Chapter 158
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158
Fwish—!
Ciel moved first.
She lunged at the Gon, her speed significantly higher than before. It was the combined effect of recovery potions healing her injuries and various body enhancement stones boosting her stats.
Swish—!
She twisted her body mid-air, effortlessly weaving through the Gon’s incoming tentacles to close the distance.
[Krrr!]
As Ciel drew near, the Gon let out a threatening roar, its maw gaping wide. The opening revealed rows of abnormally developed, razor-sharp teeth and splattering, highly acidic fluids.
Whoosh—!
The Gon lunged, its neck extending like a spring to snap at her. In response, Ciel flooded her feet with mana and sharply pivoted.
Snap—!
The creature’s jaws slammed shut on empty air.
Having evaded the strike, Ciel channeled her strength into her fist and drove it straight into the Gon’s gills.
CRACK—!
A dull thud echoed, followed by the sickening sound of something being crushed.
The Gon staggered from the force of Ciel’s monstrous blow, but only for a moment.
Whoosh—!
The beast simply shook its head and charged again.
[Krr!]
A strike powerful enough to shatter a house-sized boulder hadn't dealt any significant damage. Instead, it was Ciel’s fist that was scraped and bleeding; the creature’s thick scales were armored with a dense layer of razor-edged barnacles.
Squelch—.
Furthermore, the scales and barnacles Ciel had managed to shatter were already being knitted back together by the sticky mucus coating its body.
[K.k.]
The Gon stared at Ciel and let out a hideous, mocking chortle, as if to say her efforts were futile.
“Tch.”
Visibly annoyed, Ciel clicked her tongue and charged again.
She moved with dazzling fluidity, keeping the Gon’s focus entirely on her. While she couldn't land a fatal blow, her enhanced stats allowed her to fight the beast to a standstill.
While Ciel bought time, I pulled out a scroll and tore it.
Shaaaa—.
A sharp aura enveloped the Azoth Sword. It was Sharpen magic, a spell designed to enhance a blade's cutting edge.
I just need to wound it once.
Regeneration didn't matter. All I needed was to sink the Azoth Sword into its flesh a single time.
“Hoo.”
Taking advantage of the opening Ciel created, I circled around to the creature’s rear. It would have been difficult if the other fish-men had interfered, but perhaps due to the Gon’s pride or orders, they simply stood back and watched.
Suddenly—
“Haaap!”
Ciel grabbed the Gon’s tentacles with both hands. Wrapping them around her arms, she planted her feet and pulled with everything she had.
[Kr!]
Grabbing it by the tail, Ciel heaved the massive Gon over her shoulder.
Whoosh—!
The beast’s heavy body sailed through the air before slamming into the sandy beach.
BOOM—!
The Gon lay sprawled on the shore, kicking up a cloud of fine sand.
Now!
I seized the opening, immediately leaping onto the Gon’s back and aiming for the nape of its neck. My palms were scraped and bleeding from the sharp barnacles, but that was actually a blessing in disguise.
[Kr!]
The moment I landed, the enraged Gon tried to buck me off. I was nearly thrown by the recoil, but I locked my legs around its torso, raised the Azoth Sword, and drove it downward.
CLANG—!
The sword was repelled with a jarring vibration that rattled my teeth. Undaunted, I struck the same spot again.
CLANG—!
The blade was deflected once more, but this time, the barnacles were sheared off and the scales beneath were cracked.
One more time!
As I raised the sword again, the Gon’s instincts flared. It whipped its tail around to swat me off. I felt the muscles in its spine twitch—a clear telegraph of the coming strike.
Twitch—.
However—
“Not so fast!”
Ciel dug her heels into the sand and caught the tail tentacles, bracing herself as if in a tug-of-war.
Creaak—.
“Nice one!”
With my safety secured, I brought the Azoth Sword down with a final, desperate thrust, plunging it into the fractured scales.
Shunk—.
An unpleasant, squelching sensation traveled up my arm. The Azoth Sword was buried deep in its neck.
