Chapter 47
Chapter 47 - "Heh. Hahaha."(2)
"Kid, you played hard to get but ended up coming out anyway."
"Shut up. Close your mouth."
"Yes sir."
Like yesterday, we're hiding on a hill at the corner of the plain. Surprisingly, Leila was among the members.
When I mumbled and got a sharp retort, I knew it was the Leila I knew.
Should I take this as a kind of tsundere? It's complicated.
I scratched my head and asked the Border Duke who was watching the undead camp beside me.
"How's the situation?"
"Not much different from yesterday. But there's a strangely excited atmosphere... even I notice an unusual bustle that I've never seen before. We should be careful."
"Ah... I see."
I unconsciously looked at Lucy sitting blankly beside me.
The excitement and bustle were probably because Eldritch detected Lucy's resurrection.
It's not strange since it's already established that the Eldritch Legion, Lucy's subordinates, interacts with her.
"Good."
Anyway, all preparations are complete with this.
I drew Bestak powerfully.
"Then, let's go!"
As I gave the advance order confidently, the waiting personnel immediately entered combat mode and moved busily.
The 3rd Eldritch Attack Operation raised its curtain.
"Hundred Sword Pierce! Avalanche! Gate of Ragnarok!"
Like meteors, blades of magical power pour down, and with hail, thunderbolts fall.
When the Border Duke's storm of various spells sweeps away the undead, only massive scars remain as if torn by a giant beast.
Three figures broke through the center of the formation torn apart like this.
Me, the Border Duke, and the Immortal Demon King Lucy.
"Yaaah!"
"Uooooh!"
We charged into the enemy's depth while shouting like madmen.
It would have been faster with horses... but sadly, most living beings had died out in this castle, so we had to run until our feet burned to break through and enter the enemy lines.
"Ack! The ride is too rough! Run more gently, hero!"
Lucy, by the way, was being carried on my back.
Having just been resurrected, Lucy was in a state with almost no strength and couldn't keep up with me and the Border Duke's speed.
Despite that, she kept nagging from behind, making me want to leave her behind.
Honestly, if she weren’t the Immortal Demon King, I would have cut ties with her long ago.
"Let's increase the speed more. We'll dig into the center at this rate! Follow me, Hero Jeong!"
"Yes sir!"
Our momentum was truly unstoppable.
Even the Ghost Knights and Death Bishops facing us were saying things like "How are our forces falling so easily..."
The reason for our incredibly fast breakthrough is simple.
‘Thanks to the Immortal Demon King!’
When the liches recognize Lucy and hesitate to give attack orders, their subordinate undead also falter and hesitate.
"Border Duke! We're almost at the center! Don't spare any magic power, use it all!!"
"Understood!!"
The Border Duke raised his staff toward the Death Bishop group blocking our path.
Crackle, spark!
Frightening sparks burst from the tip of his staff, and soon multiplied wildly into massive lightning.
At some point, the Border Duke chanted while swinging his staff.
"Lotus Relampage!"
As expected. I knew he would use that magic when I ordered like this.
I smiled knowingly and lowered my body close to the ground.
Boom!
Along with ground-shaking roars, my vision flickered brightly. I unconsciously squeezed my eyes shut.
When the explosions stopped and things calmed down, I finally opened my eyes. There were the remaining Death Bishops, their robes twitching in tatters.
The light in their eyes flickered precariously.
―Urgh... my body....
Truly tremendous destructive power. I involuntarily swallowed.
"Kheuk. As, as expected... handling ancient magic takes quite a toll."
However, perhaps due to the aftermath of firing such incredible magic, the Border Duke also sat down breathing heavily.
He gestured to me and said:
"Go ahead. I'll handle this. I'm counting on you for what's ahead!"
Isn't that a death flag?
Such thoughts rushed in since I remembered previous examples, but I quickly shook them off and nodded vigorously.
"Yes. Border Duke, please retreat! I'll handle the rest!"
"Nonsense. Once my strength returns... I'll follow right behind you."
The Border Duke looked at me with stern eyes while faintly smiling.
I swallowed a bitter laugh. Because I felt his resignation was deeply contained in those words.
Sorry to interrupt the serious moment Border Duke, but this will definitely not become your grave.
