Chapter 117: Black Monolith(1)
Chapter 117: Black Monolith(1)
In a vast cavern, a magic circle glowed with an ominous purple light.
Within that circle was a woman.
A woman with black hair, dressed in black.
She was as pale as death, but it could not hide her beauty.
The old men surrounding the magic circle gazed at the woman in the glass coffin and chanted their incantations.
The sound of their mumbled spell was sinister, and the purple light illuminating the cave was even more so.
One of the old mages spoke.
“Let’s take a short break.”
Only then did the old mages, their faces deeply wrinkled, stop their chanting.
The purple light from the magic circle that had lit the cavern faded. Red torchlight now illuminated the dark space.
The old men wiped the sweat from their brows. Given their age, they were all mages whose careers easily spanned several decades.
Dozens of them had been sweating profusely as they chanted, yet nothing in the cave had changed.
The woman in the glass coffin remained just as pale. But not one of the old mages found this strange.
As they all caught their breath, one of them spoke.
“More importantly, have you heard the news? They say the hero has found Barikmeteo.”
“...”
“So, this is the end for that one.”
“He wasn’t smart, but he was useful.”
“He’s not the problem. The Black Monolith is there, is it not?”
“Reinforcements?”
“They were sent. We sent as many as we could... but I don’t think they’ll be able to handle the hero. We’re short on manpower ourselves.”
“Tsk.”
The Black Monolith.
It was an object the old men had driven into the continent in order to awaken the woman before them.
The Black Monoliths, planted in various locations, were devices that absorbed the energy of the Dragon Veins.
“This is troublesome. How did the hero find out about the monolith?”
“Is it possible the information was leaked from within?”
“Hmph. We killed everyone who planted them. The only ones who know about the monoliths are their guardians and us.”
“Elena... is it possible that goddess sent a revelation?”
“That is likely the strongest possibility. But even Elena couldn't possibly know the full extent of our plans...”
The old men began a heated discussion, each voicing their opinion.
The hero’s movements were alarming. They were clearly hostile, and it seemed as though they could see right through their future plans.
“Everyone, calm down. Is our duty not already decided? To awaken her as quickly as possible. That is our one and only wish. If the hero interferes with our work, then we simply need to finish before they can stop us.”
The old men nodded at his words. They began to move about busily once more, and the magic circle again shone with an ominous purple light.
*
Barikmeteo furiously hammered on Kerry’s shield.
He tore at the shield with his prized claws and teeth.
But the shield didn’t budge.
To think my teeth, which can chew through steel, are having no effect!
He knew the annoying man was skilled in magic. He had estimated him to be at the level of an intermediate mage.
But this far surpassed the level of an intermediate mage.
“Hraaaagh! You annoying bastard!”
He thought he could easily tear him to shreds if the hero wasn't in the way, but that wasn't possible.
Seeing Kerry acting so nonchalant and smug inside the shield made his blood boil.
But he had to calm down.
If he couldn't get the annoying man now, he had to take care of the hero’s party first.
Before the shadows they were fighting disappeared.
Just then, Kerry shouted.
“Lina! Is there any way? A way to break the spell... or something I can do to help?”
You're the regressor. You have to give me something to work with.
At that moment, Lina was being pushed back by her own shadow.
Despite the shadow having equal power, Lina, the original, was losing.
She couldn't get the image of Kerry sneaking into the abandoned house last night out of her head.
Separate from that, Lina knew how to break this spell.
But right now, only she could do it. Meaning, it would be useless even if she told Kerry.
She was the key to breaking through this situation, yet she couldn't perform at her best. She was furious with herself.
Damn it! The fact that Kerry came back late at night with the Saintess... why should something like that matter so much!
As it was Lina’s shadow, its swordsmanship was superb, making it a difficult opponent.
Barikmeteo watched Lina with a pleased smile.
“Good. You annoying man... I’ll kill you later.”
Barikmeteo approached the party members fighting their shadows.
This was dangerous.
The party was already barely holding on, fighting on even terms with the shadows. If Barikmeteo joined in, the balance would surely be shattered.
“Hey, you damn cat! Where are you going? Your business is with me, right? Didn't you say you wanted to kill me?”
Barikmeteo glanced back and smirked. Pisses me off.
As expected, a taunt wouldn't work in a situation like this.
Kerry took out a low-grade Magic Storage Orb.
