Chapter 71 Oblivion Whale (1)
The Oblivion Whale (1)
Kwooo...
A deep, resonant cry echoed in all directions. At the unpleasant, siren-like sound, I raised my head to look toward its source.
A massive black whale was gliding leisurely through the sky. Its crimson eyes remained fixed on me as it continued wailing, making me grind my teeth.
'That bastard.'
It was exactly the same situation as before.
Until just moments ago, I'd been uncertain, but seeing Yurp push me aside and get swallowed whole instead erased all doubt.
Just like the calamity-level monster during the Hunting Festival, this thing was specifically targeting me. I bit my lip hard as I glared at the whale.
The paralysis had long since worn off. But with it flying so high up, I couldn't even begin to grasp how to rescue Yurp.
Kal, who'd been standing dumbfounded beside me, seemed to have panicked—he kept stammering "Uh, uh" repeatedly.
Silpi, arms crossed, quietly observed the whale before finally speaking.
[I've heard of it. It's called the Oblivion Whale.]
The Oblivion Whale.
Located in the Forest of Forgetfulness in the northern reaches of the Holy Kingdom Numen. The lord of that forest and a monstrous creature so massive it could swallow an entire fortress whole.
Those who inhale the mist it exhales lose their memories. The Oblivion Incense used by assassination groups is derived from that very mist.
[And it's one of the primary reasons spirits were driven from this world.]
Originally, the Forest of Forgetfulness had been teeming with spirits.
Frequently communicating with the elves from neighboring regions, they ultimately chose to flee when the Oblivion Whale appeared.
The many spirits that escaped to the spirit realm all held grudges against that whale.
Silpi, too, seemed to have no fond memories of it, judging by how he was grinding his teeth.
"Huh, how did it get here?"
"They said only monsters from the Other World would appear. What's going on?"
"Tch. Damn it. No wonder I've been uneasy since before we left."
"Unnie Yurp? N-no way, right?"
Anxious murmurs began spreading among the Holy Knight Order.
Some were panting in terror, while others clenched their teeth, eyes burning with fury.
Bwooo...
The whale let out another eerie cry, then slowly opened its maw.
The Oblivion Whale's eyes glowed red as a thick gray mist began billowing from its gaping mouth.
The mist, which at first seemed to disperse around it, had already reached us in the blink of an eye.
The sight left not just the Holy Knight Order but even our own knight division stunned.
"It's Oblivion Incense! Watch your breathing!"
"Goddammit, how the hell are we supposed to block that?!"
The morale that had surged at the appearance of a near-calamity-level monster instantly crumbled.
Losing Yurp in that sudden attack had left my own mind reeling.
All I could do was grit my teeth to keep from losing my composure.
Chaos filled the battlefield. Though everyone was skilled enough to prevent mass panic, the confusion was palpable.
Amidst it all, Abel approached me. He studied me with a calm expression before shifting his gaze to the Oblivion Whale.
"What do you want to do?"
"Huh?"
Abel didn't respond to my question. He simply stared quietly at the whale exhaling its mist.
His eyes showed neither anger nor panic.
He remained silent, as if waiting for my answer.
What do I want to do?
More than anything, I wanted to save Yurp right this instant. But I had no idea how to even begin.
How could I rescue her from something as formidable as a living natural disaster?
No matter how much wind I hurled at it, at that size, it would barely tickle the beast.
And I couldn't even guarantee close combat would deal any meaningful damage.
'Is there... no way?'
Suddenly, Yurp's smile as she pushed me away flashed through my mind. Followed immediately by the sight of the Oblivion Whale's maw swallowing her whole.
Just as I was about to grind my teeth again, a thought struck me.
'No—there must be a way.'
The most common method for dealing with a massive monster: if you can't deal damage from the outside, go inside and strike from within.
There were risks, but without that approach, I had no other options.
"Abel. Pry open that monster's mouth for me."
"Hah. Your language has gotten quite rough."
Abel chuckled softly as he opened a subspace. Reaching inside, he rummaged around before pulling out a staff.
It appeared to be made of oak, with a pristine white gem embedded at its tip that radiated a dazzling glow.
Even at a glance, it was clearly no ordinary staff.
Gripping the staff, Abel smiled faintly and began channeling mana.
"That's why I like you."
With those final words, he raised the hand holding the staff. Abel began waving the staff in his hand like a conductor's baton.
