The Moonless Lake, Part 5
Black water.
I couldn't tell if I had regained consciousness or if I had simply died.
My mind was hazy.
Moving my limbs, which felt as if they were floating in midair, I pushed myself upward, higher and higher.
"Gasp...!"
My shriveled lungs greedily devoured the fresh air.
The sharp wind rushing down my throat expelled the stagnant water with a violent cough.
A feast of corpses.
My five senses, returning rapidly, took in the surroundings in an instant.
A burning stench, a pain like being skinned alive.
My body sank slowly downward, as if buried in deep mud.
—Kaaaaah!
Soft flesh showed through the dull scales of the serpent beast.
Its exposed entrails and rotting lumps of flesh were revealed once more.
Every time the beast thrashed, black fragments clinging to it rained down.
The young beasts that had clung to its body to plug its wounds lost their movement and fell away.
The juvenile bodies that couldn't withstand the lightning strike piled up, forming a mound on the surface of the water.
Floundering atop this dull island of corpses, I looked up at the serpent beast as it let out a chilling, mocking hiss.
And then, flames erupted.
A fierce boiling sound rushed toward me, and an indescribable stench pierced my nose.
Thrashing as it clawed at the ivory sword embedded in its crown, the serpent beast tore Gyal from its body. And just as it had done to its mate...
"Gyal!"
With a sickening tear, its jaws split wide, and it shoved his steaming body whole into its maw.
I lunged instinctively, but I couldn't reach him.
With nothing to kick off from, my legs flailed uselessly, churning the water amid the black mass.
Yet, I stubbornly clung to the beast's torso.
Infusing my hands with energy, I crushed its dull scales and crawled upward, scaling toward the throat where Gyal had vanished.
Crunch.
In response, the serpent beast shook its body violently and plunged deep into the water.
Diving vertically, twisting its long body, the beast descended to the very bottom of the lake. It glared at me, its white, bead-like eyes gleaming.
Suppressing my lungs—which felt as if they were about to burst—with my energy, I met its gaze.
A creature that could never leave the water.
In other words, an absolute predator beneath the surface that no one could easily challenge.
No matter how much those who lived on land drew their bows or brandished their flames, the serpent beast would simply wait beneath the surface, eyes gleaming, for its opponent to drown.
Knowing that time was on its side, the beast hovered leisurely in place, gently swaying its massive body.
I reached out and gripped Gyal's greatsword, which was rapidly cooling and spewing steam like mad.
The black greatsword, beginning to glow with a familiar crimson light, slid out smoothly as it sliced through flesh and bone.
Charred, shriveled flesh curled back against the hard scales, and mushy entrails spilled out along the newly opened gash.
Grab.
I grabbed hold of them and pulled myself forward.
With barely any resistance in the water, my body surged upward, closing in on its heart.
Startled, the serpent beast thrashed in resistance, but my crushing grip used its own organs as a rope, refusing to let go.
I focused my vision, taking in the entire sight.
...Yes.
A familiar dread rippled through the black water.
The sensation of my breath fading away.
Forcing my narrowing vision wide, I located the beast's thickest blood vessel with my fingertips.
And ripped it apart in a single motion.
Riiiiiip!
To an onlooker, it would have looked as though I were riding the beast, gliding through the vast lake.
Sticky membranes and blood vessels branching throughout its body ruptured, leaving a crimson trail in the water.
And finally,
Torn out by its roots, the serpent beast's heart came loose, swaying in the current.
...
The lifeless carcass of the beast began to float slowly upward.
Staring blankly at it, I clutched the heart, which was still violently pumping out blood.
"Gasp—!!"
Shooting up to the surface, I violently exhaled the air I had desperately held inside.
My head spun, and all strength drained from my body.
The sound of lapping waves. The gentle breeze rustling distant leaves.
Along with the chaotic shouting echoing from afar, the vast sky dominated my vision.
A pleasant lethargy washed over me.
Floating on the water's surface, I closed my eyes.
Sunlight filtering through the thinning dark clouds began to illuminate the lake, casting a sparkling shimmer across the water.
Sometime later, in the village square.
"Children and the elderly first! The rest of you, at least lie down in the corner over there!"
I could hear Rosia shouting as she ran back and forth.
Watching her from the window of the old man's house, I threw myself onto the bed.
My entire body was stiff, and my joints ached.
If I closed my eyes right now, I felt like I could sleep for days.
—As expected, a pathetic, weak body.
—Why don't you join those insignificant creatures and beg for your life as well?
...Shut up.
If only Tirmisia wasn't mocking me as usual.
I turned my head to look beside me.
On the adjacent bed, Gyal lay fast asleep.
Patches of melted skin were visible on his body, but it didn't look too critical.
It was likely the aftereffects of being caught directly in the lightning strike alongside the serpent beast.
Knock, knock.
The door opened with the sound of knocking.
"A young fellow acting so weak. How insolent."
The old woman, who had come in carrying food in one hand, cackled, her white eyes gleaming.
