Chapter 190: Sion Loves a Good Fire
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 190: Sion Loves a Good Fire
“Filthy scum.”
The moment Maximus stepped into the Snake Nest, he flared with rage at the sight of the sludge plastered across the walls.
It was a residue formed from the congealed bodily fluids and oils of the snakes. While it provided beneficial effects to the monsters born within the nest, it inflicted various negative ailments upon intruders.
“What is all this?”
“It looks like the snakes’ fluids have hardened. You can just call it sludge.”
“Sludge... To think their secretions could turn into something this sticky.”
Rosier also expressed her disgust at the viscous mess coating the nest. Not only did it reek of a fishy, serpentine stench, but it was also visually and hygienically revolting.
“The composition is similar to snake oil. It’ll burn fiercely if we set it alight.”
“It’s everywhere. One wrong spark and this whole place will become a sea of fire.”
Meanwhile, Marle showed a spark of curiosity. He scraped some of the green sludge off the wall and collected it in a small glass vial. As an elite mage of the Magic Tower, he had a habit of collecting anything new or unusual he came across. To him, everything was a subject for research.
“Let’s start by clearing all this sludge out.”
“Is that even possible? To clear it properly, we’d have to burn it. If we do that, we’ll be roasted alive along with it.”
Ulysses was startled by Sion’s suggestion and tried to dissuade him. There was no real way to remove the pervasive sludge other than setting it on fire.
“Surely you aren’t expecting me to control the flames? Unfortunately, my attribute is the polar opposite of fire, so that would be difficult.”
Fearing the task of fire control might fall to him, Marle shook his head, manifesting his shadows. Even if mages could generally control flames, Marle was less of a pure elementalist and more of a shadow mage who had delved deep into a single well. Controlling fire—the antithesis of shadow—would be far too taxing on his magical power.
“I have a plan.”
Sion reassured the anxious Ulysses and Marle. At the same time, he pulled out the fireproof cloaks he had prepared in advance and handed them to the party.
“These are incredibly expensive, so make sure to return them when we’re done.”
“Understood.”
“One of these must cost at least 20 gold coins. You really do intend to start a fire.”
“Yes. It’s the most efficient way.”
Once he confirmed everyone had donned their fireproof cloaks, Sion raised his arm toward the path ahead. His heart was already racing. Ever since they entered the Snake Nest, he had been itching to set the place ablaze and wipe away the sludge.
“What I’m about to show you is the greatest mage I know.”
The presence of a mage makes a world of difference in a Labyrinth expedition. When a team has a proper mage, situations that would otherwise be a grueling struggle are often resolved in an instant. A mage is like a universal tool.
The presence of a mage is just as precious as the vanguard who protects the party from the front. And right now, Sion’s party included the strongest mage in human history.
“Helena, if you please.”
Sion summoned Helena, who had been waiting within the Bracelet of Growth. A tiny sprout grew from the end of the flower-woven bracelet, and soon, a dragon revealed itself.
“A dragon...”
“To think she’s grown this much.”
The group held their breath at the sight of Helena. Her pitch-black scales writhed as if each one were a living creature. Her vertically slit pupils exuded a pressure that made their skin crawl. Furthermore, she possessed claws that could easily shred steel and teeth that looked capable of crushing anything they bit.
The black monster rose within the darkness. It was a calamity, a manifestation of despair born from Sion’s hand. Ulysses and Marle were forced to step back by the typhoon-like surge of magical power.
They realized it instinctively. This being was the master of all mana—living magic itself.
“I... I greet the Great Helena.”
“Hah.”
Marle bowed his head toward Helena, while Ulysses couldn’t take his eyes off her, his breath hitched. Soon, Marle’s shadows began to fluctuate wildly. They screamed at him to submit to the opponent before him immediately. Ulysses’s thorn vines were the same. All will to fight had been extinguished.
It wasn't just that they couldn't win; they couldn't even fathom the idea of fighting. The two men finally understood why mages lost their fighting spirit when faced with a dragon. This was something that existed on a plane far above any mage.
“Shall I burn it all?”
“Yes. Please burn everything in the direction we’re heading.”
“So be it. I shall ensure thy journey to the center is without discomfort.”
As Helena’s heart began to thrum, pouring out magical power, her breath took on a searing heat.
“Whoa!”
“Th-this is...!”
The party panicked as Helena gathered her mana. Even with fireproof cloaks, could they really survive those flames? No matter how great a mage or dragon Helena was, could she truly control such an inferno perfectly?
She was a dragon roughly the size of a human. She had already surpassed the hatchling stage. Hatchlings are weak—so fragile that one never knows when they might die. But once they pass that stage, explosive growth begins.
Moreover, the being currently inhabiting the Black Dragon’s body was Helena, the former Witch of the Dark Moon. She had perfectly matured the dragon’s body to suit herself and had obtained a Dragon Heart with 1.5 times the output of an ordinary dragon. By her next molting, that output would likely double or more.
