Chapter 61 Subjugation Expedition (3)
Subjugation Expedition (3)
"All wounded, retreat immediately! Don't think small injuries are nothing!"
"Get your heads in the game, you bastards! Stay still and you'll end up as flattened jerky!"
Shouts erupted from all directions. A voice boomed loud enough to make ears ring as it issued commands, while others moved swiftly in response.
Perhaps from years of working together, the coordination between the Holy Knight Order and our Knight Order flowed remarkably smoothly.
Yet despite systematically eliminating them one by one, the monster waves showed no sign of ending.
I unconsciously scowled at the horde pouring from the dimensional rift. Their uniformly grotesque appearances were downright revolting.
The creatures seemed intelligent enough to desperately charge toward the escort team.
Were they trying to break through the subjugation team's encirclement to target the priests? For calamity-level monsters, their intelligence was surprisingly advanced.
Gurgle.
An octopus-shaped monster lashed out with tentacles, entangling knights' ankles. Several startled knights stumbled and fell.
Just as a crack formed in the subjugation team's formation, a white magic circle materialized above the monster's head. In the blink of an eye, the creature split cleanly in half.
The flailing monster sprayed black ink into the air before crumbling into dust and vanishing completely.
"Stay composed. I am here."
Abel stepped forward as he spoke.
His calm voice immediately boosted the knights' morale. Not to be outdone, the Holy Knight Order roared and advanced. Even the supporting priests behind them broke into smiles.
[The split bodies are coming!]
'How many?'
[They'll divide into about five!]
At Silpi's warning, I instantly raised my rapier.
Guiding the winds swirling through the air, I watched the monster preparing to split. Clicking my tongue, I observed the creature dividing into five after being struck by a holy knight's slash.
Who'd have thought something that wasn't even a slime could multiply upon death? This was exactly why we needed a dedicated escort team.
The subjugation team couldn't focus on finishing them off with so many monsters swarming in, yet leaving them unchecked would endanger our rear.
Sschick.
The sensation of cutting through human-like flesh made me grimace, but staying idle wasn't an option.
I methodically swung my rapier as trained, eliminating the split bodies one by one. After dispatching the last one, I drew a deep breath.
[No damn end to these things!]
Silpi sounded more irritable than usual. Though crude, I couldn't disagree.
The endless, disgusting horde kept coming. Worse, each monster packed considerable strength, making them annoyingly troublesome.
[Ten split bodies total!]
Meaning they could potentially divide into fifty. What an infuriatingly persistent monster.
I took a deep breath to calm my rising irritation.
"Winds heed me."
Azure winds whirled around Silpi. My physical abilities and reaction speed skyrocketed. The familiar energy of the blue winds enveloping me wrapped around my entire body.
The subjugation team immediately forced more divisions.
The newly split creatures desperately charged toward the priests as if determined to eliminate them at any cost.
Naturally, I had no intention of letting that happen.
After a quick inhale, I stomped the ground.
A tempest of blue winds erupted across the battlefield. This combat style applied the principles of "Wind Armor"—a magic that enhances physical abilities—through Silpi's power.
It temporarily doubled my physical capabilities.
The energy expenditure was massive, but there was no reason to hold back now.
Sschick.
The consecutive sensations of slicing and cutting flesh overwhelmed my senses. Even as my vision spun dizzily, I could intuitively sense each monster's position.
A spiritualist bonded to a wind spirit can instantly comprehend everything within the wind's reach.
Though my current range remained limited, it sufficed for this fight.
I swung my rapier, severing and removing the monsters' cores. A mechanically repetitive task.
Yet the results were anything but simple.
Screeeech!
The splitting creatures dissolved into the air with horrifying shrieks.
If there was any consolation, being interlopers from another world meant they left no corpses behind.
Otherwise, the nausea might have made me vomit on the spot.
"Miss Id."
At the sudden male voice, I turned to see Mr. Kal smiling while giving a thumbs up.
"Well done."
"Thanks for the praise."
I smiled back and flicked blood from my rapier. The droplets scattered into dust midair.
Was this how all beings from another world met their end? The thought left a bitter taste.
Would I too disappear like this someday?
Silpi, perhaps reading my thoughts, sighed and spoke up.
["Snap out of it, Contractor. This isn't over yet."]
Right, of course.
As Silpi said, now wasn't the time to lose myself. There would be plenty of time for sentimentality later.
