Groot's Sword (1)
The staggering man lifted his head. His eyes were stained a deep red.
"He doesn't look like he's in his right mind."
"Krrrraaah."
His voice twisted into something ever more grotesque. Phlegm gurgled in his throat, and saliva dripped steadily from his open mouth.
"Hiiik! It's started!"
The captive man gasped in pure terror.
"Untie me! We have to get out of here!"
He thrashed wildly, seized by panic.
Whoosh.
The black mana began to writhe once more. Strands of it coiled and circled around the man.
What the hell?
The pools of blood soaking the corpse heap were being sucked toward him. The black mana looked as though it were devouring the blood itself.
"Krrrraaaah."
The more blood it absorbed, the redder his eyes became.
I can't just sit here and watch this. Magic Missile.
Ellen fired a Magic Missile straight at the man's head.
Sssrrk.
But the black mana swirling around him simply swallowed the spell whole.
Ellen scratched his head, looking troubled.
"This is getting annoying."
"It's all over. We're all going to die here."
The man behind him finally started babbling nonsense to himself.
Not a single sane one among them.
Ellen shook his head. His gaze sharpened as he watched the black mana still greedily drinking blood. The easy calm he had worn until now vanished completely.
This is actually starting to look serious.
Having drunk its fill, the black mana now glowed a deep crimson. The aura rolling off the man made the hairs on Ellen's arms stand on end.
"KRAAAAH!"
The man roared and charged.
This wasn't pure mana attacks like before. He was wrapping his body in mana and coming in for the kill.
KWAANG!
If that lands, my skull's splitting open on the spot.
The man's fist hit like a boulder launched from a catapult. The ground where it struck cratered, stones flying in every direction.
Ta-at!
And he wasn't done. He matched Ellen's speed as if it were nothing.
Chiiiik.
A hand grazed Ellen's cheek. It was only a glancing blow from a fist, yet the result was almost the same as a blade's kiss. His cheek burned, and hot blood welled up and ran down.
Whoosh.
The black mana immediately drank every drop of Ellen's blood.
"Kh!"
Ellen felt strength drain from his body. The sensation of mana being siphoned away was especially foul.
"You've gone far enough."
He wiped the wound on his cheek. His eyes turned cold.
Ta-at.
Ellen bounced lightly in place a few times—then vanished.
It was the fastest footwork among the Phillips techniques he had learned.
Shuuuk.
Piyung.
The man never even saw what hit him. Tiny holes had already been punched through his body.
Piyung. Piyung.
Ellen remained invisible. Only the streaks of light streaking in from every direction gave any hint of his movements.
Those light spears punched clean through the man, over and over.
Thud.
At last the man dropped to his knees, blood pouring from every wound.
"Finally done."
Ellen reappeared at the same moment, hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. He leveled his staff at the man's skull.
"KRAAAAAAH!"
Suddenly the man surged back to his feet with a monstrous scream.
"Still got some left?"
Ellen prepared to fight again.
"K-kugh..."
Kwa-kwa-kwa.
Then the man's condition turned bizarre. The black mana raging around him sucked every last drop of blood from his own body. He withered into a desiccated husk, no different from the corpses behind him.
Thud.
Drained dry, the man collapsed face-first onto the ground. Only the black mana, now swollen and saturated with his blood, remained, writhing in the air.
At that moment the crystal orb the man had used to control monsters lit up. The thrashing black mana poured into it without resistance.
Could I have actually beaten that?
A cold sweat slid down Ellen's cheek.
In that final rampage, the man's mana had far surpassed his own. It had only been for an instant, but it had even made him feel fear.
Blood magic.
Proveng's voice rang inside his mind.
Blood magic?
What that bastard just used. I've never seen it with my own eyes, so I had my doubts—but that was definitely blood magic.
Even in the age when black magic had been tolerated, blood magic had been forbidden for its sheer cruelty.
It was more efficient and powerful than almost any other magic, but it demanded something beyond mana to cast.
Human blood.
Not a drop or two. The stronger the spell, the more blood it required.
So the monsters' berserk phenomenon was connected to blood magic too.
Having drawn the link, Ellen walked over to the remaining man.
"No, I can't. I can't do it."
The man still hadn't grasped the situation and was muttering to himself.
"Hey. Snap out of it."
"Aaaagh!"
The moment Ellen reached toward him, the man recoiled in pure fright.
"What... what just happened?"
Only then did the surroundings finally register.
Whack.
Stars exploded in front of his eyes. It felt like his nose had been smashed flat.
"I wasn't asking for your questions."
The man clutched his broken nose with both hands, unable to answer.
"What kind of bastards are you, using blood magic?"
"Khup!"
He started coughing violently, as if something had gone down the wrong way. Ellen had clearly struck a nerve.
"I—I can't say anything."
The desperate look in his eyes was thoroughly unlikable.
"Oh-ho. Is that so? Then I'll just have to make you want to talk."
After that, the cave was filled with the uninterrupted screams of one man.
"I'll talk! Please, just let me talk!"
The man prostrated himself before Ellen, practically begging.
When Ellen smiled brightly, the man flinched hard.
