“B*stard…?!”
A harsh sound echoed within the cave.
The opponent fell from the air, defenseless.
I pursued the fallen Alfred.
I aimed my sword at the opponent’s neck.
Clang!
Contrary to my expectations, the sword was blocked.
Something opaque was obstructing the sword.
“Damn it…!”
It seemed like he deployed a defensive magic even while falling.
But he no longer had any other weapons.
In other words, it meant there was no way for him to stop me.
I swung the blade towards the shield.
The impact caused the opponent to fall, but I also missed.
There was no time to retrieve the blade. I had to continue the momentum.
I rushed towards the fallen opponent and climbed on top of him.
“This…?!”
For the first time, Alfred’s confident expression showed signs of fear.
Fear crept into his confident gaze.
I held the shield with both hands and swung it down with force.
I gave it all his strength and hit it down.
A vibration was transmitted to my hand along with a banging sound.
I swung the shield without stopping.
“You… b*stard?!”
Alfred struggled to get away.
But his hands were only flailing in the air.
As expected, mere brute strength put me in the lead.
I pressed down on the opponent, who tried to struggle with all his might.
Calmly, I swung the shield again.
In an instant, a white blade grazed my nose.
“Ugh…?!”
Suddenly, Alfred held a dagger in his left hand.
The sharp blade flew towards my face and grazed it.
Blood dripped from my forehead.
At the same time, movement was felt behind me.
The nameless dragon aimed at Alfred’s hand with the dagger she held.
“Aaargh…!!”
The dagger pierced through Alfred’s palm.
A scream of agony echoed.
I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
I raised the shield and struck with all my might towards the fallen Alfred.
With a loud thud, a massive impact was felt in my hands.
Without pausing, I continued to strike with the shield.
The poorly constructed defense barrier began to break immediately.
I exerted all my remaining strength. I had to break the shield somehow.
Crack!
Finally, the awaited sound came.
With the defense barrier broken, there was nothing stopping the way anymore.
“Wait, wait…?!”
“Shut up…!”
I struck the shield down on his face.
“Kargh?!”
Once, twice, thrice. I ruthlessly shredded his face.
With each blow received by the shield, the opponent’s face contorted.
“Cough! F… F*ck! S-stop it…!!”
I moved my arms only to kill the opponent in front of me.
Blood splattered and the shield bent.
“Heugh, heugh…”
Breath rose to my chin.
My arm trembled as if about to drop the shield.
But I couldn’t stop.
If I gave the slightest chance, the opponent would retaliate.
“Ugh…! Argh…! P-please…?!”
I struck the shield towards the whimpering mouth.
The face swelled, teeth flew out, and blood gushed out.
He spat out the bloodstains that splattered on my face. A bitter aftertaste lingered in my mouth.
From a certain moment, I couldn’t hear any sound.
I mechanically swung my arms with a numb mind.
I couldn’t remember how many times I struck.
Suddenly, I felt a sensation on my shoulder.
“He’s already unconscious…!”
The voice approaching my ears brought me back to my senses.
“Ah…”
“It’s okay now. We won!”
The nameless dragon held my shoulders and embraced me from behind as I stood there, overwhelmed with tears.
I lowered my shield and glanced down.
The opponent’s face was a complete mess.
His body slumped, unable to close the mouth.
Teeth were knocked out, and his face was drenched in blood.
His nose seemed broken, twisted out of shape.
And his eyes, the last thing I saw before losing sight, were now lifeless.
‘I won.’
I couldn’t forget to finish it.
Swiftly, I picked up the fallen sword and ended Alfred’s life by severing his throat.
“Guuuhhh…!”
With his dying scream, his neck snapped.
After confirming his breath had ceased, I let go of the sword.
“Haa…”
The moment I confirmed the enemy’s death, exhaustion washed over me.
As the tension evaporated in an instant, fatigue flooded in.
My vision blurred, and my body slumped.
I won. I killed Alfred.
‘How did I win?’
Even with the nameless dragon’s help, the situation had been overwhelmingly against me.
I, merely at level 8, had defeated a high-ranking demon.
