#197
White Giant (4)
An unidentified monster that had crawled up from the Abyss.
Perhaps because of that peculiar origin, the white giant’s skull could not be easily crushed even by Harley’s sharp teeth.
Before 「Gluttony」, which allowed him to chew up and swallow anything, even the Mad Dragon’s scales had been nothing more than glass candy, yet against this head, it simply failed to exert its power.
Of course, its hardness itself was greater than a dragon’s scales, but to him, it did not feel like that was the only issue.
‘It felt like it was being protected by some other special power. A blessing or skill… No, rather than that, should I say it was closer to a higher authority or law?’
If his proficiency in 「Gluttony」 had been higher, he might have somehow found a way, but at the very least, it was not something he could do right now.
So the method he chose was to target a part tougher than the rest, but weaker than the head.
In other words, to cut off the neck first…
And that method worked splendidly.
Immediately after severing its neck like that.
“Ssseup— Ptooey. Damn, this tastes filthy.”
A massive body reaching four meters tall, and a savage appearance closer to a demon than a dragon.
The sight of such a being smacking his lips while baring his sharp teeth made those watching feel an indescribable sense of pressure.
How much more so when, in the background, a head the size of a house lay sprawled on the ground?
“…Seeing you up close like this, you look even more vicious…”
“Khahahat! So you think so too, miss? Whew, putting this guy’s size aside, just look at how distinctive he looks. It really makes you think a monster is a monster, doesn’t it?”
Harley, the foremost contributor who had busily torn into the giant’s nape with his teeth while Heinrich’s blade struck again and again, wiping the white blood from around his mouth with one hand, turned around.
“Huh? Ah, yes! That’s right. A monster… yes.”
And Isea, who had been staring at him all this time, met his burning gaze head-on and, with an awkward smile, subtly averted her eyes.
As if she had plenty she wanted to say, but was forcing herself to hold back out of consideration for a comrade.
“…But do you really have to eat that? No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem very good for your health.”
Jios, however, seemed to think differently, as he calmly voiced the question she had forcibly swallowed.
He usually thought nothing of Harley chewing up monsters and magic stones, but this giant had been unpleasant from the moment it appeared, in every possible way.
At his question, Harley nodded calmly.
“Mmm, it’s true this guy is a bit much to eat. There’s not much nutrition either!”
His 「Mutation」 was a trait that allowed him to gather the genes of other life-forms and evolve himself, while 「Gluttony」, which had played a major role in the battle against the Mad Dragon, was an ability that could even tear off and devour part of the individuality dwelling within a target.
But…
‘Is this thing even really a living creature?’
From this white giant, he could obtain neither genes nor individuality, and not even ordinary calories from its flesh.
As if it were an illusion with no actual substance.
With Harley’s stomach, he ought to be able to chew up stones, digest them, and turn them into energy, so this was certainly a phenomenon that strayed far beyond common sense.
“Wahaha! I suppose I’m the type who can’t feel satisfied unless I swallow whatever enters my mouth! It happened before I knew it. Well, as long as it doesn’t give me an upset stomach, it’s fine!”
After speaking, he naturally took meat out of his subspace and put it in his mouth, then glanced back.
Wriggle, wriggle—
The enormous white head was still twitching and moving despite having been severed at the neck.
And as if it were continuing to attempt regeneration, white biological tissue kept extending from the cut surface.
Meanwhile, Heinrich had been busily analyzing the creature since earlier while cutting them away.
“…Mm, as expected, I believe we must destroy the core inside its head. It may look like a living creature, but its principles are actually closer to a golem.”
At last, after examining the head by stabbing the Holy Sword into various places, he reached that conclusion with a serious expression.
“So that is the case? Hmm— Well, since it can’t resist anymore anyway, wouldn’t it be fine to simply keep striking one spot?”
“If that is the case, then my spear should also be of help. At the very least, I should be able to suppress it so that it cannot regenerate immediately.”
In the end, the fact that they had to destroy the head remained unchanged, but now that the opponent could no longer resist, it was not that difficult a task.
As they said, if they concentrated their attacks on one point, no matter how hard the skull was, it would not hold out for long. Otherwise, Harley could simply burrow into the head from the cut surface of the neck.
