Chapter 97: Joint Practical Evaluation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: Joint Practical Evaluation (6)
The fourth gate was cleared.
I slung Zhonya’s Staff over my back. The others had already unsummoned their familiars.
We stepped past the unconscious Professor Phillip and headed toward the arch-shaped door.
“As expected, the plan worked exactly as Sir Isaac said. This is the power of real-world experience!”
“We just got lucky.”
It had been a while since I’d seen Kaya’s eyes sparkle with such excitement. I responded dryly, mostly because we had only defeated a professor who was heavily handicapped by the evaluation’s rules.
If we had fought him at full power, most of my strategies would have been useless.
Even so...
Yesss.
All that mattered was that we passed. Besides, we’d never have to fight Professor Phillip again. At least, I hoped not.
“You’re so humble! You’re so cool, Sir Isaac!”
“Am I?”
Such blatant worship was a bit much, but I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot because Kaya was just too cute. I scratched my cheek, trying to hide the smile.
“That was more boring than I thought,” Lisetta chimed in, spouting her usual nonsense. “It would be more fun to fight Professor Phillip at full strength. Or maybe people like Aria or Headmistress Elena.”
Setting aside an unrestrained Professor Phillip, we would be utterly demolished if we faced Aria, the Tower Master of the Hegel Magic Tower, or Elena, the Headmistress of Märchen Academy. We’d be dead before we could even register a single hit.
Still, I didn’t feel like shattering Lisetta’s delusions, so I let it slide.
After passing through the fourth gate, we were led deep into a dark forest. Dim lamps were scattered here and there, casting long shadows that gave the woods an eerie atmosphere.
Eventually, an engraving on one of the lamps fastened to a stone wall caught my eye.
This was the spot.
I stopped and held out my arm, blocking Kaya from going any further.
“Lisetta, you’re free to go. You’ve done your part.”
Now, we had to face the frog demon. Lisetta had only promised to help us until the fourth gate, so it was time to part ways.
“I was going to leave even if you didn’t say anything. You do you, Isaac.”
With that, Lisetta walked away into the darkness without a second glance. How nonchalant.
[Lisetta Lionheart]
Psychology: [Doesn't want to get in your way.]
Actually, I take that back. Her internal thoughts were always a shock compared to her outward behavior. What a total tsundere. Well, it worked out for me.
I tapped the ground with my foot. This spot would do.
I extended my right arm toward the floor and channeled rock mana. Above my head, a light brown magic circle etched itself into the air.
“We’re going underground. Get ready for the drop.”
“Yes, Sir Isaac.”
“Also, from now on... just ignore whatever you see.”
“...What?”
As I’d thought before, the frog demon wasn’t particularly difficult to defeat, but the process was incredibly tedious.
The concept behind ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ was "violent fairy tales," as seen in the UI and cutscenes. Because of that, all the demons were grotesque. Even this minor demon—whose only purpose was to be killed to prevent an Extra Bad Ending—was disgustingly detailed. It was as if the horror genre was the game’s natural setting.
I warned Kaya in advance, but she insisted on coming along. She said she wanted to see the hardships I faced with her own eyes.
Oh well. As they say, seeing it once is better than hearing about it a hundred times.
「Rock Avalanche (Rock Element, ★4)」
Crash—!
A massive stone pillar erupted from the ceiling, smashing into the floor. The ground gave way beneath us with a heavy rumble.
Kaya and I felt the weightlessness of a freefall as we plummeted deep into the earth.
「Wind Generation (Wind Element, ★)」
Whirrrr—!
Kaya summoned a light green gale that swirled around us. Like an invisible elevator, we glided slowly down into the subterranean depths.
“Uh, um...?”
An impossibly vast expanse lay within the underground chamber. It felt as if we had journeyed to the center of the earth and discovered an entirely new world. It was hard to believe this massive vista was contained within a cave.
Schlick—.
Inside the cavern, countless guillotines were arranged in neat rows. The heavy blades of the machines sliced through the air as they fell, one after another. Shortly after each strike, an unseen power yanked the blades back up.
The blood on the metal was a deep purple, drying into rusty scabs. Every time the guillotines fell and rose, fresh blood splattered across the wooden platforms.
[Ribbit—.]
[Ribbit...]
[Ribbit! Ribbit—!]
Bound to each guillotine was a human-shaped figure with long limbs. However, instead of human screams, they let out the croaks of frogs.
Their skin was a sickly, pale green. Their heads looked as if they had been forcefully stretched sideways. Their faces were swollen, and their lips were torn so wide they reached their hairline.
They were bent over naked, their heads locked into the stocks, groaning in agony.
Squirm.
The blades fell, effortlessly decapitating the frog creatures. Each time, the bodies restrained on the platforms writhed. The severed heads flew off, landing on the ground to join a mountain of others.
When a head was lost, the stump of the neck wriggled like a worm until a new head popped out, ready for the inevitable repeat. Moments later, the blade fell again.
“What is this...?”
Kaya covered her mouth in shock, her eyes trembling.
See? I told her it would be like this.
A wet, squelching sound echoed as we stepped onto the floor. It was unavoidable; the ground was literally carpeted with the heads of the grotesque frog creatures. Between the heads, purple blood flowed like a river.
It was gruesome, but as a veteran player, it didn't bother me much. I had seen this scene multiple times in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
...Though I have to admit, it’s still pretty revolting.
“Are you o—?”
I turned to reassure Kaya, but I flinched when I saw her expression.
As she slowly lowered her hands, I saw her face clearly. A string of transparent saliva was trailing from the corner of her mouth.
She was drooling.
