“Huff~”
Although a little dizzy, Fabiana could recover as long as she took a deep breath.
She glanced over at Knight King Shaya, who had already collapsed after taking a single hit from the dragon’s breath explosion.
Fabiana, on the other hand, was protected by Samimiโs full set of defensive buffs and the heirloom Shield of Victoryโeverything stacked to the max. Only with all that combined did she barely manage to block the dragon breath explosion.
And now that Fabiana had successfully tanked the blast, the Whale Knight squad essentially had victory in their grasp.
Because this half-dragon monster couldn’t possibly fire another breath bomb in quick succession, and the knights werenโt going to give it the chance to fire a third time.
Fabiana was now fully aware of how crucial Priestess Samimi was. The customized defensive enchantments Samimi gave her made it possible to face dragon breath head-on.
Without her support, even the Earth Dragon’s claws wouldโve been enough to swat Fabiana into a wall.
“Huff! Huff!”
Suddenly!
The half-dragon monster unfurled its two bone-spear-like wings. A thin membrane extended between them, and with a powerful flap, it launched into the air.
Seeing this, Fabiana and the two Whale Knights were struck with dread, eyes wide as they looked up in horror.
Flightโfor human warriorsโwas the most terrifying, most unfair ability a monster could possess.
Any monster that could fly, even a weak little bloodsucking bat, was an absolute nightmare.
The Heroโs party had made their name slaying a fire-breathing dragon. But the scariest part of that fight wasnโt the fire. It wasnโt even the fact that it was a dragon.
It was that it could fly.
Look at that decaying bone dragon from earlierโit was garbage on the ground. But if it could fly, its power level wouldโve been on a whole different scale.
“Fwoosh! Fwoosh!”
The half-dragon monster soared over the three knightsโ heads, then dived at high speed, moving so fast it was nothing but a blur.
Disasterโ! It was going straight for the vulnerable support priest in the back!
If Samimi was taken out, the defensive buffs on the two Whale Knights and the Pure-White Knight would instantly vanish.
At that point, the group might not be able to hold the monster back anymoreโworse, they might be picked off one by one and completely wiped out.
“A monster with power is scary, but a monster with a brain is terrifying.”
This phrase had never been more true.
“Samimi! Look out!”
Fabiana was panicking now, shouting in desperation. She was truly frightened.
But Samimi was standing right next to the unconscious Knight King Shaya. If she ran now, it would mean abandoning the old man to dieโa total checkmate.
Still, even if she did leave him behind to escape, no one could blame her.
After all, Knight King Shaya was only injured because he had jumped in to protect Fabiana, who had been too slow to react. If she hadnโt been so careless, the old man would never have been blasted unconscious.
“Itโs all my faultโฆ”
Cold sweat poured down Fabianaโs body as her mind spiraled into regret and self-blame.
She felt like her own incompetence had led them all to this point.
And yetโat this life-or-death momentโ
Fabiana saw that Samimi did not run away.
She stood up bravely, planted her feet, and positioned herself firmly in front of Knight King Shaya.
“Get out of the way!” Fabiana screamed.
Seeing this, her mind snapped back into clarity.
There was no way Samimi would survive the half-dragonโs dive and claw strike. If she died, the rest of them would lose all their buffs, and then they would die. So, as cruel as it sounded, the smartest option was for Samimi to abandon the old man and save herself.
Let the grandpa’s sacrifice buy them a fighting chance. That was the rational decision.
But Samimi had chosen the wrong path.
At leastโฆ thatโs how it looked from an outsiderโs perspective.
In truth, everything was proceeding exactly as Samimi had calculated.
In fact, every move she had made was designed to guide the battle to this very momentโto bait the half-dragon monster into diving her.
Because Samimi knew what kind of creature this was.
As a transmigrator with future knowledge, she was familiar with the monsterโs stats, traits, and behavior patterns.
This was an elite mid-tier Abyssal evolution called a “Demonkin.”
Its main characteristic: smarter and more cunning than normal monsters.
So, once the Demonkin found itself at a disadvantage, it would inevitably try to eliminate the squishy core of the teamโthe backline support.
Which meantโit would go for her.
And Samimi had been waiting for that moment.
Because only by doing thisโฆ
Could she secure the kill!
โใCharge Upใ!โ
โใHasteใ!โ
โใDivine Punishmentใ!โ
โใSharpen Bladeใ!โ
โใEdgeใ!โ
โใPower Boostใ!โ
โใOverloadใ!โ
โใWeapon Enhanceใ!โ
โใPiercing Amplifyใ!โ
In the blink of an eye, Samimi began rapid incantations.
This spell sequence was originally designed as a full offensive buff routine for the Hero. Now, she cast it on herself.
Her magic tome floated into the air, pages flipping wildly.
A torn rune scroll emerged and wrapped around the hilt of the Demon-Slaying Sword.
โใPhantom Enchant: Sacred Rose Swordใ.โ
She activated her exclusive magic. A seductive, rosy aura burst from her body, coating the entire sword.
The blade shimmered with the shadow of a rose-shaped phantom sword, and dark magical thorns coiled around its edge.
At the moment her power reached its peakโ
Samimi gripped the hilt tightly and drew the blade in one fierce motion.
โVmmmmm~โ
A blade wind that tore through space.
In a single instant, the sword released a crescent-shaped arc of rose-tinted light. In its wake, the air was filled with a trail of thorny afterimages.
With one slash, the charging half-dragon was sliced cleanly in half midairโcut down from the chest in a single, merciless stroke. Its body crumpled, shattered in the sky.
“Thud!”
Twisted thorn-shaped scars spread from the chest wound, and even its freshly matured wings were severedโfalling in pieces to the ground, never to rise again.
“Huh?”
“That was fast!”
Fabiana and the two Whale Knights could only stare in stunned awe.
The Demon-Slaying Sword slipped from Samimiโs hand and flew away.
Her right arm had been dislocated from channeling too much force. Her entire body throbbed with pain from energy overload.
Her mana was drained. Her limbs collapsed. She fell to her knees, drenched in cold sweat, trembling all over, barely conscious.
ใYou have slain a newborn Demonkin. Gained +10 Goodness Points.ใ
When that system message appeared, Samimi knew that everything she had meticulously plannedโฆ had been worth it.
Fabiana and the Whale Knights rushed over immediately.
“Samimi, are you okay?” Fabiana knelt down and held her by the shoulder, her voice unusually gentle, filled with worry. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okayโฆ but the pain is too intense. I canโt concentrate enough to heal anyone right nowโฆ”
Samimi was completely burned out, face pale, but still trying to think of others.
“Please, check your wounds first.” Fabianaโs heart ached at the sight.
That one sword strike had completely stolen her heart. The admiration on her face was unmistakableโshe even forgot about her own grandfather.
“My lady.”
The two Whale Knights had already confirmed that the half-dragon was dead. They picked up the Demon-Slaying Sword and handed it back.
“Call for support!” Fabiana shouted.
The poisonous fog had dispersed, and reinforcements from the rest of the Whale Knights soon arrived.
Thus, the first battle to conquer the Abyssโฆ came to an end.