Chapter 44
Slave, bite. I stared at the door. Was it okay to go in? No matter how I looked at it, this screamed entrance to that secret space. And it was just hanging wide open? Then it wasn't a secret at all, was it?
Hmm. I pondered for a moment. This wasn't part of the plan. The goal was to strut in coolly, drop some badass passphrase, and slip inside like I owned the place.
"This isn't right."
All my plans went up in smoke. Fuck. Was I doomed to a life without any cool moments?
No, cool points aren't the issue right now. I needed to figure out why this damn door was open.
"Should I go in?"
No whiskey, no dramatic buildup—just barge through the open door, I figured. Right around then.
Swoosh—.
"Huh?"
Something blocked my path. A translucent pink angel.
"What?"
[...]
No answer. She just stood there, blocking me with those solemn eyes. What the hell was her deal?
"If you've got something to say, spit it out."
Why block the way for no reason? Maybe...
"You telling me not to go?"
[...]
The angel nodded. Blocking me? Why? It made no sense. If she was gonna do that, at least explain.
Nothing. Just straight-up barring the way? What the fuck?
"What is that? Makes no goddamn sense."
If she wouldn't explain, no reason to stand around. Especially since...
I don't even know if she's on my side.
I just called her an angel. No clue what she really was. She hung around the Saintess, so I figured she was some holy entity or whatever.
Even if she is... it was all guesswork in the end. I had no idea what this angel wanted.
But right now, this is more important. I decided going inside mattered more. I pushed through the empty space and headed into the basement.
Then.
Vrrr—.
"..."
Something brushed past my body. I froze for a second.
This feeling...
What the hell? I narrowed my eyes, scanning the passage. Something was rippling. An inexplicable disgust welled up. Was it filling the whole space? What even was that thing?
Before the questions deepened, my hand shot out. Instinct. If it bugged my eyes...
Rip it out.
Vrrr—!
As my hand reached for the energy, tendrils wrapped around my wrist. Like spiderwebs. That was the vibe.
Ssshh—.
More energy coiled tightly around it. Trying to hold me back? Cheeky bastard. The thought flashed unbidden.
I yanked hard with force. Then.
Crack-crack-CRACK—!!!!
The energy coiled around my hand tore clean off.
Whoosh—!!
The gathered energy dissipated. Only then did the disgust fade from my body. No idea what it was, but...
My eyes stayed fixed on the basement below. Gotta go.
Vrrr-vrrr.
The vibrator at my waist buzzed. I gripped the handle and descended slowly. The lantern was out, so darkness made it hard to see ahead. I pressed a hand to the wall and went down carefully.
Soon, another door appeared. A sturdy iron one. And...
That's open too.
Even that one. What the actual fuck? I approached warily, peering into the open space beyond. Damp and dark. The source of that foul candle wax stench I'd smelled earlier. Yeah, this was it. The atmosphere screamed it.
-A place shrouded in unknowable mystery. What is this place? The protagonist's inner monologue popped into my head.
But...
Doesn't feel mysterious. No mystery, just creepy as hell. Did a prophet really hang out in a dump like this? That's when...
"...Huh?"
Something up ahead. What the...? I narrowed my eyes and approached.
"What the fuck?"
The curse slipped out the second I saw it. A corpse. Someone in a hood. And I knew instantly.
"...The prophet?"
The one who should be here. Gold-trimmed cloak, right? Matched the description perfectly.
"What the hell."
Why was this guy dead here? Wasn't he supposed to be alive? What about my spoilers?
Mountains of shit I needed to learn. I'd come all this way to squeeze info out of him, and the prophet was dead? And right now, of all times?
"What the fuck."
Open doors and a dead body. It hit me.
Someone killed him.
Not suicide. Someone offed the prophet.
And recently.
I could tell not much time had passed. The silence burrowed in. Hairs stood on end. It felt deathly cold. My trembling eyes locked, heart thudding.
Thump.
The now-familiar heartbeat. And—
Vrrr—!
The vibrator resonating with it. My breaths came ragged. Whirr.
Three circles spun. Mana rebelled, heat flooding my body. Pressure built in my eyes. For a split second, everything in the room sharpened into view.
Something.
Something's there.
The thought hit, and my hand moved. Shink.
A blade sword formed in my palm. It slashed the left wall.
Krunch—!!!
The wall split horizontally. At the same time.
"Whoa."
A new voice, and someone appeared. Black cloak, crow mask.
"How? How? How? How did you know?"
