Chapter 59
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 059
Chapter Title: Man-Eating Ghoul and Flesh Heap (4)
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“Scatter!”
Godfrey’s shout sent the knights dispersing in all directions.
They then charged in from different angles to attack the Flesh Golem.
But they gained no real advantage.
The undead had no vital spots worth calling such.
As a result, it ignored their blows entirely and counterattacked in a way they never saw coming.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Flesh across the Flesh Golem’s body began to twitch.
Soon, long, tentacle-like appendages burst out from those spots.
And with complete control, it wielded them against the knights coming at it.
Whip!
A tentacle lashed out like a whip.
The knight who spotted the incoming strike bent his legs and dodged.
The blow grazed right over his head.
As he let out a breath of relief...
A delayed second tentacle speared forward like a spear tip, piercing straight through his abdomen.
“Agh!”
A groan of agony escaped the knight’s lips.
The strike had been powerful enough to punch through both his chain mail and the padded armor beneath.
With that, the knight was out of the fight.
His close comrade slung him over a shoulder and pulled back from the battlefield.
“Are you all right?!”
The priests tending to the first knight struck down spotted the new casualty and rushed over.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on fiercely.
But the tide had turned against us.
The golem’s durability far outstripped that of the knights.
Is the Flesh Golem just that strong, or are the knights that weak? Tough to say.
One thing was certain, though.
The knights, Godfrey aside, lagged behind Bear and Conal in skill.
Without Godfrey, we’d have been overrun already.
Godfrey was strong.
For starters, his approach differed entirely from the others.
He dodged incoming tentacles with nimble footwork.
When evasion wasn’t an option, he slashed them cleanly with his sword, nullifying the golem’s attacks.
Yet even Godfrey’s feats weren’t enough to shift the battle decisively.
“Guh!”
Another knight fell, combat ineffective.
Three tentacles had flown in from different directions; in his panic, he took a hit.
Now, only five knights remained, Godfrey included.
Seven down in such a short span.
Time for me to step in.
The knights kept stealing glances my way but never asked for aid first.
Pride, no doubt.
They were the ones who’d told me to stand back initially.
But sitting idle would leave a poor impression on all these onlookers.
Show weakness here, and folks will fear the black mage more than hate him.
To prevent that, I had to act.
“Everyone, fall back!”
I shouted to the knights up front.
While Heros sorted through the Eremus collaborators with his reinforcements...
The nobles inside the castle were enjoying tea time.
The subjugation wasn’t their concern.
“I hear the Big Three swore loyalty to that young mage. True?”
“True enough. No eye for people, that lot.”
“Well, they’re commoners. We must understand.”
Today’s chatter centered on Heros and the Big Three.
The nobles gleefully tore into them.
Count Chester watched and thought:
Pathetic.
Instead of badmouthing the boy mage, they should be ashamed of losing the recruitment bid to him.
Of course, that stayed in his head.
Aliening every noble here would burden even him.
That was when it happened.
Boom!
A thunderous crash from outside.
Count Chester sensed trouble and headed straight for the walls.
The nobles with him followed naturally.
Atop the walls, they beheld... a massive flesh heap overwhelming their dispatched knights.
“What in the...!”
“What kind of monster is that?”
“Looks like a Flesh Golem.”
The nobles’ faces betrayed clear panic.
Count Chester wasn’t much different.
In that moment, his talk with Heros flashed back.
Eremus collaborators might have tricks prepared.
Push cornered foes too hard, and they’ll turn to desperate measures.
All Heros’s words.
This is what he warned about.
Count Chester now realized he’d been too cavalier.
He’d considered black mage schemes, but not summoning a monstrosity like this smack in the city’s heart.
Damage could exceed my estimates.
For now, the Flesh Golem rampaged in the plaza, limiting harm.
But if the knights couldn’t stop it?
It’d prowl for fresh victims, no doubt.
Buildings would crumble. People would die.
Casualties could skyrocket.
Send reinforcements now?
Count Chester pondered seriously.
He’d rally knights from these nobles, add his own, form a golem-slaying force.
But his deliberations proved moot.
Thanks to one mage.
Whoosh!
A sudden fireball streaked toward the Flesh Golem.