She looked like someone who had discovered a magnificent feast after nearly starving to death. Mesmerized, she stared unblinkingly at the heads flying off the monsters' bodies.
An ominous chill ran down my spine.
Why is she acting like this?
Is she okay? Did she eat something bad? What’s going on?
“Kaya?”
“Ah, yes, Sir Isaac. Slurp.”
As if snapped back to reality by my voice, she quickly sucked back the drool.
“I apologize for showing you such an embarrassing sight. The saliva just... started coming out suddenly...”
Okay, this was definitely not normal.
Is this a reaction from the 'Dark Kaya' hidden deep inside her?
“...Let’s just go.”
For now, killing the frog demon was the priority. I’d have to worry about Kaya’s state later.
“Y-yes...!”
I began walking with Kaya. Every step we took resulted in a disgusting, squishy texture beneath our boots. The air was filled with the rhythmic thwack of blades and the wet thud of falling heads.
Short, frog-like screams echoed throughout the chamber. I ignored them and pressed forward.
This was the unique magic of the frog demon. Usually, he appeared in different locations every day, but on the day of the joint evaluation, he liked to mark his territory by indulging in the torture of his own subordinates.
The area was shielded from magical perception, similar to the illusion magic used by Leafa the Illusive or Marlog the Envious, though the mana density here was much lower.
How tedious. This demon was so weak I shouldn't have even needed to bother with him. Aside from the Extra Bad Ending he caused, his existence was meaningless. The developers probably just put him in to pad the content... I mean, it made no sense. Even the upcoming conflicts with the Floating Island, the Devil Pillar, and the Abyssal Monster didn't trigger Extra Bad Endings! Why was this bastard the one to get one?
Whatever. Let’s get this over with. It seemed the frog demon had finally noticed the intruders.
Across the vast platform of heads, the subordinates finally regained control of their bodies after having their heads repeatedly severed. Individually, they were weak, so they were clearly trying to swarm us.
For the record, these subordinates were fakes made of mana, so they provided zero EXP. I only needed to eliminate the boss: ‘Milo the Yearner.’
“Sir Isaac, is it... that?”
“Yep.”
As we cleared the rows of guillotines, we finally saw an amphibian draped in elegant garments.
Standing two meters tall, his face was stretched wide, and his limbs were those of a frog. He stood upright on two legs, just like a human. His skin was a green so dark it was almost black. A small crown sat atop his head, and a red cape fluttered behind him.
His regal attire was a jarring contrast to the surrounding environment of blood and severed heads. The creature stopped and stared at us with pupilless eyes.
[Milo the Yearner]
Lv: 100
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Water
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to be off with your head.]
As expected, I found him quickly.
It was the frog demon, Milo the Yearner.
[RIBIIIIIIIIIIIT!!]
Milo opened his massive maw and let out an ear-splitting cry.
Is he trying to burst his own vocal cords? If you want to hurt yourself, do it on your own time. My ears hurt, you bastard.
Whatever. I’ll just kill him and go home.
Click—.
Click—.
Click—.
Following Milo’s cry, the restrained frog creatures were released from their guillotines.
[RIBIIIIIIIT!!!]
Milo opened his mouth even wider, letting out a sound like a wet gargle. It was the signal to attack. His subordinates began charging toward us, weaving blue and black magic circles together to cast joint spells.
Is that all? I could do this in my sleep.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!]
[Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!]
[Your skill tree temporarily becomes +10!]
The only thing this useless demon was good for was ruining the mood with his ugly face.
I’ll deal with this clown quickly so I can go back. I don’t even need Zhonya’s Staff for this.
「Ice Spear (Ice Element, ★4)」
Pshook! Kwaaah—!
A pale blue magic circle manifested above me, launching a thick spear of ice toward the frog demon. The freezing air left trails of frost like blue flames in its wake.
The [Ice Spear] reached Milo before he could even blink.
Boom—!
The sound of the impact was like a bomb detonating. As the shockwave cleared, a massive hole was visible in Milo’s torso where the spear had pierced him.
Milo collapsed, letting out a final, weak [Ribbit...].
I had absolutely fodderized him.
“...Hm?”
...What’s that?
Before Milo could dissolve into dust, a pool of blood suddenly manifested beneath his twitching body.
Gururururu—.
Blood magic began healing Milo—but only enough to keep him from dying.
It was Kaya’s magic.
I looked at her. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant, predatory red. Dark Kaya had taken control. As if in a fever dream, she swallowed hard, staring hungrily at Milo.
“Ka—?”
“Hah.”
A heavy, ragged breath escaped her lips. Both of Kaya’s cheeks were flushed red as she panted with excitement.
And then...
Kuaaaahk—!
A skull made of condensed blood erupted from the puddle beneath Milo the Yearner, swallowing him whole. His existence vanished without a trace.
Boom—!
Moments later, geysers of blood exploded from the ground.
“What the—? What’s happening?!”
The magic condensed the blood, forming dozens of skull-shaped entities.
“Hap.”
Fuoooooooo—!
When Kaya opened her mouth, the blood skulls mimicked her, beginning to devour the remaining frog creatures. Like a crimson tsunami, the blood surged outward, consuming the severed heads scattered across the floor.
Her intense, blood-colored mana feasted on everything—the ceiling, the floor, and the remaining guillotines. The grotesque environment was wiped clean, leaving nothing but an empty stone cave.
Kaya began chewing on something, the sound a mix of wet squelches and sickening crunches. As if she were savoring a gourmet meal, she continued until she finally swallowed.
“Fuah...”
Kaya rubbed her flushed cheeks, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
She looked exactly like a starving person who had finally, blissfully, filled their stomach.