Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Lurking in the Darkness (1)
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-Krrr...
A sinister noise, like nails scraping against metal.
'Zombies.'
None of us could move easily. We all held our breath. I exchanged glances with Lloyd. His hand was already on his sword. I quickly counted the zombies.
'...At least thirty of them.'
Not a small number. And at a glance, the corpses were in good condition. Probably because the cold of the Silver Mountains had prevented decay. Their skin had only peeled off in places, which made them among the best-preserved zombies. That meant they would be a pain to deal with.
"Tch."
"Tsk."
As Khalid and Didier clicked their tongues and began chanting spells, I raised my hand to stop them.
"Shh."
"......"
"......"
"No."
I whispered in a low voice. Khalid and Didier stared at me with faces that said they didn't understand. Khalid especially shot me a look like I was spouting nonsense.
But surprisingly, the ones talking nonsense were the mages.
I already knew what spell they were trying to cast. The first syllable they'd uttered matched the explosive spell's incantation. Flame Burst. It was one of the best spells for blasting zombies away. Nothing beat incinerating them all at once.
'But in this place, it's basically suicide.'
Was it because both Khalid and Didier were the type to hole up alone? They seemed utterly inept at real combat. Of course, they wouldn't normally deploy high-caliber talents like these to a frozen wasteland like this...
"Using an explosion spell here means we're all dead."
"What?"
"Huh?"
"The cave is too narrow. There are too many zombies, and there might be gas buildup inside from them."
"......"
"......"
"It might be fine in cursed lands, but not here. If the cave collapses, we die along with the zombies."
I whispered in a low voice and pulled a seed pouch from my pocket.
[Special Moonflower]
This [Special Moonflower], created by the goddess of forests and earth Lynshaka and the goddess of moon and mercy Nemeia, was special in every way. Unlike ordinary moonflowers that bloomed only under moonlight, this one bloomed only on new moon nights when no moon shone. It flowered in place of the moon itself. Just its blooming cast a soft moonlight glow around it, and the effect of the [Moon Light] skill was doubled or tripled.
It was a plant optimized for fighting undead.
The moonlight from moonflowers burned only the impure, without causing explosions. So, this was the only way.
'Lloyd and El could take the lead, but the space is too tight for fighting zombies. And if they get bitten... They'd turn into zombies before we could even take them to the temple.'
I poured the seeds from the pouch onto my palm. The light seeds rolled around, tickling my skin.
'First time using Special Moonflower seeds. Wonder how effective they'll be...'
Weakening the zombies moderately would do. Then Lloyd and El could just cut them down.
"Huuu...!"
I took a deep breath, then blew hard on my palm. The seeds scattered lightly in all directions.
'Good.'
After waiting for the seeds to settle on the ground, I knelt on one knee and touched the cave floor.
-Krrr...
-Gigig...
Perhaps catching our scent, the zombies staring into the cave depths slowly turned toward us. They sniffed the air and took one step, then another.
"Lynshaka, grant your power to take root in this barren land..."
I whispered as quietly as possible. Green energy extended from my fingertips. The mana blessed by Lynshaka sought out the seeds on its own, sprouting them.
-Pop!
-Shoot!
-Pong!
The lovely sounds of seeds sprouting and buds bursting!
Not bright yellow moonflowers, but shimmering silver ones carpeted the cave floor in a spectacular sight.
'...A horde of zombies walking among moonflowers. It's got its own eerie vibe.'
Preparations complete.
I exchanged looks with Lloyd and El beside me.
Once the [Moon Light] from the moonflowers neutralized the zombies, they would finish them off.
The two gripped their swords and waited. I quietly chanted the incantation, savoring the freshness of each moonflower petal.
"...So permit your light to shine here..."
-Fwaaaah!!!!
Before I could finish, the moonflowers erupted in brilliant moonlight. A clean, chilling silver glow utterly unlike the sun's brilliance! The light burst outward...
-Kieeeek!!!!
