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Breathing properly was impossible. But if he just lay there, he might truly die.

Ian struggled to lift his head and glare at Bloodclaw. The creature wasn’t in good shape either.

Thick ichor flowed from its wounds, and it stood dazed, staring back with malevolent intent.

There was still a chance.

In this moment, Ian was relieved that he hadn’t dropped his sword. He reached back, rummaging through the pouch at his waist.

When his fingers closed around a small vial, he pulled it out.

‘It’s not broken.’

The glass vial, inscribed with a spell, contained a healing potion given to him by Bishop Gaon as a bonus.

He only had three left, and he wanted to save them, but this wasn’t the time for that.

With his mana already drained and his body in rough shape, he had no choice.

Pong—

He popped the cap off with his thumb and gulped it down.

The dose wasn’t large enough for more than a sip, but since it was a knight’s potion, its effects were immediate. The pain was already subsiding.

Bloodclaw’s eyes twitched.

Ian tossed the empty vial aside like trash, chuckling.

“Looks like you want to call me a coward.”

But it couldn’t be helped. This fight was never a fair match, so using every means at his disposal was the right call.

[Kyahhhh!]

Bloodclaw roared in response, and a red aura began to swirl around its fingers.

“Whew.”

Seeing that, Ian exhaled.

This was it; the definitive reason the creature was named Bloodclaw.

The red energy looked like a blade at first glance, but in reality, it was akin to a saw. If it grazed his skin even slightly, it would literally rip him apart.

[Kyahhhhhh!]

Bloodclaw crouched low, tensing its thighs, and then leaped forward.

Ian forced his stiff body to move, hurriedly dodging out of the way.

Boom!

A sound like an explosion erupted, sending dust flying into the air and obscuring his vision.

However, Bloodclaw burst through the cloud of dust almost immediately. It looked furious, its primal nature fully unleashed.

It swung its arms wildly, sending red lines shooting through the air.

Kaka-krak! Kaka-krak!

Ian easily dodged the erratic red lines as they scraped the ground.

They weren’t precise like a sword technique; they were completely chaotic, making it simple to predict their path.

Yet, that didn’t make him feel at ease. One misstep could mean leaving no final words behind.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

Grrrum!

He had planned to endure until Bloodclaw’s mana ran out, but unfortunately, the old fortress was beginning to tremble, dust falling from the ceiling with subtle vibrations.

If the building collapsed, he would be dead without a chance to escape.

‘Is there a time limit?’

That meant he had to take down Bloodclaw before the structure gave way.

Moreover, with each passing red line, the seals inscribed on the floor and walls were being damaged.

Time was running out in many ways. Bloodclaw lunged again, the red energy crashing down, but Ian stood his ground, raising his sword to block.

Kaka-krak!

The strike felt weightless yet heavy. The red line pierced through the flames enveloping his blade, dealing direct damage.

It seemed resilient, likely due to the high cost he paid for it, but he doubted it could hold up much longer.

Squeak!

Suddenly, a sharp sound sliced through the air, and something zipped past him.

At a glance, it was an arrow with a green tip, which lodged itself into Bloodclaw’s neck.

Kwahk!

[Krk?!]

The frenzied beast froze in place. It wasn’t dead but seemed unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

‘…Diem!’

He thought it had fled, but it seemed to have returned.

Ian didn’t waste this opportunity. Just then, perhaps due to Lise’s blessing, vitality surged through his exhausted body.

Drawing on his mana, he activated a technique.

Siiiiing!

With explosive force, his blade traced a beautiful arc, severing Bloodclaw’s forearm.

As the creature’s instincts dulled and its reason returned, its eyes widened in shock. In desperation, it kicked upwards with its legs, red energy swirling around its feet.

‘No way to dodge.’

He had to block. Ian raised his sword.

Kaka-krak!

A chilling sound rang out up close. He barely managed to defend himself, but cracks formed along the intact blade, shattering it into pieces.

Ian quickly assessed the situation. He discarded the broken hilt without hesitation.

Should he pull out a dagger? No, that wouldn’t inflict significant damage. It might not even pierce its hide.

In that moment, Ian’s eyes sparkled with determination as he lunged at Bloodclaw, pushing it to the ground.

He grasped the shaft of the arrow embedded in Bloodclaw’s neck, gazing into its anxious eyes with a grim smile.

Then—

Flames burst forth from his palm, pouring into Bloodclaw’s throat through the arrow shaft.

There were no screams, only frantic thrashing.

Ian remained atop Bloodclaw, squeezing every last drop of mana from his reserves.

“Enough! Die!”

[Grurrr…!]

It was reaching its limit. Bloodclaw exhaled flames, sagging under the strain. The flames surrounding them gradually weakened until they flickered out like a candle.

“Hah…! Hah!”

Ian felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue wash over him. Even breathing was becoming a struggle.

He stumbled atop Bloodclaw’s body before collapsing sideways.

“Ian!”

Audrey rushed over urgently.

“Ugh…!”

Ian couldn’t speak; all he could manage were pained groans. Breathing was a challenge.

“Lise, come here! This is more urgent!”

Lise hurried over, praying fervently as she attempted to heal him, but the effect was minimal.

“Step aside.”

