FSFSLU 67

Chapter 67

When an ordinary person receives the blessing of ordinary physical enhancement, that person gains strength equivalent to a strong person.

When a strong person receives the blessing of ordinary physical enhancement, that person gains the strength of a wild monster.

So what happens if someone extremely strong, with plenty of real-world combat experience, receives a blessing forged from a saint’s holy power?

This is exactly what happens.

“Ughhh—!”

Bang—

Hetchal was not originally a hulking brute; he simply had a lot of lean muscle. Moreover, blessings of physical enhancement do not increase actual muscle mass, so his outward appearance did not change drastically.

However, with Isabel’s help, Hetchal could push the muscles honed through mercenary work to their limits. As a result, he felt his entire body’s muscles come alive, and he could strike the legs of the golem with full force.

The magical chains wrapped around Hetchal’s hands emitted their usual shock magic, but his enhanced physical power made his punches so fast that the magic could barely keep up.

Thanks to the blessing of protection, there was no risk of breaking his arms. Like an ogre smashing its way through a cave, Hetchal ripped apart the steel bricks forming the golem’s legs and threw them aside.

With the luring magic interrupted, the golem actively tried to prevent the intrusion. Its hand moved toward the ground, attempting to remove the “worms” digging into its legs—a clearly hostile, aggressive motion, unlike its previous indifferent attempts.

Others were waiting for this.

Galtan, the Wall-Facing Knight, drew massive mana from the bracelet-shaped magical tool on his left hand, much like knights channeling magical energy into their blades.

He infused it into every muscle of his body.

The “Focused Thrust,” a technique that squeezes every last drop of power from enhanced muscles, was not just Galtan’s skill—it could be used by the entire Wall-Facing Knights corps. Galtan, however, could perform a thrust stronger than the combined power of all of them.

It would have been impossible in his prime, but with Isabel’s blessing, it might just be feasible.

He assumed the stance for the Focused Thrust, sensing his comrades timing their moves behind him.

To clear a path for all of them, he thrust his spear straight.

The spear did not touch the golem—it merely sliced through the air. There was still considerable distance between the spear and the golem.

But the air at the spear’s tip didn’t resist; the force seemed to push the air aside, clearing its path entirely.

A massive hand descended from the air to crush Hetchal, and Galtan’s thrust would pierce not just the hand but the ankle as well.

Galtan’s Focused Thrust.

The instant it extended, everything in its path shattered, creating a long, straight hole.

This hole pierced the golem’s descending arm and traveled through its leg along the same line.

Kwah-gwah-gwah—

This was a technique rarely used unless absolutely necessary. Its linear range made it dangerous to anyone in its path, no matter how far away.

But the strike Galtan unleashed now pierced the golem’s arm and leg, continuing through to collide with the holy barrier enveloping the city maintained by Evan.

Its power was astonishing, but there was no time to be distracted.

Lister didn’t miss the two holes Galtan had created and charged.

He leapt toward the wrist of the giant, which was ten times his size, raising his war hammer high above his head and brought it down.

With a tremendous crash, the steel golem’s wrist shattered. Pre-drilled holes ensured the impact transferred fully to the golem, scattering debris in all directions.

The golem lost its hand while bent over.

They had witnessed this before—the sight of a golem losing limbs and losing balance.

But that chance had been missed previously when the luring magic was interrupted.

“So this time…!”

This time, they could not fail.

Lister was at his limit. The holy power he had drawn during the golem’s defense was nearly depleted, and the injuries from being hurled to the ground moments ago were still present. Isabel’s healing and his own mental fortitude kept him grounded in reality.

From that failure, he realized that his strength lay in creating a massive hammer capable of toppling the golem—but perhaps he had been thinking too narrowly.

Toppling it didn’t necessarily require attacking it head-on.

So Lister leapt toward the golem’s right leg, which Hetchal had infiltrated and which was slowly being repaired from Galtan’s holes. His entire body radiated brilliant holy power.

That was the signal.

“…!”

Rize received the signal clearly.

“Isabel, it’s our turn! We trust you!”

“Trust me!”

Rize immediately moved.

This time, it wasn’t a piggyback ride—it was a shoulder carry.

Rize lifted Isabel, discarding the worn-out self-doubt without hesitation.

She had experienced this before—when bathing with Isabel in Rettina, Rize had been drenched in holy light, which had strengthened her enough to survive an ambush from Dyke.

The same—but more extreme—situation was happening now.

Rize carried Isabel while distributing her holy power to others. Her body was perfectly suited to channel the blessings at maximum efficiency.

Though Rize couldn’t jump 60 meters like Lister, she could climb the golem’s body with ease.

Denk could do the same.

Rize carried Isabel; Denk gripped his pickaxe. They ran with all their might.

