The flames weren't enough to swallow the entire village, but they were steadily growing in size.
And the familiar mana he could feel the closer he got to the village.
The familiar mana that appeared when Claire used her skill could be felt continuously.
By the time he reached the edge of the village, the flames had intensified to the point where scorching heat touched his skin.
Walking through that was not a very pleasant experience for Hio.
- Aaaargh!
- Get down! Get down, now!
- M-My leg, my leg!
Even though it was already something that happened years ago, that terrible experience still nestled in a corner of his mind, tormenting him.
[Hidden Trait: No Violence! (Endurance 801/1000)]
Nevertheless, he pressed forward.
Because that was the past, and he was in the present.
And because there were too many people ahead that he had to protect.
"Nnngh…"
A person came into his sight, collapsed with a deep gash in their side, bleeding profusely.
It was Bill the farmer's wife.
A kind person who would stuff his arms full of bread whenever they ran into each other.
But she had lost too much blood.
She seemed unconscious, and he had neither the means nor the time to treat her.
[Hidden Trait: No Violence! (Endurance 870/1000)]
So his gaze faced forward, and he did not slow his pace.
Dead men couldn't be saved, but he could still keep the living from dying.
Fixing his gaze straight ahead like that, he ran forward.
Nevertheless, fallen villagers came into his sight one by one.
That woman over there with a pierced throat was someone skilled at weaving cloth who had mended his clothes several times.
That child over there with a pierced heart was the one who had fidgeted anxiously behind him, timidly trying to stop the other children when they teased him.
[Hidden Trait: No Violence! (Endurance 919/1000)]
And that girl collapsed far away on the ground was the girl who treated him like a coward, but worried about him more than anyone else here.
"…Claire."
[Hidden Trait: No Violence! (Endurance 1000/1000)]
His mind seemed to go blank.
Endurance pushed beyond its limit devoured his reason and sought the culprit of this incident.
It urged violence.
Ding-
「Congratulations! You have achieved the target value of the Hidden Trait 'No Violence!'. A hidden reward for the Hidden Trait is granted.」
But he barely managed to hold onto his reason thanks to the notification sound and message he hadn't heard in a long time.
「Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet!: Skill effects become reality rather than falsehood. Accordingly, the skill's rank is re-adjusted and the skill name is changed.」
「Skills evolved through rewards will not be deleted.」
「Please select one of the skills you possess.」
It was the notification he had longed for so much.
But there was no time to bask in emotion.
A strange mana was binding the villagers, and those beasts were approaching Claire.
「Skill: Spark」
「Skill: Triple Strike」
「Skill: Physical Acceleration」
Hio's fingers moved carefully yet quickly to select one of the skills.
「You have selected the skill—'Spark'.」
「Analyzing the effects of the trait-linked skill—'Spark'.」
The one Hio chose was Spark.
Triple Strike also had tremendous effects.
If an old man as large as Mount Tai appearing behind him and swinging a sword together with him became real, its destructive power was needless to say.
But if that happened, allies and everything else would clearly be swept away.
In short, it was the worst for a battle of protection.
In that sense, Physical Acceleration was also desirable, but for immediate utility, it was probably Spark.
「Analysis complete.」
「Applying the Hidden Trait reward—'Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet!'—to the skill—'Spark'.」
「The rank of skill—'Spark'—has increased to the highest grade.」
「The skill name of skill—'Spark'—has been changed to skill—'Lightning Emperor (雷帝)'.」
「Skill: Lightning Emperor (雷帝)」
「Sovereign of lightning. Ruler of thunder.」
「Calls forth lightning and drops thunderbolts. Can also become lightning itself to exercise power.」
「Duration changes according to possessed mana quantity.」
Hio quickly skimmed through the skill, neither admiring nor rejoicing.
That was because the endurance he had suppressed until now had already reached its limit.
Because the sight before his eyes was so miserable.
Therefore, he simply moved his feet without a word.
"…"
Thick storm clouds and flashing lightning followed behind him.
* * *
Comparing the severity of fears is not an easy task.
Sometimes one thing seems scarier, yet when another fear approaches before your eyes, it feels more terrifying.
That is because of the cunning nature of the human heart.
But what if two fears coexist and force a choice?
Reason may conflict, but instinct will discern the deeper fear without a moment's hesitation.
As it was now for Doris and his group.
"M-m-monster…"
The darkened sky and the low rumble of thunder.
A white radiance that made even the fierce flames nothing more than a supporting role.
The man approaching clad in that all over his body was, from the standpoint of those who had to face him, living, moving terror itself.
"Stay out of this."
Therefore, a gloomy voice that would normally have been chilling now sounded sweet like salvation.
"Y-yes!"
Doris's group turned and fled behind the black-clad figures without the slightest hesitation.
The five black-clad figures from Heuk'a advanced with ghost-like steps.
"How is it that a being like you is hiding in a rural village like this where there is nothing?"
A voice without inflection.
That voice, devoid of something called emotion, had overwhelmed the area just moments ago, but compared to the man walking with lightning, it lacked dignity.
Hio's eyes, covered in white, swept over the five black-clad figures.
"From Heuk'a, I see."
A short but strong utterance.
Someone who had seen through their identities with just a sweeping glance.
'…Just what is his identity?'
He had lived for years with his emotions removed, but he couldn't help being bewildered by the existence before him.
