"Hoo.., haa!"
I continued to push through the bushes. Slowly, I too began to feel the fear of the unknown.
What did I mean by that? It was stifling and terrifying!
Until now, I had only traveled on paths I knew or have knowledge of.
But this place was completely different.
It was too unfamiliar; nothing felt familiar at all.
Moreover, there were monsters nearby, so I had to keep fighting. Though with regeneration, fatigue didn't accumulate rapidly.
'Regeneration isn't omnipotent. It just means if I get beaten enough to negate it, I'm fucked, right?'
"Haaah!"
I took a breath after dealing with a Gnoll that leaped at me from the air.
I looked around. Ten corpses lay scattered. These corpses soon turned into light and vanished.
'Still, it's a relief to have regeneration. Otherwise, with injuries and fatigue piling up, I would have died long ago.'
I decided to proceed more cautiously. I tried my best to find a path, and if I couldn't, I moved toward places with plenty of cover.
In this situation, only cover could help me.
Of course, I also put more points into my Stats.
I focused on Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina. Intelligence didn't mean much since it was about mana or ki reserves.
Trait was for skill damage, so it was even less meaningful.
Luck was 0 anyway, so it didn't matter if I raised it or not. Level 28—should I stop here?
I had surpassed Level 25, but my Force Heart didn't increase. This was due to a condition.
'For others, maybe, but for me to become a Runner Late-stage right now, I need a special item. My level is stable, so I also need an item to consume for circle advancement!'
It had to be at least a Noble-grade item. But I didn't have many items right now, and consuming what I had was out of the question.
"Huh? A river?"
As I advanced, I encountered a river. I hastily drank the water.
The clean water entering my body made me feel a little better. Wow, was water always this sweet?
'If I follow this river, I might find a hillside path. Let's go!'
I held onto hope. Just then, Isis also spoke to me.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm rather sorry."
Even the Goddess's surprise was cute.
'The Goddess who accompanies me is, strictly speaking, a viewer. I want to show my viewers something more fun and exciting. But I feel like I haven't been able to.'
I thought it was due to my lack of ability. How great would it be if I also had talent? The Goddess smiled gently.
"Entertain me, who knows I may reward you?"
With a subtle tone, she tried to tickle my heart.
I felt incredibly good. It was a Goddess, no less, who said such a thing.
And one with an amazing body, a beautiful face, and a tight pussy!
I gained confidence and moved forward. Slowly, while waiting for regeneration.
However, time seemed not to be on my side.
"Tch."
A little further, a hillside path came into view. The very path I had been searching for, but an Orc stood before it.
Of all places, it had to block this one. Or rather, was it a path leading down from there?
'Why here, why heeeere!'
I became wary. The Veteran Orc approached, holding a shield and a battle-axe.
I should start with psychological warfare.
"You look old and sick. Why are you trying to fight?"
"Shut up! No questions asked!"
Swooonggg!
The Orc agilely approached and swung its axe. As expected of an Orc, a combat race, its movements were extraordinary.
Every step, every attack, showed traces of dozens, hundreds of practices.
'Stay alert.'
I dodged and thrust my sword forward.
[Vane Severing Sword Style - Nameless Pierce]
Taae-ung!
The Orc calmly blocked with its shield. Instead, it flexibly swung its axe, launching a sudden counter.
I retreated. I realized one thing.
'It's definitely slow because it's old. But I can feel its veteran skill. Orcs are E-rank monsters, just like Goblins...'
I took a proper stance. Isis grew anxious.
"I suppose I need to make you believe in the protagonist."
"Please watch closely. How your Apostle, the protagonist you sponsor, fights."
In other words, it was Showtime.
I pushed forward as if to overwhelm it. As the Orc tried to react, I thrust my sword a half-beat faster.
Nameless Pierce activated again. The Orc reacted by blocking and countering as before.
I continued to thrust my sword. Thrusting again and again.
I dodged the Orc's axe swing and closed the distance. I stepped on one of its feet and struck it with my pommel.
The Orc blocked with its elbow and pushed me away with its shield. As I was pushed back, it tried to strike me with its shield.
I moved quickly left and right, dodged, and then slashed upwards from below. The brute added its axe to its shield, blocking stably. It was an iron wall.
My attack failed, but I attacked with various patterns. The Orc sneered.
"You are weak, human. Your stature makes your attack routes inefficient, doesn't it?"
"Didn't you say no questions asked? For an Orc, your mouth is light. That's why your kin abandoned you."
Logically, Orcs don't travel alone. Unless their personal circumstances or personality are beyond a certain level.
They usually remained with the kin they were born into.
Orcs are a more social race than Goblins or Gnolls. So, an old Orc wandering alone like this meant it had been abandoned.
The Veteran Orc was not provoked and calmly pushed me with its body. As my stance broke, the blue axe blade immediately came at me.
'It uses the axe flexibly, but it's definitely not fast!'
I was certain. The brute was definitely not fast. Its speed was far inferior.
But it was flexible. It reacted flexibly in any situation, and the weapon-swinging routes themselves were flexible.
Then I should counter like this.
