Chapter 155 – The Fortress (３)

THOOOOM!

The instant the monster fell.

…Figured as much.

Amalta sneered.

Did he really think a paltry monster like this could stop that kid?

It was utterly laughable.

Of course, plenty more monsters remained.

But what difference did that make?

Gijun was already moving toward the next beast.

The moment he moved, the fearsome Fireball streaked across the air, raining down upon the monster.

I was getting restless anyway.

Ever since Gijun had suddenly started using a sword for no reason, Amalta had found himself frustrated by the sight.

Wasn’t it obvious?

Gijun’s real weapon wasn’t a sword.

Amalta knew that better than anyone — the sheer, terrifying power of that magic.

Because I’ve taken a hit from it myself.

And now, a weapon of such mind-shattering force had revealed itself again.

This time, it’s your turn to have your minds shattered.

Amalta grinned and moved his Spear.

Of course, I can’t just sit back and let him have all the fun.

He had no intention of letting Gijun take down every single monster.

A sharp Shiiiing — then CRACK!

Amalta’s Spear punched through the monster’s abdomen.

Krrrgh…!

The creature’s eyes bulged as it fixed its glare on Amalta.

He hadn’t brought it down with the overwhelming force Gijun had, but he felt no bitterness.

Because Amalta no longer saw Gijun as his rival.

Gijun walked over after just finishing off another monster and said,

“Can you handle what’s left?”

“Got it.”

Amalta replied.

Thanks to Gijun tearing through the monsters at an incredible pace, there weren’t many left.

“At this rate, the two of us should be enough.”

Klaim answered the same way.

“Yes. I’m counting on you.”

With those words, Gijun moved again.

*

…

Around that time,

Gast’s face was steadily hardening.

He’s definitely different from just a moment ago.

The Seeker’s fighting style had changed noticeably.

No — it hadn’t changed.

He was still using the same magic.

It was exactly as Gast knew it to be.

But it was definitely different.

He’s gotten rougher.

Yes.

That was the precise word.

The Seeker’s combat was far more brutal than before.

Just a little while ago, the Seeker’s fighting had been smooth.

He’d surveyed his surroundings with calm flexibility, picking off enemies one by one as they charged.

But now, the Seeker seemed like an entirely different person.

He’s charging forward with tunnel vision.

He paid no attention to the other two.

As if harmony with the surroundings meant nothing, he rushed only toward his own targets, destroying them simultaneously.

Disconcerting.

Gast was genuinely thrown off.

The change was so drastic he could barely accept that a simple shift in fighting style could cause this.

A troublesome one has crossed over.

His instincts were telling him so.

If he let that bastard inside now, something unimaginable might happen.

For the revival of our Nuia, that bastard must be eliminated.

The revival of Nuia.

That was the new mission Bodge had instilled in the Nuia.

For ages, the Nuia had been buried in this deep, dark underground, spending endless time guarding some unknown treasure, and countless Nuia had died for it.

No more.

We’re going to the surface.

They would ascend to the surface, reclaim the light, and rule.

They would take the things humans hoarded for themselves and become their masters.

“We will tolerate no one who stands in the way of our resurgence.”

Which meant that Seeker had to die here, right now.

By his own hand.

And then—

“…?!”

The Seeker vanished.

He’d been tracking the bastard the whole time—

No.

‘….’

He rose slowly.

The Seeker’s killing intent was pouring out from right behind him.

And in that instant—

A flash of light erupted.

“…!”

Brilliance blasted outward.

‘Damn it.’

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

*

He dodged.

Nuia had evaded Gijun’s Fireball.

Incredible reflexes.

‘So he’s not just a beast-tamer after all.’

That was Gijun’s assessment.

The bastard’s personal skill was no less formidable than his ability to command monsters.

‘Doesn’t matter.’

Bodge was the one Gijun had to take down.

If this guy was just one of Bodge’s underlings, then he needed to crush him in an instant.

Then something came hurtling through the smoke.

Clang!

Gijun hurriedly raised the Sain-geom to deflect whatever was flying his way.

Ssssshing!

‘Dagger.’

It was a throwing dagger.

‘So he’s not a close-range fighter.’

The bastard’s weapon was likely some sort of ranged throwing implement like this dagger.

‘He vanished again.’

And once more, the bastard had hidden himself.

‘I can’t even sense him.’

Even with Gijun’s senses, he couldn’t pick up a trace.

Lurking from a distance from the start—probably that was just the bastard’s whole style.

‘He’s a tricky one.’

A foe skilled enough at stealth to evade his perception, and who used ranged throwing weapons on top of it.

No doubt about it—this guy was far more troublesome than he’d expected.

‘That means this is going to demand a lot of focus beyond just raw combat ability.’

The biggest problem was evading the enemy’s attacks.

Dodging hidden projectiles when you couldn’t even see where they were coming from was no easy feat.

‘Even putting that aside, just getting an attack in isn’t easy either.’

That was another issue.

Trying to strike an enemy whose location you didn’t even know was nothing short of absurd.

Then, from Gijun’s right, came the sharp sound of something slicing through the air.

Whoosh!

Gijun raised his sword again and knocked it away.

