Chapter 439
Chapter 439
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 439
>Chapter Title: Relics of Unity
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Relics of Unity.
It hadn't been given that name when it was first discovered, but after deciphering the inscription on the door, that's what they called it.
"The Fragment of Assertion is definitely here, right?"
"Of course, Your Greatness. You see the future. Once we reach the end of the ruins, you'll get what you want."
"Hmph... If it weren't for Master's orders, I wouldn't even set foot in a place like this... Why on earth did Master...?"
"Lady Shurazin, the Council has always expressed its desire for a good cooperative relationship. If you could just open your heart a little..."
"Hmph, lowlifes like you are all the same. You can tell just by how you're using my noble power for this trash."
The woman called Shurazin clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.
"What can I do when you're all so useless from the start? There's no helping it. You're even slow at clearing the path..."
"That's why we're saying, if Lady Shurazin would just step in a little, we could surely pick up the pace..."
"...Are you trying to trick me? You're saying I have to shoulder the problems caused by your worthless forces?"
"Th-that's not it. Just bear with us a little longer..."
Shurazin hated these people.
She truly, utterly despised them.
Because the Council was a den of evil? That would be ignorant talk.
Compared to the evil deeds she and her master had committed all this time, the Council hadn't even gotten started.
"Sigh... How did I end up stuck with you lot..."
"There are things we can give each other. That's why the alliance was formed. It's the same reason the Great One bestowed the rank of Marquis upon your master."
"Nonsense. It's laughable that people without a kingdom are dividing ranks with titles. Master probably swallowed her laughter and accepted it."
Shurazin hadn't asked her master's opinion, but she figured it wasn't far off from her own thoughts.
"Hurry up. You planning to spend the year here?"
"......Understood."
They hadn't expected Shurazin to provide no help at all since arriving, so her attendants were just as anxious.
If she'd stepped in herself, ruins like these would have been breached in no time, but she hadn't lifted a finger, so progress was stalled.
It had already been a week since entering the ruins. A distance Shurazin could have cleared in under an hour had taken them a full week.
'Crazy woman...'
She seemed to prioritize her pride over efficiency.
'If this keeps up, we'll rot here a month. When we get back, I'll make sure she pays.'
The Council's members nursed their grudge against Shurazin before resuming the ruin delve at a turtle's pace.
Ruuuumble...
The change came around then.
"...Huh?"
"What kind of vibration is that?"
"Shh, shut up and listen."
"......"
Shurazin uncrossed her arms.
[Entering the second door.]
[The united power has shattered.]
[The sealed power awakens.]
[A massive ordeal descends.]
[The beasts multiply.]
"...What?"
A bizarre sight unfolded before their eyes.
Screeech... Screeeeech...
The beasts that had been blocking the path until moments ago swelled up and suddenly split into two.
"Ha... What the hell is this now?"
"Th-the ruin beasts are multiplying!"
"Aaagh-!"
"The flanks are collapsing! Support!"
Shurazin realized that her mission with the Council was facing serious setbacks.
Because the next change had begun.
[Entering the third door.]
[The beasts are strengthened.]
Craaack...
KeeEEEEEEK-!
Armor-like carapaces formed on the beasts' hides.
Grrr...
Their blunt teeth swelled grotesquely, as if ready to snap a human body in half at any moment.
"...I see. So this is the ruins' true form? Interesting."
"Hold the line! Maintain the front!"
"Fire! They're breathing fire, these bastards!"
"Damn it! Supplies are catching fire! Put it out quick!"
Even then, Shurazin merely observed.
[Entering the fourth door.]
[A beast of leader rank is born.]
Creeeak... Craaaack...
KieeeEEEEK-!
"Th-that thing..."
Beasts at least twice the size of the others appeared in various spots.
"Whew, this won't do. You'll all die at this rate."
"Lady Shurazin! Help us!"
"Fine."
Slaaash-!
Whoooosh...
A shadow beast formed from her hand lunged forward and smashed the beasts ahead.
BOOOOM-!
