Episode 1149 Turning Point (5)
The swamps of the sea were eerily peaceful.
I advanced cautiously, convinced that it would be swarming with all kinds of monstrous creatures not even recorded in the Adventurer’s Guild records, but the only sound was the dampness of water.
Frivalt further expanded his sense of energy and focused on the waves of animals. It wasa special form of energy manipulation learned from his mentor, Grand Duke Rivandale. Wave detection was more stealthy than
“There isn’t even a single small insect nearby.”“To think that in a natural environment this vast, there is nothing but plants. You’d better abandon the common sense of the continent.”
Serphania narrowed her eyes.
“The darkness is deepening. Would you like to deploy a Holy Orb?”“It doesn’t appear to be small enough to bypass immediately… so I ask for your help.”
O Merciful Luas,a ray of auspicious light to the lost.
A sacred source of light bloomed like a flower and rose above the group’s heads, and thus they continued to move forward, following the direction in which the Executor’s thread was connected.
Armed with the Cardinal’s miracles and the Larian Tower Master’s enchantment, their skill and combination were probably enough to overcome the difficulties.
Isabella was not imbued with the Miracle of Light and was granted only magic; nevertheless, in terms of pure realm, she was beyond the pinnacle.Having become a demon through Verden’s magical power and the Reversal of Heaven, she was already beyond the realm of humanity.
Isabella said that the Miracle of Light did not work due to the nature of magic, butSerphania could not shake off her doubts inwardly, as she could not understand why magic and miracles repelled each other even though she was not a transcendent being.
A tree that has grown twisted in a grotesque way.Vines mingling in purple and green. A swampwhere the water reaches knee-deep but the bottom is not visible.
He gauged the darkness outside the light source using ki, magic power, and divine power without relying on the divine sphere.
As expected, nothing could be felt or seen.
I couldn’t feel at all relieved.
Who could be sure that there wasn’t a variant capable of deceiving even their senses? Before they knew it, they might find themselves stuck inside the maw of a giant monster.
But for some reason, it feels familiar… … .
Isabella kept her eyes wide open and did not take them off the abyss.The abyss stared back at her.
Boom!
Then a loud noise was heard.
Judging by the vibration, it felt like something heavy had fallen into the swamp.
Let’s check.
The epicenter was slightly off the direction the thread was pointing, but passing over it without verifying would only leave it as a source of anxiety slowly tightening the noose.It was worth the risk to explore.
They moved swiftly while maintaining their formation.
Eventually, a space appeared where countless tree roots were intertwined.The roots themselves had become the ground.The water level soon dropped, and the turbid water that had been wetting my legs disappeared. My vision was filled with distorted roots and stems twisting like human intestines.
And—at the center was a huge snake with distorted scales.
However, Isabella and her party’s gaze was not directed at the snake.It was already dead, its head crushed.
What caught everyone’s attention was a cute creature sitting right on top of the snake’s corpse.
‘rabbit?’
A rabbit with striking, pitch-black fur looked down at them. This was the swamps of the Sea of Evil. It was not difficult to guess its true nature.
“……Is that, by any chance, that rabbit?”“The Tragedy Rabbit?”
One of the Kings of the Demon Realm, whose name was said to have been personally given by Queron Reklos. I finally understood the saying not to be deceived by appearances.
My senses were on edge.
Although he couldn’t sense any special power, the very fact of being in such an environment represented the level of danger. Privalt took a half-step back, feeling that the distance was close.
At that moment.
[long time no see.]
… … !!
The rabbit spoke. It did not convey its will via mental waves like some of the heteromorphic types. The common language of the continent flowed from the rabbit’s small mouth.I observed the rabbit while being astonished.Its pitch-black eyes clearly reflected Isabella.
To think it’s been a long time…
Isabella was flustered, yet felt a longing that was not in her memory.She asked.
“Did you say that to me?”
[It wasn’t you. I greeted the ‘concept’ that became one with you.]
… … It seemed that the rabbit referred to the heteromorphic creature fused with Isabella. Endless denial. As expected, it appeared to be a creature from the Demon Realm.
‘Endless Negation was eventually subjugated by the Magic Kingdom. Its byproduct combined with me. Judging by what it says, the rabbit seems to be close to Endless Negation. Are they friends?’
If it is discovered that humanity killed a friend, they could turn into enemies.The possibility is very high.Even focusing on rallying the survivors wasn’t enough, so a fight with monsters had to be avoided as much as possible.
While Isabella was thinking about how to escape the crisis, the Tragedy Rabbit pricked up its ears.
[You won’t die. Even if your form changes, you can’t die. That’s the concept.]
“concept?”
[Let’s get out of here.]
The rabbit’s ears kept twitching.
[It’s coming.]
Frivalt was the first to notice and aimed the tip of his sword towards the twisted trees. A moment later, countless presences surrounded Isabella and her party.
