The Great Sword is not the Main Body!-Chapter 56: Karahan (2)

The woman's steps were unbearably slow.

At this pace, she would surely be killed by the beasts in less than a minute.

I took a deep breath and leaped off the rock.

A sharp pain shot through my legs.

"No, Noah?!"

"Rubyia, there’s an injured person coming towards us 100 meters ahead. Behind them, 78 beasts are chasing..."

Rubyia, who had been flustered, quickly regained her composure, surveyed the surroundings, and opened her mouth.

"With 70 beasts, we’ll have to fight with the rock at our backs. Hephaestus, take down the tent. And..."

Rubyia’s head turned toward me again.

I silently nodded and unsheathed my greatsword.

"I’ll support you as much as I can, Noah."

"I’ll handle the fighting, but please take care of Hephaestus and the injured."

I expanded my Giga Sense.

The hundreds of beasts surrounding us appeared clearly.

The dozens of adventurers preparing for camp came into focus.

But...

The pain was less than before.

There was no blood pouring out.

Was this because of the time I fought Carpen...?

"Ha..."

I drew my greatsword, pushing away distracting thoughts.

Now, I needed to focus entirely on the battle.

I concentrated my Giga Sense on one spot.

A woman, with a hopeful expression, was drawing closer.

"50 meters ahead."

Rubyia’s divine power twitched.

I could even feel Hephaestus’s quickened heartbeat.

"30 meters."

"... Be careful, Noah."

It seemed like Rubyia saw the beasts now, her voice trembling as she spoke to me.

"I’ll trust you, Rubyia."

After confirming the potions I was carrying in my cloak, I walked forward slowly.

The woman, struggling to move, collapsed when she reached me.

"Ugh... Ack, ma..."

She fell to the ground.

It was a bit too harsh, but there was no time.

I grabbed her arm and threw her backward.

"Ugh-!"

She let out no scream, just the sound of air escaping from her.

I figured Rubyia would take care of the rest, and I immediately stood my ground with the greatsword.

42 goblins.

33 wolf beasts.

And... 3 minotaurs.

Beasts that couldn’t coexist were charging together.

Monsters that should be tearing each other apart had one goal in mind.

An unusual situation.

I tightened my grip on the hilt.

Once the battle began, injuries were inevitable.

If that happened, the conditions for the fragment would be met.

But... I couldn’t rule out the potential risks that would come after.

I wasn’t sure how the penalties would apply, but if safety wasn’t guaranteed, I couldn’t °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° afford to take a penalty.

Even now, the scent of blood had attracted beasts who were slowly closing in.

I prepared to face at least 120 beasts.

I swatted away the arrows coming my way.

I couldn’t afford to be surrounded.

I had to hold my ground.

I waited while knocking away the dozen or so arrows aimed at me.

Soon, the lead wolf beast reached me.

I stomped my foot and swung the greatsword.

The wolf’s innards splattered across the dirt.

I followed up with a spinning strike, adding weight to the swing, and shattered twelve skulls in one blow.

Goblins’ brains splattered everywhere.

Behind me, Rubyia’s divine power began to coalesce.

"Noah!"

The moment I heard Rubyia’s voice, I threw myself sideways.

A spear of divine energy passed by my hair with murderous intent.

With a crack, it embedded into the path the beasts were charging down.

And then... it exploded.

The beasts’ flesh splattered in every direction.

Afterward, countless divine arrows fired by Rubyia took care of the remaining beasts.

I wiped the meat chunks off my cheek and broke into a cold sweat.

The speed... and power... had grown much stronger.

Rubyia proudly gave me a thumbs-up.

But she didn’t stop healing the woman.

"Unfair... you sneaky sorceress..."

I muttered under my breath, and Rubyia tilted her head, as if she hadn’t heard me.

I followed her gesture, raising my thumb.

I then gripped my greatsword tightly.

I raised it high toward the Minotaur, ready to vent my frustration.

The Minotaur that had taken the blast of the explosion earlier was already a puddle of mush.

One lost its arm.

The other remained intact.

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Thankfully... I still had work to do.

No longer needing to turn my back to the rock, I moved forward.

I immediately swatted away the massive axe swinging at me and swung my greatsword at the Minotaur’s neck.

With rough resistance, the sword slowed down.

I gritted my teeth and pushed harder.

The sword tore through its skin, ripping apart its muscles.

-GRAAAAAAAA-!

It screamed in agony.

At that moment, another Minotaur swung its fist at me from behind.

I gripped the hilt with both hands and pulled myself up, using the swing like a chin-up.

The punch hit the dying Minotaur’s abdomen, knocking it down.

I kicked its face and pulled the greatsword free.

The moment I landed, an axe swung at me, filling my vision.

And...

Kaaang-

Rubyia’s divine power collided with the axe.

