Chapter 109
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Fairy and Uninvited Guest (1)
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‘How does she know my name?’
The girl standing before me.
She had far too many suspicious traits.
Not only had she withstood a knight’s superhuman strength, but she even knew my name despite only meeting me for the first time today.
So I observed the child once again.
But the result was still the same.
She was an ordinary person without a trace of mana.
‘She can’t possibly be human.’
With that thought, I pushed my concentration to its limit.
Finally, I sensed something.
I barely made out a thin membrane enveloping the girl’s body.
A minuscule amount of mana was seeping through its gaps.
It seemed the intangible barrier I’d detected was concealing the mana she held within.
‘That settles it. If I peer inside that membrane, I can figure out who—or what—this girl really is.’
The instant that idea formed in my mind...
“You shouldn’t do that.”
The girl stared straight into my eyes as she spoke.
“Do what?”
“Whatever it is you’re about to try.”
“Are you reading my mind?”
“No. Just a hunch.”
The girl remained utterly expressionless, so I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or lying.
I decided to satisfy my curiosity anyway.
What kind of mage would I be if I backed off just because she told me not to?
‘Alright, then. Who are you?’
I probed inside the membrane.
An overwhelming expanse of mana hit me—vast beyond comprehension.
But my shock was short-lived.
Soon, an immense pressure crushed down on me.
It felt like my very soul was being crushed.
A truly horrifying sensation.
‘What the hell...!’
I hurriedly broke off the observation.
To suffer such a violent backlash from mere observation?
It was a reaction no human could endure.
“Lord Heros, are you alright?”
“Your face looks pale.”
I staggered, and Bear and Conall voiced their concern.
But I had no breath to spare for a reply.
I was too busy steadying my ragged breathing.
In less than thirty seconds, my entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
“See? I told you so.”
The girl watching me tossed out the remark.
‘Just what is she?’
I was deeply confused.
I’d never sensed such boundless mana before.
I’d thought peering into her essence would reveal her identity, but instead, it only spawned even greater mysteries in my mind.
A transcendent being.
No other term fit the girl before me.
“Why ask me for help? Can’t you handle it yourself? With that much mana, you could deal with just about anything on your own.”
“I can’t interfere too much in this world.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a promise.”
“With who?”
“That’s... a secret.”
The girl answered my questions matter-of-factly.
I scratched my head.
I was torn on whether to accept her request.
As I pondered, the others wiped the smiles from their faces and began eyeing the girl warily.
They’d realized she wasn’t human, too.
‘Might as well hear her out.’
Ignoring a transcendent being’s plea felt too risky.
So I decided to hear more details.
“What exactly do you need help with?”
“An uninvited guest showed up at my house and won’t leave, no matter how much time passes. Chase it away for me.”
“Any reward in it for me?”
“Yeah. I’ll give you something you need.”
“Like what?”
“That’s a secret, too. Where’s the fun in spoiling it?”
Something I need as payment?
It was hard to dismiss lightly, knowing she was a transcendent being.
A creature like her wouldn’t lie.
I made up my mind to take the job.
“Fine. Lead the way.”
The girl turned at my words.
Then she strode off toward somewhere.
I watched her for a moment before addressing the group.
“Let’s follow her.”
The girl led us along the path before veering off into the forest at some point.
We split up at the edge.
The interior wasn’t suitable for horses or wagons.
“The rest of you, stay here and guard the luggage.”
Me, the big three, six undead knights.
Plus Cedric the guide, Perigal, and the golem Giant.
Thirteen of us in total would pursue the girl.
‘Something feels off.’
Thirteen strong.
Excluding me the mage and Cedric the guide, every one was knight-level.
I’d deliberately picked only the best.
My instincts were screaming.
“Lord Heros.”
Conall called to me quietly then.
“Yes?”
“Check the ground under her feet.”
I looked at the girl’s feet as he said.
Dirty bare soles.
Nothing unusual at first glance...
But then I spotted something unnatural.
‘The weeds are unharmed?’
Where the girl stepped.
The weeds there remained perfectly intact despite being trod upon.
Not even a leaf quivered; they stood frozen in place.
A mystical phenomenon.
“She treads on grass without leaving a mark. It’s just like the stories I heard as a kid. That’s a Gruergah.”
Perigal cut into our conversation then.
“Gruergah? What’s that?”
“That’s what we call fairies.”
A supernatural being in human form.
If the girl truly was a fairy, it made sense that I’d sensed her as transcendent.
My curiosity piqued.
I immediately asked Perigal.
“Are Gruergah good fairies?”
“Not bad ones, at least. Even the mean-spirited ones only play harmless pranks on humans.”
“How do you know that, Perigal?”
“Gruergah feature in every tale barbarian parents tell their kids. Impossible not to know.”
