Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 113
>Chapter Title: The Loyal Knight's Return
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Messages popped up frantically to welcome Do-hyun, but right now, none of that caught his eye.
“……Charlie?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Charlie answered immediately to his bewildered mutter.
A heavy voice, a stern middle-aged face, wavy blonde hair.
It was the exact Charlie that Do-hyun remembered.
[The loyalty of the Knight of the Covenant has reached its maximum.]
[You have fulfilled the conditions.]
['Charlie, the Kaiser's First Sword' becomes your Guardian.]
“You’ve kept the necklace I gave you safe all this time. Thanks to that, this humble sword was able to return to your side, even if belatedly.”
For Charlie, it had been at least a few hundred years—perhaps over a thousand—crossing back through time to Do-hyun’s side.
‘……So the Guardian transformation for Charlie was a hidden option, huh?’
He’d wondered why give him the necklace specifically. Turns out there was a reason.
An option to grant a Guardian……
What kind of option even was that?
He thought it absurd, but hidden options were always like that. All sorts came up.
And right now wasn’t the time for Do-hyun to nitpick.
‘Whoa, the timing is insane.’
He’d just hit level 35, and Charlie appeared right on cue, letting him escape the crisis.
If not, he really thought he might die right there.
He couldn’t think of any way to turn the situation around, but seeing this, Gamillion must have called it fate.
“My lord, I’d like to greet you properly, but it seems the situation isn’t favorable right now.”
“Yeah.”
As Charlie said, now wasn’t the time to get sentimental.
[Krraaaaa!]
“That horrific aura…… It’s definitely the energy of the Abyss, isn’t it?”
The Destroyer Gaimon was still alive.
He’d taken heavy damage from Charlie’s single stroke and couldn’t steady himself properly, but wiping out 10% of his health in one hit was impossible.
[Kill…… I’ll kill you for sure…… Like this…… I can’t die like this……!]
The thing kept muttering in a voice like fingernails scraping a chalkboard, cracking harshly.
Just looking at it gave Do-hyun chills.
Do-hyun nodded vaguely at it, and Charlie, who’d instinctively frowned, widened his eyes in genuine admiration.
“As expected of my lord. You’ve been fighting those things all this long time.”
“No, it’s not like that…….”
“No need to be modest. The eyes of Charlie, your loyal sword, cannot be fooled. How difficult those times must have been…… From now on, I will serve you!”
“……Let’s just leave it at that.”
Seeing the stern middle-aged man’s eyes sparkle with excitement wasn’t exactly pleasant, but Do-hyun just nodded.
He’d learned from experience that talking at length to this overreactive guy was pointless.
And right now, there was no time for explanations.
[----!]
He had to deal with the thing charging in a silent roar.
It seemed to have lost its reason, but even in that state, it targeted Do-hyun first, radiating viciousness.
For Do-hyun, with his health and mana both at rock bottom, it was a disaster……
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Clang!
Charlie drew his sword again and blocked it solidly.
He wondered why bother sheathing the sword just to greet him……
“Of course. How could I bare my blade before greeting my lord!”
“……I see.”
No words to say if that’s how he felt.
And that wasn’t important right now.
What mattered was that Charlie’s combat prowess was beyond imagination.
Clang! Clang!
Gaimon’s stats had dropped by 70%, but for one man to hold his own was incredible.
‘Wow, is this the power of a former Knight Commander class?’
It was hard to believe this was a brand-new Guardian.
During the tutorial, it must have truly been downgraded from its original specs.
Unfortunately, that was his limit.
“Urk……!”
[You think some nobody who rolled in from who-knows-where can face me!!]
They exchanged blows for only a short while before Charlie started struggling.
Do-hyun joined in, finally balancing things out.
Perhaps annoyed by the sudden intrusion disrupting the flow, Gaimon clicked his tongue and stepped back.
With breathing room, Charlie spoke in a self-reproachful tone.
“I’m sorry, my lord. If only I could wield my full power…….”
“Can’t you use that technique from earlier? It looked strong.”
“Ah, the Sword of Light? I lost much power traveling back through time, so I need a long cooldown after one use. And even that wasn’t a fully formed Sword of Light…… I am ashamed.”
In short, it was an ultimate move usable only once per battle.
Disappointing, but to be expected.
‘If he could spam that, it’d break the balance.’
For a fresh Guardian to have that power would be the real anomaly.
Even now, his performance was phenomenal.
‘With Charlie, this is doable.’
So much so that the thought crossed his mind.
Just moments ago, victory seemed impossible, but Charlie made it possible.
It wasn’t just a thought.
“I’m in bad shape right now, so hold him as long as you can.”
“Understood, my lord.”
“Let’s finish him before he recovers.”
At Do-hyun’s command, Charlie shot forward, perfectly grabbing Gaimon’s aggro.
A one-on-one with the Destroyer Gaimon?
[Krraa! You insignificant pest, how dare you annoy me!]
