Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Duermyure's Aegis
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Belducias.
For Luon, who had adhered to three strict principles—prioritize survival, avoid overly complicated affairs, and never settle in one place—this was the first being he could truly call an ill-fated enemy, and the most powerful foe he had ever faced.
“So you speak my name.”
The creature’s reply was followed by a slow, delighted laugh.
From the mouths of the corpses clumped together like a grotesque patty, laughter erupted, each syllable in a different tone, disjointed.
Ha-ha!-ha-ha-ha…
The Great Demon’s voice, sounding like hundreds of voices spliced together syllable by syllable, felt like it was gnawing away at one’s sanity just by hearing it.
“I suppose I should thank Salvator. Though that child likely had no idea what consequences his death would bring about.”
*What is he talking about?*
Luon could sense Kyle staggering to his feet behind him. Keeping his eyes fixed forward, he slowly opened his mouth.
“You talk too much for a pile of rags.”
Before his words had even finished, a bowstave without a string had appeared at the end of his outstretched arm.
In an instant, arrows of light shot forth, one after another in a continuous stream, raining down like a meteor shower upon the horrid mass of flesh.
Amidst the dazzling scatter of light, a ghastly whirring sound was heard, and several cephalopod-like tentacles shot out at an incredible speed.
Tossing the bowstave aside, Luon quickly drew the sword he had planted in the ground and, in a single fluid motion, parried the incoming tentacles.
The impact sent severed or deflected tentacles crashing into the surrounding stone pillars, scattering sharp stone fragments in all directions.
Amidst the symphony of successive explosions, Igor’s urgent cry rang out.
“Luon!”
*Swoosh!*
The shallow water split vertically, and from within, a tentacle shot up, aiming for his heart.
Luon blocked that too.
It was a feat made possible by his superhuman reflexes and the phenomenal physical ability to execute them. But there was no time for relief. The severed end of the tentacle bubbled and swelled before exploding with the sound of a cracking shell.
The air, displaced from the explosion’s epicenter, rushed back into the vacuum, and a violent wind tore through the cavern.
As Igor was sent flying by the shockwave, a dwarf’s thick hands caught his back. Thanks to this, the two managed to minimize the damage, ending up merely tumbling to the ground.
“Merciful Mother—!”
Igor, scrambling to his feet while soaked, clasped his hands and cried out desperately to the goddess of mercy. A large shield materialized before him, effectively blocking the flying debris.
Pressing his palms against his ringing ears, Igor let out a sigh of relief when he saw a red protective barrier shimmering beyond the wall of light.
“Always resorting to such filthy tricks.”
Luon, who had activated his sword’s protective barrier the moment the tentacle began to swell, muttered to himself.
Through the thick dust that rained down from the ceiling, that same horrifying voice was heard.
“Fear not. You will all be reborn as my new servants. This is not the end. It is a new beginning.”
Luon easily realized that the malevolent thoughts embedded in its voice were trying to eat away at his mind. Shaking it off with his formidable willpower, he glanced to the side and saw a bright light shimmering.
Instead of charging forward immediately, Luon slowly backed away and stepped into the light.
Kyle, leaning against a stone pillar, coughed drily and spoke.
“I really thought I was a goner… Is this why you told me not to make a fuss?”
A trickle of blood, unbefitting his playful tone, ran down from the corner of his mouth.
“If you get it now, then stay sharp.”
Luon replied curtly, his gaze still locked straight ahead.
Against the backlight, Belducias’s body—a tangled mass of corpses with countless tentacles squirming out from between them—looked like an ominous, burning black sun.
The creature didn't attack the party hiding behind the barrier of light right away. It stood its ground, as if biding its time.
Just then, Igor staggered over and placed a palm on Kyle’s chest. A soft light poured out from beneath his hand, and the tension on Kyle’s face eased.
The priest, now looking somewhat gaunt himself, glared at Belducias and gritted his teeth.
“That abominable, misshapen body… I can’t even imagine how many souls it must have devoured to take such a form.”
Strabo approached, tapping his temples with his palm. With bloodshot eyes, he said.
“Dammit, it feels like worms are crawling around in my head… Is everyone alright?”
Luon gestured toward the barrier of light with his chin and interjected.
“Igor, dispel that. Use that power to protect yourself and the other two.”
At the command to take down the barrier and bless the party instead, Igor furrowed his brow.
“What about you, Luon?”
“I don’t need it.”
Having traveled with Luon and knowing well that he wasn’t the type to make empty promises, Igor didn’t press further with pointless questions.
At his will, the barrier of light began to dissipate, its gentle glow settling upon the three of them, excluding Luon.
Then, Belducias’s whisper was heard.
“Are you done talking?”
As if it had been waiting, one of the massive yellow hands that formed part of its tangled body began to crumble.
No, it wasn't crumbling—it was separating. In an instant, hundreds of corpses poured onto the water, screaming as they charged toward the party.
“Disgusting bastards!”
As Strabo roared, green veins bulged on his face. His body swelled, and coarse fur began to sprout.
*Krawrr—!*
The dwarf, now a massive four-legged beast, let out a savage roar. As if in concert, Kyle raised his sword and shield and shouted.
“Luon, go!”
Before Kyle’s shout had even finished, Luon had kicked off the ground and was hurtling straight ahead.