"What organization?"
"The Black Society."
"Black Society, huh..."
Ellen raked through every memory of his previous life. He had never even heard the name.
Master, have you ever heard of them?
Proveng had lived in the era when black magic flourished. There was a chance he knew something.
The Black Society. A pack of lunatics who researched blood magic. I don't know the details myself, but there was one incident that made them infamous.
Just as Ellen had hoped, Proveng knew of them.
They turned an entire slum outside Harryford into ruins for some magic experiment. I never imagined the group was still around.
In the time Ellen had lived, even black magic had completely died out, let alone blood magic. That was why no one had ever discovered the true cause behind the Peer Mountains monsters going berserk.
Now he had finally found the starting point of it all. Motivated, Ellen pressed for more information.
Hwaak.
The crystal orb still holding black mana suddenly flared with light.
Dwoong.
It rose slowly into the air.
The orb pulsed with a dark-red glow that felt distinctly ominous.
"Too late. Looks like that loose tongue of yours already did the talking."
A human voice emerged from the orb. The captive man's face went paper-white.
Seogeong.
Black mana burst from the orb and sliced clean through the man's neck. Ellen threw up a barrier in an attempt to protect him, but the barrier shattered like glass before the attack even finished.
Sssrrk.
Its work complete, the orb vanished as if nothing had ever happened.
"Damn it. That was the only lead I managed to dig up."
Ellen stared at the corpse in blank dismay. Aside from learning they belonged to the Black Society, he had gained nothing.
And time is running short.
He wanted nothing more than to dig deeper into the Peer Mountains, but he had already spent too long here.
By now they would be trying to reconnect the Kenipra Gate just to keep monsters from flooding the Little Gate.
I need to head back to the territory for now.
"How goes the work reconnecting the Kenipra Gate?"
"We've entered the final stages."
More than a week had passed since Ellen had entered the Peer Mountains claiming he would investigate the cause.
Is he even still alive?
Hugo had witnessed Ellen's prowess with his own eyes. But the Peer Mountains were a place where anything could happen without warning.
It's not exactly honorable, but I hope he returns before the Gate is reconnected.
With Ellen present, casualties would drop dramatically. Hugo was a noble who valued honor, yet the safety of his people and soldiers mattered far more.
"Report the damage situation inside the territory."
"As ordered, we are currently running special detachments to clear the monsters that have entered the territory. We have managed so far, but once the Gate is reconnected we will have to reduce their numbers."
Hugo's worries deepened. They had to clean out the monsters already inside while simultaneously holding back those pouring in from outside.
Veritati, I find myself truly waiting for you.
As if the thought had reached him, a servant knocked on the study door. His face was flushed with excitement.
"My lord! Yuhan has reported that Sir Remi Veritati has arrived at the Kenipra Gate!"
"Is that true? Heaven has not abandoned Kenipra after all."
Hugo was just as overjoyed by the news.
"Bring him at once. No—I'll go meet him myself. Prepare a horse."
He rose hastily from his seat.
"There's no need for that."
Yuhan jumped and stepped aside at the voice that came from behind him. Ellen stood there.
"Ohh. Sir Veritati, you've returned safely. Did you achieve what you set out for?"
Ellen shook his head at the question.
"I wasn't able to uncover everything, but I did make meaningful progress."
"That is fortunate news indeed."
"I heard most of the situation on my way here."
Hugo's expression darkened again at those words.
"If you've already heard, then there's no need for further explanation. Sir Veritati... I know this is shameless of me, but will you help Kenipra Territory?"
Hugo bowed his head.
The knight and servant beside him froze in shock.
Hugo held the title of Viscount. For a man of his rank to bow to a baron of common birth like Ellen was a complete violation of the social order.
Yet to Hugo, protecting his people and soldiers mattered more than his own pride.
He lacked the strength to protect them himself. The only one who could was the mage standing right in front of him.
"Viscount Bakler, there's no need for this. I came under orders from the royal family and the Magic Tower. Protecting the Kenipra region is the same as fulfilling His Majesty's command. If you keep doing this, it only makes me uncomfortable."
Ellen gently stopped Hugo, who was still bowing. Hugo reluctantly raised his head.
"Very well. This old man has made you uncomfortable. Please, sit."
When Hugo took his seat, Ellen followed suit.
"Then allow me to move on to more practical matters."
Ellen drew out the sword Groot had crafted.
"What is that?"
"A specially made sword. It's still a prototype, but it will be a great help to the special detachments."
A question mark appeared on Hugo's face. Ellen grinned at him.
"I'll just show you."
Ellen toyed with a button on the sword for a moment, then swung it lightly.
KWAANG!
"Th-this is...?"
Hugo's mouth hung open. Everyone else present was the same. The knight's face in particular was a sight to behold; he had long forgotten any sense of dignity.
"Even ordinary soldiers will be able to use it, not just me."
"Hooh."
Hugo could only murmur in admiration as he examined Groot's sword.
"With something like this, our soldiers will receive tremendous aid."
"I don't have many, but I'll give you every one I brought with me."
"You have my deepest thanks."