Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Unconscious Flag
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"P-Prostia?!"
The scream of shock burst from Clarit, who had remained utterly composed up until now.
El and Asita looked stunned as well.
Sor screamed in fury.
"Y-You lunatic! You said that was top-secret! You even bound me with a contract saying you'd kill me if I spilled it, so why the hell are you telling them?!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [They're all going to vanish anyway! What does it matter?!] "N-No...!"
The crazy bitch was flustered by an even crazier bastard.
The being who had revealed its name as Prostia chuckled at their bewildered faces.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [UHAHAHA! The terror on the faces of humans who hear my name feels so damn good!] Whatever the case, judging by Clarit and El's reactions, this guy was clearly a big deal.
The Eight Monster Kings, right?
The ones the people of this world thought there were only six of.
Keywords I'd remembered when I arrived in this world.
Ten Great Heroes.
Four Great Demon Kings.
Where the Gods Sleep.
Three Gods' Shrine.
Abyssal Demon Palace.
Celestial Holy Palace.
Eight Monster Kings.
Five Divine Beasts.
Forest of Magical Beasts.
Dragons' Sanctuary.
One of them. Eight Monster Kings.
Just the sound of it screamed boss vibes.
And if it's the leader of them...
.....
Am I screwed?
No matter how I thought about it, in game terms, this was an endgame boss or the final boss of one installment in the series.
...But thinking deeper, it probably wasn't that powerful.
Since this was just a golem, not the main body.
It seemed more like a mid-boss or event boss.
Of course, from the talk of the main body, it might show its true form if things went south.
If I just sliced up this golem before the real one appeared, wouldn't that solve everything?
I eyed the golem's openings amid the tension, when it suddenly flew into a rage.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Eh! As expected, this worthless flesh lacks power! Hey, human! Don't you have even a dragonkin?!] It was admitting its own pathetic state with its own mouth.
Sor yelled in disbelief as well.
"Like we'd have something like that!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Useless! Hey! Weird human!] Weird human...?
Is it talking about me?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [I've given my name! Now tell me your privilege!] Why did lines like "Heh. Humans are lying creatures. Remember that." suddenly make me want to say them at a time like this?
I suppressed my inner chuuni desires and replied.
"I don't have one."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What?! Don't lie! There's no way those guys didn't give you a privilege!!] "To be precise, I got one weird skill, but I don't even know if it's a privilege."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What? From what I know, those guys always explain the privileges they give in detail, at least.] They explain it in detail?
More than that, this bastard talked like it had seen it firsthand.
As the leader of the Eight Monster Kings, it must have access to that kind of info.
"Why believe him?! He's the enemy—he's obviously lying, you idiot!"
As Sor gnashed her teeth and shouted, noise rippled across the golem's face. The beaming emoticon vanished, replaced by a sharp, gleaming glare.
The atmosphere shifted from playful to chilling, even making me uneasy.
Prostia quietly addressed the speechless Sor.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Idiot...?] "Ah, n-no, that's... s-sorry."
Sor apologized reluctantly.
Honestly, what the hell did she have to be so cocky about?
Prostia was her only lifeline right now, and she was pulling this crap.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hmph! Humans lie as naturally as they breathe. I know that full well.]
The golem's gaze shifted back to me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [But what you just said isn't a lie. I can tell that much.] "......"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You're definitely different from the other Outsiders.] "Is that so."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Yeah! The others sparkle constantly, but you're darker and weaker-feeling!] This bastard?
I thought it was praise, but it was an insult?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [And yet you wield some bizarre technique laced with destruction essence... You're less like an Outsider and more like...] Like...?
But the golem trailed off with a groan, then began repairing its body.
As it repaired, a huge chunk of the cave wall vanished—yep, it was regenerating using the stone walls.
"Dre! If that's really Prostia, we have to stop it here no matter what!"
Clarit. I was planning to do that even without you saying it.
No more talking needed. I lunged—then halted abruptly.
The golem, braced for it, blinked in surprise before ducking swiftly as I swung my sword.
Boom!
