surged forth faster than its rising upper body, my blade reaching its neck before it could stand again.
“GRRRRAAAAH…!”
The grotesque maw of the Corpse Giant opened wide in a final look of surprise.
“Too late!”
He spent every ounce of remaining strength executing one final activation of Kangwan, gazing at the very familiar figure of a female knight reflected in those blood-red eyes.
SWOOSH!
The blade of the great sword cleaved through the giant’s neck bone in two.
