The city outskirts.
We had moved to the walls and immediately prepared to fight.
“Trying anything too complex will only result in failure. We have to stop it from moving. That’s all.”
Adlus unsheathed his sword and glared in the direction where the ground was shaking.
“We will do everything we can to stop it. And then Asagi will deal the final blow. You can do that, can’t you?”
“Yeah. I won’t miss it again. We have nowhere to run, after all.”
We had moved away from the buildings, as we wanted to avoid getting crushed when they came toppling down. But now cavern walls were at our backs. And there was no exit near to us. This was to avoid having the entrance collapse and end up sealing us inside.
In other words, we were trapped. This was where we had to fight. It was the final stage.
The shaking grew stronger and louder. But it was definitely slower now compared to when it had first charged. The wounds and severed legs had done their job.
“I can see it!”
One Adventurer cried just as its head appeared from between two buildings. Its numerous eyes were looking straight at us.
What was it? Its purpose. Why had it appeared?
I had so many questions, but I suppose they would have to wait until it was dead. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing you could capture alive.
“Still… Monster-monster-monster. It doesn’t sound right. How about giving it a name? Scolopendra Goblin!”
Hmm, Adlus. What a dork.
“It is too long, annoying, and more importantly, nobody cares. It is clearly not a goblin. It is just a monster.”
Daniela said rather savagely. Adlus must have been proud of what he had come up with, because he looked at Daniela with a blank expression. Daniela ignored him and gathered jade energy into her hands. Wind magic.
“Now, it is time to fight.”
She nocked an arrow, drew, and then fired it along with a boost of magic. Her arrow traveled faster than any of the other arrows that were unleashed by the Adventurers at the same time. And it went straight into the monster’s head.
“GGGGRRRRRGGRRRGG!!!”
Once again, it sounded like numerous voices combined into one. I held back the urge to cover my ears and waited for my opportunity.
“Now!”
Adlus shouted, and a second volley of arrows and magic attacks were unleashed. Half of the Adventurers that were with us were rear guards. And their firepower was a sight to behold.
The arrows pierced into the monster one after another. The magic bullets tore out its flesh, carving away its body.
Like this, as countless projectiles filled the air, the advance guard did not have a lot to do. I wasn’t going to get caught in that even if it was an order.
That being said, I couldn’t exactly run away either. And so I waited. My sword was unsheathed and in my hand, but I wasn’t really doing anything. I suppose it was just my way of making it known that I was just as enthusiastic as the others who were actually doing something.
However, battles were always unpredictable. And we weren’t bored for long.
“Hmm. Goblins are coming.”
Manager muttered. This information that she gained from Shadow Read spread out immediately. Those of us in the advance guard all shouted to each other and waved our swords, welcoming the enemy.
Still, we had assumed that all the goblins were dead. But now they seemed to pour out of the shadows of a building. They swung their rusty weapons as if to defend the giant monster. We of the advance guard met them, easily striking the weapons out of the hands of the goblins and cutting them down.
Even as the giant monster was targeted by the rain of arrows and magic, it continued to move towards us. Its numerous eyes were now unrecognizable after the damage from the explosions of fire, thunder, wind, and earth magic.
“Haaahhh…what chaos…”
The giant monster. The ear-shattering noise of magic attacks. The goblins that crawled out like cockroaches. And the Adventurers who disposed of them.
And yet, there was hope of victory in all of that.
It could no longer see after all the ranged attacks had taken out its eyes. It crushed goblins with its feet as it moved, and the weapons on the ground carved its body up even more. It was getting slower by the second. Now that it was being attacked by all sides, surely it would have no energy to do anything else.
I took out Schwartz Tempest and waited. And while I waited, I activated Jack of all Trades, Master of None, and simulated my next attack. I had done this many times before. But I was going to rely on my old master anyway. It was my strength. I was both safer and more confident this way.
I was able to believe that there was no way that I wouldn’t defeat it.
“Alright…!”
I muttered quietly and activated Legs of the God Wolf. Then I raised the speed until the sounds of the wind were high-frequency.
I started it off in a crouch while holding a greatsword, which was not ideal, as I looked up at Daniela who was still unleashing arrows. Daniela noticed and then nodded at me. I nodded back.
‘Ready, steady, go.’ I thought to myself. And started. My first step caused the ground to crack under my foot, and then I leapt into the air. By my third step, I was already in front of the monster.
“Kamiyashiro Style – Water Blade Azure Fusion!”