However.
“…Please, wait a moment. I would like you to give me just a little time.”
“Pardon? What do you…”
“There is something I very much wish to try on this occasion. As long as Sir Harley is here, preventing the giant’s regeneration should be enough, so I ask the two of you to look after the evacuated villagers.”
“…Mm, yes. If you say so, Saint.”
“Understood, Saint. Then we will leave this place to you two.”
Having asked his companions for their understanding, Heinrich stood directly before the giant’s head, gripped the Holy Sword firmly with both hands, and took a deep breath where he stood.
“Whew—.”
The source of Heinrich’s power, divine power, displayed far greater effects against those who handled sinister energies, such as undead and dark mages.
The same was true of most of the blessings he possessed.
His body, filled with all manner of sacred power, allowed no darkness to approach, and the sword of light in his hand cut through wicked dark magic as if it were paper.
He was truly a being born to eradicate the demonic, and no different from the absolute natural enemy of those who belonged to the darkness…
‘But this giant was different.’
It was undoubtedly a being that had crawled out of the Abyss, yet surprisingly, it showed little reaction to divine power.
As if he were facing an ordinary human.
‘Even ordinary monsters should take a certain amount of additional damage. What in the world is this thing?’
The fact that it was not an ordinary living creature was one thing, but did this not seem like a being that had deliberately eliminated its weaknesses in order to oppose the Hero and the Church?
Because of that, Heinrich, who could stand against the Immortal King to some extent, had not been able to play much of a role against this giant.
As a paladin, he stood at the pinnacle of this world, but as a pure martial artist, he had not reached a realm befitting that position.
Of course, since his self-enhancement effects remained intact, he was not severely lacking, but it was also true that he had shown a performance unworthy of the title “Hero.”
‘I can’t simply sit still when I know what the problem is.’
Now that signs of artificial intervention had been discovered, just because they had safely overcome this once did not mean the same would happen next time.
Preparing a solution for it was only natural.
…No, to be more honest.
‘My pride won’t allow me to just stay like this!’
Though he had acted as if nothing was wrong in front of his companions.
As the Immortal King’s sole adversary and the chosen savior of the continent, his dignity had been in a sorry state.
Whoosh— Thwack!
When the sword of light burning with divine power struck the giant’s head, white blood splashed up along with a long wound.
However, it was not as deep as expected.
The blade had reached the skull, but it was still nowhere near enough to split it.
Worse, as soon as Heinrich recovered his sword, the wound on the head began to repair itself at a speed several times faster than other parts.
Even after being struck by the Holy Sword, it was like this. For something without any special offensive ability, its vitality alone was truly horrifyingly tenacious.
‘Well, fine. I never thought I could do it easily from the start.’
Fortunately, a solution to this problem had already been given to him.
‘Chehai and Jios’s secret art, the Refraction Spear… the pinnacle of aura manipulation, striking a desired point by leaping across space. Since it is a technique that can interfere with space, not only its utility but also its offensive power is on a different level.’
If it had been a technique usable only at the transcendent realm, it would have held no meaning for him.
Such things were unique abilities belonging only to individuals who had broken free from the laws of the world and shattered their own limits.
‘But this isn’t like that.’
It was merely a simple technique, albeit an extremely difficult and complicated one.
Moreover, it was no different from a kind of systematically organized discipline, to the point that it could be taught to others.
‘Twisting the phase between the weapon and the point of impact to maintain spatial continuity… This is the sort of theory you’d expect in spatial magic. Even if it was the result of analyzing a unique skill he already possessed, he really is an incredible man.’
While Hesperon had been receiving theoretical instruction from Chehai over the past few days, Heinrich had not been idly looking after children.
Since he had already received permission to learn the secret art, he too had consistently discussed the technique with Jios.
At the time, he had only intended to learn knowledge in advance that might be useful later…
Whoosh— Thwack!
Thinking about it, however, there was no need to match the condition of using aura.
After all, this technique was also something Chehai had modified from his own unique skill to suit aura.
‘I simply have to adjust it again… so that I, Heinrich, can use it.’