The air exploded with a bang.
It was a perfect Space Sword strike, but its eyes were sharp.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What a weird technique!] Prostia sounded thrilled, like it wanted more.
This guy was weirdly relaxed.
I didn't know how long Sor had been scheming this, but it had to be years. For it to aid a puny human that long meant there was a reason.
Even with its pawn's foundation at risk, this reaction meant it had something up its sleeve.
Probably unrelated to not appearing until Sor threatened suicide.
I had to take it out now.
Slash! Shwick!
Mixing Space Sword and Severing Sword to press the attack, the golem was constantly on the defensive.
Its combat sense wasn't bad, but its body couldn't keep up with its thoughts.
It repaired every block, but if I kept slashing until the cave was gone, it'd vanish too.
"Dre! In case you didn't know, golems have a core!"
Clarit's words.
...A core, huh...
Well, golems would have that kind of setup.
That brief standoff with a golem before.
After the Space Sword hit Prostia and sent it flying beyond the sky, Flat said the golem's upper body had shattered.
And when I severed its leg in Milf Village, its movements weren't affected at all.
So the core was somewhere in the lower body, excluding the legs...
What if it was in the crotch?
If you think of it like a human, it's a plausible spot for a core, but kinda lame for something important.
Let's test it anyway.
Shwick! Shwick slash!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Wh-what? W-Wait a sec...] My guess hit the mark, apparently.
As soon as I targeted the crotch, it visibly panicked.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [If I just had a dragonkin!] Nope~ No such thing~
I had something similar, but it's at the entrance, so no issue.
Anyway, keep slashing like this, and I'd definitely win.
The moment I was certain of victory, hoofbeats echoed from afar.
Clop clop clop
"El! Are you okay?!"
"F-Flat!!"
I'd told Flat to securely tie up the bandit crew outside, and he was done already. Impressive.
El and Clarit cheered at the handsome guy's arrival.
Damn. They didn't do that for me.
...But Flat.
Isn't that thing you're riding an earth dragon?
I get wanting to rush to save your lover, but...
......Is that guy dragonkin too...?
......Am I fucked?
Oh shit.
No, they probably wouldn't count that as dragonkin, right?
At that moment, excitement colored Prostia's voice.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Oh! There it is! Dragonkin!] "Kuh!"
Why pull a troll move, Flat?
I stayed alert to keep the golem from reaching the earth dragon.
But it was pointless.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Listen to me, inferior races!] "Grrr..."
"Huh? Uwaaah!"
With one word from Prostia, the earth dragon shook its head, dumping Flat off.
Its eyes were already blood-red.
Prostia was already inside the earth dragon.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Good. Much better than before!] Prostia's voice echoed from both the golem and the earth dragon.
It could control both.
One was dangerous enough; now two.
A crisis tantamount to death.
My razor-sharp instincts warned that the earth dragon was the greater threat.
I kicked off the ground and blasted toward it. The earth dragon's eyes sharpened further.
Unlike the golem, it had no arms—might be easier to handle... or so I thought.
Kwaaaa-!
Red orange yellow green blue indigo violet. A rainbow of multicolored energy orbs flashed, then exploded with a massive boom.
"Ugh."
Focusing, I saw flames, lightning, wind, and more—countless elemental attacks.
I slashed like mad to barely avoid major damage, but I couldn't close the distance on the earth dragon at all.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Over here too!] Kwaaaa!
And then the golem attacked from behind.
I deflected the whip-like rocky fist, only for an even stronger, massive spell to come from the earth dragon.
I used Space Sword to target its leg beyond the magic, but it had already anticipated and shifted position.
"Dragons are creatures called gods of magic! No room for mercy!"
Clarit shouted.
Damn, it spotted my leg shot.
Even so, the earth dragon was cute and had carried me this far—I didn't want to kill it.
But I wasn't charging in blindly without a plan.
I sensed thread-like strings connecting to the earth dragon.
Cut those threads, and it'd probably snap back to normal.
The problem was finding an opening to attack.
"Ugh...!"