‘What a pain in the ass.’

It would’ve been nice if he’d managed to land a hit when he went on the offensive a moment ago.

But the bastard’s reaction speed was better than he’d thought, so it stung a little that his attack hadn’t connected.

‘Still, there’s a way to bring him down.’

Of course, Gijun wasn’t giving up.

No—there was no reason to give up.

‘Maybe it’s time to pull that out again after all this time.’

Because Gijun had one weapon that could perfectly break this deadlock.

‘Strong Wind.’

It was time to bring out a skill he’d last used a long while ago.

Gijun cast Strong Wind.

He wrapped it around his entire body.

I never thought I’d use this again.

It was a skill he’d had no reason to touch since the moment his stats exploded and his Agility surpassed most melee-class users.

In that instant, another hail of daggers fell.

Sssssshhhhiiiing!

The blades streaked toward him with a sharp, predatory grace.

But Gijun didn’t dodge.

Clang-clang-clang-clang!

“!!”

The daggers clattered to the floor without ever touching his skin.

Much tougher now.

Gijun allowed himself an easy smile as he looked at the scattered blades.

So, what’s next?

One problem was solved.

Now it was time to tackle the second.

How to strike an invisible enemy.

Still can’t sense a trace.

It was, truly, a flawless stealth technique.

No matter how hard he focused, he couldn’t feel even a hint of the bastard’s presence.

With this, the very idea of landing a hit on him was impossible to even imagine.

And then.

The corner of Gijun’s mouth curled upward.

That’s it.

He’d found the answer again.

To catch the bedbugs, you had to burn down the thatched hut.

The solution was simple: incinerate the entire area in one go.

A Great Crimson Flame.

And there was one skill perfectly suited for this situation.

Kutamo’s skill: Great Crimson Flame.

The ability to spew a flame that scorched the very earth.

“Kutamo.”

Gijun called to him.

[KHAH! KHAHAHAHA! SO YOU FINALLY NEED THIS BODY’S HELP!]

Kutamo’s grating voice rang in Gijun’s ears.

Gijun spoke to him.

“Wipe them out.”

[LEAVE IT TO ME!]

With that cry, Kutamo took a deep breath.

*

‘What the hell…’

Gast was taken aback once more.

Because the daggers he’d thrown moments ago had simply fallen from the air, accomplishing nothing.

‘And the bastard didn’t even move.’

It was certain.

The Seeker hadn’t done a thing moments ago.

He clearly hadn’t dodged or defended.

And yet his daggers had fallen uselessly to the ground.

‘Damn it…’

One shock after another.

Who would have thought the bastard had been hiding yet another weapon like this?

‘What a terrifying bastard.’

Movements that no mage should possess.

Reflexes that defied reason.

But the most terrifying thing of all was his Fireball.

‘If I’d been even a second slower, I’d have been charcoal.’

He recalled the moment he’d barely dodged Gijun’s Fireball and swallowed dryly.

It was fast, precise.

The fact he’d evaded it at all felt like a miracle.

‘Still, you won’t find me, you bastard.’

Even so, he still had one weapon left.

His sight.

The enemy had no idea where he was.

And he could see the enemy’s position as clear as day.

‘I have the advantage.’

If he bided his time like this, an opening to land a crippling blow would come eventually.

‘My stealth is perfect—even Lord Bodge can’t find me.’

A Nuia, born and bred in darkness.

And among the Nuia, a Ghast with an affinity for shadow that ranked among the best.

That gift made him a master at vanishing into the dark, and he’d honed that shadow-blade into a weapon that had felled countless foes.

But then.

‘…Hm?’

Something enormous began to take shape behind the Seeker’s back.

Something wreathed in crimson flames—he couldn’t even tell what it was.

‘What trick is this now…?’

Ghast suppressed his presence even further, watching the shape unfold.

No matter what cheap trick the bastard pulled, there was no way he’d find him now.

The thing drew in a breath, its chest swelling wide.

In that instant, a chill of foreboding washed through Ghast.

‘Run…’

One word surfaced in his mind: run.

But run?

That was absurd.

With the enemy who sought to crush the Nuia’s revival standing right before him.

With the bastard who’d dared set foot in Lord Bodge’s stronghold right in front of him—run?

In that fleeting moment—

while he wrestled with a few racing thoughts, hesitating—

[Kwaaaaaah!]

The thing that had taken that great gulp of air now spat it back out.

Fire.

A raging, crimson blaze.

It surged outward in an instant, racing across the vast ground.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

“…!!”

It was instantaneous.

Ghast’s world went crimson—swallowed by scorching fire.

‘This is…’

Light.

And flame.

The thing that could never be found or kindled in these deep shadows.

The light they’d sought for so long, fought and bled to find!

And then it washed over Ghast.

‘It’s hot.’

Ghast took the full brunt of the inferno with his body.

He had to endure.

Even if it burned like death itself, he had to hold.

But he couldn’t.

This pain was beyond endurance.

Finally, Ghast screamed.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Ghast knew it was a mistake the moment it left his throat.

But it was too late.

Flash!

Another corona of light burst from the distance.

It poured down toward Ghast.

Kwaaang!