Chapter 131: The Lord is With Us (52)
Chapter 131: The Lord is With Us (52)
My squelching footsteps were heavy.
My breathing had reached its limit. Cuts and lacerations already covered my body.
The Flesh Seeds, lunging at me with insane ferocity, seemed endless. Gasping for air, I swung my sword once more.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, blood sprayed again. The head of a Flesh Seed leaping toward me was sliced open diagonally.
I felt like I’d already killed dozens of them, so how were there still more left?
My exhausted eyes turned toward the Flesh Nest. The distance between us had finally narrowed.
However, the closer I got to it, the more frequently the Flesh Seeds appeared. The speed at which the thin, membranous cocoons opened and dropped newborn Flesh Seeds was becoming far too fast.
It was a grim testament to how many humans had been consumed.
It wasn't just the orphans. Since this was a laboratory for the Dark Priests, they must have kidnapped random passersby as well. The result was this army of hundreds of Flesh Seeds.
The only silver lining was that these hastily created Flesh Seeds had slightly lower physical capabilities.
Kieeeeeek!
I heard the clacking of teeth. I had sliced its head diagonally, but it seemed I hadn't pierced the core properly.
Crunch.
I brought my foot down, and the head of the Flesh Seed beneath me finally burst.
I stole a glance at Senior Delphine. Even the great Delphine Yurdina seemed out of breath by now, sweat trickling down her forehead.
Despite that, her stance remained rock-solid. Every time she swung her sword, a Flesh Seed unfailingly burst into flames and collapsed.
The problem was that these Flesh Seeds, having forgotten pain, no longer stopped their assault just because they were on fire.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Senior Delphine!"
Startled by the sudden scream, I looked toward her. One of the Flesh Seeds that had been burned and collapsed had crawled over and managed to sink its claws into her ankle.
Dark red blood trickled down. Her skin began to melt, and Delphine’s posture wavered.
Of all places, it had to be her ankle. I immediately threw a hand axe.
Thwack.
The head of a Flesh Seed lunging at her exploded. Then, at the perfect moment, a clear voice rang out.
"……O Light, overflow!"
The pure white floor beneath Her Highness electrocuted the Flesh Seeds.
Their bodies shuddered as their muscles contracted involuntarily. Even so, the sheer malice in their eyes as they tried to crawl toward Delphine and me was chilling.
I quickly rushed to Delphine’s side. The Flesh Nest was right in front of us now, but my eyes filled with dismay.
"……Go, quickly."
"But, Senior Delphine……."
When I spoke with concern, Delphine glared at me with her crimson eyes.
The way she bit her lip betrayed an irrepressible sense of frustration—as if she found it pathetic to be a burden to her junior.
"I can protect myself even if I lose an ankle. Don't you know who I am? I'm Delphine Yurdina."
"……Understood."
Because I promised. I promised I’d make sure she won.
I stumbled as I stood up. Senior Delphine braced herself by planting her sword in the ground. It seemed she intended to focus entirely on defense.
I looked back. In the distance, Senior Elsie was monitoring the situation between Delphine and me.
Protecting the injured came first. I stared at Senior Elsie, conveying that silent message.
For some reason, she looked a bit reluctant, but there was no other choice. Soon, Elsie sighed and nodded.
Now, Elsie’s fire support would be concentrated on Delphine.
Perhaps it was better this way. It would draw more Flesh Seeds toward Delphine, giving me the chance to move alone.
The pain in my back grew more intense. Gritting my teeth, I kicked off the ground once more.
A hand axe whistled through the air.
It crushed the head of one Flesh Seed, and then, twisting its trajectory, it blew away the side of another that was preparing to pounce.
Then, my sword point dropped toward the lower left.
Yurdina Secret Sword Art: Golden Silk Sword.
Three sword paths were drawn, and three fountains of blood erupted.
In the process, a claw grazed my arm.
Blood flowed. Strength gradually drained from my limb. Before I knew it, the hand holding my sword was trembling.
My leg was bitten as well.
The teeth must have been venomous, as the wound began to fester immediately. Every step was agony. Each time my lower body strained to support my upper body, dark blue blood surged out.
Nevertheless, I kept walking until I finally stood before the Flesh Nest.
A mocking sound echoed in my ears. A sinister whisper reached me.
‘You cannot win.’
I let out a dry laugh. Then, I spat out a single phrase.
"……Bullshit."
Immediately, the membrane of the Flesh Nest unfurled.
It looked like a bat spreading its wings. My body flinched; I hadn't known such a movement was even possible.
Dozens of tentacles erupted from between the membranes.
It was a grotesque sight. Various body parts protruded from the tentacles like thorns.
Arms, legs, skulls.
The only thing they had in common was that they were all bone. I laughed in disbelief.
"You call yourself a Flesh Nest, so why are there bones?"
The Flesh Nest gave no answer. Its tentacles lashed out like whips, striking the ground with such force that the stone floor of the cavern began to shatter.
Naturally, a single hit would be fatal.
Cursing, I threw myself forward. Dozens of imaginary trajectories were being drawn in my mind. I had to perform a series of desperate acrobatics to weave through the gaps.
‘You cannot win.’
Every time the eerie whisper echoed, a mysterious mist began to rise around me. A foul stench stung my nose.
My mind was becoming hazy. This was definitely not a good sign.
As I lunged, rolled, and occasionally retreated, my concentration began to blur.
Still, it was certain that I was getting closer to the Flesh Nest. The tentacles striking the floor were becoming increasingly cautious.
I didn't miss that opening.
A hand axe flew like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle.
