The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 11
—What is this woman…? She’s unbelievably strong.
Van kept his distance and glared at the woman dressed in black. Behind him, Sophia raised her staff and tried to heal Van with recovery magic.
His shoulder wound slowly healed, but the woman didn’t seem to care.
“Sophia, when you see an opening, get outside. We’ll regroup with Garm and the others.”
“Okay, got it!”
Even though Van and Sophia spoke in hushed voices, the woman grinned fearlessly as if she had heard them.
“Oh dear, it’s useless. The people outside? I already killed them.”
“What!?”
“By the way, I also killed everyone staying at this inn, so you two are the only ones left.”
“You… Who are you…?”
Van was speechless. Not only had he failed to protect the merchants, but now his own life was in danger.
He tried to think of a way to escape—
“No, no. Don’t think about anything unnecessary. You’ll let your guard down.”
Before he realized it, the woman was right in front of him. His right leg felt like it was on fire. When Van looked down at his thigh, he saw a sword deeply embedded in it.
“Ugh…!”
“Van!?”
He heard Sophia’s scream as he collapsed onto one knee. He was shocked by the woman’s incredible speed, but even more puzzled as to why she didn’t finish him off immediately.
“Why don’t you kill me right away? It would be easy for you, wouldn’t it…?”
Using his sword as a crutch, he wobbled to his feet. Sophia desperately cast healing magic, but the wound was too deep to heal quickly.
“Because that wouldn’t be any fun. If I kill you now, my job will be over. I have to enjoy the last moments, don’t I?”
“Damn you!!”
A faint light surrounded Van’s body as his Enhancement Magic activated. It was his specialty—magic that increased his strength and speed.
Enduring the pain in his leg, Van charged at the woman.
“Uraaahh!!”
Van swung his sword, but the woman dodged effortlessly. Even his full-powered slash was deflected by her short black blade.
In close quarters, her short sword had an advantage over his longsword, but Van didn’t have the luxury to think about that.
As he desperately swung his sword, the woman’s figure suddenly disappeared.
“Come on now, you can’t just swing wildly like that.”
A whisper in his ear. She was right behind him.
“Damn it!!”
He swung his sword, but she was already gone.
“Fufu, what would you do if you actually hit me? You should be gentle with women.”
—She’s fast… Who is this woman…? If she’s this strong, she should be famous. But I’ve never even heard rumors about her.
Van’s mind raced. —She called killing the merchants her ‘job.’
“…An assassin…? Were you hired to steal the cargo?”
“Ufufu, maybe. But you don’t need to know the details.”
As she spoke, she disappeared from Van’s sight again. She might go after Sophia, who wasn’t a fighter. Realizing this, Van quickly turned around.
The woman wasn’t near Sophia. Instead, there was a loud thud.
What? Van looked down.
On the floor lay a severed sword—and an arm.
For a moment, he didn’t understand what had happened. Then he noticed—his right arm was missing. The instant he realized it, searing pain shot through him.
“Aaaaghhhhhh!!”
“Van!?”
Sophia panicked at the sight of his severed arm. Bl00d poured from the wound as Van collapsed, screaming.
She knew she had to do something, but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
Trembling, she picked up Van’s fallen arm, pressed it against his stump, and cast healing magic. A soft light spread, trying to reconnect the limb.
As a D-rank adventurer, Sophia’s recovery magic could reattach the arm if given enough time.
But there was no way the enemy would just stand by and wait.
Feeling helpless, tears welled up in Sophia’s eyes.
“Somebody… help us…”
The woman in black walked leisurely down the hallway with a smile. The faint moonlight from the window stretched across the floor.
And then—purely by chance—she noticed something.
A small shadow appeared in the moonlight on the floor.
Her eyes widened in realization. She turned—just as something crashed through the window.
In the next moment, the inn’s wall exploded into pieces. Moonlight poured through the gaping hole.
A cloud of dust filled the air as shattered debris scattered everywhere.
Covering her mouth with her hand, the woman jumped back. She didn’t know what had just happened.
As the dust settled, a man stood in the wreckage.
“Hm? Looks like I made it in time.”
“Garm!!”
Sophia’s tearful voice echoed. She was shocked since the woman had claimed to have killed him, but relief quickly overtook her surprise.
“Weird… I was sure I cut your carotid artery. How are you still alive?”
The woman tilted her head curiously.
“You bastard! I was really about to die!!”
Garm was furious. Sophia shouted.
“Garm! Van is badly injured…!”
“Are you okay!? Sorry I’m late. Leave this one to me and go to Amber!”
“Amber is alive too!?”
“She’s badly wounded. I gave her first aid, but she can’t move yet. Take care of Van and Amber!”
“Wow… Even that girl is still alive…?”
The woman in black casually approached, completely unguarded.
“You…!”
Garm swung his sword in a wide arc. The woman leaped high, spinning in the air before landing lightly in the distance.
Garm was astonished by her agility.
“Damn, you move like a rabbit! Who the hell are you!?”
“That’s a rude way to speak to a lady.”
“Garm…”
Van, barely able to breathe, spoke.
“You can’t… beat her alone… Run…”
“Hey now, have a little faith in a veteran adventurer. Protecting you young ones is part of my job.”
“Oh my, how reliable. But can you really do it?”
The woman stepped forward. Her speed was abnormal. Garm swung his sword, but she dodged effortlessly and slashed his shoulder and arm in return.
“Tch!”
Garm staggered backward.
“Oh my, you’re tough. I’ve never seen someone with such a sturdy body before.”
She wiped the bl00d from her black sword with a finger—and licked it.
“Now I’m really interested in you.”