Chapter 355: Isolation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 355: Isolation (2)
The corpse rose from the ground. Its skin was red and bumpy, like it was on the verge of bursting at any moment, and there were stitch marks scattered all over it.
"No way... Corpse Collector...?" Amelia murmured.
I let out an involuntary sigh.
So, you were thinking the same thing.
There could only be one necromancer from Noark here.
Yeah, if it was really an elite few that snuck in, there's no way that bastard would get left out.
Abed Necrapeto was a criminal belonging to Orcules with the nickname of Corpse Collector. He specialized in many-v-one combat. I could already feel a headache gathering at my temples. If this guy were here, that meant Noark was going all out.
Ha, there hasn't been an ambush on the rear corps since that one failed attempt months ago, but of course, as soon as I get here...
I couldn't help taking a moment to complain, but I knew I should probably put that off until later.
Dash.
I immediately sprinted forward and brought my hammer down on the corpse's skull. There was no need to even use Swing.
Smash!
The corpse was instantly crushed, and blood exploded everywhere. As was par for the course for a close-combat warrior like me, I had no choice but to get coated in it.
Chhhhhh!
Jeez, judging by the poison, I guess it really is him.
"Are you all right?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine," I answered Amelia. I didn't need an immunity bonus from Elementalization for something like this. The +120 Poison Tolerance I got from Vol-Herchan was enough to handle the contact poison on my skin. It was a bit itchy, though.
"Anyway, it looks like it's slowly starting..." I said. While I was pleased that my hypothesis was correct, I noticed that Erwen had gone as still as stone next to me. "...Erwen, are you okay?"
"...Pardon? W-What did you just say?"
"I asked if you were okay."
"Ah... ah! Yes..." Erwen nodded, but she still sounded distracted, and her eyes were locked on the mangled corpse. "Corpse... Collector..."
Ah, right. Come to think of it, this was basically an encounter with her sister's killer. The one who had killed Daria was the Fallen Scholar, but this guy had played a significant role.
When Erwen spoke again, her voice trembled. "...Can we kill him?"
I contemplated this for a moment and answered, "Maybe." If all went well, it might be possible for us to kill him. "But our survival comes first today," I added firmly. If she got carried away trying to avenge her sister and ended up losing something again, it'd be a no-win scenario.
I didn't know if she realized that herself or not, but Erwen stared at me blankly for about five seconds. Then she bit down on her lip and balled up her fists. "...Okay. I'll do as you say, Mister."
That left me ill at ease. I went up to Erwen and put a hand on her shoulder, even though I wasn't sure if I could provide her any comfort right now. "Erwen, don't worry. I'm also the type who needs to give people a taste of their own medicine. I haven't forgotten what they did to me, not once."
It started as an attempt at consolation but all of that was sincere. The Dragon Slayer, Regal Vagos; the Corpse Collector, Abed Necrapeto; the Fallen Scholar, Belbev Ruingenes—I hadn't forgotten my grudges against those guys, either. I was simply waiting for the right time to strike.
"Just wait a little longer. It won't take long."
"...Okay."
Okay, then I think she's emotionally recovered at this point.
"Emily, where did that guy go?" As I shook the blood off my arm, I asked after Alex's whereabouts.
"He went back into the barracks as soon as the body dropped down in front of us."
Hmm, did he go report this to Raven? Then why isn't he out yet?
Meanwhile, more corpses were falling from the sky.
"You were right."
Jeez, speak of the devil.
When I turned around, I could see Raven coming out of the barracks with Alex. Her expression had grown much grimmer in the short while between our last conversation and now. "I should have put my foot down when the command unit decided to ignore our concerns."
What the—? Regretting stuff like that isn't like you.
There was no greater waste of time than dwelling on the past. "But what are you going to do now?"
"I've just received orders from command. All troops from each unit are to gather at the lake. It looks like they're planning to use the magic circle on the hull of the flagship to fight back."
A rally instead of a fight, huh? They must have chosen the most conservative strategy since they didn't know anything about the enemy's forces yet. "Then are we moving right now?"
"No. We will wait here a moment. I've contacted the other wizards within the corps, so they should gather here with the adventurers soon."
So we were going to go to the lake once everyone got here. After that, we would get on the ship there and activate a magic circle to buy time. I didn't know if this was a good plan, but it wasn't like there was a better way.