[Kr……]
Of course, this wasn't a killing blow. Even a common fish-man could survive a pierced skull; a superior species like the Gon possessed far greater durability. Enraged, the Gon’s eyes turned blood-red, and it began to thrash with primal fury.
“Whoa!”
Ciel was sent flying, unable to hold the tail any longer. I clung to the sword embedded in its neck, feeling like a rider on a bucking bronco.
I gripped the hilt and activated my magic. It was a different application of transmutation than before. I allowed the blood coating my palms to be absorbed by the Azoth Sword and whispered.
“Body Transmutation.”
Crackle—!
Blue lightning erupted as mana surged directly into the creature’s nervous system.
[Krrrr!!]
The Gon let out a horrific, gurgling scream. The mana flowing from the Azoth Sword began to indiscriminately transmute its internal organs, wreaking havoc on its biology. I could feel its bones, muscles, and nerves tangling together, festering and bursting from within.
[Krrrr!!]
No matter how fast its regeneration was, it couldn't keep up with its own cells being rewritten into a chaotic mess. I manipulated the magic one last time, scrambling the contents of its skull until the pressure became too much.
SPLAT—!
With a gruesome sound like a wet explosion, the creature’s head burst.
Thud—.
The massive body, which had been thrashing wildly a second ago, went limp and collapsed into the sand.
“Hoo, hoo.”
I wiped the black ichor from my face, stood up, and looked down at the carcass.
If this were a game, its magic resistance would have negated the damage.
But this was reality. Reality was crueler, but it also meant there were more weaknesses to exploit. As long as I was fast enough to plant the Azoth Sword, the creature was as good as dead.
“Hoo.”
I caught my breath and surveyed the area. We had killed the Gon, but the fight wasn't over.
[Krrr!!]
With their commander dead, the surrounding fish-men finally snapped out of their stupor and charged. We didn't have the stamina for a prolonged brawl.
“Ciel, over here!”
I called out to her and threw down a Cube I had kept in reserve.
Crackle—.
With a flash of blue lightning, a hemispherical barrier—the same kind I’d used against Elena—materialized, shielding us both.
Thud! Thud!
Outside, the fish-men pounded on the Cube, their claws scraping against the mana-reinforced surface. Once I confirmed they couldn't break through, I finally exhaled.
“Phew. That’s one down.”
“Good work.”
Ciel pulled a handkerchief from her subspace pouch and handed it to me. I wiped the black blood from my eyes and asked, “Are you hurt?”
“Just some scrapes on my hands.”
“Same here.”
We both applied recovery potions to our wounds.
“You know there’s another one, right?” I asked. We had confirmed at least two Gons earlier.
“Yes. And it’s approaching right now.”
Ciel’s expression hardened as she sensed the second commander drawing near. I handed the Aegis to her.
“This time, the rank-and-file fish-men will likely attack as well. We need to be careful. Take this.”
“But Sir Roen, you’ll be—”
“You’re the one drawing its attention, which means you’re in more danger. Besides, I have this suit.”
I patted the Altair suit and gave her a reassuring smile. Aside from its acid spit, most of a Gon’s attacks were physical. The Altair suit would handle them.
Besides, fish-men don't actually have high attack power.
With their level of durability and regeneration, it would be a balance-breaker if they were glass cannons. They relied on attrition and overwhelming numbers in close quarters. Physical defense was the perfect counter.
Thump—.
Thump—.
The fish-men continued to batter the Cube. Then, in an instant—
KRAKOOM—!!
A tremendous roar echoed as the entire Cube vibrated. The second Gon had arrived, striking the barrier with its massive tentacles.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
After that brief respite, we prepared to engage.
Crackle—.
First, I transmuted the Cube’s outer surface into a mass of hedgehog-like spikes.
Shk-shk-shk—!
[Krrr!]
The sudden spikes impaled the fish-men clinging to the barrier. With the immediate area cleared, I retracted the Cube.
We moved in perfect sync, following the plan we’d already established.
Swish—.