It struck true; the creature’s face erupted in flames.
In frenzy, it flailed hands and tentacles to douse the blaze on its body.
The first real damage dealt to the golem.
What over ten knights couldn’t achieve, a single mage had.
“Incredible...”
One noble atop the wall muttered, staring at the golem’s blazing head.
No one disagreed.
The spell announcing my entry: spreading flames.
I’d chosen it to halt the Flesh Golem’s regeneration.
It’s been bugging me.
The embers from the spreading flames...
I directed them to ignite the various body parts crawling toward the golem.
To block its regen.
Every time it absorbed incoming flesh, it healed wounds and bulked up.
Roar!
The body parts touched by embers went up in flames.
They soon stilled.
So how was the golem’s recovery now?
I observed closely.
Guess I was right.
Cut off from fresh flesh, its regen had visibly slowed.
Was that why?
It turned from me, as if to flee.
Not happening.
I cast stone spike twice in quick succession.
Two pillars erupted, skewering its left and right flanks.
It halted its pivot.
Like a troll overall, but way weaker.
The Flesh Golem matched a troll in height and bulk.
But that was their only similarity.
It lacked a troll’s strength, wits, or healing prowess.
Full of shortcomings.
I could handle it solo, easy.
Stay put.
Before unleashing spells, I fixed it in place with stone spike.
Double cast again.
Stab!
Two stone spikes shot from the ground.
They pierced both soles, straight to the thighs.
Its strength could break free, sure.
But it’d buy a moment.
Plenty for my plans.
I aimed to end it quick.
Whish!
The Flesh Golem hadn’t sat idle, of course.
It stretched tentacles to max length toward me.
But they fell short.
I was out of range.
So I cast freely.
Spreading flames.
A fireball bloomed before me.
It flew to the golem’s upper body.
Setting its chest ablaze.
Embers from that scorched the approaching flesh chunks.
Once done?
Spreading flames again.
Roar!
This hit the belly.
Maybe because it was made of human meat, but roasting the Flesh Golem filled the air with the smell of grilling flesh.
No one would get hungry from it.
Mana’s fine.
I eyed the flame-wreathed upper body and tallied my remaining mana.
225 left.
Spreading flames cost 50.
Boosted by Burning Hands, plus 10 extra consumption.
Total 60.
So, three more casts possible.
Enough to finish it.
Or so I thought.
Thud!
The golem shattered the rocks pinning its legs and flanks.
It glared at me.
Judged escape impossible, chose attack instead.
Painless body, so endure burns for a kill shot?
Instinctive, seemed.
Pain immunity doesn’t block my spells.
As it took a step my way...
Two stone spikes erupted, piercing both knees.
Movement sealed again.
Then, spreading flames, naturally.
Burn nice, burn good.
Upper body ablaze once more.
No new embers this time.
No enemies around.
No more collaborator flesh approaching.
No regen possible.
Just pile on damage, it’d stop.
So I judged.
Thoom.
The Flesh Golem toppled forward.
And went still.
What, already over?
Playing dead?
I tested with stone spike.
Pierce!
Spike into its crown.
No twitch.
Really gone.
Undead, so “dead” is off, but power spent.
Yeah, truly tapped out.
To confirm, I checked its mana.
Drastically reduced from before.
Even the remnants leaking away in real time.
Couldn’t retain mana in its bloated frame meant the sustaining spell had expired.
No more movement.
Oh?
That certainty hit: familiar euphoria.
Level up.
Unexpected bonus.
I hadn’t figured it weak enough for exp gain.
Dumb brute, easy pickings.
A smidge smarter, and tentacles would’ve swatted my spells early.
But no, it didn’t.
No proper counter, just crumpled.
Satisfying.
Nice.
Hid my glee, turned back.
Godfrey and knights.
Priests treating wounded.
Soldiers holding post.
Crowds stared blankly my way.
To signal end, I told their leader, Godfrey.
“It’s over.”
“Ah, y-yes...”
Godfrey gawked, stunned.
Shock plain on his face.
Count’s got three mages under him. Why so shocked? Fire magic that novel?
So I mused, turning away.
To inspect the Flesh Golem’s corpse.
If something special turned up, mine, naturally.