Purification Training, Part 3

Pitter-patter. A torrential downpour of black, muddy water lashed against our protective barrier. It was no exaggeration to say that our vision was completely obscured by the dark, filthy sludge streaming down the shield.

"Can everyone see alright?"

"...It's hard to see ahead."

"Why don't we change the shape of the barrier? It might be because it's wrapped too tightly around our bodies," Ronia suggested.

Hearing Ronia's words, Aileen seemed to have an epiphany and began to chant a spell.

At her words, another barrier materialized over the one enveloping us. It was shaped like a flared umbrella.

"This should stop the black rain from blocking our view!"

"I can see clearly now. Well done, Aileen."

Aileen's lips twitched upward in a proud smile.

Having altered our barrier, we continued our march toward Garhirst, where the black rain fell relentlessly. Along the way, we encountered our first monster.

"Grrr..."

"Three goblins ahead! It's best to conserve your mana, so I'll handle them."

Slash! I lunged forward in an instant, unleashing a wave of sword energy that decapitated all three goblins in a single sweep. Their blood sprayed into the air, splattering across the barrier surrounding me.

Normally, monster blood is either blue or red. But this was no ordinary monster blood. It was pitch-black muck—the blood of a beast corrupted by the Contamination.

"Their blood really is black."

"I can't believe all of this is contaminated water..."

"Well, the very rain falling on our heads is literally pure contamination."

We swallowed hard and pressed onward. The deeper we went, the more monsters appeared. No matter how many I cut down, they just kept coming. Goblins, Orcs, Kobolds—monsters of all shapes and sizes swarmed us in endless waves.

"Mika, Ronia! Please take care of the Kobolds!"

Mikaris's lightning surged through the wall of fire erected by Ronia, amplifying its destructive power. Their coordination was flawless, as if they had practiced this exact combination. Thanks to their synergy, the four Kobolds at the rear were incinerated instantly, leaving only a single Orc standing before me.

I lunged forward and leaped into the air. Thud. As I brought Aeterna down from above, the Orc was sliced cleanly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in half, its bisected body collapsing to either side.

"Let's keep moving. That was excellent teamwork just now."

"Ronia, our practice really paid off."

"Indeed! I've been working hard to get the timing just right."

Aileen shuffled over to me, looking a bit sheepish.

"Am I just supposed to stand around like this the whole time?"

"We'll encounter a core of the Contamination soon. That's when we'll need your strength, Aileen."

We resumed our march toward Garhirst. As we pressed on, we sensed an ominous energy radiating from inside a nearby house.

"Wait. I feel something coming from that house."

Mikaris nodded in agreement.

"I felt it too. It's like an instinct telling me we shouldn't go near that place..."

"The core of the Contamination might be inside. Let's check it out."

"Finally, my time to shine!" Aileen said, her spirits lifting.

We stepped into the house ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that was exuding the sinister aura. Inside, we discovered a pitch-black, pulsating mass that looked like a grotesque, repulsive tumor.

"Ugh, that looks absolutely hideous."

"Now I see why we felt such a dreadful energy."

Step, step. Aileen marched confidently toward the core of the Contamination. She knelt before it and began to pray.

As Aileen concluded her prayer, a brilliant vortex of golden mana erupted around the core of the Contamination. Bang! The core shattered, spraying black, filthy water in every direction. Although we took no direct damage, everyone's barrier was now completely coated in the dark sludge.

"Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine. It's just that we're completely blind now..."

"I'll purify it right away!"

I quickly stopped Aileen as she rushed forward. "We've barely even started, so it's better to conserve your mana here. Aeterna."

Channeling my Aura into Aeterna, I unleashed a sudden gust of wind. The gale swept away the black sludge clinging to our barriers, blowing it far into the distance.

"That sword is incredibly convenient."

"Is it an artifact from some dungeon?"

"Nothing that grand. It's just a family heirloom."

Mikaris and Ronia looked at me with admiration, while Aileen's eyes sparkled with awe.

"Let's keep moving."

With those words, we stepped back outside the house. Contrary to our initial apprehensions, purifying the Contamination was surprisingly straightforward. I didn't intend to venture too deep, but... seeing how easy it was made me a bit ambitious. After all, Apel Cloud was watching over us. It wouldn't hurt to push a little further to secure a better grade, would it?

Just then, the girls spoke up.

"Should we go a bit deeper? I didn't expect purifying the Contamination to be this simple."

"I agree. At this rate, we can definitely afford to push in a bit more."

"My mana is perfectly fine too."

"..."

I fell into deep thought. Should I risk a little danger to secure a higher score, or play it safe and settle for an average grade? I quickly came to a decision.

"Alright. Let's go a bit further."

We had to head toward Garhirst anyway. Safety was paramount, but with me here, nothing could go wrong. And so, we began to venture deeper. However, I made sure we didn't cross any dangerous lines; we absolutely did not overextend. Just then—

"There are more cores of the Contamination over there! But..."

"Isn't that... a bit too many?"

"With that many, I don't know how long it will take to purify them all."

We had stumbled upon an area densely packed with the cores. There were so many that it could practically be called a field of Contamination cores.

"Well, let's just do what we can and pull back. Principal Apel Cloud is watching over us anyway."

