Chapter 30. The One Who Crossed Over from Titan.
Chapter 30. The One Who Crossed Over from Titan.
I motioned for them to stop.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sensing an immense wave of Evil Energy... so the bastards were hiding here all along."
I passed out the potions I'd prepared for just this kind of situation.
"What is this?"
"Holy water imbued with Divine Power, diluted with regular water. It'll give you some resistance to Evil Energy."
"Now that you mention it, what exactly is this Evil Energy you keep talking about?"
"Evil Energy, simply put, is negative energy. It can cloud your mind, allow all manner of foul influences to seep in, and in severe cases, it can drive a person into such despair that they become suicidal."
The moment they heard that, the group popped the corks and downed the potions in one go. Once I confirmed the energy settling over their bodies, we moved out again. And strangely enough, the building where the Evil Energy was concentrated had nothing in front of it.
"They're probably all inside the library. The dead are drawn to Evil Energy, after all."
Having said that, I left the group behind for a moment and shouted at the top of my lungs, my voice charged with Life Energy.
A deafening roar echoed back from the library. But nothing came rushing out.
— Graaaarrrgghh!!!
"...! They're being controlled by something inside."
"Could it be one of those intelligent ones you mentioned before?"
'This isn't just that. Something forcibly suppressed the maddened instinct of those creatures that Life Energy would've set off.'
"Chaeyeon, don't worry about what's behind us. Just give 'em one big shot."
She nodded and began casting. Her mana circles whirled violently, and soon a cluster of white-hot flames ignited behind her before streaking toward the library.
— Kwa-BOOOOOM!!!
An earsplitting detonation rang out as if a missile had struck, obliterating most of one wall. And then, as if finally sensing a threat, a staggering horde of zombies came bursting out.
"Mr. Chu, protect the group. You two, make sure nothing gets past us! Jia, pick off anything that looks unusual!"
With those orders given, I settled into my stance.
- Chaos Sword Technique: Iai
— Shaaaak!
One of them dodged the blade aura that sliced through the rest of the horde and came leaping straight at me.
— Cl-ANG!
"They really do come up with every kind of freak mutation."
"You... you're the one who prevented His resurrection..."
Seeing a zombie actually speak, the group couldn't hide their shock.
'His resurrection? So this thing isn't the leader?'
"His resurrection, you say? Aren't you the bastard who sought out that cult?"
"Correct. But I went to them because I was following His orders."
I deliberately traded blows with the creature, feigning a deadlock to fish for more information.
— Clang! Clang! Claaang! Claclaclang!
'At this speed, if they had to fight it one-on-one, Chaeyeon and Jia would be dead for sure.'
"Why the hell are you creatures gathering Evil Energy?"
— Thwack!
The moment I spoke—revealing I knew about Evil Energy—the creature faltered for an instant. I seized the opening and sent it flying with a kick.
"This thing isn't the leader. It's merely carrying out the leader's orders. Everyone, stay close to Mr. Chu."
His shield technique was the stuff of dwarven legend—the greatest across all the demihuman races. With that kind of defensive power, a creature like this wouldn't be able to break through easily.
"How does a human like you know of Evil Energy?"
"Is that really what you should be worrying about when your life's on the line?"
"Yes... it is important. Important enough to have disrupted His resurrection..."
'Doesn't look like it's going to tell me anything else.'
I was just about to cut the creature's throat in a single stroke when—
"H-His... has finally... Aaaahh!!!"
It suddenly started babbling nonsense, then fell to its knees, its body trembling violently.
"I, who once existed in this world, now return to His Origin...!"
The creature's body was disintegrating.
"Mor...mortal... tremble in terror before His Advent...!"
As it completely vanished, all the Evil Energy it possessed streamed back inside the library. Thinking the situation was over now that the creature was gone, the group began to approach.
"What happened? Is it dead?"
"More like it committed suicide, I suppose?"
I explained how the creature had disintegrated while spouting some very strange words, and warned them that something even more powerful was likely inside the library.
'Returned to His Origin...?'
Right at that moment, an incredible pulse of both Mana and Evil Energy erupted from the library.
'Shit... I'll be fine, but—!'
"Mr. Chu, deploy your shield!"
At my urgent shout, the old man slammed his shield into the ground in front of him and channeled his mana into it. But even so, the group couldn't completely withstand the force of the energy.
"Urgh...!"
"Kuh-huk!!"
"Kyaaak!"
— KWA-BOOOOOOM!!!
The library exploded outward in all directions, and from within, something shot up into the air. It was a skeletal figure draped in robes, its body adorned with all manner of trinkets and ornaments.
"【 Human... so you're the human who has interfered with my plan... 】"
"【 What the hell? How is a Lich here? 】"
"【 It is all over now. The kingdom, myself, our entire era—everything that once shone brilliantly has long since returned to dust. 】"
"【 What's that supposed to mean? 】"
With those words, the thing stopped moving entirely. I could no longer perceive any motion in its Mana or Evil Energy.