"Personnel status report."
"There are three confirmed deaths and the whereabouts of two individuals are unknown!"
"Two missing... we can't dawdle here any longer because of two people who haven't been confirmed dead or alive. Let's move."
We cleared out the zombies and waited for the wizards from the corps to gather along with their escort adventurers. It was now time to head to the lake.
[Arua Raven has cast the rank-seven support spell Neutralization.]
Close-combat adventurers like me cleared the way with support from wizards and long-rangers. The process of relocating went off without a hitch. That was because there were only animated corpses for now, and even they couldn't stop hundreds of tanks who had the support of dozens of wizards. But, as we were moving steadily toward the lake, the ground suddenly shook with a bang that sounded like a nuclear bomb going off.
Kaboom!
"Looks like there's been damage to the magic circle."
The fog that had been dispersed by magic began to gather in the air again, blocking our sight. Well, there was a plus side. The alarm spell that had been ringing like an emergency siren seemed to have been damaged as well, as it became much quieter.
"What are you all doing? Don't stop moving!"
Soon, Raven used Wind magic to remove the surrounding fog and the group got moving again. Before long, once the blood-red lake was close enough to see with the naked eye, the wizards summoned small ships and set them on the water. And at that moment...
"Just wait a little longer. It won't take long."
"...Okay."
Okay, then I think she's emotionally recovered at this point.
"Emily, where did that guy go?" As I shook the blood off my arm, I asked after Alex's whereabouts.
"He went back into the barracks as soon as the body dropped down in front of us."
Hmm, did he go report this to Raven? Then why isn't he out yet?
Meanwhile, more corpses were falling from the sky.
"You were right."
Jeez, speak of the devil.
When I turned around, I could see Raven coming out of the barracks with Alex. Her expression had grown much grimmer in the short while between our last conversation and now. "I should have put my foot down when the command unit decided to ignore our concerns."
What the—? Regretting stuff like that isn't like you.
There was no greater waste of time than dwelling on the past. "But what are you going to do now?"
"I've just received orders from command. All troops from each unit are to gather at the lake. It looks like they're planning to use the magic circle on the hull of the flagship to fight back."
A rally instead of a fight, huh? They must have chosen the most conservative strategy since they didn't know anything about the enemy's forces yet. "Then are we moving right now?"
"No. We will wait here a moment. I've contacted the other wizards within the corps, so they should gather here with the adventurers soon."
So we were going to go to the lake once everyone got here. After that, we would get on the ship there and activate a magic circle to buy time. I didn't know if this was a good plan, but it wasn't like there was a better way.
"Personnel status report."
"There are three confirmed deaths and the whereabouts of two individuals are unknown!"
"Two missing... we can't dawdle here any longer because of two people who haven't been confirmed dead or alive. Let's move."
We cleared out the zombies and waited for the wizards from the corps to gather along with their escort adventurers. It was now time to head to the lake.
[Arua Raven has cast the rank-seven support spell Neutralization.]
Close-combat adventurers like me cleared the way with support from wizards and long-rangers. The process of relocating went off without a hitch. That was because there were only animated corpses for now, and even they couldn't stop hundreds of tanks who had the support of dozens of wizards. But, as we were moving steadily toward the lake, the ground suddenly shook with a bang that sounded like a nuclear bomb going off.
Kaboom!
"Looks like there's been damage to the magic circle."
The fog that had been dispersed by magic began to gather in the air again, blocking our sight. Well, there was a plus side. The alarm spell that had been ringing like an emergency siren seemed to have been damaged as well, as it became much quieter.
"What are you all doing? Don't stop moving!"
Soon, Raven used Wind magic to remove the surrounding fog and the group got moving again. Before long, once the blood-red lake was close enough to see with the naked eye, the wizards summoned small ships and set them on the water. And at that moment...
"Board the ships one by—"
"Aaaagh!" The scream of a dying man echoed from the back of the group. Because no one had been injured in the battle with the zombies up to this point, the scream sounded particularly loud.
Tap.
Raven, who had been about to step into one of the ships, retracted her leg. "...What's going on?"
"We still need to confirm. It's probably not a big deal, though, so—"
"No. I have to know. Halo, you stay here and lead the rest aboard."
