Leon opened a bloodied smile as he clenched his fists. He no longer had his weapon in his hands, and there was no way to reach it. He had only one escape in that moment. And a single way to kill the monster.
The air seemed to slow. The Orc leaped toward him, its fist aimed at Leon like a god of death announcing that his time had come. Then the sun pierced through the branches and leaves above and illuminated the dark forest.
[ Hero trait activated. ]
[Forcibly releasing an ability temporarily for a fraction of a second]
[ Stellar Focus – SSS Rank ]
Leon's eyes shone intensely, as golden as the very sun that now bathed the clearing, For a fraction of a second, the pupils of his eyes transformed into the sun itself, and the world seemed frozen around him.
Something inside him broke along with that light. A dense and savage radiance burst from his hands, not a delicate beam, but something raw and condensed.
The energy shaped itself before him, stretching, hardening, forming a sword of compressed light, unstable, vibrating as if it could shatter at any second.
Leon let gravity do the rest. Planting the base of the blade into the ground, he looked at the beast.
The Orc, already midair and blinded by the sudden flash, descended with the full weight of its body. Then came the impact. A wet and heavy sound echoed through the forest.
The creature impaled itself. The blade of light pierced its chest, tearing through muscle, bone, and heart, bursting out through its back in a spray of green blood. In the next moment the body collapsed over Leon, motionless.
[ Fragment of Feral Light has been used ]
[ You have defeated a Frenzy Orc ]
[ Luminous affinity increased ]
[ Level up ]
The sword of light dissolved into the air, and the glow in Leon's eyes faded. With that, the Orc's body fell fully onto him, crushing him under its weight. He no longer had the strength to free himself and slowly began losing consciousness.
But at the last instant, the heavy weight was lifted from his body, and his blurred vision slowly began to clear. "L… Hey… L…" The voice sounded distant. He felt his body being moved and then… a slap landed on his face.
"Leon! Stay with me, Leon! I'm taking you to Tris immediately!" James had slapped him. Light, yet still strong. It worked. Leon had awakened again and could hear James clearly now, carrying him on his back.
"Ah… James… are the others okay? … I don't think that was a small monster… that Orc…" he spoke weakly, trying to breathe properly again. Even his lungs seemed to ache. It was difficult to breathe because of it, and Leon coughed repeatedly, blood coming with it.
' I think my lung is done… ' He finally blacked out. It was already impressive that he had not fainted earlier. His last thoughts were a silent prayer that Tris's magic would be strong enough to repair his broken body, and then Leon lost consciousness.
"Argh!" Leon awoke with pain all over his body. He was lying on the ground near the main road. The day was already darkening, so he must have been out for at least half a day. He was still alive at least, and he was grateful for that.
Looking around, he saw Tris sleeping. She looked exhausted, likely having spent all her mana healing Leon. Even so, he was not completely restored yet. However, he no longer felt like his body was about to fail him.
"Awake, Leon? How do you feel? You almost took your last breath earlier." James said while sitting beside him. James's large body cast a shadow over Leon's face as he pushed himself up into a seated position.
Leon placed a hand on the ground to steady himself and soon noticed his sword and sheath beside him. He picked them up. "It was… frightening, honestly. The monster was much stronger than I expected." He coughed a few times, feeling his body scream in pain.
"Especially the strength of that punch. I've never felt anything like it."
James nodded as he replied. "It was not a normal Orc. A little more time and it would have evolved into another stage and become an Orc Leader. Even so, you managed to defeat it, Leon. Good work."
"It was more luck than anything else. I had to engage in combat to save that person. If the Orc had stayed still a little longer, maybe I could have waited for you to arrive." He sighed and looked down at his chest.
His armor had a dent in the center, shaped slightly like the side of his blade. ' Looks like it was not just the sword that kept me alive. Thank you, armor. ' He thought as he placed his hand over the dent in the iron plate.
"Luck is still a skill. Your strike to the Orc's chest was clean and precise. With a bit more training you will become an excellent vanguard for our team. Be proud, Leon. You saved a life today and killed a monster beyond your current level."
' Saved?! So the person is still alive! ' Leon quickly looked around searching for the survivor. Soon he saw Camile a short distance away, holding a wooden bowl while helping the person eat. "So I saved them…" He sighed in relief.
Leon began to stand, but soon felt a hand on his shoulder. James supported him. "Slowly. Tris exhausted herself to keep both of you breathing. You should not move too much yet."
Nodding, Leon replied, "It's fine. I need to speak with that person." With James's help he walked toward the survivor, who was covered in a dark cloak. He still could not see the person's face clearly.
When he reached them, he sat down, nearly collapsing onto the ground, though he still tried to maintain some composure. "Are you alright?" he asked, waiting for a response.
"She's still in shock from everything that happened, Leon. I don't think we will get much from talking to her right now," Camile answered. Then the woman he had saved looked at him as the hood fell back from her head.
Leon's eyes widened. Orange hair, still stained with blood. And… a more bestial facial structure… ' She is not human… ' Leon let out a quiet sigh of disappointment. "All we know is that she is a merchant from the nearest kingdom," Camile added.
"That's fine. I'm glad she's safe now." Leon said with a faint smile. "When you feel better, I would like to speak with you about your clothes." Being a merchant, she must have at least purchased clothes from someone from Earth along the road. Leon did not lose hope. He felt he was getting closer to important information.
Even after everything he had done to save that person, and discovering she was not human, he did not feel sadness.
He looked at the woman, who despite still being in shock, looked back at him warmly, as if thanking him for what he had done, even if she could not properly speak yet. The light of the setting sun shone on both of them for a brief moment.
It made Leon feel warmth in his chest, a warmth he had not felt in a long time. As if he had gained something new. Or rather, he had not lost something important. His humanity. In this brutal and cruel world, even after risking his life, he had saved one.
Leon would not let this world change him. He would not break again. He would move forward.