Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Chimera Hunt (3)
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40.
5.
One of the essential skills for any adventurer was the ability to accurately assess monsters.
That included counting their numbers.
Skilled adventurers could gauge a monster's numbers the instant they laid eyes on it.
Grendel was doing exactly that right now.
The moment she emerged from the secret passage under Umar's guidance and entered a new secret lab area, the instant she saw the swarm of Cube Slimes ahead, she declared,
"Ten thousand."
The Cygnus Knights' faces turned a color they hadn't shown once during this subjugation mission.
Pale white.
It wasn't just because of the ten thousand Cube Slimes. That was certainly an overwhelming number.
The problem was that this was only what they could see right now.
'There are even more we can't see.'
Which meant the total number of Cube Slimes here had to be far greater.
Of course, this was beyond any cleaning operation they could handle.
Grendel said without hesitation,
"Pull back."
No one responded to her words.
Everyone swiftly moved back the way they came, toward the secret passage entrance.
"As fast as possible."
The retreat was anything but quiet.
They accepted the noise and moved at maximum speed.
Thud thud thud!
Clang clang clang!
Footsteps, clashing armor, heavy breathing—all filled the silent lab interior.
Naturally, the Cube Slimes didn't miss the sounds and swarmed toward them at once.
Kyuu!
With the cutest cries imaginable.
Kukuku!
But the sound and vibrations from over ten thousand Cube Slimes moving together were anything but cute.
It was like an earthquake.
Around then, a few Cygnus Knights exchanged glances.
'We'll stay behind.'
The moment to decide who would sacrifice themselves to buy time if escape proved impossible.
But they wouldn't need to make that sacrifice.
Or rather, they wouldn't get the chance.
"Huh?"
Thud!
Umar, leading at the front as their guide, pounded the wall and shouted.
"Wh-what?"
Thud!
"There should be a door here!"
The wall that Grendel's party had passed through just minutes ago, the secret passage entrance, had become a solid wall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Umar pounded it repeatedly, his face in full panic.
He wasn't the only one.
Everyone, even the Cygnus Knights, showed varying degrees of alarm on their faces.
Their one escape route from this hell had vanished.
Umar stammered,
"Th-this has never, never happened before! L-last time!"
Defending himself amid the despair.
"It's fine."
Grendel didn't blame him.
The situation was hard to comprehend right now. She'd never heard of an exit vanishing like this.
But this was still the underground lab of Magatia, full of unknowns.
"Nothing that happens here would be surprising."
An exit disappearing out of nowhere wasn't even special.
More importantly, pounding on a door that wouldn't open wasn't what they needed to do now.
"Everyone, battle stations."
Kyuu!
They needed to clear the oncoming Cube Slimes.
"If we stay in one spot, we'll get surrounded. We'll move and take out as many as we can."
At Grendel's command, the Cygnus Knights' eyes sharpened.
"El."
At the same time, Grendel said,
"Protect Umar."
With that, the Cube Slime cleanup began under Grendel's command.
Surprisingly, it proceeded with overwhelming efficiency.
"Orbital Flame!"
The six Flame Wizards, Grendel included, unleashed their Flame Wizard magic simultaneously. Even the basics packed tremendous power.
Boom!
Every spell erased the Cube Slimes in front of them.
That wasn't all.
"Rising Sun!"
"Falling Moon!"
Armored knights and Soul Masters easily blocked the approaching Cube Slimes.
"Gust Shot!"
Behind them, the Cygnus Knights' archers—Wind Breakers—rained arrows.
Before the might of 5th Circle and 4th Circle powerhouses, the Cube Slimes were reduced to ordinary slimes.
It was utter firepower dominance.
Yet no one smiled at the display.
'No telling how long we can hold out.'
In normal circumstances, they could fight through like this, break open a path, and escape. But this place didn't allow that.
No one knew how long this battle could last.
Still, they didn't waver.
These were elites worthy of the Cygnus Knights name, veterans who'd overcome countless trials.
"We break through left!"
"Yes!"
Without hesitation or faltering, they followed Grendel's orders and thinned the Cube Slime ranks.
Even two hours into the fight, the Cygnus Knights had taken casualties but showed no signs of breaking.
"Ah."
But that changed the instant they saw it.
Kyaaah!
"Ch-Chimera."
6.
Chimera.
"Chimeras are all different. They're made by fusing various lifeforms."
