Chapter 70
Chapter 70
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Shadow over Ark #6
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The bloodline of the Demon King is alive.
At that astonishing revelation, Elga bristled like she'd heard something utterly outrageous.
"The spawn of Angmar is alive? Does that even make sense? Didn't the entire kingdom wipe every last trace of those bastards off the map?"
Perhaps because Elga's grip tightened on Mirna's collar.
Mirna, smaller in stature than Elga, was hoisted into the air like a fish hooked on a barb, flailing helplessly.
"Let me go."
"Then say it's a lie!"
"It's not a lie. It's the truth. Our four families did erase everything related to House Angmar from the kingdom. But we couldn't reach beyond our borders."
"Damn it, you were hiding something this critical?"
Elga erupted like a volcano.
Still, the shocking news that Angmar's bloodline survived was more than enough to rattle anyone.
For the peace and security of our four families, led by House Lioness, were there any greater threats than those rightful heirs to the throne?
Even I would have panicked in her shoes.
I'm scrambling to avoid an execution ending, and now there's a survivor from House Angmar who might threaten Aira's rule and our families' safety? That's cranking the difficulty way up.
"Hey, Theo, did you know about this too? Was I the only one in the dark while that weirdo dark wizard knew?"
Suddenly, Elga's ire turned toward me.
Know about it?
I didn't.
"…I didn't know either."
Not until just recently, anyway.
But now I do. Hell, I'm living it firsthand.
Elga had no clue the very person standing before her was the one in question. If she found out, she'd rip my head off on the spot, no doubt.
"Heh heh heh."
That's when I heard Professor Valan chuckling lowly in my ear. He must have found our bickering hilarious.
"Fight, fight."
He'd revealed that disorienting info to us not out of kindness, that much was clear. Stirring infighting was his real goal.
After all, neither Elga nor Mirna were pushovers, even for him. Pitting them against each other would divide and conquer.
Of course, Elga and Mirna weren't fools.
"Does Aira know about this? That the Demon King's bloodline lingers."
Mirna shook her head at Elga's slightly softened tone.
"Probably not. I'll explain everything to her. But right now, we have a more pressing matter. We need to deal with him first."
"You're right. Let's clean up here, then you spill every last detail."
Elga and Mirna aligned surprisingly quickly, reforming their united front. The dark wizard Valan—Gamigin—clicked his tongue at them. "Tch."
"It would have been perfect if you'd just fought and destroyed each other. Fine, whatever. If you insist on courting death, who am I to stop you?"
Whoosh.
Gamigin raised a staff as tall as himself, muttering an incantation under his breath.
But Elga wasn't about to let him chant in peace. She charged with blinding speed, unthinkable for someone wielding such a massive axe.
"You think I'll give you time to cast?"
"What? This fast—"
Before Gamigin could react, the enormous axe blade of her raised halberd flashed vertically.
Shring, slash!
The crescent arc of the blade cleaved Gamigin from left shoulder to right thigh.
Splatter!
His body crumpled in two, spewing blood.
"Pathetic. Ptooey."
Elga spat on it dismissively, but Mirna saw things differently.
"It's not over yet, Lady Lioness! The sorcery of King Solomon won't fall this easily! Be careful!"
"Heh heh heh. Smart girl. Makes me want to give you an A."
At Elga's feet, the severed corpse and blood began writhing toward each other.
"Annoying pest!"
Elga swung her halberd again to prevent regeneration.
Slash, slash.
Writhing.
But Gamigin's mutilated body, like red, sticky slime, just kept merging and twisting.
Finally, fully regenerated, it had transformed into something even larger and slimier—a monstrous abomination.
Only the upper body retained Professor Valan's form. Below, a massive sea cucumber-like trunk oozed, utterly inhuman, like a giant slug.
Its underside split wide into a gaping maw. "Puhuhuhihing."
The sound from within was a bizarre mix of mocking laughter and a horse's neigh.
"What the hell is this? So damn grotesque! Looks like a pile of crap!"
Even Elga recoiled at the horrific sight, a first for her. But something about it rang a bell for me.
"Puhuhihihi!"
That distinctive form and oppressive laugh.
A being like this could easily boss a major episode in the original story—and it did.