Raven ordered the others to board the ship first. It seemed she didn't want to board when she had no information about what was going on.
Wow, is this the responsibility of a military captain?
I'd heard Raven was held in high regard by the corps, and I thought I could see why. Raven was a conscientious and trustworthy leader.
"What are you doing? Aren't you following?"
The problem was that our mission was to escort her. If she didn't get on the boat, we couldn't, either. "...Where are you going to go?"
Raven's answer to my question was short. "The rear. Something doesn't feel right."
If something doesn't feel right, shouldn't you be running in the opposite direction?
Just as I was thinking this, another scream rang out from the back. "Aaagh!"
"Vice Captain! We've identified the enemy!"
Finally, we got a report on what was happening back there. Surprisingly, there was only one enemy, but no one took the current situation lightly. That was because the enemy described was one of the most famous in the city.
"...An old knight in dark red armor?"
"Yes. It has been confirmed he is wielding an aura."
Blood Knight was a criminal belonging to Orcules who had been born in Bifron and made his start in life as a knight. He later became infamous for murdering the previous captain of the Royal Guard.
"Emily, do you know anything?" While Raven was talking to her subordinate, I also snuck back to get information from Amelia, but there was nothing particularly useful. Apparently, they'd had no contact because he was never active outside the city. She had only seen him a few times in Noark's castle, and even then, they apparently never had a conversation.
"Vice Captain! You must go quickly while they hold him off in the rear!"
"No. If we really have encountered Blood Knight, it will be nearly impossible to mitigate the damage."
"But—!"
"No buts. If someone has to stop him, it's only logical that I be the one to do it. Get on the boat before me. That's an order."
"...Yes ma'am!" The wizard on the receiving end of Raven's orders saluted her with a worried but touched look on his face. It would have been a very heartwarming scene if we weren't the ones being forced to act it out.
"On that note, Miss Erwen. Could you help me until the corps board the ship?" After she finished convincing her subordinates, Raven made a sincere plea for Erwen's help. "You just need to buy me some time. After that, we can use Mass Teleport to escape."
What? I'm sure her school isn't allowed to learn that spell.
"Mass Teleport...?" I echoed aloud without thinking.
Raven answered me without so much as glancing in my direction, instead keeping her eyes on Erwen. "I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn it. If I had this back then... there might have been another way out that day. Of course... it's already far too late to be thinking things like that. I'll entrust this to you."
"Board the ships one by—"
"Aaaagh!" The scream of a dying man echoed from the back of the group. Because no one had been injured in the battle with the zombies up to this point, the scream sounded particularly loud.
Tap.
Raven, who had been about to step into one of the ships, retracted her leg. "...What's going on?"
"We still need to confirm. It's probably not a big deal, though, so—"
"No. I have to know. Halo, you stay here and lead the rest aboard."
Raven ordered the others to board the ship first. It seemed she didn't want to board when she had no information about what was going on.
Wow, is this the responsibility of a military captain?
I'd heard Raven was held in high regard by the corps, and I thought I could see why. Raven was a conscientious and trustworthy leader.
"What are you doing? Aren't you following?"
The problem was that our mission was to escort her. If she didn't get on the boat, we couldn't, either. "...Where are you going to go?"
Raven's answer to my question was short. "The rear. Something doesn't feel right."
If something doesn't feel right, shouldn't you be running in the opposite direction?
Just as I was thinking this, another scream rang out from the back. "Aaagh!"
"Vice Captain! We've identified the enemy!"
Finally, we got a report on what was happening back there. Surprisingly, there was only one enemy, but no one took the current situation lightly. That was because the enemy described was one of the most famous in the city.
"...An old knight in dark red armor?"
"Yes. It has been confirmed he is wielding an aura."
Blood Knight was a criminal belonging to Orcules who had been born in Bifron and made his start in life as a knight. He later became infamous for murdering the previous captain of the Royal Guard.
"Emily, do you know anything?" While Raven was talking to her subordinate, I also snuck back to get information from Amelia, but there was nothing particularly useful. Apparently, they'd had no contact because he was never active outside the city. She had only seen him a few times in Noark's castle, and even then, they apparently never had a conversation.
"Vice Captain! You must go quickly while they hold him off in the rear!"
"No. If we really have encountered Blood Knight, it will be nearly impossible to mitigate the damage."
"But—!"
