Chapter 74

“Dorothea’s orders were problematic in many ways.”

It’s no surprise since the “Garden” was much larger than its name suggested.

In terms of area, it was enough to make any decent territory look like a business card.

Finding the desired target in such a place was already a challenge, especially when the only clue about the target’s characteristics was that it was a “boss-level” entity—extremely vague.

If this were a military operation, the staff who submitted the plan would have been kicked in the shins by their superior.

Of course, the Tin Knight didn’t think too much about it.

Players are typically the kind of beings who can breeze through with just a wooden club and beat the Demon Lord.

Just smashing everything in sight, and eventually, a big one pops up and the main story progresses—that’s the law of the game, which the Tin Knight completely believed.

While his companions were getting ready for bed, the Tin Knight marched straight ahead.

Walking in a straight line didn’t really have much significance.

Sure, it might make it easier to find your way back if your footsteps were in a straight line, but that was merely a secondary thought.

It was more like a game of stepping only on specific colored tiles while walking down the street.

There wasn’t really a need or meaning to it, but for some reason, doing it felt satisfying.

The wild woods weren’t the most suitable environment for that kind of walking, but the Tin Knight didn’t care.

He had a versatile resource in his magical power.

Whenever there were tall reeds, he would cut through them.

If there were tangled thorn vines, he would slash through them too.

If there was a large tree, that too would be chopped down.

Had he done this back in the day, he would have been drained of magic right away, but thanks to the modifications (restoration) he received from TikTok, his magical efficiency had greatly improved, so he faced no significant issues.

Occasionally, wild beasts or monsters would block his path, but even then, he continued his straight-line game.

While he couldn’t move forward forever, he did occasionally backtrack, but the rule of only moving forward and backward was maintained.

The head of a wild boar, which attempted to charge at the Tin Knight, split open.

A snake that was trying to bite the Tin Knight’s ankle was flattened like dried fish.

A bear that tried to take him down with a single punch was knocked out with a single hit from his shield.

With a joyful spirit, the Tin Knight began dragging the bear’s leg behind him.

After all, it was the biggest beast he had hunted so far.

Then, out of nowhere…

-Krrr!

A group of beasts surrounded the Tin Knight, making sounds similar to TikTok’s apprentices.

With tawny fur, flexibly muscular bodies, and long tails gracefully touching the ground.

They looked somewhat like big cats, but the Tin Knight couldn’t differentiate between species.

It would’ve been nice if there were health bars, levels, and names displayed above their heads, but unfortunately, that feature wasn’t available.

However, just because the Tin Knight didn’t know much about these beasts didn’t mean he was entirely clueless about how strong they were.

As a player, he might not know, but as the Tin Knight, he had a strong sense of the strength of his opponents.

This was especially true because the leader of the pack looked distinctive right from the start.

With a size that could probably swallow a bear whole with one big bite. Its fur was particularly rich in a green hue compared to the others.

Moreover, not only did it give off a magical aura that wrapped around its body, but its teeth and claws glimmered like sword skills.

The Tin Knight nodded his head.

He was pleased and thought it was right to expect a boss monster would eventually appear after slashing through some mobs.

Of course, he had no idea that a lunatic was just sniffing out the smell of blood as they entered their territory.

-Krrr!

The beast leader let out a roar.

Despite its striking appearance, its voice sounded unusually hoarse and fragmented compared to its kind.

However, the pack obeyed its command faithfully.

With legs, arms, and necks all in play.

Even a single bite in any spot could be deadly, or lead to crippling injuries; a series of coordinated attacks were in place.

And the Tin Knight retaliated right on the spot.

With a swing of his sword, he split the gaping mouth open, and with the edge of his shield, he crushed the skulls of his foes.

The “Krrr” sound was similar whether it was from TikTok’s apprentices or these beasts, but unlike the apprentices who got hit repeatedly, the beasts didn’t get a second chance.

The apprentices were something to teach and train, but the beasts were not.

With each strike, beasts fell one after another, but due to their sheer numbers, some managed to score hits on the Tin Knight.

Crunch! The sharp teeth dug into the Tin Knight’s limbs.

If he were made of flesh and blood, this attack could have led to serious injury.

But for the Tin Knight, a being made of metal, it was merely an ineffectual attack.

The beasts’ teeth couldn’t pierce the Tin Knight’s metal gauntlets; instead, their teeth broke or bled.