"Urk! Use this opening to break through!"
"Make way for the shadows! Hurry!"
Shurazin advanced her shadow summons. The situation improved immediately.
"What's with this? There were only five doors."
One door still remained.
[Entering the fifth door.]
[Unity is completely shattered.]
[The ruins' terrain changes from time to time.]
[Smoke inducing mental corruption floods the ruins.]
[Special floodgates with different abilities are born in each passage.]
[The floodgates strengthen surrounding beasts.]
[You cannot escape unless the floodgates are removed.]
......
Thuuud...
THUUUUD...
"Haha, this is fun. Not your doing, right?"
"N-no way. Or rather, what the hell is happening..."
Then, a voice came from afar.
"P-problem! Ogres have sent humans!"
"Pursuers! The traitor Jian is with them!"
Clap-!
Shurazin clapped, unleashing shadows.
"Yes, now things are getting interesting."
"Lady Shurazin..."
"So there are others after the Fragment of Assertion besides us?"
Whoooosh...
She extended her hand, and something poured out from her wide sleeve onto the beasts.
* * *
"So, why did we end up split like this?"
"Haha... I'm thinking about it now too, so don't complain so much. We're all in a bind here."
"No fighting, no fighting."
Kang Seol's group had to enter four doors to block the Council's breakthrough.
There were six of them.
Dividing by combat power, Kang Seol and his summon could each take a door, and Jian and Sindio could follow to any.
Jian was the guide, but Kang Seol made the key decisions, including group assignments.
"Why are we three together..."
"Tancia likes it!"
"Y-yeah... I get it's good, but."
Tancia, Jian, and Sindio. An oddly unfamiliar trio.
Kang Seol, having gauged the ruins' level, had grouped them for one door.
It was a choice showing he'd changed.
It could be dangerous, sure.
Doubts about Jian lingered, and Sindio's abilities were unproven.
But he would trust them.
Because he'd decided to trust Tancia.
If Tancia couldn't handle breaching this ruin properly, he might have to reconsider that judgment later.
- Tancia, you have to protect your big sis and big bro.
- Me, Tancia?
- Yeah, because Tancia's strong.
The old Kang Seol would have babied Tancia, avoiding splitting into threes or using all doors.
But now, he trusted her.
Tancia recalled what Bitan, entering the same door as Kang Seol, had said.
【Tancia, show them the Black Organization's spirit. Heh heh...】
"Tancia will protect you! Don't worry too much!"
"...Sigh."
"Hey, you don't trust the kid?"
"It's not that... Sigh... Fine. Guess it'll come down to us two anyway."
"You haven't seen the kid's power. Hey, kid. If trouble hits, save me before that woman."
"I'll save you fair! Daddy said protect both."
"But there's an order, right? Be honest, you don't like that big sis either?"
"What are you saying to the kid right now!"
Just then, the penalty that had hit the advance Council group reached them too.
Craaack...
The cost of disunity took form, blocking their path.
"...A lot of them, but luckily they look sturdy-boned."
"There are some big ones mixed in... I'll take those."
"You'll handle the rest alone?"
"Impossible?"
"Urgh..."
Clap-!
Clap-!
Sindio and Jian clapped in unison.
[Sindio uses Aurora Arrow.]
[Fires a magic arrow that deals elemental damage.]
Pheeeeeew...
SPLAT-!
Sindio's Aurora Arrow precisely burst a leader-rank beast's head.
[Jian uses Tit for Tat.]
[Summon a skull guardian without bone resources.]
[Absorb bone resources created by the skull guardian.]
[Enough bone resources must accumulate for additional summons.]
"What can you do with just one?"
"Watch."
Clap-!
[Jian uses Wave of Bones.]
[When nearby life ends, massive bone resources accumulate.]
[A skull guardian is summoned each time bone resources accumulate.]
Clatter...
Clack...
Screeeee-!
One eel-like standing skull guardian bit a beast, spawning another.
"For this kind of swarm, necromancy is perfect."