It was a orb containing a Fireball spell.
Kerry poured a large amount of mana into the orb and shot out a sphere of flame.
Fwoosh—
But it had no effect. A low-grade spell was never going to work on Barikmeteo.
Barikmeteo casually patted out the flames on his mane.
“You son of a bitch.”
Damn it. If it’s come to this, I have no choice. It’s do or die.
Kerry had no idea if this would work or not. But right now, there was no other way.
From inside his shield, Kerry yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Natasha! Go berserk! Right now!”
Lina shouted in a shocked voice.
“Kerry? You can’t! It’s too dangerous! If Natasha goes berserk, her shadow will go berserk too! This whole place will become a madhouse!”
Kerry shook his head.
If things continued like this, the party would be wiped out anyway. Now was the time to bet on even the smallest possibility.
“Natasha, go berserk!”
“But... Husband! Lina says it’s dangerous... I don’t want you to get hurt!”
That’s not it.
Perhaps, even without Lina’s words, the sudden order to go berserk was a bit too much.
In the first place, Kerry’s shield was too sturdy.
No matter how hard Barikmeteo struck it, he couldn’t break it, so Natasha was feeling secure.
This damn shield is just getting in the way now.
Kerry deactivated the shield.
“Hey, cat. Let’s drop the shield and have a real fight.”
Seeing Kerry lower his shield, Barikmeteo growled.
“You’ve grown too complacent, you annoying man.”
Barikmeteo moved with a speed that belied his large frame.
In an instant, he was behind Kerry.
Barikmeteo raised one hand high, preparing to tear Kerry apart.
To Natasha, the scene unfolded in crystal-clear slow motion. Barikmeteo’s sharp, massive claws descended upon Kerry.
Husband is... going to die?
“Kuaaaaaaaah!”
In an instant, Natasha went berserk.
A red haze began to shimmer and rise from her body. The aura was far more ferocious than when it had been suppressed by the curse.
Barikmeteo’s eyes widened at the roar that made the very air tremble.
He had seen Natasha’s crazed state before, but she looked even more like a crazy bitch now.
“That... crazy bitch...”
“Yep. Shield.”
In that brief moment, Kerry had, of course, put his shield back up. Barikmeteo was annoyed at having missed his chance, but he wasn't disappointed.
“Hmph. You just watch your companions die from in there. When it’s all over, it’ll be your turn.”
A man forced to watch helplessly as his comrades are killed.
Barikmeteo thought it was a fitting end for the annoying man.
It was then that the situation began to take a strange turn.
He could see Natasha and Natasha’s shadow, both berserk, growling at each other.
Barikmeteo was certain the place would descend into chaos from their fighting.
But reality was completely different from his imagination.
“Natasha. Sit.”
At Kerry’s single command, Natasha sat down. She was still growling, but she faithfully obeyed his words.
It was absurd enough that the madwoman was obeying him, but what was even more absurd was that Natasha's shadow was also following Kerry's commands.
Phew. Glad that went according to plan.
“Good girl, Natasha. A good Natasha listens to my words. You remember, right?”
“Heehee!”
The party members looked at Natasha and let out weary laughs. The terrible outcome they had imagined didn't happen.
Barikmeteo shouted at the absurd situation.
“Get up and fight! Shadow!”
At Barikmeteo’s roar, Natasha’s shadow flinched and trembled, as if it were about to defy Kerry’s command and stand up.
“Natasha. No. I told you to sit.”
“Heehee!”
At those words, Natasha’s shadow obediently sat back down.
A smirk spread across Kerry’s lips.
Seeing that expression, Barikmeteo had a bad feeling.
“Hey... you annoying man... I have a proposal. If you help me... I’ll give you everything you need...”
I don't get why these guys always try to pull some cheap trick right when they're about to die.
“It’ll all be mine when you’re dead anyway. Why would I listen to you?”
Barikmeteo’s brow furrowed. Now he shows his true colors.
“You rotten bastard...”
“Natasha! Attack this lion-head!”
“Heehee... Kuaaaaaaaah!”
Natasha’s demeanor changed in an instant as she charged at Barikmeteo.
She moved with a ferocity that seemed as if a suppressed instinct had been unleashed all at once.
The interesting part was that the berserk Natasha’s shadow also charged at Barikmeteo.
Thanks to his own spell, Barikmeteo now had to face two berserk Natashas.
“You crazy bitches!”
