Chapter 101
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: 23. Spirit Realm. (5)
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The group paused for a moment to catch their breath. It wasn't much of a rest, but now that they were deep in enemy territory, even this was something to be grateful for.
Allen forced his ragged breathing back down to his chin. His whole body was already drenched in sweat.
At least the Blind Saintess would guide them, so they didn't have to comb through the baron's castle like it was a rat's nest. That was one small mercy. Otherwise, the casualties would have been far worse.
Even during their earlier charge, a couple of mercenaries had been taken out by the undead. Not because they were too weak to handle them, but pure bad luck. The bastards popped out from the most unexpected places sometimes. One even lunged right from behind someone's neck and chomped down on their nape.
It had happened to a few in the Allen Mercenary Corps too, but thankfully their skill level was head and shoulders above the other three corps, so no one suffered fatal wounds. ... Yeah, they were definitely earning their pay now.
"Everyone catch your breath? ... Let's move out."
Allen swept his eyes over the mercenaries and nodded toward the path ahead. Then they pressed on.
As they advanced toward the tallest, most ornate baron's castle in the inner keep, long, rope-like tongues suddenly shot out from several directions like arrows.
Shwick!!
Four in total. They managed to block or dodge three, but one broke through. It snagged a female mercenary's body and yanked her into the mist in an instant.
- Uwaaaaaahhh!!
She vanished into the fog just like that.
"Son of a bitch...!"
Allen could only yell for everyone to pick up the pace. More rope-like tongues came flying, but you only got fooled once.
Thankfully, they made it inside the baron's castle unscathed. Of course, this place too was shrouded in thick fog, reeking of eerie killing intent. It was so dense that even the usually stoic Blind Saintess was rubbing her temples like she had a headache.
Oddeye removed her blindfold as soon as they entered the castle. Her pitch-black eyes traced the source of the sinister energy pouring out.
And at some point, even the undead stopped appearing. ... But that only made the mercenaries more terrified. No undead in a place crawling with them meant something was keeping them away.
Huff huff huff.
The mercenaries panted tense breaths. The four corps scanned left, right, front, back, above, and below as they moved down the wide corridor. This castle, once surely prosperous, now felt like nothing but death.
They delved deeper and deeper. Even the faint light faded, leaving them reliant only on the orbs from the two mages.
Wandering through the fog, they began to doubt if they were truly alive. Maybe they were the dead ones, doomed to wander the spirit realm like the undead ...
Allen, who could check their mental states in real-time via the status windows, had to snap them out of it before fear took over. If they ended up with traits like [Mental Breakdown] or [Madman], it'd be a real problem. ... Status windows were beyond useful for mental management — practically a cheat key.
"You're all still alive and kicking, so quit worrying. The undead don't get that luxury, you idiots."
Sensing the group's excessive tension, Allen tossed in a bit of humor. It wasn't full mental immunity, but it definitely improved their conditions.
Of course, they didn't stop moving. They steadily closed the distance to the spirit realm's gate.
...Then, the Blind Saintess leading the way halted abruptly and raised her hand. Signal to stop.
The mercenaries, nerves on edge, froze as one. She lowered her hand slowly and pointed ahead.
"Something's there ... It's strong. Really strong."
Allen was certain that was the gatekeeper guarding the spirit realm's door.
"Form up. Battle stations...!"
No matter how much he'd mastered [Guild Master], there was no way to know exactly what the gatekeeper would be. It varied. Even the most common case — the mage who opened the gate — was only about a 20% chance statistically.
Once the group was ready for combat, Allen motioned for them to advance slowly. The corps moved forward in formation.
The front line raised their battered tower shields — scratched, cracked, and dented — and crept ahead cautiously, bracing for impact.
...And finally, the gatekeeper's true form revealed itself.
- Ehhehehe, my son, ehheheh, my boy, my sooon ...
A humanoid figure clutched someone to its chest, sobbing. Of course, no living human could be intact here. Anyone could see it was a monster.
Allen ordered the two mages to fire at it. That would be the signal to start the fight. Powerful mana bolts shot toward it.
Shwick!!
At the same instant, the enemy leaped straight to the ceiling and clung like a spider. The unguided spells hit empty air uselessly. The mercenaries clearly hadn't expected it to dodge so nimbly.
- Save my soooon!!
The monster's head split into four as its body ballooned massively. Human body parts were fused into its flesh. Naturally, its rotten son's corpse dangled grotesquely from its chest.