It was uncertain whether a single thin cloak could withstand a breath unleashed by such a monster with full intent. Even if it wasn't a direct hit, the sheer aftershock could cause severe burns. Even those inside Black Iron Golems couldn't guarantee they'd be unscathed.
Seeing the party’s unease, Sion summoned his second summon.
“Cough! This disgusting smell makes it hard to breathe.”
The second summon to emerge from the Bracelet of Growth was a bird with pure white feathers. It was the legendary bird known as the Ice Snow Bird, a divine creature inhabited by the soul of the former Saintess, Freya.
“I need a barrier, please.”
“To think I was dragged to a place like this just to cast barriers. My lot in life is quite pitiful, isn't it?”
“I’ll treat you to those southern fruits you said you wanted to eat later.”
“Really!? Is that a promise?”
“Yes. I promise, so just give us a barrier. It’s really urgent.”
“Fine, fine! Stop pestering me.”
Satisfied with the reward Sion offered, Freya cast a barrier that enveloped the party. Both Marle and Ulysses were struck with awe at the barrier that formed in an instant.
“What in the world is this...?”
Ulysses gasped as he looked at the barrier Freya had created. The sight of the matured dragon was shocking enough, but the barrier from this Ice Snow Bird was beyond the human realm.
‘It’s not magic. This is the domain of Holy Incantation. It’s amazing enough that he has two summons capable of speech, but this bird uses Sigil Magic?’
He had never seen or heard of such a creature. And for good reason. The Ice Snow Bird itself was an extremely rare creature. Furthermore, the soul residing within that body was none other than Freya. This meant there was only one Ice Snow Bird in the world capable of using Sigil Magic.
“It shall be hot.”
Having confirmed the barrier Freya had cast, Helena immediately exhaled flames forward. Pitch-black fire incinerated every bit of sludge clinging to the Snake Nest.
Helena had imbued her breath with an attribute. The flames did not go out; they surged forward, burning through the nest as if they possessed a will of their own. Monsters that had sensed the danger and rushed toward them were instantly reduced to crumbling charcoal.
At that sight, Joshua felt a flash of inspiration, while the Gladiator Brothers felt only fear.
“My god...”
“If you had such incredible beings, you should have brought them out sooner...!”
“Well, I had my reasons.”
Sion didn't want to rely blindly on Helena and Freya. As reliable as they were, they were weapons that were simply too powerful. He believed that if he became too accustomed to such overwhelming power, his own growth would stagnate. Since his ultimate goal in the Snake Nest was growth, he hadn't brought them out from the start.
However, after facing monsters that were difficult to handle, he decided it was better to just sweep everything away for now. That was why he had called upon Helena and Freya.
“The flames have subsided. Let us go.”
The Snake Nest, now cleared of the black flames, was filled with the savory aroma of roasted snake meat.
“It’s absurd that it actually smells delicious.”
Chloe looked on in disbelief at the charred remains of Nagas and Lamias scattered in the corners of the path. The nest really did smell appetizing now. Of course, since he was inside a Black Iron Golem, he couldn't actually feel hunger.
Seeing the path they would have struggled to break through cleared in a single blow, he realized once again how incredible the dragon Sion had brought was. It was only natural. A former Witch of the Dark Moon in a dragon’s body—her strength was a given. Helena had been among the top tier even among Platinum Paddles.
“I can eat this, right?”
“A-ah, no. Uh, sure. Do as you like.”
Freya pecked at the well-roasted snake flesh with her beak. Since entering the bird’s body, she lived far more according to her instincts than before. She even took every opportunity to perch on Rosier’s shoulder. Knowing this bird was Freya, Rosier felt uncomfortable but had no choice but to offer her shoulder.
“It will be difficult to recover the corpses.”
“It’s fine. There are plenty more at the center anyway.”
“I see. That is a relief then.”
With a single spell from Helena, the path to the center of the Snake Nest was perfectly cleared. The ease of their progress made Joshua hum a tune, and the party followed his melody as they moved forward.
*
“You felt that just now, didn't you?”
“I suppose I wasn't the only one. That was a powerful surge of magical power.”
“It seems they’ve brought a mage.”
“The smell of burning is quite pungent.”
The Fiends on the 7th floor, who had been passing the time killing snakes in the nest, realized a mage had entered the Snake Nest from the drifting scent of smoke.
“Is it the human who ran away earlier?”
“Perhaps. Not that bringing a mage will change anything. How amusing.”
“A pyromancer capable of wielding flames of that magnitude... Their heart should be quite a delicacy.”
At Alraune En’s sneer, the insect-man Nihila nodded and licked his lips.
“Mage meat is indeed a treat!”
The Undead Imp Modic also flicked his tongue, drooling. They still had no idea what kind of monster was approaching.