"Roar!"
The petrified lizard—its skull half-cracked under a hammer blow—emitted a violent screech, twisting its lower body and lashing out with a long, whip-like green tail.
Whoosh!
The tail sliced through the air with brutal speed.
It struck the newly summoned giant angel, aiming to repel it.
But the angel raised its left arm across its chest. A radiant golden sun-emblazoned shield formed a barrier of holy light.
Bang!
The tail slammed into the shield with explosive force—but the angel's towering body didn't so much as flinch.
The silver warhammer lifted again.
Boom!
Another thunderous strike crashed down, slamming the lizard's rising head back into the earth.
Two successive, punishing blows.
The crazed beast's green pupils momentarily cleared—its mind snapping back to awareness.
"Hiss—hiss..."It squirmed backward, eight powerful legs dragging its weight. Blood trickled from fractured, fin-like growths atop its head.
Minori, dressed in ceremonial white robes streaked with grime, calmly observed the battle from behind.
The angel he had summoned resembled the Fire Archangel, but its armament was different—a hammer and shield instead of a flaming sword. Yellow glowing cloth draped from its shoulders and waist, and two pairs of wings extended from its back—though the uppermost pair was small and mostly decorative.
[Surveillance Angel – Level 22]
This was the fourth-tier summon Minori had recently unlocked after advancing to Level 22 and meeting the [Cursed Knight] class requirements.
Yet Minori's expression was far from pleased.
If he could avoid it, he preferred not to spend magic power recklessly.
"Two strikes, no serious injury. It's strong—but not decisive. Defense is excellent, but offense is lacking."
Still, the results had value.
The angel's ability to hold the creature at bay indicated the enemy's true level was below what Leinas had feared.
She'd guessed the creature was difficulty Level 83—corresponding to approximately Level 27–28 in YGGDRASIL terms. But if a surveillance angel, the weakest of the fourth-tier summons, could trade blows with it, it was likely weaker than that.
Behind him, Leinas, pale and covered in blood, watched Minori with wide eyes.
The back of the young man, standing upright beside a summoned angel in the cursed swamp, looked nothing like the low-ranked adventurer she'd once considered him to be.
"A mithril-ranked adventurer... and I actually planned to rob him."
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Roar!!"
The wounded lizard retreated a few steps, then its eyes flared with earth-brown light.
"Back."Minori spoke sharply in a commanding tone.
The surveillance angel obeyed instantly, descending and positioning itself protectively before Minori and Leinas.
Swish!
Twin rays of petrification magic burst from the monster's eyes.
They struck the angel squarely—yet nothing happened.
"Angels aren't flesh and blood," Minori said with a cold smirk, "so your little trick won't work."
"Roar!"
Perhaps recognizing this, the lizard let out a sharp growl—and then turned and fled into the jungle, its massive form vanishing into the cursed forest.
Minori narrowed his eyes.
He couldn't let it escape.
This was no ordinary beast. It was once humanoid—and potentially part of a subhuman species native to this region.
If it could speak—even rudimentary speech—it might possess information on the curse affecting the swamp.
He turned to Leinas. Her wounds were serious, far worse than expected for an orichalcum-level adventurer.
Clearly, the curse energy here affected her more deeply than him.
Minori reached into his sleeve.
A third-tier spell scroll emerged. He crushed it between his fingers.
From the blaze of holy light, a Fire Archangel descended, wings of flame lighting the mist-shrouded bog.
"You're not in any condition to proceed," Minori said.
"This angel will carry you out of the swamp."
Leinas said nothing for a moment—then lowered her head.
"…Sorry."Her tangled golden hair stuck to her bloodied face."I wasn't trying to use you. But I did misjudge you."
Minori gave her a brief smile."You weren't wrong to be cautious. I'm not doing this out of kindness either. I have my own interests here."
Then, without another word, he leapt upward—landing on the armored shoulder of the Surveillance Angel.
Whoosh!
Wings spread, and the angel carried him into the sky, darting after the fleeing lizard.
Behind them, the Fire Archangel gently picked up Leinas and began flying in the opposite direction.
Moments Later – Jungle Canopy
The dense foliage below rustled as Minori and his angel soared above the trees.
The forest's tightly packed canopy made flight difficult—but soon, the trees gave way to a patch of open undergrowth.
"Finally… I can move freely."Minori muttered, a strange comfort washing over him. No humans nearby. No need to hide his true power.
From his item box, he withdrew a bone-crafted relic—a magic item taken from the undead commander Brinmuguo. It granted forest traversal and tracking abilities.
"Track."
A pulse of dark magic spread.
In Minori's vision, faint glowing footprints lit up ahead—revealing the path of the fleeing lizard.
"Follow him."
The Surveillance Angel moved forward, parting thick vines and branches under the influence of the relic.
Despite its bulk, the angel made excellent speed through the woods.
The petrified lizard, as expected, favored narrow, enclosed terrain—but Minori's preparations ensured the jungle itself offered no resistance.
Within ten minutes, they caught up.
At the Forest Edge
The petrified lizard suddenly halted, its green eyes flashing.
It turned, snarling—and then to Minori's surprise, it spoke:
"Roar… human… leave… LEAVE!"
Its voice was distorted, bestial, but there was undeniable intelligence.
Minori stood tall on the angel's shoulder.
"You may leave… but not before answering something."He narrowed his eyes."The curse—"
That one word sent the creature into a frenzy.
Boom!
It charged.
"Holy Strike!"
The angel's silver hammer gleamed, then smashed down in a brilliant arc.
The blow struck the lizard's skull again—but this time, it braced.
Two of its eight clawed limbs clamped onto the angel's arm, locking the weapon in place.
Then the beast lunged—its enormous jaws snapping toward Minori.
"Wrong opponent."Minori's expression turned cold.
"Dark Wave."
The black miasma of the [Cursed Knight] skill burst outward in a circular blast—washing over the lizard's body.
The petrified lizard froze.