Clarit wore a desperate expression like ice about to burst, but she didn't move. Help out a bit, sis. Bro's struggling here.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Kuhahaha! How's that?! If you lot stay put, this human dies!] The earth dragon and golem spoke while glaring at Clarit and El respectively.
I got it. Prostia's goal from the start was the Ten Great Families' heirs.
Me still standing might be because Prostia was holding back just enough.
...What a blow to my pride.
I clicked my tongue and told Clarit and the others.
"It's fine. Stay right there."
Clarit bit her lip at my words, while El... boldly stood up.
"E-El?!"
Flat, pale-faced with sword in hand beside her, reached out in panic, but El was no longer looking at him.
"Enough, Destruction Dragon Prostia. You want me, right?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hoh? And who are you?] Who are you?
You wanted a Ten Great Families heir, but you don't even know the face?
"I'm sealed right now and can't use my power, but I'm the Light Heir you're looking for. Eat me if you want."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ooh! Light! Now that you mention it, you do seem similar! Then hurry and awaken your power! I'll eat you then!] "El! What?!"
Ignoring Clarit's panicked voice, El just stared at me, her lips moving.
I couldn't make out the first part, but the end was clear.
Sorry.
.....
Fuck, she only showed her shitty side at first, so why does she keep doing noble stuff like this...
What, noblesse oblige or something?
...I believe in repaying malice with malice.
Conversely, pure goodwill should be returned in kind.
I wanted to repay El's goodwill with my own.
I dashed to her side.
"El."
"Sorry. I..."
"Hide behind Flat."
"Huh?"
I tried my best to smile warmly.
"It's fine. I'll win."
"...!"
In scenes like this, the heroine's face should flush, but hers paled instead.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What're you, human? That sinister smile!] .....
Oh, really? Sinister, huh. Fuck.
Lesson learned: don't do shit you're not used to.
Anyway, I had a technique I hadn't tested yet.
The one I planned to try on Branch Chief Apiz.
Apiz, who'd grappled with me for a while, pointed out a weakness in my style on the way to the village entrance.
'You lack wide-area techniques. Your attacks are frontal or linear.'
Even Apiz, who'd reached the pinnacle of human techniques, thought I'd struggle against fast foes, groups, or those with special attacks.
This thing was a dragon.
It probably saw human techniques as mere playthings, unworthy of note.
Just brute-forcing with overwhelming specs. In pure combat skill, way below Apiz.
So it might not even imagine what I'd do.
I'd been curious.
Why could my active skills Severing Sword and Space Sword also be used passively?
Passively—meaning I wield them manually—they consume no mana, no ryunar, nothing. At most, negligible stamina.
What if I activated the active skill while already using Severing Sword in my own style, as my body remembered it?
It was a gamble.
I didn't like monetary gambles much, but combat gambles? Loved 'em.
I took stance. Timed it.
The inescapable moment.
Aiming for when Prostia thought I was focusing on one target—golem or earth dragon.
Right on cue, the golem closed in. I feigned urgency and swung a passive Severing Sword at it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Kuhaha! You're completely on the ropes, human!] As I focused on the golem, massive mana surged behind me—and that's when I triggered the skill.
Space Sword. Active.
Besides my manual swing, another sword strike manifested.
Gamble paid off.
Shlick! Slash!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Huh?] A gaping hole split the golem in two through its center, floating in midair. Simultaneously, a gust whipped up between me and the earth dragon.
Snap.
The thread linking me to the earth dragon severed.
Perfect. That worked too.
"Grk...?"
The earth dragon's eyes returned to normal.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What?!] The golem, shrieking in midair, soon thudded to the ground.
"Wh-what? Th-the sword was aimed at the golem, right?"
Flat said, baffled.
He soon muttered, "Was it too fast for me to see...?" But no, it wasn't speed.
Not perfectly simultaneous, but near enough—a dual-direction attack.
Yeah. The gamble succeeded.
I didn't know the principle, but activating active during passive allowed dual strikes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Space-time manipulation? Why the causality rate...] The golem was too shocked to repair itself.
