Ghost Island. (3)
Karla and Jakal were annoying named monsters. Not just their brute strength, but their unique traits as well.
However, Karla wasn't a bad matchup. Her Authority trait worked like a prison, but I could resist it with my mental fortitude.
The problem was Jakal. No one on this team could handle his raw power.
Officially, at least.
"……"
I turned silently to Allen. He was listening to Hesrock's briefing with a grave expression.
"Exploration results. The mana stone mine is the castle itself. But mining presents many issues. The mana induces lethargy and nightmares, not to mention the bandits like Karla and Jakal we just encountered……"
Hesrock continued calmly. West, Luhan, Selene, and the other team members assisted from beside him.
"To prepare for any group lethargy, please wear these bracelets. A thick fog that induces sleep occasionally blankets the entire castle."
Hesrock handed out the bracelets. They were simple devices delivering electric shocks every three hours.
"Further exploration will commence tomorrow at 18:06."
"Why specify the exact time?"
Hesrock answered Ihelm's question.
"Because of the passage we discovered. It opens most stably on the 6th, 16th, 26th, and 36th at 18:06."
"The entrance is that small door?"
"Yes. Also—"
"Before that."
I cut them off. Then I levitated the throat steel with Telekinesis.
Having experienced it firsthand, it was time to use tools.
"I'll circulate this steel throughout the castle."
Whirrr—! The throat steel flew in all directions: up the castle stairs, right and left corridors, diagonally upward, every which way.
Hesrock, tracking the steel's movement with his eyes, asked,
"Please explain, Professor Deculein."
"These steels resonate with me."
This level of resonance was akin to having extra limbs. The twenty pieces of throat steel were no mere metal. They deserved to be called "they," reading my thoughts, will, and instincts, empathizing, and making their own judgments accordingly.
"The steel emits waves to gauge spatial dimensions and mana density. It relays all that information to me. If spatial discontinuity applies to objects as well, I can map the place just by sitting here."
"Wooow~ As expected of Professor Deculein!"
"……Hmph."
Allen beamed with double thumbs up, while Ihelm slouched indifferently, shifting his seated posture.
Hesrock said,
"Understood. An excellent method. We'll await the results."
The morning on Goreshi Island felt like it lasted only a couple of hours.
Even the clear noon was fleeting. The sky soon darkened to pitch black, thick storm clouds unleashing endless rain and wind.
"All four elements are in play……"
Rumble—!
"Mom! ……Ugh, seriously."
In that chilling landscape where lightning occasionally growled, Ifrin studied her paper.
"A new Pure Element manifesting in perfect harmony of all four……"
Luna-Deculein's paper demanded not just difficult formulas and unique concepts, but magical talent and skill beyond comprehension.
Thus, for practical spell application, perfect mastery of the paper was essential, along with the caster's innate talent.
"……Granting near-infinite elasticity to any magic. This property is termed 'carbon.'"
In that moment of analysis.
Ifrin felt chills creeping up her spine.
"……"
She glanced at the window with just her eyes. Reflected in the glass behind her was some grotesque entity.
A freakishly elongated limb swaying like it was dancing.
Ifrin whipped her head around to glare at it.
A human body stretched like rubber, with West's face dangling from the neck.
He grinned widely. The long limbs still danced.
"Ifrin. Did you enjoy the fish?"
Hair-raising, but no cause for worry. Ifrin frantically searched the room for someone.
Deculein.
The chair where Deculein had sat moments ago was empty.
A dream.
"Dream!"
Ifrin opened her eyes.
……
"Ugh— buh— bububub—! Bububububeb—!"
A bizarre groan echoed. Ifrin, now asleep, thrashed her limbs against the ceiling in convulsions.
"Whoa, Ifrin!"
Startled Allen turned to her.
"Bubub—"
"Wake up!"
Allen rushed over and shook her awake.
"Ugh—!"
She bolted upright, drenched in cold sweat.
I said lightly,
"This is reality."
