The Devourer from Limbo
The green ogres and the gray gorilla-like monsters with their hard, rock-like shells toppled the trees one by one along the outer edges where the Stis Dazlangs had taken root. The Stis Dazlangs, now exposed, melted away in the acidic spray from the massive toad-like creatures with feathered crests on their heads or were devoured whole by the enormous red moths that swarmed over them.
“As expected, once they form proper ranks, this is what happens.”
A makeshift defensive line like this was always destined to collapse. The Ashd Trappers and Kwulis positioned farther back might buy a little time, but it was obvious they too would soon be overwhelmed by the endless tide of enemies.
For a moment I considered recalling the last of the Ashd Trappers, but waiting for them to return and breed would take longer than simply finding another colony elsewhere. I abandoned the thought.
“Calm down, Erill.”
As the defensive line crumbled, Erill spread her wings, ready to charge in, but that was not her role.
“For now, just provide cover.”
Erill looked displeased at my order, yet she held her position and occasionally spat flames at approaching enemies.
What are you planning?
Granbipra was not particularly worried, but his transmitted emotions carried curiosity mixed with faint frustration.
“As I said, we need to draw in as many as possible.”
It would have been ideal if the temporary line of Stis Dazlangs and Kwulis had held, but simply hoping for that was meaningless. Against an army of unknown monsters, an improvised defense could never be perfect, and simply summoning more creatures would only increase our own losses in the end.
What we needed was not a thicker wall or more summons, but a strategy—one capable of breaking their momentum in a single stroke rather than merely holding them back.
“And then make them lose the will to attack again.”
Could you not simply summon them from the beginning?
“You mean a summon as powerful as yourself?”
Unfortunately, none of the summons I could call possessed that level of strength. Even knowing Erill existed, the enemy had not retreated, and adding Morotai despite my emotional wounds would change nothing.
To the enemy—or at least their leader—this was a matter of survival. No matter how high the wall or how many layers of traps, they would never give up if even the smallest opening appeared.
Of course, things might have been different if we could have maintained the Neapis Naka Honus longer, but such assumptions were always meaningless in the face of reality.
“Regrettably, I do not possess summons of that caliber.”
Therefore, to truly drive the enemy into despair and shatter their will, simply blocking them was not enough. We had to overwhelm them completely, and for that, a certain degree of dramatic presentation was necessary.
“But do not worry. There is always a summon suited to the situation.”
The curses scattered by the Puppet Crows stained approaching monsters with black spots or twisted their joints grotesquely, sending them crashing to the ground one after another. Yet the number breaching the line gradually surpassed those falling, and the Kwulis and Ashd Trappers were being trampled one by one under the relentless horde.
One section of the defensive line collapsed relatively quickly, and enemy forces naturally concentrated there.
“Erill.”
Flames erupted from Erill, illuminating the surroundings in an instant and reducing the swarming monsters to ash. Of course, the trees in their path caught fire as well, but the toad-like creatures immediately sprayed acid, melting the burning trees. It seemed they had prepared for the possibility of fire spreading, ensuring the flames themselves would not become a barrier.
Still not yet?
“It is almost time.”
If they committed their full strength and we failed to break them in one blow, this tedious battle would drag on.
I could feel the presences around us gradually growing more restless.
Until now, they had acted cautiously to break through the line, but time was running out and one section had already fallen. They must have sensed victory and would soon launch an all-out assault to seize it.
And finally, it began.
Though the dense trees limited visibility, the shift in atmosphere was unmistakable. The number of charging monsters and the intensity of their advance clearly signaled that the moment had come.
Whether anticipating the previous situation or not, monsters surged forward from every direction—not only the cleared path but also from areas still held by curses and Kwulis. No matter how many fell in front, their momentum never waned; they simply pushed the corpses aside and rushed forward like a tidal wave.
It should be fine now, yes?
“Of course.”
I recalled the wolves and severed the mana link, sending the Puppet Crows back. At the same time, following my gesture, dark brown runes rose from the earth, and brown moss spread across the ground along those markings.
Under the dark night sky, the sudden spread of brown moss made the land appear to rot and vanish. In places, the ground even sank slightly. The monsters—and the presence behind them sharing their consciousness—visibly flinched and halted at the sight.
But it was already too late. The summoning was complete. The moss that had covered the ground now climbed the trees, enveloping thick trunks and reaching the highest branches. Gradually the leaves withered, allowing starlight and moonlight to fall directly onto the earth.
Now, within this area, the only ground not covered by brown moss was the small patch where Erill and I stood.