Behind her, two robust men and the old man appeared, groaning under a heavy load.
"Sir... are you finally feeling a bit more at ease?"
"You've got holes in your arm and stomach, yet you're the most fine out of all of us. Is that even fair?"
They were carrying Gyal's greatsword and my sword, which was crafted from the bones of the red wolf beast.
They barely managed to set the two swords on the floor before grumbling about their wounds reopening and heading back down the stairs without looking back.
The old man looked at the old woman, who was staring blankly at the scene, and said,
"...Thank you."
The old woman snorted in disbelief and left the room.
Without a word, the old man pulled an ointment from his breast pocket and slathered it onto Gyal's wounds.
"An old man with one foot in the grave ended up catching two massive fish thanks to you."
"Don't mention it."
I replied casually to the old man's roundabout expression of gratitude.
Immediately after the serpent beast fell, the old woman and Rosia, who had been taking refuge nearby, rescued me as I floated on the water.
When they asked about Gyal's whereabouts, I pointed to the beast's carcass, which had just floated to the surface. Only then did the old man snap out of it, making a huge fuss as he tied the carcass to his boat and dragged it to the dock.
I recalled the scene of them slicing open the belly of the suspended beast, pouring out an unconscious Gyal covered in gastric juices alongside the half-melted remains of the other beast.
And the villagers, who were just starting to regain consciousness, began screaming at the sight...
I felt the energy spreading through my arms, legs, and across my entire body.
Having unexpectedly slain two beasts, I had achieved a state where I could draw out far more energy.
—Though I wonder what you could possibly achieve with such a measly amount.
Despite the unexpected result, Tirmisia seemed entirely unimpressed.
Of course, compared to the colossal energy Tirmisia possessed, it was a mere handful, but this was enough to replicate any movement I desired.
Most of all, I no longer had to concentrate energy into specific parts of my body.
I could now maintain a state of enveloping my entire body in energy at all times, which made things significantly easier.
A few days passed, and Gyal finally woke up.
As soon as he regained consciousness, he assessed the situation, circulated his energy to heal his wounds, and prepared to leave the village.
Naturally, during this process, I handed over the newly acquired beast's heart to him.
"...I cannot consume this."
"Why?"
Aside from the rotting flesh stuck to it, it didn't look much different from any other.
Gyal emitted fire from his hand, completely burning away the flesh clinging to the exterior.
And the core contained within the heart revealed itself.
"The core is cursed."
Unlike other transparent cores, the serpent beast's core shimmered as if filled with a faint mist.
"What kind of curse?"
"I do not know. That is why I cannot consume it."
It sounded as if he would have swallowed it without hesitation if it were a curse he recognized.
Gyal continued his explanation.
"I do not know who planted a curse in the beast, or for what reason... Rosia?"
Gyal suddenly threw open the window and called out to Rosia.
Rosia, who had been in the middle of treating the last patient, entered the room with a puzzled expression.
"Did you call?"
"Can you identify the curse inside this?"
Rosia took the beast's core as if handling something unpleasant and examined it closely.
She handed it back to Gyal and replied,
"I don't know. I can tell it's a curse, but it's my first time seeing this kind."
"I see. That is enough."
Gyal stuffed the core into his pocket and stood up.
"Then, let us depart."
"Where to?"
Gyal thought for a moment, then asked Rosia,
"You speak as if you are coming with us. Weren't you planning to return to the castle?"
"What? Did you think I went through all this trouble just for a horse?"
Rosia pressed her hand to her forehead as Gyal looked at her, silently asking, Was that not it?
"You said you were going to the capital, didn't you? That's why I followed."
"You speak as if it is a given that we will take you."
"We're going the same way anyway, so what's the issue? Our destination is clear. I can help you fight those beasts or whatever they are, and I can heal minor wounds..."
Rosia looked at the two of us standing perfectly fine on our own feet and sighed.
"Even if it's not just for healing, you know what I mean. In times like these, where else is safer than by your or Kamil's side? We've shared life-and-death situations twice now, so please let me travel with you at least until the capital."
"You can share a horse with Kamil."
Gyal nodded.
"But why are you suddenly heading to the capital?"
"I need to head back to the Magic Tower soon. You're fine with this, right?"
Rosia looked at me with pleading eyes.
Having saved each other's lives once, we didn't really owe each other anything, but she was a reliable companion to have.
"We're heading the same way anyway."
Rosia smiled brightly.
We left Rahasha Village immediately.
Sent off by the old man and the villagers, we crossed the bridge that still stood firm and headed toward the capital.
As expected, beasts began crawling into the territory that had lost its master, but they were nothing but small fry.
After riding for about four days, the towering spires in the distance finally came into view.
The capital, Arselion.
A natural fortress nestled along a river that connected to the sea, situated between a massive canyon that looked as if it could split the continent in half.
Looking down at the panoramic view from the distant highlands, my heart began to flutter with an inexplicable emotion.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's absolutely magnificent."
Rosia, who was holding the reins behind me, spoke in awe.
I nodded in agreement.