Chapter 22 – Against Overwhelming Odds

As I planted my feet down on the calf of the beast, I firmly wrapped my hands around the hilt of the blade. But despite my best efforts, when I pulled the blade it only budged slightly, before ultimately slipping out of my sweaty hands. My hold wasn't enough to withstand the force needed to yank the sword out. Goddammit. Well, I do suppose I have a few health potions in reserve.

⌈Lime! Can you hear me!? Get a health potion ready! Now!⌋

⌈*Will do!*⌋

I was half expecting something sarcastic and tasteless like ‘Have you finally awoken your inner masochist, master?’ But I guess even Lime can act appropriately when it’s needed. That's a relief and a half.

Since I was unable to hold onto and pull the blade out grabbing it by the hilt, there was only one thing left to do. I grabbed the blade itself and braced my hand against the guard. Why did I have to have a weapon with the Edge-effect? Goddammit, it hurts. I wanted to let go as soon as the blade cleanly cut through the cloth wraps on my hands and into my flesh, but despite the immense pain of the edge gnawing at my flesh, I grit my teeth and kept my grasp tight.

I yelled out in pain and agony, as I tried to rip out the blade, which was now drenched in my blood. My screams of misery turned to those celebrating my accomplishment, as my struggle had come to an end and I flew backward at an unprecedented speed. My crimson blood spilling everywhere painted a glorious celebratory picture of my success in the canvas of air.

You can crown me the king now. I wonder if Violet would laugh if I said that I was an expert at pulling out. I swear to god, I will never put effort into anything again. It’s way too much work.

As I laid down on my back on the grass field behind the beast, bathing in my temporary success, the pain in my palms started to set in folds far intense than I had expected... As I tried to get up, I subconsciously supported myself with my hand, which proved to be a big mistake.

The soil, mixing into the blood in my open wound, gave me cold shivers throughout my entire body, as the slit on my palm felt like it was burning inside out. It was similar to the pain I felt when the cinderwolf bit me on the trials. I’d even drink the godforsaken battery acid potion to get rid of this pain. I began running towards where Lime was hiding.

⌈*Here you go, master! Please be careful.*⌋

Lime told me, as she sprung a health potion towards me.

⌈I don’t have time to be careful now... Thanks, though!⌋

Somehow those words of encouragement felt extremely heartwarming. Maybe I've been missing out distancing myself from others... I popped open the Health Potion and downed it in one gulp. Though it wasn’t pleasant, neither were the deep, agonizing cuts on my hands.

Once more, the liquid of death ran rampant throughout my mouth and violated it as it pleased. I think I might’ve puked a little, but since the horrendous aftertaste of the potion in my mouth still lingered, I wasn’t able to experience the luxurious flavor of my vomit at all. Every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose. Even those that bring down acid rain...

The wounds in my hands began to glow, and the soil gradually fell out of the cut on my right palm. The wounds quickly started to scar over, and before long, the palms had reached a state where one wouldn’t imagine them to have even held a sword before. This is what the lowest rank health potions are able to do? I have to say, I’m impressed. It feels far more impressive than the healing effect of the blade with life leech.

As I had stood idle for a while, enchanted by the immensely fast healing of my wounds, the giant had located me and directed its deathly gaze towards me and Lime. But instead of approaching, the beast opened its massive jaws and started to growl, though spitting out more fire than words in the process.

⌈【Torch Verdance】⌋

Waves of crimson death in the shape of flames began to expand outwards from where the beast stood, as it continuously stomped the ground. It looked like the grass before the wave of flame grew exponentially, only for it to get engulfed by tide of fire trailing closely behind. Dual affinity, huh...

My first thought was to avoid the flames by jumping over them, as often is required in boss fights, but there’s no way in hell I’m able to repeatedly jump over the numerous waves of flames towering over two meters in height. Just what options do I have here? Should I just tank it and down health potions to override the pain of being burnt alive with horrendous taste? No thanks.

Ah yes, there is one special move I have yet to use.

⌈Alright, Lime. Are you ready?⌋

⌈*For what!? We don’t have much time, y’know?*⌋

⌈You’re about to witness my special move!⌋

⌈*EH!? Master’s special move?*⌋

⌈That’s right.⌋

I took a sprinting stance and readied myself for what was about to come.

It’s do or die, baby!

⌈【Run away】!⌋

⌈*That’s not a move! YOU IDIOT!*⌋

I vigorously kicked the ground and started to run away with all my strength. It’s not like the flames are going to last forever, yet the Trail seemed to go on for an eternity. I'm a genius!

To my surprise, the words 'Run Away' resonated bewitchingly across the plains as words triggering magic always do, and my legs sprung me forwards far faster than previously. I could barely keep my eyes open in when faced with the wind blowing against my face... Does this mean that Lime is wrong and Run Away is an actual move or spell or whatever!?! Since I was running at speeds previously unseen, I tried to hold my hands behind my back, as ninjas would while they run, but as it turns out, I'm not exactly trained in the ways of the ninja... I almost lost my balance and ate the dirt as soon as I began to drag my arms behind me. I guess I'll just stick to running as normal people do...

