Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Centaurus King (3)
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6.
The Resistance did not welcome outsiders.
It hadn't been that way in the past.
When exchanges began with other continents and Edelstein, the Resistance had wholeheartedly welcomed adventurers who learned of their plight and volunteered to join.
But after being betrayed by the Cygnus Knights on the eve of their decisive battle with the Black Wings, the Resistance turned extremely hostile toward outsiders.
Of course, they later learned it hadn't truly been a betrayal but a unavoidable circumstance, yet that didn't change the Resistance's course.
The Resistance wanted to handle everything on their own.
Even so, the reason over thirty adventurers had joined this Blue-grade Mystic Gate raid was simple.
“We'll begin treatment.”
They were Bishops—Healers and Supporters, in other words.
To the Resistance, where every life was precious, the presence of Bishop adventurers was more valuable than anything.
They were also profoundly grateful.
“Thank you.”
In Edelstein's reality, where helping the Resistance could lead to capture and execution by the Black Wings, such full-hearted aid from Bishops was rare.
“No, no. We didn't even have anything to do this time. Thankfully.”
Moreover, the Mystic Gate raid was progressing more smoothly than anyone had anticipated—beyond expectations.
It was an atmosphere that could only be positive in every way.
But he was the exception.
“Hey, El Pam.”
El Pam hadn't blended in anywhere, and no one had even spoken to him.
“Nothing to do, huh?”
“Why'd they even bring him along?”
Far from speaking to him, most dismissed El Pam as useless.
And rightly so— no one had been friendly toward him from the start.
It wasn't that they didn't know who El Pam was.
His nickname was famous enough to reach even Edelstein.
“That con artist.”
Of course, it wasn't a flattering nickname.
Especially in information-scarce Edelstein, El Pam's achievements seemed utterly unbelievable.
He was someone hard to trust in every way.
Not everyone thought that way about El Pam, though.
Albi, the raid leader, knew better.
‘El Pam is the real deal.’
If El Pam were truly a fraud, Cheki— of all people— wouldn't have included him in this raid.
And if El Pam's abilities were genuine, they were essential for a Blue-grade raid like this.
El Pam's true skill wasn't combat prowess but finding a way out in any situation.
But not anymore.
‘The intel was spot on.’
The information the Resistance had secured was more perfect than they'd imagined.
‘Floors 1 through 4, even monster and exit locations—all of it.’
They were raiding the Mystic Gate with a flawless map in hand.
In such circumstances, someone like El Pam was irrelevant.
‘Useless anyway.’
On top of that, Albi didn't like El Pam.
Naturally.
For one, the sudden inclusion of an outsider grated on her.
And wasn't the reason ultimately to prepare for the possibility of the Resistance failing or coming close to it?
That meant they didn't trust the Resistance.
It wasn't a pleasant thought.
El Pam knew all this.
So he said,
“I hope it stays this quiet from here on out.”
That he wouldn't need to step up was the best outcome.
“Yeah, I hope so too. No need for headaches.”
Albi agreed.
But El Pam knew.
That he'd have to step up eventually.
After ending the conversation, they soon saw it.
“Exit to the 5th floor!”
The gate to the final floor.
The moment Albi saw the exit, she declared,
“Finish preparations and move in immediately!”
7.
5th floor.
The Resistance advanced toward the final stage without the slightest hesitation.
Upon reaching the 5th floor, they beheld it:
A forest towering endlessly toward the sky, verdant sunlight pouring through its canopy.
“These footprints?”
“Centaurus!”
And the countless Centaurus footprints covering the forest floor, bathed in that green light.
The number was staggering.
“At least a thousand moved through here.”
To ordinary adventurers, it would have been dizzying news.
Centaurus were indescribably powerful, and their strength grew with numbers.
A thousand was a horror beyond what one might imagine from monsters—utterly devastating.
Especially now, most of the Resistance's firepower came from Mechanics' Metal Armors.
Their firepower was certainly enough to inflict serious damage on an oncoming Centaurus horde.
But over a thousand changed everything.
Wiping out that many was impossible.
That meant collision.
And that was the problem.
In such a clash, the Centaurus had the mobility and attack power to smash and wreck the Metal Armors.
A single assault wouldn't destroy them, of course.
The issue was that repairing damaged Metal Armors took considerable time.
If parts ran low, repairs might be impossible.
Above all, this implied battles involving thousands, and with a party of three hundred, the possibility of tens of thousands of Centaurus loomed large.
