The Old Slough of Botamilli

The clown was trembling, babbling about a dragon coming. Even after hearing his words, I couldn't grasp what kind of nonsense he was spewing. "A dragon? Why would a dragon pop out... no... what are you talking about?" My head was spinning. My vision blurred. What the hell was this? Why would a dragon suddenly appear? Why? Why was this bastard doing this to me?

"Hey... ha... fuck... those dragons from the Manma-jeon? You've lost your mind, haven't you? Are you insane?!"

"..."

The bastard just hung his head, unable to answer. He was probably racking his brain to find a way out of this situation. Then, Hilde, who had been listening quietly, made the first move.

-SPLAT!!!

"Gyaaaaaaah!!!!!"

Hilde kicked the clown and ripped both his arms off while he was still alive. She immediately incinerated the severed arms.

"Gyaaa!!!"

"Shut up! You son of a bitch, what have you done to deserve crying?!"

"Gueeehh..!!"

I cursed at him and healed the spurting wounds with rapidly regenerating flesh. Not for his sake, but because it was too wasteful to let him die like this. This dog-like bastard needed to suffer through even worse torture before dying. Killing him now would be an act of mercy. And I had no intention of showing mercy to this goddamn piece of trash.

"Ha... you fucker... I actually had a little thought of keeping you alive, you know? But... that's not happening. Don't even think about dying a normal death."

"Hahahahaha!!! Hahahahahaha!!!!"

Perhaps reacting to my hatred, the clown lying on the ground started laughing. After having his arms ripped off, he seemed to have completely lost his sanity. I covered my face with my hands. How was I supposed to resolve this? If what he said was true, an entire legion was coming here...

Just then, the clown, having lost not only his reason but his fear as well, glared at us and screamed.

"Y-you fuckers!!! Hahahaha!!! You bastards!!! You're all dead!! The Black Market will become a sea of fire!!! It's all over!!!"

"Hup."

-CRUNCH!!!

"Kieeeeeeeek!!!!"

Hilde stomped on the legs of the clown who was spewing such bullshit, shattering them. With this, the clown was now completely incapacitated. What if I fed him a TS Potion in this state and threw him to the parasitic humans as an onahole? Of course, I had to survive first.

'Why is the situation so twisted? Why does everything go to shit whenever I make a move... Why? Does the world hate me?'

I felt like I was going crazy. I had definitely gotten stronger... and I rarely let my guard down now... so why does the world keep screwing me over like this? It was clear the world hated me. Honestly, Lamech wasn't the problem anymore. With our current strength, we could take Lamech down easily. The problem was the dragons, whose numbers were unknown. I felt like I was going to lose my mind from the anxiety of not knowing their numbers or their strength.

"Hilde... what do we do? Can we handle this?"

"Don't worry. Among the dragons, the only one definitely stronger than me is the Dragon King."

"Uh... what if that Dragon King comes himself... I feel like he might actually come..."

"I hadn't considered that far... B-but he won't move easily... He'll send his offspring instead."

"His... offspring...?"

"Yes... The Dragon King has quite a few children. He'll send ones similar to me."

"No... you said 'ones'? Not just one, but multiple guys similar to Hilde..."

"I suspect two or three will come. Probably... probably. Maybe more?"

"Ah... fuck... H-Hilde... shall we... just part ways here? I don't think going our separate ways is a bad idea..."

"What are you talking about! Separate ways! Look here! If you think about it, didn't this whole mess start because I came to help you when you were getting beaten up by some weirdo?"

"N-no...! I'm a victim too!!!"

"And you can't run away anyway. You ate the eyeball, didn't you."

"Oh... ah..."

"From the moment you ate the Golden Dragon's eyeball... we are bound by fate. Stay with me. Okay?"

Hilde placed her hand on my shoulder.

"G-get this hand off me!!"

"Don't resist, Cultist. Accept it. It is our destiny to kill the Dragon King and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠burn the World Tree together. It seems that's how it will flow..."

"Y-y-you... you crazy dragon..."

But I found myself somewhat convinced by her words. She was right. Looking at my current state, it seemed I was destined to kill the Dragon King and burn the World Tree. Of course, that was only if we managed to get out of here safely.