A single, powerful punch from Natasha instantly bent Barikmeteo’s back.
A kick from the shadow Natasha shattered his sharp, gleaming fangs in one blow.
“Kuaargh... Wait! A two-on-one... that’s cowardly!”
Justice always wins with the power of love, friendship, and ganging up on the enemy.
An already strengthened Natasha, now doubled, overwhelmed Barikmeteo.
There was no way he could handle it.
Barikmeteo swung his arms with all his remaining strength, shaking the Natashas off.
Then, just as before, he tried to fly into the sky and escape.
Unable to handle two Natashas at once, Barikmeteo had no choice but to release the spell.
Natasha’s shadow melted away.
“The shadow is gone!”
Lina’s shadow, Victoria’s shadow, everyone’s shadows had disappeared.
Barikmeteo flew up powerfully. Natasha jumped, lunging at him.
It’s dangerous for Natasha, who can’t fly, to fight in the air.
“Natasha. Come back.”
Catching the cat bastard was important, but the party’s safety was always the top priority.
Natasha, who had been clinging to Barikmeteo, returned at Kerry’s single command.
Are we going to let him get away again?
But that wasn't the case.
A dependable voice came from beside him.
“You’ve worked hard, Kerry. Please leave the rest to me.”
It was Lina.
Lina stepped forward, her expression resolute, as if she could not bear to show such a pathetic side of herself any longer.
At the same time, she muttered softly.
“Blessing of Hermes.”
It was the skill from the boots Lina had acquired.
The moment she finished her incantation, a single ray of light began to shine down upon the fog-filled forest.
The sacred-looking light grew, brightly illuminating the sky.
At that moment, white feathers began to flutter down from above.
The beautiful light and scattering white feathers created a scene like heaven descended to earth.
Lina leaped high into the sky.
And began to run across the sky, stepping lightly on the white feathers.
The sight of Lina, her blonde hair flying, charging at Barikmeteo was as magnificent as a legendary hero.
“Barikmeteo!”
“...You hero bitch!”
In an instant, Lina leaped across the white feathers and cut Barikmeteo down.
She leaped from feather to feather, rampaging through the sky as if it were her own domain.
Countless cuts began to appear on Barikmeteo’s body. That was the end.
“Hwaaaack!”
Barikmeteo’s blood scattered across the sky.
Judging by the amount of blood, it was clearly a fatal wound.
Barikmeteo lost consciousness and plummeted from the sky.
A loud impact echoed through the forest where he fell, and a cloud of dust billowed up.
The party ran toward the spot.
Lina, too, was descending from the sky, stepping on the white feathers. Awesome! That's our Lina!
Lina looked pleased, as if happy to have finally done her part.
The party arrived at the place where Barikmeteo had fallen.
He wasn't there, but bloodstains marked the forest floor. As expected, he was in bad shape; there were signs he had crashed into things here and there, splattering blood.
This is the end for Barikmeteo.
The party followed the trail of blood.
Before long, they saw the fallen Barikmeteo. The fiend’s body had already been torn to shreds by Lina’s sword.
He was desperately trying to hold in his spilling intestines with his hands, barely leaning against a rock.
Seeing him like that, it finally felt real that he was finished.
Barikmeteo wouldn't die from just that, but in his heavily injured state, he couldn't escape from us.
“Huu... huu... damn hero bitches...”
Barikmeteo muttered weakly.
He no longer had the ferocious glare from before. He just mumbled with the half-dead eyes of a dead fish.
“I just... I just wanted to live a good life.”
“So does everyone else in the world.”
“....”
“Everyone else? Don’t make me laugh. You wouldn’t know. The pain of being unable to escape from the very bottom of hell... Well-born bastards like you could never understand how that feels.”
Fuck that.
I’ve been through hell and back in this world, too.
I was well aware of how absurdly irrational this world was compared to my beloved homeland.
Still, you should have drawn the line somewhere.
“If I'm... if I'm going to die alone like this... I'll take you heroes with me as my companions on the road to hell!”
Barikmeteo roared.
At the same time, the empty space beside him began to shatter with a loud crash.
What appeared as the space broke apart was a black pillar, from which an ominous purple energy billowed.
“The Black Monolith!”
Seeing Lina’s surprise, it was clearly no ordinary object. Just as Barikmeteo was about to approach the monolith...
It was then that the Saintess made her move.