The girls nodded. With our plan set, we stepped into the infested zone.

"How is everyone's mana?"

"I haven't used much so far."

"I'm doing fine too."

"I've used about half of mine. Maintaining the barrier while purifying at the same time is taking a toll..." Aileen admitted.

I handed all the mana potions I had to Aileen.

"Take mine. I don't need them anyway."

"Thank you."

Aileen took the potions and stuffed them into her bag.

"Let's begin the purification."

We executed our planned formation, positioning ourselves to protect Aileen. Just then—thud, thud, thud! A massive tremor shook the ground.

"Everyone, prepare for battle. I feel heavy vibrations coming from a distance."

"Are monsters swarming us? To protect the cores of the Contamination...?"

"Shouldn't we run? If the ground is shaking this much, it could be an entire horde!"

Mikaris and Ronia grew anxious. Aileen furrowed her brow, focusing entirely on her purification.

"Don't worry. I'm here."

Normally, retreating would be the sensible choice. A tremor felt from this far away undoubtedly signaled an approaching monster horde. But who was I? An extra walking the Path of the Sword God. On top of that, I was an overpowered cheat who possessed black magic. I gave them a reassuring look.

"Do not step forward under any circumstances. Conserve your mana as much as possible and focus on protecting each other. If it really is a horde, I will handle them myself."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Even if you are a Sword Saint, facing an entire horde alone is..."

"It's fine, so don't worry."

I narrowed my eyes, peering into the distance to gauge the approaching threat. It was... indeed an Orc horde. Their numbers were staggering, far too many to count. They brandished clubs and rusted axes, charging toward us with frenzied, mindless screeches. Pitch-black saliva dripped from their gaping maws.

"Well, then."

This scale was beyond my expectations. I shouted to the girls:

"As soon as Aileen finishes, assume defensive positions! If things get truly dangerous, Principal Apel Cloud will intervene!"

I gripped the hilt of Aeterna and fell into the stance of the Flowing Water Sword. And then—

I summoned knights clad in dark shadows. Mounted cavalry, foot soldiers armed with swords and shields, and archers with bows drawn—an innumerable legion materialized from the darkness. If the enemy had a horde, so did I. I dispatched a portion of my shadow knights to guard the girls.

"Safety first. You know the drill, right?"

"Are you really going to be okay? There are just too many of them!"

"I believe in you, Lord Hound!"

"I'll focus on the purification first!" Aileen yelled.

Once Aileen finished her purification, the girls retreated to a safe distance to provide support. The battle began.

Clang! The axes of the charging Orcs clashed against the swords of my shadow knights, ringing out with a deafening metallic screech. It was a chaotic, brutal melee that could easily be called an all-out war. As I carved through the Orcs, I scanned the battlefield. However... I noticed my shadow knights were slowly dissolving under the influence of the black rain. Even though they were infused with 7-star Aura, the toxic downpour was eating away at them.

I can't let this drag on.

I shouted to the girls, "Mika, Ronia! Focus on the ones in the back!"

The Chain Lightning surged through the Flame Wall, its amplified power vaporizing the Orcs in an instant.

This should be more than enough.

Backed by their magical support, my shadow knights ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠firmly held the front line. I unleashed waves of sword energy, systematically thinning the Orc ranks. It seemed like a long, grueling battle was about to unfold, but that thought was short-lived.

A massive spear of lightning rained down from above, impaling and obliterating the remaining Orc horde in a single, thunderous strike.

"Sir Johannes, I believe I explicitly told you not to overexert yourself."

It was Apel Cloud.

"I was not overexerting myself."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"...Since it is you, Sir Johannes, I shall let it slide this once. However, please bear in mind that your party members could have been placed in grave danger."

Apel Cloud didn't linger, turning back immediately. He had likely sensed the movements of the Orc horde and my shadow knights and rushed over to intervene. I dismissed the shadow knights and ran over to the girls.

"Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine. A few Kobolds slipped through, but..."

"Your shadow knights protected us incredibly well! They were blocking arrows with their shields and charging forward!"

"Yes. They started to dissolve a bit, so I cast a barrier over them, and they kept us perfectly safe."

It seemed the shadow knights had done their job admirably.

"That's a relief. Let's purify this area just a bit more and then head back."

Aileen asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hound? You were right on the front line."

"I'm fine, especially since Principal Apel Cloud stepped in. Could I trouble you for a recovery potion?"

Aileen rummaged through her bag and handed me a potion.

"Thank you."

I downed the recovery potion in one gulp and took a deep breath.

Shit, drinking this recovery potion hurts even more.

It felt like my blood was boiling. It wasn't a pleasant sensation at all; in fact, my stomach was starting to ache.

As we returned to the area filled with the Contamination cores to resume purification, we felt it again—thud, thud, thud. Another massive tremor shook the earth.

"Is it another horde? Shouldn't we run?!"

"I don't think it's a horde this time..."

Following the direction of Ronia's pointing finger, we saw an Ogre easily exceeding ten meters in height charging toward us. It was so colossal that even from a distance, we had to tilt our heads all the way back just to look it in the eye.

Staring at the beast, I spoke in a grim voice.

"Everyone, prepare to run."

Our only options were to hold out until Apel Cloud arrived, or for me to take it down myself.