Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The City Without the Sun (4)
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A knight with a very familiar appearance, like he'd stepped out of another game.
The man who called himself Solad shook the black liquid off his sword and asked,
"Murkies get stronger the moment they evolve, but they also develop a weakness, right?"
"...Yeah, pretty much."
How the hell did this guy figure that out?
Sure, in the game, people eventually caught on after some time... but this was way too early.
"I knew it. Hahaha! Now that I've confirmed it, I'll go reclaim the sun."
He pressed his index and middle fingers to his forehead, then peeled off and dashed away backward.
'What the heck is this guy's deal...?'
Definitely no one like him in the game.
No matter how well Solaria, the city without the sun, suited a concept character like that, no one like him ever showed up, not even at the end.
'Still... maybe he's a good variable?'
So far, he'd only shown positive signs, so it was safe for now.
"Uh, Is?"
"Yes, Saintess."
"That guy just now..."
"Hm, he's probably not a bad person. Just... a knight wandering this dark city in search of the sun."
"Wow... that's cool!"
"I think so too."
There weren't any sunbugs around here, so it should be fine.
With those thoughts, we returned to the mansion, and a few days later.
"Solad...? What's this guy's story?"
In the end, word of Solad reached the ears of the lord, Abyss.
"According to the citizens, he's a knight searching for the sun. He's got some skill... He sneaks up and ambushes murkies when they're distracted."
"Hmm... Vigilante, huh."
Abyss rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought for a moment.
He reached a decision quickly.
"Arrest him."
"Yes?! Wait a minute!"
Ariana shot up from her chair, slamming the desk.
"Arrest him?! Isn't he a hero saving people left and right?!"
"Saintess, this isn't something to take lightly."
"Huh?"
Abyss put on a gravely serious expression.
"Our city is in chaos right now, trapped by some unknown barrier. On top of that, the murkies' evolutions are steadily eroding people's morale. As the lord, I have to suspect everything and everyone. Even passing children or sitting elders."
With that implication hanging, he continued.
"Some unknown knight shows up, slaying murkies everywhere? We don't know his goals or his identity. So first, we arrest him, verify who he is, then support him if he's genuine—or throw him in prison if he has ulterior motives."
"That's..."
His words made sense, but Ariana clearly didn't like the idea of a good man who hunted monsters getting arrested.
"Saintess, even so—"
As Abyss softened his expression to say something more to Ariana,
-Thud! Thud!
"Kyaa?!"
"Wh-what?!"
The mansion shook violently.
I immediately pulled Ariana into my arms and drew my shield, while Alfred ducked in front of Abyss and grabbed a shield from the wall.
About ten seconds passed in high alert.
"!! Get down!"
Alfred rushed over in a panic, shoving Ariana and me backward.
Unlike his butler appearance, his strength was immense—we were flung all the way to the wall. And in that instant,
-Crunch!
Something black punched through the mansion's ceiling and crushed Alfred flat.
"Alfred!"
"Mr. Alfred!"
Abyss and Ariana cried out together.
In the chaos, I looked up at the black pillar that had pierced the ceiling.
'Didn't see this coming.'
The event timing must have gotten all messed up. Even though I knew about it, I couldn't prepare.
I thought it'd happen later... not like this.
That black pillar... was a Phase 5 evolved murky.
Not even the main body—that was just its leg.
A Phase 5 evolved murky becomes a "transcendent being." The final evolution form of murkies.
There were only five in the game, but each was boss-level.
The one that appeared now was the "Giant Makient Striding Through Darkness," a colossal murky.
According to the game text, about 250 meters tall.
"Saintess! We're retreating now!"
"Wh-what about the lord?!"
"He already used a scroll to escape the room."
Lords of cities like this always kept teleport scrolls handy.
"So let's get out first."
He flung open the window and jumped.
Servants were already evacuating below. Ariana glanced back and gasped in shock.
"I-Is! Look, th-that black pillar reaches all the way to the sky..."
Ariana stared in awe at the pillar stretching into the heavens, but unfortunately, that was just the leg. The body was hidden in the darkness above.
"Oh? Wait, the light source I made...!"
Finally realizing, Ariana's panicked voice rang out.
"Looks like the era of the murkies has arrived."
A bit sooner than expected, but it had come nonetheless.
The true crisis of Solaria, the city without the sun.
The Shadow Apocalypse.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After reaching Phase 5 evolution, the murkies drove humans out and became the masters of Solaria.
We could've handled up to Phase 4s with our group alone, but as their numbers swelled and untouchable Phase 5s appeared, resistance became impossible.
Solaria's land was now divided among five Phase 5 evolved murkies.
Giant Makient Striding Through Darkness.
Merkiter, Ruler of the Night Sky.
Murktoora, Predator Crawling in Shadows.
Menzel, Pitch-Black Angel.
Merkidimension, Space of Darkness.
I couldn't even face them, and even Ariana, overflowing with holy power, stood no chance.
She was support, not frontline combat.
Even the holy sun she created was swiftly extinguished by those five.
In the end, all she could do was emit faint holy light to illuminate our path.
Unlike before, we had to flee from any Phase 4s that appeared.
"What do we do, Is...? My holy power feels like it's weakening."
"It's not just holy power. All 'light' is fading overall."
I once tested it by having a city mage cast a fire spell—plenty of mana left, but it fizzled after three seconds.
Holy power was holding out the best.
"And now the exit's been taken by murkies too... We need to help people evacuate..."
"...It'll be okay. As long as we don't lose hope, we'll get chances over and over."
"...Yeah! You're right!"
Ariana regained her spirits.
As I led her to search for survivors that day,
"Kyaaah!"
A scream echoed from ahead.
"Is!"
"On it!"
Ariana and I rushed toward the sound. Illuminating with holy power revealed eight Phase 3 murkies in front of a house.
It looked heavily fortified, but on the verge of breaking under the murkies' assault.
I hurled my shotel like a boomerang.
"Gruk?"
One murky turned toward me.
-Slice! Slice! Slice!
But already, it and four others had their heads—including eyes—sliced off, melting away.
"Grrruk! Gruk!"
"Lucky it's just Phase 3s."
The remaining three charged me, so I raised my shield—
-Thud!
Something crashed from the sky.
Between me and the murkies.
"Greleruk? Grek?"
A centipede-shaped... Phase 4 murky.
"...This bastard's got a mouth on it."
I recalled my shotel with holy power.
-Stab!
Piercing another murky on the way.
"Grerek!"
-Clang!
But before it reached my hand, the centipede murky spotted it and whipped its tail to interfere.
The shotel clattered to the ground after hitting the tail.
No choice—I infused my shield with holy power and charged the murky.
"Greaaak!"
The centipede charged me too.
I feinted a head-on clash, then ducked into a slide.
"Grek?"
Confused as I slipped past.
I snatched the shotel and lunged at the centipede murky.
'Protagonist, get your ass here already...!'
How long do I have to hold out like this?
Only the protagonist can take down Phase 5 murkies.
And he still hadn't shown up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Pffft!"
"...So."
In the northern territory of Icicle, with the harshest weather anywhere,
a woman looked pitifully at the man before her and asked,
"Why'd you come back here?"
"W-well, you see..."
His name was Ruin.
"Fuck, I went out alone and got lost..."
The Hero, lost.