Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: From the Rock Bottom
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Rumble rumble rumble!
The entire sewer shook violently for a moment, as if struck by an earthquake.
At the same time, a monster filling the inner passage came sliding toward them.
Its entire face was a hideous maw like a moray eel, packed with spiral teeth resembling drills.
Oh, damn it.
That horrific face was unmistakably a deathworm. Why the hell was it here of all places?
Before he could even ponder the question, his body moved on instinct. He hurled an 'Ice of Tempest' straight into the passage.
'Lukkar!'
Boom!
He summoned the rock spirit and issued a real-time command.
'If Tempest lands, you smash your fist right into that thing's mouth...'
-Got it.
Crack!
The moment the deathworm swallowed the spell and its face froze over, Lukkar launched himself forward and delivered an uppercut into its maw.
Crunch!
The deathworm's head exploded in a spray of flesh. Lukkar pulled his fist free from the ceiling where it had lodged, turning back toward him amid the chunks of gore.
-You always put me through hell every time you call. It's not even been that long since my last busted body healed.
Lukkar's right fist was already a tattered mess. Those deathworm teeth were viciously sharp, after all.
'Sorry. But if it wasn't rough, why would I call you?'
-That's fair enough.
Lukkar nodded with a statue-like expression. He stepped into the passage to inspect the fallen deathworm's corpse.
"Why is something like this in a place like... Huh?"
What was this?
Upon closer inspection, it didn't quite match the deathworms he remembered.
Deathworms were monsters that joined the enemy ranks starting from the third wave in the otherworld.
Heteromorphic creatures lacking eyes, ears, or even a brain.
They burrowed mindlessly through the earth, destabilizing the ground, then surged up to devour humans who lost their balance.
But this one... It had eyes and a brain, even if it was smashed.
"This must be..."
Didi, who had caught up late, examined the corpse and spoke.
"Prince, this is a rat-catching snake."
"What? A snake? What kind of snake?"
"It's called a rat-catching snake. One of the creatures native to the sewers."
"This thing?"
"Of course, it doesn't normally grow this big, and its teeth aren't arranged like that. But the other features match. I've eaten them a few times, so I know for sure."
"Wait, eaten them...? Huh?"
Rumble rumble rumble!
A new vibration rumbled overhead.
He looked up instinctively and spotted another passage he hadn't noticed before.
"No way..."
He hastily fired a fireball into it. The interior lit up, revealing the horror within.
A single exit, but countless passages riddling the inside.
Holes pierced in every direction stereoscopically, with glimpses of multiple horrific deathworm maws deep within.
Damn it all!
Why had these things set up a nest here? Was this the otherworld's kingdom?
Whew. No, stay calm.
Deathworms swarming in such tight quarters would be hard to handle. He tapped the shoulder of the frozen Didi and gave the order.
"Run back to the entrance, quick!"
"Yes, Prince."
Didi flailed its limbs wildly and bolted backward. He issued his final command to Lukkar, who stood firm in place.
"Afraid I need another tough favor. Buy us some time here."
-Leave it to me.
Thud!
Lukkar stomped forcefully into a bracing stance. He followed Didi back down the main waterway, shouting as he ran.
"Wolf first is on hold! Let's get out! We need to escape the sewer and make a plan!"
"Understood!"
Didi nodded vigorously. But the moment it turned to retrace their path...
Splurt!
The entire waterway flipped and surged upward in an instant.
The erupting liquid sealed off their escape route without gaps. Up close, it was sticky jelly-like masses merging into a colossal structure...
'A slime?'
Another otherworld monster.
Was that why the sewage had rippled oddly on their way in?
"No! Why is this here too!"
He flung a fireball in desperation. The massive blob charging head-on ignited with a gruesome screech.
Sizzle!
But even larger masses surged endlessly behind it!
Ugh, no good. Overwhelmed. He shook his head and unleashed Tempest from both hands simultaneously.
"Get lost!"
The flames left his palms and hit the enemy, exploding into fiery wings that engulfed everything.
The entire sewer blazed red.
The translucent gray slime horde turned crimson in an instant, spewing steam as it burned away.
The scorching blaze created massive updrafts, piercing straight through the space.
Oh crap, mistake.
He wrapped himself in Protection Magic and tackled Didi to the ground, covering it.
"Duck!"
Then the explosion hit.
A few days ago against Jess, the open outdoors had been fine.
But this was a sealed sewer. He felt the fierce blast pouring down his back and yelled to Didi.
"Shut your eyes tight! And listen close!"
"Yes! Prince... Ack!"
"No talking! Just listen! Once the blast ends, run straight to the wolf! Sewer exit's blocked!"
"But Prince, you just... Mmph!"
"Told you no talking? I glimpsed it—they're packed to the end of the passage! Two Tempests barely made a dent! So run to the wolf now!"
He felt the aftershocks fade, hauled Didi up hastily. Didi covered its face against the hot air and ran backward.
"This way! Follow me, Prince!"
"Go ahead! I'll catch up!"
To avoid separation, he activated Life Detection magic to track Didi's signal.
But ugh.
Holy hell.
Life Detection revealed an insane number of new lifeforms swarming around.
An endless slime feast.
"No way, did a gate open or something?"
This wasn't just "a lot."
Fresh blobs matching what he'd just blasted were merging from behind, bulking up the horde. He tossed casual fire spells at the advancing mass while retreating.