While Ciel parried the tentacles and drew the Gon’s ire, I looked for the gap to land Body Transmutation. It was a repeat of the first fight, and in some ways, it was even easier. I blocked the lesser fish-men by transmuting walls of sand, and having killed one Gon already, we knew exactly where to strike.
[Krrrr!!]
SPLAT—!
The second Gon collapsed, its head exploding under the pressure of my magic.
Thud—.
As its body hit the ground, I landed safely beside it. We had eliminated the commanders. The students on the wall wouldn't have to worry about surprise tentacle attacks anymore. Without the Gons, the fortress was unlikely to fall.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and reached out a hand to Ciel.
“Alright, let’s head back. You did great.”
“Yes!” Ciel beamed.
I transmuted a sand surfboard and we both climbed on. But just as we prepared to depart—
Swish—.
Swish-swish—.
“……!”
The ominous sound of slicing air returned. More tentacles—far too many to count—shot toward us from the darkness.
“Tch.”
I quickly deployed a Cube to intercept them.
CRACK—!
The Cube, which boasted near-absolute defense within Full Moon Island, was shattered instantly. It had yielded to Elena before, so I knew it wasn't invincible, but this was different.
The Cube began to self-repair, but—
Swish—.
Another tentacle snatched the Cube and hurled it far into the distance. It vanished into the sea of fish-men.
Did they realize the Cube was a nuisance? Unlike the mindless fish-men, the Gons possessed a glimmer of tactical intelligence.
[Krrrr…….]
The Gons that had cleared the barrier began to circle us. I stood back-to-back with Ciel, glaring at the monsters.
“This is… a bit much.”
At a glance, at least five Gons were surrounding us. Behind them, an army of fish-men covered the beach like a carpet of scales. I swallowed hard.
For this many Gons to appear… it makes no sense.
Even if their master, Kral, had surfaced, their numbers were too high and their movements too systematic for a simple territorial response.
Unless… I was the target from the start.
If Kral’s appearance and the mobilization of this army were specifically designed to kill me, then this scale made sense.
This was my mistake. I should have considered that I might be the primary objective.
“Sir Roen…” Ciel’s voice trembled.
I let out a deep sigh.
It’s come to this. I have no choice.
I wanted to avoid it at all costs, but I had to reveal my hidden power.
Slide—.
I pulled another Cube from my coat.
[Kr?]
The lead Gon tilted its head. I looked at it and smirked.
“What, did you think I only brought one?”
I had 500 Cubes left over from the ship and fortress construction. Holding the Cube, I glanced at Derod’s ring on my finger.
First, I’ll isolate the space with a Cube, then use demonization inside.
If I expanded the Cube to block all outside sight, I could minimize the risk of my identity being leaked. The demonic energy might still alert Elena, but that was better than dying here.
This is my last resort.
It was the reason I had the confidence to jump into this horde alone. I could save myself, and I could save Ciel. No matter the consequences.
Crackle—.
The Cube expanded into a massive hemisphere, sealing us and the Gons inside.
Thud—.
The barrier completely cut us off from the world. The Gons and fish-men looked around the darkened space, confused. I reached for Derod’s ring.
Just as I was about to pull it off—
[Kr… krr….]
[Krrr!!]
The fish-men surrounding us began to convulse. Their eyes rolled back, and they clutched their throats. They clawed frantically at their gills, writhing in agony before collapsing one by one.
[Krr, kr!]
Even the commander-class Gons twisted violently before crashing into the sand.
What’s happening?
At the unexpected turn, I dispelled the Cube. The scene outside was even more dramatic. The mountain of creatures that had been scaling the fortress walls had collapsed. The swarming, insect-like movement of the horde had come to a dead stop.
The fish-men lay motionless, a literal carpet of corpses. The deafening roars were replaced by a haunting silence.
Simultaneously—
Whoosh—.
The thick sea mist began to dissipate. As the fog lifted, an airship appeared in the sky.
It was a majestic, pure white sky whale. A beam of blue light emanated from the vessel, washing over the jungle island like a divine blessing.
Gwoooo—.
Standing proudly at the prow of the airship was a familiar old man.
I looked up at him and smiled.
“…You’re late.”