Chapter 312: (Side Story) An Unobserved Tale. The Abyss Without a Regressor - (Part 1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 312: (Side Story) An Unobserved Tale. The Abyss Without a Regressor - (Part 1)
The best way to escape danger is to put physical distance between yourself and it.
But in life, there are times when you must take risks to gain something. So, what should you do then?
You must thoroughly investigate and meticulously eliminate as many dangerous elements as possible, then approach with caution.
I pride myself on having done just that. Thanks to my efforts, this Abyss was quiet and comfortable.
But, as it turns out, there was something I’d slightly overlooked.
The Abyss is a bottomless chasm, a place where those who have hit rock bottom come to test their final limits. No matter how carefully I eliminated the dangers, I couldn’t do anything about the mayflies who willingly threw themselves into the Abyss. I am no prophet.
Well, after that long-winded explanation, I only have one thing to say.
“In the end, Ebon is trying to kill us all. Azzy is holding him off, but she won’t last long. So, what’s the plan?”
I was fucked. Royally.
“Dammit. I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him. I should have realized a general of the Military State would never let us live.”
Kanysen Riverwood spoke in a somber tone. Once, he had burned with hostility toward the Military State, but having sunk all those emotions to the bottom of the Abyss, he was now tense in the face of a new threat.
These people were the Resistance members who had infiltrated Tantalus to destroy it. However, Tantalus was far too massive to be brought down by the explosives they had brought. The Resistance, who had understood the Abyss to be little more than a large pit, were crushed when the situation turned out to be completely different from their expectations. I had approached them and persuaded them to live down here.
As a result, we had been living a cozy life at the bottom of this Abyss, but… it seemed the Resistance weren’t the only ones falling down here.
I said, “That’s why I was signaling you like crazy from the moment we met him. That he was dangerous. That we needed to prepare to get rid of him somehow.”
Delta stammered in response.
“S-signals? When?”
“I was using hand signals behind my back.”
“Ah, that time you were opening and closing your fingers behind you was…”
Tsk. You guys in the Resistance were trained in hand signals. No wonder my memory of it was faint. You were the only one who seemed to remember, Delta, and even you forgot everything?
This is why a mind reader shouldn’t be surrounded by idiots. We’re not in sync, and I feel like their stupidity is rubbing off on me.
“Ugh, it did look familiar… So they were hand signals. I thought you were showing off a hand trick…”
“As much as I enjoy a good sleight of hand, what would I possibly gain from trying to be slick in a situation like that?”
“Sorry…”
As Delta replied in a shrinking voice, Beta, the only woman in the Resistance, wrapped her arms around him affectionately.
Delta and Beta, who had become a couple after settling in the Abyss, had only grown closer. To put it less charitably, they just covered for each other no matter what happened.
Just like now.
“It’s okay, Delta—no, Elsie. We didn’t know either.”
Yeah, be proud of it.
Tsk, I never expected anything from you anyway. What can you expect from a dumbass who prays to the Sky God at every meal, even in the Abyss, with the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka sleeping right next to us?
“Besides, we were all distracted by Ebon’s appearance. Hughes’s hand signals came at a bad time, so it was hard to notice.”
She’s trying to comfort him while subtly shifting the blame to me. You’re going to be the one to save your boyfriend’s face, is that it?
“In the end, Ebon is the one who’s wrong. Instead of blaming anyone, we need to think of another way!”
Don’t make me laugh. This is a matter of survival; what does right or wrong have to do with it? And if you were going to think of another way, you should have done it before comforting your boyfriend! What you’re doing now isn’t planning, it’s just playing politics.
“R-right. You’re right, Cindy! We need to think of a plan now! Anyone have any good ideas?”
And you, accepting comfort in the middle of this, you’re something else. We’re right back where we started.
The fact that these people are my comrades makes my vision go dark. Alpha is just a strong, stupid civilian. Beta is the opposite kind of fool. Delta is a bookworm with low self-esteem, making him completely unreliable.
Kanysen, who was once a knight-aspirant, is smart and capable, but being knightly, his thinking is a bit rigid, so our chemistry is iffy. The only one I can make the most use of is…
I gave an order to Gamma, the only technician in the Resistance.
“Gamma. Get the explosives and head to the point.”
Gamma, the engineer, jumped in surprise at my words.
