It Just Worked?

“Damn it, that just worked? What the hell...”

Jurgen mumbled, dumbfounded.

A clearly deep, severe wound was etched into her side, but the sight before her seemed even more absurd.

Honestly, I was just as surprised. I was fighting, and I thought, *Hmm, I wonder if I can do this...*, so I tried it, and it just worked on the first try. Now my mind was in a state of, *Wow, this actually works?*

My talent was truly astonishing. The significance of Sword Qi was immense. After all, this Sword Qi Technique was something even many Knight Commanders couldn't use. A sudden surge of confidence swelled within me, for me, who had never properly learned anything, to succeed at it.

*Maybe I'm a genius...?*

Well, to survive in that wretched forest, ordinary talent wouldn't cut it.

Of course, when I looked at the bigger picture, this wasn't the *very* first time I'd succeeded at Sword Qi. Ever since I met Jurgen, I'd tried it on my own many times without realizing it. But each time, only Sword Aura would fiercely flare up; I never succeeded. It was only now, with my neck half-severed, that I finally pulled it off.

Real combat is the best.

I looked ahead, feeling a pleasant sense of accomplishment.

Surprisingly, Jurgen didn't charge again. She merely lowered her sword and stared at me.

In a tense combat situation, even a momentary lapse in concentration can cost a life. In that sense, she was already half-dead.

The wound in her side was severely deep. Although she was trying to staunch the bleeding with her arm, it was honestly a wound where her intestines could spill out at any moment, a wound that could easily lead to death from excessive bleeding if time was wasted.

Of course, she might survive with Healing. But receiving Healing in this Labyrinth was a distant prospect. Especially with an enemy right in front of her, intent on killing her.

Jurgen, having experienced countless real battles, seemed to know this. So, surprisingly, instead of struggling, she chose to talk.

“...So this is a Manifestor.”

Her voice was somber. Jurgen, with eyes that had sunk a layer deeper, continued to speak, looking at me.

“You are exceptional in many ways. That uncanny Sense, your innate Physical Ability, and Regeneration are exceptional. And your power, of course... I envy you. I wish I had been born a Manifestor...” “What?”

At that, I couldn't help but react indignantly.

“That’s crazy talk. You wouldn’t know our suffering. Do you have any idea how much unfair crap we have to deal with in life?”

The monthly berserker rages alone just make me want to kill myself.

“Well, that’s a difference in perspective, isn’t it? From my point of view, there’s no one more enviable than you Manifestors. You have a body that regenerates on its own even after severe injuries. That level of risk is worth taking.”

But Jurgen’s thoughts seemed a little different.

*Cough*, bright red blood flowed from her mouth. Her life was turning into crimson breath, falling away.

She pointed to her side, self-deprecatingly.

“Look at this. An ordinary Human dies just from a slash to the side like this.”

The light was gradually fading from her vision. Her trembling legs were visible. She was losing consciousness from the continuous bleeding. Finally, she mumbled in a voice devoid of strength.

“I envy you... I envy you...”

Thud.

That was the end. With those last words, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

She probably wouldn't wake up again.

“...”

I stared at her for a moment, then withdrew the mana wrapped around my spear. The battle seemed to be over.

The moment I extinguished the Sword Qi, dizziness rushed over me──

“Ugh.”

The World spun for a moment. A powerful sense of exhaustion swept through my entire body, as if I had run several kilometers. It was a temporary side effect of expending too much mana in an instant.

This sensation was so unfamiliar after such a long time that I couldn't help but stumble.

“Yor!”

Seeing that, Livia gasped in surprise and supported me.

Perhaps because she was so frantic, her teardrop-shaped breasts pressed against my back for a moment.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, uhm... Yeah, I’m fine.”

I felt that sensation for a moment, then quickly regained my balance. It was just a temporary side effect, so the dizziness wouldn't last long anyway.

However, I couldn't help but feel a slight regret. Not because of the soft sensation I had just felt, but because of this newly learned Technique. No matter how I thought about it, it consumed too much mana.

I won't be able to use this often.

There was still much to learn. I needed to find out if I could use Blood Force Art on top of Sword Qi, and then practice until I could wield it skillfully. Since the Mana Consumption Rate was so extreme, I'd also have to figure out a more efficient way to use it, like Jurgen did. There was still a long way to go.

“Ugh, damn it... That stings like hell. What the... H-huh?! Lady Jurgen!”

As I rested for a moment, a voice came from ahead. One of the Followers who had been unconscious from Livia’s Magic had finally woken up.

The other one... seemed to have followed Lady Jurgen. The one who was relatively far from the wall we broke through seemed to have survived thanks to that.

Moreover, perhaps because the other one took most of the sparks, this Follower didn't seem to have any significant injuries. At most, it had just some minor burns.

“H-h-heek! Yor? Why is the enemy we were warned most about here... and even Lady Livia? I’m sorry! Please spare me...!”,

We hadn't said a word. But the fellow, scared out of his wits, began to bow his head to us. As we saw him trembling with his head bowed, he seemed to fear his head would be chopped off at any moment.

