Steven really wanted to refuse this "nice guy" card she was giving him.
He wasn't exactly an evil villain, but in this day and age, being a good person wasn't easy either.
When you could have a gun pointed at you at any moment, it was far more comfortable to be a bystander than a hero.
However, the feeling of being trusted was rare for Steven, so after a brief moment of silence, he smiled once again.
This time, though, his smile no longer carried the teasing tone he usually directed at Irene. Instead, there was a hint of warmth in it.
"Just because of your trust in me, little Inquisitor, I'll be the good guy this time—just as you wish."
Stopping his movements, Steven turned around completely, facing the horde of terrifying creatures charging toward him like a swarm of locusts.
If he wanted to be entertained, he would naturally do whatever made him happiest. Irene's words had made him feel good, so he didn't mind lending her a hand.
He had originally planned to observe how this so-called Inquisitor would handle the situation and learn how the people of this world used their powers. But it seemed that would have to wait for another time.
Steven planted his Netherite Sword into the ground, resting both hands on the hilt as if preparing to single-handedly hold off the entire wave of monsters.
Irene, who had been running away, was stunned by his sudden action, stopping in her tracks to stare at his not-so-tall figure, now silhouetted against the horde of creatures.
She was more confused than ever about what was going through Steven's mind.
She had told him to run first—so why was this guy suddenly staying behind to cover for them?
"Are you crazy? These things might just be trying to slow you down, but if you stand there and wait, they'll completely overwhelm you!"
She couldn't sense even a trace of Originium Arts coming from Steven. If she hadn't witnessed that lightning-fast sword strike of his earlier, she would have thought he was simply trying to get himself killed.
After all, without relying on Originium Arts, even her teacher—the High Inquisitor Dario—would never dare to claim he could take on so many Sea Terror alone.
Everyone should understand the simple truth that "enough ants can kill an elephant."
"I'm not just waiting around. Since I said I'd help you, I won't go back on my word. If you trust me, just stand behind me and watch quietly."
Steven waved a hand at the girl behind him, his confident posture making it seem like he wasn't facing a swarm of monsters, but rather a group of insignificant bugs.
"After running for so long, I'm tired. This open space seems just right—it's time to send these creatures on their way."
Rolling his shoulders, Steven glanced at the monsters that had nearly reached him in just a few short moments.
His lips curled into a grin, one that carried a hint of cruelty.
"Even if you can handle them, if they manage to stall you, no one can guarantee that something even more dangerous won't show up afterward! Even if you don't think about yourself, at least consider your companions!"
Irene's gaze was still full of doubt.
If not for her instincts telling her that this man wasn't exaggerating his abilities, she would have already taken Gladiia and left.
"No, no, no—have you ever considered that this is exactly what I want? My real goal is to meet those so-called 'bigger guys' behind them."
Steven turned his head back and patted the small head of Gladiia, who had stopped moving the moment he did.
Only this forgetful little fool would trust him no matter what he chose to do.
"Besides," he added, "I don't think I've mentioned this, but I'm actually pretty strong."
As Steven spoke these rather arrogant words, he raised his right arm high into the air.
Fighting off a swarm of monsters? That was nothing special to him.
He had survived sieges of monsters and zombie onslaughts before—what could this group of ugly, good-for-nothing creatures possibly do to him?
Irene was baffled by Steven's cryptic words, but in the next moment, something happened that completely shattered her worldview.
A flash of light flickered in Steven's raised right hand.
Irene, expecting to witness some kind of Originium Arts activation, instead saw something completely bizarre—a perfectly square, pale gray stone block, about a meter wide, had mysteriously appeared in his grasp.
It was just an ordinary block of stone.
There was no fundamental difference between it and the rocks on the ground beneath her feet.
The only thing odd about it was that it was almost too square—so unnaturally precise in shape that it seemed unnatural.
And its size was a bit excessive.
Steven held the cubic stone in one hand as if it weighed nothing.
Just as Irene was wondering what he planned to do with it, he casually flicked his wrist and hurled the block forward as if he were throwing a baseball.
Boom!
A deafening sonic boom ripped through the air, like a meteor streaking across the sky.
Irene couldn't comprehend how someone could throw such a massive rock at such an absurd speed.
But by the time she managed to react, a massive clearing had already appeared in front of Steven.
The terrifying creatures that had stood in the stone's path had been pulverized into dust. At the point of impact, the ground had caved in, leaving a crater over ten meters wide—like the aftermath of a meteor strike.
The sheer speed of the rock's flight had caused the surrounding air to heat up from friction, leaving behind scorched marks along its trajectory.
The deep pit at the end of the impact zone had been charred black, reduced to a lifeless wasteland.
How much raw power would it take to achieve such a result? Was this guy some kind of humanoid Feranmut?!
But what left Irene even more speechless was the fact that Steven didn't seem the least bit strained from what he had just done.
With an expression of utter nonchalance, he casually conjured another identical block from seemingly nowhere.
Never in her life had Irene imagined that someone could just throw rocks and create such an utterly jaw-dropping effect.
She was at a complete loss for words.
The sheer astonishment and confusion clogged her throat.
All she could do was rub her eyes in disbelief and stare as Steven continued his bizarre assault—like a living, breathing catapult—hurling massive stone blocks at a rate of one per second, bombarding the monstrous horde ahead of him.
Only Steven himself understood the frustration behind his actions.
If only he still had access to all his usual mods, he wouldn't have to resort to something so primitive.
Sure, brute force rock-throwing was a solid tactic in any world, but let's be honest—there was no elegance or flair to it whatsoever.
A grown man, flinging rocks in a fight?
God, how embarrassing.