Chapter 385: Bread and Dagger (83)
Chapter 385: Bread and Dagger (83)
Light bombs poured down along with the blizzard.
Every time the clusters of pure white light struck, the sound of searing flesh followed. The bubbling, proliferating masses of flesh burst apart, releasing a foul stench.
It was a hideous sight, yet one from which it was impossible to look away.
The sensation was similar to the feeling of popping an insect’s egg sac. As long as one had a strong stomach, it was a spectacle worth watching indefinitely.
It wasn't just light bombs of divine power falling from the sky.
Arrows, lightning, and anything else that could be used as a weapon were being mobilized. It was a massive aerial bombardment that truly deserved the term 'total war.'
In truth, it was a scene that should have been impossible to orchestrate.
"This is madness...!"
Even Leoric, lost in his frenzy, was struck with disbelief. Anyone with even a shred of reason left would have realized the impossibility of it.
The area occupied by the boiling flesh was immense.
Even though time had been delayed while dealing with the snake heads, I was a martial artist who had reached the level of an Expert. It had taken someone of my caliber several hours of sprinting at full speed to reach the center.
This was likely the very heart of the coniferous forest.
Though they were hidden now, the bulging mounds of flesh everywhere suggested the ruins of fallen trees. It was a distance normally considered impossible even for sniping.
Yet, Leoric was now facing a concentrated barrage of overwhelming firepower.
This was an undeniable reality. There was no need to mention how crucial it was to strike the center of the enemy lines rather than just the outskirts.
Standing at a distance, I retraced my memories.
Yes, it was that night.
The second time I had slept with Senior Delphine.
After the hours of pleasure had passed, the blonde woman buried her face in my chest. Even her exhausted, panting breath was captivating.
With a faint smile, she spoke to me.
"It was worth the effort to save you, wasn't it, my husband?"
I silently stroked Senior Delphine’s hair. Her legs, tracing alluring curves, brushed against my body. I could feel the direct warmth of her breasts against my arm.
Tonight had been impulsive as well.
But because it had been more than worth it, I replied with a bitter smile.
"People will think I'm some kind of kept man."
"I don't keep men like that."
Her pale index finger playfully traced my chest, eventually reaching my Adam's apple.
After staring at me for a while, Senior Delphine burst into a giggle.
It was a pure smile.
A testament to happiness, devoid of any calculation or ulterior motive.
Objectively speaking, the reality facing Senior Delphine and me was bleak.
Nevertheless, I wanted to believe. I wanted to believe that she and I deserved this fleeting moment of happiness. Especially Senior Delphine—hadn't she suffered far too much until now?
Even if some of that pain had been inflicted by me.
Looking back, our connection was enough to make me break into a cold sweat.
Why was I so violent back then?
Actually, it wasn't my fault.
The one who committed the wrong was, ultimately, Senior Delphine. If I had any guilt, it was only that I responded with excessive violence.
Like the mistake of leaving countless axe marks on that alabaster skin.
Thinking about it again, I really was trash.
Before Senior Delphine could reach a similar conclusion, I decided to change the subject quickly.
"By the way, how did you save me?"
Her vivid blood-red eyes stared at me blankly. Finding the sight strangely cute, I let out a small chuckle.
Should I pinch her cheek?
Of course, for the sake of Senior Delphine’s final shred of pride, I didn't actually do it.
"I mean, I was heavily wounded, so how..."
"I paid a high price," Senior Delphine said with a meaningful smile. "Do you know about teleportation magic?"
A brief explanation followed.
In short, she said there was magic that connected one location to another.
It sounded like a magnificent spell at first, but it wasn't without its drawbacks.
First, setting precise coordinates was essential. Even a microscopic error could be fatal, and the accuracy dropped as the number of targets increased.
In other words, only a few people could benefit from it.
Furthermore, the cost was astronomical. If even Senior Delphine used the word 'burden,' its value was easy to imagine.
That was when I had an idea.
What if coordinate confusion didn't matter?
For instance, when teleporting inanimate objects of low value. There would be no fear of losing lives, and even if they were dumped in some unknown place, the loss would be minimal.
And what if their numbers were overwhelmingly large?
It was a plan I had devised by mobilizing Reto and long-distance communication magic.
