Phase 2 - The Oracle's Serpent

The Church of Light was known among all the denominations for receiving oracles most frequently. Priests with divine power at the level of bishop or higher would expend their own divine power to receive these oracles. Since the gods were omnipotent and omniscient, oracles could neither fail to manifest nor be wrong. At least, that was the principle. However, there were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whispers that the Church of Light's oracles were less accurate than those of other denominations. Stories of failed oracles circulated from time to time.

But Gerard Martain did not believe such nonsense. Receiving an oracle required massive donations to the church. Oracle tithes accounted for a significant portion of the Church of Light's annual income. As the captain of the holy knights and a marquis affiliated with the church, Martain couldn't possibly be ignorant of that. Cases where oracles failed were likely because they weren't true oracles to begin with. Corrupt bishops issuing false ones for money, no doubt.

But the oracle given to Gerard this time was genuine. He would defeat the wicked serpent and claim victory.

When he saw the horde of monsters surging from beyond the horizon, the soldiers in formation trembled in fear. Even the holy knights following the marquis tensed up. Yet Gerard felt ecstasy.

So that's the wicked serpent.

The leader guiding the monster wave. That beast was unmistakably a snake. The oracle was coming true.

"Heh."

Marquis Gerard laughed. The monster wave was enormous, and even with 3,000 soldiers and knights gathered here, victory was far from certain. His territory could be reduced to ruins at any moment—yet he laughed. He ignored the stares directed at him.

This wasn't his first oracle. In his now-faded childhood, and again at age twenty, he had received one. Its content had been utterly ominous. Marquis Gerard had never told a soul about that oracle. Not a single one. And today, it seemed he could finally shake off that ill omen.

"Load the catapults."

The marquis issued his first command. He had brought dozens of siege catapults. Martine territory bordered the Empire, so merely possessing them had irked the Empire before. Today, they would prove their worth.

Soldiers loaded boulders onto the catapults.

"Ready your bows."

As a border lord, Marquis Martain commanded elite troops. The composite bows made from water buffalo horns sourced from the "mountains" were feared even by the Empire's army.

"The holy knights will pierce the center with lance formation."

Riding at the front of his soldiers, Marquis Gerard raised his famous golden spear high and shouted.

"Mar-teine-!"

His mana-infused voice boomed across the plains.

"Are there any cowards here who don't want to die-?!"

"None-!"

The soldiers roared back thunderously.

"Any greenhorns who haven't faced a monster wave before-?!"

"None!"

Martain's elite troops had experienced monster waves. Localized waves periodically erupted at the edge of the "mountains" bordering their territory.

"Your families, your lands about to be trampled—any cowards who want to run-?!"

"None-!"

"I-!"

Fwoosh.

Flames erupted from the tip of Martain's spear in an aura blaze. The soldiers stared, entranced. The idlers in the center might not know, but Marquis Martain was a true hero who always led from the front.

"Will strike down the leader-!"

"Martain!"

"You lot just clean up the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stragglers. You can handle that, right?!"

"Martain!"

Meanwhile, the monster horde drew nearer. Unease flickered even among the boldly shouting soldiers. Up close, it was clear: these weren't just tens of thousands of weaklings. They were massive, powerful. True monsters that hadn't emerged from the Great Forest in centuries were mixed in.

Rumble rumble rumble— The ground shook.

Terrified soldiers instinctively loosed arrows, only stopped by bellowing officers.

The marquis raised his spear and cried out.

"Cata-pults-!"

Standard-bearers hoisted their flags high.

"Fire-!"

The flags dropped in unison.

Thud thud thud! The catapults hurled boulders into the sky.

* * *

The uncomfortable companionship continued. When parting from Nanaruk, this dumb chimera had scooped up the carriage hiding the humans. Jealous of my conversations with them, perhaps? I'd thought it since the kidnapping: it had quite the possessive streak.

The chimera wrapped the carriage in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hundreds of tendrils and strapped it to its back. Like a snail—or rather, now that its body had grown, more like an adult wearing an elementary schooler's backpack.

"This is..."