...I could have deflected that just now.

I stepped forward, filled with rage, and swung my greatsword with all my might.

In that instant, the greatsword sliced through the Minotaur’s legs with a speed that even shocked me.

The creature’s body, over 2 meters tall, crashed to the ground.

But even then, it swung its fist at me.

I reversed the grip on my greatsword and twisted my body.

A crack echoed as its bones broke, and its skull collapsed.

The remaining Minotaur’s pulse ceased.

I expanded my Giga Sense.

The beasts that had been attracted by the scent of blood were...

Gone.

When the situation ended, my tension released.

I never expected it to end so easily.

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Something... my gear was upgraded, and my Giga Sense was sharper...

I couldn’t really do anything worthwhile though... just a little bit.

It’s a bit... disappointing.

I could have won this by myself...

Of course, not getting injured is the best...

But still... something... something feels off...

"Sigh..."

On the way back, I finished off the beasts still faintly alive.

"Noah. You did great."

Rubyia, with a light smile on her face, reached out her hand.

"... You’re a bit strong."

"Right?"

Her light smile quickly turned into a triumphant grin.

I ignored the annoying smile and lightly took her hand.

"Oh, the treatment for her is almost done. But... it’s not a wound caused by a beast."

Rubyia’s voice became serious.

I had expected it, but...

I hadn’t felt anything unusual with my Giga Sense.

So where did she run from?

"She’s unconscious now, but I think she’ll wake up soon. Once she does, we’ll have to hear her story."

I nodded vaguely and followed Rubyia.

"Sis! Are you alright?"

"Yeah... thanks to the greatsword. Thanks, Hephaestus..."

As we neared, Hephaestus, who was setting up the tent again, greeted me.

"Now, give me the greatsword."

And my greatsword...

"Why... why...?"

"We need to clean it. Look at this. If you just wipe it down with the blood still on it, it’ll get ruined. So give it to me quickly."

"Ugh..."

"Noah. Listen to Hephaestus. Quickly."

"Ugh... Rubyia too..."

Their firm tone made me hand over the greatsword without a choice.

Then Rubyia’s arm wrapped around my waist.

"We should wash up. But I can’t leave her alone... we’ll go together once she wakes up."

"Is... is there a place to wash up...?"

"Yes. There’s a valley nearby. It’ll be a bit cold, but it can’t be helped."

"I don’t like cold water..."

Rubyia smiled faintly, then stopped in her tracks.

"Shall we sit here?"

She gently guided me to sit.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Rubyia’s hand brushed my cheek.

"I... shouldn’t have gotten this hurt... and besides, Rubyia... you almost killed everything."

I pouted.

I’ve gotten stronger too.

When I fought the Minotaur earlier, I was strong enough to sever both of its legs in one hit!

Every time I swung, I felt myself getting stronger!!

And!

I’m now a gold-ranked adventurer!!!

"Do you dislike it that much?"

The hand that had been brushing my cheek now ruffled my hair.

"I... it’s not that I dislike it... it’s just that, well..."

I always protected you... and now you’ve become like this...

And even though I’ve grown stronger too...

Rubyia’s on a completely different level...

"Hmm... Rubyia."

"Yes?"

"How did you... get so strong?"

"Ah... well, how should I explain this..."

I heard Rubyia’s quiet hum.

"Should I say... from when Kar-"

"Done!"

Hephaestus’s sudden voice cut off Rubyia’s words...

Kar... Kar what!!!

"Ah, ugh...! He... Hephaestus...!"

"Yeah...?"

"Heheheh- the timing is amazing, Hephaestus."

"Ah... did I do something wrong...?"

"No... it’s not that... ahhh..."

"It can’t be helped. Let’s save the explanation for later... shall we finish the camping preparations first?"

"Yeah..."

"Here, Noah. Your greatsword... and, I don’t know what this is, but... sorry..."

Hephaestus casually placed my greatsword into my hand.

"Ugh... no, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize..."

I gripped the hilt and activated my Giga Sense.

Rubyia and Hephaestus’s expressions appeared clearly.

And the image of the woman lying ahead appeared.

But... now that I looked carefully...

"Uh... Rubyia...?"

"Yes?"

"That... woman’s stomach."

Rubyia tilted her head.

"Something... strange is inside...?"

"Yes...?"

"It’s the size of a fingernail... a jagged shape... a star? No... stars overlapping?"

Rubyia quickly started checking the woman’s stomach.

"Noah, are you sure about that?"

"Yes... I’m sure."

"Ha..."

Rubyia sighed and pulled a knife from her bag.

"Rubyia...?"

"It’s a tracking device used by a certain criminal organization. If we don’t take it out and destroy it right now..."

And then, she whispered as she placed the knife on the woman’s stomach.

"They’ll be coming."