Sometimes, one has to admit that reality isn’t like what is written in novels; you can’t just cross a level gap by having a sudden burst of power.
Even if you shout about family, friendship, or things like that, if you can’t win, you simply can’t win. Shouting is useless.
This was especially true when the opponent was a Flame Demon dripping with lava whose mere presence warped the air, while your side was just a Hero Apprentice who hadn’t even officially been promoted yet.
As the air currents from the clash between the two sides exploded, Celia shrank back slightly.
The scene before her was like an adult effortlessly swatting away an annoying fly.
It wasn’t the earth-shattering struggle one might imagine, but rather a one-sided crushing.
The foolish Hero was swatted into the ground by a flaming greatsword like a rubber ball, then immediately kicked away.
He plowed a deep trench into the dry riverbed before finally coming to a stop by smashing into a massive boulder.
“Cough, cough…”
Amidst the rubble, Elent used his Broad Sword as a crutch to stand up.
Blood flowed down the boy’s forehead, dripping onto the scalding hot stones.
‘He can still stand up?’
‘The Hero’s tenacity is indeed top-tier. If it were an ordinary person, they would likely be cooked through by now.’
“You can still move?”
In the distance, Ragner seemed somewhat surprised, a hint of playfulness appearing in his burning eyes.
Ragner then raised his hand, and a massive Fireball condensed in his palm.
The Fireball screeched through the air, scorching everything in its path.
The Mana density of this strike was extremely high; taking it head-on was definitely not an option.
Following common sense, one should roll to the side to dodge and mitigate the damage.
However, Elent did not dodge. His gaze was locked tightly onto the incoming Fireball.
In Elent’s vision, the violent flames were made of countless flowing elemental particles.
They were like flour dancing in a kitchen or bubbles rolling in a deep fryer.
‘The Priestess said I need to find the weakness…’
Elent kept Celia’s teachings in mind as he observed the structure of the Fireball.
‘Found it.’
‘The weakest node in the structure.’
Elent charged into the heatwave, his Broad Sword piercing into one side of the Fireball like a deboning knife.
As if a needle had punctured a water bag, the massive Fireball collapsed the moment it touched the tip of the blade, turning into a sky full of scattered fire that swept past the boy’s sides.
Seizing the gap while the firelight obscured his vision, Elent rushed in front of Ragner.
He leapt high into the air and slammed his Broad Sword downward with all his might.
“GOLDEN CRISPY SLASH!!!”
‘That move’s nickname is truly embarrassing.’
‘If I could, I would really like to pretend I don’t know this person,’ Celia thought.
Elent’s strike was indeed fast, carrying a desperate momentum as it aimed straight for the Flame Demon’s armored neck.
Unfortunately, it was still too slow.
Ragner extended just two fingers and caught the edge of Elent’s sword.
As if catching a falling leaf, the finishing blow was stopped dead in mid-air.
“Just what do you take this General…”
Ragner’s voice was low, carrying the explosive rage of being offended by an ant.
“FOR?!”
Dark red Mana surged forth like a tsunami.
Elent felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed train.
He was sent flying backward again, the leather armor on his chest completely shattered, leaving behind a charred palm print.
“Ants should have the self-awareness of ants.”
Ragner gripped the greatsword with both hands, reversed the hilt, and slammed it into the ground.
“PURGATORY·FIRE SEA!!!”
The earth let out a groan of agony.
Countless pillars of crimson fire erupted from underground, instantly turning the dried-up river valley into a giant oven.
This was an indiscriminate area-of-effect attack.
Not just Elent, but the villagers behind him, the shivering Iris, and Celia in the distance were all within the attack range.
It seemed he intended to annihilate all the interfering ants in one go.
Celia looked at the red light glowing beneath her feet.
‘This is a bit of a problem.’
Though she was confident in her ability to protect herself, the others were in danger.
Just as Celia was about to pull the Holy Codex from her robes, a figure blocked her line of sight.
The foolish Hero who had just been blown away did not choose to dodge.
Elent forcibly twisted his body in mid-air and slammed his feet onto the ground, charging back into the very center of the sea of fire.
He spread his arms wide, and the faint light of the Hero’s Protection appeared on his body.
Against the Red Lotus Hellfire filling the sky, it looked as tiny as a firefly.
But he still stood there, blocking the way.
He stood like a stubborn wooden post.
“Stop worrying about us! Run!!” Iris let out a desperate scream.
‘Run?’
Under the reflection of the firelight, the boy’s back looked somewhat thin.
“If I run…”
Though the fool’s voice was somewhat muffled by the roar of the raging flames, Celia still heard him.
“WHO’S GOING TO MAKE DINNER FOR THE PRIESTESS?!”
Celia froze for a moment.
‘What kind of reason is that?’
‘To risk your life just to make dinner?’
‘Only an irredeemable idiot would do something like this.’
The next second, the sea of fire swallowed everything.
Celia could only see that silhouette being submerged by the blinding red light.
A moment later, the flames dissipated.
A deep pit was left in the ground. On the edge of that pit, a charred figure remained standing.
There wasn’t a single patch of healthy skin left on Elent’s body, and only half of the hilt remained of the Broad Sword in his hand.
However, within the fan-shaped area behind him, not even a single blade of withered grass had been ignited.
“Heh…”
Ragner pulled out his greatsword and looked at the tenacious piece of “charcoal.” For the first time, a hint of solemnity appeared in his eyes.
“To take a hit from Purgatory·Fire Sea head-on and still not fall?”
“A human Adventurer? Such loathsome tenacity.”
Ragner walked up to Elent and raised his greatsword.
“As a reward for your foolish courage, I grant you…”
“Death.”
Celia’s fingers gripped the cover of the Holy Codex.
‘It’ll be a hassle. I’ll definitely be pursued by various factions after I step in, and I’ll have to say goodbye to my Retirement Life.’
‘But I can’t just watch my only cook disappear like this.’
Just as Celia was about to make her move—
CLANG!!!
A massive sound echoed, and Celia’s fingers stopped.
The expected scene of flying flesh and blood did not occur. A pair of pitch-black iron tongs had reached out from nowhere.
The ordinary iron tongs had clamped onto the Flame Demon’s greatsword, which was powerful enough to shatter mountains.
No matter how much force Ragner applied, those tongs did not budge an inch.
“Who?!”
Ragner’s pupils shook. He saw Uncle Barton standing beside Elent, holding the tongs in one hand and an unfinished Hoe in the other.
Looking at the greatsword burning with raging flames before him, there was no fear in Uncle Barton’s eyes. Instead, he showed a kind of fanaticism, as if he were looking at some top-tier fuel.
“Good fire! This fire has some kick!”
Uncle Barton grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and gave a simple, honest smile to the stunned Ragner.
“Big guy, lend me a flame.”
“My hoe is just missing a bit of heat!”