"Hope that works..."
Right then, a deathworm burst from the right-side passage he'd just passed, exploding into the waterway.
Rumble rumble!
The slime horde engulfed the deathworm's body, which thrashed wildly inside, tearing up its innards.
"Gotcha!"
He cast Flight magic to lift off and chase after the distant Didi.
Chaos erupted behind him... He had no idea what was happening and didn't want to know!
"Didi!"
He caught up overhead to the sprinting Didi, who craned its neck up to meet his eyes.
"Prince!"
"Keep running! No, I'll carry you—drop the backpack!"
"Yes!"
Didi flung its massive pack aside. As he slipped his arms under its armpits to hoist it...
"Argh!"
Something snapped in both shoulders.
Agonizing pain spread. What? Ligaments torn?
"Ah... Sorry! Putting you down!"
He dropped Didi from about a meter up back to the floor.
"Ugh!"
Didi staggered on landing but kept running, yelling.
"Prince! You okay?!"
"Fine! But watch out!"
Boom—the walls on both sides exploded, new deathworms shoving their heads in.
Life Detection had warned him; he blasted ice spells at their heads while flying after Didi.
But Didi suddenly slipped and tumbled forward.
"Whoa!"
Meanwhile, a massive life signal poured from a new right-side waterway.
"More slimes!"
Deathworm-like signatures closed in fiercely from all directions. He landed in front of Didi and crouched low.
"Get on! Now!"
"Prince!"
Then—
Whoosh!
Something blurry dropped from the ceiling at blinding speed, snatching Didi in its jaws.
"Didi!"
"Grrr!"
A black-furred wolf.
It brushed past him, shot him a piercing blue-eyed glare, then bolted forward with insane agility.
"Prince! Don't worry! This is Regall!"
The wolf's speed made Didi's voice fade instantly from its maw.
New slime hordes crawled up from the waterway toward the walls, while surrounding walls shattered as more deathworms thrust their heads powerfully into the space.
"What kind of monster hell is this!"
He tracked Didi's life signal at full flight speed.
Monsters poured from everywhere, but the wolf blurred its form, slipping through the encirclement nimbly.
* * *
How long had they fled?
The wolf stopped in a room cluttered with rusty gears. That speed was insane—hope Didi was okay after being chomped.
"...A machine room."
Didi, just released from the wolf's jaws, turned to him with a pale face.
"Regall says the monsters don't come this far. You're safe."
It seemed fine from the talking. He sighed inwardly and nodded.
"But where are we? Machine room?"
"It's where they control the waterway directions. The mechanisms broke long ago, so it's useless now. Are you hurt, Prince?"
"Yeah. Of course. No issues."
Liar—problems galore.
The sudden frenzy left him breathless, joints creaking. Especially lifting Didi—shoulder wrecked.
Rotator cuff tear?
How heavy was that thing? But his body was always this frail.
Arm wouldn't lift at all... Agh, pain's no joke.
As he barely raised a hand to pour Recovery magic into his shoulder, the wolf flashed its eyes at him and bared fangs.
"Grrr..."
Whoa, those canines.
One chomp and it'd go from crown to chin.
Up close, the wolf looked shockingly emaciated.
Horse-sized, but skin and bones made its long waist and legs stand out.
Scrawniest Ancient Wolf he'd seen—short, scruffy black fur gave it a gritty vibe, at least.
Still, Didi's pal—better get friendly.
"Hey? Regall, right? Didi's friend? I'm kinda Didi's friend too..."
"Get out of here. Now."
Whoa, startled. The wolf spoke human tongue in warning.
"This isn't a place for humans. Leave. Or I'll kill you."
"Regall! No!"
Didi leaped up. It climbed the wolf's back, wrapped its arms around the neck, and yelled.
"This person's important—the one I serve! Don't hurt him! No threats!"
"Important?"
"The Empire's prince. Emperor's son."
"Huh?"
The wolf's eyes widened as it eyed him. Then it curled its lips in a sneer.
"Hard to believe. Smaller and scrawnier than slum kids—Ix nay on prince."
"Well, that's..."
"What prince dives to sewer bottoms? Fraud?"
This jerk—mouthy for a first meet. Piss me off, I'll roast it wolf-style.
"...Nah, couldn't be."
"What?"
"Sorry for being small. But yeah, prince. Claude. Officially Didi's employer."
"Hmph, boring reaction."
The wolf approached, sniffing him. It wrinkled its nose sharply.
"So? Why's the Empire's prince down here? I'd love if you left pronto."
"Cold much. You're all buddy-buddy with Didi—why so hostile to me?"
He slyly reached for the wolf's snout. But it jerked back at lightning speed, baring fangs.
"Grrr! Nonsense? That's normal."
"Calm down, Regall. He's not bad."
Didi, now down, scratched the wolf's chest hard. The wolf relaxed, pleased.
"Hmm... Need explaining? Ancient Wolves hate humans. Smells, vibes—all wrong. But this one's special."
It rubbed its cheek against Didi's face. Watching stirred a twinge of envy.
"What's so special about Didi?"
"Heard from him? Felt familiar since pulling him from the sewer first time. Rare for humans."
Probably the essence of that 'beast affinity' ability?
Nothing certain yet. He kept quiet, listening.