It had fixed Severing Sword cuts fine before—this was my chance. Beat it while down.
.....
...I wanted to, but...
Problem was, this drained me hard.
Didn't expect dual attacks to be this exhausting.
"Hahk, hahk..."
If not for this, I'd have finished it quick.
"H-Hey, hey! D-Did you lose, you bastard?!"
Sor shrieked, enraging the golem.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What?! You think I'd lose to a human?!] "Then what's your move in that state?!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Kuh! Even imperfectly, my true self... No, even then...!] It gnashed its teeth, then deflated. Busy guy.
Exhausted as I was, I'd force it and end this.
And then, I sensed countless presences surrounding us.
Bandits? Nah, impossible.
These clear, powerful auras were beyond any bandits.
"Sorry! We're late! Outsider Dre!"
Before I knew it, they'd slipped deep inside and encircled us: Gold and the Hart Clan knights!
Repelt and Kaisir stared coldly at Sor and the golem, weapons drawn.
It seemed random, but it made sense on reflection.
Gold had business in the morning—likely bandit subjugation related.
Hearing I'd been framed again and where I'd gone, chasing us was child's play for that action-hero guy.
"Come here."
Worried the earth dragon might be mistaken for an enemy, I called softly. It rushed over, rubbing its head against my hand like it'd been waiting.
Fuck, using formal speech so much made me default to it even for animals.
Anyway, cops always show up after the case is solved... or...
Nah, forget it. No point dwelling now that it's over.
"Sor Hania. You're under arrest!"
"Kuh...!"
Checkmate.
That was Sor's expression.
And...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hey! That's lightning, right?!] An excited voice utterly out of place in this situation... I didn't hesitate a beat and slashed the golem's crotch.
Crash!
I clearly saw the fist-sized orb shatter, and only then could I relax.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Lightning! Lightning! Light's out for now, but lightning's shining bright, right? You hate those guys too, don't you?] Up until I heard that voice.
"...!"
Where's it coming from? The golem?
No, I definitely destroyed it.
...I can't pinpoint the voice's source!
Damn, shouldn't have thought that earlier.
In movies, cops arrive either after it's over or when the big bad sacrifices a mook.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Don't be petty! This is a huge opportunity for you! I'll handle it! Light and Lightning—the ones who sealed you big-time—are both here?]
Everyone scrambled to find the voice's origin.
......Nah. I think I get it.
Yeah, makes sense.
The golem's core was just for the golem. It wouldn't affect the dragon.
If destroying it impacted Prostia, it'd be through the contractor. Sor only.
My gaze turned to Sor just as the Hart Clan folks pinpointed the voice and power's source.
As all eyes focused, Sor groaned in pain.
No helping it.
I'd tried not to kill her just to beat her ass, but now no choice.
Had to kill her.
I charged at Sor—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Kuhahaha! Yes! That's the spirit!] A dragon's laughter boomed.
Chills ran down my spine.
And then.
Kwaaaaaaaaaa!!
A massive surge of energy erupted from the tattoo on Sor's nape.
The crimson blaze shattered the ceiling, surging endlessly upward.
"Everyone, defensive formation!"
At Gold's command, knights raised shields or deployed barriers.
As elites, they blocked the huge rocks or smashed them, no casualties.
Amid it, the red energy piercing to the sky drew a massive circle.
Thud.
The circle rang out, blackened, then overflowed with blue-green light.
...Looks just like a portal from that famous demon game?
"Portal?!"
Repelt's scream. Guess it was a portal.
And.
Thoom.
An overwhelming pressure dwarfed before hit.
And...
Ding!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Forgotten One ????? has paid the causality rate. Ancient Dragon, leader of the Eight Monster Kings, descends!
What? Causality rate? What the hell?
What kinda bullshit situation is this?
The surroundings had gone pitch black.
Not magic—physical darkness.
Looking up, a massive red creature utterly unreal soared in the sky.
That lifeform was...
"A dragon."
"Rakarlor Mlren Psite Mainez Prostia descends!" ⟨ Prostia Descends ⟩