Honestly, I had been thinking of chopping off his head... but seeing him grovel like that, I couldn't help but feel a little soft. It's one thing to kill an Opponent who's resisting, but it's not easy to kill someone who's outright surrendering.

“...”

As I looked at the person prostrating himself, my eyes met Livia’s for a moment. As I saw the pity in her red eyes, she probably had similar thoughts to mine.

Hmm, alright.

Thanks to that, I quickly decided on the fellow's fate.

*

The Follower we captured was named Maira. She was unremarkable. She had brown hair, a plain face full of freckles. If not for her calloused, rough hands, I probably would have thought she was just an ordinary Villager.

The only noticeable thing was that she was rather tall and had large breasts... but after I had seen Im Haneul’s chest, even that seemed ambiguous to me.

We decided to tie her up with a rope and take her with us for a while.

We were impressed by her prostration, and besides, we needed someone to get information from.

In that sense, she was a pretty good prisoner. She seemed to be timid, so she volunteered information without us even having to press her.

According to what she told us.

“So, you’re saying there’s a Residence for you guys inside that Labyrinth?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right, Lord Yor...”

There was a Resting Place inside. It was a Resting Place where Paimon rested every day after creating the Labyrinth and returning. I sternly told her about her honorific.

“Don’t call me Older Brother.” “Y-yes? Then what should I call you... Brother?” “No, not that. Those sound too familiar.”

Normally, being called Brother would feel good. But coming from her, it felt strange. We'd have to hand her over to the Knights soon, and I didn't want to get attached.

At my words, Maira's eyes darted around, trying to gauge my mood. After a moment, the honorific she finally chose was this.

“Then... how about Lord Yor?”

“Fine.”

Only then did I nod, satisfied.

Anyway, what she said was very important information. It was the moment a clear Destination appeared in this Labyrinth where we had been aimlessly wandering. I looked at Maira and asked,

“So, if we go to that Residence and wait, we can meet Paimon?” “Y-yes, that’s right. But you should be careful. There are still many Followers remaining there. Of course, they’re just Minions compared to Lord Yor, hehe...”

I nodded. That certainly seemed troublesome. We knew Paimon’s regular Resting Place, but just going there didn't mean we could actually catch Paimon.

How could the two of us catch something that flies in the sky?

*Ultimately, we'll have to gather the Extermination Squad...*

How were we supposed to gather people who were scattered to who-knows-where?

“Um, Yor.”

Fortunately, Livia came up with an idea here.

“When we meet Paimon, how about I cast a Magic spell high into the Sky?”

“Magic?”

“Yeah, make it as bright as possible. That way, it’ll be visible from several kilometers away.”

It was a plan to fire a signal flare of sorts. That would certainly catch people’s attention. She didn't know whether they would gather after seeing it.

If people gathered because of that, Livia would also be credited with an achievement.

It seemed like a pretty good method, so I nodded. The day to punch Paimon in the face wasn't far off.

“Alright, let’s go.”

So, guided by Maira, we began to move.

“Um, but Lord Yor...”

“Hm?”

In between, I listened to her whining.

“The rope is too tight... Could you loosen it a little? My skin is stinging; I feel like I’m going to die...”

At her words, I looked at Maira’s bound body. The rope was tied very tightly to firmly restrain her arms and upper body.

Incidentally, it wasn't me who tied the rope, but Livia. It felt a bit awkward to touch a stranger of the opposite sex, after all. I had entrusted the task to her without much thought... and Livia had restrained her *very* thoroughly.

It was like the Shibari I'd seen in certain videos from the past... Of course, it wasn't tied as professionally as that, but that was the feeling it gave off.

Squeak—

Every time she moved, her surprisingly large chest was emphasized.

I looked at it and said firmly,

“No.”

“H-huh...”

Of course, we couldn't just release a criminal. It definitely wasn't because I felt sadistic and wanted to watch her more. Really.

Anyway, at one point, as we walked, with Maira leading the way like that.

*Thump—*

Suddenly, a surprisingly loud sound of footsteps reached my ears.

It was coming from beyond a wall not far from This Place.

I tilted my head and mumbled,

“What is it...? I hear footsteps.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, it’s almost time for a new patrol...”

In other words, there was a high probability it was an enemy. Realizing this, I decided to launch a surprise attack, just like before.

The fewer enemies, the better.

Since Jurgen was already captured, the remaining ones could be dealt with quickly, so there was no particular risk. If it was the Extermination Squad, that would be good too. So, we briefly changed direction towards where the sound was coming from.

And just like before, I tore down the wall without hesitation.

CRASH—!

Beyond the crumbling wall, the surprised voice of an Opponent could be heard.

“Whoa! What the hell?!”

And I, too, couldn't help but be equally surprised. Because the Opponent beyond the wall was completely unexpected. I mumbled, looking at the blonde woman in front of me.

“Nikki...?”

What's she doing here?