"...Can't argue with that."
Crunch-!
Craaack!
The skull guardians gradually multiplied, eventually overwhelming the beasts in number.
"How's that? Looking different now?"
"You're awfully smug."
"Hahaha! Unlike some people."
"Grr... I could sweep those beasts too!"
"Really? Unless you're a monster, you wouldn't have the mana."
"That's... but."
Jian naturally took charge. He was performing best.
"Ugh..."
Tancia shrank back in frustration. Their duo was so perfect that her staying put might have been better.
They swept beasts without a scratch, advancing at tremendous speed.
In just an hour, they caught up to the Council's depth.
"Kid, looks like you don't need to protect us after all. Shame."
"This isn't right... I told Tancia to protect..."
Tancia covered her mouth with both hands, panicking. Had she betrayed Kang Seol's trust? Had she broken her promise?
"Heh heh... Follow well, and I'll tell Kang Seol you shone plenty."
"...R-really?"
"Of course!"
Tancia's eyes sparkled, then she shook her head vigorously and steeled her gaze.
"That's a lie. Tancia can't lie."
"You take after your dad, so rigid. Been wondering, who's your mom? That detective? Doesn't seem like the fairy..."
"Mommy's a dragon."
Sindio, listening, couldn't hold back laughter.
"Pfft... Heh... N-no, wasn't trying to laugh..."
"It's true..."
"Kid, he didn't say that guy dropped you off via dragon bite, right?"
"No, really!"
Jian pulled back Tancia's robe hood.
"If you're a dragon, there should be horns here..."
Hard things like sheep horns sat on both sides of Tancia's forehead.
"Damn... it was real?"
"Hey, language around the kid..."
Sindio finally noticed Tancia's horns.
"Mommy! D-dragony!"
"Yeah... No wonder that old Assiri geezer wouldn't get trampled by a kid, no matter what. ...Makes sense now."
Jian stroked Tancia's horns.
"What the hell is that guy anyway... At least I can relax now..."
"...Jian, look over there."
Whoooosh...
An ominous beast emanated ill aura.
It walked on two legs, its body pitch-black like oiled stone.
And its mouth was huge.
It was the floodgate of their door.
Pheeeeeew-!
Sindio's Aurora Arrow flew at it, but the floodgate shook it off easily.
[Floodgate 'Sloth of Mental Drift' appears.]
Eeeee...
Eeeeee...
"Wait... what are you doing..."
KIIIIAAAAAAHHHH-!
The sloth bellowed, and a massive mana wave swept them.
[Rolling magic resistance die.]
[Magic resistance die shows 4.]
[Jian resists the bad dream.]
......
[Rolling magic resistance die.]
[Magic resistance die shows 3.]
[Skilled mages have magic resistance.]
[Magic resistance die +1.]
[Sindio resists the bad dream.]
"Urk, damn it... Mental magic. I'm weak to this... Can't take a second wave. Hey, do something..."
"I'll put up a barrier now! But it's not my specialty, won't last long..."
Eeeee...
Eeeeee...
"My god... no way?"
"Cover your ears!"
"Won't work! We need distance..."
KIIIIAAAAAAHHHH-!
"Ah... shit..."
Thud...
Thud...
Rustle...
As Sindio and Jian collapsed, the skull guardians crumbled too.
Meaning hordes of beasts and the floodgate would swarm them.
And someone had been waiting for that...
"Thanks!"
Tancia stacked Jian and Sindio aside and stood before them.
"Now, Tancia protects, right?"
[Tancia awakens Dragon Nobility.]
[Dragons are immune to common mental magic.]
[Resists bad dream.]
[Not common mental magic.]
[Bad dream partially takes effect.]
Shoooo...
In the beasts' midst, a heterogeneous form coalesced.
Beauty transcended into nobility.
A figure gazing at Tancia with a characteristic smile.
〔...Tancia.〕
"...Who are you?"
A woman Kang Seol would recognize instantly.
The illusion of Tancred, tied to Tancia's birth, stood there.