Chapter 172
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Prime Venom Mage (5)
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The rampage of the Evil Spirit Orb.
Jun was all too familiar with this phenomenon.
'Fragment of Destruction. So he's using that.'
The catalyst that grew the corrupted spirit implanted in the Evil Spirit Orb, and the trigger for its rampage.
'But it's not fully complete yet.'
The event he'd witnessed in the game wasn't unfolding.
This incident was most likely just another one of his experiments.
'Makes sense. Even in the game, it took years for that to happen.'
The disappearance of the [Checkpoint] they called a sanctuary.
Since things hadn't escalated that far, this rampage was probably nothing more than a test.
'Can't count on outside help in this situation. With Aden's position unknown, it'll be up to us to hunt down and kill the main body.'
But even that wouldn't be easy.
The poison spores spreading everywhere made leaving the [Shield] unthinkable.
And even if they somehow kept the [Shield] up, maintaining it during a fight with the rampaging Prime Venom Mage would be even harder.
[Shield]
As he pondered how to solve this, Aiden spoke up.
"Um, Senior. Could this be of any help?"
"What?"
What Aiden pulled from his pocket was a top-grade antidote potion.
"How did you...?"
"Well... Prince Javier gave it to me."
"Ah!"
Jun carefully took the antidote and examined it.
And then...
"...It could work. Yeah, I think it will."
"Really?!"
Aiden, thrilled that the item he'd pulled out on a whim proved useful to Jun, broke into a bright smile.
"Whoa, hey. What's that over there?"
Something writhed in the pure white spore mist.
Looking closer, it seemed like something was slithering up from the mushroom roots.
"What is...?"
"A monster?"
A monster had appeared in the [Checkpoint].
[Checkpoint]
Its form was grotesquely bizarre.
A body made of bones like an undead, with purple liquid serving as muscles and skin.
"...No soul. It's less a monster and more like one of his clones."
"But it has a physical form, sire. Most peculiar."
The clones the Prime Venom Mage had summoned before couldn't deal physical damage, but this new monster was different.
"They're multiplying nonstop...?"
"What shall we do?"
Jun's mind raced at their questions.
'The rampage triggered by the corrupted spirit varies wildly in difficulty depending on the host's abilities.'
Just looking at the mushroom filling the underground and the poison spores showed the Prime Venom Mage's poison affinity at work.
'So the clones should be the same...'
Clicking his tongue, Jun cast a spell.
Wind Cutter
The blade of wind sliced through the clone like cutting tofu, followed by a slight delay and a purple explosion.
Sssizzle―!
"Damn. Acidic poison."
Not only that, the purple acidic poison even mutated the surrounding spores.
"This is bad."
Eleanor shook her head in dismay at the sight.
To make matters worse, oxygen inside the [Shield] was starting to run low.
"Eleanor, keep the [Shield] up, please. I need to figure out how to use this antidote."
"Got it."
"Maya, throw daggers you don't need to recover. Conserve them as much as possible."
"Yes, sire."
"Senior, what should I do?"
"...Hmm, Aiden. You just sit and rest."
What could a close-range warrior do in this environment?
Aiden drooped his head dejectedly.
The situation outside the mine was just as dire.
The massive mushroom that had suddenly appeared.
And the clones spawning from it.
Each clone strengthened the poison mist, putting even more strain on the artifact.
"Hoo..."
Even Vener Tobias, who had been creating storms with his sword, was catching his breath.
He'd already slashed that giant mushroom spore a dozen times, yet it kept regenerating.
'The real body must be elsewhere.'
It seemed to be replenishing the mana needed for regeneration from the mine's magic stones.
'And those unknown monsters keep coming endlessly.'
If the enemy's main body showed up, they might stand a chance, but they had to protect the two royals while fighting.
'Going underground would put us at a clear disadvantage.'
With the passages blocked by the mushroom now.
He had only one option.
'The former captain should be arriving soon.'
Aden had gone underground to kill the Prime Venom Mage.
No word from him yet—something must have happened.
"Tobias."
Dexter called out to the engrossed knight, handing him a cylinder filled with blue liquid from his pocket.
"Drink it."
"What is this?"
"Something we're experimenting with in secret. It replenishes mana."
"A mana potion?"
"Different form from what you know... but far more effective."
"...Thank you."
Tobias accepted it but thought grimly to himself.
'It won't work well on me.'
