The Memory Devourer's Awakening
Crack. Crunch. Squelch.
“Ugh⋯.”
“W-what the hell⋯.”
Grilops’ body, once the size of an ordinary goblin, began swelling like a balloon. It bulged and contracted as though something were exploding inside. In moments he had grown past five meters tall—and he kept growing.
My body moved before my mind could catch up.
I have to kill him before the transformation finishes!
Bang!!
I detonated mana beneath my feet and launched forward. The greatsword gripped in both hands fell like a thunderbolt, wrapped in a shimmering aura.
Shraaak!!
“Krrraaagh!”
Grilops chose to dodge rather than continue changing. My strike meant to cleave him in half only managed to carve a deep gash across his upper body.
Damn it. I should have finished him with that. Still⋯
At least I had stopped him from growing any larger.
Hisss.
Smoke rose from every part of Grilops’ body. The deep wound left by the greatsword began regenerating, slowly sealing itself.
Rapid regeneration—active trait or passive? Like with Cicero and Efusio, the trait window is locked, so I can only guess from the name.
Still, he can’t keep regenerating without cost. He must be burning stamina or mana with every recovery.
“Krrgh⋯.”
His lower half had become a glossy, massive spider body. His upper half was a grotesque fusion of a muscular adult male torso and a goblin’s head.
Grilops casts Intimidation.
Glurk—
His abdomen rippled. A square-jawed man’s face sprouted from it.
Disgusting. He’s reconstructing the memories he devoured and manifesting them inside his own body.
“Krrraaaagh!!!”
The dead-eyed face screamed at me.
Chaos Eye nullifies morale reduction.
Chaos Eye nullifies fear.
Fortunately, the mental attacks were completely blocked by Chaos Eye. But what about the others?
“Everyone okay?!”
I glanced back in a panic.
“Yeah! Don’t worry!”
Yeriel answered brightly, light already glowing from her staff. Relieved, I nodded and turned my attention back to Grilops. The man’s face on his abdomen slowly sank back inside.
This is my only chance to dope. No time to hesitate. Drink it.
I pulled out the luxurious potion bottle filled with ocher energy and twisted the cap open with a cheerful pop.
You consume Earth’s Firmness.
Strong jungle resistance applied for 30 minutes.
Minor defense increase applied for 30 minutes.
All piercing damage received is halved for 30 minutes.
Damn it. Using a C-rank consumable the moment I get it hurts.
Yet the regret lasted only a moment. A heavy, alien energy—different from mana—began filling my entire body.
I can feel it. This is the power of the earth.
Without taking my eyes off Grilops, I shouted to Jacob.
“Jacob! How many cocoons are left here exactly?”
“Y-yes! Including the one that had Mendel’s body, there are nine in total!”
Excluding the innate intelligence and the memory-devouring trait he was born with, Grilops possessed nine traits. Four from Jacob’s party members who died earlier, plus one more party he must have consumed somewhere—five people per normal party, it added up perfectly.
“Even in that form he can use ranged attacks and magic. Leave the offense to me and focus on defense and evasion!”
In this urgent situation, everyone understood without further explanation.
“May light dwell in his sword, and wind upon his body!”
Divine Weapon effect: Strength increased by one stage for one hour.
Haste effect: Agility increased by one stage for one hour.
Yeriel immediately cast party-wide buffs the moment she sensed a fierce battle approaching.
“You barge in uninvited, then dare to chat while ignoring me? Pathetic creatures. Die and become my nourishment!”
Grilops casts Quickstep.
Shukak—
Kaang!
“Kuh!”
The agility of Quickstep—likely obtained from an archer—combined with the sheer mass of his enormous frame and eight razor-sharp legs harder than steel. It wasn’t enough to overwhelm me, but anyone else would be in serious danger.
I had to keep his attention on me.
“Pathetic? You’re the one who got kicked out of your tribe for looking like that. Did you really think some stolen power would change anything? I’ve explored this labyrinth for a long time, and I’ve never seen a monster uglier than you. Should I applaud?”
“⋯Y-you bastard!!!”
Grilops’ already hideous goblin face twisted crimson with rage. He charged, legs raised like spears.
Clang! Clang! Kaang!
Eight legs stabbed at me in rapid succession. The pressure was immense, but the pattern was painfully simple.
Shraaak!!
“Kyaaagh!”
I found an opening in the storm of red lines and countered. Grilops hastily retreated, glaring at me with murderous intent.
Grilops casts Earth Strike.
He bent his legs and leaped high into the air. Four pairs of spider legs wrapped in crimson energy blazed in the darkness above.