“This is…….”
[Circulating crowds.]
A monstrous figure with a face distorted like a swirling vortex slowly poked its head out from between the branches. Such entities adorned the tree and this space like fruit.
It was a disaster that could have been avoided if Queron or Acetro had been by my side.After all, I wouldn’t have entered the swamp in the first place.
Frivalt said firmly.
Run away.
There was no scream, nor any emotion.
The swirling monsters reigning over the demonic realm—a circulating multitude—quietly descended.
* * *
Aldanis was a senior executive of the early Black Hour along with Grave, and Cayman Vermont was one of the original eight members.
The bond was deep, and even deeper.
The sight of the Dark Moon usurping the Black Hour flashed vividly through my mind.
Aching.
Suddenly, the burn mark stung.
The pain that had already vanished returned to the face struck by the flames of Karindin Lehrhar, one of the two original members who chose betrayal alongside the Darkmoon.Karindin had been purged by Adrian along with Mabel, but the scars did not disappear.
Aldanis merely covered it with a magic item and did not bother to erase it. It was to ensure he would not forget the despair of that time.
Al, Dunnis.
Hearing Cayman’s voice for the first time in decades, I was overcome with emotion.It is not a hallucination.It is the man from my memories.
I had known for a long time that Cayman had made a deal with the devil.
That she had to do so to survive the fatal wound inflicted by the Darkmoon.That during her disappearance, she had been living as a healer in a small village, caring for the families of those executed by the Ruas Theocracy for being branded as devil worshippers.That, as a devil contractor, she only exchanged letters and did not visit Melad for fear of getting caught up in religious danger.
Yes, it is Aldanis.
Aldanis tightly grasped Cayman’s hand, stained with blood and fatigue. The joy of their reunion was short-lived… soon, reason raised a question.
Why is Cayman in the Mirror World?
I heard that he had disappeared from the village where he usually lived, but I did not hear even from His Majesty Verden that his destination was the Realm of Evil.
Oh right, treatment first.
Aldanis took a potion from the space bag and had Cayman take it.It was not a high-concentration Lissandro’s Fruit Potion.Upon examination, the wound did not appear deep enough to warrant the use of that. In situations like this, rational, appropriate, and not excessive measures are necessary.
Sigril said.
“I heard that the Cayman Vermont I knew was killed by the Darkmoon, but to think he is alive and has become a demon contractor. It is appalling. If the Ruas Cult finds out about this, it will not end with mere noise.”“…….”“As an Aspect of Eon, can you take responsibility? For a human who is not recognized as human.”
Aldanis turned his head.There was no room for compromise in his eyes.
“Lord Zentir, I will pay the debt of life you owe me here. So please keep quiet.”“You are completely different from just moments ago when you feigned humility, claiming you were lucky. And if I were to refuse, this is a place where you could kill me to silence me.”“I would never kill the Lord of the Tower just to silence you.”
Aldanis asserted.
“It wouldn’t be the choice Your Majesty desires.”“Hahaha.”
Sigrill twisted the corner of his mouth.
I will keep the secret close to my heart.
If it had been associated with demons, he would have had to wash his hands of it, but with Eon, it was a different story.A saint and divinity.Sigril chose Eon. He followed his intuition as the Master of the Magic Tower.
If she chose Verden, he would protect the Zentir Magic Tower from the pressure of the Holy Kingdom, but… if she chose the Holy Kingdom, there was no guarantee that the newcomers would protect her from Verden.
Sigril weighed the scales of reason, rationally weighing what was more advantageous.
Thump.
Just then, my heart started beating hard.
Cayman moved his body, coughing up a fair amount of dead blood. His wounds were healing. This was the first time he had witnessed that demon’s regenerative power.
As he seemed to regain his senses, Aldanis tried to support him and asked.
“Lord Cayman, what on earth happened? Why are you in this hellish realm…?”“There is a pursuer.”
Cayman caught his breath and glared at the passageway the two had passed through.
“It seems you tracked your presence while I was holding my breath. I suppose I should thank you for your help another time.”“What?”“Aldanis, and the Master of the Zentir Mage Tower.”
The human part of the body mutated. Cayman, having taken the form of a giant demon, took a big step forward as if to protect them.
[Escape when I make an opening.]
“Is that too rude to say to someone I’m meeting for the first time? It could easily lead to a misunderstanding.”
A man who had passed through the cave entrance sealed by Sigril and Aldanis approached leisurely with his hands clasped behind his back. He was no ordinary being.As soon as Sigril sensed his presence, he amplified his magical power to the extreme.
“Who are you?”“I thought about how best to introduce myself to those who have personally come from the continent, and since this descriptor seems to express me best—”
The man said.
He is a seeker of the truth.
The transcendent being smiled.
* * *
A violent current began to flow through the quiet swamps of the Sea of Ma.
