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Chapter 116

A golden line sliced through the ruins.

With a thundering boom, a shockwave meticulously filled the space.

Everything in a diagonal line was sent sliding in the wake of Claire’s singular dash alongside the shield sword, Aurum. No matter how many golems there were or what material they were made of, the result remained the same.

“It’s tough to control my strength in such a narrow space.”

On the third floor, the moment Claire stepped down the stairs, the first thing she noticed was the surge of steel golems clustering in the now much wider passage.

A single slash.

With just a light swing, dozens of steel golems were cut down at the core, without so much as a scratch left on the ruins’ walls.

The shield sword Aurum was heavy.

Once a symbol of the great Wigradra nation, it boasted great performance, but ironically, due to its symbolic nature, it had grown larger than even ordinary great swords despite being designed as a one-handed sword.

Naturally, such a heavy weapon could only be ridiculously focused on destructive power.

Crunch!

Ignoring such common sense, Claire swung Aurum with one hand, and the seemingly heavy sword emitted a strikingly light blow, perfectly regulating its destructive power.

Yeon-woo stared blankly at the scene, while Killian, appearing well aware, began to climb over the mountain of golems with a spear slung over his shoulder.

“If you don’t want to waste time here, let’s move quickly, Candidate.”

“Ah, yes. It’s just so incredible that I….”

“Hehe, is that so?”

Covering her mouth with a smile, Claire twisted her body shyly. It was hard to believe she was the one who had caused such a calamity.

‘She really wasn’t being serious back then….’

Recalling when Yuri and Claire exchanged swords sent a shiver down Yeon-woo’s spine.

If they had been serious, wouldn’t her own neck have been on the line as a mere spectator? That level of expertise was simply absurd.

Swinging around a massive weapon while implementing Aura Blade — no matter how one looked at it, even knowing the methods, it was unimaginable to even attempt.

“But sis, there’s no need for you to exert yourself this early. Let’s stay back until the next floor. We’re dealing with gods here. It’s essential to conserve strength.”

“That’s true. It got a bit gruesome, and I just lost control.”

“Right? I was so surprised that I just lashed out.”

“Exactly?”

As Shar and Claire were bonding over their shared sentiments, Yeon-woo moved closer to Killian. Although Killian was in charge of detecting threats on this level, it fell to Yeon-woo and Tae-oh to be wary of the lights and threats below.

As Yeon-woo approached, Killian raised an eyebrow, looking slightly puzzled.

“It’s fine for you to stay in the back, Candidate.”

“I couldn’t just stand by as a fellow swordsman after seeing that.”

“Haha, that’s certainly understandable. Compared to my sister, you’re still a toddler, but I can feel your knowledge of the sword.”

“I’ve heard you’re both an Aura user and a mage, but seeing it firsthand creates a sense of cognitive dissonance.”

“The only way to get used to it is practice. I’m still not accustomed to casting magic while swinging a sword. It would be troubling if you got used to it in just a day, Killian.”

Killian laughed, agreeing with her words.

What could be said was, despite the lack of a serious demeanor, one could see he was quite a decent person when in close contact.

From planning exploration to moment-to-moment decisions and his responsibility as a Hunter, there was no fault to be found.

‘What on earth was this guy doing before the regression?’

It was hard to forget the distinctive appearance of a yellow-haired elf.

Could there have been some sort of incident? Having become somewhat familiar, Yeon-woo hoped there wouldn’t be any major injuries.

Thud, thud, thud, the sounds of stone golems and steel golems approaching from the front were heard.

The two halted their running and gripped their weapons tightly. Claire’s voice echoed from behind.

“I’ll jump in if things get dangerous.”

“Candidate, please fight with care as well.”

Having said that, Killian charged toward the golems without hesitation.

With movements as sharp and precise as if his arm were stretching rather than a spear being thrust, he repeatedly jabbed, bringing the spear forward. The result was extremely straightforward.

Thick Aura Blade coiled around his spear as effortlessly as breathing.

Numerous holes, the size of a thumb, appeared in the chests of the golems approaching head-on, causing many to suddenly halt, cracking their cores.

Following behind Killian, Yeon-woo dashed forward without hesitation.

This was exactly the vision Yeon-woo had initially envisioned. With Yeon-woo and Claire taking the lead, the spear-wielding Killian covered them from the back.

“I’ll melt the floor!!”

As mana drained, the golems chasing from behind seemed to tip over as the ground became sticky like a swamp, swallowing those on top.

Up until the second floor, the corridor was narrow enough that Shar and Yeon-woo could handle 1:1 fights, or even 1:2 with smaller golems, but as mentioned earlier, the environment on the third floor was remarkably different.

The corridors were several times wider, with rooms sealed by stone walls instead of being wide open without doors. The rising risk felt palpable.

In that scenario, a spell that hindered reinforcements from behind was incredibly beneficial.