The golem, now missing its left arm and slightly bent at the waist, faced them. They ran toward the right leg Hetchal had infiltrated. Hetchal extended two chains toward them—one for Rize, one for Denk—and pulled them toward him using his immense strength, confident that he would not die thanks to the blessing of protection.

The pull was fast but harmless, thanks to Isabel’s blessing.

Feeling that they wouldn’t die, the two of them climbed onto the golem’s thighs, gripping corners of steel bricks with incredible force and climbing at terrifying speed.

Their position was still only around the golem’s abdomen.

Then Lister acted.

“Hup—!”

He gathered all his holy power, including what had been reserved for a failed attempt, forming a divine hammer as large as the golem’s ankle. Taking a deep breath, he swung it with all his might at the golem’s heel, which had been pierced by Galtan.

The golem’s leg exploded, sending steel bricks flying in all directions.

With the balance unstable and the person bent over, the heel strike naturally lifted the golem’s left leg.

And slowly, it began to tilt.

Hetchal quickly escaped from the right leg, Galtan silently lifted another spear, infusing it with mana. He aimed at the golem’s tilting head, one hand on the spear, the other above his head, and threw it.

The blue-glowing spear pierced the head like a streak of lightning and detonated from within.

Bang—

It was meant to wedge the golem, but it was too shallow.

It only prevented the golem from straightening up, not completely toppling it.

Denk gritted his teeth and ran.

Although living a leisurely life like a Mohican was tempting, he was a man used to lawless lands.

Gripping his pickaxe tightly, he ran toward the tilting golem’s upper body.

Rize, strengthened by Isabel’s blessing, could also strike the massive golem. If she could hit its raised head, they could surely topple it…

“Unnie!”

Isabel’s surprised cry from Rize’s back made her glance back.

But before she could stop, she was hit by the golem’s hand.

“…!”

The impact shook and turned her body inside out.

The golem still had its remaining arm, which it needed to maintain balance, but it prioritized stopping Rize and Isabel.

They were struck, flipped through the air, and narrowly saved by Isabel’s cradle, or they would have fallen.

“Ugh…”

In the cradle imbued with healing power, Rize opened her eyes. They were, quite unnervingly, above the golem’s head.

They had been knocked skyward by the golem’s wild swing.

Rize checked under the cradle. Denk, who didn’t receive Isabel’s assistance, might have died if hit similarly.

But Isabel shouted happily.

“He’s fine!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! So throw me!”

Even in this absurd situation, Rize felt an unusual sense of humor. She realized she had to throw Isabel herself—perhaps the angel predicted it, or maybe it was a coincidence.

Whatever the reason, one thing was clear: she was the only one who could throw Isabel at the golem.

“…Count to five, then remove the cradle. I’ll throw her at the right timing.”

Rize hoisted Isabel onto her shoulders. Isabel swallowed nervously and pointed at the golem’s head.

“Three!”

“I said start from five.”

“Two!”

“Hah…”

“One!”

At that moment, the cradle disappeared.

From the sky, the foolish saint was launched straight at the steel golem’s head.

Denk was not dead.

But he came close.

Rize took the hit from the golem’s arm, but he had gained enough momentum to avoid a direct strike.

Even so, his body nearly flew off.

But Denk, stubborn and tough like his horse Mohican, planted his pickaxe in a gap between the golem’s bricks, holding on for dear life.

He pulled his right fist back. Unlike others, Denk’s right hand always exhibited superhuman strength, much like Galtan’s mana-affinity.

He had a habit of dislocating it from overuse. It was called the “one-use fist”—capable of breaking anything, but only once.

Thanks to Isabel’s healing, both his hand and Mohican’s joint issues were resolved, bringing him here.

The golem’s body shifted, tossing Denk in the wind, but he clung to the pickaxe and slowly advanced toward the golem’s neck.

Now, his “one-use” fist was no longer limited. Using Isabel’s blessing, he struck with all his might.

Bang—

Only Denk knew the truth: his strike had been the wedge that finally broke the golem’s precarious balance.

Feeling triumphant, he let go of the pickaxe.

Whether falling or flying, he tumbled helplessly atop the tilting golem.

Amid the chaos, he noticed something familiar—a young, reckless lady falling with light from the sky.

“Ha…”

Thanks to her, this grizzled man, whose only joy had been smoking, had experienced such an adventure. The world was unpredictable.

Feeling strangely relieved, Denk fell with the golem.

The golem’s body began to tilt completely.

“Ah…!”

Even Evan, maintaining the holy barrier over the city from the center, clearly saw the scene.

That was the signal.

Following Isabel’s request and the command of the noble angel Smiel, Evan deactivated the holy barrier.