Chapter 306: The Answer
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 306: The Answer
Rumble, rumble...!
“What on earth is that...?”
Everyone stared in utter shock at the massive fortress of stomach walls soaring hundreds of meters into the sky. Its sheer scale alone was magnificent enough to dwarf most high-level spells.
While invisible from the inside, the exterior was braced by a colossal composite skeletal structure that clung to the walls like a ribcage, maintaining its form. Between the bones, thick muscle fibers and tendons pulled with immense force, anchoring the structure together.
It was, quite literally, a wall of living flesh and bone. All the other explorers could tell was that this gargantuan barrier had risen into the sky to imprison Belmorak, two unidentified high-tier members of the Necro Species, a Vampire, and a Succubus.
However, it wasn't long before the massive wall of meat began to collapse and shrink in size.
“Is—is it falling apart?!”
“I guess it wasn't strong enough to hold those powerful members of the Necro Species...!”
The wall curled inward from the top, steadily decreasing in size. Eventually, it transformed into a sphere of flesh about five meters in diameter, which began to throb like a heart.
At a glance, it looked like a giant egg; at another, it looked like a mass of writhing meat on the verge of exploding.
But everyone present shared a single, chilling sensation.
“Even from this distance, the mana feels so ominous...”
“If that thing goes wrong, we’re all dead!”
Despite the distance, the sphere radiated a powerful mana that was even influencing the Necro Species of the Hollow Breeze.
* * *
“Right, that’s how it was.”
It wasn't as simple as just eating a Legion Commander of the Necro Species and calling it a day. Everything didn't just magically work out.
I had a faint memory of Iris telling me something similar before. It was probably back when I consumed the Knight Lord’s mana core. She said that just because I ate something more powerful than myself didn't mean I could immediately use its power.
The Knight Lord had been a decent fellow, so that transition was manageable, but this Necro Lord was clearly out of his mind. His way of speaking was a real pain in the ass, too.
“What is this place?”
It was a field. A field so vast and wide that nothing else was visible on the horizon.
The crops were in terrible shape. It looked like they had been growing wheat, but nothing remained alive; it looked as if something had swept through and decimated the entire harvest.
And then, something approached from the distance.
Clip-clop, clip-clop...
A farmer appeared, leading a gaunt, malnourished horse. He was stooping to pick up the few remaining husks of withered plants.
“Hello there.”
“...And you are?”
The man had a deeply somber, gloomy expression. He had a short, unkempt beard, shaggy hair, and hollow eyes. Judging by the straw hat on his head, he was likely the owner of this vast field. It’s not like he was a candidate for Pirate King or anything.
Like the Knight Lord, he seemed to have no memory of becoming one of the Necro Species after his death. The Knight Lord I met had also appeared in his human form at first.
In his case, he only found peace after his swordsmanship was acknowledged. It was a very peaceful resolution.
“What are you doing?”
“Can’t you see? I’m feeding my horse.”
“Looks like he needs to eat a lot more.”
“Are you mocking me now?”
A deep shadow fell over his hollow, lifeless face. But he didn't even seem to have the energy to get angry; he simply leaned against the horse and moved slowly with it. He showed no reaction to anything other than the animal.
A large scythe, meant for harvesting crops, was slung across the back of the horse as it chewed on the tough husks of dead plants. Was it because the farmer was the one who used the scythe?
“Why is the field in such a state?”
“...Death. Death swept through.”
“Death?”
The farmer let out a deep sigh and spoke as he walked slowly, matching the horse's pace.
“Judging by your clothes, you’re no farmhand.”
“I’m not.”
“To a farmer, death... means a swarm of locusts. No matter how vast the field, once they pass through, everything is stained with death.”
I’d heard of it before. How in medieval times, a massive locust swarm could devour every crop in sight and then just vanish.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Is that all you have to say? Be on your way.”
“...Where are you headed?”
“I must walk this entire field so my horse doesn't die.”
“And what about you? You can’t eat these tough husks. There’s nothing for you to eat.”
“....”
The farmer stared at me in silence for a long time before shaking his head and continuing to walk with his horse.
“You know nothing.”
“I assume you have food stored away somewhere.”
“The locusts took everything.”
“Then—”
“Didn't I tell you?”
The farmer cut me off, sighing as his scythe rattled against the horse.
“There will be a festival when I return to the village.”
“A festival...?”
“Yes. Because death has come to the village as well. If we eat people, we will live.”
“That’s...!”
“That’s what? Are you going to tell me we shouldn't do such things?”
He tilted his straw hat back, fixing me with a wide-eyed stare.
“Who doesn't know that? Do you really need to say it out loud?”
“....”
“I am a farmer. When I return to the village, I will be given the most. And I will be the first to eat. Everyone will look at me with envious eyes as they hand me the meat of the youngest child. Because it’s tender and delicious. Because it’s fatty and easy to eat. Because I must survive so I can work the fields again next year.”
“...I see.”
“Then, tell me, who is death?”
“...What?”
The farmer looked at me with eyes that had gone cold as ice and moved slowly.
“If I return, the children of the village die. Because I must eat to live. The rye we had stored in the mill ran out the day before yesterday. When I return after finishing today’s work, some child will likely be dead. A child a beautiful bride spent a year in pain to bear. All to feed me. Then tell me... who is death?”
“....”
I watched the farmer’s receding back and pondered for a long time.
