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They had arrived at the edge of a plain, at the foot of an unnamed mountain range. Even at a glance, it was clear how treacherous the terrain was, enough to make one sigh.

Around ten paladins were stationed there, waiting.

After paying their respects to Abella, they silently prepared the supplies loaded on the carriage, making final preparations for departure.

“Follow me.”

Abella led the way. She seemed to be following some kind of markers, proceeding without hesitation.

Noticing Ian looking around, Abella glanced at him and spoke.

“I’m saying this because of our earlier conversation, but I don’t hold you in high regard.”

“I see.”

“Having confidence in your abilities isn’t a bad thing. It’s much better than being timid. But Level 4 is still Level 4.”

Ian understood the intention behind her words.

“Are you telling me to be cautious?”

“If you’re offended, I apologize. But I’m not trying to belittle you, I’m simply telling you to face reality. The lizard we’re dealing with is no different from a beast, at least in terms of physical prowess. There’s no benefit in recklessly trying to fight it.”

“…”

“It would be troublesome if you died. I don’t want to waste any more time.”

Ian let out a dry laugh. Despite the passage of time, her blunt honesty remained unchanged.

Seeing no reason to argue unnecessarily, he nodded calmly.

“I’ll do as you say.”

“I hope you take it to heart.”

After giving that brief caution, Abella continued to lead the way. They soon arrived at the spot where a hunter had been attacked.

Ian thoroughly scanned the surroundings. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place, but signs of something unnatural slowly began to emerge.

However, there were a few odd points. No matter how he looked at it, these traces weren’t from claws or talons.

“Does this lizard use weapons?”

“It’s wielding a spear it took from a paladin. Impressive that you figured that out so quickly.”

“I told you, I won’t disappoint.”

“Can you track it?”

“Some time has passed, so I can’t guarantee it, but let’s give it a try.”

Ian moved forward.

‘Hmm?’

As he continued, a strange feeling crept up. The target’s tracks became clearer with every glance.

Normally, the trail would have broken off by now, but it continued smoothly, like water flowing naturally.

For a moment, he wondered if they were being led into a trap, but after checking, he instinctively dismissed that possibility.

‘Was my tracking ability always this good?’

Of course, he was confident enough not to feel inferior, but this level of skill was unexpected.

“Are we going the right way?”

One of the paladins, perhaps suspicious of how smoothly they were being led, asked with doubt. Even Abella glanced at him with a skeptical look.

Ian didn’t hesitate in his response.

“I’ll show you with results.”

The paladin, having no further objections to his confident reply, closed his mouth.

In the past, someone would have picked a fight by now, but the golden emblem pinned to Ian’s collar seemed to command caution.

Certain that the distance was slowly closing, Ian continued his pursuit.

The forest grew denser, and the tracks became clearer, visible even to the others.

The heavily armored paladins, sensing they might soon face their foe, tightened their grips on their shields and braced themselves with growing tension.

Not long after, Ian felt an unsettling sensation creeping up from his feet.

‘This doesn’t feel right…’

There was no reason for him to feel this way without cause.

Ian slowed his pace, cautiously scanning his surroundings. However, nothing seemed particularly out of place.

Yet, the uneasy feeling remained, refusing to dissipate.

Just as he was about to quietly speak to Abella beside him—

Baaang!

A sharp, tearing sound ripped through the air, assaulting his ears.

As he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of something slicing diagonally through the sky. He tracked it with his eyes.

It shot up swiftly, arcing through the air, before plunging down rapidly.

Ian knew exactly where it was headed. He remained calm.

Dodging the falling spear wasn’t difficult. With a simple step back, he easily moved out of its path.

Thud!

A long, platinum spear embedded itself deeply into the ground, scattering dirt.

Instinctively, Ian inspected the spear’s design. It was equipment used by paladins of the Pantheon. Immediately, he guessed the attacker’s identity.

The Lizard.

It was undoubtedly the target Abella had been hunting. Soon, the sound of more projectiles tearing through the air echoed. From afar, small objects grew larger as they approached.

Sweeek!