"……Ah."
Ifrin sighed in relief.
"You okay?"
Allen patted her back with genuine concern. Ifrin muttered dazedly,
"Y-yeah, yeah. But why do I get so many nightmares……"
"Proof your mana sensitivity is exceptional. You perceive the castle's mana more acutely. Your mental strength, however, lags behind."
I surveyed the surroundings.
Something felt off about this first floor. The team, including Hesrock, seemed adapted enough, but for someone as perceptive as Ifrin, it must be unbearable.
"No choice. You two stay on the second floor as well."
"……Huh?"
"Whaa?"
Ifrin and Allen tilted their heads in unison. I suppressed the rising discomfort.
"I'll give you one bed. Share it."
Enduring twenty in communal quarters was tough—no, impossible—and even saying it made my skin crawl with allergy-like itchiness.
But carving out space in my room for two more was tolerable……
"……Tasty?"
"Yeah! You eat too, Lia!"
Meanwhile, the luckily escaped Lia had set up base camp in a small bedroom in the castle. She'd made soup from last night's fish and fed Leo first.
"How's your body? Feeling okay?"
"Yeah. But……"
Leo glanced at the still-unconscious Karos. Karos's veins pulsed blue. The child's small body was reacting to the castle's demonic energy.
Lia placed a magically chilled towel on Karos's forehead.
"It's fine. We'll make it fine, right?"
"Yeah! Of course~ But Lia, who was that just now?"
"……"
Lia fell silent.
The sudden assault by Karla and Jakal. Ganesha trapped in Karla's Authority, Jakal's sword about to swing.
Then, a figure appeared as if by chance.
Lia knew him.
The key villain, a story branch point in himself: Professor Deculein.
"……Doesn't matter."
That was all she said as she looked at her hand. Her finger joints were mangled.
She'd cleared countless side quests, her growth steep almost like an alt character, yet blocking just one exchange with Jakal had wrecked her hand.
"Lia. That guy was strong."
Leo, watching her, spoke up. Lia smiled brightly.
"Yeah. Super strong."
His response was astounding.
"I wanna fight him again. Won't win, but still."
"……"
Lia stared blankly before chuckling dryly.
Well, Leo was born of the Martial Tiger bloodline. This kid wasn't normal either.
"Don't even think it. Rest easy for now. Until Ganesha returns. Got it?"
"Yeah~"
Ganesha losing wasn't even a consideration. Lia had prepared the quest progression meticulously.
Matching her own growth, she'd invested in Ganesha's too.
Just by tipping her off about treasure locations, of course. Thanks to that, Ganesha's gear was a hidden piece jackpot.
Maybe even enough to trade blows with that monstrous 'Zite'?
"Yaaawn~ Lia, you sleep first. I'm good, slept plenty."
Leo said with half-lidded eyes. Lia snickered.
"Yawning kinda kills the credibility?"
"Aw~ Lia barely slept. If you have a nightmare, I'll wake you……"
With that, Leo fell asleep.
"Pfft."
That's why they're kids. So easily swayed by instinct.
But why was my mouth yawning wide too?
"Yaaawn……"
Lia fought sleep. But after nearly 72 hours awake, yawns came unbidden, thoughts fragmented, and her brain shut down near-comatose……
"……Zzz."
Soft snoring. A peaceful lullaby-like atmosphere. In the room with three kids asleep on the bed.
A piece of throat steel approached.
Flitting like a bird, gauging the space's mana, it soon detected three unidentified lifeforms.
The steel fixed on one child, staring piercingly.
Karos.
Throat veins bulging. Pulsing blue bloodlines.
Most tellingly—breath mingled with heat and demonic energy.
Recognizing the anomaly, the steel trembled and relayed to Deculein.
……I opened my eyes quietly.
The steel's perceptions flooded my body. I looked at my wrist.
Veins raised. Blue-tainted blood. Boiling heart.
Unmistakable evidence. My bloodline reacting.