“The p-point? But that place is…!”
“We have no choice. If not there, the explosives are meaningless. We have to at least make a show of force with them.”
“But if they explode at the point, this entire Tantalus could collapse…!”
“I’ll take responsibility. Now go!”
As I pressed him, the startled Gamma shot off like his tail was on fire.
The explosives the Resistance brought are a pathetic amount. They’re only useful if we drill a hole right in the center and bury them. Even with the full application of engineering knowledge, it’s not nearly enough to destroy Tantalus, but if luck is on our side, it might just work.
Kanysen asked, “…Hughes. Didn’t you say Tantalus couldn’t collapse? And even if it could, wouldn’t we be in danger if it did?”
“We have no choice. You have to play your cards in the most dangerous position. Refusing to use them because you’re afraid of the risk is putting the cart before the horse.”
“That’s true, but…”
‘Incredible. To know that and still be able to act…’
This guy is great in every way, but he lacks mental flexibility. A decision like this should have been made by you, the nominal leader. Haaah. Why am I surrounded by people with a screw loose?
Just then, someone who had been silently waiting for a chance to speak suddenly shouted.
“We have no choice but to awaken the Progenitor!”
…Hoo. Here we go again.
“Shut up, Finlay!”
Alpha yanked on the stakes driven into Finlay’s limbs. Blood beaded from the torn wounds, about to drip… but Finlay, horrified, pulled it back into his body. The few drops that he couldn’t retrieve rolled away on their own, heading somewhere.
Finlay shouted urgently.
“Pull gently! All my blood is under the Progenitor’s command! If the holes widen and my blood spills, the Progenitor will reclaim my very existence!”
I know. That’s why I drove stakes into your limbs in the first place.
Finlay let the chains go as slack as possible and said, “You can’t do it with your power. Didn’t you see? The enemy is the Cat King! The Dog King is barely holding her off, but the Dog King cannot attack humans! He will fall before long! Without the Dog King, you are nothing but trash-like lower lifeforms. If the Progenitor does not awaken, you will die like trash!”
Hmm. Maybe I should just spin him around with the stakes still in.
As I seriously contemplated this, Kanysen muttered under his breath.
“The power of a vampire? I’m not convinced. You couldn’t even defeat us and were subdued, weren’t you?”
“That is because the Progenitor, in her eternal slumber, is absorbing all the blood in this space! If I could have just drawn a proper blood magic circle, you lot would have been a single meal!”
‘Is that so? I’ve never fought a vampire before.’
Kanysen looked at me as if for confirmation, and I shook my head.
“It’s not to that extent. A Yeiling is as easy to dispose of as burning food waste, as long as you know how.”
“You baaaastard! Gaaack! Fine! Stop twisting the stake! It is true, compared to the perfect Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka, the great Elders, or the noble Ain, a Yeiling is as weak as an insect!”
“Glad you understand. If you don’t speak properly, next time I’ll turn it counter-clockwise.”
“You… Fine! I get it!”
To be honest, a Yeiling is so weak that even I could hunt one alone without my cards. I couldn’t do it with my bare hands, but if you burn them or soak them in an electrolyte to disrupt their control over blood, a Yeiling is less than a bug. A vampire’s immortality is an advantage, but there is no greater weakness than having such clear vulnerabilities.
Most importantly, I had the Undying’s right arm with me now. If Finlay acted up, I could kill him instantly. Honestly, considering how much I’ve tormented Finlay, killing him would prevent future trouble.
“But the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka. The oldest darkness and the Queen of the Night. The source of all vampires! With her power! We can subdue not only that insolent human, but the Beast King as well!”
However, there was one reason I didn’t kill him.
Finlay’s suggestion to awaken the Progenitor was quite appealing.
Delta muttered anxiously, “…Will the Progenitor really help us?”
“Hmph! You dare insult a noble of the night and expect to liiive—GAAAAH! St-stop it! I will speak to her on your behalf. I’ll ask her to spare your lives!”
With Finlay’s screams from the counter-clockwise torture as a backdrop, Kanysen clenched his fists. As a former knight’s squire and a believer in the Sky God, albeit not a devout one, he had an instinctive revulsion toward vampires.
But he wasn’t so foolish as to let his faith lead to his death; he knew this might be their only way to survive.