The greatsword with the watery blue blade. It was incredibly sharp and fast as it thrust forward. Furthermore, the magic energy in the blade expanded, causing an explosion that did more damage than a mere thrust.
Like this, I shot through the tunnel I had created through the monster. What was left, was a monster with a hole in its head. Immediately after, the magic attacks that had been unleashed before I shot forward, reached the monster.
The Adventurers were to attack it and seal the use of its eyes and legs. And then an attack that was so fast it wouldn’t be able to do anything even if it saw me.
That was Adlus’s plan. Well, he knew how to make the most of our talents.
Ultimately, we had been able to take the monster down. It was a fight I couldn’t have won alone, and a fight they couldn’t have won without me. It was a fight that made us believe we could take on any monster as long as we worked together.
□ □ □ □
The Jades all returned to the surface. Manager led the group back through the passages and out the hollow of the Nise Yggdra tree. They were probably back at the campsite by now.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, we’ll be fine. You take care of the others.”
“…Very well. But if something happens, run.”
Adlus said. And then he too disappeared down the dark passage.
Now it was just Daniela and me in the underground city. Why? Well, we had not found out anything about the monster. Well, I did have an idea. The place that it had appeared. It had come from the direction of the facility that the Queen’s Knight Goblin had discovered.
Someone had done something that resulted in its creation. That was the only explanation. However, we couldn’t be completely sure. And so Daniela and I decided to go and check.
Silence had fallen over the city. The monster was dead and the goblins had been annihilated. So, who had created the monster? It was bugging me.
“Well, that thing destroyed so much.”
“Cultural heritage, huh?”
We walked through the abandoned city. I knew that this was no time for sightseeing, however, it was hard to relax, and I kept looking around excitedly. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could see every day. I wanted to burn these images into my brain.
We arrived at the tower. Now it was just a straight line to the facility. But as the monster had destroyed buildings in its wake, it was a little difficult to walk.
“Woah.”
“Asagi. Be careful.”
“I’m fine. I’m fine.”
The occasional brick tried to trip me, but we continued on our way.
It finally came into view. However, the building was in ruins, thanks to the monster. It did not even retain its original shape. Regardless, we had to make sure that all of the equipment was completely destroyed. The thought of something like that monster being born again was unbearable.
“I cannot detect any monsters…”
Daniela muttered as she used Presence Detection. I agreed, and so we pushed away the rubble and moved inside.
It was a mess. The equipment had all been in the basement, and there had been a room further on where the goblins were kept for breeding. If that was where the monster had been born, it was no wonder the ceiling was broken and both the basement and first floor were filled with rubble.
“None of this looks salvageable to me.”
“Still, we should make sure of it.”
There was something that looked like a control panel that had been crushed when the building collapsed. I wasn’t sure if the floor was part of the machinery, but it was made of something like glass, which was also cracked.
We tried pressing buttons but there was no reaction. When pulling out the panels of the floor, the only thing we saw was torn cables and wires. I didn’t see how anyone could repair this stuff, unless an ancient elf suddenly popped out and did all of the work.
“…Hmmm. It should be fine. We should go.”
I got off of the floor and brushed the dust off of my clothes and stretched my back.
“…Ahh… Daniela. Let’s go.”
I called. There was no answer.
“…Daniela?”
Worried, I walked over to the spot that I had last seen her. It was a dangerous area, where brick walls leaned over, ready to topple. Daniela was standing in the shadows. It was too dark to see her face.
“Daniela.”
“…Asagi. Look.”
“Huh?”
When she turned to look at me, I saw that her expression was serious. Maybe tense. She was pointing at a small hatch on the floor. It was round and just large enough for one person to go through. It looked exactly like the one I had found when I discovered the Automata.
“I saw the same thing in the ancient elven ruin. You know, where I found the Automata and the appraisal glasses.”
“So it is related to them.”
“This…we can’t just ignore it.”
“But it might be dangerous.”
That was true. Even the first time, I had been so excited and hadn’t considered the possibility of traps. And this place had a facility that had been working until recently. It could definitely be dangerous.
“But we’ll always be worried if we don’t check it. We have to be sure…”
“…That is true. It will be hard to sleep knowing that we may not have dealt with the root of all this trouble.”
Daniela sighed and then lay a hand on the handle.
This was a ruin that was hundreds of years old. What would be waiting for us on the other side?
It creaked loudly as she turned the handle. And started to wonder.
What would we find?
Or who…
There was no way to calm my fears. Still, I looked into the depths of the opened hatch.