A dire situation.
Yet the faces of the Resistance members facing it showed no worry.
Leader Albi was no different.
The moment she confirmed they were Centaurus, she issued a command without hesitation.
“Establish a base camp here.”
It was a command utterly contrary to common sense.
As mentioned, the monsters here were Centaurus.
Holding out against them was never wise.
This was a Mystic Gate, after all—no reinforcements to expect.
A place where they had to find the exit on their own.
The logical choice now was to search for the exit as quickly as possible.
And the Resistance had found exits faster than anyone so far.
Yet they chose this?
In that instant, El Pam was certain.
‘The condition is to endure.’
The exit here appeared not by defeating the boss monster but by surviving for a set time.
Far from easy, especially unknown, it was the most disorienting condition.
Adventurers usually focused on hunting the boss, assuming that's what opened the exit.
If they killed the boss and nothing happened?
The despair was indescribable.
But knowing the condition changed everything.
‘If they just knew how many days to hold out, the perceived difficulty drops below any other.’
No need for reckless fights.
And crucially, the psychological stability was unmatched.
Having a clear goal comforted adventurers like nothing else.
Usually, ignorance caused the suffering.
‘They even knew this.’
In other words, the Resistance knew the Mystic Gate's clearance conditions too.
Which meant the Black Mage's followers knew perfectly as well.
That was why.
‘Please let it be easy.’
El Pam hoped his prediction was wrong this time.
That his ominous hunch wouldn't come true.
‘No Centaurus King.’
But El Pam knew.
His grim predictions always became reality.
This time was no different.
Hiiing!
A Centaurus cry echoed from afar, and Albi shouted,
“Centaurus horde incoming! Everyone, prepare!”
At her call, the Resistance members prepared for battle without hesitation.
No worries.
“Come if they dare. We'll hold.”
They just had to block what came.
That was the plan.
“Albi.”
“Battle's imminent. Make it quick.”
“Run.”
“What?”
“Centaurus King.”
Until El Pam spoke.
The moment she heard, Albi didn't show surprise—instead, her eyes sharpened.
She dismissed El Pam's words as nonsense.
No strategy she knew mentioned a Centaurus King.
So Albi gave no real reply to his drivel.
Not even anger.
“Albi!”
“What is it?”
“Centaurus horde approaching!”
“And?”
“Th-that... no matter how I look, there's a unusual Centaurus at the front.”
But in that moment, Albi's expression changed.
Thud thud thud!
As the horde charged into view, the moment she saw the massive Centaurus at the lead—wielding a giant hammer, horned helmet gleaming—Albi yelled,
“Centaurus King!”
8.
Centaurus King!
The moment the name was uttered, question marks appeared on the Resistance members' faces.
Why here, of all places?
But soon, those expressions turned to shock.
Proof they all knew the name well.
And they had reason to.
“The nightmare of Minar Forest?”
Minar Forest.
Its infamy as an untamed region swarming with powerful monsters was known even to Edelstein's Resistance.
The Centaurus dominating one area there was known too.
Edelstein's people wondered:
“In a place with Blue Turtle Dragons and Red Wyverns, how could Centaurus rule a region?”
Centaurus were strong, but Minar Forest had stronger monsters.
Many questioned how Centaurus held territory.
The answer was always one:
The Centaurus King.
A king of Centaurus as its name implied, its appearance alone set it worlds apart from regulars.
Three times larger, wielding a stone giant hammer, topped with a fearsome horned helmet.
“The Centaurus King is powerful enough to face a thousand Centaurus alone.”
Naturally, its strength defied comparison to ordinary ones.
But the scariest part?
“And Centaurus with it are over three times stronger than usual.”
It had the power to empower its horde.
That's how Centaurus ruled in Minar Forest.
So the Adventurers' Association stated clearly:
“Never fight a Centaurus King leading a horde. Always flee.”
Albi knew this too.
But she couldn't order a retreat now.
Normally, she would have.
Base camp or not, she knew fleeing was best.
‘H-how?’
But circumstances differed now.
‘No intel on a Centaurus King?’
Betrayed by supposedly perfect information, she couldn't think straight.
Nor was she alone.
‘Centaurus King?’
‘No mention of that!’
‘What do we do?’
Everyone shared the shock.
In the end, they all missed their chance.
The chance to choose flight against a horde led by a Centaurus King.
All but one.
‘Run.’
El Pam ran.