"Would you please join the Hero Party I'm putting together? I'm asking because you're incredibly strong."
Honestly, the current situation was pretty embarrassing.
The protagonist was someone who would become the Hero in the future and rise to be the strongest in the world, right?
Having someone like that praise me as amazing felt... what was the word?
It was like graduating top of Harvard, winning a Nobel Prize, and being hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius, only to have someone compliment you for merely graduating from Seoul National University.
'This power is partly the Hero's power too.'
Besides, my strength was ultimately just a fragment of the power Tigna would wield.
Watching her gaze at me with those sparkling eyes felt strangely surreal.
Strutting around here might just create some embarrassing black history.
"What do you say? Won't you join? We're nothing much right now, but my potential is huge."
Anyway, the protagonist was earnestly trying to recruit me into her party.
Of course, my answer was an obvious refusal.
"Sorry. I can't."
What kind of Hero Party is this...
I subtly dodged Tigna's hand and conveyed my refusal.
"Why? Don't say no."
Of course, the protagonist clung on persistently.
Truth be told, once Tigna decided she wanted someone as a companion, she could be incredibly persistent.
That was why even Levia had joined her party, and it was hard to shake her off with ordinary excuses.
But even she had a magic phrase that would make her give up.
"Sorry. I have a kid."
"A kid?"
"Yeah. I have a child. So I can't go traveling."
"Whaaat???"
She reacted with shock, as if she hadn't expected the excuse of having a child.
Well, it was a pretty unexpected response, wasn't it?
Tigna looked quite stunned.
"I see. No helping it then. Ngh..."
In the end, it seemed I'd managed to persuade her somehow.
She wasn't the type to insist on forming a Hero Party with someone who had a child in tow.
Tigna made a few more regretful faces and pondered it, but ultimately appeared to give up.
"But you'll help if I really need it, right?"
"If the situation allows."
"That's good enough!"
I planned to help anyway.
I'd swallowed the Spirit Sword; if I didn't help her, the world would end.
With that, my conversation with Tigna wrapped up surprisingly simply.
"Let's get going. There are still magic beasts left."
"Yeah...!"
Tigna and I moved to our next spot.
Now we had to deal with the wolf magic beast leader.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About 30 minutes later?
We finally reached the ridge that was our destination.
"Let's prepare."
"Got it."
A chilling magical aura emanated from the area. The wolf magic beast was definitely here.
Tigna and I drew our swords, took our stances, and prepared to fight the wolf-type magic beast.
And at that moment.
"Awooooo!!!!"
A sharp howl echoed from deep in the mountains.
The surrounding trees shook, creating an atmosphere as if the entire forest was tensing up.
Finally, a massive wolf-type magic beast revealed itself.
Its size was nearly that of a whole house.
An overwhelming presence on another level from ordinary wolf magic beasts.
Its two eyes glowed red, and black remnants of demonic energy flowed from its body.
It was no mere ferocious beast.
Tigna gripped her sword tighter, her face tense.
But I was different.
'Well, the Spirit Sword would one-shot it anyway.'
Honestly, I wasn't scared at all.
It was just an early-game boss, after all.
Sure, it gave the protagonist a tough time, but in the grand scheme of the story, it was ultimately just a firecracker.
With my current power, a single burst of magic power would end it.
"Magic Power Release..."
Let's finish quick and rest.
As I slowly gathered magic power at my sword tip with that thought.
Suddenly, Tigna stepped in front of me.
"Hey, please stay back."
"Huh?"
It was an unexpected statement. Tigna looked at me with resolute eyes and said,
"I want to handle this one alone. Is that okay?"
I looked at her for a moment.
Her sword hand trembled slightly, but her eyes were firm.
'She wants to face it solo?'
I was briefly stunned by Tigna's words, but it wasn't a bad thing.
No, it was actually better.
I'd been worrying if I was hindering Tigna's growth.
"Got it."
"Thanks."
I readily agreed and sheathed my sword.
