My Strange Savior - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

“Gah.”

With the last breath of the troll whose head lay lifeless alongside the terminal, a black walker climbed over it.

“Haven’t you learned that getting excited during a fight leads to losing?”

Gia, who had the knife buried fairly deep, as though it had reached the skull down to the hilt, pulled the knife out with determination.

“Wow…”

As she pulled out the knife, now covered in greenish blood, she finally felt the sensation in her numb palm.

When she looked at her palm, she saw a deep tear oozing blood, as if she had received a burn.

“It hurts.”

She was about to say it would heal soon, but it did hurt. She could still hear the sounds of the ongoing battle. Without a break, Gia turned away without intending to staunch the blood flowing from her hand.

“Shall I go?”

Gia’s spirit faltered at the troll’s presence, which wasn’t as intimidating as she had thought. After preparing herself with a few shoulder rolls, Gia threw herself without hesitation into the midst of the goblins.

Thud.

Gia unceremoniously stabbed her knife into the goblin’s skull right in front of her.

Squelch.

Without any hesitation, Gia thrust the knife in as if carving a watermelon, and she lowered her gaze at the sound of the goblin’s labored breathing.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh. Th-thank you…”

Separating from the mob was a matter of moments. The man who found himself surrounded by goblins suddenly sensed his impending death. Just as a crude axe was about to strike his head, the goblin collapsed to the ground like a limp puppet.

The member, whose eyes had been closed at the moment of death, opened them with a snap, and the weight of the goblin on top of him crushed him.

“Are you okay?”

Gia, after pulling out the knife, looked at the fallen comrade with wide eyes. His condition was… as if he had lost his spirit, only emitting rough breaths. Gia looked at him and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, informal language? I apologize. I’m not used to formalities unless I’m with someone significantly older.”

Without hesitation, informal language slipped out of Gia’s mouth, which she didn’t consider impolite unless speaking to someone significantly older. Gia apologized to the man who recognized that informal language but there was no sign of discomfort on the man’s face.

“Oh… no… it’s fine.”

“Then get up.”

Gia kicked the goblin’s side, and the corpse lying on top of the comrade rolled off to the floor.

“Come on. Grab it.”

The small hand that reached out in front of his face, was full of hot, blood-soaked palms. The woman’s small hand, the glove already torn and non-functional, was held by the young man in surprise.

“This is…”

Spencer mumbled, closing his eyes tightly at the sensation he felt. The youngest member of the squad, who still lacked combat experience, had become surrounded by the goblin mob when he ignored the leader’s shout not to leave the group. Just when he thought he was about to die helplessly, the woman who had inexplicably ignored her senior knights came to his rescue.

Spencer, who alternately stared at the goblin’s corpse and the hand that Gia held, stood up.

“Your hand…”

“It’s okay. Can you keep fighting?”

A hand much smaller and more delicate than his own. It was sticky with blood inside. Red blood, not green.

It must be her blood.

Spencer’s eyes trembled as if he were in an earthquake.

“Hey, snap out of it. If you lose your composure here, you’ll die.”

The woman, who tapped his steel helmet gently to ease the pain, quickly got to her feet.

Her back looked just like that of a warrior.

“If you’re scared, hide. It’s okay.”

A few goblins looked at where Gia was. Gia’s foot, which was about to step forward, stopped when she saw this person who looked like a rookie.

“Kid, seriously.”

Gia, who stood her foot down instead of taking another step forward, turned her body without hesitation.

She couldn’t just leave without helping; she felt like he would zone out and die if she did.

“There are so many of them. Tactics or whatever.”

Clank clank.

Gia slammed the ground as if to say that the goblin, who made disgusting sounds just to hear, was pathetic with its pitiful weapon.

Jumping through the forest like a mountain deer, Gia, who landed on a sturdy tree next to her, spun gracefully in the air and dropped onto the goblin’s head. She quickly shifted her center of gravity with her hand.

It might not have been enough for a sustained battle, but it was enough for a single strike. The goblin crumpled forward without making a sound.

“Eeek!”

In response to the goblin’s angry cry, Gia blew air into its face.

“Noisy.”

One troll and about a hundred goblins. It was a considerable number, but now that one troll was gone, it seemed more accurate to say just a hundred goblins.

To lure the troll’s attention, she had to be far from the group. The sound of clashing weapons continued, but only the crowded goblin heads were visible.

It seemed that they had rushed here in a hurry without paying much attention to the lower ground. She estimated the location they had come from and shifted her position.

The confidence filled Gia’s shoulders as she defeated the troll with her bare body. 

‘I’m the baddest in this area, and I’m not afraid anymore!’

Otherwise, the frightened girl from the past might come back.

Thud, thud, thud.

The path Gia walked on was piled up with goblin corpses like mountains.

“Keep up.”

With every swing of her sword, the goblins fell lifelessly. Spencer, gripping his sword tightly, nodded, not obstructing Gia’s movements as much as possible.