The Tin Knight calmly swung his limbs and eliminated them one by one.

Of course, he remained vigilant of the boss throughout this process.

Realizing the Tin Knight showed no openings despite the distractions caused by its subordinates, eventually the boss went on the offensive.

With a grating roar like that of hacking coughs, a massive yet agile strike aimed at the Tin Knight.

Despite its hefty weight and sharp claws, the Tin Knight didn’t flinch.

The shield infused with magical power absorbed most of the attack’s force, and on the contrary, the Tin Knight’s sword deeply cut into the boss’s body.

Startled, the boss withdrew to gain distance.

Even with an attack prepared, strangely, the Tin Knight did not pursue.

The boss felt a sense of doubt as it tried again and found the same result.

It felt like no amount of force could move the Tin Knight, no matter how hard it tried.

But the boss did not give up.

For reasons unknown, the Tin Knight appeared tethered to that spot.

There was surely a way to win against someone, no matter how strong, as long as they were held back.

Giving orders to the subordinates to attack, the boss resorted to a strategy of quick in-and-out strikes instead of committing fully.

Although the Tin Knight remained unscathed, tiny scratches began to form on the shield, and it was apparent that the magical energy he was cloaked in was gradually diminishing.

As the boss was confidently sure it could win this way, one of its subordinates swung a foreleg and knocked the Tin Knight’s right arm, causing him to drop his sword.

In that moment, when the Tin Knight appeared to be faltering…

-BAM!

A sudden ambush from an unexpected angle smacked the boss.

Like a fly caught in a swatter, the boss was caught off guard and tumbled to the ground.

And the boss saw it.

Right in the spot where the Tin Knight had just lost his sword and was propped up on the ground, there was a huge bear carcass.

If the boss could express itself in human terms, it would have simply exclaimed, “Huh?” in sheer confusion, but sadly, that wasn’t possible.

Not only was it unable to speak like a person, but it also wasn’t allowed any chance to speak to the Tin Knight either.

-WHAM!

Gripping the bear’s legs with both hands, the Tin Knight brought it down toward the boss with all his might.

Even disregarding the size and momentum alone, coupled with the magical energy he infused, that carcass was no different than a massive iron mace.

With one hit, the boss’s limbs twisted, chest caved in, and head was crushed.

After confirming the boss’s demise, the Tin Knight casually discarded the bear carcass and equipped himself with the boss’s body instead.

The sight of the boss’s corpse clad upon the Tin Knight made the remaining beasts, resembling wolves now, panic and flee hastily.

The Tin Knight did not pursue them.

Instead, he looked down at his feet.

And with a nod, he felt satisfied.

He had not broken the rule of moving only straight without sidestepping, forward and backward.

Dragging the body of the new boss monster, the Tin Knight resumed his straight march.

But, of course, life isn’t that simple.

A new foe obstructed the Tin Knight’s path.

Not grass, trees, or beasts, but something entirely different.

Indeed.

A gigantic rock.

A boulder that looked about five times larger than the Tin Knight.

The Tin Knight was in a dilemma.

Logically, the sensible thing here would be to either go around it or even climb over it.

But the Tin Knight didn’t want to do that.

Once he began a game, he had to see it through to the end.

To prove that nothing could halt his straight march, the Tin Knight began to gather strength into the corpse of the boss held in his hands.

-WHAM!

***

With a chilling gust enveloping her, Dorothea unconsciously awoke from her slumber.

As she threw off the blanket wrapped around her, a pile of fallen leaves cascaded down.

Though she had taken precautions for warmth, it seemed insufficient to withstand the cold night air.

While they had somehow managed to gather the ingredients needed for the bug-repelling spells just before sleeping, they hadn’t obtained the catalysts needed for spells to drive away the chill and dampness.

Thinking the spare clothes and blankets the Tin Knight salvaged would suffice for a night’s rest, she found herself more uncomfortable than anticipated when trying to sleep.

‘…I could have slept better in far worse conditions before. I guess I’m just not used to sleeping in a wagon lately.’

Realizing forcing herself into sleep would leave her in poor condition the next day, Dorothea decided to get up.

Turning her head sideways, she saw Adel and Sophia curled up like a lump together.

More accurately, Adel was nestled against the floor, using Sophia as her cushion, sleeping like a cat.