'Ah... I feel like I'm losing my mind...'

Until now, from my commoner perspective, the strongest mortal was Ziegfried, and I had always used him as the standard for a superhuman. And Hilde was a powerhouse on par with such a Ziegfried. But now, hearing that two or three dragons similar to such a Hilde were crawling toward us, I felt like my soul was leaving my body. What do I do?

'Not just one... at least two or more... if about five of them come... our current strength won't be able to handle it... No, the Black Market itself won't be able to handle those monsters... And what if the Dragon King comes? Then what should I do? Should I call the Evil Gods too?'

Regardless, the Black Market was fucked. Because of this insane clown bastard.

"Die!! Just die!!! Die!! You clown bastard!!"

"Gwahahahaha!!! I'm already a dead man anyway!! So let's go to hell together, heretic!!"

I kicked and trampled the wriggling clown. I couldn't forgive him. As I kicked him, I decided to call upon a Deus Ex Machina to overcome this situation. In a situation like this, the only beings I could trust and rely on were my dear patron gods. Why else had I performed so many human sacrifices? I had lobbied for exactly this kind of moment.

"Evil Gods! Please help me! I... I think I'm fucked!!"

I forgot my shame and desperately called out to the Evil Gods. I had no choice. Pride doesn't put food on the table. Moreover, if I hesitated in this life-or-death crisis, I didn't know when I might be killed.

"I-Indikron...!!"

[The tentacle monster and the poisonous snake bitch are already being kept in check by other factions. Therefore, the dragon heads and other riffraff won't be able to intervene easily. However... the Dragon King's children are the problem... They aren't gods. It's difficult for us to step in and stop them openly. The weight classes don't match.]

"So it's like... children's fights becoming adult fights...?"

[Precisely. Mortals should play among mortals...]

As expected, the Dragon King's children were the problem. While Kashnakas and Botamilli were forcibly blocking the direct or indirect intervention of the Dragon King or other miscellaneous gods who were on the same divine level, they couldn't do anything about the children the Dragon King would send.

[Since the causality is flowing in that direction... we can't legally stop them.]

'Legally...'

[Yes... but since when have we ever moved legally?]

'...Yes?'

[I will lift the restrictions on Kesia. Einax's restrictions will also be lifted. And while the tentacle mass and the cunning snake bitch block the dragon heads... Sataniel and I will cover the operators' eyes.]

'I-is that possible...?'

[It's fine as long as we don't get caught. And... in this case... you should forgive us, right?]

'Ah... of course... I wasn't even angry... hehe.'

[Is that so? If so... I have one favor to ask...]

"Yes?"

[Once you forcibly stop this, the operators of the Manma-jeon will surely try to penalize you.]

"Ah..."

[So... I ask for... 5,000 of the bipedal ones.]

"You mean you want me to offer 5,000 bipedal ones as a sacrifice?"

[That is correct... I am sorry... A guardian who steals from their child... I have no qualifications...]

"No, well... that much..."

If I could survive by sacrificing 5,000 of those rotten bipedal bastards, I could kill 10,000. The reason Indikron felt sorry was likely because she felt bad about asking me to give up 5,000 slaves that could have been my own limbs. Since she always called me 'my child,' she probably felt like she was extorting her child's pocket money... so she felt a bit bad. Of course, I told her I would give them generously because I could sacrifice bipedal ones as much as I wanted. I had to grease her palms like this so she would help me illegally again next time.

[Thank you... my child... For your reference, the dragons will arrive in about 20 minutes at the latest, so... prepare yourself in advance...]

"Yes!!"

The time left until they arrived was 20 minutes. 'Escape outside the Black Market is practically impossible now... and since Indikron has found a way, the balance has been roughly restored. Now, it's just a matter of fighting...' I told my party about the current situation. When I said the Dragon Wave would start in 20 minutes, Aila was startled.

"T-twenty minutes? Not much time left... Wait... how many jewels do I have left..."

Aila rummaged through her bag, organizing the cards she could play. Hilde smiled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠broadly and gave a thumbs up.