"Ah, I'm someone who jumps out of bed even in my sleep just thinking about that bastard, Ataulf."
Ataulf.
The leader of Heuk'a, known to the world as the Black Fog.
The number of people who know that name is extremely limited, known only to executives even within Heuk'a.
What kind of person is the leader of Heuk'a?
One of the figures never omitted when speaking of the continent's strongest.
'And yet…'
What on earth is that man who calls that name so casually and even demeans him as 'that bastard'?
Maiderz, an executive of Heuk'a, immediately made a decision.
'Not our opponent.'
Not someone he could dare to contend with.
Then he would return and deliver the information.
That shouldn't be difficult.
Because his ability was more secretive and swifter than anything else.
'I'm going back.'
Maiderz tried to activate his skill along with a small hand signal.
No, he tried to activate it.
If only a bolt of lightning hadn't fallen right above his head.
"Trying to run?"
There was no need to check to know the owner of that lightning.
Therefore, Maiderz couldn't hold back his rising doubts and asked.
"…Were you someone with a connection to Lord Ataulf?"
"Connection… Well, I wouldn't say there isn't one."
"We failed to recognize your esteemed self. If you let us go, Heuk'a will offer an apology along with tremendous compensation—"
"Ah, but it's a bad connection, you see."
"…"
Hio's hand flicked.
"Die."
Craack!
Lightning struck, and cracks formed in the black barrier surrounding them.
"Kuhack!"
The mask of one of the black-clad figures standing behind was soaked in blood.
His body was overloaded from blocking a force that exceeded its limits.
'They can endure a few times, so quickly in that gap…'
If he exhausted all four holding up behind him, he could buy enough time to escape.
Maiderz, having finished his calculations, tried to quickly manifest his ability, but.
"…Ah."
He looked up at the sky without realizing it, as the surroundings had noticeably brightened, and realized.
Storm clouds covering the entire sky.
And the tens, hundreds, no perhaps thousands of bolts of lightning swimming leisurely beneath them.
All those thunderbolts were staring solely at him.
That sight was awe surpassing fear.
A miracle sufficient to revive dulled emotions.
Maiderz's world was soon dyed pure white.
"…Beautiful."
The thunderous roar as if the atmosphere was being torn apart when dozens of lightning bolts fell simultaneously.
Craaaack!
Nothing remained in the spot where it fell.
The five black-clad figures.
Their abilities, their thoughts, their flesh.
Lightning that incinerated everything in an instant.
Only scorched black marks remained in that place.
And Hio, clad in that white terror all over his body, turned his gaze toward Doris this time.
"H-heh…"
Doris had fallen on his backside, barely able to draw a breath.
He was conscious, but his body wouldn't move.
Where could he run against lightning that he couldn't even follow with his eyes to begin with?
The three mercenaries following him had already fainted from sickening fear.
Doris rather envied them.
Because he felt like his mind would snap just looking at those white eyes.
"Didn't I warn you? Not to show your face around here."
Craack!
A bolt of lightning fell near Doris.
Doris's body heaved greatly in surprise, and thanks to that, he could move his head slightly.
The spot where the lightning fell was where Folke had been lying unconscious.
And all that remained there was black ash.
One of his long-time comrades had died at a single glance from the man and turned into black ash.
Doris's body began to tremble.
"S-s-save—"
Craack!
His body jumped up in surprise at the lightning that fell once more.
And his head turned without him realizing it.
What was visible in the spot where Paulo had been was likewise burned ash.
True lightning that didn't even leave bone dust.
Craack!
Even at the lightning striking down once more, this time he didn't turn his head.
Because he knew it was his turn now.
Tears and snot were pouring out indiscriminately, but of course, he couldn't be aware of it.
"In your next life…"
Hio's white eyes were right before his eyes.
"Just don't be born."
Craaaack!
The last sight Doris saw was probably a scene similar to what Maiderz had seen.
* * *
A feeling of exhaustion covering his entire body.
'That was close.'
Hio's mana was only 10 at most.
The time taken to deal with the Heuk'a bastards and the mercenary scum was less than a minute.
Even though he killed them immediately without wasting time after a short conversation with the one who seemed to be a Heuk'a executive, it was close.
'As expected of a Hidden Trait, huh.'
It was only 10.
What an unfair ability it was to maintain such a skill with base mana for nearly a minute.
'…Tired.'
The power that had seemed omnipotent disappeared, and symptoms of mana exhaustion came together with it, but he couldn't collapse right now.
Because flames were still spreading throughout the village, and there would be injured people.
The white lightning had disappeared from the world, but the storm clouds covering the sky remained as they were.
That meant it was not simply a skill effect, but reality.
And.
'There's no need… to put out the fire, I guess.'
Pitter-patter, it began to fall, and soon with a swoosh—rain poured down refreshingly.
Rain over the blazing flames, over the villagers stricken by shock.
It fell between Claire's red hair and red pupils.
"…Mmh…"
And Hio, meeting eyes with Claire in that downpour, couldn't help but scratch the back of his head.
"…"
Because Claire's red eyes were looking at him with stronger heat than ever before.
Ding-
「Achievement Unlocked! - Hero of the Mountain Valley」
「Acquired 7 points for achieving the achievement.」
「You have greatly influenced the villagers of Delphir.」
「Acquired 9 points for reputation increase.」
「Try using the Point Shop to strengthen stats and skills!」