Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Death Swamp (8)
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-Piiiioooo….
With a slender screech, a massive blaze erupted from Theodor's chest. Blinded half to death by the brilliantly multicolored flames, Pavel flailed about.
“Urk, urgh!”
The rainbow flames enveloped Theodor's entire body, blazing fiercely before slowly shifting form. A gigantic bird with a gleaming body, a long rainbow tail, and wings gazed down at Pavel. In that instant, Pavel gasped for breath, his heart burning with agony.
“Gah…!”
Pavel dropped the vines and dagger clutched in his hands, collapsing as he clutched his chest. His heart burning away….
It was real.
Pavel's heart truly was burning up. The heart, brimming with unnaturally potent mana thanks to Black Opium and Black Worm, was now consuming that mana as fuel and incinerating itself. Every time Pavel opened his mouth to scream in excruciating pain, light flashed from deep in his throat instead of a cry.
The eerie flames that began in his heart surged through his limbs and soon into his mouth and eye sockets. Pavel collapsed without even a dying gasp. His internally charred body turned to glowing ash the moment it hit the ground, scattering into the air.
The radiant bird watched from start to finish. Once Pavel had vanished into ash, the bird let out one final mournful cry before oxidizing away. The towering rainbow flames dwindled, seeping back into Theodor's chest, leaving only a tiny bird in their wake.
-Auuuuwuuu….
Ayla wailed long and plaintively, hoping her master would awaken. But her cries were soon drowned out by the fierce sounds of battle echoing from afar.
* * *
“Hah!”
I spat out a blood-tinged breath as I pushed myself upright. The moment I came to, I frantically checked my side. My clothes were torn, bloodstains vivid, but the wound itself was gone.
Impossible.
I'd blacked out. That meant my skill should have deactivated. Unlike potions that persist after consumption, skills cease the instant they're released. A wound healing without a trace was simply not possible.
That wasn't all.
The thug who'd attacked me had 'vanished' somewhere.
After going so far as to stab me, just gone?
Looking around, the tough vines he'd prepared remained, along with the dagger that had pierced my side.
The blade even bore clear, dark red stains—undoubtedly my blood.
“What the hell happened….”
As I braced my hand against the ground to stand, something sharp caught my palm.
“This is….”
A jagged black gem shard.
I'd seen this before.
It was embedded in the bodies of every monster that had ambushed us so far.
Realization hit, and my heart raced.
'Damn it, looks like I'm tangled up deep with whatever this weird crap is.'
Still dizzy, I pressed my hand to the water ash tree branch and activated [Voice of the Forest] to assess the situation.
[Voice of the Forest] was, simply put, a skill that let me converse with plants.
Using it, I could glean even the tiniest hint from the water ash tree's memories.
I closed my eyes and focused. The water ash tree opened to me—the one who planted it, like a parent—and I peered into its recollections.
'…That's it?'
A flash of light.
That was the water ash tree's entire memory.
'Like lightning struck or something.'
No further gains, so I released the skill. A flash of light? Did the thug get divine retribution? Ridiculous.
'But trees don't lie.'
So the scene the water ash tree showed was truth.
This mystery would have to wait.
At least I now knew the bastard who attacked me was deeply tied to this black gem.
The moment this mission ended, I'd investigate it.
Once done, we'd head back to the Western Magic Tower—asking around there would work.
“Ayla!”
Calling toward the base of the tree, I felt her bark joyfully in response. She'd sensed trouble up here but couldn't do anything, leaving her terribly anxious. Whining, then barking—chaos.
“Just a bit longer.”
After the brief command, I gripped my bow again. The battle wasn't over. Hydra roars kept coming from afar, explosions tagging along.
-Fweeeeet!!!
I blew another long whistle.
“Theo—dor—!!!”
I spotted Jamil atop the Hydra, swinging his axe.
He'd done well in my absence—more scales peeled off the beast.
“Good.”
I took a deep breath, nocked a silver fir arrow, and aimed at the largest wound on the Hydra's body.
