The Boulder Sage's Sacrifice
The Spriggan village was shrouded in a grim atmosphere. At the village entrance, the Spriggan warriors and the Sage of the Boulder had taken their positions. The scouting party had once again set out to pinpoint the fungal creatures' locations.
"That one is the village's guardian deity..."
"But there's a mushroom on its face..."
The Spriggan residents peeked their faces over the barrier. They knew of the Sage of the Boulder—an ancient guardian deity who had protected the village for generations. A being born from faith and reality intertwined, conceptual yet magical, yet undeniably real.
The Sage of the Boulder looked up at the residents. The Spriggans who met its gaze flinched and quickly ducked back behind the barrier.
「They do not fear the enemy.」
"With the Sage here, what are a few mushrooms to us?" Mano declared with pride. He was already reveling in his role as priest. With the Sage of the Boulder at their side, he believed defeating the fungal monsters would be effortless.
「Stay vigilant. You know nothing of them.」
"Are they not merely monsters?" Seori asked respectfully.
The Sage of the Boulder blinked one eye slowly before speaking.
「They are ancient beings risen from the deepest abyss. From the days of the old human underground kingdom until now. They endured countless ages in the cold darkness before arriving here. Beware their queen. She is no ordinary foe.」
The Sage of the Boulder itself was an incredibly ancient existence. It had existed as a guardian spirit of the underground long before the Spriggans built their village. After the creation of the Phantom Pyroxene and the Spriggans' worship, it became the village's guardian deity. It was one of the few beings that still remembered the era of the old human kingdom.
"Captain Seori. The scouts have returned."
A Spriggan rushed over to report. Dungeon Seeker Noman and the Spriggan scouts had returned after confirming the fungal creatures' movements. Holding his Seer Lantern, Noman approached Seori.
"Uh... just as we expected. An Earth Worm is tunneling toward the village. Behind it are dozens—no, hundreds of Walking Funguses following."
The Sage of the Boulder slowly rose to its feet.
「Warriors. Prepare for battle. Drive out the invaders of this land!」
"Waaaaah!"
The warriors let out a fierce battle cry. Mano and Yuri blessed the fighters.
"Please take shelter in a safe place."
"Be careful, Seori."
The Spriggans quietly retreated into their homes. Only the brave warriors climbed atop the barrier, driven by the urge to witness with their own eyes the battle that would decide the village's fate.
The ground trembled. The earth rippled as if struck by an earthquake—the sound of a suffering being thrashing in agony. An Earth Worm infected by the fungal plague burst through the surface, its head emerging from the hole.
"Kaaaaaaaak!"
More holes punched through the ground. Dozens of Earth Worms had carved out massive tunnels. From the black openings emerged warriors fused together by fungus—Walking Funguses. They could force their way through narrow tunnels because they did not breathe. They knew no fear because they lacked reason. They moved mechanically in response to their queen's psychic commands—terrifying soldiers indeed.
Dozens of Walking Funguses crawled out from each hole. There were countless mushroom monsters.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Seori shouted like thunder.
「Warriors! Slay those hideous monsters!」
Awooooooo! The Sage of the Boulder let out a long howl. The cry stirred the warriors' hearts.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
A battle cry erupted. The Spriggans were originally a gentle and kind race, but in this moment, they needed the savagery of beasts. Kindness alone could not defeat the enemy. Only fierce resolve and aggression could bring them down.
'...There are more of them than I thought.'
Seori, gripping his spear, watched the approaching enemies. Unlike the Spriggan warriors whose fighting spirit burned hot, the Walking Funguses were eerily silent. They had no will. No intelligence. They only obeyed their queen's commands.
'This won't be easy.'
The Spriggans quickly formed ranks. Using their superior height, they packed their spears tightly together. Like a hedgehog, they raised a wall of spears and glared at the charging Walking Funguses.
"Spears! Ready!"
The Walking Funguses rushed forward. Even with sharp spears aimed at them, not a single one slowed down. They knew nothing of fear. Only one thing could stop them—ruthless violence!
"Thrust!"
At Seori's command, dozens of spears shot forward. The sharpened metal pierced through the Walking Funguses' bodies, riddling them with holes. Dozens of Walking Funguses collapsed to the ground like rags after taking the barrage of spears.
Hissssss...
A noxious cloud of fungal spores erupted from the corpses. The Spriggan warriors lowered their heads and coughed violently.
"Kuh, kuhack!"
Seori gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Maintain formation! Do not retreat!"
Thanks to Seori's powerful leadership, the Spriggans barely held their lines. Even with choking spores filling the air before them, the warriors refused to flee. That alone was remarkable.
"More incoming!"
"Spears! Stand by!"
The Spriggans in the front line rotated with those behind. The warriors stepped forward with anxious eyes, gripping their spears. Those who had inhaled the spores coughed violently and vomited yellow fluid.
"Uweeeck..."
The Walking Funguses crashed into the Spriggan warriors. The Spriggans fought with everything they had to hold back the massive wave of fungal creatures.
「Vanish! Cursed monsters!」
The Sage of the Boulder unleashed a howl like a scream. In that instant, a thick gray mist poured from the giant wolf's maw—the Breath of Limestone. As a spirit blessed by the Earth Mother and the village's guardian deity, the Sage of the Boulder could exhale a breath carrying the curse of petrification.
The charging Walking Funguses began to harden. The curse within the petrifying breath transformed them into stone. Dozens of Walking Funguses turned to rock in an instant. The Sage crushed the petrified monsters beneath its paws.