Yet the monsters’ advance paused only briefly before resuming.
That moss alone cannot be the end, can it?
As enemies closed in from all sides, Erill prepared to breathe fire again, but I stopped her.
“Everyone, just watch quietly.”
I had not waited until the enemies charged simply for dramatic effect.
The moment the beasts bared their fangs and claws and leapt toward us, black roots burst from the brown earth like spears, piercing their bodies. Red vines followed, coiling around them.
It did not stop there. Every living thing standing on the moss-covered ground was impaled and entangled by endless roots and vines rising from beneath, torn apart without mercy. Under the indifferent moonlight, screams and wails mingled as blood of various colors splattered across the moss.
The brown moss grew increasingly grotesque as it absorbed the falling blood, and with each drop, more black roots and red vines erupted from the earth.
What is that?
Even Granbipra seemed genuinely surprised this time, while Erill could not hide her revulsion at the alien scene before her.
“Antterami Bedellegus. The Earth-Covering Slaughterer. One of the most ferocious plants inhabiting Limbo.”
This plant, native to Limbo’s unique soil, transforms the surrounding earth into an environment suited to itself the moment it is summoned. It then feeds on everything beneath the surface before turning its attention to creatures above ground.
“It certainly grew much faster than I expected. I thought it would take at least another minute.”
Whether following their master’s command or their own will, the monsters tried desperately to push inward despite the horrific sight, yet each one inevitably became nourishment for the terrible plant and the brown earth.
Impressive indeed. I have never even heard of such a plant.
“Originally, summoning creatures from Limbo was only done in restricted locations or laboratories.”
This was one of the alternatives I had desperately sought during my last journey when I could no longer bear to memorize that particular spell. At least in recorded history, there had been no cases of using Limbo creatures in actual combat rather than for research.
You waited on purpose because of the duration, I suppose.
“Well, that is not entirely wrong, but…”
While the duration was certainly a concern, there had been another reason for the delay.
“Erill.”
At my request, Erill exhaled flames toward the brown moss slowly encroaching from the side. Yes. That was the reason.
“The truth is, it cannot be controlled.”
Due to its plant nature and the speed at which it grows and spreads, perfectly controlling this creature is nearly impossible. Before I could designate a single target, roots and vines would already be extending from another direction, each new growth essentially an independent entity. Even with the summoner’s contract mark, it made little practical difference.
Yet there was a way. Creatures from Limbo were restricted to limited locations or laboratories not only because they were dangerous.
Beings from Limbo could only sustain themselves in their unique soil or atmosphere; they could not survive elsewhere. By exploiting that trait, even without perfect control, there was still a method.
What I had summoned was not only the Antterami Bedellegus. The brown moss covering the ground and trees was the same.
These brown mosses were one of the organisms that covered much of Limbo’s surface—a type of fungal lifeform. They proliferated by feeding on the unique energy abundant in Limbo, so they should not last long in the material world. However, by using my mana and the sacrifices as nutrients, I was forcibly sustaining their growth at a rate far exceeding their decay.
If I could not control the plant itself, then controlling the earth itself to guide its movement was the answer. The Antterami Bedellegus, which could only live in Limbo’s soil, would instinctively extend its roots and vines following these fungi.
By recreating Limbo’s earth within a limited range through these fungi, I was not only keeping the Antterami Bedellegus alive but also directing its movements.
“However, no matter how strong its instincts are, if there is too little prey on the surface, it might turn its attention here.”
That was why I had left some distance when first summoning it. Still, fungi spread not only across the surface but underground as well, so the more enemies there were, the lower the risk became.
You are not affecting the forest itself, are you?
Continuously proliferating fungi and a plant that ravaged everything in sight—such beings sounded incredibly dangerous just from description, yet there was no need for concern.
“Even if they use the blood of living things as nutrients to some extent, the moment my mana as the summoner is cut off, these fungi will rapidly wither, die, and decompose without leaving a trace. Then the Antterami Bedellegus will naturally wither as well. The ground here may become slightly weaker, but there will be no other effects.”
In reality, the fungi’s proliferation rate had already slowed dramatically compared to the beginning, and their decomposition speed was gradually overtaking their growth—though still far slower than the rate at which enemies were being eliminated.
The presences that had filled the surroundings were now pitifully reduced, matching the roots and vines that covered the earth. Of course, some enemies remained, and I did not believe that was all the Ancient Forest contained, but the momentum had completely shifted.
Monsters that had been desperately resisting the vines and roots moments ago were now retreating.