It was an unbelievable feat.
The nameless dragon still stood by my side, guarding me.
Despite being injured, she was worried about me.
“Are you okay…!”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
I raised my hand as if to dismiss her concern, but I was just exhausted.
I intended to rest for a moment and then get up again.
But I couldn’t lift my body.
“Uh…?”
Before I knew it, there was a dagger stuck in my side.
When I saw the blood flowing, the hot pain finally came.
It seemed like a final desperate move from Alfred.
“Stay still…! It’s dangerous if you move!”
Who was worrying about whom?
Despite being in a more precarious situation, she prioritized me.
As I tried to move, pain shot through my side.
I gritted my teeth and leaned against the nearby wall.
Have I ever suffered such a serious injury?
I had never experienced such excruciating pain before.
Still, I forced a smile, trying to reassure the nameless dragon.
“Seo-Hyun!”
Finally, my awaited comrade appeared.
With a thud, Erina landed on the ground.
“Erina… Here…!”
I raised my hand toward her as she surveyed the surroundings.
Erina rushed to me as soon as she saw me.
Upon seeing the dagger lodged in my side, her face turned pale.
“Why… are you… okay…? You’re alive…?!”
“Yeah…”
“Who did this…!”
I nodded and pointed toward the fallen Alfred.
Erina’s gaze turned icy as she looked at the cold corpse.
“It’s okay… I won…”
At my words, Erina’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
It would be hard to believe that I defeated a high-ranking member of the Demon King’s army.
But Erina quickly made her judgment.
She took out a potion from her pocket and approached my side cautiously.
Her face was pale as she examined the wound.
There was a blade stuck in my side.
There was no point in using the potion like this.
Erina extended her hand to me.
She supported me and helped me to stand up, adjusting my posture.
“I’ll remove the dagger! Please bear with it!”
Nodding, I clenched my teeth tightly.
Erina carefully grasped the dagger and pulled it out in one swift motion.
“Huueuk…?!”
A terrible pain engulfed my entire body.
Goosebumps appeared on my arms and a cold sweat broke out on my back.
Although I made up my resolve, the pain was more than I imagined.
As my body collapsed, I leaned on Erina to maintain my posture.
When the potion touched the wounds, the pain vanished as if it were a lie.
“Haah…”
“Are you okay…?!”
“Yeah. Thank you…”
The pain subsided, but it didn’t mean I was back to normal.
My body felt weak. Fatigue rushed over me in an instant.
I wanted to close my eyes and sleep right then and there.
But I desperately forced myself to stay awake, resisting the urge to sleep.
“I’m relieved… Truly relieved…!”
Erina hugged me, finding solace in my response.
Tears streamed down her face.
Only then could I properly see Erina’s condition.
Her hair, armor, from head to toe, were all drenched in blood.
Flesh clung to her hair, and the sword she held was stained crimson.
“Erina, are you okay…?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve defeated all the monsters up there…”
Erina continued to embrace me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
We were all covered in dirt and sweat.
But there was no sense of disgust.
Instead, we could share warmth and relief.
But there was no time to dwell on the moment.
Carefully, I pushed Erina away and patted her back.
“I’m fine now.”
“No! Just in case…”
“Help that person instead of me.”
The nameless dragon barely leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.
Erina’s face stiffened as she heard my words.
“Seo-Hyun. That person is…”
“Erina.”
From her perspective, the nameless dragon might be an enemy, but not to me.
The nameless dragon was my benefactor. I couldn’t just leave her to die.
“Please. She’s the one who saved me.”
With my earnest plea, Erina finally nodded.
“Yes…”
Though reluctant, Erina obediently got up and approached her.
The nameless dragon looked at her with wary eyes.
Just moments ago, she was as alert as the enemy that was running towards her to kill her.
Erina didn’t say anything.
She took out a potion from her pocket and tossed it to her.
“Do it yourself.”
“Ah…!”
A small bottle rolled on the floor.
The nameless dragon cautiously picked up the potion and bowed her head.
“Thank you…”
“Thank Seo-Hyun, not me.”