And burned the zombies—literally.
Ordinary [Moon Light] channeled through regular moonflowers only scorched what it touched. Undead could dodge by changing direction, which was a headache...
-Kiiik!!!!
But [Moon Light] through Special Moonflowers was on another level.
It didn't just scorch contact points. Silver flames, coalesced from the moonlight, clung to the zombies' bodies, spreading, growing, and ultimately engulfing them entirely in roaring blaze!
'The power is insane...!'
Zombies screaming in the silver flames soon crumbled to dust and vanished into the air. One by one, two by two, the silver blaze devoured them. The flames grew massive enough to lick the cave ceiling, yet burned nothing but the zombies. It targeted only undead. In fact, I picked up a zombie hand I was still riding and touched the flames—only a slight chill.
"My god..."
I heard Aquila mutter in awe from where she'd retreated. The clink and clank of Lloyd and El sheathing their swords followed.
"What the hell is this flame?"
"It's nothing like normal fire."
Khalid and Didier were poking at the flames on severed zombie parts, just like me. They looked genuinely shocked. Mages, always.
"Huu..."
It consumed more mana than my usual [Moon Light], leaving me a bit dizzy. Special Moonflowers guzzled mana. Impressive power, but I'd need to use it wisely.
"Impressive power."
Clap, clap, clap. Khalid grinned as he applauded. I shrugged.
"First time using it. Didn't expect this much."
"Don't be modest, druid. Be honest."
"Honest about what?"
"That's no ordinary incantation."
Khalid dangled a still-burning zombie finger as he spoke. I figured someone like him would notice its uniqueness...
"I prayed hard."
"......"
"Oh, do mages not pray?"
It was vague enough to brush off. Teasing his pride like a joke, and sure enough, Khalid dropped it. Mages and faith didn't mix.
-Clink.
Moving deeper into the cave, something caught underfoot. Everything should have burned away. I bent down and picked up the clinking object.
"This is..."
A gold necklace chain. The gem setting was empty. Had a zombie been wearing it?
"There's more here..."
Shiny things littered the area. Gold necklaces, silver bracelets, platinum tiaras... Plenty of jewelry. But all of them...
'No gems?'
The gem slots were empty. What the hell...?
'Pocket them for now.'
No gems, but gold, silver, platinum—all valuable. I stuffed them into an empty pouch as I ventured deeper.
"Whoa!"
Deeper in, an open chest. A faint glow emanated from inside. I recognized it instantly as the shine of 'treasures.'
Small as it was, a chest full of precious metals would fetch a fortune. The zombies were guarding this! I knelt and inspected it. Unlike the floor finds, these had proper gems—large, vividly colored, high-quality ones. Jackpot!
"Don't touch it!"
"...Huh?"
Aquila shouted then. Her face pale, she waved her hands frantically at me.
"Relax. We'll split it all."
"That's not what I mean!"
"Then what?"
I pulled back my hand from the chest and looked at her. If she wasn't worried I'd hog it all, what then?
"Th-that's an item possessed by a mountain ghost!"
"Mountain ghost...?"
Aquila pointed at the chest with trembling hands and yelled. Mountain ghost? We just killed zombies.
"Touch it, and your soul..."
"She's right, little one."
Didier cut her off. Ignoring the warning, she reached in casually, pulled out a ornate necklace, and examined it.
"It'll steal your soul!"
Aquila yelled in shock, but Didier laughed heartily, amused.
"Little one, I'm the witch of the Silver Mountains. This trinket can't take my soul."
True to her word, the gem in the necklace vibrated in her hand but did nothing. Didier gripped it with her black, sharp nails and chanted an unknown spell. Then...
-Crack!
The gem shattered to pieces.
"Shallow trick. Easy for dooming greedy humans, though. Not worthy of Tundra... Something else nearby?"
If not Tundra's trap, then...
"...Crows?"
I muttered, and Didier's sharp eyes turned to me.