The city outskirts.
We had moved to the walls and immediately prepared to fight.
“Trying anything too complex will only result in failure. We have to stop it from moving. That’s all.”
Adlus unsheathed his sword and glared in the direction where the ground was shaking.
“We will do everything we can to stop it. And then Asagi will deal the final blow. You can do that, can’t you?”
“Yeah. I won’t miss it again. We have nowhere to run, after all.”
We had moved away from the buildings, as we wanted to avoid getting crushed when they came toppling down. But now cavern walls were at our backs. And there was no exit near to us. This was to avoid having the entrance collapse and end up sealing us inside.
In other words, we were trapped. This was where we had to fight. It was the final stage.
The shaking grew stronger and louder. But it was definitely slower now compared to when it had first charged. The wounds and severed legs had done their job.
“I can see it!”
One Adventurer cried just as its head appeared from between two buildings. Its numerous eyes were looking straight at us.
What was it? Its purpose. Why had it appeared?
I had so many questions, but I suppose they would have to wait until it was dead. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing you could capture alive.
“Still… Monster-monster-monster. It doesn’t sound right. How about giving it a name? Scolopendra Goblin!”
Hmm, Adlus. What a dork.
“It is too long, annoying, and more importantly, nobody cares. It is clearly not a goblin. It is just a monster.”
Daniela said rather savagely. Adlus must have been proud of what he had come up with, because he looked at Daniela with a blank expression. Daniela ignored him and gathered jade energy into her hands. Wind magic.
“Now, it is time to fight.”
She nocked an arrow, drew, and then fired it along with a boost of magic. Her arrow traveled faster than any of the other arrows that were unleashed by the Adventurers at the same time. And it went straight into the monster’s head.
“GGGGRRRRRGGRRRGG!!!”
Once again, it sounded like numerous voices combined into one. I held back the urge to cover my ears and waited for my opportunity.
“Now!”
Adlus shouted, and a second volley of arrows and magic attacks were unleashed. Half of the Adventurers that were with us were rear guards. And their firepower was a sight to behold.
The arrows pierced into the monster one after another. The magic bullets tore out its flesh, carving away its body.
Like this, as countless projectiles filled the air, the advance guard did not have a lot to do. I wasn’t going to get caught in that even if it was an order.
That being said, I couldn’t exactly run away either. And so I waited. My sword was unsheathed and in my hand, but I wasn’t really doing anything. I suppose it was just my way of making it known that I was just as enthusiastic as the others who were actually doing something.
However, battles were always unpredictable. And we weren’t bored for long.
“Hmm. Goblins are coming.”
Manager muttered. This information that she gained from Shadow Read spread out immediately. Those of us in the advance guard all shouted to each other and waved our swords, welcoming the enemy.
Still, we had assumed that all the goblins were dead. But now they seemed to pour out of the shadows of a building. They swung their rusty weapons as if to defend the giant monster. We of the advance guard met them, easily striking the weapons out of the hands of the goblins and cutting them down.
Even as the giant monster was targeted by the rain of arrows and magic, it continued to move towards us. Its numerous eyes were now unrecognizable after the damage from the explosions of fire, thunder, wind, and earth magic.
“Haaahhh…what chaos…”
The giant monster. The ear-shattering noise of magic attacks. The goblins that crawled out like cockroaches. And the Adventurers who disposed of them.
And yet, there was hope of victory in all of that.
It could no longer see after all the ranged attacks had taken out its eyes. It crushed goblins with its feet as it moved, and the weapons on the ground carved its body up even more. It was getting slower by the second. Now that it was being attacked by all sides, surely it would have no energy to do anything else.
I took out Schwartz Tempest and waited. And while I waited, I activated Jack of all Trades, Master of None, and simulated my next attack. I had done this many times before. But I was going to rely on my old master anyway. It was my strength. I was both safer and more confident this way.
I was able to believe that there was no way that I wouldn’t defeat it.
“Alright…!”
I muttered quietly and activated Legs of the God Wolf. Then I raised the speed until the sounds of the wind were high-frequency.
I started it off in a crouch while holding a greatsword, which was not ideal, as I looked up at Daniela who was still unleashing arrows. Daniela noticed and then nodded at me. I nodded back.
‘Ready, steady, go.’ I thought to myself. And started. My first step caused the ground to crack under my foot, and then I leapt into the air. By my third step, I was already in front of the monster.
“Kamiyashiro Style – Water Blade Azure Fusion!”