“Nice assist, Lady Shar.”

“That title is a bit embarrassing, so please drop it! But it took quite a bit of mana since the structure is a bit tricky!”

“It’s alright; it was worth it!”

What lingered more on Yeon-woo’s mind was what material this building was made of that could interfere with a dragon’s magic? Was it perhaps an aura stone?

With such random thoughts, Yeon-woo charged in. More than twenty golems had been taken down on the second floor alone. Despite using a spear back then, she had taken down countless golems before her regression.

Of course, on the third floor, things got complicated as the material transformed into some unidentifiable metal, making it considerably harder to attack comfortably.

‘But there’s no real need to cut them down.’

The second floor felt like dealing with practice scarecrows thrown at her. There was no reason to engage in such inefficient actions while seriously traversing the ruins.

Whoosh, a massive iron fist brushed past the spot where Yeon-woo’s head had been.

She ducked in time and dove in. After all, if she shattered the core, whether it be a golem or flesh, they would stop moving. So, there was no need to cling to the shape of a sword, nor was there a reason to insist on slashing.

The sword in Yeon-woo’s hand swiftly lost its form, transforming into a long stick roughly double the length of the sword. It was a type of weapon she had often favored even before her regression. Just strip the blade off a spear, and you had a staff.

Swish.

Following Yeon-woo’s maneuver, the black staff spun around. The long-lost sensation brought a smile to Yeon-woo’s lips.

‘Ah, this cool yet heavy feeling….’

It had been four months…… Huh, wasn’t that not so long?

Dodging the golem’s left arm and diving into the opening, the right arm swung down to prevent her from advancing.

Yeon-woo redirected the incoming force with the staff, equal to a strike from an ordinary mid-level monster’s hammer, right in front of her. It felt as if gravity was unusually strong only on her.

But she didn’t stop. That kind of pressure was the lightest. Thinking back to Claire’s training, it was particularly remembered.

Tap! The tip of the staff made contact with the golem’s chest, directly at the core. The force felt minimal; it was merely a light touch.

Executing advanced techniques like counter strikes with a weapon she had never handled since gaining mana was impossible.

However, achieving a similar effect was still feasible. It would consume some mana, but not nearly as much as the Aura Blade.

In an instant, Yeon-woo’s left hand flipped over. She grasped the closest hand of the golem’s chest with a reverse grip and delivered a spinning strike, akin to hammering a nail with a mallet, to the opposite end of the staff.

Creeeak!!

A sound akin to grinding metal echoed as the rapidly spinning end of the staff bore into the golem’s chest, sending up a plume of smoke.

‘Exactly 10cm.’

The golem’s core wasn’t buried as deep as she had imagined. Just about 10cm deep would generally be enough for destruction. Of course, penetrating that deep into the steel golem’s metallic body wasn’t an easy feat.

To accomplish this feat with a stick became possible precisely because her Aura control had reached expert-level.

Fighting like this could last her the entire day without reaching the lower floors, but Killian would take care of that. While she was busy taking out a few, Killian would be finishing off a horde of them.

Let’s practice wielding various weapons.

During the second week of summer vacation, Yeon-woo’s personal goal roughly aligned with that thought.

‘What an enjoyable companion.’

Killian’s assessment, as he continuously observed the goddess’s candidate, Yeon-woo, reflected that notion. While wielding swords made sense, as she had grown under the tutelage of Claire, a sword was a weapon that was quite accessible.

However, it was quite significant to acknowledge the influence of magical armaments granting such flexibility in utilizing weapons.

But that was just a secondary reason. Being capable of wielding various weapons or possessing outstanding abilities wasn’t particularly critical.

What Killian valued most in Yeon-woo was her courage and audacity. Steel golems, in truth, were not easily defeated foes.

Even among Aura experts, relatively weaker hunters found it hard to deal with them without invoking Aura Blade.

‘So, she covered that enemy merely by augmenting her own strength? With a different weapon, no less?’

Certainly, dealing solely with swords remained a hassle.

Yet, despite knowing that, choosing to abandon her primary weapon for another less favorable one was significantly more perilous than fighting with an inherent disadvantage.

‘She’ll achieve great things if nurtured properly….’

But well, regardless of how much he coveted, what could he actually do? If Claire were Lunaria, he’d be terrified, let alone suggest romance or membership in a knight order.

“Such a shame, such a shame….”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing at all.”

Sighing, Killian watched Yeon-woo handling the staff with much more finesse than earlier. It was about time he started choosing a successor, yet now he had to look for someone else while leaving behind such a promising specimen.

‘I think I understand my sister’s feelings just a bit.’

Being selected as Aurum’s master for centuries, the feeling of not having a worthy successor might have been more distressful for her than it was for him.

“Let’s push through without lingering.”

“Indeed.”

With that, the two men ruthlessly swung their spears at their sides.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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