The conclusion came to me so quickly that the phrase "a long time" felt misplaced, but the words were stuck in my throat, refusing to come out.
Swallowing hard, I finally spat out the answer I had found.
“You’re talking absolute bullshit.”
“...What?”
The farmer and the horse came to a dead stop.
He turned around slowly, his face etched with clear bewilderment.
“If you hate it that much, then die. Right here. Don't feed the horse. You die, too.”
“What are you—”
“Do that. Then, as a soul, look back at the village. You’ll see then whether your living is death, or if your ceasing to exist is true death.”
I drew a long sword from my fingertips and spoke.
“If you can’t live with the guilt, I’ll kill you myself. Shall we see what happens to the villagers then?”
“W-wait! What are you saying?!”
Whoosh!!!
The sword swung through the air, stopping just at the edge of the farmer’s scrawny neck.
Thud..!
Gasping for breath, the farmer collapsed to the ground and began fumbling at his neck to see if he had been cut.
“Why? Why are you trying to live? If you die, wouldn't the villagers be able to live?”
“T-that’s not it! Even if I die, in the end—”
“In the end, someone else dies to feed the rest. That’s it.”
“....”
“Your nonsense was so long it gave me a headache.”
The farmer sat on the ground, staring blankly into space for a long time. Finally, he pushed himself up on trembling legs and began to trudge across the endless field.
It took a very long time for him to disappear from sight, but I remained standing there, watching his back until he was gone.
‘I think I failed.’
Since I had the ability, should I have just conjured up a mountain of meat for him?
Just as I was clutching my head and wondering if I should restart by committing suicide—
“...I guess that was the answer.”
The vast, desolate field began to crumble away into pieces.
* * *
“We’re in the final stretch! Ignore that thing and give it everything you’ve got—!!!”
After Belmorak’s volley of arrows swept through, many explorers were caught in a cycle of being wounded and healed.
The explorers were being pushed further away from the center of the portal by the necro-monsters, which were swarming more fiercely than ever.
The synthetic monsters Yoo Eon had created began to collapse one by one as their mana cores ran dry. Only a few high-tier synthetic monsters remained to assist the explorers.
As always, this period—stretching from 4:00 PM past 5:00 PM—was the most difficult and painful. Even the Orichalcum-grade explorers were reaching their limits after the long battle and needed to rest.
Above all, the absence of a barrier meant they couldn't trap the Necro Species in one place, which took a heavy toll on their morale.
In reality, the synthetic Horus flying in the sky was snatching up any Necro Species that strayed too far with its talons, dealing with them as they escaped, but still.
Between the recent events and the sheer intensity, this Hollow Breeze was more grueling and painful than any they had ever experienced.
And then there was the sphere of flesh pulsating like a heart in the distance, a constant threat that could turn into a massive catastrophe at any moment.
“Phew...!”
Even Nefertiri, with her body blessed with tireless endurance, saw her reaction speed drop due to the continuous combat. Just because her body didn't tire didn't mean her mind was immune to exhaustion.
This was the time when the absence of Adelaide, who was the natural enemy of the Necro Species and possessed high combat sustainability, was felt most keenly.
“Kahahat...! This is the perfect time for a beer...!!”
Lykes O’Connor, whose ‘Gigantification’ had expired long ago, didn't lose his smile even as he swung his axe with all his might. Every muscle in his body was screaming in pain, but he was one of the few Orichalcum-grade explorers present.
He couldn't afford to show weakness.
“We have too many casualties!”
“Urgh...!! It can’t be helped! Let’s try to hold out just a little longer!!”
Skaeda, who had brought nearly half of her clan members with her, was also bleeding profusely. However, the complaints of the clan members who had joined the fray had long since been silenced.
Everything was happening exactly as she had predicted. If they had even a few fewer people, their sector would have been breached. Her call for reinforcements had been correct. There was also the rookie Orichalcum-grade explorer who was monstrous enough to take down a terrifying beast even at the cost of his own life.
However, a part of Skaeda Justitia’s heart was still filled with worry for Yoo Eon.
‘Is he truly still alive...?!’
Just when they felt they needed any help they could get—
Gurgle...
Splat...!!
The sphere of flesh, which had been asserting its presence with massive waves of mana in the distance, suddenly split in half, spraying a torrent of blood.
“A-Aven...?”
* * *
There was a topic that the Page of Arcana and Sharmana Anuyai rarely researched together.
Why does the difficulty of the Hollow Breeze fluctuate? What exactly dictates its intensity?
During the Hollow Breeze that followed the first tidings of victory across the surface world, more people than ever became interested in the phenomenon, and much of the anxiety surrounding it was alleviated.
To the uninformed, it was a terrifying event, but the general sentiment was: We’ve already conquered it once, so how bad could it be?
After that, every time an Orichalcum-grade explorer retired, the power of the Hollow Breeze increased—even if they hadn't died.
When detailed information began to be shared through recorded broadcasts, the Hollow Breeze initially remained strong, but before long, explorers noticed it gradually weakening.
They couldn't figure out the principle behind what made the Hollow Breeze stronger or weaker.
The Hollow Breeze was Belmorak’s authority. A type of labyrinth that commanded the souls and corpses of the dead.
The power and majesty of all the monsters within a labyrinth varied wildly depending on the master’s mana capacity.
And now, Yoo Eon held the answer to that mystery.
The mana core of Belmorak embedded in his chest...
...was harvesting mana from the ‘fear’ of living beings.