He could hold out for a bit, but ultimately, he’d be torn apart as the thing said.
But holding aggro and winning were different matters.
Slash—stab!
Every time aggro was confirmed, Do-hyun struck like a sneaky rat and retreated. The moment enraged Gaimon turned to him……
“Where are you looking! Your opponent is me!”
Charlie clung relentlessly, interfering without mercy.
Those openings were Do-hyun’s attack windows.
[You filthy flies!!]
When Gaimon swung dark blades everywhere in fury, Do-hyun was already gone.
[Why! Why can’t I hit you!]
For the Destroyer Gaimon, it was maddening.
Just one hit.
One solid hit was all he needed, yet Do-hyun dodged like he had future sight.
‘The best CC is kiting, after all.’
Gaimon didn’t know, but fixating on landing just one hit made his movements predictable.
Failing to land it excited him, enlarging his motions.
With Charlie holding him and that predictability, Gaimon was no longer a threat to Do-hyun.
Thud, thump! Stab!
Just a moving sandbag, nothing more or less.
[Ah……. ]
Slowly, but surely.
The thing was dying.
[Aah……. ]
Destroyer Gaimon knew it too.
They were clearly weaker than him.
Low health, low stamina, bugs that would die from a graze.
‘……I’m being hunted.’
Snapping to his senses, he realized he was the prey.
That tiny bug was driving him to the cliff’s edge.
Just two humans…… no, one barely-alive human made it possible.
He couldn’t die like this. He had to kill that arrogant bastard.
-Kill him…… Kill him and be free…….
Then, like the voice in his head, he’d be liberated.
……But how?
Instant kill? The Fallen Holy Knight’s powerful skills?
He’d squeezed out his last strength to revive, couldn’t even access a fraction.
No matter what he tried, his blade never reached, while theirs whittled away his life bit by bit.
[Ah.]
Finally, Gaimon had to admit it.
After ten years of wandering, he’d die here.
He, who overcame death with immortal power, would meet a pathetic end.
Slash—
A sword grazed his side.
Crunch! Clang!
It turned into a double-headed axe, tearing his shoulder, but Gaimon’s counter-swing was blocked by Charlie’s sword.
Stab!
A dagger flew into his heart.
It became a shield protecting Charlie, then a sword targeting his heart again.
One sword became countless blades strangling his throat.
-Sir Taxinel, thank you so much!
-Thank you, knight uncle! I like knight uncle the best!
Like a life flashing before his eyes?
Voices that shouldn’t reach echoed in his ears.
A wrinkled old man’s feeble voice, a young girl’s cheerful tone.
-Please…… Please spare me……!
-Kyah, kyaack! Monster, you monster! Let go of my mom! Waaah!
-Nooo! No, no! Spare my daughter, please!
The voices turned into horrifying screams.
The old man, once gratefully creasing his eyes, now begged with half his face melted.
The girl, shyly offering flowers with a bright smile, wept with tears streaming.
-Spare me! Spare meee!
-I don’t want to die…… Please…… Please……!
-Kill him, kill him, kill him, kil……
-Sir Lbed…… No, Sir Taxinel! Where is Sir Taxinel!
Countless screams rang out.
In a place ankle-deep in piled blood, the wretched people wailing were all those who once thanked Taxinel.
[Stop…… Stop……!]
The half-mad Destroyer flailed wildly.
Stab—!
It pierced his heart.
He’d killed with his own hands the one calling for him.
-Sir Taxinel…… Sir……
-Monster…… You’re a monster……
-Give back my family, give them back!
He crushed the head of the one calling him monster, sent the family-seeker to his family.
All memories from that day.
The endless deaths had become a swamp, eroding him.
Ah……
He felt it.
The last shred of his humanity vanishing.
The people he killed clutching his legs with bony hands.
[The Abyss Contractor who broke taboo, 'Destroyer Gaimon,' loses the 'Broken Hourglass of Faith.']
[Destroyer Gaimon's mind is eroded by the Abyss.]
His steady heartbeat stopped.
In the silent, echoing void like falling into utter emptiness.
“Enough already. You were a real pain.”
Do-hyun’s low voice, thick with disgust, reached him.
Stab!
The sensation of his heart piercing filled the void.
Feeling his unstable body scatter toward death, Gaimon shed tears.
Black tears.
[I…… don’t want…… to become…… a slave…… I just…… wanted to live…… as a human……. ]
The faint mutter didn’t continue.
“Who do you think you are, trying to sell your sob story? No way.”
With Do-hyun’s abrupt interruption, his head was severed, and his mind flew away.
Notifications rose behind the evaporating foe like heat haze.
[You have defeated the Abyss Contractor who broke taboo, 'Destroyer Gaimon'!]
[You have achieved the unbelievable.]
[It will be recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
[You have cleared the sudden quest 'The Only Hope'!]
[Unbelievable achievement alters the quest reward.]
[Reward…….]
…….
“Yaaaaah!”
Do-hyun let out a triumphant shout.