Below the neck, where a massive scale had fallen, black flesh pulsed visibly.
“Hoo….”
The target locked, and the world went still.
In that moment, it felt like only the target and I existed.
The taut bowstring was primed to strike true.
The water ash fairy perched on the arrowhead smiled at me.
-Skreeeeee!!!!
The arrow flew with a sharp wind howl. Trailing sparkles again, as always. I didn't blink once, eyes fixed on that light.
-Thud!
-Splaaaat!!!!
Hit. Black blood sprayed into the air, a agonized wail echoing across the Death Swamp.
Even pierced, the Hydra spewed venom everywhere. The ground sizzled audibly. But that was it. Mages' follow-up attacks set its body ablaze, and the colossal frame—with its final head—crashed into the marsh.
-Kabooom!!!!
Thunderous roar and quake.
And….
[Achievement Unlocked: Ninth Slayer]
[Bonus Effect: Hydra Fang Usable]
Yeah, a Hydra warranted an achievement slot.
Fang usable—first, claim the fang.
I hopped lightly from the tree onto Ayla's back.
“Let's go, Ayla.”
She bolted like the wind. The swamp overflowed from the Hydra's fall, path a mess, but she deftly dodged puddles to reach the center.
“Those with irrecoverable potion wounds, over here!”
At the center, I gathered the injured. Excluding me, no one on this job could heal, so as sole healer, I had to triage fast. I piled mana potions from my subspace ring and began treatment. So many casualties, mana drain immense—I had to sip potions nonstop.
The ranged mages were luckily light on damage, but the mercenaries? Guts spilling, limbs gone. Limbs beyond me, so I just eased pain as best I could.
“Done?”
“Yeah. We'll manage the rest with potions.”
Jamil grinned boisterously despite blood pouring from him. Wait—poison symptoms? I handed him a couple antidote potions I'd prepped and clicked my tongue.
“Drink these. And when stamina returns, got a favor.”
“What?”
“The Hydra corpse—sever just the heads.”
“Just heads?”
“I'm not yielding the body. Peel all scales for something useful. Hide too.”
“Oho.”
“Dump the flesh. Don't even think of eating.”
“Shame.”
“Wanna die? Eat it.”
Treatment wrapped, I headed to the mages retrieving Black Dragon bones. Mana near depleted, legs shaky, but before they hogged everything worthwhile, I needed my cut. At the site, swamp waters receded to reveal an altar.
“Servant of the great Rasgal….”
Reading the altar's inscription aloud unbidden, Jacob stared in surprise.
“You know Demonic?”
“…Just imitating.”
[Interpreter] let me handle most tongues, but admitting full fluency might trap me in the Western Tower forever—I fudged it.
“Looks like an altar. Recovered the Black Dragon bones?”
“Yes. More than expected. The Tower Lord will be pleased.”
“Mind if I look?”
“Of course.”
Jacob knew my contract with the Tower Lord.
'Ownership of all resources excluding Black Dragon bones belongs to Theodor.'
That's why mages couldn't touch the tempting Hydra corpse.
Anyway, I climbed the altar, inspecting everywhere. Beyond Rasgal praises, maybe hints at valuables.
Rasgal, Rasgal, Rasgal….
Tracing letters, I spotted an odd phrase.
'Purest soul.'
Rasgal followers offered Black Dragon bones, so why 'purest soul' inscribed?
No dragon mentions anywhere.
If bones were sacrifice, it should note them.
Purest soul.
Per the Demonic inscription, they offered the purest soul to Rasgal.
Lost in thought, I traced slowly.
-Click.
Then it.
Fingertip caught, a button depressed.
Some lock—seamless stone parted softly atop.
-Slide.
Inside, a round egg gleamed like opal.
Unsure what it was, I reached out entranced.
“…!”
Memories flooded in.
Fragmented, but enough to grasp what happened here.
Yes.
Rasgal followers' sacrifice wasn't Black Dragon bones.
An unhatched dragon egg.
The purest soul.
That's what they meant to offer.