"Excellent... To think we could get help right away. As expected of an apostle loved by the gods of disaster..."

"Ha... I think we've put out the immediate fire... but with the liberated Kesia and Einax, it should be doable, right...?"

"If Kesia, who has drawn out her divine power to the fullest, comes out... it'll be worth a fight. Einax is more suitable for countering dragon magic and defense than melee combat... so it's a very good arrangement. Of course, to be honest... I'm still anxious..."

"Huuuh..."

Was there anything more I could do? It was then that I was pondering that.

[Cultist...]

"Oh? Botamilli-nim. Weren't you busy?"

[Just a moment... a very brief opening. The pressure from the Pantheon is stronger than I thought... They won't let this opportunity slip... Their causality has flowed into the Manma-jeon... It's highly likely they've formed an alliance.]

"That means..."

[More will come than you think. Kesia and... Einax are strong enough, but... it's not enough.]

"Oh..."

[Try using Void Observation... I forged it from my old slough... That child will protect you.]

With those words, Botamilli disappeared again. She seemed very busy blocking the direct intervention of the Pantheon.

'Right... I had Void Observation...'

I had kept forgetting about it because I was told it wasn't ready to be used. But it seemed it was ready now. Since she said she made it from her old slough... I was looking forward to it. She must have prepared a summon that wouldn't lose out to Kesia and Einax.

'Good...'

I immediately used Void Observation. I didn't have much time, so I had to make a contract quickly.

-Hummm...

A hazy mist flowed out from between my fingers. It was different from the abyss where darkness flowed down, or the chaos that emitted light that polluted the mind. Gradually, my surroundings were covered in mist.

-Ssshh... sssh...

A sound like something crawling through the hazy void was heard. It was like the creepy sound of a large snake crawling around.

[... Annoying... Tired... I don't want to work... Why does a discarded slough have to work again...? Unfair... Bad... I want to rest now...]

A very lethargic voice was heard in my ear. Something... made me feel lazy too. If I stayed in contact for too long, I felt like I would become lethargic as well... Is it okay to be a little lethargic...? I'm sleepy...

At that moment, the mist forced its way into my nose, ears, and mouth.

'Ugh...!!!'

In an instant, it felt like all my memories, my recollections, and even my subconscious were being read. It was as if the other party was reading me like a book.

[Hmm...? Huh... here... it's blocked... Traces of someone already having entered and left... Hmm... sticky... Is it mucus...?]

The monster that was reading my mind as it pleased began its self-introduction.

[I am Botamilli... no, that's not it anymore... For now... hmm... yes, one who pursues the peace of the apocalypse... Good. Apophis should be enough...? As for the name, well... roughly... fufu... anyway, please take care of me... Cultist... Don't call me often...? Because it's annoying...]

The mist that had identified my existence pulled back out. It seemed to be in the most lethargic state among all the familiars I had met so far.

'To think it would just make up its own name like that...'

She said she made it by forging her slough... maybe that's why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it looked so unmotivated, as if it were a being whose role had ended and was then reforged.

"Cough..."

Soon, the overflowing mist was sucked back into the void.

Void Blood Corpse... so I made a contract with Apophis. It looked very lethargic and lazy, but I wasn't in a position to be picky. Above all, since I could make a being of Kesia's level my summon, I had to contract with it no matter what.

"I contract."

I felt the sensation of soul connecting to soul. Now I was connected to the Void Blood Corpse. How should I put it... my soul felt full. My soul, which was already saturated with just Kesia and Einax, felt bloated and full now that Apophis had taken its place. I knew instinctively. To contract with another being of this level, I had to raise the grade of my soul further... Three was the current limit for summons of this caliber. Anyway, I was glad I succeeded in the contract for now. I quickly called up Apophis's information.

It was a very fascinating being. Possession seemed to be its main means of attack... but for now, I had to summon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it. If Kesia, the Deep-Sea Spider, was at the extreme of physical attacks, the first tentacle, Einax, was at the extreme of mental attacks. But the Apophis I contracted with this time was fatal in many ways.

"Good..."

Anyway, I had gained another card with this. I wanted to have a bossam with dragon meat.