A nimble body, paralyzing currents, and a sharp horn—an ordinary person would likely be overwhelmed by its terrifying speed and attacks, eventually meeting their end in a panic. Unfortunately, this Kirin had encountered one of the most terrifying enemies of its life...
A nimble body?
Perhaps in a straight-out sprint, Lancer couldn't keep up with a four-legged beast that could use electricity to enhance itself, but in a close-quarters brawl, Lancer held the advantage. Its body—larger than an average horse—gave it strength and stamina but made it slightly less flexible in tight maneuvers.
The paralyzing current that could incapacitate a normal person had negligible impact on Lancer. Once the "Geis" on his shoulder was activated, his body was temporarily covered by a layer of frost. While some currents broke through the frost defense, these strays couldn't do much against Lancer's robust physique for the time being.
As for the deadly horn, Lancer remained wary of it.
At first, due to his vision being compromised, he mostly stuck to dodging. But as the exchanges continued, Lancer gradually identified the creature's attack patterns. A beast was a beast; if it possessed human intelligence, it would be truly terrifying.
The sound of the blood-red spear clashing against the pale lightning horn was musical in the dense forest.
Yet, hidden within those pleasant clangs was a deadly intent. Not even Lancer dared to lose focus. Everyone knew this stalemate couldn't last forever; both Lancer and the Kirin were living beings, and neither could remain flawless indefinitely.
As the brilliant sparks suddenly snapped, Lancer, who had kept his eyes tightly shut, snapped them open. His hands, which had been swinging the spear, froze at his waist. The blood-red blade, carrying scattered ice crystals, thrust straight toward the creature's chest. The Kirin, undaunted, lowered its head and lunged its horn at Lancer.
Like two opposing knights on a battlefield, both sides launched their "final" charge with an unstoppable momentum!
Dazzling lightning once again illuminated the world. Heng, hiding behind the large tree, reflexively covered his eyes with his hand.
Previously, because he was further away, he could observe the battlefield directly, but under this burst of lightning, he could no longer see anything. The world seemed swallowed by white light, and only the sound of thunder remained in his ears...
Initially, he feared causing trouble for "innocent bystanders" and had lured the Kirin away, but thinking back now, he let out a bitter smile. This terrifying man was several times more fearsome than the strongest "Hunter" in his village.
Even the hunters who wielded "Ancient Weapons" unearthed from ruins wouldn't dare strike at the legendary "Divine Beast Kirin," yet this man had been trading blows with it for minutes.
At first, he thought the man was seeking death, but as the battle progressed, a sense of anticipation grew within him ————— perhaps this man really could kill the Kirin?
Unlike the ignorant masses, he had been studying monster ecology ever since his family died. Though he had never witnessed legendary existences like this, he had analyzed them countless times in written records. This was the first time he felt that perhaps there really was a "Human" in this world who could defeat a "God."
The lightning had temporarily blinded him, but it was only a brief burst. Soon, the effect faded. He lowered his hand and his eyes widened in shock.
Because of his position, he had been standing behind Lancer. The pale lightning horn piercing Lancer's shoulder was now completely stained with blood, looking horrific.
'Does this mean the man lost?'
It should have been a "logical" outcome, yet he felt a massive wave of disappointment. You only feel disappointment when there is hope; if you give up from the start, you won't be let down.
But then, the white-clad woman beside him stepped toward the man. He reflexively tried to grab her hand, but she nimbly dodged him.
Even so, he didn't forget to warn her.
"Come back! Although the 'Kirin' isn't aggressive in legends, it's completely enraged after this fight! Don't make a pointless sacrifice! You should take your and his child and run!"
At this, he gritted his teeth.
"I can't stop this thing, but I run fast. I don't know how many seconds I can buy you, but I'll do my absolute best to help..."
Heng, who had already put on an expression of someone prepared for death, was interrupted by a highly exaggerated voice.
"Huh?! What kind of joke are you telling?"
A blushing Olga Marie held up the dozing "Zero" by her collar.
