Chapter 64 – East of Tartaros (１)

The message he’d been waiting for appeared.

And so, in that moment, the Harpoon of Annihilation’s charge rate finally hit 100 percent.

Shiiiiing!

The Harpoon of Annihilation rose into the air.

The small harpoon, no bigger than a palm, swelled in size in an instant.

By the time the Harpoon of Annihilation had swelled to nearly three meters in length, hovering just behind Gijun’s back,

“This…”

Beache’s body went rigid.

“What is that.”

Just as he’d thought.

Beache had no idea what the Harpoon of Annihilation was.

“If you don’t know… then learn by getting hit.”

“What nonsense…”

Gijun shot a twisted grin at the flustered Beache, then hurled the Harpoon of Annihilation with all his might.

Crack! A thunderous boom ripped through the air.

An instant later, the Harpoon of Annihilation pierced straight through Beache’s body.

“Wh-what is this…”

Beache stood there, utterly baffled, as if she still couldn’t grasp what had happened.

Black chains forged from the harpoon coiled around her body.

Shrrrrick! The metal screeched as it tightened.

[The Harpoon of Annihilation has been activated.]

[The Harpoon of Annihilation suppresses Beache’s Magi.]

The messages flashed before his eyes.

At the same time, Beache’s sword and armor dissolved into nothing.

She reverted to her original form.

Her pupils trembled violently.

Then the Harpoon of Annihilation faded from sight.

But a hole the size of a soccer ball remained gaping in her chest.

“You… insolent brat…”

Beache howled and charged at Gijun.

“Do you really think such cheap tricks will work on me?!”

“Seems like they’re working well enough.”

Gijun sneered.

And he was right.

Her movements were no longer swift.

She was no longer a threat.

Without her Magi, even a powerful General of the Underworld was nothing more than a shadow of herself.

Swoosh! Thrum!

Her sword swung, but Gijun dodged every strike with ease.

‘My turn now.’

Gijun began casting Strong Blow again.

Chwaaaaaaak!

The moment Strong Blow erupted and wrapped around Beache’s body,

“Kuaaaaagh!”

black blood sprayed from every inch of Beache’s form.

Then he cast Fireball.

Five shape-shifted Fireballs rained down on Beache all at once.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Bang!

The shape-shifted Fireballs bored through Beache’s body, then detonated again.

Five new holes tore open across her frame.

She couldn’t even heal her wounds.

Blood poured endlessly from the gashes.

“Damn it… daaaaamn it!”

Beache lunged again.

Still gripping her sword.

But it was meaningless.

A fully cast Strong Blow knocked the blade aside.

Clang!

Her arm was mangled instead, and then her right arm tore away from her body, spinning up into the air.

Thud!

“Ah, aah…!”

A groan spilled from Beache’s parted lips.

Gijun charged forward.

Now close enough to Beache,

Chwaaaak!

Blood erupted from Beache’s body again under the force of Orca’s Footsteps.

Gijun cast Fireball.

A fierce flame roared to life in Gijun’s grasp.

He swung his hand toward Beache’s abdomen.

Crack—

The fire burst from his palm and exploded against her midsection.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BLAM!

Caught in the blast, Beache’s body hurtled into the air.

He unleashed another Skill.

Without pause, he poured out Skills in an unending torrent.

Beache’s breath wasn’t easily cut short.

Even with all her Magi suppressed, she was still a General of the Underworld.

That absurd Stamina showed no sign of running out.

But even that was only a matter of time…

Now that another reshaped Fireball had pierced her entire body.

BLAST-BLAST-BLAST-BOOM!

“Kyaaaaah!”

With the violent explosion, Beache’s scream hammered his ears.

“Ghhk, ghhhhnnn….”

Through the thick smoke, the sounds of Beache’s pained groans reached him.

A moment later, the flames cleared, revealing Beache.

“Guh—… Gahk…”

Beache trembled, blood pouring from its mouth.

[Time Remaining: 0:00:34]

The Harpoon of Annihilation had just 34 seconds left.

But that was enough.

Gijun felt it in his gut.

Beache was dying now.

“Huuuh… Haah…”

Gijun heaved for breath, his lungs burning.

Then Beache collapsed before him, limp and still.

It didn’t move again.

Its breath had finally run out.

“You—you did it!”

Amalta’s voice rang out from behind.

Gijun clenched his fist.

I took it down.

Just like Amalta had said.

He’d done it.

This was the moment he finally brought down the creature called Beache.

A message flashed before him.

[You have defeated Beache, General of the Underworld!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

.

.

.

The level-up messages poured in like a flood.

[You have achieved a Great Achievement!]

[All Stats increased by 20!]

[You have gained the Resistance Penetration effect at 20%!]

Then something clattered to the floor.

Clang!

What was that?

Gijun’s gaze shifted.

Toward whatever had fallen.

Metal.

Black as pitch.

What is this?

He bent and lifted it.

[You have acquired Irbrium, the metal of the Underworld!]

Irbrium.

The moment he lifted it, Gijun flinched.

What the—

Irbrium.

A metal whose very name was foreign.

But the energy radiating from within felt disturbingly familiar.

It’s like the aura of the Ancient Evil.

Literally.

An energy almost identical to the Ancient Evil was flowing out of this thing.

Which meant it was akin to the Magi of Beache and the Monarchs of the Underworld.

