The Unsmiling Monster
Whoosh—! A sharp shadow slices through the air. The pitch-black blade becomes a thin line, carving through the moment and leaving only elegant trails in its wake. Before long, the sword tip tears into flesh. Swish— The monster's head splits cleanly in two, without even a scream. The lifeless chunks of the beast scatter across the floor. Black, rotten blood splatters at his feet. The narrow-eyed boy watches the death in silence.
"Hmm."
A short hum. Dozens of wolf carcasses, sliced into countless pieces, now litter the surroundings. Each one had been mercilessly carved apart. The boy flicks the remnants off his sword. Though the laboratory is drenched in blood, not a single stain mars the serpent's clothes. It is an overwhelming sight. A chilling killing intent spreads through the cold air.
"My, my… Have they gotten scared?"
The mutated creatures hesitate to attack. Watching their trembling forms, the boy smiles in delight. It is the cruel mockery of a predator.
Kiiiiiik—!
Whether provoked by the taunt or not, several wolves at the front lash out with their tentacles. But a waiting slash meets them midair. The shadow devours their grotesque forms. Thud… With a dull, hollow sound, holes are punched straight through their chests—only their hearts removed. The beasts, robbed of their vital rhythm, soon collapse. They are handled like mere toys.
"As expected of failures, their quality isn't very high."
Chimeras based on beasts. Normally, the focus is on extreme vitality, so they are modified to survive even decapitation. The goal is to create undying monsters. But these wolves are different. Though they possess ferocious strength, their life force is noticeably weaker than usual. It feels as though someone has haphazardly mixed them together, ignoring proper methods. More like a bored pastime than serious research.
"If you're bored, you should read a book… I can never understand cultists."
The serpent clicks his tongue softly. After wearing a regretful expression for a while, he suddenly turns his head toward his companions. There, two girls are fighting desperately against the mutated creatures.
Boom—! Thud, crunch—!
The sounds are rather brutal. The two are handling the situation calmly. Emilia keeps the approaching monsters at bay while Legia intercepts them with basic magic. There is one unfortunate issue, however.
"Hey, commoner! You're not calling that precious summon of yours again?"
"I-I'm sorry! I've been trying since earlier, but…!"
"You're completely useless!"
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Forget it! Just get out of the way and stop getting in the way!"
Summoning is causing trouble again. Perhaps shaken by the sudden attack, the incantation keeps failing. Legia eventually gives up and prepares basic magic instead.
"What do you think you can do with attacks like that…!"
Perhaps deeming it worthless, Emilia harshly scolds her while deploying her mana. Dense snowflakes bloom in the air. The boy, who had been quietly observing the scene, soon mutters with a bitter smile.
"…As expected, it's still too early."
They still have a long way to go before awakening. The serpent calmly steps forward. At the same time, he snaps his fingers toward the mutated creatures threatening the girls. A sharp, fleeting sound. Crack—!
"Now."
The wolves baring their fangs are lifted into the air. As they struggle grotesquely, dripping mucus, ice arrows fly from somewhere and pierce their bodies. The serpent's and the vain one's gazes meet. Emilia breathes heavily, as if exhausted.
"Haa, haa… They just keep coming without end."
"You seem to be struggling."
"I know you want to provoke me, but could you hold back in a situation like this?"
"I was genuinely concerned."
"As if."
Her brow furrows elegantly. Her blue eyes are filled with deep irritation.
"These monsters… They seem to have been created in this basement, don't they?"
"I think so as well."
"Chimera experiments… It looks like they've gotten involved in something far from ordinary."
"It was forbidden knowledge in the Empire for a long time. They must have been conducting research in this place where no one would find them."
"This is the worst in every way."
"Huhu."
Though the situation is troublesome, it is not entirely hopeless.
"Still, at this level, we can manage."
"After all, only highly skilled people are gathered here. It seems Lady Legia is starting to adapt as well."
"Honestly."
The wolves only had numbers on their side. Their individual strength was not great. Any ordinary Galimar student could handle them all calmly. Emilia loads mana at her fingertips.
"We should clean this up quickly and find the exit."
"I'll draw the wolves' attention."
"The commoner and I will support you with long-range fire. It seems inefficient to engage them directly."
"I leave it to you."
Tap—! With a short laugh, the serpent leaps forward. As the boy dives into the midst of the mutated creatures, the two girls deploy magic from afar. Just as they resume the subjugation—
Rumble—!
A massive tremor suddenly shakes the basement. It is a heavy shaking so intense that maintaining balance becomes difficult. The sudden roar deafens their ears.
Thud—! Rumble—!
The sound comes from the ceiling. Something is breaking and being crushed. The children look up in panic. The next moment—
BOOM—!
With a powerful impact, part of the ceiling collapses. A wide hole opens up, and something unknown falls through. A massive silhouette. Beneath it are the mutated creatures and—
"Oh?"
The narrow-eyed boy stands there. Before anyone can react, it crushes everything around it.
Rumble—!
Thick dust rises. Shattered fragments scatter in all directions. It happens in the blink of an eye. The children, standing frozen in shock, soon scream in horror—toward the boy who has vanished from sight.
"Y-Young master…?!"
"What is this all of a sudden…!"
The children stare at the spot. The space is filled with distant confusion. As the two desperately search for the boy, their gazes soon meet with something looking down at them. Their breath catches in their throats.
""……""
It is no coincidence that they both fall silent at the same time. A sticky, alien sensation. It feels as though tangible pressure is strangling their throats. Their breathing trembles involuntarily.