Logically speaking, the right thing to do was dodge. But Abella was right behind him.

It was laughable to be concerned about a warrior like her, but Ian wanted to prove that his claim of confidence wasn’t a lie.

Though it might seem like he was being prideful, Ian, who had already enhanced his body with mana, drew the nameless sacred sword at his waist. He timed his strike perfectly, swinging the sword upward from below as the spear closed in.

Clang!

The force behind the blow reverberated through his hand, momentarily stiffening his body.

“!”

The impact was far stronger than he had anticipated. Still, Ian quickly regained his stance, preparing to deflect the next projectile. However, he had to stop.

A flash of black hair brushed past him—Abella. With a swift, precise swing of her sword, she struck the spear away.

Clang!

The sound was crisp as the spear was knocked off course.

“Be careful.”

Ian wanted to thank her, but before he could, the paladins behind them erupted into action.

Dropping the supplies they had been carrying, they raised their shields and unsheathed their swords, forming a defensive formation.

Watching them, Ian swallowed the words that had been rising in his throat.

Yeah, this isn’t the time for chit-chat. I’ll thank her once this is over.

Turning his gaze in the direction from which the spears had been thrown, he saw a massive lizard-like creature.

Its entire body radiated an ominous purple aura, with an incomplete ring hovering above its head.

It was the Lizard that Abella had mentioned.

“Huh?”

But something was off. Its size was far greater than that of a typical lizard. Even from this distance, Ian could tell it was massive.

If compared to a werewolf, it would likely be close to a pureblood.

The creature raised another spear. Ian couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘How many of those does it have?’

Ian wasn’t idly standing by.

[Bane of Evil: First Technique – Meteor Spear]

The flame at his fingertips took the shape of a long spear. Yet, as he prepared to throw it, he faced a problem.

‘It’s too far.’

If the target had been stationary, there would have been no issue. But it was unlikely that the enemy would just stand still and let the spear hit. The spear lacked the speed of an arrow, after all.

In other words, speed was the key. However, Ian wasn’t born with the raw physical ability to throw spears as powerfully as the Lizard.

‘That doesn’t mean I don’t have a way.’

Focusing on the Meteor Spear in his hand, Ian mentally intervened in the technique’s structure, refining it to achieve greater precision.

The flame flickered violently, almost as if in protest, but Ian paid no mind.

Before his regression, he had survived that harsh world using only the Bane of Evil cultivation technique. Countless battles had allowed him to refine and personalize the technique. Confident in his abilities, he applied his expertise in the blink of an eye.

Fwoooosh!

As if in perfect sync, both Ian and the Lizard prepared their spears and threw them.

However, the Lizard’s target wasn’t Ian. It aimed at the paladins, seemingly trying to reduce their numbers.

Crash!

The paladins raised their shields, reinforced with divine power, but the spears smashed through with a metallic crunch, flinging them aside.

In contrast, Ian’s spear accelerated, leaving a fiery trail behind it. Yet, the Lizard agilely dodged, pushing off the ground and closing in rapidly. The thick, ominous purple aura surrounding it grew more intense.

“I’ll handle this.”

Perhaps to prevent interference, Abella stepped forward as the paladins withdrew without a word. She muttered softly, and as if answering her call, light descended from the heavens, bathing her in its glow.

Whoooosh!

A golden radiance engulfed her.

This wasn’t a mere blessing from a priest or bishop—it was something far greater. Even standing nearby, Ian could feel his fatigue vanish and his mind sharpen.

What must it feel like to be at the center of that power?

Abella raised her sword. A pure white light gathered around the blade. In the brief moments it took for the Lizard to close the distance, she swung her sword downward.

BOOM!

The divine power infused in the blade erupted, expanding outward like a wave, tearing through the ground as it surged forward. It was like a shark’s fin cutting through water, churning up the earth.

The Lizard broke through the onslaught and swung its spear, clashing head-on with Abella.

BANG!

A fierce shockwave exploded outward, followed by a deafening roar that momentarily deafened those nearby.

Despite the massive difference in size and strength, Abella didn’t falter.