This wasn't Gamigin. It was the "Predator Samigina."
In part 2, where the church's saint becomes the final boss.
Before the fallen saint Priga, once the church's beacon now plummeting into abyss amid mounting evils breaching the barrier, clashes with the villain hunter party, there was a bridging episode.
I recalled it: hunting betrayers colluding with foes inside Ark, the last bastion.
Near the end, the Predator Samigina appeared and fell.
Described as a pig bloated a year underwater, purplish and swollen—exactly this.
"Gieeeek…!!!!"
Then its massive maw unleashed a roar that deafened me.
"It's coming!"
Elga yelled a warning, regripping her axe. But the sea cucumber monster twisted away, vanishing into the shadows.
Squelch.
Only sticky, foul slime trailed in its wake.
"What? It ran?"
Elga scanned around, baffled by Gamigin's retreating back. In this vast, chaotic plaza, the beast was nowhere.
But I knew where it was.
"Up top…!"
"Up—?"
Elga looked skyward. Spotting something, she leaped back just in time.
Splat!
Something viscous crashed where she'd stood. No need to guess—it was the giant monster Gamigin.
Squelch, squelch.
Flattened like a dropped egg, it reformed and spoke.
『How did you know?』
Gamigin seemed shocked his ambush failed, but I was thrilled inwardly—my hunch was spot on.
The novel's Samigina matched this pattern.
It pretended to vanish into darkness, then dropped from the ceiling.
A showcase for its slimy body climbing pillars, walls, and hanging upside down.
『Grrrrr—! Alayster—!』
Furious at the failed strike, the monster bellowed into the air. The hovering Eldritch Alayster stirred.
━Lognas. Itum kila.
Blue flames coiled around the lich's hand, growing larger.
But it didn't fire at us—thanks to Mirna Draco, kneeling and praying like a chanting monk.
In that moment, I had to admit this impromptu boss fight diverged from the novel.
The mad necromancer, mid-boss of part 1's end.
The Predator Samigina, mid-boss of part 2.
Now we faced both at once. Protagonist party struggled with them separately—now us?
Why was this happening?
Had I warped the plot by saving Aira from rebellion execution, coming to Ark?
Or because House Draco, meant to return to Angmar from Ark, stayed?
No, stay calm.
Figure it out after the fight. Survive first.
I shouted to Elga facing off against Gamigin.
"Lady Elga! That monster's weak spot is the lower body! The upper seems vulnerable, but it's a trap! Ignore it—focus everything on the lower half!"
"What? How do you know that?"
Fair question in this mess.
But I had a magic keyword to make even wild claims slide: trust my track record.
"Has any advice of mine ever failed? Trust me!"
"……"
Instead of replying, Elga switched her halberd to a two-handed grip, crouching low.
Whoooosh.
Her body tensed like a loaded bullet. Nearby flames chilled and died around her alone.
"Ha—!"
With a sharp kiai, she exploded forward like a released spring.
She blurred past the monster in a golden streak.
Slash!
A fierce gash scarred its trunk. A horizontal slash across the sea cucumber lower half.
That was probably Lioness's ultimate, akin to Lion's Roar.
I'd skimmed it in the novel, but seeing it live was new even for me.
"Kieeeek—! W-When did it…!"
Squelch, squelch.
Tar-like innards oozed from the wound, reeking. Fatal damage, obviously.
But amorphous foes regenerate fast, as always.
"It'll heal soon! Lady Elga, keep the pressure on! Also, the gas from burning its slime is highly toxic—don't breathe it!"
"No other weak points? Just hammer the lower body?"
"Attacking there will expose something heart-like inside! Stab that!"
In my mind, the villain hunter party's boss fight flashed by. If I was right, same weakness.
『Grrrr, you little nymph bitch—!』
Rustle.
Chills raced down my spine. The monster's killing intent locked on me.
『How do you know about me?』
Its voice was shockingly clear, clashing with its gooey form.
No room to dismiss my info as bluff—it'd pierced its guard.
『How do you know me? What are you?』
Problem was, its focus shifted entirely to me, ignoring Lioness and Draco's lady.
Did I pull too much aggro?
『I'll kill you, crack that tiny skull, and rip out your soul. Then I'll know what you are!』