Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Destroying the Evidence
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Icarus's hand trembled violently.
No matter how forcefully he swung his sword, it was meaningless.
'Why...?'
Until now, there was nothing his sword couldn't cut.
Among all existing swords, it was top-tier—and destined to become the greatest. Yet Icarus's blade wasn't working.
"Fuck, fuck...!!"
His talent and effort.
The faith he'd placed in himself all this time was shattering to pieces.
"Die, die, die, die!!"
Icarus roared.
The sound was almost like a plea.
"I am Icarus, Sword Master of the North Kingdom! I don't know what cowardly trick you're using, but that cheap stunt ends now!"
Icarus gathered every drop of mana in his body.
Mana generated from his heart raced through his bloodstream.
He would kill that thing denying his very existence.
This strike carried nothing but that emotion.
Sword aura—it was a killing blow.
Anyone who thought they could withstand it was gravely mistaken.
Even though it could move.
Even though it wasn't attacking.
He would sever the neck of that arrogant statue in one clean stroke.
"I'll lend you my mana!"
"I'll assist!"
Icarus wasn't alone.
The elves joined in as well.
From above to below.
The sword fell.
An explosion rang out.
Dust clouded their vision.
A gust of wind engulfed the group.
Cheers of victory erupted from behind.
Unmistakable joy.
"We got it!"
"No matter how tough it was, it couldn't survive that strike!"
But.
Icarus's face was dyed in despair.
'Not even a scratch...?'
His senses.
The experience built over long years.
They warned him that statue was an uncrossable wall.
Icarus's sword was denied.
Everything that was his all meant nothing.
His hands shook uncontrollably.
He no longer had the will to swing.
The statue simply stared at him, unchanged from the start.
His attacks hadn't worked.
Right there in place.
With hard eyes gleaming strangely, it watched him.
No killing intent, no hostility—nothing.
An incomprehensible pressure squeezed his heart.
It didn't react.
Just standing motionless was utterly eerie.
In an instant, the hunter became the hunted.
Icarus could only mutter hollowly amid the dust.
"This doesn't make sense. Something like this, this, this, this... I've never heard of anything weird like it..."
Before this statue.
Even the proud Sword Master of the North Kingdom was just a powerless child.
Icarus blinked.
In that moment, his neck snapped with a crack.
'Huh?'
He couldn't even react.
It happened in a flash.
Not even his exceptional dynamic vision caught it.
It was a hanging.
His body dangled limply now.
The statue's hand gripped his neck.
The aura faded.
Strength drained from his entire body.
His vision darkened.
In a few seconds.
He would die.
Only the blessed could overcome death.
He was merely an exceptionally strong human.
He blinked again.
Then, Icarus's despair-filled expression calmed instantly.
All negative emotions—rage, despair—vanished.
In the end, only relief remained.
At last, Icarus saw it.
Something he only glimpsed upon death.
A mere instant.
But he saw its true form.
The statue was stone again now.
But that was just a shell.
Like a brave adventurer cursed to stone.
Frozen solid.
It wasn't a mere statue.
It was something indescribable disguised as one.
A form that shouldn't exist in this world.
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness.
Dying here with his neck snapped was truly a mercy.
Thank goodness he couldn't see anymore.
Because if he hadn't died.
He would have gouged out his own eyes right there.
And if that wasn't enough.
He would have smashed his own head with his hands to erase the memory.
.
.
.
The dust cleared.
And there Icarus lay dead.
"Ah..."
The elves witnessing it dropped their weapons one by one.
Giradriel was no different.
'Th-this can't be...'
This was wrong.
Really wrong.
He could only call it abnormal.
His mind went blank.
That statue couldn't be touched physically.
Nor magically.
So what now?
How were they supposed to proceed?
The only option left to them.
Was to turn tail and run.
But.
It wouldn't even allow escape.
Crack! Crack!
As everyone screamed and turned to flee.
It snapped the elves' necks right away.
Trapped with no way forward or back.
Giradriel was left alone, trembling.
"Wh-what, wh-what do I do..."
His pants were soaked.
Hot liquid ran down his legs.
Death loomed before him.
His heart pounded madly.
No percussion could be louder.
Th-then... escape scroll."
Right.
They had a way out of the dungeon.
He had to use the escape scroll.
But could he really?
Honestly.
He'd die before he could even use it.
'Think. Think. I have to think...'
Foolishly.
Giradriel only calmed after losing everything.
One odd thing.
Why didn't those statues move right away?
They could snap necks faster than anyone could react.
So why just stand there?
Unless they enjoyed intruders' suffering.