Tigna gave a small smile and faced the wolf magic beast alone.
'Let's watch.'
I found a suitable spot and observed them.
Soon after, the clash began.
"Grrr."
"Hyaah!!!"
The massive magic beast.
Tigna's swift movements.
The first collision was fierce.
The magic beast kicked off the ground, closing the distance in an instant, and Tigna barely twisted away.
She swung her sword simultaneously, but it couldn't pierce the beast's thick fur and solid muscles.
'Not easy, as expected.'
The magic beast counterattacked immediately.
Its huge forepaw swung, and though Tigna tried to block with her sword, the impact sent her flying into a tree.
"Ngh!"
Tigna gritted her teeth and stood.
Her arm looked numb, but she showed no sign of giving up.
The magic beast charged again, and this time she responded properly.
A flash of her sword sliced the beast's flank, red blood spraying.
'Her swordsmanship is indeed a natural talent.'
But the magic beast didn't stay idle.
With a mighty roar, it unleashed its demonic energy and charged at her again in a surprise lunge.
Tigna raised her sword high, focusing intently to read its movements.
The decisive moment arrived.
'It's over.'
She drew up her last reserves of strength and brought her sword down vertically.
In that instant, the magic beast's movements halted.
A moment later, its huge body staggered and collapsed to the ground.
"Hah... hah..."
Tigna panted heavily, staring at the fallen beast.
"How about that? I'm pretty strong too, right?"
"Yeah."
I nodded, watching Tigna beam at me.
Good job. You did great.
Now the protagonist has taken down the magic beast too.
As I let out a sigh of relief.
"Awooooo!!!!"
Suddenly, the wolf stood back up.
And it began rampaging down the mountain.
"What? Why is it getting up all of a sudden?"
The protagonist looked utterly bewildered.
And understandably so. She'd definitely cut its throat.
For it to rise again and head toward the village was shocking.
'This is insane.'
I felt the same.
I hadn't expected it to get back up like that.
It wasn't in my knowledge either.
If I had to guess, in the original story, it fought the protagonist twice, so it was exhausted.
Now, with strength left, maybe?
Considering demonic energy doesn't fully deplete unless exhausted, it made sense for the wolf to rampage like this even after "death."
Of course, just my speculation.
"This is bad. That's the village..."
"Yeah..."
Anyway, the situation was dire.
The wolf was heading straight for the village.
Probably to devour villagers and convert them to demonic energy.
Otherwise, it'd die for real.
'I absolutely can't let my little sister die.'
I sprinted at full speed.
After coming this far, I couldn't let the wolf harm Levia's sister.
I had no intention of letting her fall to corruption.
"Master. Infuse my legs with maximum magic power."
[Got it.]
After borrowing power from the Spirit Sword, I raced toward the village at full speed.
Praying I wouldn't be too late.
I pursued the wolf relentlessly.
"You bastard...!!! Don't touch the villagers!!! I... I'll stop you no matter what."
Thankfully, I arrived just in time.
I saw a young girl facing the massive wolf.
She looked just like Levia, but younger.
That must be Levia's little sister, Ravia.
Arms spread wide, desperately protecting the villagers.
"Grrr!!!"
The wolf saw Ravia as prey.
And it lunged to devour the meal before it.
A life-or-death moment.
"Magic Power Release."
Kwaaaang-
I safely protected Ravia.
"Hah... Y-you... saved me? Eek..."
The girl, who had just sensed death moments ago, was shocked to be alive.
And seeing the wolf's corpse made her flinch again.
In her dazed state, she spotted me.
"Uh...? Big Brother? Thanks for saving me."
"No problem. You aren't hurt?"
"No, I'm fine."
Ravia had no real injuries.
I'd saved her unscathed.
As I thought how fortunate that was.
"Ravia...!! Ravia...!!!!"
Someone came running from afar.
It was Levia.
"Sis~"
"Ravia. You're alive..."
The sisters embraced tightly.
I watched them and let out a sigh of relief.
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