With a rough tone, Diem approached, holding the sword that had been lodged in Bloodclaw’s body. Skillfully, he extracted the mana stone from the charred remains of the beast.

“Are you going to eat that?”

Diem nodded at Audrey’s skeptical gaze, as if to say it was obvious.

“As you all know, this creature is low on mana. It’s in a state of exhaustion. In this condition, healing spells won’t be effective; replenishing its mana is the best option.”

“But eating an unprocessed mana stone could….”

“It’ll be fine. As far as I know, red spear knights can consume unprocessed mana stones without any issues. Especially since you’re of the Berger family lineage. If it bothers you, just break it up before eating.”

“…Just give it to me.”

Audrey accepted the mana stone from Diem and fed it to Ian.

His mana surged rapidly, and his breathing stabilized. The pale complexion he had moments ago returned to normal.

Finally able to catch his breath, Ian closed his eyes and drifted off into a faint.

* * *

“Ugh!”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

A soft voice spoke nearby. Opening his eyelids, he saw Audrey walking beside him.

His vision swayed.

Ian realized he was being carried by a golem. It should have been uncomfortable, but oddly enough, it felt quite comfortable.

“How are you feeling?”

“Um, I feel refreshed!”

That shouldn’t be possible. After depleting his mana, he should have felt worse, yet he only felt a slight residual fatigue. He was feeling remarkably well.

Audrey smiled brightly. “Then you can walk?”

Nodding, the golem stopped and set him down.

At that moment, Ian realized something was strapped to his back. Reaching behind him, he grasped it.

“…A sword?”

Pulling it out, he found it was the very sword embedded in Bloodclaw’s body. But the moment he gripped the hilt, a warm, soft power flowed into his hand.

Ian was taken aback. This force, permeating his body without any resistance, was undoubtedly holy power.

“Wait. Could this be…?”

“It’s a holy sword. I don’t know who wielded it or whose blessing resides within it. We could have it appraised at the cathedral, but if we did, they’d probably seize it as a relic. So, you can keep it.”

“Are you saying you’re entrusting it to me?”

“No, I’m giving it to you. Don’t feel burdened; consider it compensation. You’ve eaten a mana stone from a mana beast and now a holy sword too. This is quite the reward for coming here, isn’t it?”

At her words, Ian chuckled and examined the holy sword.

Having been lodged in Bloodclaw for so long without any maintenance, the blade was still sharp.

He couldn’t find any damage. It pleased him greatly.

Suddenly, Ian realized he was outside the fortress, with the sun high in the sky.

“But how long was I asleep?”

“A full day. To be honest, we planned to stay in the fortress until you woke up, but when morning came and you showed no signs of stirring, we decided to carry you out.”

“And the investigation of the fortress?”

“Of course, we did that. The vast array of sealing techniques that have sustained the mana core up to today. We also found several other artifacts. After appraisal, we plan to distribute one each to our mercenaries, except for you. So don’t feel left out.”

It was shameless to worry about that. Ian replied that it was unnecessary.

Glancing at Grio, he saw that Lise had reattached Bloodclaw’s severed arm, and it looked perfectly fine.

No injuries, no casualties. A satisfactory outcome.

Above all, Ian felt a great sense of pride that Audrey had survived and that Bloodclaw, which would have been a nightmare for the East, had been dealt with beforehand.

With a content smile, he moved forward.

* * *

Upon returning to the green magic tower, Ian enjoyed a deep sleep on a soft bed and filled his stomach with a hearty meal.

Just as he was about to step outside for a leisurely walk, Audrey came to find him.

“Ian, do you have a moment?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much. After our trip to the ruins, my brother wanted to meet with you for a bit.”

“Your brother…?”

Ian nodded readily.

Following Audrey, he entered a room where a man was waiting.

He was young, but Ian recognized him immediately. The man stepped forward, extending his hand in greeting.

“Welcome. Thanks for taking the time, I’m Elian Pretus.”

“Ian Berger.”

As they shook hands, Ian examined Elian’s gaze.

He seemed pleased to meet him, but it wasn’t the kind of reaction he had expected. It was more of a simple fondness typical of a first encounter.

He’d need to converse more to be sure, but it appeared that he hadn’t experienced regression.

‘No, that’s not right.’

He could be certain. Elian had not regressed.

If he had, he wouldn’t have remained a bystander to the death of his younger brother, which he had regretted so deeply.

Thinking logically, the answer came quickly.

“Shall we sit down first? Would you like something to drink?”

Before he knew it, Elian was already at the display case where the alcohol and glasses were kept.

“No alcohol.”

Audrey, who had been silent, spoke up, causing Elian’s expression to darken rapidly as he turned back to Ian.

His slumped shoulders looked quite pitiful.

Ian already knew that Elian enjoyed drinking. Before regression, they had become friends over their shared love of alcohol.

Ian smiled and said, “It’s a bit early, but wouldn’t one drink be alright?”

“Is that how you feel?”

“Yes.”

“I like that. Then let’s just have one drink.”

Audrey sighed from the side, but Elian pretended not to hear and hummed a tune as he fetched the alcohol and glasses from the display.

“Wait a second.”

Ian was startled when he saw the bottle Elian was holding. Elian smirked slyly, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“From your reaction, it seems you know what this is? We’re meeting for the first time today, but I feel like we’ll get along just fine.”