I launched a surprise front kick. The Orc immediately blocked with its shield, then raised its axe again.
In that instant, I leaped into the air. I kicked the Orc's axe-wielding wrist.
Seeing the Orc drop its axe, I swung my sword diagonally. The Orc raised its shield to block, then immediately drew a straight sword and thrust it.
[Vane Severing Sword Style - Reverse Flow]
'The best way to deal with strength is to flow with it!'
I slightly shook the blade to deflect it. The Orc, as if not to miss the opportunity, tried to strike me with its shield.
I was hit on the side of my face. Aside from the pain, I saw stars for a moment.
The moment I was pushed back, I felt a chilling aura behind my head.
The brute was swinging its straight sword again.
A moment of desperation.
'...This is within my calculations.'
[Vane Severing Sword Style - Branch Cut]
I activated Branch Cut with only one hand. Accuracy and power decreased, but speed increased even more.
It was an excellent method against an opponent who sacrificed mobility for flexibility.
I swung my sword like crazy. The strain on one arm was immense, but I swung with all my might.
If I couldn't even damage the brute here, I would lose. I would die!
"Kuaaak!"
The charging Orc had its eyes or nose cut, and though it belatedly raised its shield, it was already quite severely wounded.
At the same time, I let my right arm hang. No more strength remained in it.
"Kugh, how can a mere human...!"
The Orc roared. I kicked off the ground toward it.
My heart was still pounding. Not from fear, but from excitement.
A life-or-death struggle. The spot where I was hit by the shield still hurt, and the Orc still tried to solidify its sword and shield as if thinking of its next move.
My right arm was silent. It no longer responded.
Nevertheless, I gripped the sword with my left hand. For the fatal strike I would unleash upon the brute!
I closed the distance, then raised my sword. As if the process was omitted, I instantly brought it down.
[Vane Severing Sword Style - White Lightning]
Even in this situation, the Orc instinctively raised its shield. But its stance wasn't perfect, and the shield was old.
I split the brute in half along with its shield. Blood splattered everywhere from its body, and the massive figure collapsed.
[You have defeated the enemy!]
[Acquired 3000 Collector Points (CP)!]
"Hoo!"
I exhaled deeply and sank to the ground. Then I screamed.
"Ugh!"
An immense strain was put on my left arm.
The Vane Severing Sword Style is characterized by slashes that cut through anything.
Among them, White Lightning is a basic technique, but one that requires the most mastery.
If properly mastered and supported by enough strength, it's a one-hit kill technique. But at the same time, the strain on both arms is immense.
Since I used it with only one arm, the strain that should have gone to both arms was concentrated on my left arm.
It hurt as if it would fall off, but I barely endured it. Because I had regeneration.
'It hurts like hell. But it was a one-hit kill. Distracting the Orc with Branch Cut was a big factor.'
A small laugh escaped me. Victory is always exhilarating!
"It is my honor, Goddess."
Before the corpse disappeared, I searched the Orc's body. There were no useful items, but I collected 30 gold.
Then a small pouch came out.
[Powder of Truth]
Type: Consumable
Description: When sprinkled around, it temporarily makes invisible things visible.
Huh, I got something interesting. It would be good for dealing with monsters with invisibility or spirit-type monsters.
Or for finding hidden treasures!
I put the Orc's straight sword and battle-axe into my ring. Just in case, I also cut off the Orc's head and took it.
'I'll either sell it later or dismantle it for enhancement!'
I staggered forward. Now I just had to climb that hillside path.
'I can go back to the Domain!'
I panted as I climbed. Had I fought too much?
It felt like the strength was constantly draining from my body. My vision also blurred.
'It would be a disaster if I encountered a monster like this. I'm on a forced march without rest!'
I hurried somehow. No matter how much regeneration I had, it was dangerous if fatigue negated it.
Just get past here. Just here!
The Domain was just a little further, wasn't it? As I gritted my teeth and moved forward.
"Uh, uh-oh?!"
As soon as I stepped, a part of the hillside path collapsed. Suddenly, the sky and ground flipped.
"Aaaargh, fuck!"
I fell helplessly downwards. No, not when the Domain was right before my eyes!
Looking down, it was all forest. If I was unlucky, I could fall right in front of a waiting monster!
"LUCIANNNN..."
With Isis's cry as my last memory, I lost consciousness. Was this how I was going to die?
***
Someone lay unconscious on the ground, which was relatively more moss-covered than other places. It was Lucian.
A shadow approached Lucian.
"Oh my, what treasure is this?"
A voice that was light rather than profound, and closer to familiarity than allure.
Following that, the owner of the shadow approached Lucian.
A woman with D-cup breasts that couldn't be hidden even by a shabby two-piece, nipples that clearly showed piercings, and a glamorous figure with flexible hips reached out her hand to Lucian.
Slowly stroking his hair, her green eyes gleamed with interest.
"It would be dangerous to leave him like this. What to do? I happen to have a way...♥"
The woman licked her lips once, stickily. She then seemed to make up her mind and picked up the limp Lucian.
Without delay, she began to carry him somewhere.