Chapter 129
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Party A and Party B
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I quickly slipped into the heart of the forest.
By now, Dabih and Vega must have noticed my intrusion.
With the rain this weak, there's no way they wouldn't.
A normal downpour might be different, but this rain was their handiwork, conjured by their powers.
"Caw."
Everything was in place.
Of course, there were a few regrets.
My feathers, depleted from the cockatrice fight, hadn't fully recovered.
I hadn't turned into a plucked chicken like I did against that bald knight.
Twilight Feather lets me pluck countless feathers and wield them like spirit swords, and I can even recover the ones I've used.
So no matter how much I overuse it, I won't end up a bald crow.
Of course, things were different against Bertolt and the bald knight.
Back then, all my plucked feathers turned into her hair, leaving me chicken-naked for a while.
Normally, I can recover used feathers, but not in that situation.
Same with the cockatrice.
I could reclaim the ones I used to attack it, but not those hit by its petrification and poison.
You can't recover feathers that have melted or turned to stone.
So while I've lost some feathers, it's nothing major.
If the fight with it had dragged on, it might've been risky, but this level is manageable.
I pressed forward.
Toward their center.
Shhhhaaaa...
The deeper into the center I went, the fiercer the rain grew.
Thanks to the cockatrice's lingering poison, though, it was too calm to hinder me.
How far had I walked?
A voice rang out, as if they'd been waiting.
"Ho ho, walking right into our lair on your own."
"How ever should we repay such gratitude?"
The gentle patter of raindrops.
The voices echoed from within them.
"Dabih, look at that thing. That size—it's a massive crow!"
"Indeed, Vega. This must be the entity from the prophecy."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
To check their status windows.
But I couldn't see their info.
Simple reason.
To use Crow's Eye, I need to see the target.
The voices were clear, but their positions weren't.
They knew what I looked like.
They were watching me.
But I couldn't spot them.
Probably using their water manipulation.
"Look at it craning its neck to find us. How adorable."
"Imagine keeping a bird that big in our palace. Well, not this crow, though."
Shhhhaaaa...
I glared at every single raindrop.
"Think we're hiding?"
"It's cute. I'd love to show our faces right now, but your worth hasn't been proven yet."
Between the gentle rain, I saw some energy condensing.
Info from the Queen of Birds beforehand.
Their attack.
"Tch, you'd normally wander the eternal labyrinth, but this should suffice."
"Ahaha, Vega, you serious? That'll turn it into crow smoothie."
What I saw: spears of compressed water.
"Show us what you're capable of."
Why they wouldn't reveal themselves.
Why they kept talking like this.
Simple answer.
To gauge my powers.
I was confident against their abilities, but no need to flaunt it from the start.
Hide it well, and it becomes a lethal dagger.
So I wouldn't play along in this probing skirmish.
"Craaaw!"
I charged toward where the spear formed.
"Oh my?"
A massive water spear crashed where I'd stood.
Shhhlaaash!
Boooom!
The spear exploded on impact.
"Impressive speed!"
"Dodging instead of blocking—smart judgment! Yes, quite impressive."
I evaded.
Yet their attack range didn't reach me.
Couldn't pinpoint their location yet.
This endless rain.
It concealed them.
"Now, twice as—"
Shhhlaaash!
Two massive spears formed.
Aiming to intercept me.
I could guess their attack pattern.
Dodge this, and they'd keep it up.
Positions hidden, they could attack freely.
Couldn't just watch.
"Craaaaaw!"
I bellowed.
A shout, like a battle cry.
But not just any cry.
Command Roar LV1
Enhances physical abilities
The trait I'd gained from hunting the cockatrice.
It boosted my physical prowess.
Crack, craaack.
My body swelled in an instant.
Not overwhelmingly, but meaningfully.
I launched into the air with the roar.
Raindrops hindered, but a short flight was fine.
I used my enlarged wings and strengthened muscles.
Shhhlaaaash!
Flapping mid-air whipped up wind.
It scattered the raindrops briefly.
Revealing the two hiding forms.
Dabih & Vega LV50
You who commit evil in the name of love.
Hear the voices of those suffering from your blind love.
Beloved. How can you ignore fate?
Beloved. How can you drown in sorrow?
I widened my eyes again.
Them counted as one enemy, and that description nagged at me.
Similar phrasing to the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman.
But no Latin choir.
Less like the Host of Eternal Night...
Yeah, more like facing the ghost bride.
If Scarecrow and Woodman were bosses, these two were mid-bosses.
"...This is surprising."
"Right? How'd it think of that?"
"And that roar just now... Heh heh..."
Humanoid forms, but liquid bodies.
Black shadow-like wisps endlessly poured from their faces, making them grotesque.
"Haven't shown this form to outsiders in ages..."
"Hmm, before we proceed, mind if I gouge out an eyeball?"
Chilling words.
"Easy now, Vega. What does the crow know?"
"True. It won't charge again after seeing this. Seems clever enough to grasp the gap."
Dabih and Vega were strong, no doubt.
Couldn't tell if their fusion hit LV50 or if each was around there.
Either way, too tough for me.
"Come here quietly, crow?"
Numerical advantage too.
Way beyond my current level.
"We won't be rough. Come on."
...That's what they think.
"Swung!"
Swungswung swiftly tossed something from his pouch into the air.
"Th-this is..."
Black shadows roiled.
What he'd thrown: Black Wolf's tail fur.
Reacting to my power, the entity from Gretel's hut appeared.
"Awooooooo!"
A wolf's howl echoed.
Shadows coalesced into form.
A massive wolf evoking a tiger.
My reliable ally, Black Wolf, joined the fray.
"Your ace? Heh, can't underestimate a familiar like that."
Black Wolf's face twisted slightly.
Probably offended by "familiar."
"Hey, crow. We're contracted to something far beyond a mere wolf."
"Ahahaha! Right! We're bound to the Witch! A true pact wielding her authority—not some weak contract!"
Spilling their power source unprompted.
Contracted to that Witch who weakened the Queen of Birds, huh.
"You can't beat us!"
Arrogant cries from Dabih and Vega.
But they missed one thing.
Swungswung hadn't thrown just one tail fur.
Red energy surged.
"Wh-what...?"
A mightier presence than Black Wolf gathered.
Craaaack.
A massive sickle appeared.
Booom!
A huge hammer slammed the ground.
From the red aura emerged a crimson figure.
"Rise!"
Red cloak wielding sickle and hammer.
The one who'd posed as the Red Witch before.
"H-how...?"
"W-w-w-witch...?"
"Impossible! No way..."
Dabih and Vega's confident voices trembled.
"Caw caw."
Contracted to a witch, you say?
I made a similar deal.
"Craaaw!"
And on this side, I'm Party A.