Creaking movements, repeated words. Dagger in hand. Yeah. Batshit crazy, plain as day.
"You. Who? Who? Who? Chantless? Mage? Mage? How here? How'd you know?"
"What the fuck are you babbling, retard."
Can't even speak straight. And that was weird enough.
Scary as shit too.
My fingertips shook. The second I saw him.
Disgusting.
That aura pouring off him—what made it so nauseating? Heart racing, of course. Every sense on edge.
Looks just like those guys.
The psychos from the train. Same vibe.
Iris said it. They were all...
...non-humans.
On the Demon King's side. Or not on humanity's. Some terrorist group. Was this one of them?
"Heehee... Heeheehee hee."
Fucking splits my sides laughing. Already terrifying, and he amps it up.
Magic didn't land?
No slash mark on him. The gash on the wall looked ridiculous by comparison.
"You... who? Ah, that. Chantless. You the chantless? Heard. But why here?"
"...Fuck, just speak nor—."
Before I finished, my body moved. Trajectory. Sharp mana line shot from him.
Shiiik—!!!
"...Oooong?"
The sudden guy looked shocked. Didn't expect the dodge.
Shit.
Almost fucked up. Wouldn't have seen it coming.
Vrrr—!!!
Vibrator buzzed. I spun the circles, funneled mana into it.
Fwoosh—!!!
Flames roared, coiling around him. Flame Ring. Tried binding with my new spell. Meanwhile, my eyes tracked elsewhere. His energy was slipping left.
Left the ring. Formed thorn arrows in hand, fired at the energy's end.
BOOM—!!!
"Kwek!"
By the time the weak flame ring whipped empty air, the guy at the energy's end ate my magic.
Thud—!!
Slammed into the wall. I aimed the vibrator's tip. Formed thorn arrows and blade sword in midair. Pumped all mana into the shapes, unleashed on him.
Kraka-BOOM—!!!!! Wall nearly crumbled.
Fuck my life.
Mana drained in a flash. Crumble-crunch! Debris rained, dust billowed. I pursued the guy.
Still there.
He was right there. Energy hadn't moved.
"Kerrk. Kerrrrk."
"Ughhek... hek...."
Flutter. Smoke cleared, revealing him. Body wrecked by magic. But...
...Regen?
Regenerating. Torn cloak showed the form underneath.
Reptile.
Snake or lizard skin. Not human, as expected.
"Ughh... eeeeh. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts!"
SKREEE—!!!
The scream vibrated. This...
Body stiffened slightly. Something in that scream.
Luckily brief. Stiffness released fast—but that moment was the problem.
SKREEE—!!!
He charged. I'd seen the energy track, but frozen body couldn't dodge. Sharp dagger flew at my brow.
Oh shit, am I fucked?
Sensing death in this clusterfuck. Then.
Vmm.
The constant buzz stopped.
And.
Clank!
Sudden snag at my heart. Like a ring locking? Hard to describe. Just faint pressure.
Crunch—!
"Guhk?!"
"Huh?"
My arm swatted the dagger away on autopilot. What? No time to wonder. My hand lightly slashed his torso.
Spurt—!!
"Kyaak!"
Blood fountained. Not red—blue, inhuman. Mana pulsed through every vein.
Heat surged, waist twisted on its own. Spinning fast, centrifugal leg smashed his torso.
Crunch—!!
Thud—!! Lizard got walled again.
Not done. Adjusted stance instantly.
Fwooo—!!!
Mana gathered in vibrator. Whoosh! Black mana wrapped the halved blade.
Arm curved smoothly. A gentle line arcing through air like swimming.
Slice—.
"Guhk."
Cut empty air, yet lizard's head flew.
Thud. Roll-roll.
Head hit floor. Gush—! Blood soaked the ground from the stump.
"...Huh?"
Only then did I gape like an idiot.
...What the hell just happened? Utterly incomprehensible.
◆ Holy Sword (Broken + Vibrator) activated divine power in crisis.
◆ Stored hero fragment manifested for a split second.
◆ Vessel at 3 Circles barely holds.
◆ Mimicked aura using mana. Performance severely reduced.
◆ Holy Sword uses aftereffects to continue hero mimicry.
◆ Goddess is shocked.
◆ Two heroes insist they've never heard of this, desperately try to intervene but fail to stop the Holy Sword.
◆ Eye of All Things smiles upon witnessing this.
◆ Allows it, saying it'll be fun. Prepares for another hero's birth.
◆ Holy Kingdom prepares forced oracle without Goddess intervention.