Then, an enormous magic circle began forming in the sky above the whale.
Kwooo...
The whale, which had been emitting eerie cries, twisted its body midair in shock upon seeing the magic circle drawn directly above it.
It then attempted to fly upward to escape the magic circle, but the magic circle acted as a barrier, blocking its path.
A thunderous BOOM echoed, followed by the creature's agonized groans.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Abel, spreading his other hand, took a deep breath before clenching his fist tightly.
In that instant, the massive magic circle covering the whale began plummeting toward the ground.
Kwoooaaah!
CRASH!
The screaming whale crashed straight into the earth. Landing close to where I stood, it continued shrieking in pain.
Watching this, Abel flicked his fingers. With a sharp snap, the creature's maw began to wrench open unnaturally.
It looked as though someone had forcibly pried its jaws apart—the scream that followed was incomparably louder than before.
Kwoooooo!
Grey fog obscured my vision, but Abel paid it no mind, continuing to flick his fingers relentlessly.
White magic circles swarmed around the beast, bombarding it with attacks.
Though Abel's breathing had grown slightly ragged, he still appeared composed.
"Done?"
I nodded at his question.
"Yes. That should be enough."
As Yurp's final smile surfaced in my mind, I tightened my grip on the rapier. Then, I stepped forward into the gaping maw of the whale.
To attack from within the Oblivion Whale and bring it down—and to rescue Yurp.
Silpi, standing beside me, asked in a worried tone:
[Are you sure you'll be okay? Even without his help?]
'Yes. This time, I want to do it myself.'
It might be impossible.
After all, the Oblivion Whale was a Disaster-class monster. It was hard to believe no one else had ever thought of this method before.
If they had, this creature wouldn't have survived for centuries.
Still, even in the worst-case scenario, I was confident I could at least rescue Yurp and escape.
Even if I couldn't defeat it, I didn't want to flee or rely on Abel again. Sensing my thoughts, Silpi smiled and nodded.
[Understood. If that's what my contractor wants.]
"Let's go."
[Yeah.]
And so, Silpi and I stepped inside the Oblivion Whale.
§
The Oblivion Whale.
In the original work, this was the monster that handed Abel his first taste of defeat. Overconfidence played a part, but the creature's sheer overwhelming power was the primary cause.
The proof? Even now, I was struggling just to restrain it.
If even I—who had reached a higher realm than the Abel of the original—was struggling this much, how much worse must it have been for the holy knights?
Kwooo...
The Oblivion Whale spewed out another wave of fog.
'...Hah, so this is how it was?'
Even during the subjugation expedition, I had doubted the Emperor's motives—but to think he had been targeting Adel like this all along.
A massive crimson brand carved into the whale's back caught my eye.
There couldn't be many who could see it here and now. No wonder the Emperor had used this monster to repeatedly assault the Holy Kingdom.
The abnormally high number of casualties in the Holy Kingdom must have been because this creature was the Emperor's pawn.
'Even when reading the original, I had my doubts...'
The most puzzling part of The Villainess Turns Back Time Today was the inexplicable way the Oblivion Whale had fixated on Adel and Abel.
Readers had speculated that the whale was simply another of the Emperor's underlings—but to think it would be confirmed like this.
The worst possible scenario I had refused to consider was now staring me in the face.
'So he can brand monsters too.'
Tch.
Clicking my tongue, I forcibly shut the Oblivion Whale's gaping maw. Screams leaked from within as the creature thrashed wildly.
"Need assistance?"
Turning my head, I saw the Pope standing there, his gaze icy. His usual benevolent smile was nowhere to be seen—instead, his eyes burned with fury.
Come to think of it, he was one of those who cherished Yurp deeply. No wonder he seemed uncharacteristically enraged—that must be why.
Amused by how sentimental he still was, I smirked and addressed him.
"You weren't seriously planning to just stand there with your hands behind your back, were you?"
"Tch, what a mouth. Of course not."
Pulling out his staff, he struck the ground with it. A deep hum resonated as the earth trembled beneath us.
Simultaneously, an immense surge of Holy Power began coalescing around the Pope.
"Hah. Still as impressive as ever."
The Holy Power took the form of a towering giant. To think this was his strength after losing the Holy Mark—the very source of divine power.
No wonder the Emperor hesitated to confront the Pope directly.
"Enough chatter. Let's go."
With the Pope's words, the giant took its first step forward.