Beyond the wide-open road in the distance, I could see the village entrance.

It was so far that it looked like a dot, but I could see flames rising.

The flames were moving, spreading screams around.

It was a salamander.

What I thought was a flame was actually a salamander. It was an illusion caused by looking from afar.

People were screaming and fleeing.

People rushed into the Village Assembly Hall.

They were vigilantes carrying spears.

“Village Chief! Where is the Village Chief!”

“Isn’t that Philip? What’s going on?”

“A large fire lizard has attacked!”

“What? Why would it come to the village…”

“That’s not important right now! We need to gather people to fight immediately. The village is being destroyed!”

The man who appeared to be the most senior officer among them shouted at the Village Chief. He said that a monster had invaded and they needed to gather people immediately.

He also added that the salamander was coming towards the Village Assembly Hall.

The Village Chief’s face turned ashen.

There were many patients in this place.

It would inevitably take time to move them.

If the Salamander came, they would be trampled and die along with the building.

“Did you tell Philip?”

“The Vigilante Commander knows. He’s already gone to gather people.”

“I’ll go ask Vincent for help. You should speak well to the Knight who came to the village.”

“Will the Knight help us?”

“Do you know how much tax our village pays? Tell him that the Lord will reward him if he saves the village. From what I heard, it seemed he was acquainted with the Lord, so he will help.”

“Ah… I understand.”

The Village Chief spoke to the Veteran Soldier Vigilante in a coaxing tone.

Hearing him speak nearby, I was once again impressed. Ignorant people couldn’t even think like that. It seemed he wasn’t the Village Chief of this large village for nothing.

After sending someone, the Village Chief approached this way.

“Um… Mage.”

The other person was looking around nervously.

He couldn’t openly ask for help yet. It seemed he had a bitter experience trying to take advantage of previous goodwill.

He knelt down, begging for help and offering payment.

His face was filled with desperation. The area the Salamander was destroying was where his influence was strong. For him, it was like his feet were on fire.

Rael hesitated, then nodded.

It was out of guilt.

It seemed the Salamander attacked because the Protagonist killed its offspring.

Perhaps because of that, his heart grew heavy seeing people die. It felt as if people were dying because of the Protagonist’s mistake.

It was the Protagonist’s doing. He had to stop it.

It also felt like he had to fight.

For some reason, he felt that the Salamander was targeting the Protagonist. It might have followed his scent. Even if he ran, it seemed it would follow.

It would be troublesome if they had to fight after leaving the village.

He wasn’t sure if he could defeat the entire Salamander. It was right to kill it along with the people when it invaded the middle of the village.

Someone grabbed him.

It was a nun.

“Don’t go.”

“Why not?”

“A Salamander is a dangerous monster. Even one can be a catastrophe for the castle.”

The nun grabbed my sleeve and wouldn’t let go. Her hand was gripping tightly.

I placed my hand on her shoulder.

The nun flinched.

“Thank you for your concern, but I have to go.”

Taking advantage of the slight loosening of her grip, I pulled my hand free. The nun stared at me intently, then stood up.

“I’ll go too.”

“Sister, you don’t have to…”

“No. I’ll go too. I can’t stand by and watch a mage like you die.”

The nun stood up.

She sent her attendant to call the rest of the priests.

I wondered if she was truly following because she thought the protagonist was in danger.

It seemed she believed the protagonist shouldn’t die because he could create castle beasts. Perhaps it was also because of the story of God he had told earlier.

The nun had already sensed a change in herself, acting differently than usual. Following the protagonist wasn’t an unusual action for her.

I raised the ice golem nearby and headed towards where the battle was taking place.

People scattered like ants when they saw the golem.

The shouts from afar were fierce.

The Salamander was sweeping away everyone who approached with its front paws. The flames on its entire body were also so intense that people couldn’t get close enough to stab it with spear-knives.

All they could do was shoot crossbows or throw spears from a distance. Even that didn’t seem to be effective.

Vigilantes on fire screamed and ran towards me. I created a mass of water and sprayed it at them. Those whose bodies were half burned still writhed in pain even after the flames were extinguished. Their melting skin was horrific.

While I watched the situation for a moment, Charlotte appeared, leading soldiers. Behind her were mercenaries, including Horn.

Besides them, vigilantes and village strongmen were also appearing.

It was a large village, so there were many people.

Charlotte sent out the Knights and Soldiers to fight.

She stood behind them, arms crossed, watching the battle unfold. It was strange, as she usually led the charge.

The Soldiers struggled to even get close. The Salamander’s flames were too fierce. They sweated profusely and eventually retreated.

The Knights fared even worse. They groaned as their thick armor heated up, creating distance. They couldn’t even approach.

Charlotte clicked her tongue, as if she had anticipated such a situation.

The Village Chief, who had appeared at some point, shouted something next to her. It was a plea to defeat the creature. But she didn’t have any brilliant solution either.

