"Find a way to deal with a legendary Divine Beast in ten seconds?"
No, wait, it's seven seconds now!
Once she grasped the situation, the young Rin clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly.
Rin Tohsaka: "How is that possible?!"
The Reaper's scythe was at her friend's throat. Even with heaven-defying wisdom like Su Mo's, there was no way he could come up with a solution in such an extreme time limit, right?
It wasn't just her; the others also felt a subconscious wave of despair.
Kanae covered her mouth, a mist instantly welling up in her violet eyes. Erica was the strongest among them, yet now she was the first to face a mortal crisis with almost no hope of survival.
Was the world truly so fickle? Did good people always run into danger so easily?
Madoka, the most inexperienced of them all, stood frozen on the spot, almost on the verge of tears.
However, just as the group members were beginning to mourn the passing of their excellent friend, Su Mo's sudden reply sent a shockwave through them all.
Su Mo: "Understood. Invite me to your world directly."
Erica: "7!"
Erica: "Huh? Lord Su Mo, there's no need! In the face of a Divine Beast-level existence, our Tier 1 strength is meaningless. There's no reason to add another casualty!"
Erica: "5!"
Even though time was running out, even though she could already see the Divine Beast Boar charging straight for her, when faced with the lifeline Su Mo had thrown, Erica still rationally chose to refuse.
It was true that her genius had made her a little proud and arrogant, and it was true she had challenged the Divine Beast to prove herself. But, putting aside all personal motives, she was still a knight. As a knight, it was her duty to protect the people and her friends.
Never mind that Su Mo had helped her before; even if he hadn't, her personality was not one to use a stranger as a shield.
She knew Su Mo had reached Tier 1, but having challenged a Divine Beast herself, she now understood that in front of a Divine Beast going all out, strength of the same tier was meaningless.
It was a complete crush—an overwhelming crush—in terms of sheer magnitude.
With the wisdom Su Mo had displayed, Erica felt he shouldn't be doing something as foolish as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Of course, as the one being helped, she had to admit she was touched by Su Mo's complete disregard for his own safety. What girl hadn't dreamed of someone willing to risk everything for her?
The "hero saves the damsel" trope might be old, but it never lacked an audience.
In that life-or-death moment, a warm current surged through Erica's heart, filled with a pink, bubbly sense of being moved.
And in the next instant, those pink bubbles were popped by Su Mo's following words.
Su Mo: "I'm Tier 2 now."
4!
That concise sentence plunged the entire group into silence.
Almost simultaneously, everyone typed out a question mark.
Madoka: "?"
Kanae: "?"
Rin Tohsaka: "?"
Just two minutes ago, they had seen Su Mo ascend from Tier 0 to Tier 1. Now, only two minutes had passed. Even if the flow of time was different in each world, it shouldn't be that different.
In that short span, Su Mo had leveled up again, surpassing Erica to become the current strongest member of the chat group?
Was that even reasonable? There had to be some basic laws to getting stronger, right?
Erica also finally understood. What disregard for personal safety? What self-sacrifice for others? It was all just a fantasy she had cooked up in her own head.
Su Mo's reasoning for proposing this plan was simple:
He wasn't trying to risk his life for her; he could actually win!
Realizing this, Erica's reaction was just as pure.
Erica: "Powerhouse, save me!"
3!
The moment the countdown hit three seconds, she quickly spent her points and sent out an invitation, allowing Su Mo to enter her world.
The instant she realized she had a way out, all the chaotic thoughts in her head vanished, leaving only the purest desire.
Powerhouse, save my worthless life!
And Su Mo's reaction did not disappoint her in the slightest.
The moment the link was sent, he accepted the invitation.
2!
The Divine Beast Boar had not yet arrived, but its most destructive aspect—the shockwave—was already upon Erica.
Yet Erica felt no impact, nor did she feel any fear. Because, in that instant, Su Mo's figure had appeared before her, standing as firm as the most solid fortress, blocking all external impact.
1!
In the next second, even faster than Erica had predicted, before the countdown even hit zero, the Divine Beast Boar was upon them.
A body weighing at least several hundred tons, with immense tusks, charged with unparalleled force and an aura that could shatter mountains and seas, hurtling toward the two of them.
Like a cannon firing at a mosquito, it hadn't just locked onto two tiny humans, but the entire space before it.
Never mind a Great Knight's speed; even a Paladin might not have been able to escape the boar's lock-on. Even if Su Mo was also a Tier 2 combatant, he might not be able to dodge a rage-fueled strike from a Divine Beast.
Just as Erica was worrying about this, she only felt Su Mo glance back at her.
After that, she didn't see how Su Mo moved, or how he carried her away. All she remembered was coming to her senses and finding the handsome, black-haired, black-eyed man holding her by the scruff of her clothes, having moved them to the edge of the port.
BANG!
A deafening roar echoed as a huge cloud of dust rose with a massive tsunami.
The charging boar, having lost its target, plunged headfirst into the sea, causing the seabed to tremble violently, as if it had cracked.
And Erica and Su Mo watched this strange sight of a boar diving into the sea, completely unharmed.
Realizing she was completely out of danger, Erica's first thought wasn't relief, but to shift her gaze to Su Mo's feet.
Seeing the familiar-looking mana fluctuations gradually dissipating, and recalling the almost completely alien experience, Erica's pupils contracted as she murmured in utter shock.
"The effect of the Boots of Hermes is supposed to be accelerated movement... but that feeling just now... it wasn't high speed... it was a dimensional leap?"