"How are your eyes working? Can a black-haired man and a white-haired woman have a green-haired child?! And that man isn't going to die in a place like this!"
With that, she huffed and marched toward Lancer.
Heng finally realized something was wrong. Their voices were loud enough that they definitely should have caught the Kirin's attention. After this much time, the creature should have noticed them, right?
Could it be...
His eyes widened as he realized a possibility!
Running at a speed no less than Olga Marie's, he trotted toward Lancer's position, intentionally veering to the right. When he circled to the side, his eyes bulged.
The Kirin's horn had indeed pierced Lancer's shoulder. However, Lancer was gripping the horn with one hand, trying to wrench it out of his shoulder, while his other hand gripped the spear, thrusting it forward, seemingly trying to pull the creature's corpse down. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't yielding great results.
Bright red blood dripped down the spear shaft onto the ground. The Kirin's body was slumped forward almost entirely onto him. Although a Kirin weighed much less than other monsters and Lancer could easily toss it with full strength, the shoulder injury and the awkward positioning meant he couldn't exert force properly, leading to this strange "stalemate."
When Lancer heard the voices behind him, his expression turned awkward. He had intended to act cool after finishing his opponent, but now it seemed that was impossible.
At that moment, the three "spectating" cats trotted over.
They were the hunter's best partners. They knew Lancer craved the fight, so they had deliberately stayed out of it. Now, they were naturally coming to help Lancer out of his predicament. But just then ——————
"The Azure Star! Could it be that you are the legendary 'Azure Star'?!"
Heng, who had been in shock from seeing Lancer kill the Kirin, suddenly cried out. Lancer froze. He had only been in this world for about ten days, and this was the first human he'd met. How did he know this "title"?
Aside from himself and the System, no one should know the title "The Azure Star That Carves Out the Future." The only other person who might know was the "Law of Cycles," since she had gifted him the earring (which had shrunk from its original form after leaving its world).
But this shouting man before him, while physically fit, was definitely not a terrifying existence like the "Law of Cycles." It was even less likely he knew about "other worlds."
So he asked back ——————
"How do you know that?"
Upon asking, Lancer saw the man's expression instantly become incredibly vivid. Intense emotions erupted in his eyes, and he suddenly grabbed Lancer's arms with both hands.
"You really are the Azure Star?! Really?!"
The man's strength obviously couldn't shake Lancer's body, but the wound was right there. Lancer couldn't help but frown.
"Yes, it's me. But why are you so excited?"
The answer would undoubtedly change Lancer's attitude toward him, but the man's next reaction left Lancer utterly baffled.
The man, who had been full of excitement, suddenly widened his eyes, clutched his chest, and collapsed backward.
Lancer had been a doctor for a few months, after all—he'd only quit because of his "tool-man life"—and he had seen many similar cases in the hospital.
"Tiger! Play the Recovery Flute! Jack! Is it cut yet? Don't worry about me, use full strength!"
"Meow!!"
"Woo~ woo~ woo~"
Initially, Jack had been very careful cutting the horn to avoid hurting Lancer, but under Lancer's command, he swung his blade without hesitation ————
Crack!
The horn snapped. Lancer frowned, but he couldn't worry about it now. Letting go of the Gáe Bolg that was propping up the Kirin's body, and with the horn still stuck in his shoulder, he dropped down in front of the man to perform emergency aid to the sound of Tiger's Recovery Flute.
He did this not just because his personality wouldn't let him abandon an innocent person, but more importantly, because this was the only "Human" he had encountered. If he wanted to know his geographical location, this man was his best choice.
After Lancer's emergency treatment, the man finally came to. However, looking at Lancer, his breathing remained ragged.
"Calm down. I'm right here! If you don't want to die, catch your breath before you speak!"
Following Lancer's low command, the man's breathing gradually eased. However, his hands never let go of Lancer's arm, as if Lancer would vanish the moment he let go. Only when his breathing returned to normal did he speak again.
"Please save us! Lord Azure Star!!"
...Huh?