The problem: the carriage wasn't far from me. My eyes kept meeting the humans' through the gaps in the branches. Their demanding stares begged for an explanation—what the hell was this?—leaving me awkward. It wasn't my doing.

Three days since they'd been trapped in the carriage. Frail humans that they were, they suffered motion sickness and vomited. They had water, so no dying of thirst, but they must be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠starving.

I handed food to the knight Zain.

"Saaak."

"I-I can't eat that."

Despite not having eaten a single meal, he refused. Knightly pride? I shoved the food at him again.

"Th-this is a bug...!"

Sheesh. From atop the galloping chimera, the edible prey I could snag with my transparent hand was limited. I'd caught a decent cicada, at least.

"Saaak!"

"...I can't."

The knight looked ashamed. Fair enough. Cicadas were what I'd eaten after falling into the basin. Pull off the legs, and the body was plump enough—close eyes and swallow, and it'd taste like half-rotten shrimp.

Weakling. With him whining, I had no choice.

The massive giraffe galloping beside me. I peeled off a rodent sucking its blood.

"Sasaak, saak."

Eat this, human. A mosquito rat.

"Th-thank... you."

Unable to refuse even rat meat, the knight took the mosquito rat. Nearby, Lania Grayrim clutched her growling stomach with a grimace. Here, eat this. I handed her some eggs from my subspace storage.

"Thank you!"

"Ah, ahh..."

Zain watched Lania gulp down the eggs raw with a complicated expression.

Yeah, now that they'd eaten, they'd regain some energy. Truth be told, they needed to muster strength by force right now.

—Whoa, incoming.

Yes. The catapults had fired.

Hundreds of head-sized boulders painted the sky.

Everyone, hold on tight!

"Saaaaak!"

The humans trapped in the carriage screamed. The boulders converted potential energy to kinetic force, slamming into the ground.

Kaboom kaboom kaboom!

Direct hits pulverized monsters. Blood, flesh, and stone shards sprayed everywhere. A boulder even crushed the giraffe head beside me. Its neck snapped, it thrashed and rolled. The boulder didn't stop, tumbling on to shatter bones of several monsters.

I prayed inwardly. Before the raining boulders, nothing else to do but hope the chimera snake didn't stupidly get crushed.

My prayer worked. Lion-mane-like tendrils erupted from the chimera snake's nape. They enveloped me and the carriage behind—a double, triple barrier.

Thwack! A flying boulder finally struck a wooden tendril and bounced off. We were unscathed. Though the ricocheting boulder crushed trailing monsters.

—Oh, arrows this time.

Look at Pellelian so nonchalant, assuming he wouldn't die. As he said, the sky visible through the tendril gaps turned black. Thousands of arrows loosed, no doubt.

Pfsh pfsh pfsh! They began piercing the charging monsters.

But arrows were no worry. The tendrils had withstood catapults, after all.

Thuk! An arrow lodged right in front of my nose, shattering that thought. It had slipped through the tendrils.

Dumb wooden snake. Can't even block that.

Another arrow nearly hit me.

Instinctive response.

Snap!

When I came to, I'd successfully caught the incoming arrow in my mouth.

—How'd you do that!

'...Beats me?'

I'd unwittingly ascended to the realm of catching blades barehanded. At this rate, I might handle flying swords too.

The arrow rain ceased. Human soldiers' cheers erupted. Catapults and bows done—now melee combat.

Upon reaching the plains, the human army awaited. I'd known it'd come to this someday, but I felt like the Demon King.

The monster army's Demon King!

"GRRROOOOAAAR!"

The chimera snake bellowed too. Well, technically, I was the black hand behind this chimera "Demon King."

And the three in the carriage needn't get involved.

"Saak!"

I roared at Lania and the humans.

'I'll spare you—pay the life debt later.'

I swung my dagger.

I sliced the tendrils binding the carriage one by one. Previously, the chimera had rewrapped it tighter. But now, no time for that.

Plop, plop. With a few tendrils left, the carriage tilted and began to drop.

Humans screamed. As it neared the ground—

I slashed the last tendril.