"Y-young man... can you actually talk to that thing?"
"It seems this one can talk too, just like that other creature we met."
"No, that's not it...! None of us can understand a word that thing is saying!!!"
"What do you mean? What it's saying right now is..."
'Wait a second... that thing is speaking the language of Titan.'
This was the most surprised I'd ever been since arriving back on Earth. For a moment, chaos swirled through my mind.
'Did it use a relic to cross over too? No... all the relics should have been destroyed.'
"Sihu, is that language..."
"Sihu..."
I looked at the group as they called out to me, and I realized they were all demanding an answer.
"You're right... why the hell is that thing speaking Titan's language...?"
"Sihu!!! Calm down. Maybe it crossed over just like you did!"
"No, all the relics should have been destroyed, I'm sure of it..."
"Sihu! Get a grip!"
I finally pulled myself together and forced myself to think it through calmly.
'Right. Using relics was the method I knew about. But there could be other ways to cross over.'
"If that thing really is a Lich, as I suspect, we need to be extremely careful. I'll try talking to it for now."
At that, the old man gripped his shield, ready to block at a moment's notice, and Chaeyeon had her mana circles spinning furiously, prepared to deploy a barrier.
"【 Hey, Lich. What exactly are you planning? 】"
"【 So you're that human from earlier... 】"
"【 Did you come here from Titan? 】"
"【 Is there truly a being in this remote dimension who knows of Titan? 】"
"..."
"【 Mortal. An eternal darkness will embrace all, and everything shall vanish. Even the traces that you were ever here... 】"
As it spoke, the creature's Mana, formed of Evil Energy, materialized into a ghostly wave that hurtled toward us.
I gathered Life Energy into both hands and released it in a burst, protecting the party.
"【 For a human to be able to wield Life Energy... 】"
"【 I'll ask you one last time. Did you come here from Titan? 】"
"【 Let an eternal silence take me... 】"
To subdue the creature, I channeled a terrifyingly dense concentration of Life Energy into my sword and struck.
- Chaos Sword Technique: Destruction
One of the creature's arms burst apart. Seeing this, the stunned Lich spoke to me again.
"【 A warrior who pours all his energy into his sword and swings it... such a warrior is... 】"
It began to scrutinize every inch of me.
"【 Black hair... a blade with a Black Blade Spirit... and above all, the energy that dwells within the sword... 】"
"【 You are 'Calamity'... 】"
"【 Do you know me? 】"
"【 Ku...kuhahahaha!!! Where across the face of Titan is there a soul who does not know of you! 】"
"【 So you did cross over from Titan after all. How on earth did you get here? 】"
"【 Khu-huh... I would tell you, but I do not know myself. 】"
Deciding the Lich had no intention of telling me anything further, I readied myself to put an end to it.
"【 W-wait! I truly do not know! 】"
"【 You don't know? How can that possibly make sense... 】"
"【 It is the truth. One day, a great tectonic upheaval shook Titan... and when a Dimensional Rift opened, I was caught up in it. 】"
"【 And you honestly expect me to believe that? 】"
"【 It is the truth. I am Ramorcas Therion. Upon my name and my 『 Mana 』, I swear it. 】"
An Oath made on one's own Mana is inescapable. Even I could not avoid an Oath made upon myself. I could exert that force upon a lesser being, but it was impossible to do so on myself.
I let out a sigh and sheathed my sword, putting the creature's immediate disposal on hold.
"【 Wait a moment...! I wish to follow you. 】"
"【 Are you in a hurry to die right now? 】"
"【 That's not it! I fell into a dimension I've never seen in all my life, and there I met you. And if I follow you—the 'Calamity'—will I not one day find a way back? 】"
'Hang on... if I use this thing, wouldn't dealing with the zombies become a lot easier?'
"【 But your energy is something ordinary humans can't endure. What do you intend to do about that? 】"
"【 Do not worry about that. 】"
The creature focused, and the Evil Energy that had been saturating the area all began to flow into its body, condensing within it. The oppressive aura it had been radiating slowly began to dim.
* * * * * * * *
"Ahjussi, Sihu's talking to that skeleton, isn't he?"
"Looks that way. But I can't make out a single word they're saying."
Sihu had been talking to the skeleton when, after some exchange, he completely obliterated one of its arms. Then, after talking some more, Sihu settled into a stance, ready to strike with his sword. But then he relaxed his stance again.
'But... why did he sheathe his sword again...?'
Then, the sinister mana surrounding the skeleton started gathering into its body. Unlike me—a mage—the rest of the party didn't seem to have noticed it yet.
"Watch out! That thing is suddenly gathering mana...!"
Everyone's faces tensed as they braced themselves. But then Sihu turned around and started walking toward us.
Except the problem was, that creepy skeleton was walking right alongside him!