For now, I had to give my all in this moment. With that thought, I refocused on the battlefield ahead.
At the same time, an enormous monster emerged from the dimensional rift. Its sheer size—far beyond anything I'd seen before—made me freeze.
Gwooooorgh!
"Ghk?!"
"Kyaaagh!"
Screams erupted across the battlefield.
Some fighters dropped to their knees, unable to continue the fight. Others collapsed outright, unconscious.
Dozens of bulging eyeballs, writhing nerve-like tentacles stretching in all directions, and rolling pupils—
And the black substance covering those eyes.
The moment I saw it, a full-body shudder ran through me.
It was like my brain refused to process what I was seeing. The sensation was eerily similar to when I'd heard Abel's filtered words under the restriction.
[Something like that existed in the Other World?]
Silpi gritted his teeth, glaring at the entity. His face was more contorted than usual—did he know something about it?
Likewise, an inexplicable ripple surged through my mind. I tried to calm myself by shaking out my arms, but it wasn't so easy.
"Don't look."
A voice echoed in my head at that moment.
I immediately turned away, forcing the thing out of my sight. Slowly, my mind began to clear.
If just seeing it had that much of an effect, could monsters like that really exist? As I steadied my breathing, Abel quietly stepped forward toward the creature.
Don't tell me he's also—
Snap.
The sound of fingers flicking, followed by dozens of magic circles forming in the air. From them, hundreds of spears began raining down.
Contrary to my worries, he stood there unfazed, arms crossed.
Gwooooorgh!
Even as the monster let out a pained scream, the mental interference lingered—chaos spread among the knight order.
BOOM!
With a deafening roar, the monster vanished without a trace. No—could something like that even be called a monster?
Its brief appearance had left a gap in the extermination team's formation. The remaining monsters weren't foolish enough to let that opening go to waste.
As if they'd been waiting, the horde surged toward the priests.
But the knights still couldn't move—had the mental interference not fully lifted?
"Damn it, pull yourselves together! Protect the priests!"
"Tch, I know!"
Their faces twisted in frustration. So this is why they warned us so much about mental magic...
I was no different—I couldn't steady myself either. I could move a little, but not enough to run.
Damn it, Silpi!
[Tch, this is bad!]
"O Goddess..."
A frail voice sounded beside me. Yurp, eyes closed, was slowly stepping forward.
"Please heed my blessing."
Her clear voice resonated across the battlefield. At the same time, Holy Power gathered around her, forming a small barrier.
An enormous amount of divine energy began condensing around her.
"Deliver them from these false gods."
With those words, the barrier expanded—engulfing the entire battlefield in an instant. Simultaneously, the mental interference crushing my body vanished completely.
The Saintess?
She looked like the incarnation of the Saintess I'd only heard about in legends. Even as an atheist, I couldn't help but think her presence seemed sacred.
"We offer our bodies to the Goddess!"
With her blessing, the monster horde was swiftly suppressed. The priests in the rear also let out sighs of relief.
But the monsters were now swarming toward Yurp, who stood at the front.
As if they'd recognized her as a priest, they desperately charged at her.
"Lady Yurp!"
Still unaware of the approaching threat, Yurp turned toward me with a serene expression. Gritting my teeth, I summoned the power of wind.
[It won't last long!]
"Got it!"
I kicked off the ground with my right foot, launching myself into the air.
The distance between us was a mere 30 meters. With my physical abilities alone, I couldn't reach her in time.
But with Silpi's help—I could save her. My vision shifted in an instant, and Yurp's figure appeared right before me.
A sharp Wind Blade shot from my rapier, slicing through the monsters in a single motion.
One hidden among them spat something at Yurp.
I clenched my teeth as a Breath laced with purple venom shot toward her.
"Silpi!"
[On it!]
A Wind Curtain formed midair. The violent gust sent the Breath scattering harmlessly away.
A faint trace of poison mist lingered, but inhaling this much wouldn't be fatal. Worst case, the priests could heal it.
With a swing of my rapier, I cut down the last lurking monster.
"You..."
Turning my head, I saw Yurp, her complexion pale. She swayed unsteadily, and I hurriedly caught her.
"Are you alright?!"
Dizzy, she closed her eyes completely.
"Why... did you save me?"
"Huh? What do you—"
Before I could finish, she collapsed unconscious in my arms.