Kwaaaang!!!
The impact shattered the ground, sending out a shockwave. I had already moved far away before he landed.
“Krrgh!”
Grilops staggered upon landing, unable to charge immediately.
“Insolent!!”
Grilops casts Holy Ray.
A slender woman’s arm sprouted from his left shoulder. White light gathered in the palm of that delicate hand.
Whatever it is, I just need to stab him while he’s standing still!
Bang!
I dashed toward him.
“Hah!”
Just as my sword was about to reach him, the ray completed.
Kuh—judging by the power, this will kill me on contact. I have to dodge!
I twisted aside at the last second.
Kwaaaang!!
Grilops kept his spider lower body anchored while slowly rotating his upper body, tracking me with the priest’s arm. The ray followed my path like a serpent’s breath, forcing me to keep running.
Damn it, when does this end?
While I zigzagged, Lumia’s voice rang out from behind.
“Hand that grasps the night.”
Lugen’s Grasp
A black hand, inferior to the real Lugen’s Grasp, reached for Grilops’ upper body, momentarily obstructing his vision.
“Kuh! Petty tricks!!”
Grilops twisted away and the spell vanished, but the Holy Ray was cut short.
Lightning!
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!!
“Kaaaargh!!!”
I hammered several powerful lightning bolts into him. A splitting headache struck, but I slapped my cheeks and charged.
“Hraaaagh!”
Shuk! Shraaak!
“Krrgh⋯ guoooh!”
Grilops casts Crouch.
“Die already, you bastard!!”
Shuk! Seogeok! Fwoosh!!
Grilops curled his upper body and raised his legs like a shield, desperately blocking my sword. It became a contest of endurance—my relentless slashes against his desperate defense.
From the fight so far, I had learned one crucial fact: when Grilops used a devoured trait, the corresponding body part would manifest, and he could only use one trait at a time.
I kept swinging. Blood sprayed everywhere. One of his legs was severed halfway. Then two more. Now he had no means left to defend himself.
“It’s over!”
Thud.
“I, who inherited the golden art⋯ defeated by inferior creatures like you⋯”
Grilops’ expression shifted from denial to rage, then to despair as I pulled the sword from his heart.
Or tried to.
Thud.
Misfortune strikes the user.
A possibility that should never have existed is realized through absolute misfortune.
Grilops personally touches chaos and gains enlightenment.
“This energy⋯ Yes! It’s not just about extracting memories from corpses⋯ To perfect the golden art, what I need is—”
Grilops, who should have been dying, muttered with sudden realization.
“—Light. That’s it. No matter what I consume, I need pure light to balance the darkness! I require the pure power of light to mix with my darkness!!!”
A sense of dread washed over me. I yanked my hand free and pulled the sword from his heart.
BOOOOOOM!!!
“Kuh!”
“Kyaaah!”
“Ugh!”
“Aaaagh!”
A powerful shockwave mixed with dark energy erupted from the hole in Grilops’ heart. The three in the rear were blasted away. Only I, protected by the strong jungle resistance from Earth’s Firmness, managed to stay on my feet, though pushed back.
When I steadied myself and looked forward, Grilops had transformed into something even more repulsive. His spider lower body was gone, replaced by a fully humanoid form. His face was an ugly mix of goblin and human male features. Blackened eyes and darkness instead of blood poured from the wound in his heart.
Grilops casts Quickstep.
“Light. Light! Give me the priest’s brain and heart!!”
Thud!
Grilops charged toward where Yeriel had been sent flying. I quickly moved to block him.
“I’ll devour you!!”
Grilops casts Quickstep.
Grilops casts Earth Strike.
Kwaaaang!!
Grilops slammed his fist into the ground, now wrapped in black mana instead of red. At the same time, fierce flames erupted from his entire body.
Quickstep, Mana Affinity, Earth Strike, Flame Mastery—he was suddenly using multiple traits at once.
⋯No, that’s not important right now.
I leaped high to avoid the spreading shockwave, then charged straight through the roaring flames.
At least fire won’t bring me down.
Strong flame resistance from the Highnax Earring, cold aura and minor magic resistance from Steel Body, plus life recovery on magic hit from Magic Devourer’s Mark—my body only suffered minor burns that healed instantly.
Seeing even those burns recover, Grilops began to panic.
“Hup!”
The monster who had been screaming about light and hearts now fixed his eyes solely on me.
Misfortune or whatever— I’ll just overcome it like last time!
Gritting my teeth amid the crimson flames, I swung my sword.