Monsters.
They were everywhere.
Drooling, shrieking, squirming masses of mutated nightmares straight out of the bargain bin of a horror game.
And in the middle of it all, stood Aurelia.
She looked so out of place, it was borderline unfair.
Like a LV. 100 goddess decided to cosplay as a swordswoman and crush a horde of LV. 1 monsters.
But Aurelia didn't just "stand" there.
She radiated.
Her cold blade was unsheathed.
Her wings were fully spread.
The pair of golden eyes was glowing with such sharpness and battle instinct.
Nero, meanwhile, was five feet behind her, clapping his hand with "great" enthusiasm.
"Okay," he whispered to himself, "I'll just… cheer her on. From the back. Very far back, actually."
Then the first monster lunged.
Aurelia's prestigious figure blurred.
*SHING!*
The creature split mid-air like someone slapped it with a divine fruit ninja.
A clean, radiant cut. No blood. Just light.
"What the hell…" Nero blinked; he swore he saw those monster bits evaporate into sparkling dust.
Another monster roared and charged from the side.
She pivoted.
*CLANG!*
Her blade met its claws, the sheer force of the impact sending shockwaves through the street.
Then came a follow-up.
One swing.
*SLASH!*
Another body disintegrated.
Nero had to do a double look.
"She's not even using skills…That's just raw swordsmanship."
In fact, it's not even swordsmanship; it's just pure strength.
Three more monsters crawled out from a nearby alley. Their spines jagged, eyes glowing an eerie green.
Aurelia's wings flared open.
She bolted forward, faster than Nero's eyes could track.
*CLANG!*
*SLASH!*
*CRACK!*
A ballet of violence.
With such skillful aerial and land maneuvers, the monsters didn't stand a chance.
Aurelia danced through enemies like a divine blender.
Her footwork is sharp.
Movements fluid.
Sword arcs flawlessly.
No wasted motion.
No unnecessary flair.
Just cold, angelic precision that aims to kill her enemies without any hesitation.
… Unlike his comedic performance of struggle a while ago.
"She's a walking highlight reel," Nero muttered, feeling both amazed and bitter.
All of that and still... She didn't activate a single skill.
This was just her "default setting."
Nero glanced down at his stat screen and sighed.
He watched as the glowing blue numbers of his stats slowly shifted.
---
Name: Nero Walker (Jobless Degenerate)
Race: Human
Level: 3 → 6
Stats:
STR: 1.15/10 → 1.2/10
DEX: 0.95/10 → 1/10
INT: 1.2/10
VIT: 1.25/10 → 1.3/10
LUCK: 1/10 → 1.005/10
CHA: 0.8/10 (oof.)
Active Skills:
– [Empty]
Passive Skills:
– [Empty]
Unique Abilities:
– [Waifu Summoner (SSR)]
---
"Shared EXP is a hell of a drug… Hey, look at that! I've gained... 0.005 in luck… Probably because I have a literal angel protecting me."
Then the ground shook.
One of the buildings nearby cracked open like it owed rent.
A massive monster, easily three stories tall, dragged itself out, claws like battering rams, body built like a nightmare fridge with legs.
Its skin was armored like a crusted exoskeleton.
Its mouth was a literal blender of teeth.
"Wow, another Eldritch horror?," Nero nonchalantly commented.
The system in his vision pinged.
---
[New Entity Detected
Name: Gorgmaw the Spite-Tank
Rank: C
Threat Level: High
Known For: Charging everything. Eating everything. Exploding when it dies. Yay.]
---
"Oh great. A suicide boss monster."
Aurelia didn't hesitate.
She stepped forward, silent.
The giant beast roared.
The shockwave cracked windows.
Aurelia narrowed her eyes.
Then finally—
She spoke.
"Lord Nero," she said calmly. "Please cover me."
"…I, what?."
She didn't explain. She just flew forward.
Straight toward the boss.
Sword ready. Wings flaring.
It was happening too fast.
Nero's brain blanked, but his body moved.
"Okay, okay, okay… What should we do then? Uhh…"
He scanned the area.
That's when he noticed the stack of propane tanks near the wrecked diner.
He turned to the beast.
It had charged halfway.
Aurelia was sprinting forward like a radiant arrow.
Nero immediately dashed to the tanks.
"Alright, big guy... you wanna explode? Let's make it mutual."
He lit a stray piece of wood from a nearby fire.
"Okay, okay—timing. Just like in games. Wait for the boss to aggro... and... NOW!"
He tossed the burning stick.
It clattered against the tanks.
The monster didn't notice.
Until it was too late.
*BOOOOOOOM!*
The explosion rocked the block.
Fire and debris erupted behind the beast just as it raised its claw to slam Aurelia.
The shock distracted it.
Its swing faltered.
And Aurelia used that opening to strike.
Her blade pulsed with silver.
"Light's Wrath."
Aurelia softly muttered, and then…
*SHWOOOM!*
*SLASH!*
She sliced upward—clean through the monster's neck.
It was a light unseen by others.
Too fast to be noticed by the opponent.
The head flew.
The body crashed to the side.
The ground trembled from the impact.
It's truly worthy of its name, considering that the body of the Eldritch-looking monster soon evaporated in light.
Silence.
Then… the crowd of lesser monsters hissed.
Aurelia turned to coldly face them, her sword now glowing faintly.
"I will handle the rest."
Nero stood behind, removing the thick dust clinging to his body.
"…You're welcome for the explosion assist," he muttered.
But she heard him.
She gave the smallest nod with a hint of a smile from her otherwise expressionless face.
"Your timing was precise, Lord Nero. I am grateful."
Nero blinked.
A compliment.
From the celestial powerhouse.
He chuckled.
"Cool cool cool… let's never do that again."
The remaining monsters began to circle.
Aurelia stepped forward, blade rising once more.
Her golden eyes gleamed.
"This will be swift."
And just as she was about to engage—
*RUMBLE!!*
The earth quaked.
A vortex of black mist burst from the ground ahead, like someone just opened the mouth of hell.
From it… a new figure emerged.
Tall.
Dark.
And smiling.
They wore a crimson robe, embroidered with arcane sigils, and eyes that gleamed red.
Nero, who noticed the oddity of the newcomer…
'He must be a serial killer.'
The bloodstain from their clothes says it all.
It didn't have to be said that not all persons were morally sane, especially in a crisis like this.
Some would take advantage of it and commit atrocities and crimes.
"You're quite the duo," the creepy figure said smoothly. "I wonder how long you'll last against me."
The person in front of them seems to be that type.
Nero and Aurelia both turned.
The battle paused.
A new challenger had entered the chat.