It sprang from the ceiling at the mercenaries. The front line raised shields to block, but a massive arm the size of a torso swept out, sending them tumbling or sprawling.
- Save my son. My son. My soooon!!
The gatekeeper was insane. It seemed it had opened the spirit realm's gate to save its son.
The monster swung wildly. Savage, formless attacks. But the destructive power was absurd — anywhere a fist hit crumpled, shattered, or pulverized. ... A direct body hit meant at least serious injury.
Allen and the third line retreated swiftly. No point lingering in the chaos; one mistake could end you. Especially here — dying in the spirit realm meant joining the pitiful undead.
- My soooon!!
Boom boom boom boom.
Frantic punches and swipes. The front line tried to hold and counter, but they couldn't fully block. Everyone up front had at least one limb smashed. ... Still, they endured the pain and kept moving.
Once again, Blind Saintess Oddeye and Gumblade Swordswoman Natasha shone. Its power was immense, but ... just don't get hit. It was fast, but not quite up to their speed.
They twisted and dodged its attacks with uncanny agility. While the monster focused on them, the mercenaries chugged potions and reformed ranks.
Meanwhile, the Red-Robed Mage prepped a big spell. No guarantee it'd hit, but it'd draw aggro for a moment.
Another mana bolt whooshed out. It missed again, but as intended, it created an opening for Oddeye and Natasha to land a hit.
And right then, Newbie Cory, stuck by the third line, sensed something ominous and glanced out the window. A massive horde of undead — and death god monsters — were swarming in.
What the fuck!
The rookie yelled at the top of his lungs in horror.
"Th-the undead are swarming outside!!"
For a split second, Allen thought they were screwed. They hadn't even taken down the gatekeeper yet, and now this horde.
But the undead were already over the walls, charging them. Newbie Cory and Careful Archer Georg swung clubs and bows like mad. The other corps fought desperately to hold the rear from the undead.
In the heat of battle, Gumblade Swordswoman Natasha seized a split-second chance and slashed upward through the monster's chest like lightning. Slicing the rotten son's corpse was a bonus.
- Aaaaaaaaaahhh!!
The gatekeeper went berserk and lunged at Natasha. How dare she wound its beloved son.
As its focus locked on her, Oddeye clenched her fist.
Solar plexus strike —
Not quite — she hammered its back instead. A full-force punch from A-rank Strength 63 was too much for any monster.
The mercenaries in front were showered in ash from the massive boom explosion. Naturally, the monster pitched forward.
Natasha, who had dodged back, surged in and hacked off its horrific head in a flash.
- My soooon!
It rose again, but a punch to the legs dropped it. The front and second lines piled on, pummeling its huge bulk. It flailed from the ground and clipped a few mercenaries, but that was it.
The resilient gatekeeper finally stopped regenerating, its body crumbling entirely to ash.
After twists and turns, the gatekeeper was defeated. But the spirit realm's gate remained open, so the undead kept pouring in. Soul Collectors and Andontres joined the fray too.
Allen confirmed the kill and rushed to the spot. A passage to the basement was right there. Obviously, that's where the gate was.
"Oddeye! With me."
Too risky to pull Natasha too. The pair hurried down the passage. Ugh. The energy from the gate was intense; Oddeye let out a faint groan. It was starting to cause physical damage.
"Shit...!"
Skin cracked and peeled. Pus oozed from wounds, blood tears from eyes.
Pain like flesh being shredded by knives.
Oddeye's high stamina kept it bearable, though.
Agh.
Allen nearly blacked out from the pain but gritted his teeth and endured.
They barely reached the basement. In the center yawned a massive abyss of a hole, spewing pale fog wildly.
Need the catalyst—
Allen and Oddeye scanned quickly. Allen spotted a huddled mummy in the farthest corner from the entrance.
"Here it is!"
She'd been smashing offerings near the gate; at his shout, she dashed over and pulverized the mummy's head. ... But the gate stayed open.
"Toss it into the mouth!"
At Allen's yell, Oddeye grabbed it and hurled it into the black abyss.
Simultaneously, black hands like smoke rose, seized the gate, and began closing it slowly.
With a thunderous grrrumble...
The spirit realm's gate sealed shut.
The thick fog vanished like a lie, and the basement fell silent as if nothing had happened.
As if it had all been a dream.
Ah.
Allen, bleeding from every orifice, finally relaxed and slumped. The Blind Saintess caught him effortlessly.
"...Good work."
Oddeye carried her captain like a princess back upstairs.
The fog had cleared from the baron's castle, and beautiful sunset light poured in.