Awooooo!
Seori and the warriors watched in awe. Though the Walking Funguses were numerous, the Spriggans had their guardian deity.
"The Sage is with us!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The Spriggan warriors cheered. But at that moment—
Rumble...
With a massive tremor, the ground split apart. From the holes carved by the Earth Worms, dozens of fungal tentacle clusters erupted. Like monsters hatching from eggs, they shattered the thin crust of earth and massive mushroom monsters raised their heads.
"Those are..."
Seori was at a loss for words. Five giant Walking Funguses, each easily over five meters tall. Monsters capable of smashing the village barrier like twigs.
The Sage of the Boulder gazed at the mushroom monsters with calm eyes.
「It seems my opponents are them.」
The Giant Walking Funguses charged toward the warriors' dense formation. They were living siege weapons whose sheer mass could send Spriggans flying. Every step they took made the earth quake violently.
"U-uaaah!"
A Spriggan warrior screamed. Unable to withstand the pressure, several warriors broke formation and fled.
"Hold the line! Fleeing will only get you killed!" Seori roared until his throat was raw.
「Fall back, children!」
The Sage of the Boulder leaped forward. The massive wolf collided with a mushroom giant. The ground shook as if struck by an earthquake. The mushroom giant staggered under the impact and collapsed.
「Who dares lay hands on Eshgal's descendants!」
The Sage of the Boulder howled ferociously. Without pause, it sank its teeth into the mushroom giant's neck. The giant flailed its arms in resistance, but it was no match for the Sage. Though thorns pierced its mouth and wounds opened along its jaws, the Sage paid no heed and savagely tore the mushroom giant apart.
Grrrr...
Yellow saliva dripped from the Sage's mouth. It had absorbed too many fungal creatures while tearing into the giant. The Sage of the Boulder staggered weakly.
"Sage!" Seori cried out urgently.
Two more mushroom giants charged toward the Sage. Their massive fists slammed into the giant wolf's abdomen. The Sage groaned in pain and dropped to its knees.
"Warriors! Take up your weapons! We must help the Sage!"
「No! Stay back!」
The Sage shouted while shaking off the mushroom giants.
"You fool!"
Spriggans were light and swift. Seori, the most outstanding warrior among them, moved with near-superhuman grace. He sprinted at incredible speed and launched himself into the air. Like a scene from legend, the spear-wielding warrior leaped toward the giant's head.
Whoosh!
Seori's spear struck true, embedding itself in a Giant Walking Fungus's skull. He drove the spear in with all his strength, then twisted and tore the wound wider.
"Die! You monster!"
The mushroom giant swung its arms. Seori moved nimbly, dodging the attacks. Crawling and leaping across its body, he slashed and tore at the giant with his blade. His relentless assault finally brought the mushroom giant down.
While the Sage of the Boulder struck down the remaining giants, it called out.
「Truly a valiant warrior. I am proud of you!」
It was a feat no other Spriggan could have accomplished. Once the battle ended, Seori would be hailed as a hero, his deeds passed from mouth to mouth.
"Kuhack, kuhack..."
Seori coughed violently. He spat irritably. His mouth was filled with the disgusting taste of chewing raw mushrooms.
"Haa... haa..."
Seori looked around. Many warriors had collapsed from spore poisoning. Yet the number of fungal creatures was overwhelming. A decision had to be made.
"Everyone. Retreat behind the barrier."
"But..."
"I'll handle the giants. Take your comrades and fall back!"
Even at Seori's command, the warriors hesitated.
"What are you doing?! Move!"
Only then did the warriors begin helping their fallen comrades retreat behind the barrier.
'Two giants left.'
Seori's eyes gleamed sharply.
'If the Sage takes one... I'll have to deal with the other.'
His stomach churned as if he might vomit. Seori had fought aggressively, slaying mushroom monsters. He had inhaled far too many spores.
'...Can I do this?'
The question was meaningless. Seori had to succeed. Failure was not an option. If they could bring down the giants, the barrier would buy them some time.
'Here I go!'
Seori charged toward the swarm of mushroom monsters. But at that moment—
「Brave warrior. It has been an honor to fight alongside you. I will never forget this day.」
The Sage of the Boulder spoke. Seori stopped and smiled at the Sage.
"It has been my honor to fight with you as well, Sage!"
The Sage's eyes darkened. Seori did not miss the change. The Sage of the Boulder bit down on Seori and hurled him over the barrier.
'...Sage?'
Seori could not comprehend what was happening. Then realization struck.
"Sage!"
Awooooooo! The wolf's piercing howl echoed—eerie yet sorrowful. The cry of the Spriggans' guardian deity. Only then did Seori understand. The Sage intended to save him and face the fungal creatures alone. It had already resolved to die on this battlefield. It was a powerful being that had lived for centuries. Perhaps it had foreseen the moment of its death.
「O great Eshgal! Grant me strength!」
Seori scrambled up the barrier. In the distance, he could see the Sage trampling through hordes of Walking Funguses, bravely battling the mushroom giants.
"Sage..."
Even as dozens of Walking Funguses clung to it, even as it inhaled thick clouds of spores, the Sage did not stop. It managed to bring down two mushroom giants.
「Children of the earth! Fear not! The Earth Mother is always with you!」
The Sage of the Boulder howled.
「We shall be victorious!」
Thud!
The massive wolf's body collapsed to the ground. It moved no more. Having completed its task, it looked utterly at peace.