No matter how skilled her swordsmanship, if she couldn’t engage in close combat, the battle wouldn’t be established. The Salamander was an even more challenging opponent than a Troll.

Rael sent the Ice Golem forward.

The Salamander let out a roar as soon as it saw the Ice Golem.

There was still blood on the Golem’s arm. It seemed to be the blood of its young. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so angry.

The Salamander lunged forward and swung its front paw at the Ice Golem.

The Ice Golem was pushed back a considerable distance. Even though it spread its legs wide and blocked with crossed arms, the impact was enormous.

It was stronger than a Troll.

Although the Golem was pushed back, it could still engage in an equal offense and defense with a Troll.

But the Salamander was different. It wasn’t slowly pushed back; it felt overwhelmed after just one hit.

The Protagonist had to provide as much help as possible.

He immediately used the Magic Ring. Metal formed around his body and clung to him, creating Black Armor. In that state, he chanted a spell.

The magic was completed much faster than usual.

He didn’t chain spells together like last time. It was a dangerous method where mana could backflow and turn him into a cripple. There was no guarantee he would be fine doing the same thing as before.

He steadily launched magic whenever it was completed.

Even that had a definite impact.

The Ice Arrow melted away in the flames shortly after embedding itself in the skin. But he could see the surrounding flames diminishing slightly where it hit.

The Salamander reacted sensitively to the Ice Arrow, as if the flames on its body were its life force. It roared every time it was shot. It didn’t even budge at what the Vigilantes or villagers threw.

It was a starkly contrasting reaction.

It also disliked confronting the Ice Golem. The Salamander turned its body and tried to push the Golem away by swinging its tail.

People were swept away by the giant whip, but the Ice Golem stood firm. However, with each strike, ice was seen breaking or cracking.

There was a heavy force that could crush even a wooden book and trample houses. The blunt weapons wielded by humans seemed laughable.

The black armor that covered his entire body slowly disappeared. Five minutes in a life-or-death battle was almost an instant.

‘My mana…’

A tremendous sense of exhaustion swept over his entire body. As the ice arrows stopped flying, the Salamander gained momentum. The Golem’s arm broke off, as if it couldn’t endure any longer.

He hastily recalled the Golem.

He couldn’t lose the Ice Golem. It was a creature with no guarantee of being recreated. When the Golem, which had absorbed most of the enemy’s attacks, retreated from the front lines, chaos erupted.

“Fall back!”

Charlotte looked this way and shouted.

He was already planning to. His mana was depleted, and the Golem was in shambles.

He had only lasted this long because he was the Protagonist. If it had been anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything. The Salamander was incredibly strong.

He remembered what the Guide Old Man had told him. At that time, he had said that one of them could wipe out an entire village, forcing the residents to relocate.

He had thought it was an exaggeration then, but now, fighting it, he understood why.

As the Protagonist retreated, the Village Chief shouted something at Charlotte. It seemed he was asking why they were retreating.

As soon as the Protagonist withdrew, the villagers suffered heavy casualties.

The void left by the Protagonist was that significant.

Seeing people dying, the Village Chief pleaded for him to step up again. But Charlotte shook her head and refused.

“No, didn’t I say I’d give you the capital city? If that’s not enough, I’ll even hand over all the byproducts from defeating the Salamander. People are dying! Please…”

The Village Chief trembled with anxiety as he shouted. His voice was even more desperate, probably because only the Mage could stop the Salamander right now.

“Our Mage has used up all her mana. We can’t fight like this. You all must hold out.”

“How long do we have to hold out?”

Charlotte looked this way and asked.

“Lord Rael.”

“Lady Charlotte.”

“How long will it take to replenish your mana?”

“Well…”

He recalled the time he made herbal water in the city where the Count stayed.

Before, he had to sleep for a night to replenish a certain amount of mana. After learning the Breathing Technique from Benedict, it became faster. Still, it took two to three hours.

“I think it will take two hours.”

At the protagonist’s words, the Village Chief’s face turned pale.

He shouted that it was absolutely impossible.

He also said that everyone would die.

Only an Ice Golem could hold them off for a while. It was too difficult for people to even buy time. There was a limit to enduring while sacrificing lives.

“Can’t you do it faster?”

“I think it might be possible… I’ll try.”

Perhaps he could do it quickly.

There was one Blue Flower left from last time. He remembered that his magic had returned after eating it during a fight with a Goblin.

He quickly tossed it into his mouth. Then he sat down and took a deep breath.

He felt his mana rising.

But it wasn’t enough. He needed a little more time.

Breathing steadily, he looked around.

More people had appeared during the battle. That was fortunate.

Still, it didn’t seem like they would win.

Compared to the beginning, the flames had subsided a lot, but the Salamander was still in good condition. The flames were still too threatening to approach and fight.

To kill it, the flames had to be extinguished.

