Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Abyss of the Deep Valley, Erebos #8
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The primordial flame.
From what I recalled, it was the ultimate spell in Elfride's arsenal.
This magic, with its chant lasting over ten minutes, fired a small orb into the air, no different from a basic fire-attribute spell like Fireball.
Yet its power was incomparable to a mere Fireball, unleashing devastating heat that incinerated everything it touched.
Graaaah—!!
The Ulgart giant, who had mocked it, finally began screaming.
Elf! This... this is... ah... uwaaaah... uwaaaaaah—!
It was clear the thing was crisping up nicely as it let out horrific shrieks. It had to hurt. What could be more agonizing than burning alive?
The problem was that I, pinned beneath its palm, felt like I was melting in the same infernal heat.
I had to put out the fire!
Whoosh, whoosh—.
At that moment, a massive fan-like whoosh shook the air around us.
I couldn't see clearly, but I could tell its enormous wings were flapping frantically.
Of course, Elfride's ultimate spell was too ferocious to be quelled by mere wind.
Graaaah—!! Surtr's flame!? A technique that devours life... Elf, this is the flame of your own life! You won't last long either—!! Put out the flame now—!!
"Haa, haa... Fireball—."
Pew-pew-pew—.
A barrage of fireballs slammed into its massive body with deafening impacts.
Just as Hippolyte and I were straining our joints to the limit, Elfride was clearly giving her all in this situation.
Whether it worked or not, the palm crushing me like a roof suddenly shifted aside, followed by the thud of the giant collapsing.
Only then could I relax my clenched jaw and gasp for air.
Thank goodness I'd poured points into stamina recently; otherwise, I'd have been flattened like a pancake.
"Hmph, nothing special. Samarian, any injuries?"
I was still catching my breath when Hippolyte, who had strained just as hard pushing off that palm, had already regained her composure.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, but unlike someone who'd endured the same ordeal, she looked perfectly at ease—a stark reminder of how far ahead of me she was.
She could've easily dodged that palm strike to begin with. She'd probably held it back just to keep me from getting squashed. And that made sense.
"Hah... fuck."
Various thoughts crossed my mind, but for now, survival was a win.
Its massive body crackled and burned—fwoosh-fwoosh—until muscle, flesh, and feathers were reduced to a pile of white bones.
The acrid, eerie stench of charred meat filled the air, disorienting us, as Hippolyte and I—relatively unscathed—helped Elfride and Antiope to their feet.
"Uh... what? What was that? Already over?"
Had she hit her head falling from the giant's shoulder? Antiope, sporting a huge lump on her forehead, blinked awake after a few slaps on the cheek.
No major injuries, it seemed.
Elfride's condition, however, was far from good.
"Hnng... haa..."
She couldn't even respond to our calls, just panted raggedly.
Her red eyes had dilated pupils, and her cheeks and forehead burned feverishly, as if scorched.
Hippolyte, palm pressed to Elfride's forehead, stated calmly,
"Her mana is surging out of control. Push beyond your limits, and this happens. Got any holy water left?"
At her words, I pulled a glass vial from the bundle on my shoulder.
All the high-grade holy water I'd bought for gold had shattered or been lost—only this one remained.
Hippolyte uncorked it and poured the glowing white liquid over Elfride's forehead.
Sizzle—.
White smoke billowed up like water on a hot griddle.
It seemed to help; Elfride, who had looked on the verge of collapse moments ago, eased slightly.
"Hn..."
"Much better. But it's temporary. We should get her to a healer fast. The denizens of the abyss likely noticed us from that fight. Find that dimensional gate or whatever and get out of here."
Swish—.
Hippolyte hoisted the still-dazed Elfride over her shoulder and approached the massive chair again.
There, amid the roaring flames, she spotted a strangely glowing magic circle.
A circular pattern etched with swirling lines—it screamed "dimensional gate" to anyone who saw it.
"Elf, this the gate you mentioned? Can you activate it?"
"...Mercury—."