“Alright… I understand.”

Not to be a burden. He systematically took down the goblins, ensuring he didn’t interfere with Gia’s actions.

Spencer kept Gia’s petite figure ahead of him in sight and stuck closely to her in case she fell.

“Lady.”

Despite her grimace from the repulsive goblin saliva, the trajectory of her sword, which aimed precisely for the throat while remaining unperturbed, was designed for maximum efficiency.

Fundamentally different from the swordsmanship of a noble filled with grace, for some reason, Spencer found Gia’s swordsmanship more impressive.

Swish.

Even a large goblin didn’t stop Gia’s advance.

When she kicked a fallen silver shield off the ground, it lifted effortlessly, as if it was made of an incredibly light material.

Gia held the half-sized shield in one hand, bristling with iron, and deflected a heavily spiked club. Even if she blocked it, the shock would undoubtedly be transmitted through her arm. Gia casually blocked and then, to absorb the shock, she crouched down and swung her black dagger.

The tied-up hair, along with the motion, seemed as if it were a weapon in itself.

“Hey, if you get distracted, you’ll die. Seriously.”

Without even looking at the rookie gazing from a distance, Gia, who clapped her hands, swiftly threw the shield like a spear.

Swoosh.

Spencer’s body froze as he watched the shield cutting through the air and flying. 

Thud.

At the only sound coming from behind, Spencer’s head, which was the only part of his body that could move, stiffly turned. He saw a goblin’s body, which had been cut in half by the sharp edge of the shield, lying motionless.

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”

“Get yourself together.”

Gia was about to scold Spencer, who immediately apologized, but she bit her lip and refrained. It was understandable to be scared. Gia felt relieved by Spencer’s quick apology and kept him close behind as they advanced slowly into the midst of the entangled team.

“Why are there so many? Do goblins usually roam in such large groups?”

“It’s usually not to this extent. The scale now seems to be like one… or maybe three tribes combined…”

“They’re just swarming like pests.”

As Gia continued to kill the never-ending goblins, she rotated her wrist with a sense of urgency.

“Isn’t there a way to kill them all at once?”

“That’s… unlikely.”

“Just tried.”

Gia responded with some random babble, and the confident rookie chimed in.

“I’m sorry.”

How did he manage to apologize so quickly? Gia sneered at the cheeky rookie as she swiftly dispatched a goblin charging at her with her sword.

“Sorry, sorry.”

What kind of apology was that? Gia finally saw a familiar face amid the goblins. Despite the goblin’s bodily fluids splattering on his face, Kalion’s handsomeness couldn’t be concealed. 

The number of goblins Gia had dispatched should have easily reached into the tens… Her palm felt slowly regenerating, tingling like an electric charge. When she grasped her sword and slashed, the goblins’ green blood sprayed in all directions.

Gia opened her eyes slightly and looked at Kalion and the knights surrounded by the goblin horde. Were these monsters with regenerative properties? She couldn’t shake the feeling that instead of decreasing, their numbers were increasing.

“Hey… it seems like the knights can’t hold out any longer… And even if we charge in, we’ll probably get surrounded quickly. What do you think?”

Approaching from a distance, Gia asked the rookie.

“Yes, yes. I think that’s the case too.”

What does he mean, “I think that’s the case”? Is that the case, or is it not? His vague response was filled with uncertainty. Gia frowned and sighed.

The rookie didn’t inspire much confidence in Gia’s eyes.

Nevertheless, she needed him to execute the plan that was forming in her mind. Fortunately, the other members hadn’t fallen behind and were managing to defend and attack alternately while mixing in with the horde.

‘That’s probably why he ended up separated from the group…’

Gia calculated inwardly, trying to hide her unease. She didn’t have an ounce of trust in this rookie.

“We’re going to lure the goblins outside while dispersing their concentrated attacks. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

In response to the resounding answer, Gia’s palm inadvertently smacked the rookie’s lips.

“Hey, why are you shouting? Why are you trying to gather the goblins right now?”

“Uh… yes.”

Seeing the big man nervously muttering while trying to understand, Gia couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Don’t get too close to the other members. You’ll get surrounded too. But you can’t stay too far away either. You need to maintain the right distance, strike, and retreat to confuse. Got it? Do you understand? Huh?”

With a quick whisper, Gia finally revealed her displeased face.

“Yes.”

The rookie seemed to excel at answering questions.

Gia’s vision was becoming increasingly hazy, and she tried to hold back the sigh of frustration that was about to burst out. She gazed at the unnamed rookie. Even though he had come this far with a sense of duty, shouldn’t she at least know his name?

“Well then…”

“Spencer.”

Not knowing what to call him, Gia glanced at Spencer, who promptly revealed his name with a hint of respect.

“Okay… Spencer. Be careful.”

Gia’s lips quivered as she gazed at Spencer and an intense motivation surged through her body. She felt a peculiar sensation, like a blue flame flickering throughout her entire being.