<Uwaa… Aaa>
It writhes like a jellyfish. Its surface is covered in pale pink, as if stitched together from beast entrails. A repulsive size exceeding fifteen meters. Hundreds of branching tentacles. Countless eyes, large and small, densely embedded across its entire body.
<Aaa…>
Its central mouth. Its torso splits into five parts, revealing an interior lined with teeth. A nauseating breath sweeps through the entire basement, carrying the stench of corpses. The monster twists its body while letting out a strange cry.
<Aaaaa… Aaaaa!!!>
Following its scream, the entire laboratory shakes. [EP5. Midterm Exam] -Abandoned Laboratory, The Unsmiling Monster- The unsmiling monster. The boss monster has appeared.
Emilia stands frozen, holding her breath. What fills her vision are countless eyes staring at her. And writhing tentacles.
<Aaaaa… Aaaaa!!!>
The monster screams with its mouth wide open. Teeth packed densely between its split torso. It looks ready to grind everything to dust at any moment. Emilia cannot react at all.
"……"
The terror that crushes one's very existence. Simply facing it makes her mind go blank. It is an overwhelming presence. If she lets her guard down even for a moment, it feels as though her entire body will be crushed. Legia, standing beside her, is the same. Her face pale, she stands frozen, unable to move a single finger. The two of them sense they are on the threshold of death.
<Aaa… Uwa?>
Perhaps a stroke of luck. The rampaging monster's gaze shifts elsewhere—toward the mutated creatures lying on the floor, now reduced to lumps of meat. Its interest seems drawn to them. It moves its tentacles. Slither, slither—! It peels the wolves off the ground one by one and stuffs them into its massive maw. It chews the barely recognizable flesh completely. Crunch, crack—! The sound of bones being pulverized echoes. Just hearing it makes one feel nauseous.
<Aaa… Uwaaa>
Was the young master's body among them? She cannot tell. Finding the boy among the corpses mashed together like meatballs is impossible. Death had come in an instant. There is no chance he survived. With that thing falling directly on top of him, he probably hadn't even felt pain.
Emilia cannot shake her dazed expression. Crunch, crack, squelch—! The gluttonous feast continues. Watching blood and flesh splatter, her terrified reason clings to sanity. Only one thought echoes in her mind.
'I have to run.'
It is instinct. The instinct of a living being desperate to survive. Her blue eyes quickly scan the surroundings, searching for a way out.
'If I run a little, I can reach the corridor.'
Emilia glances at the nearby exit. The monster has a massive body. Though the laboratory is wide now, that body would surely get stuck in the doorway leading to the corridor. It is the route with the highest chance of success.
'The problem is…'
The monster will not simply stand by and watch. From her current position, it would take about ten seconds to reach the door—more than enough time for the disgusting tentacles to catch her. That is why she needs bait. Something to buy her those ten seconds.
"……"
Emilia quietly looks to her right. There stands the pink-haired girl. Her shoulders tremble, as if terrified. She has been an annoying burden this whole time.
'Bait.'
If she freezes Legia's legs right now and runs alone while the girl cannot move, she might secure some time from the monster. She does not know if she will reach the door, but it is worth trying. Survival has always been her top priority.
'It can't be helped.'
Legia's green eyes tremble pitifully. Though her half-crying expression bothers Emilia, she decides to ignore it. She mutters as if hypnotizing herself.
'Someone has to be sacrificed anyway.'
Someone has to play the role of bait. To save the other. In that case, the role of sacrifice naturally falls to the more useless, lowly existence. Emilia bites her lip hard.
'I'm a special person.'
She is different from this commoner with no background. Born with Vanity's blessing, she is someone praised as a noble bloodline. There is an unbridgeable gap from the very foundation.
'I'm special… I'm special, so it'll be fine.'
The girl rationalizes her ugliness. By praising herself, she creates a reason to live, and by belittling others, she creates a reason to use them as bait. She gathers mana at her slender fingertips.
—I would like to ask why the young lady wishes to stand at the top so desperately…
Why does the question the serpent once asked echo in her ears now? Back then, the girl had answered like this:
—Because I am excellent.
—Unlike someone like you who has no qualifications, I am someone who rightfully belongs in that position.
Her thoughts from that time have not changed. Emilia believes she is a qualified person. The girl opens her eyes wide. A venomous light glimmers brightly over her blue pupils.
'I will survive.'
She deploys her magic. Immediately after the temperature drops chillingly, a lethal frost flower blooms in her palm. Legia's startled gaze can be felt.
—Emilia.
—You can forget everything else, but you must remember this one thing. I am a special person. I am a valuable person.
She steels her resolve.
—Light… only has value when there is someone to shine it upon.
Even if it means throwing the person beside her as bait, she will survive. Yes. She had definitely made that vow. She had definitely resolved herself like that, and yet…
"Commoner."
"Lady…?"
Why can't she act as she thinks?
"Run outside the door right now."
The villainess speaks sharply, facing the protagonist standing with a stiff expression.
"I'll buy you some time here… So at least you make it out alive."
"H-Huh…?"
"I won't last very long."
Her voice rings calmly. Her sharp tone is a means to suppress her trembling. Shing— Before she knows it, an ice spear rests in her hand. Spinning it lightly, the girl takes one step after another toward the monster. A faint winter scent drifts behind her.
"It's fine."
Emilia mutters again, as if hypnotizing herself.
"Because I'm a special person."
Immediately after, the girl charges at the monster, swinging her spear. Meanwhile, the narrow-eyed one has been watching the entire scene. With great interest.