"Haa……"
I exhaled hot breath. Blood surged, the world seeming to slow.
"……Demon."
The steel spoke. A being with excessive demonic energy, worthy of the name demon, lurked in this castle.
This flesh sensed that presence too. Vividly, like burning.
"If there's a demon."
The window reflected my face. Blue eyes gleamed like crystal, irises sharpened ferally.
"I must kill it."
I moved. No other thoughts. Just duty. Inevitability.
Yukline blood. This instinct transcended mere hunting and slaying demons. It meant impossibility of coexistence in the same world.
The mana in this blood always pursued demons.
Because a demon was there, it killed.
Step—
The path to it was simple.
I'd use the twenty throat steels like a thread.
The castle was vast, so it would take time, but……
Step—
I wouldn't miss.
Find and kill, without fail.
Step—
For daring to stand in the same space as me, that demonic kin.
That cursed beast not even worth devouring.
Step—
I'd tear it apart.
Step—
Ascending stairs into the corridor, Yukline blood whispered. Intoning the hatred passed down generations.
"……Fear the demons."
"—Ack!"
Lia woke to the electric shock on her wrist. She blinked sleepily around.
Fortunately, the current spell on her robe had triggered.
"Phew……"
A nightmare, but mild. Not even that scary.
"Leo! Wake up."
Lia shook him. He woke calmly, no nightmare.
"Yaaawn…… Why? Ganesha back?"
"Nah. Time to move spots."
Leo nodded drowsily, hoisting Karos on his back. As Lia packed tools.
Bang—!
The door flew open.
"Who's there!"
"……Hm?"
The intruder: a tattooed, vicious bald brute.
Axe slung over his shoulder, he grinned at them.
"Here they are! The kids!"
The bandits. Lia pulled her hood low and drew her dagger. One she could handle.
"Hey! These the three Jakal mentioned?!"
—Where? Where!
The bald one's bellow drew more. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…… thirteen in total.
"Yeah, these brats!"
"Found 'em! Grab 'em and go!"
"Kuhuhu. Come here! Come here!"
The only door blocked by bandits. Fully surrounded. Lia gritted her teeth.
Too many to fight while guarding Karos.
"Give up, it's easier~ Hey hey~"
"……Leo."
As the bandits approached drooling greed, Lia spoke to Leo beside her.
"Ready?"
"Obviously!"
"Right. One, two."
As she was about to say three.
The moment Leo and Lia stepped forward.
Lia's Intuition triggered, time slowing.
Kwaaaaa—!
Destructive blast. Right wall shattered.
Like a grenade, shockwave surged, thick smoke filling the room.
——!
Relentless roar. Ears ringing, body swaying.
"Ah……ugh."
Even fallen, she peered through.
Whooo—!
Bandits thrust weapons at the sudden attack, but dozens of steel shards swarmed mockingly.
Shooooaaa—
Innumerable projectiles pierced the smoke. Speeds defying reason, skewering bodies.
No—drilling in, rotating. Muscles, bones, organs, flesh disintegrated, spraying skyward.
"……"
Thirteen bandits reduced to chunks in an instant.
Lia shifted from the horror to the figure emerging from the fog.
Step—
Step—
Clear footsteps piercing her ears. Measured strides, cane behind back.
From the feet up, a noble silhouette revealed……
"Wha……"
Lia gasped. Utterly unexpected.
"……"
Deculein.
Lia stared. His gaze, however, fixed elsewhere.
"Ah……"
At first, she mistook him for reinforcements. But those blue eyes held no salvation. No.
That dazzling retina gleamed with—pure killing intent.
"……"
Deculein's perfect noble lips twisted. Aura of murder rising, eyes sharp as blades fixed on one child.
Karos.
"Leo?"
"……Yeah. I get it."
Lia easily grasped the source of this stabbing hostility.
Demon extermination was Yukline instinct incarnate, but Karos's blood…… was half-human, half-demon.