The greatsword with the watery blue blade. It was incredibly sharp and fast as it thrust forward. Furthermore, the magic energy in the blade expanded, causing an explosion that did more damage than a mere thrust.
Like this, I shot through the tunnel I had created through the monster. What was left, was a monster with a hole in its head. Immediately after, the magic attacks that had been unleashed before I shot forward, reached the monster.
The Adventurers were to attack it and seal the use of its eyes and legs. And then an attack that was so fast it wouldn’t be able to do anything even if it saw me.
That was Adlus’s plan. Well, he knew how to make the most of our talents.
Ultimately, we had been able to take the monster down. It was a fight I couldn’t have won alone, and a fight they couldn’t have won without me. It was a fight that made us believe we could take on any monster as long as we worked together.
□ □ □ □
The Jades all returned to the surface. Manager led the group back through the passages and out the hollow of the Nise Yggdra tree. They were probably back at the campsite by now.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, we’ll be fine. You take care of the others.”
“…Very well. But if something happens, run.”
Adlus said. And then he too disappeared down the dark passage.
Now it was just Daniela and me in the underground city. Why? Well, we had not found out anything about the monster. Well, I did have an idea. The place that it had appeared. It had come from the direction of the facility that the Queen’s Knight Goblin had discovered.
Someone had done something that resulted in its creation. That was the only explanation. However, we couldn’t be completely sure. And so Daniela and I decided to go and check.
Silence had fallen over the city. The monster was dead and the goblins had been annihilated. So, who had created the monster? It was bugging me.
“Well, that thing destroyed so much.”
“Cultural heritage, huh?”
We walked through the abandoned city. I knew that this was no time for sightseeing, however, it was hard to relax, and I kept looking around excitedly. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could see every day. I wanted to burn these images into my brain.
We arrived at the tower. Now it was just a straight line to the facility. But as the monster had destroyed buildings in its wake, it was a little difficult to walk.
“Woah.”
“Asagi. Be careful.”
“I’m fine. I’m fine.”
The occasional brick tried to trip me, but we continued on our way.
It finally came into view. However, the building was in ruins, thanks to the monster. It did not even retain its original shape. Regardless, we had to make sure that all of the equipment was completely destroyed. The thought of something like that monster being born again was unbearable.
“I cannot detect any monsters…”
Daniela muttered as she used Presence Detection. I agreed, and so we pushed away the rubble and moved inside.
It was a mess. The equipment had all been in the basement, and there had been a room further on where the goblins were kept for breeding. If that was where the monster had been born, it was no wonder the ceiling was broken and both the basement and first floor were filled with rubble.
“None of this looks salvageable to me.”
“Still, we should make sure of it.”
There was something that looked like a control panel that had been crushed when the building collapsed. I wasn’t sure if the floor was part of the machinery, but it was made of something like glass, which was also cracked.
We tried pressing buttons but there was no reaction. When pulling out the panels of the floor, the only thing we saw was torn cables and wires. I didn’t see how anyone could repair this stuff, unless an ancient elf suddenly popped out and did all of the work.
“…Hmmm. It should be fine. We should go.”
I got off of the floor and brushed the dust off of my clothes and stretched my back.
“…Ahh… Daniela. Let’s go.”
I called. There was no answer.
“…Daniela?”
Worried, I walked over to the spot that I had last seen her. It was a dangerous area, where brick walls leaned over, ready to topple. Daniela was standing in the shadows. It was too dark to see her face.
“Daniela.”
“…Asagi. Look.”
“Huh?”
When she turned to look at me, I saw that her expression was serious. Maybe tense. She was pointing at a small hatch on the floor. It was round and just large enough for one person to go through. It looked exactly like the one I had found when I discovered the Automata.
“I saw the same thing in the ancient elven ruin. You know, where I found the Automata and the appraisal glasses.”
“So it is related to them.”
“This…we can’t just ignore it.”
“But it might be dangerous.”
That was true. Even the first time, I had been so excited and hadn’t considered the possibility of traps. And this place had a facility that had been working until recently. It could definitely be dangerous.
“But we’ll always be worried if we don’t check it. We have to be sure…”
“…That is true. It will be hard to sleep knowing that we may not have dealt with the root of all this trouble.”
Daniela sighed and then lay a hand on the handle.
This was a ruin that was hundreds of years old. What would be waiting for us on the other side?
It creaked loudly as she turned the handle. And started to wonder.
What would we find?
Or who…
There was no way to calm my fears. Still, I looked into the depths of the opened hatch.