⌈*What are you doing!? Weren’t you going to use Origin Burst!? W-Waaait! How the hell are you so fast!?*⌋

⌈I can’t even cast Origin Flare as I am right now! How do you expect me to execute a move that’s able to bring down a dragon, like Origin Burst!?⌋

⌈*…*⌋

The flames seemed to disperse around two hundred meters away from the beast, yet I was able to distance myself far enough within ten seconds... I could run faster than the expanding waves, that's for sure, but I couldn’t get close to the beast if it had a move like that. It didn't use it when I was already close to it, however... Maybe it can’t cast it all that often, and resorts to other attacks when I'm close enough? I guess I’ll have to rely on that.

Every few seconds for around half a minute, the beast sent out one wall of fire after another. I think I counted sixteen... However, after it finally stopped emitting the flames, it stood still for a while. It probably had a temporary inability to function as a result of magical exhaustion, or something along those lines... But the little details don't matter. That’s my chance!

Before the titan would even do so much as to budge, I closed in. I observed the runes that ran across its body. The streams of magic power all seemed to flow outwards from the chest of the beast, forming sigil-like knots around the knees and shoulders. If things go my way, I’ll be able to severely wound the beast by striking said points. Perhaps its core is within its chest, I guess I'll need to find a way to expose it somehow...

It was time to put the second point to test, however, after the glorious failure of the first one, I’ll admit, I didn’t feel all that confident.

I needed to scale the monster if I wanted to try and disable the arms, so I decided to aim for the knees first. The knee was low enough for me to barely reach by jumping too, making it a good first target.

Soon enough I had reached the beast. I held my blade with a reverse grip, ready to stab it deep into the knee of the beast. I leaped at the right leg and thrust my blade against the beast as hard as I could, yet I wasn’t able to even reach the sigil on its knee.

This wasn’t because of the height, but because the numerous vines and roots that were decorating the beast defended the sigil, as though they were commanded by the beast itself, to form a makeshift shield in front of the knee, protecting it from danger. This basically confirmed the point to be a vital, however, that won’t matter if I won’t be able to hit it.

Learning from my previous mistake, I quickly yanked the blade out before the roots would lock it in place. As I took a fair few steps backward, I saw the vines and roots covering the knee squirm back to their original positions.

When the vines and roots moved, the beast, surprisingly enough, didn’t. It can’t move while it’s protecting the weak points? So I do have a chance, after all.

Maybe it can’t protect itself while it’s moving? If that’s the case, assuming that the same protective mechanism works on its shoulders, I’ll have to take care of the arms first.

I can’t run too far, or it’ll cast the flame wave attack again. I can’t attack after the flame wave attack, as it can protect the weak points while standing still. I can’t exactly wait to jump on its arm either, as the weight of the blow will crush the land beneath it.

Alright...

I took the initiative once more and ran towards the monster that was now on the move. As I predicted, the monster used its right arm to strike down on the ground once again. This time, instead of dodging the blow as it was about to hit the ground, I started to move sideways as the beast raised its arm.

As I expected, the reactions of the beast were slow, and it wasn't able to change the trajectory of its arm before it swung down. Knowing that I couldn’t handle the tremors created by the arm striking the ground, I leaped into the air right as the fist was about to make contact with the earth below.

My timing was a bit off, and my balance faltered as I kicked myself into the air off of the ravaged ground, yet by some miracle, I succeeded. I dodged the blow and the bits of shattering earth bursting from below, and I now stood on top of the beast’s arm.

Before the monster could respond to the unorthodox event that unfolded in front of its very eyes. I ran up its arm. The vines and roots that weaved across its body acted as my footholds, as I nimbly dashed up the near eight-meter long arm of the colossal.

The monster slowly raised its arm from the ground, yet that only helped me, as the steep incline was significantly lowered. The shoulder of the Great Burning Woodland Spirit was right in front of my eyes. The vines started to squirm about, as it’s movements slowed down, but it was too late for the beast to protect itself now.

With all my heart, I jabbed the blade right into the glowing shoulder of the titan.

The blade dug deep into the radiant red crystalline essence.

The monolithic wooden slab of its shoulder charred to black and began to crack apart as the runes around the shoulder began glowing numerous times brighter than before. The giant howled in pain. It felt like the shoulder itself would soon implode under the stress of the tremendous currents of magic rushing towards it.

The beast yelled out, spitting pillars of fire into the air.

⌈【Blaze Bloom】⌋

The shoulder finally cracked open, emitting a massive shockwave, soon followed by a glorious explosion of death, cinder, and ash.

Unable to hold my balance in the face of the blast on the uneven, trembling surface, I was blown down from the top of the ten-meter giant.

I guess this is it...

I closed my eyes and accepted my fate.

Just as I finally figured out how to get him too...