Ch:5 The Knight in Red

Then—a rumble shook the ground.

"Earthrea!" Dila cried again, her voice laced with desperation.

The two summoned golems surged forward. One grabbed the scorpion's massive armored tail while the other lunged at its back, stone hands locking onto its jagged exoskeleton.

"Got you," Dila whispered, eyes narrowed.

The first golem slammed its massive stone fist down, its own weight crashing onto the beast like a meteor.

"AGHHH!" the scorpion shrieked, thrashing.

"You think your pathetic golems can stop me!?"

With a roar of pure rage, the monster twisted violently, its full strength erupting in a blast of raw force. The golems were flung backwards, crashing through the rubble of shattered buildings, stone fragments scattering in all directions.

Dila winced—throwing up her arm just in time as debris flew past her, the shockwave kicking up dust and ash. Her cloak fluttered. Her legs wobbled.

But she was still standing.

Breathing heavy.

Eyes locked on the beast.

Dila's breath hitched as she stared at the monster—towering, unscathed, furious.

"This is bad…" she muttered, sweat dripping down her cheek.

"My golems… they're too weak. I can't believe it. That thing—it's an abomination."

Her legs trembled.

This wasn't just some pixelated boss fight anymore. She had seen its strength. Felt the heat of its roar. Watched someone die.

"When this was just a game, I was powerful… My berserker could melt health bars like butter."

She clenched her staff tighter, her heart pounding like war drums.

"But now? I'm stuttering. Panicking. I can't even form a plan…"

Her vision swam. The world felt too loud. Too real.

"Think, Dila. Think! You have to outpace it—you have to act before it moves again."

She bit her lip. Hard.

"There has to be something I can do."

A sudden screech—then a claw came crashing down in a brutal, diagonal swipe. It slammed into the pavement with an explosive crack, sending shards of stone flying.

Dila ducked instinctively.

Boom!

Dust shot up around her. Her heart nearly stopped.

"That was close—too close." She gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I thought I was dead…"

The scorpion snarled, its red eyes narrowing.

"You should've died just now… How did you dodge that? Are you cheating or something?"

Dila blinked, her body still crouched low. Then something flickered in her vision—a system prompt.

> Passive Skill Activated: Instinct Cascade

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Wait… What? Another hidden skill? First Cascade Shield, now this?"

A shaky smile tugged at her lips.

"I don't know where these skills are coming from… but I'm not complaining. What a relief."

The scorpion roared and swung its massive tail. The sharp, glistening stinger shot forward like a spear, venom pulsing through its jagged tip.

Dila crossed her arms instinctively in front of her.

FZZZTT!

Cascade Shield flared to life again—just in time.

The tail struck the barrier with a violent spark, deflecting with a blast of light. The shock made her stumble back a step.

Then—a warning.

> System Alert: Mana Supply Critically Low

> Occupation: Support Mage – Alchemist

Race: Elf

Mana Level: 50 / 199

Her breath caught.

"No… my mana's dropping fast… Must've been from summoning the two golems."

She grit her teeth. Her shield held, but barely. One more hit like that and it would shatter—along with any chance of keeping herself alive.

"This is bad… I'm running out of options."

Dila raised her staff and shouted, "Golems—attack!"

The two stone giants, still cracked from their last clash, stirred to life again. Their blue eyes flared back to full glow.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

They charged forward, each stomp shaking the ruined ground.

From across the battlefield, the Scorpion let out a mocking laugh. "Hahaha! You still think your dirt toys can win? Let's fix that delusion."

With a growl, it twisted its massive body—and whipped its tail in a wide arc.

CRACK!

The spinning stinger slammed into the golem on the left, then continued its motion and smashed the one on the right.

Stone fragments flew.

Dila gasped. "No—!"

Her heart raced as both golems staggered, one falling to a knee, the other nearly losing its balance.

The Scorpion hissed. "Try again, little elf. Or better yet… run."

Dila fell to her knees on the broken pavement, her staff trembling in her grasp.

It's my fault…

Her eyes lowered, unfocused. The crashing sounds of battle—the cries, the rumble of footsteps—all began to fade.

I should've leveled up more. I should've prepared. Why did I think I could just survive this world as a support…?

She clenched her fists weakly, but her will to fight had already slipped through her fingers.

"I can't win…" she whispered, voice barely audible. "There's nothing more I can do…"

Her eyes closed.

Silence.

Only the cold hum of the void filled her mind, vast and empty. She knelt motionless, surrounded by ruined stone and blood-soaked earth, while in the distance, the sound of massive claws raking across the rubble drew closer. The scorpion was charging now—full speed.

But in her darkness, she didn't move. Didn't flinch.

Just silence.

Just the quiet weight of failure.

Suddenly—SLASH!

A roar of pain echoed across the ruins.

The scorpion shrieked, its body jerking violently. Dark, gushing blood sprayed into the air as something—someone—cleaved through its armored hide. Dila flinched from the force of the sound, her eyes still closed, heart frozen in despair.

What... was that? she thought.

She opened her eyes slowly—just in time to see the monster split clean in half.

BOOM!

A final explosion of corrupted mist and gore burst into the sky, the scorpion's massive frame collapsing into pieces, twitching once… and then still.

Through the settling dust stood a figure—tall, proud, and radiant.

A crimson cape fluttered behind him in the wind. His armor gleamed, pristine and etched with ancient gold lines. And in his hand—was a sword. Not just any sword, but one glowing with divine energy, the kind only found in legend.

Dila blinked, breath catching in her throat.

That sword… it's a Hero's Sword…

Her knees were still pressed to the ground, hands clutched tightly against her chest. She couldn't take her eyes off him. The knight turned slowly, locking eyes with her.

"Are you okay, kid?" he asked, voice calm and reassuring.

Dila's cheeks flushed red.

No thanks—I'm a boy in real life… but damn, he's just too mesmerizing…

The knight stepped closer, his boots crunching softly over the cracked pavement. He lowered his sword, voice gentler now.

"Are you okay, kid?"

Dila blinked up at him, her cheeks still red. "Y-Yeah…" she stuttered, giving a small, embarrassed smile as she closed her eyes for a second, trying to pull herself together.

But before she could say anything else—whoosh—she felt her weight lift off the ground.

"Wha—?!"

Eyes snapping open, she gasped as the knight effortlessly scooped her into his arms. Her heart skipped a beat.

I'm... being carried?

Blood rushed to her face.

And than in her Deep thought.

W-What the hell?! I never thought he'd be real. I didn't even know there was a hero in this game… How did I miss this?

She stared up at him, watching the wind rustle his red cape and the light glint off his armor. Her thoughts spun out of control.

He's... way cooler than my Berserker ever was.

A tiny, breathless smile crept onto her lips.

The knight looked down and smiled back—calm, reassuring, radiant.

And in that moment, Dila couldn't tell if her heart was pounding from fear, awe...

…or something else entirely.