With Elfride's faint murmur, the magic circle hummed to life, swirling with light.
Soon, brilliant radiance enveloped us all, blinding our vision.
*
*
*
When I came to, we were in darkness.
But not the pitch-black void of the abyss's depths—a room lit by a small, crackling hearth.
Fireplace, bed.
Bookshelves stuffed with dusty tomes.
After trudging through the barren abyss, this human-scented space felt reassuring. And yet, it bred unease too.
Especially that figure seated in a chair, draped in a robe—who the hell was he?
"Who are you? Know anything about the White Rose?"
Hippolyte demanded, sword at the ready. The white-robed man chuckled lowly.
"I've wanted to meet you someday. So I arranged this undisturbed spot. Lured you with bait in the abyss, you see. Owe Erebos a lot for that."
"I'll ask again—who are you?"
Hippolyte's tone was ice-cold.
She made no secret of her readiness to strike. But the seated man simply continued his monologue.
What happened next was astonishing.
"Do you even know who I am? You Amazons are so noisy. All Mars's doing, this."
The white-robed man raised a hand from his chair.
"Be quiet for a moment."
Sparks crackled—electricity lashed out, shocking Hippolyte, Antiope, and Elfride.
"Ugh! Uwaaagh! Aaaah—!"
Even mighty Hippolyte convulsed on the floor like she'd been tased. Antiope and Elfride fared no better.
I knew instantly.
This guy was leagues more dangerous than the colossal monster we'd sweated blood to defeat in the dark.
My nape tingled wildly, danger sensors haywire, heart pounding like a drum.
Fuck, we're screwed.
What the hell is this?
As panic surged, the man smoothly removed his hood.
His platinum hair cascaded, gleaming almost white.
Deep-set golden eyes dazzled piercingly.
His neatly trimmed beard and faint wrinkles under his eyes felt sculpted to perfection—uncannily so.
He didn't seem human. He reminded me of Lady Nox. But he wasn't the goddess of night—something else.
And if my guess was right, then—
"You wouldn't be—"
"Enough. Do we need introductions? I've watched you from on high, Zigris. The more I saw, the more you reminded me of someone. Had to meet you myself."
"Th-that..."
My mind went blank.
I'd dismissed gods as just powerful beings, but this man operated on another plane.
I couldn't think what to say; one wrong word, and I might get barbecued.
"Have you... something to tell me?"
"Not really. Even if I did, my position forbids it. But that toy you've been playing with lately looks dangerous."
"Toy...?"
"As an adult, I'll warn you properly. No more necromancy, Zigris."
"N-necromancy...?"
"Lies don't work on me. Don't test my patience."
I realized instantly: nothing was hidden from this man.
He'd been watching me—no doubt about it.
"But outright confiscation breeds resentment. I'll give you something you'll like as compensation. You handled that foreign cultist from afar; you deserve a reward."
"Reward...?"
Crackle—.
Sparks flew, and the man vanished from the chair.
Confused, I blinked—he was suddenly right in front of me, slamming his palm into my gut.
Crunch—.
No better way to describe it: his hand pierced my abdomen like butter.
"Hwaaaaaah—!"
The bizarre sensation of his palm rummaging through my innards made me scream involuntarily.
It didn't hurt, but my vision spun dizzily, indescribably.
"Sealed after all. You forged a fine vessel, but sealed it at the end. He was always a worrier, that one."
"Ughk—!"
"Ah, touched something wrong. Mistakes happen."
"Heeee!"
"...Trickier than expected."
"Hwaaaaaah—!"
Screaming was all I could do.
When the horrific sensation finally ended, I found myself on the floor, palms and knees down, retching.
Delayed pain hit hard.
The man who'd churned my guts now lounged casually in the chair.
"Go to Delphi. Claim your fate there."
"Delphi..."
"That's all I can say. Now, Erebos—your turn. Got anything to say?"
His gaze seemed to pierce past my shoulder. Someone behind me? Trembling, I heard a voice.