'Though it seems this would be about my second grave.'
I ran across the snow-covered plain with my back to the Border Duke.
"Let's go Lucy. We're almost there so get ready!"
"Hmph. You worry too much. Just take me there quickly."
From the Border Duke's momentum, it seems he really intends to follow once he recovers, but that actually shouldn't happen.
If he catches sight of Lucy and Eldritch showdown, I'm sure I'll get wrapped up in it too.
I need to meet Eldritch before the Border Duke recovers.
Meet him and find out the Vessel's location as quickly as possible, and if possible, retrieve it!
"...... Found him!"
I spotted a group of black robes approaching from afar.
Among them was one noticeably spewing black aura. When I activated Mimir's Eye, as expected, that one was Eldritch .
'Oh no...!'
I tried to rush forward in one breath, but the liches around me were one beat faster.
"Rise... my servants...!"
As they swung their staffs and chanted spine-chilling spells, the flesh of the dead undead around them merged together to form a golem as big as a house.
I couldn't help but gasp at that horrific sight.
"What the f*ck... what, what is that?"
Even while having a seizure, I instinctively pulled up their information.
[Monster Information]
[Name: Flesh Golem]
[Health: 1500/1500 Mana: 0/0]
[Strength: 246 Agility: 41 Intelligence: 3]
[Details: A golem made by connecting the flesh of the dead. Unless the core in the center is destroyed, it continuously recovers health by devouring nearby corpses.]
"Crazy... a health tank with all points in strength!"
I focused my mind as a test, then pulled Bestak back over my shoulder with all my strength.
Zzzzing. Following my will, seven magical blade edges were created around me and started emitting blue light.
"Seven Sword Pierce!"
Swish swish swish!
The magic swords flew towards the flesh golem, leaving blue afterimages.
With sparks, the blade edges simultaneously dug into the golem's flesh. The golem scattered flesh on the ground with a horrible sound of tearing meat.
All 7 hits landed cleanly. I quickly activated Mimir's Eye.
[Health: 1418/1500 Mana: 0/0]
"What the f*ck! This bastard's not even pretending to be hurt!!"
No way. It was my ultimate move but didn't even leave a scratch.
To make matters worse, the golem started absorbing the corpses around it with a squelching sound. Before long, it covered its wounds with the corpses.
Health was restored to normal, of course.
'That... is beyond my level to handle.'
I made the judgment right away.
To kill it, I need to pierce through to the core in one shot or slice it up before it can regenerate. But most of my skills are assassination skills meant for humans, nothing destructive.
The Korean 'secret weapon' temperament is tripping me up here. [ TL/N: Korean competitive nature]
"Then... to break through them...!"
While seeking a solution, suddenly Lucy, who was being carried, tugged firmly at my collar.
"Um... hero."
"What? I'm busy right now!"
"That golem's getting closer? Don't you have any bright ideas?"
"I'm thinking right now! Be quiet!"
"No, forget thinking or whatever, right above us right now...!"
―Grooooar!!
We both shut our mouths and quickly looked up.
As Lucy said, the golem had already approached right in front of us.
The lips made of corpse flesh opened wide, and teeth made of bone fragments approached me.
'Oh shit. When did it get this close?!'
My mind went blank for a moment and I couldn't think of anything. Even the option to run away vanished.
Meanwhile, Lucy started struggling frantically while squeezing my neck with all her might.
"Aaargh! Dying a violent death just one day after resurrection! This can't be! D-die instead, hero!!"
"Ack, hey! C-can't breathe!"
"Do something! Don't you have some hidden ultimate move or something! You're supposed to be a hero!!"
"You're the one whose–”
"My minions are the ones who can communicate, not dumb ones like that!"
"Good for you, you useless thing!"
We bickered unable to stand each other even then.
The flesh golem mercilessly dropped its maw towards us. In the shadow approaching in an instant, I tightly closed my eyes.
Ah, my 23rd life was short!
In the end, I'm dying without recovering the residual thoughts from my past life. If I knew this would happen, I should have exchanged that Chest of the Dead item.
I hope my next life self catches on well...
"... Huh."
When I thought that far, I suddenly opened my eyes.
Enough time had passed for the golem to have swallowed me already, but nothing had happened.