The spinning blade possessed terrifying momentum. It was enough to shatter a sturdy tree.
But not the Flesh Nest.
Thump.
The hand axe bounced off as if it had hit a resilient rubber ball.
My eyes widened. That axe had been smashing the skulls of Flesh Seeds until now. Its lethality was practically proven.
And yet, it didn't work?
It was in that moment of shock.
Suddenly, I felt a massive impact against my back.
Gah!
I coughed up blood and collapsed forward.
Only then did I realize. I was right in front of the Flesh Nest.
I could also see where the mist was leaking from. From the very top of the Flesh Nest, dark red mist was flowing out along with that sinister sound.
‘You… cannot win.’
"……Is that so?"
It was just as it said. I had no strength left to stand, and my internals felt scrambled from the blow to my back.
With trembling hands, I fumbled inside my coat. I felt the texture of parchment.
The tentacles were slowly closing in on me. It was then that my hand tore the parchment without hesitation.
Whoosh!
Fire erupted.
Heat flooded the area around me, beginning to sear my skin.
It was hot. The oxygen levels plummeted instantly, and the wound on my back, which hadn't even begun to heal, sizzled with agonizing pain.
The Flesh Nest shrieked and pulled its tentacles away. Only then did I spring to my feet.
A brilliant silver aura gathered on my blade. Then, gritting my teeth, I lunged with everything I had.
It was a strike intended to end it.
But in the next moment, all I felt was the sensation of my blade slipping.
Huh? Before I knew it, I was flying through the air again.
I hacked up blood as I soared. In that moment where time seemed to stand still, I looked down from mid-air.
I saw the wide eyes of Senior Elsie, Celine, and Seria watching me. Despair was etched onto Senior Delphine’s face as well.
They looked like people who had realized defeat was inevitable.
Then, a voice sneered from near the crown of the Flesh Nest.
‘You… can never win.’
Thud. My body hit the ground, the sound echoing through the cavern. Blood surged up my esophagus. Or perhaps it was my trachea.
Honestly, I couldn't tell.
It truly was a monster out of myth.
To think it had physical resistance… My mistake was only considering the Flesh Seeds as the primary threat.
The Saintess came to mind. She had warned me that I might die.
My eyes stared blankly at the Flesh Nest.
‘You cannot win.’
My eyes slowly began to close. A cozy sleep seemed to be beckoning.
For the second time today, just as I was about to lose consciousness—
"……The flame."
A voice suddenly struck my ears, and I snapped awake, looking around.
There was no one there. But my eyes naturally drifted toward the tentacles of the Flesh Nest.
The tips were hideously melted. It was none other than the work of the fire magic scroll Reto had given me.
Fire works. That fact flashed through my mind like a bolt of lightning.
The problem was, I didn't have any fire left.
Right, I didn't have any.
An idea formed, and I stumbled to my feet. My sword fell from my hand with a pathetic clang. The sound of metal rolling across the floor was pitiful.
A mocking sound echoed. It was the Flesh Nest.
It seemed to be ridiculing the loser. The misshapen monster writhed its tentacles as if preparing for the final blow.
In that split second before the tentacles lashed out again—
"……Delphine Yurdina!"
For a moment, the world stopped.
My eyes met Senior Delphine’s. Her eyes were filled with confusion, but she must have remembered.
The promise I made to her.
"Throw your sword!"
And when time began to flow again.
With a sharp whistle, a sword came flying. It was a blade still imbued with a golden aura—the same as when Senior Delphine threw her daggers.
A dense aura would remain for a while even after being thrown. I caught the sword immediately and hurled it high into the air.
The sword spun end-over-end in the void.
The Flesh Nest flinched at first, but then it let out a mocking sound at the sword's trajectory, which seemed to be cutting through empty air.
‘You cannot wi—’
That was when I burst out laughing.
The laughter that escaped me soon turned into a wheeze that squeezed my lungs.
The Flesh Nest stopped mid-sentence, seemingly puzzled. I could sense the confusion from its hesitating tentacles.
It was a curiosity that would be satisfied soon enough.
So, I bared a savage grin.
"……I won, you dumbass."
Immediately after, the sword point imbued with golden aura pointed downward.
A vertical flash of light plunged toward the earth, carving through the world and setting it ablaze.
And in the next moment.
KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Dozens of Flesh Seeds suddenly clutched their heads and began to wail. A boiling golden radiance began to shine through the thick membrane of the Flesh Nest.
And as if screaming, the crown of the Flesh Nest split open, and brilliant light poured out from within.
Like a firework, my vision exploded.
Everything went white. My body was flung back, tumbling messily across the ground.
A high-pitched ringing filled my ears. I tried to crawl toward my sword, but I soon gave up.
I had no strength left. My consciousness was fading into darkness.
When I briefly opened my eyes, I saw faces looking down at me, on the verge of tears.
"……P-potion… in my coat."
With those final words, I lost consciousness again.
My desperate struggle had come to an end.
Waking up from a cozy sleep is always a painful affair.
I frowned slightly at the sunlight piercing through my eyelids.
Where am I?
My memory was hazy. I couldn't think straight.
But when I opened my eyes, I saw a woman looking down at me in silence.
The first thing I noticed was her hair, which held a mysterious glow as if woven from silver thread. Next was her pure white, soft skin, and her clear, pale pink eyes.
When I opened my eyes, she seemed startled, her eyes widening.
My mind wasn't fully functional yet. So, I could only stammer out the first words that came to mind.
"……Pouch of Divine Power?"
A scream erupted from my mouth shortly after.
It was the signal of my return to daily life.