"No buts. If someone has to stop him, it's only logical that I be the one to do it. Get on the boat before me. That's an order."
"...Yes ma'am!" The wizard on the receiving end of Raven's orders saluted her with a worried but touched look on his face. It would have been a very heartwarming scene if we weren't the ones being forced to act it out.
"On that note, Miss Erwen. Could you help me until the corps board the ship?" After she finished convincing her subordinates, Raven made a sincere plea for Erwen's help. "You just need to buy me some time. After that, we can use Mass Teleport to escape."
What? I'm sure her school isn't allowed to learn that spell.
"Mass Teleport...?" I echoed aloud without thinking.
Raven answered me without so much as glancing in my direction, instead keeping her eyes on Erwen. "I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn it. If I had this back then... there might have been another way out that day. Of course... it's already far too late to be thinking things like that. I'll entrust this to you."
In response to Raven's persistent request, Erwen glanced at me. It looked like she wanted me to decide what to do for her.
"Why are you looking at him?" Raven shot me a scrutinizing glare as Erwen delegated the decision-making process to me. "To think you would imitate even this part of their dynamic..."
Well, Raven seemed to be fine with it despite her complaints, so I ignored her continued misunderstanding and quickly checked something else. "What will you do if we don't follow?"
"You will be disciplined for violating military law. You will never be able to partake in royal campaigns again."
Uh, is this a threat? But that wasn't what I asked...
"I was asking what you will do. If we say that we won't follow you regardless of disciplinary action, do you plan on going alone?"
"Ah..." Raven thought this over for a moment and answered, "It'd be impossible on my own. I'd probably go with other adventurers."
So, not going wasn't even an option on the table. Somehow, this kid had gotten stubborn about the strangest things. Though I supposed it wasn't like she hadn't had her altruistic tendencies in the past, either. "Okay, then let's go together."
After coming to a decision, there was no need to waste time. The rear wasn't even that far away. When we arrived at the spot the screams were originating from, the first thing I saw was a defenseless wizard on the ground about to be hit with a ferocious aura.
[Arua Raven has cast the rank-four support spell Trajectory Interference.]
Instead of blocking the aura with an ordinary defense spell, Raven cast support magic and redirected the sword's trajectory.
Whooom!
The greatsword passed over the top of the man's head instead of his neck. As soon as I saw this, I immediately sprinted forward and pulled the panicked wizard out of danger. "Ah...! Th-thank you for—V-Vice Captain?!"
"Raymond, you did well. Leave the rest to us and lead the rest of the adventurers to the main unit. That's an order."
"...Yes ma'am!" The wizard led the adventurers away as instructed by Raven. Surprisingly, the enemy just watched all of this happen from afar with a look in his eyes that gave me goosebumps.
That man is Blood Knight...
First, I covered my upper body with my shield and took my position in front. Then, facing him, I looked him up and down. My first impression was that he was shorter than I thought he'd be. He had to be 5'4" at best, but he didn't seem like he'd be an easy enemy at all.
Why does he give off such a strange air?
His stockiness was apparent from his build. Coupled with his unique aura, the amount of intimidation he radiated from that small form of his was considerable. The biggest contributing factor was probably his voice.
"The Golden Sorcerer, Arua Raven." His voice went beyond scratchy; there had to be something wrong with his vocal cords. There seemed to be gravel in his throat as he slowly spoke. "One of the targets to be killed." With that, he raised his greatsword in a businesslike manner.
So, you don't even care about us?
Staring at his blood-red aura, which suited his nickname of Blood Knight, I muttered, "Erwen, Elementalization."
"Which one should I use?"
Which one do you think? Is there anything else to whip out against a knight?
"Earth."
As soon as I answered, Erwen's body turned translucent. The moment we joined hands, I could feel the power of the earth flow through my skin.
[The Elemental of the Earth now dwells in your body. Any damage received from Fire attribute attacks is reduced by half. Any damage received from Water attribute attacks is doubled. Poison immunity bonus. When using blunt weapons, a Strength bonus is added to attacks. Your Physical Resistance has increased significantly.]
Whew, it's been a while since I've used Elemental Barbarian (Earth) mode.
[Your Physical Resistance stat is over 350. Any stabbing damage taken will be reduced by 50%.]
Anyway, at this point, the second stage should have activated even without Giantization.
