I dodge the first few swipes of its claws, deliberately steering my path toward the center of the chamber—right where the small pool lies. As I leap over it, the beast, blinded by its own fury, barely manages to steady itself after slipping slightly. It snarls, regaining focus, and lunges after me again.
But by then, I've already put some distance between us… And what it fails to realize is that I've been steering it toward something—one of the stone pillars. Not the one I promised Garrik, but for now, it will have to do… At least to give me another chance to create more distance.
The monster's head actually slams into the solid stone for the second time, the force of the impact sending cracks along its surface. Dust and debris burst into the air, momentarily obscuring its figure. I manage to create some distance again—but I know it won't stay disoriented for long.
As the monster staggers around, still disoriented and frantically searching for my scent, I shift my focus to another stone pillar—the one where that little mage boy should still be keeping his eyes locked.
I open my mouth to call out to Siona, only to realize she's already nearby, waiting for my signal. Without wasting a second, I point toward the spot where I need her—shield up, spell at the ready.
Then it hits me.
The monster might be blind, relying on its sense of smell more than anything else, but it isn't deaf by any means. My shout just gave it exactly what it needed.
Its head snaps toward me.
And then it charges.
All four limbs hammer against the stone floor as it tears toward me with terrifying speed—far faster than before. Drool drips from its gaping maw, its breaths coming so fast and heavy that mist curls in the air.
And I'm right in its path.
~~~~~
"Deon! Watch out!"
Siona, who is still on her way to her position, suddenly veers off course and sprints straight toward me. She raises her shield, her voice ringing with a single word—
"Draevun!"
A shimmering aura pulses around her shield just as the monster lunges. But the moment impact strikes, all three of us are sent flying in opposite directions—me, Siona, and the beast. The shield shatters into fragments, scattering across the chamber floor.
My HP plummets to 7. Siona, on the other hand, doesn't show any warning window, meaning her HP and SP are still stable—even after that brutal collision.
"Are you okay?!"
She shouts beside me, her voice strained, likely from the ringing in her ears.
"The shield..." I mutter, pulse hammering as I watch the monster claw its way back onto all fours, already preparing to charge again.
My gaze darts around, searching for anything—anything—we can use.
That's when I see it.
Lying not far from Siona is the massive greatsword that Sigvald and Garrik had been dragging earlier.
I point at it. "Siona... use that sword."
She whips her head toward it, then back to me. "That thing's way too heavy!"
"No... no, don't swing it. Use the flat side like a shield—to launch me into the air."
Her expression twists in horror. "Are you insane?! You'll shatter your legs!"
I lock eyes with her. "Siona… do it. Or we both die here."
Her breath hitches. A single moment of hesitation—then she clenches her teeth, shuts her eyes briefly, and mutters a curse under her breath.
And then—she runs straight toward the greatsword.
I watch as she stands firm, gripping the massive sword with both hands, using it as an improvised shield. At the same time, I see the monster charging straight toward me, its rage completely unchecked.
Without hesitation, I push myself up, sprinting toward Siona, who is already prepared to cast her spell. As soon as I reach her, I leap—placing all my trust in her timing.
"Tzeryn!"
The moment Siona speaks the incantation, a blue glow envelops the greatsword. Just as my foot lands on its flat surface, I'm launched into the air—whether from her strength or the spell's force, I'm not sure. But as I ascend, a sharp, unpleasant crack echoes from my right leg.
And then, exactly as planned, the monster tilts its head upward, following my trajectory. Its maw stretches wide, eager to snap down on me. I reach out, planting my hands against its snout to stop it from getting any closer—
And in that instant, cold black blood sprays into the air.
I crash back to the ground just as the monster's severed head bounces off the stone floor, rolling away from its now motionless body.
Garrik has indeed kept his word, watching over us from a distance just as promised. And Siona—twice in a row, she has used her single-word spell with perfect timing, keeping me alive and allowing me to carry out my role.
And all of that is perfect… So much so that, for some reason, despite only meeting them a day ago, I feel a small sense of pride in having fought alongside them.
But now comes something I expect—because I know that no one here is foolish enough to ignore an opportunity to kill someone as vulnerable as I am.
A sword presses against the side of my neck, it doesn't move any further… I glance back—Gideon stands there, gripping his weapon in his right hand, fully intending to end me. But he isn't the only one ready to strike. Three other blades are at his throat, poised to cut him down the moment he dares to do the same to me.
"What do you think you're doing?" One of the three sword-wielders casually threatens Gideon, urging him to pull his blade away from my neck.
A voice I don't recognize, coming from two unfamiliar faces. But standing alongside them is a boy I know all too well—the same one I saved while climbing the conveyor belt, the one who had been kicked in the face.
So these are Sigvald's new friends, the ones he mentioned earlier, huh?
Not bad... Not bad at all.
"Alright, alright... No need to be so serious… I mean, what's the big deal? The kid and I know each other, don't we, Deon?"
Gideon's words make the three around him shift their gazes toward me, silently asking for confirmation.
"He'd do the same thing to anyone if given the chance to prove otherwise," I say, brushing the dust off my tattered clothes with not a shred of concern on my face. "So just do whatever you think is right. I have no say in the matter."
"Oh… Are you seriously saying that?"
Gideon's expression shifts in an instant. The warm, teasing smile disappears, replaced by a sharp, piercing gaze locked onto me.
But I meet his stare with the same indifference as before—completely unfazed, completely uninterested in anything about him. After all, I'm no Batman or anything… This man is clearly dangerous and cunning to the core.
I can't afford to take any chances, even if it's only the second day.
And even without a single word more from me—just that look alone—someone beside him already understands my answer.
"With pleasure."
The words are spoken, followed by the clean sweep of a blade.
In a single, precise stroke, Gideon's head separates from his body—an execution carried out with the practiced efficiency of a seasoned headsman. The strike belongs to one of the two strangers standing alongside the boy I saved earlier.
And all of it unfolds with Sigvald standing in the distance, surrounded by the crowd of children. He raises his thumb, silently urging me to do the same.
But the best I can offer in return is a small sigh and a slow shake of my head.
Because at the same time, I have to pretend not to notice the gaze of someone standing not so far from Sigvald—the Solmarian boy… The one whispered about in hushed voices, accused of killing more than a few other children. Yet, no one dares to mention it aloud, let alone judge him the way we just judged Gideon.
~~~~~