I had to endure a long lecture from Reto in exchange, but I was able to face this situation with a certain level of confidence.
This method was particularly useful when dealing with Leoric.
Boom!
An explosion erupted from the depths of the flesh.
The chunks of meat that came into contact with the divine power turned pure white and scattered. This was the result of the light bombs being moved inside the flesh due to the coordinate chaos of the teleportation magic.
Again, the area occupied by the boiling flesh was vast.
Thanks to that, even if coordinate confusion occurred, the deviation was minimal. In fact, there were times when the side effect acted as an advantage.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
Leoric rolled his eyes back, howling in agony.
The pure white radiance covering the man's eyes grew increasingly bright. Soon, the light became so intense it looked as if it would pierce through Leoric’s skull at any moment.
The bombardment continued for a long time, but Leoric’s main body was still intact.
He screamed in pain, but that was all.
"Life, life, life! Agony, pain... How cruel you are, Immanuel! The Lord has given me a trial, so He has commanded me to live!"
I slowly tightened my grip on the handle of my hand axe.
I didn't think it would end like this.
It was a fact everyone knew. Even though we were bombarding the center of the mass of flesh, it didn't guarantee victory.
The center of the boiling flesh could shift at any time.
Its unlimited regenerative ability was a threat. One only had to look at the Corpse Giant to know that. On top of that, Leoric possessed another terrifying trait.
He could use the corpses he had devoured as prosthetic bodies.
It meant he could switch his main body at will. Furthermore, according to recent reports, he seemed to acquire the abilities of the corpses he consumed.
The latter was my primary concern.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
As Leoric’s main body crumbled, several lumps of flesh began to approach me. At first, they were clumsy shapes, like clay molded by a child, but with every step, their outlines became clearer.
Death was coming.
Death throes echoed repeatedly. Every time a fragmented scream rang out, a face would distort and reveal a new countenance.
It was Leoric.
"Oh, oh... Wha, t, a, sa, d, fa, te!"
Not even the sound of footsteps remained.
I immediately followed the breathing technique I had learned from the Elves. My breath slowed drastically, and my presence vanished in an instant.
They were Elf sword-wielders.
But the reason they were truly terrifying was something else.
One of the sword-wielders stuck out his tongue amidst the raining light bombs.
A hideous lump of flesh was revealed within.
It was a 'Blessing.' Unless it was a corpse, the flesh monster could replicate all the abilities of the 'prosthetic bodies' it had absorbed.
And the power of a 'Blessing' was limitless.
It was power received from the Evil God at the cost of one's soul. Naturally, its might was fearsome. As if to demonstrate this, a pitch-black hemisphere was forming in the sky.
Rumble, rumble!
The hemispherical barrier shook as if it would collapse at any moment. Yet, there were no signs of it breaking immediately. I drew my sword and axe.
This was the final struggle.
A fierce arc formed on my lips.
"Come at me, you bastards."
And then, sword met sword.
It was as if the blades themselves were bleeding.
Amidst the sparks flying in my vision, I prayed fervently.
I prayed that the move I had been waiting for was approaching.
That expectation was not betrayed.
The world began to fade with a low hum.
A monochromatic night began.
The true final battle had started.
"Yurdina never loses."
A sword's point dragged along the snowfield. To anyone watching, it was a sight that would have earned a scolding for lacking even the basics of swordsmanship.
Whether it was the edge or the tip, a blade was a blade.
It was common sense that dragging it on the ground would dull it. In a duel between swordsmen where microscopic differences decided everything, one could not afford such a careless act.
But the opponent was no novice.
"It is the Law of the North... I do not believe it is wrong. It is the way our distant ancestors created, and the way they believed to be right."
Marquis Yurdina.
A monster on the verge of becoming a Master.
He had completely suppressed the multiple Elf raids that had struck the North and driven them into the coniferous forest. Among the Empire's Five Great Noble Families, he was a renowned commander whose martial prowess was ranked at the very top alongside Duke Lupemion.
Delphine steadied her breathing.
I will win.
"So, prove it."
I will be victorious.
"Prove that you are worthy of being the head of Yurdina."
With the snowfield between them, Yurdina faced Yurdina.
It was the duel of a lifetime.