"What a pointless thing to do."
Jeez, don't be so arrogant just because you know how to use an aura. Woe is to the tanks.
"Die!"
Watching the old knight rapidly close the distance between us, I grinned.
Who's dying? Do you know why I even came all the way here?
[You have cast Iron Fortress. The effect of Evolving Shell has increased by 1.5 times.]
My nickname had once been Knight Crusher. The day had finally come for that to truly shine.
In response to Raven's persistent request, Erwen glanced at me. It looked like she wanted me to decide what to do for her.
"Why are you looking at him?" Raven shot me a scrutinizing glare as Erwen delegated the decision-making process to me. "To think you would imitate even this part of their dynamic..."
Well, Raven seemed to be fine with it despite her complaints, so I ignored her continued misunderstanding and quickly checked something else. "What will you do if we don't follow?"
"You will be disciplined for violating military law. You will never be able to partake in royal campaigns again."
Uh, is this a threat? But that wasn't what I asked...
"I was asking what you will do. If we say that we won't follow you regardless of disciplinary action, do you plan on going alone?"
"Ah..." Raven thought this over for a moment and answered, "It'd be impossible on my own. I'd probably go with other adventurers."
So, not going wasn't even an option on the table. Somehow, this kid had gotten stubborn about the strangest things. Though I supposed it wasn't like she hadn't had her altruistic tendencies in the past, either. "Okay, then let's go together."
After coming to a decision, there was no need to waste time. The rear wasn't even that far away. When we arrived at the spot the screams were originating from, the first thing I saw was a defenseless wizard on the ground about to be hit with a ferocious aura.
[Arua Raven has cast the rank-four support spell Trajectory Interference.]
Instead of blocking the aura with an ordinary defense spell, Raven cast support magic and redirected the sword's trajectory.
Whooom!
The greatsword passed over the top of the man's head instead of his neck. As soon as I saw this, I immediately sprinted forward and pulled the panicked wizard out of danger. "Ah...! Th-thank you for—V-Vice Captain?!"
"Raymond, you did well. Leave the rest to us and lead the rest of the adventurers to the main unit. That's an order."
"...Yes ma'am!" The wizard led the adventurers away as instructed by Raven. Surprisingly, the enemy just watched all of this happen from afar with a look in his eyes that gave me goosebumps.
That man is Blood Knight...
First, I covered my upper body with my shield and took my position in front. Then, facing him, I looked him up and down. My first impression was that he was shorter than I thought he'd be. He had to be 5'4" at best, but he didn't seem like he'd be an easy enemy at all.
Why does he give off such a strange air?
His stockiness was apparent from his build. Coupled with his unique aura, the amount of intimidation he radiated from that small form of his was considerable. The biggest contributing factor was probably his voice.
"The Golden Sorcerer, Arua Raven." His voice went beyond scratchy; there had to be something wrong with his vocal cords. There seemed to be gravel in his throat as he slowly spoke. "One of the targets to be killed." With that, he raised his greatsword in a businesslike manner.
So, you don't even care about us?
Staring at his blood-red aura, which suited his nickname of Blood Knight, I muttered, "Erwen, Elementalization."
"Which one should I use?"
Which one do you think? Is there anything else to whip out against a knight?
"Earth."
As soon as I answered, Erwen's body turned translucent. The moment we joined hands, I could feel the power of the earth flow through my skin.
[The Elemental of the Earth now dwells in your body. Any damage received from Fire attribute attacks is reduced by half. Any damage received from Water attribute attacks is doubled. Poison immunity bonus. When using blunt weapons, a Strength bonus is added to attacks. Your Physical Resistance has increased significantly.]
Whew, it's been a while since I've used Elemental Barbarian (Earth) mode.
[Your Physical Resistance stat is over 350. Any stabbing damage taken will be reduced by 50%.]
Anyway, at this point, the second stage should have activated even without Giantization.
"What a pointless thing to do."
Jeez, don't be so arrogant just because you know how to use an aura. Woe is to the tanks.
"Die!"
Watching the old knight rapidly close the distance between us, I grinned.
Who's dying? Do you know why I even came all the way here?
[You have cast Iron Fortress. The effect of Evolving Shell has increased by 1.5 times.]
My nickname had once been Knight Crusher. The day had finally come for that to truly shine.