Created through bio-alchemy, each one's appearance varied.
They shared one trait.
"They're all just patched together from random monster parts."
Grotesque beyond words.
Of course, it wasn't just superficial fusion.
"The problem is they likely inherit the traits of the monsters used as materials. That's what makes chimeras terrifying."
Their abilities fused as well.
A real headache.
What if the chimera they faced was made from boss monsters? Its strength would defy imagination.
Even without that, gauging a chimera's power just by looking was nearly impossible.
One thing was certain.
"They're all brutally strong, no exceptions. Treat them as Green-grade boss monster level at minimum."
Even the weakest chimera was beyond what 4th Circle adventurers could dream of challenging.
Kyayayaya!
Such a chimera now appeared before Grendel's Cygnus Knights.
And it was massive.
Its visible height alone exceeded five meters!
"It's wearing a cloak."
Worst of all, it was shrouded in what amounted to a tattered cloak.
As mentioned, chimeras inherited abilities from their component monsters.
Hiding its body like that made visual assessment even harder.
Kyaaaa!
One thing was clear, though.
Thud thud thud!
"My god."
The moment the chimera let out its eerie cry, the surrounding Cube Slimes swarmed toward it.
The chimera could command Cube Slimes.
"It's controlling the Cube Slimes!"
Umar drove that fact home for everyone.
Forcing even those tempted to deny it to face the truth.
"Damn it."
That truth snuffed out what little fighting spirit remained.
And as morale faded, so did the slim hopes of survival.
In truth, the entire Cygnus Knights party—even Grendel—thought the same.
'It's over.'
Death.
That was the moment.
"Fire Arrow."
El Pam moved.
7.
"Fire Arrow."
Only one person gave meaning to El Pam chanting his spell.
'Now he moves, cornered like a rat.'
Umar sneered inwardly at the sight.
Exactly that.
'Well, even rats thrash before they die.'
Umar figured El Pam was just making his final desperate struggle to survive.
In other words, he was certain.
'They're all dead now.'
This place would be everyone's grave today.
'As planned.'
That was exactly what Umar wanted.
'Damn.'
It hadn't been his plan from the start.
He wasn't stupid enough to openly reveal chimera creation and make enemies of the Cygnus Knights.
'If only I hadn't been found out, I wouldn't need this mess.'
It all stemmed from someone discovering he'd been secretly making chimeras.
Specifically, the existence of Umar's chimeras had been exposed, and at that moment, Umar decided.
He had no choice but to step in.
Of course, Umar couldn't take on the Cygnus Knights party coming for chimera subjugation alone.
So he devised a plan.
'This is the only way to buy time.'
A plan to wipe out the incoming party.
The reason for total annihilation was simple.
Survivors would prompt the Cygnus Knights to think,
'Send a stronger party next time.'
But a total wipeout?
'They'd have to send a massive force of 6th Circle elites or higher.'
Without knowing chimera strength, they'd need overwhelming numbers, not just stronger.
'Not something they can do easily.'
6th Circle knights were vital assets even to the Cygnus Knights.
They weren't a force you could deploy on a whim.
If something went wrong after sending them?
That would spell major headaches.
The Cygnus Knights would deliberate endlessly, buying Umar time.
'Use that to make more chimeras. Everything's ready.'
A chance to prepare against them.
Umar was convinced.
His plan was perfect.
Everyone here would die.
'And no more putting up with you, you damn chatterbox.'
Even the talkative one beside him was no exception.
"Umar."
As Umar suppressed a triumphant smirk, El Pam spoke to him.
"Don't worry."
"Pardon?"
Umar couldn't make sense of it.
But he soon did.
Fwoosh!
'Huh?'
Umar saw it.
Fwoosh!
'H-Huh?'
El Pam's Fire Arrows darting like swallows, piercing the oncoming Cube Slimes like paper.
"Fire Arrow."
'H-H-Huh?'
When El Pam chanted a second time, his Fire Arrows numbered four, all dancing in unison.
"Fire Arrow."
By the time six Fire Arrows danced, Umar's mind went blank.
He wasn't alone.
"Ah."
Grendel and everyone else froze, staring in stunned silence.
At El Pam's Fire Arrows effortlessly clearing Cube Slimes.
What snapped them out of it was El Pam's words.
"D, K."
El Pam called out to Dibo and Kiri.
"We're breaking through from now on."
"Breaking through?"
"The path to the chimera."