“N-no way! How can you even think of waking the Progenitor? Would a disgusting vampire who only covets others’ blood help us? They’ll just try to suck all our blood!”
…Unlike a certain moron who clutches a cross every time she passes the Progenitor. Why does she do that?
“Besides, we must not wake the Progenitor, even if we die! For the peace and well-being of this world, the Progenitor must remain buried forever in this Abyss…!”
“Cindy, calm down for a second.”
Delta quieted Beta down, but the damage was done. Look at the sparks flying in Finlay’s eyes. I don’t know about the others, but Beta, you’re definitely dead.
“Alright, alright. There’s no point in deliberating any further. I’ll keep it simple.”
…Well, it can’t be helped. I can’t be expected to protect the life of someone who values their faith over their own survival.
I clapped my hands loudly and laid out the situation.
“Kanysen, you and Alpha go help Azzy. If Azzy and Nabi fight one-on-one, Azzy will win. You two handle Ebon and his lackey.”
“…I hate to say this, but my skills are no match for Ebon’s. Alpha is no match for the Colonel either.”
As Kanysen showed his reluctance, Alpha retorted hotly.
“Captain! What are you saying! We have the combat-type packet, the combat arm!”
“I’m including that. Ebon the Knight Tracker. Even as a soldier, he was a formidable man who relentlessly hunted down and killed three official knights. I have trained since then, but… I am still no match for him.”
Still, Kanysen, who at least knows his own limits, is the most reliable one here. I encouraged him with some advice.
“Just buy time. Use the explosives as a hostage if you have to, and hold out as long as you can. Because of Azzy, our overall strength is superior. If you read the flow of battle well, you should be able to buy plenty of time.”
That’s what I said, but my actual thoughts were the complete opposite.
Buying time requires rapid adaptation to changing circumstances. Unfortunately, Kanysen lacks that ability. He won’t be able to buy much time at all.
…Still, it can’t be helped.
Here’s the thing: someone who has only mastered Geon Qi Art and Gon Qi Art can be defeated with poison, surprise attacks, or tactics. If it were just the Colonel, I could probably find a way to kill him myself.
But Gam Qi Art, the stage where one strengthens their own body with Qi… makes poison, surprise attacks, and tactics meaningless. When their very bones and flesh become hardened, what can you use to break through? Choke them? Someone with even a little training in Gam Qi Art can open their own throat.
Kanysen hadn’t reached the level of Gam Qi Art. He had learned Qi Deflection, but that’s a method for those who haven’t mastered Gam Qi Art to protect themselves. In terms of pure physical ability, Ebon is superior.
Conversely, that’s precisely why Kanysen has to be the one to face Ebon.
Because that’s the only use I have for him.
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
Kanysen nodded firmly, prepared for death. I nodded back at him.
Once, he had led these people to their deaths out of a misplaced sense of honor. He had deceived not only his Resistance members but also himself, trying to gain a reputation that would outlive him. And for what? The meaningless act of terrorizing a Tantalus that held no prisoners.
I briefly considered just killing him, but thankfully, he came to his senses on his own. Thanks to that, he found a small but genuine honor: fighting to the death for his few remaining subordinates.
…Though it’s all over once you’re dead.
I turned away from Kanysen, who was equipping his combat arm packet, and spoke.
“The rest of us are going to the Progenitor. We’re going to wake her up. Until now, the Progenitor hasn’t responded to any of Finlay’s calls, but we have a method we haven’t tried yet.”
Delta, who had been about to nod, froze.
“W-wait. Cindy, I mean, Beta is going too?”
“If you want to leave her here alone, be my guest.”
“N-no… right. We’re dead meat if the Progenitor doesn’t help anyway, so we’ll just have to be as careful as possible.”
Delta replied reluctantly, patting Beta, who was making her unwillingness perfectly clear. Without any particular suspicion, they followed my instructions and set off for their assigned destinations, failing to grasp my true intentions.
But there was one person.
‘Hughes, you’re the most infuriating human here… but you’re also the most brilliant. I can’t deny it.’
Only Finlay, his body pierced by stakes… saw through my plan. A bloody smile spread across his pale face.
‘Yes. That bitch must be used as a sacrifice. Judgment for the worthless wench who dares invoke the Sky God before the Progenitor!’