They could just break his neck now and end this damn wave.
'Maybe they can't snap necks under certain conditions?'
Giradriel pondered.
Reviewing everything that happened, searching for answers.
'No reaction to movement. It didn't attack even when Icarus went berserk.'
He backed away very slowly... slowly...
Escape like this.
The farther the distance, the less even that statue could reach his neck.
The gap widened.
Giradriel sighed in relief.
Good.
This would do.
'Use the escape scroll from a safe distance...'
He blinked absentmindedly.
And the statues were right in his face.
As if teleporting.
Speed beyond perception.
Cold fingertips touched his neck.
Giradriel screamed and fell on his ass.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!!"
Yet his gaze stayed fixed on the statue.
It was sheer luck.
Pure fortune.
If fear had made him squeeze his eyes shut.
He'd have met the same end as the other elves.
'D-did I survive...?'
Here, Giradriel realized one possibility.
The answer lay in sight.
'Maybe...'
These statues.
Don't move as long as you're watching them?
Like Medusa's petrification.
Worth a shot.
His last gamble in life.
Even so.
He took a deep breath.
His mind steadied.
Staring at the statue.
Slowly, he pulled the escape scroll from his pocket.
Relief spread across his face.
Then an arrow flew from ahead.
It pierced Giradriel's chest.
Elf eyesight was sharp.
Green twintails.
A sniper shot from Dino World's Dungeon Master, the Little Dragon King.
Not instant death.
The escape scroll tore, and the sole surviving elf escaped the dungeon.
.
.
.
.
.
"...Poison arrow, huh."
Healing potions were useless.
The poison spread, numbing his senses.
Seeing antidotes fail too.
It had to be a high-grade poison the Dungeon Master kept in reserve.
Giradriel collapsed forward.
He sensed his end.
The camp was empty.
Of course—the distance was far, and the dungeon raid nearly done.
A small elite force, all entered and died.
Heading to the city was an option.
But with no strength left, not even reaching camp.
Impossible.
"..."
He'd been so close.
Truly could have returned with the magic stone.
Regret lingered.
Yet death wasn't that frightening.
His threshold raised, perhaps.
At least he hadn't died with his neck snapped by that thing.
Giradriel thought.
With little time left, what could he do?
'Right. Leave info on that thing...'
Info on the statue that wiped them out.
One day, the World Tree Forest would notice their absence... and send reinforcements.
So his comrades could find it.
Giradriel wrote his final testament.
Please.
Next time, surely.
May his kin claim the magic stone.
【Wave defense successful.】
【Rewards calculated based on difficulty.】
【Calculation complete.】
【This wave's difficulty was...】
.
.
.
.
.
.
Now I understood why there was no income.
Supporting other dungeons' waves sends rewards my way too.
Another anomaly perk, huh.
Less than a normal wave, and way less than 3M Hamster's even.
But no deficit, at least.
Wave defense successful, huh.
How generous is 'defense' defined?
Does having minions in another dungeon count as defense even without taking down enemies?
Waves are based on contribution or something? Nah, just surviving should be enough, right?
If mere placement shares wave rewards.
Anomalies are straight-up broken.
"Good job, goblin."
"Kerruk..."
I rewarded the goblin—who contributed most this wave—with what looked like pricey jewelry and preserved rations.
Half a day had passed.
I set it as a minion and sent it outside the dungeon.
It keeps memories this way.
But it can't talk anyway, so whatever.
"Sorry for dragging you here without a word! Take that to your friends!"
Squishy and I waved to the hardworking goblin.
It waved back.
Is this rapport?
Feels heartwarming.
I released the minion setting.
Won't see it again.
Hope it lives happily without getting hunted by dwarves.
Alright, then.
Time to wrap up.
"Squishy, give me a ride."
"Ung."
.
.
.
Anomaly's weakness is information.
Ink Rat and Memory Cat only operate in Dreamland.
3M Hamster's post said they barely missed one.
The elf got hit by the poison arrow.
A poison I'd never used before.
So I announced it'd surely kill the elf.
But.
Better to tie up loose ends clean.
I found the elf's corpse near Dino World's entrance.
As expected, it had a will.
「Never take your eyes off it.」
Too bad.
I have no plans to leave it be.
If the elves don't drop their greed.
Next time, and the time after, it'll be hell again.
"Squishy, eat it."
"Ung."
Squishy devoured the elf's body.
It puffed up, wanting to return to Dreamland.
"Hold on a bit. 3M Hamster's helping out, so I'm giving a thank-you gift—wait for that."
We leisurely departed.
And all records vanished.