Mana potions worked by helping gather mana in the body.
For experts like Tobias, natural breathing gathered more mana than potions could restore.
Still, he uncapped the cylinder and drank.
"...!"
His mana, down by more than half, visibly recovered.
Shocked—something rare for him—Tobias stared at the cylinder, then back at Dexter.
Dexter quietly pressed a finger to his lips.
'A secret experiment, he said.'
This was worth keeping secret.
But Tobias thought no more.
He was a knight.
Now was the time to swing his sword.
"Do you have more of these?"
"Plenty to spare."
"Understood."
As Tobias moved to step outside the barrier, Dexter stopped him.
"You plan to enter that poison mist?"
"Yes. I'll take out one big one."
"Hmm."
This was an 8th-level user speaking.
He was confident he'd emerge unscathed.
"I trust you."
"I'll live up to that trust."
Tobias stepped out, drawing mana through his entire body.
Blackguard Knight Captain Tearthin watched, eyes widening.
'My god. Were all those attacks just probes?'
The immense aura and the intent within it shattered the framework of the world Tearthin knew.
"Let's see if my power holds against a force that could shatter mountains."
Both hands gripped the sword, raised skyward, as a terrifying vortex of aura swirled around the descending blade.
Slow.
Impossibly slow.
Yet heavier than anything, and no being could possibly block it.
Rumble-rumble-rumble―!!!!
The overwhelming power difference crushed the mushroom like it was force-pressed in a compressor, slamming the spawned clones into the ground.
Even more astonishing, the effect lingered without fading.
Manifestation of Will - Force Uproots Mountains, Aura Covers the World
Ongoing suppression effect
Tobias's pursuit of pure power, manifested as will.
But it wasn't perfected yet—hard to maintain, and it guzzled mana.
'Still needs more training...'
Gazing at his trembling arms, Tobias retreated back into the barrier.
The Prime Venom Mage.
The being once known by that name knelt.
Parts of its body erupting outward were endlessly destroyed, crushed by that colossal force.
This poison mushroom wasn't just for bursting spores.
It was its reason for being.
To destroy the sanctuary by covering the area in mycelium.
Even maintaining that felt overwhelming now.
"......"
Should it change tactics?
The newborn entity, lacking proper intellect like an infant, fell silent for a moment.
'Impossible.'
Wrong premise.
It couldn't destroy the sanctuary yet. It wasn't complete enough.
What it'd done on instinct was just spreading poison—useless otherwise.
Judging thus, it abandoned the mushroom. Too hard to maintain against surface powerhouses.
Instead, it would leave a seed here.
So something could emerge later to destroy the sanctuary in its stead.
"......"
But the problems weren't over.
It was a failure.
Yet it had been created for a reason.
To kill the special humans outside.
Or at least leave the cause of its failure for its comrades above.
But obstacles abounded.
The powerhouse on the surface suppressing its poison since earlier.
It had to deal with him.
'Inject poison directly into the body.'
Poison was hard to handle but lethally effective.
One mistake, and even that powerhouse would fall.
'Head-on is certain defeat.'
Then create an opening.
Drawing mana from the underground magic stones, it split its body and sent it surfaceward.
Having produced two bodies and launched them upward...
"Ugh, what's all this?"
A group of four humans had come looking for it.
The top-grade antidote from Aiden.
Jun immediately began memorizing its entire magical pattern.
Grasping the exact principles in short time was tough, but memorizing the pattern was feasible with time.
And he had the [Exceptional Memory] skill.
Exceptional Memory
Thus, he quickly memorized the top-grade antidote's pattern and passed it to Monghwan.
Thanks to facing Monghwan directly in the ancient tower before, brief communication was possible without sleep.
-Master... all done...
At the signal from the ever-drowsy Monghwan, Jun chanted his spell.
A makeshift solution, but reliable in performance.
Transfer the antidote's magic pattern wholesale to the [Shield].
Impossible normally.
A low-circle [Shield] couldn't hold the intricate top-grade pattern.
So Jun bridged it with ancient magic and grimoires.
A brute-force overload method, mana consumption immense.
But solved via his mana, Eleanor's staff, and the Lament of the End's conversion ability.
No overheat risk since it was pure mana draw.
Thus securing safety amid the spore-filled underground, following the mycelium-buried mushroom roots...
They encountered the long-awaited Prime Venom Mage—or whatever it had become.