Her natural physical abilities as a hero, combined with the blessing and her masterful swordsmanship, allowed her to rapidly gain the upper hand against the Lizard.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Lizard thrust its short spear rapidly, but Abella deflected every strike and skillfully counterattacked.

Their exchange was swift and deadly, the kind of fight where blinking could mean missing the entire battle. Yet, it was clear that the Lizard was being overwhelmed.

Slash!

Abella’s blade sliced through the Lizard’s scales, drawing blood. But the wounds didn’t accumulate.

Blessed by an Outer God, the Lizard had begun its transformation into a monstrous beast, and minor injuries healed quickly.

However, there was no hiding its bruised pride. Its eyes narrowed in fury as its movements grew even more aggressive. But even with this newfound intensity, the outcome seemed inevitable.

‘If we had let this creature complete its transformation, it would’ve been a real threat.’

Seeing it wield a weapon that didn’t suit its body while holding its ground against Abella showed that this Lizard was a born warrior.

Its ability to adapt to Abella’s swordsmanship in real-time suggested incredible potential.

Its sense of danger must be extraordinary too, as it made the wise decision to retreat momentarily, even if it meant taking a few hits.

‘…Still, this fight’s nearly over.’

The divine power that enveloped Abella’s sword clashed incessantly with the chaotic, purple haze surrounding the Lizard. Despite the onslaught, her divine aura remained as unwavering and solid as ever.

Ian had no doubt in Abella’s victory.

Yet, as always, battles were unpredictable. The Lizard spun its body, whipping its tail around with immense force.

Perhaps too focused on the spear, Abella seemed to momentarily forget about the tail and was a fraction too slow in reacting. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have been caught off guard like this, but her lack of experience was showing. Her expression, usually unreadable, flickered with the faintest hint of surprise.

Thud!

Abella managed to block the tail, but the sheer impact lifted her off the ground, sending her flying back.

Sensing an opportunity, the Lizard didn’t waste a moment. It abruptly turned its attention to Ian and charged at him.

“?!”

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus, Ian was momentarily stunned.

Roooar!

With a ferocious cry, the Lizard closed the gap in an instant, bringing its spear down with the intent to split Ian’s skull.

Having witnessed it hold its own against a hero like Abella, Ian knew well that the Lizard’s physical strength was absurd. Facing it head-on would be foolish.

Instead of forcing himself to block the attack, Ian dodged to the side and kicked at the Lizard simultaneously.

A basic kick wouldn’t have done much, but Ian had prepared for situations like this.

[Bane of Evil: Third Technique – Flame Kick]

Fire wrapped around Ian’s leg, and as his foot connected with the Lizard’s scaly body, a violent explosion erupted.

Boom!

The Lizard tumbled across the ground, but it quickly got back on its feet. This time, however, it turned its sights on the nearby paladins and charged again.

Crash!

It slammed into one paladin’s shield with its massive body, knocking him over, before immediately thrusting its spear into another paladin beside it.

Thwack!

“Urgh!”

The spear pierced through the paladin’s throat, and the once-strong figure crumbled to the ground as the spear was pulled free.

Two more paladins, enraged by the sight of their fallen comrade, rushed the Lizard, but it didn’t evade them.

After a brief exchange, the Lizard swung its spear, slicing through one paladin’s armor and cleaving him in half. It then took the other paladin’s sword thrust head-on, only to bite down on his helmeted head and crush it between its powerful jaws.

In mere moments, two paladins lay dead, and one was gravely injured.

The Lizard’s cold, reptilian eyes shifted toward the fallen paladin. Bending its knees, it prepared to leap, intending to crush him under its weight. The hero, Abella, was rushing over, but she wouldn’t make it in time.

“…”

Ian didn’t hesitate.

By the time he became fully aware of his actions, his body was already moving, engulfed in flames, rocketing forward like an arrow.

With a resounding crash, Ian tackled the airborne Lizard with his shoulder.

Boom!

The force of the impact knocked the Lizard off balance, causing it to skid across the ground as it quickly tried to regain its footing. The way its eye twitched suggested it wasn’t pleased.

———