Even closer — it pulsed with the same signature as the Magin he’d encountered.

Amalta and Libre approached from beside him.

“You all right?”

“Yeah.”

The contamination that had been spreading across Amalta’s body had vanished.

His wounds were already closing.

[I administered emergency healing.]

“Thanks.”

[No. I only did what I must. But that thing…]

Libre’s eyes narrowed.

It was because of the Irbrium Gijun held.

“It appeared out of nowhere.”

[It seems to be a fragment of a Monarch…]

“What?”

[Literally. It means this metal is a solidified incarnation of a Monarch’s will.]

“Huh…”

Hearing that, he realized this metal might be an even bigger deal than he’d thought.

[But you cannot work it now. In truth, I doubt there is a smith in the world who could.]

“I see.”

A pang of regret struck him.

According to Libre, this wasn’t just some metal with ordinary power.

If he could forge equipment from it, the result would be phenomenal.

“Still, it’s better to hold onto it for now, right?”

[Yes. Entrust it to me. The power within is far too malevolent for you to carry.]

“Got it.”

Gijun handed the Irbrium over to Libre.

She took it, then channeled her Magic Power to create a subspace pocket.

And sealed the metal inside.

“Now then…”

“We should head to my mother first. This wound won’t heal easily.”

“Right.”

Gijun, Amalta, and Libre moved again, exiting the fortress.

*

“Everything’s cleared out here, too.”

The Demon Beasts that had been rampaging outside the fortress were all eliminated.

The work of the Plains Warriors.

“You’re back.”

One of the Plains Warriors approached.

“Yes. The interior is fully cleared as well.”

“Splendid. Seeker. And you, my descendant.”

Amalta bowed to them with formal respect.

“There are many wounded.”

“Aye. Their resistance was fierce.”

Gijun nodded.

But the situation wasn’t good.

Two more Generals still remained.

Amalta was badly injured, and the Plains Warriors had dwindled in number.

Can we keep fighting the other Generals like this?

The battle with Beache had taught him one thing.

The moment a Monarch’s power intervened, the difficulty spiked insanely.

If the remaining two Generals also had the Monarch’s backing…

No. What am I thinking.

Gijun shook his head.

This isn’t the time for weak thoughts.

He was right.

Even if no path was visible, stopping meant the end right there.

But if you kept thinking and moving, you’d inevitably find a way.

That was how it had always been.

“For now, we’ll return to Lord Hamal. You all should go back and gather yourselves.”

“Understood.”

With that, the warriors of the plains vanished.

Now, all that remained strewn about were the corpses of Demon Beasts, the shattered walls, and the fortress itself.

“Let’s go too.”

*

[You’ve worked hard.]

Back at the Temple of the Warrior.

Lord Hamal now looked far closer to his original form than before.

That meant he’d recovered a great deal of his Strength.

Hamal glanced at Libre.

[Heh heh… You’re still small and cute, aren’t you.]

[Ugh, that damn…!]

Libre’s two fists trembled with indignation.

But she soon regained her composure.

[Hmph. Can’t be helped. I’m entrusted with far more important duties than you, after all.]

[Well, I’ll concede that much.]

[…What’s this? You’re being suspiciously agreeable. Why accept it so easily?]

[What must be acknowledged must be acknowledged. Your master has already slain three Generals of the Underworld… That’s an achievement that far surpasses my expectations.]

[Heh heh. Naturally.]

Libre hopped up and settled onto Gijun’s shoulder.

[Even I have to admit, my master is truly remarkable.]

[At any rate, now that I’ve recovered a fair amount of my power, I have a bit of breathing room. Even the First Monarch of the Underworld won’t be able to act rashly.]

Gijun’s face brightened at those words.

It meant a fight with a General wasn’t coming right away.

[Of course, I can’t hold this fight in check indefinitely… but I can buy enough time for a breather.]

Even that was enough.

If he had some time, Gijun could grow stronger in the meantime.

[Ah, and another thing.]

Libre pulled something out of subspace as she spoke.

It was Irbrium.

[That is…?]

[Yes. It must be metal solidified from a Monarch’s thought-entity.]

[Without a doubt. But how did you come to possess it?]

Gijun answered Hamal’s question.

“After I defeated Beache, it suddenly appeared.”

[I see. So that’s it. And what do you plan to do with it?]

“I don’t know yet. According to Libre, there’s hardly any blacksmith who can work this metal…”

[No. There is one I know of.]

Gijun’s and Libre’s eyes went wide.

“Is that true?”

[Yes. The King of the Dead. If you meet him, you’ll find out.]

“Huh?”

[Hm?!]

[What is it?]

“…I’ve actually just come back from meeting the King of the Dead.”

[Is that so?]

“Yes. He gave me this.”

Gijun pulled out the Sain-geom.

[So it’s true indeed.]

Hamal’s lips parted in a small gasp.

[Then this will speed things up. Go to him and show him that metal—he’ll introduce you to a smith who can work it.]

Gijun clenched his fist.

An unexpected solution, dropped right into his hands.

But one problem remained.

He had no idea how to get back there.

[I will open the path to the Forest of the Dead for you.]

Of course, that worry was groundless.

Hamal moved his hand, and a Gate materialized inside the temple.

Through the circular portal, the forest’s landscape shimmered into view.

[Enter this, and you’ll head toward the Forest of the Dead.]