Chapter 43 (Continued)

 

It was like an explosion, a sonic boom spreading out. The ground he kicked shattered, sending debris flying.

 

Goliath quickly closed the distance between us, preparing to swing his fist. The space around his fist seemed distorted. It was his unique ability at work.

 

Baek-seo desperately pulled my shoulder back, trying to face Goliath.

 

‘…So it comes to this.’

 

Damn it.

 

There was no time to think.

 

At the very least, I didn’t want Baek-seo to get hurt.

 

With my last bit of strength, I pushed Baek-seo aside. It was a reflexive action.

 

Surprised by being pushed, Baek-seo stumbled to the side.

 

Goliath’s fist approached my face. I felt like my body was being dragged. His fist carried a heavy gravitational force.

 

That fist would pull the enemy with strong gravity and deliver devastating power.

 

Seeing Goliath’s movement, there was no room to dodge.

 

I didn’t even have the strength to swing the Iron Dragon Staff.

 

This was a test.

 

Whether I could withstand Goliath’s punch.

 

Judging by the magic and momentum, it wasn’t as powerful as when he defeated the 7th Tier monster earlier.

 

If I could withstand it, I could hope for the next time.

 

I glared into Goliath’s golden eyes.

 

He was looking at me with a smiling face.

 

I had struggled so much to get here.

 

I couldn’t die easily.

 

I would endure with sheer willpower.

 

As we locked eyes, at that moment…

 

Everything in my view began to move in slow motion.

 

Crack!

 

Between Goliath and me,

 

a crack appeared in the air, and his fist plunged into it.

 

* * *

 

A mysterious floating sensation enveloped Goliath.

 

Surrounded by silence.

 

Goliath saw a girl with golden hair.

 

She was a beautiful girl, wrapped in a soft glow.

 

The girl spoke softly, moving her lips gently.

 

─Disappear.

 

* * *

 

Crack!

 

Another crack appeared beside Goliath’s head.

 

Goliath’s fist, which had passed through the crack in front of me, emerged from the new crack.

 

Time resumed its normal flow.

 

Boom!

 

Goliath’s fist, deflecting itself, generated a fierce shockwave.

 

With a thunderous sound, Goliath’s body flew at an alarming speed, and Baek-seo and I were swept by the shockwave, rolling on the ground multiple times.

 

Screech!

 

Goliath, grinning as he sliced through the air, landed on his feet, crossing his arms and standing still.

 

Despite the intense friction causing heat where his feet dragged across the ground, he maintained his stance until he came to a stop.

 

As his unnecessarily impressive stance suggested, he was a guy who lived and died by his pride.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Groaning in pain, I barely managed to sit up.

 

‘What just happened?’

 

I was clearly out of magic power.

 

Yet, a crack had formed on its own, diverting Goliath’s punch. It was as if someone else had controlled my ability.

 

Baek-seo seemed shocked by the crack that suddenly appeared and counterattacked Goliath. However, she didn’t dwell on it and quickly came to my side, taking a defensive stance to protect me.

 

Swish! The crack converged into a line and disappeared, like a TV screen turning off.

 

“It was correct…! You finally showed yourself!”

 

Goliath shouted in a voice mixed with beastly breaths, sounding delighted.

 

He didn’t seem the least bit flustered.

 

Despite not appearing to know my ability, he seemed to have expected this outcome.

 

Pointing at me with a smile, Goliath declared,

 

“That’s the ‘Blessing of the Golden Sheep’!”

 

“…?”

 

The Blessing of the Golden Sheep.

 

Recalling my game knowledge, it was a mysterious trait bestowed upon Goliath.

 

In moments of crisis, it would protect him just once.

 

Considering it could be triggered every encounter, it must have had a cooldown period.

 

In the game, this trait made Goliath a particularly tricky opponent.

 

Is he implying that I now possess that blessing?

 

“…”

 

The phenomenon that occurred earlier was indeed something that could be called a ‘blessing.’

 

Only Goliath, who had received the Blessing of the Golden Sheep, could have recognized it.

 

So that’s why he wasn’t surprised.

 

“…Baek-seo, help me up.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Baek-seo put my arm around her shoulder and helped me to my feet.

 

“Ahn Woo-jin!”

 

“What?”

 

Goliath shouted boldly,

 

“Don’t die to the small fry overflowing in this city…!”

 

It wasn’t an out-of-the-blue concern.

 

The meaning was clear.

 

It was exactly what I expected.

 

To eat the fruit, you have to wait for it to ripen first.

 

He planned to wait for me to become stronger.

 

I had caught his interest.

 

Goliath smiled widely, bending his knees.

 

Boom!!

 

He leaped into the sky, creating a sonic boom.

 

And with that, Goliath disappeared into the sky.