*Kree-ee-eek!*
He cut down the corpses blocking his path without hesitation.
But they seemed to have no interest in Luon, rushing past him and charging violently toward the rest of the party.
*This is trouble.*
The thought crossed Luon’s mind—could just three people handle this legion of the dead, which looked far more menacing than the corpses they’d encountered in the cavern, given they were once part of the Great Demon’s body? But he decided to trust his companions.
Just then, a tentacle flew toward him.
The moment Luon’s sword flashed like lightning and severed the tentacle, a foul-smelling, unidentifiable mass of flesh rained down on his head, as if to say that was only the beginning.
*Sizzle—!*
A piece of flesh that landed on his shoulder instantly melted the joint of his armor, delivering a searing pain. Despite the horrific agony of his skin melting away, Luon didn’t slow down at all. The force of his relentless charge sent the water at his feet splashing wildly.
Finally reaching Belducias, Luon thrust his sword at the tangled heap of naked corpses. Ruin, covered in blazing runes, flashed as it pierced the Great Demon’s repulsive torso.
Luon didn’t stop there; he swung his arm downward. The corpse of what looked like an elf was split in two. At that moment, the body burst open, and a bundle of tentacles poured out, ensnaring his body.
The tentacles, which had wrapped around his limbs in the blink of an eye, began to pull Luon in tightly. Fighting against the pressure that threatened to crush his bones, he gritted his teeth.
*Crrrack—*
With monstrous strength, Luon managed to rip away the tentacles binding his left arm and immediately swung his fist like a cannonball, relentlessly. There was no need to aim precisely. They were so close that any wild swing would be a direct hit.
*KABOOM—! KABOOM—!*
A tremendous roar, unbelievable to have come from a fist, echoed through the cavern.
The tightly packed bodies of the corpses were violently shattered, and the tentacles within couldn't withstand the force of his punches, bursting powerlessly.
Belducias screamed.
“You lunatic!”
Having unintentionally been called a lunatic by a Great Demon, Luon gave a bitter smile and retorted.
“Thanks for the high praise.”
As if to shut him up, a chain of malevolent screams erupted from the mouths of the writhing mass of corpses.
The overlapping screams amplified, creating a resonance. A sound that tore through the air, and a shockwave slammed into Luon’s body.
Sent flying before he could react, Luon crashed through two limestone pillars before finally coming to a stop. Unable to break his fall properly as the objects he collided with shattered, he had absorbed the full impact, and blood trickled from his mouth.
Pushing through the pain of what felt like every bone in his body being crushed, Luon stood up, only to stagger as a horrible whisper crawled into his mind.
Tearrendslicebreaksplitcrushclawtwist.
The vicious curse embedded in the Great Demon’s roar had clearly slipped through his sturdy mental defenses and carved a crack.
Fortunately, [Demon Arbiter], which had been active within him since the start of the battle, was helping to keep the dam from breaking, allowing him to avoid being consumed by madness.
Just then, through Luon’s blurry vision, he saw a bundle of tentacles flying toward him with a *swoosh*. His mind was a seething volcano and he could barely raise his arm, but he swung his sword nonetheless.
*CRACK—!*
The moment he whipped his arm like a whip and severed all the tentacles, a ground-shaking sound was heard, and a crimson light shot toward him in an instant. He swung his arm upward with all his might. The black lightning, coalesced from a curse, was split in two in mid-air and then exploded.
The aftermath threw Luon back. Exposed to the wave of the curse, his skin began to melt, yet he still took a step forward.
Seeing this, Belducias muttered in a chilling voice.
“What astounding willpower. How thrilling would it be to twist that iron will into loyalty for me alone? It won’t be long now.”
*You’ve got to be kidding me.*
Spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground, Luon suddenly noticed the light source illuminating the cavern was dimming and turned his head.
He saw his companions surrounded by sallow-skinned undead, fighting with all their might.
Strabo was savagely swiping his forelegs, shaking off the undead that clung to him like leeches, while Kyle held his shield high to block their attacks, landing his arming sword with precision when he could.
But despite their efforts, the defensive line was slowly collapsing.
“…Igor.”
Luon muttered under his breath as he spotted the priest, pale-faced, collapsed on the ground and struggling to breathe. Belducias’s mocking laughter followed.
“He struggled so desperately to protect his comrades, only to end up sprawled out like trash. I’ll admit he’s a powerful priest, but he chose the wrong opponent. Did you four truly believe you could kill me? I am madness itself!”
The last sentence wasn't pieced together syllable by syllable; it erupted from all the corpses' mouths simultaneously.
The overlapping sounds exploded like gunpowder, and as a starting signal, the bodies of the undead pressing down on his companions began to swell.
At the same time, three or four bolts of black lightning crackled to life around Belducias’s body.
As Luon raised his sword against the swirling waves of the curse, he suddenly felt an unknown power boiling up from within.
*What is this?*
A searing power, fueled by his divine energy as if it were kindling, began to spread throughout his body.
*Clang—Clang—*
The rough sound of a hammer striking iron echoed in his head. The tattoo on his shoulder began to glow and burn. Realizing the source of the power that was instantly mending his broken body, Luon flashed a savage grin.
*About time you showed up.*
[Aegis of Duermyure]
The smith god’s tempering breathed new life into Luon’s body.