Not really—.
"Fair enough. I've said my piece. Do as you like, Erebos."
Boom—.
Thunder roared, and the white-robed man vanished completely. Only his chair smoldered, lightning-struck.
No different from a real bolt.
Is it over? I sighed in slight relief when a voice came from behind.
Zigris.
Oppressive weight choked me; even gathering my wits was hard. Maybe from him stirring my insides—vision blurred.
I have rules, Erebos. One who enters the abyss must be offered to me. Zigris, choose a woman from them as sacrifice.
Choose a woman to sacrifice?
The voice snapped me alert.
Rumble-rumble—.
The cramped room shook, reshaping.
What emerged: bizarre hooks. Sharp barbs on tall gibbet-like poles held familiar women.
"Delphina—?"
Delphina and her party—Lili and Edwin, I think. Seeing them dangling made my head spin.
Offer one who came with you. The rest go free.
I turned slowly, eyeing the women collapsed and trembling at my feet: Hippolyte, Antiope, Elfride.
Hippolyte and Elfride had long passed out; only Antiope stared up, eyes wide with terror.
Surviving that lightning without fainting—her toughness? Or the lightning mark on her back resisting? Who knows.
"N-no. No sacrifice. You're gonna pick me, right? I'm the least close to you!"
I'd just stared in surprise that she hadn't fainted. But Antiope misinterpreted wildly.
Given the situation, panic was natural. If it were me, I'd have pissed myself for real.
"Sacrifice..."
One of them to escape?
Utterly unfair.
And yet, dark thoughts crept in. My eyes drifted to the sweating, unconscious Elfride.
How much grief had she caused me? I still woke kicking covers sometimes.
If I had to ditch one, it'd be her.
But words stuck. Trying to speak, memories flooded: her first allowance to me, praising me for disarming a trap.
A brief silence born of that.
It shattered with a low voice.
Weak.
"Pardon?"
Highpose's gods were wrong. You don't suit the divine throne, Zigris.
"...You mean I don't suit Luna?"
Who knows. But you pleased me. Had you sacrificed one, I'd have trapped you here too.
Creak—.
A sealed door in the corner swung open, revealing pitch blackness beyond.
Go. Can't hold you longer. Can't stay away myself. Hell's throne I bear unasked is busier than expected.
Letting me go just like that?
No such thing as free favors.
What if he changed his mind after we left, claiming it a trap? Unease gnawed.
So, bribery it was—I rummaged my shoulder bundle.
"Uh... thanks. All I can offer as thanks is this—."
I pulled out the voodoo doll Luna had mangled to resemble herself.
Amusing. Fine, I'll take it.
That ended my chat with the dark shadow.
I bound my comrades and Delphina's group at the waist, then dragged them into the darkness.
When I came to again, a dim cave stretched before me: stalactites jutting, lizards scurrying.
Glowing moss, bizarre luminescent mushrooms—familiar sights.
This had to be near the valley cave where I'd met the skeleton knight.
Maybe not, but we'd escaped the abyss's depths, that much was sure.
"We out?"
Antiope rubbed the lump on her forehead, scanning around.
"Damn, damn—. What the hell did I just see? Fuck—."
She muttered curses, oddly unsettled. Only then did my heart thunder, stomach churning.
"Thought we were dead."
"We could've all died and no one'd blink! Do you even get who we just met? Ah, what the fuck is this? No one'd believe me!"
"Fuck, yeah."
"Your reaction's so lukewarm! We beheld great ones! Breathing was a chore...!"
"Anyway, we're alive. Let's move. Help carry these."
"Chatting casually with such exalted beings. Unfathomable. You... they spoke like they knew you well. This, this..."
Antiope was deeply shaken by it all.
Makes sense—she's from Jupiter's knight order. Meeting the core of her faith? She'd be mad not to freak.
After mumbling to herself for a while, she hesitantly addressed me in a small voice.
"Um, H-Hassan... sir."