The Collapsing Burrow
Melody’s sole duty was to guard me, and she understood that better than anyone. She ignored any monster that didn’t come near me. Even so, the sheer number of creatures pouring out meant her blade never stayed idle for long.
“It looks like a much larger pack than we expected.”
“Mm.”
A single monster wasn’t much of a threat, but these creatures lived in groups, and the numbers rushing us were overwhelming.
“At this rate we’ll end up trapped in an anthill. We’ve basically walked into their snare.”
“Then what should we do?”
If we were stuck in an anthill, the obvious move was to get out as fast as possible. Yet Melody shook her head.
“We either keep fighting and wipe out every last one that surfaces, or we try our best to escape. Since there’s no guarantee they won’t chase us, finishing them here might be safer.”
These things burrowed into the snow and sprang out without warning. If they pursued us, clearing the labyrinth would become a nightmare. Melody had clearly reached the same conclusion.
“It’ll take too long if we handle them like this. They’re clever, too. Charging straight in won’t work—they’ll just hide and ambush us.”
Whenever the fight turned against them, the creatures ducked back into the snow like some twisted game of whack-a-mole, only to lunge out again the moment our guard dropped. Our team couldn’t land clean hits because the targets kept vanishing.
“I must ask your permission, Priest. May I leave your safety to the others for a moment and lend them a hand?”
“Of course. I’ll stay right here and wait.”
“I’ll send someone to guard you immediately.”
She flicked the blood from her sword, sheathed it, and turned away.
“??”
I was still staring after her when light suddenly flared from her hand.
“!!”
I knew exactly what that light meant. While healers used divine power to mend wounds, holy knights reinforced their bodies with it. Inquisitors, however, could shape divine power into weapons suited to the moment. I had seen my master do it once before—his weapon had been a massive hammer glowing with white light.
“Ah!”
I understood at once why she had chosen that form. We weren’t inside the burrow yet; we were still standing at its entrance. The creatures were trying to lure us in. That meant we still had a choice.
There’s still a way to kill them all without stepping into their nest.
The method was simple: collapse the entire burrow, no matter how far it stretched.
“You’re going to bring it down.”
“Yes. I’ll be right back.”
With that cool remark she strode toward the fighting. A short while later, three team members approached me—apparently the ones she had chosen.
“Priest, we’ve been sent to protect you.”
“All three of you?”
“It’s embarrassing, but one of those things got my ankle.”
“So she sent the injured ones to me for healing and guard duty. Smart.”
I checked their wounds and began treating them. Just then—
—Boom!
—Krrraaang!!!
“Whoa, that went in deep.”
“Bet that one’s neck snapped.”
The patients kept exclaiming as they watched the battle.
“Priest.”
“Yes?”
“Are you someone really important? We’re worried we haven’t been treating you with the proper respect.”
“Important? I’m just an ordinary priest.”
“Come on, that can’t be true.”
“I have no idea what makes you think so.”
“Look at that. A fighter of that caliber is guarding you. That has to mean you’re someone special, right?”
I paused mid-treatment and glanced toward the fight. The sight made everything click into place.
“Ah…”
Melody swung the enormous hammer without mercy, smashing every mole-like head that poked out of the snow.
Thud! Thud!! Thud!!!
Blood and chunks of flesh sprayed in every direction. Coils of glistening entrails spilled across the snow, and burst eyeballs rolled at our feet. The sight was enough to turn anyone’s stomach.
“Priest, you might want to look away. It’s not a pretty scene.”
“…You’re right about that.”
It was the kind of sight that could haunt dreams. I only managed to keep watching because I had cleaned up heretic corpses before; without that experience I would have been retching.
“Treatment’s finished.”
Even while my attention wandered, I poured divine power into their wounds. All three were healed in moments.
“Huh? Already?”
“Doesn’t hurt at all anymore.”
“Wow, your skill is incredible.”
They flexed their limbs and gave me thumbs-up.
“Feels like my stamina’s back too…”
Now that they were whole again, they looked eager to rejoin the fight, but there was clearly no room for them beside Melody’s rampage.
Rumble—!!
“Whoa, watch out!”
The ground shuddered and sank slightly. The tunnels beneath us were collapsing. A series of dull thuds and crashes echoed from below, followed by frantic scrabbling.
“What in the world is that creepy noise?”
“How many tunnels did they dig…?”
Everyone realized what was happening. Moments later, the monsters that had survived the cave-in burst out of the snow.
“They’re coming! Focus!”
There were far more of them than we had guessed. Several even reached our position. The three guards formed a wall around me while I topped off their stamina and recast the party-wide buffs that had worn off.
“These things are weak to fire! Burn them!”
“In this blizzard? The flames will go out in seconds!”
“Do it anyway! It’s still the most effective method!”
After fighting them for a while we had discovered their weakness. Fire attacks were inefficient in the snowstorm, yet they worked better than anything else. Those who could use it hurled flaming arrows after dousing the creatures in oil.
“Priest, are you hurt?”
“With you three protecting me so thoroughly? I’m perfectly safe.”
“Haha, glad to hear it.”
“We should have this wrapped up soon. Just hold on a little longer.”
“I’m fine, but I’m worried about all of you.”
“This is nothing!”
The flow of monsters from below was finally thinning. When the last few were dealt with, I stepped forward, only for the guards to wave me back in alarm.
“Whoa—don’t come any closer yet! We still need to finish them off. These cunning bastards sometimes play dead.”
“Didn’t you just say it was over?”
“We have to make sure. They’re not just dead—they’re pretending.”
“Ah…”
In the end I wasn’t allowed anywhere near the battlefield until every corpse had been double-checked. Being fussed over by able-bodied teammates was reassuring, but as a perfectly healthy man it also felt a little embarrassing.
“If anyone’s injured, come over here. I’ll heal you.”
Since there was nothing else I could do, I returned to what I did best—treating the wounded.
* * *
Once all the bodies were gathered, the pile of monster corpses was enormous.
“So, do these things fetch a decent price?”
Killing monsters without getting hurt was important, but knowing whether the corpses were worth anything mattered just as much. No one wanted to feel their effort had been wasted.
“Yes. The claws should sell well.”
“They were pretty tough.”
“The hides are soft, too—good for fur. They’ve got strong cold resistance, so they’ll hold up in most weather.”
“Ooh, fur sounds profitable.”
“A lot of the hides are scorched, though. Might not fetch top coin.”
“Hmm…”
“Who was the genius that suggested using fire?”
“If we hadn’t exploited the weakness, someone might’ve died. Let’s not complain too much.”
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
While the loot was being collected, the scouts busily searched the collapsed burrow. Monsters often hid valuables in their nests, and anything they had found inside the labyrinth before it was sealed would likely have been brought back here.