Only the protagonist could extinguish the flames. For that, the protagonist’s magic was essential. He had to replenish his mana quickly.

The villagers brought water and poured it on the Salamander. But it had little effect.

Ignoring the screams, he focused on his breathing.

After some time had passed, he let out a long breath.

After eating the Blue Flower and performing the Breathing Technique, more than half of his mana was replenished in thirty minutes. He wasn’t at full strength, but he had to fight. It seemed like nothing good would come from delaying any longer.

First, I froze the Golem again and made ice to create arms for it. As that process was finishing, the Salamander thrashed and charged.

It seemed to be aware of the Protagonist. Seeing it recover its strength, it must have felt a sense of crisis and tried to kill the Priestess herself.

Charlotte shouted at the surrounding Soldiers to stop it. Her voice was incredibly urgent.

The approaching Salamander swung its front paw. The people each raised their Shields to block it, but it was not enough.

A giant claw descended. It was too large to dodge. Even if Charlotte stepped forward, it would be useless. She too was hit by the paw and tumbled.

She had a strong body, so she only got off with that. The Protagonist was different. Not wearing thick Armor, even a graze from the paw would be the end of him.

Just then, someone stood in front and blocked it in his stead.

It was a nun.

She somehow managed to block the claw. This was because the combined efforts of Charlotte and the Soldiers had largely diminished its power.

Still, she seemed to have overexerted herself by forcing the block. The Nun was pushed back, fell to her knees, and vomited a mouthful of blood.

“Sister!”

“Ugh… Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. How about you?”

“I’m fine too.”

The Nun recited a prayer softly.

A pure white light burst from her hands, and her face became lively. She had cast a Healing Spell.

The Nun also cast a Healing Spell on Charlotte. She didn’t use it on anyone else. It had to be used only on important individuals.

She could use the Healing Spell five times a day.

She had already used it twice, so three uses remained.

During the ongoing battle, she used it two more times.

Both times she used it on herself.

By the time only one use remained, the battle was over.

The Flames covering the Salamander’s entire body were extinguished.

This was the doing of the Golem, which had regained its strength. The Ice Arrows shot by the Protagonist also played a significant role. When the Flames were extinguished midway, people approached and stabbed it with Spear-knives.

I couldn’t quite remember how we fought at the end. It was because the cornered Salamander thrashed, spewing Flames from its mouth.

It also killed many people by swinging its front paws. I saw the Corpses of Knights as well. It was impossible to gauge how many people had died in this battle.

The Salamander fell and didn’t move an inch.

They had won.

It was incredibly strong, but they were the ones who won. Just as they were feeling relieved, the Salamander’s tail, which they thought was dead, moved and swept across the people.

The Protagonist was also hit and sent sprawling.

Their vision spun rapidly before they crashed to the ground. Their stomach hurt so much.

Blood trickled from their mouth.

It felt like they were vomiting all the blood in their body.

The Salamander didn’t move anymore. It seemed to have used its last bit of life to swing its tail. But they couldn’t be happy.

Strength slowly drained from their body.

‘Ah…’}, {

They thought they were going to die.

It was certain.

The Protagonist knew their own body best.

It was unfair to die like this. There was so much they still wanted to do. The Protagonist hadn’t enjoyed anything. They wanted to eat more delicious food and wanted to date a woman. They couldn’t die like this.

But they couldn’t avoid death just by not wanting to. If that were possible, no one would ever die. Just as they were closing their eyes, resigning themselves, they saw a woman on one side.

It was a nun.

Her face was pale, as if she had also been hit by the Salamander’s final blow. It was true that she looked like she was going to die.

Seeing the nun, the Protagonist suddenly remembered that there was one use left of the Healing Spell. If she cast it on the Protagonist, they could live.

But it seemed she wouldn’t cast it. A person’s own life was the most precious. It was right for her to use it on herself. Otherwise, she would be the one to die.

But something strange happened.

Even though the nun’s face was pale as if she was about to die, she didn’t recite a prayer. She turned her head and looked this way several times. She was deliberating.

They didn’t know what she was deliberating about.

But it felt like the Protagonist’s life would be decided by the outcome of that deliberation.

She swallowed hard.

It was the nun’s last chance.

If she didn’t use it on herself, she would die.

Even knowing that, she cast the spell on someone else, not herself.

She cast it on Rael.

Then something incredible happened.

A brilliant white light erupted.

It was a Radiance so bright it felt like it would blind her.

The moment the light enveloped the Protagonist’s body, she realized all her wounds had healed. She couldn’t believe it even after seeing it.

The light also embraced everyone nearby. Those who looked as if they would die any moment looked at their wounds, saying, “Gnoll.” Their wounds were all healed too. There were dozens of such people. A single Healing Spell had saved dozens of lives.

A faint smile played on the nun’s lips.

“Truly…”

She murmured with her hands clasped together.

“God has answered.”

It was a Miracle.