One way or another, Heinrich was also an awakened one from Earth.
Naturally, his growth was not determined by talent alone.
The awakened one’s growth correction, avatar growth acceleration, the Hero growth correction of 「Great Blessing: Knight of Light」, and the support of 「Logia Sacred Combat Art」 and 「Path of Martial Arts」.
He could even receive help in the theoretical aspect from Hans’s 「Wicked Wisdom」 and 「Path of Magic」.
He simply had not thought of it because he had not felt the need until now. In truth, if he had only made up his mind to do it, he possessed more than enough capability.
Whoosh— Thwack!
There was no need to rush.
The giant had already been completely subdued, and its regeneration was being thoroughly blocked by Harley.
‘If you think about it, that thing is the best punching bag right now.’
Growth correction was something that helped him obtain the karma accumulated through training faster, and in greater quantity.
Like counting lifting a barbell once as lifting it twice.
Separate from strengthening his stats through the Karma Shop, appropriate karma naturally accompanied growth.
And it was only natural that risking one’s life to slash at a dragon once would grant greater growth than cutting off the head of a goblin encountered on the roadside.
‘That said, using an artificial situation won’t work either.’
The laws of the world were not so lenient.
But the current situation was not like that.
He had simply fought against a giant that suddenly appeared, and with great difficulty, subdued this powerful enemy.
And now.
With the purpose of finishing that enemy off for certain.
He swung his sword again.
To split this head—and extract that core.
***
How much time had passed like that?
The sun had completely set, and the surroundings were wholly enveloped in darkness.
Isea, having brought back the villagers who had been evacuated to a safe place, provided them comfort with various spells such as cold protection and ignition.
And Jios had come by several times to check on the situation here.
Whoosh— Slaaash—!
Along with a sound not like the dull impacts from before, but the sharp tearing of something being ripped apart.
The giant’s skull, which had been deeply gouged by countless sword strikes all this time, split cleanly in two.
《The individual has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Acquired the skill 「Spatial Slash」.》
At the same time, a message appeared before his eyes.
At that, Heinrich, who had been in a trance, focusing only on bringing down his sword with all his might, opened his eyes sharply.
‘…What a shame.’
However, what arose before satisfaction was deep regret.
‘I felt like I could have reached it if I had gone just a little farther.’
Through this training, he had acquired 「Spatial Slash」, a sword strike that interfered with space, but he had failed to reach the wall of transcendence as a martial artist.
‘It can’t be helped. This alone was a little insufficient to begin with. I’ll be satisfied with having grasped a clue this time.’
Letting out a light sigh, Heinrich used 「Spatial Slash」 through the air, once again severing the skull that had been slowly beginning to recover.
Now it was time to carry out his original goal.
“Oho! Well, well, this is just as I thought!”
An extremely familiar aura was felt from within the split skull.
Harley, who had been standing beside him all this time, obstructing the giant’s regeneration while devouring meat, thrust his sharply transformed hand deep inside.
Soon, in the hand he pulled back out…
‘Oh, what’s this?’
Wrapped in tissue connected like spiderwebs from the giant’s head, there was a fist-sized orb shining a dark crimson.
It was a high-purity crystal of “madness,” unlike anything he had seen before.
‘It feels similar to when I saw Heratos’s Dragon Heart. As expected of something from the Abyss, the purity of its madness seems higher on this side.’
Harley smiled in satisfaction.
Perhaps because its place of origin was the Abyss, it was unsuitable as a medium for an avatar, but this itself was no different from a miracle elixir to him.
“Now, now! Give up and hand it over! This belongs to me now! Wahahahah!”
Harley, his eyes turned by greed, swung his sharpened claws, mercilessly tearing apart the white tissues clinging to the crystal, and stepped back.
At the same time, the enormous white head that had been wriggling went limp, but that was no longer any concern of his.
‘No need to hesitate!’
That white giant had been a total dud, so he had been unable to gain anything from it, but surely even this radiant crystal would not be the same.
He promptly tossed it into his mouth.
《The individual has met the conditions and blossomed a possibility. Acquired the special skill 「Gigantification」.》
And with that, he took yet another step away from being human.