“Ah.”
“Still, don’t let your guard down. First time I’ve seen one myself. Could be a wicked fairy unlike any I’ve heard of.”
As I listened intently to Perigal...
The path grew rougher.
We plunged into trackless wilds.
Uneven ground made tripping easy.
Yet the girl pressed on unscathed.
She moved fastest here, despite appearing to stroll leisurely.
No one in the group could match her pace.
“How much farther?”
I called to her.
She replied without breaking stride.
“Not much.”
Feels like plenty to me.
As I thought that...
Cedric, walking beside me, let out a hollow chuckle.
“It’s like we’re bewitched.”
Same thought exactly.
“That’s my house.”
How long had we walked?
The girl halted and pointed ahead.
A cave entrance yawned there.
Big enough for a troll.
A wide clearing fronted it, unnatural in its formation.
Traces littered the ground.
Most striking: scales.
A few lay scattered, each the size of a medium shield.
“Something’s inside the cave. Slow breathing suggests it’s asleep.”
“Definitely a monster.”
Bear spoke, Conall following up.
Chills ran down my spine at their assessment.
“Judging by the tracks we saw coming here and the marks in this clearing, it’s no ordinary beast. Enormous size expected.”
Conall continued gravely.
If a monster lurked within as he said, combat was almost certain.
We needed to prepare before entering.
“Please help me.”
Did she think I was still hesitating?
The girl pleaded, her eyes earnest now—unlike before.
She truly wanted that intruder gone.
“Let’s head inside first.”
I resolved to scout the cave.
Bear tried to stop me.
“Lord Heros, perhaps wait here? We’ll scout it ourselves.”
“I’m fine. I can protect myself, and I want to see the interior with my own eyes.”
Fortunately, Bear didn’t press further.
Crunch crunch.
We approached the cave.
The stench grew stronger near the entrance.
Rotting meat? Excrement? A nauseating mix, hard to pinpoint.
“Let’s go in.”
Giant the golem took point as we entered.
I immediately cast Luminous Halo.
Swish.
Light particles gathered before my eyes.
They coalesced into a ring.
The halo floated up, softly illuminating the surroundings.
‘A statue?’
It caught my eye first.
Long-abandoned; moss blanketed it, hiding its shape.
A rectangular pedestal stood before it, similarly moss-covered.
‘The cave’s narrower than expected.’
As I examined the statue...
The halo neared the ceiling.
The interior dimly revealed itself.
Not vast compared to the entrance; a quick sweep wouldn’t take long.
Then...
Tap tap.
Something lightly touched my shoulder.
I turned to find Bear’s tense face; his right hand pointed inward.
His finger aimed into the gloom just beyond the halo’s reach.
Swish.
I shifted the floating halo.
Shadows parted, unveiling the colossal form hidden within.
‘What is that thing?’
A massive creature lay pressed against the cave wall.
I’d mistaken it for the wall at first.
Similar hue.
Only its breathing—belly rising and falling—revealed it as alive.
‘A lizard?’
It resembled a lizard.
But immense, unlike any ordinary one.
Earth’s blue whale reached over 20 meters; this beast matched it in length.
Two city buses end-to-end.
Big enough to swallow a man whole.
And I knew of only one monster this terrifying.
‘Basilisk.’
The legendary beast said to turn gazers to stone—thankfully not true.
But its venom was real.
More crucially: a sub-dragon from myth, monstrously powerful.
‘Never expected a basilisk here.’
I decided to retreat outside.
Cave too cramped for battle.
But then...
Swish.
The basilisk opened its eyes.
Face against the wall, only its left visible.
A beautiful golden eye.
It darted about before its slit pupil locked precisely on us.
Then it turned its head our way.
“Everyone, fall back. We need to get out of the cave first.”
We retreated cautiously.
The basilisk watched motionless as we moved.
Until we neared the exit...
Swish.
It slowly rose.
The sight made me shout.
“Run!”
We bolted desperately outside.
Soon, thunderous footsteps echoed behind.
The ground quaked.
The basilisk was chasing us, no doubt.
‘Absorbing Earth.’
I cast before it.
This should buy some time.
‘A few seconds is plenty. Slowing pursuit that much lets everyone escape safely.’
Luckily, my plan worked; we fled without harm.
“Battle stations!”
I yelled the moment we emerged.
Then to Cedric:
“Cedric, get out of here!”
He was a seasoned mercenary.
Skilled, sure.
But not against a basilisk.
Best to remove him from the field.
Swish.
As Cedric fled...
The big three and undead knights drew swords.
Perigal gripped his trophy greatsword’s hilt two-handed, forgoing axes.
All ready as...
Boom!
The basilisk lumbered out leisurely.
The picture of a predator.