Erina replied bluntly before turning away.
Still, it was enough.
I hadn’t expected Erina to show kindness or generosity to her.
I thought it was fortunate she didn’t threaten or intimidate her.
‘Well, this is fortunate.’
It ended relatively well.
Quite absurdly, I thought.
***
After that, we safely escaped from the cave.
I wanted to head straight to the capital, but the sun was setting.
It was too dangerous to wander through the forest at night.
‘Let’s camp here for the night.’
Setting up camp didn’t take long.
We gathered around the campfire and rested.
In the quiet forest, the crackling of the firewood echoed.
Despite the cold wind, warmth enveloped us.
“How are you feeling?”
The nameless dragon nodded quietly at my question.
A little while ago, I decided to treat her more comfortably, considering she had asked me to speak freely.
“It’s okay. My wounds have all healed.”
Fortunately, she responded with a smile to my words.
However, contrary to her words, the nameless dragon couldn’t move her body recklessly.
The already shattered shoulders and legs could not be healed even with potions.
I supported her to sit by the campfire.
She still seemed uncomfortable, emitting small groans from time to time.
‘Potions aren’t perfect either.’
I understood why parties always include healers.
Potions had their limits in treating injuries.
I was reminded not to blindly rely on potions.
Suddenly, I remembered the nun who had been with Erina.
Always smiling brightly and thinking positively.
‘I have to visit her someday.’
I couldn’t meet her yet as it was still early in our journey.
But the time would come when I could meet her.
I promised myself to find her and have her as a companion.
Lost in thought for a moment, I felt someone’s gaze.
Suddenly, my eyes met the nameless dragon’s.
Immediately she bowed her head in a respectful manner.
“Thank you. I don’t know how to repay this kindness…”
I nodded my head in response, feeling grateful just like her.
“I’ve also received help from you. It’s mutual.”
“It’s all because of me. Yet you all saved me.”
After we exited the cave, there was no pursuit from the Demon King’s army.
Erina had single-handedly dealt with numerous hordes of monsters.
Upon hearing this fact, the nameless dragon’s eyes widened.
‘Amazing. I could never…’
‘Of course. I’m strong.’
Still responding sharply, she kept her mouth shut.
She remained silent in the face of my sharp responses. Despite my subtle hints, her defiant attitude wasn’t hidden.
By the way, Alfred met an unfortunate end, not even intact as a corpse.
Although I didn’t see what happened to him.
However, just before we escaped the cave, Erina asked for time.
‘Please give me ten minutes.’
Her face, seen briefly, was so terrifying that the expression “demon” seemed insufficient.
That’s why I couldn’t refuse.
I didn’t inquire about what she did to Alfred.
I didn’t want to know, nor did I want to see anything gruesome.
“If you’re so grateful, just quietly disappear. Why did you follow us?”
Erina gave her a disapproving look as she repeatedly lowered her head.
On the other hand, the nameless dragon remained silent without any retort.
“Erina.”
“Yes, I know.”
As I hinted at her, she finally stopped and closed her mouth.
Seeing that, the nameless dragon lowered her head with a bitter expression.
Although I didn’t show it, I was quite surprised by Erina’s attitude.
It was the first time she emotionally stood her ground like this.
The last time we had a dispute might have been at the tavern.
That was understandable given the situation back then.
But now, the circumstances were different.
Although the nameless dragon appeared, we failed our quest, it wasn’t entirely her fault.
She apologized out of guilt, but still, annoyance lingered.
Continuing like this would be troublesome.
‘Now that we’re going to be comrades…’
I wanted to bring the nameless dragon along as a companion.
If she joined us, our journey ahead would be smoother.
“What are you going to do from now on?”
At my question, the nameless dragon’s expression darkened abruptly.
“I’ll probably head south.”
“Do you have a destination?”
“No. But there are fewer monsters in the south, so I thought I’d go there.”
In other words, she had nowhere to go.
There was no friend or acquaintances to help her in this situation.
So, I didn’t bother to turn her away.
“Why don’t you come with us instead?”