Ostren Pulga
The brain sphere exploded, electrocuting the monsters. The smell of the entire neural network burning was carried on the gale. Then, a high-temperature brain blast that traced a horizontal line destroyed the body.
Rampage, Braonic Strom.
True to his status as a top-tier mage of the lightning class, he wiped out hundreds of them in a flash, but enemies poured in on a scale that exceeded his speed of annihilation.
“There are way too many…! I’ll ascend into the sky and unleash a wide-area bombardment!”
Serphania and Xylon provided support and blocked the enemies, while Privalt sliced up the ones approaching the rear with his Wave Sword.
Crackle!
Braonic soared upwards, enveloped in lightning.
A rabbit cast its shadow over the face.
“What…….”
The rabbit kicked Braonic with both feet and knocked him down. He landed forcefully on the ground. He raised his voice as if he could not understand.
“Hey, what are you doing right now!”
[The sky won’t do.]
The rabbit landed on the tree branch.
[It’s easier on the ground.]
The monsters hanging from the branches reached out their hands toward the rabbit. As Isabella tried to help, a small light flashed in their eyes.She thought a gust of wind had swept through. Soon, the monsters’ bodies shattered into pieces.
Seaweed.
A muscular rabbit leg, completely at odds with its appearance, kicked off. Boom! Not only the surrounding trees but also the ground sank slightly.The moment the rabbit brushed past, the heads of the monsters fell to the ground.
This way.
A giant monster appeared and blocked the rabbit’s path.
As the jumping rabbit kicked the monster’s chin with the tip of its foot, the monster’s head was crushed. Bang! The creature landed on the corpse and scratched its ear with its foot as if it were tickled.
Xylon could not hide his surprise.
Special class, and beyond.
It was a power that could not be understood by the biological theories I had studied so far.Is that the Tragedy Rabbit that reigns over the Demon Realm…!
Psychokinesis
Isabella crushed the monsters with basic magic enhanced by the magic of erosion. Then, she released magical power to take over the swamp environment.
Kwagwagwagwagwang!
They held off the enemies for a while by overturning the ground or pulling up and throwing trees.
The darkness is fading.
As they followed the rabbit of tragedy, the outer boundary of the swamp began to come into view before they knew it. They increased their speed even further. A swarm of monsters surged from the ground to block the path, but Frivalt personally made a way with his sword.
The presence increased several times more than before.
Everyone threw themselves out of the swamp.
The monster that had ventured beyond the boundary grabbed Isabella’s hair. In that instant, the creature’s head exploded from the force of her grip in her anger, and it died.
We must prepare for a pursuit.
Frivalt prepared the season.
They hurriedly regrouped to deal with the monsters coming from the swamp, but a rabbit had already taken its place in front of them and was blocking the circulating crowd.
Ji-i-ik.
I drew a straight line with a rabbit’s foot.
[That’s all.]
The rabbit spun its head 90 degrees. Muscles bulged not only in its legs but throughout its entire body. It was to the point where the tendons were visible even through its fur.
Do more?
[… … .]
Countless monsters stared blankly at the rabbit before gradually disappearing into the swamp. Just as the last monster vanished, a voice was heard.
[Ah, what a waste… .]
The spine-chilling whispers subsided.
One of the kings of the Demon Realm retreated.
“A cyclical array of people… that thing speaks the continental common language, too.”“Who on earth taught it?”
Language is history and a discipline.
It is not something that can be learned naturally. At the very least, one must have had contact with human society.However, there should be almost no instances of monsters from the Demon Realm venturing outside of it…
[curious?]
The rabbit erased its fierce appearance and hopped toward Isabella.
[Shall I tell you?]
* * *
The place the Tragedy Rabbit led me to was a large cabin mansion located somewhere in the Sea of Magic.A cabin mansion.That meant someone knowledgeable in architecture lived there. There were even windows, and I could feel the warmth.
Everyone looked at their little fingers at once.
The thread led to the hut.
It was proof that a survivor of the Demon Realm Extermination Squad was currently inside the cabin.
Who on earth is it?
Who is the survivor,and who is the one spreading the continental common language across the Sea of Demons?
dripping.
The tragic rabbit knocked on the door.
While waiting for the owner of the cottage to come out, I suddenly looked out the window. A thread was moving. Beyond the window, I saw familiar people.
“professor?”
Aldanis.Sigril.
And… … Cayman Vermont.
The first member of Black Hour who guided Verden and his party to Rivereas as a devil contractor. How on earth is he here?
But that wasn’t the problem.
I’m so glad to meet a survivor.
Serphania of Charity smiled, feeling a little relieved. She was genuinely happy that the others were alive.
Cardinal of the Luas religion.Devil’s contractor.
‘uh?’
Isabella thought of the worst-case scenario.
The door of the cabin mansion opened.