Thud! The tendril-wrapped carriage landed safely.

Light monsters leaped over it; heavier ones skirted aside. The humans feared, but no need to worry. The wrapping tendrils were sturdy.

And better than clinging to the boss monster drawing concentrated fire.

The chimera snake ignored the dropping carriage and pressed on. My turn to escape.

'Farewell, chimera snake.'

Horse-mounted knights charged ahead. Especially the giant in golden armor—terrifying.

"Look-at-me-!"

His massive spear aimed at the chimera snake. I timed for the clash.

I saw it—the gap's thread.

'Escape!'

I swung my sword, planting Shadow Chase: Dagger around my embedded spot.

Chaining skills, I poured in mana.

Shwick. My body pulled free! In the nick of time, I escaped the chimera's body. Slip into the monster ranks and flee—perfect getaway.

The chimera snake wouldn't turn from the charging knights to me.

...It should have been.

—L-look at that guy.

The chimera noticed my escape and whipped around. Its eyes pleaded desperately at me.

"Meeeoooow!"

Pathetically wailing, it stretched tendrils toward me. Like calling "Mama."

'Agh!'

Maybe that's why. I could have shaken off the coiling tendrils but didn't—because I turned my head, exposing the chimera snake's nape to the knights.

"Die-!"

The massive holy knight drove his golden spear into the chimera's body.

KABOOOM! A louder boom than the catapult hit. The knight's reckless cavalry charge was devastating. The lead knight's warhorse's neck snapped dead; the giant chimera snake was shoved back.

"GRRROO-!"

The chimera screamed in agony for the first time. Black smoke billowed from the spear wound.

'You idiot.'

Rage boiled.

'I'm not your parent—why so clingy?'

It was just a world tree knockoff chimera on borrowed time. I was plastered back onto the chimera's nape.

'And taking the spear like a moron—what the hell!'

Holy knights relentlessly stabbing the chimera's body were right there. One met my eyes. He looked baffled, then swiftly raised a small crossbow at me.

Thuk! Again, I caught the bolt in my mouth.

Screw it. Now it's survival for me too.

Die!

"Gaaah!"

The ray hit the holy knight's exposed face. Not instant death, but he fell from his horse.

Crunch! His spooked horse trampled the knight's face.

'Oh.'

Seeing the ray after so long perked up the chimera too? Thorn-like tendrils sprouted from its body.

Pew pew pew pew! Unlike others, these black-glowing branches. Having seen its status, I knew: Thorn Roll Lv10.

Unsnake-like, the chimera rolled across the ground. Five-plus holy knights crushed beneath instantly.

Crunch, crackle— No screams left.

I raised my ducked head in shock.

'Almost got flattened too!'

"GRRROOOOAAAR!"

Thorns bristled with impaled, shattered holy knights. Undeniable boss monster aesthetic now.

And the enemy leader staring in horror.

The outrageously strong-looking old knight roared in fury.

"You-mong-rel-!"

My ears nearly burst. Dazzling aura streamed from his spear.

Don't come!

Shockingly, the knight deflected the laser-like ray. Gunter-level skill.

"GRRROOO!"

Undaunted, the chimera charged. Hero vs. chimera—the clash ended anticlimactically.

As the knight's spear plunged toward the chimera—

Crack.

The chimera's mid-body split wide. Possible only because it was wooden tendrils, not flesh. The aura spear pierced empty air.

A black thorny tendril forming its skeleton burst from below the chimera's neck.

Its sole advanced skill: World Tree Thorn Lv1.

Splat! It pierced the gap between helmet and breastplate precisely.

"Guh!"

Blood gushed from the knight's mouth. His spear clattered to the ground. Impaled, his body dangled limply.

'Wha-what?!'

No way. One-shot? Low-intelligence my ass—that dodge-to-counter was flawless. Neck pierced—dead.

That instant, Pellelian uttered a vile line.

—Got him!

'Crazy bastard.'

—...Why, what.

And truly, the Reverse Heaven Mage was a great wizard defying heaven.

Twitch.

The limp knight moved. Pellelian's resurrection spell had succeeded.