Chapter 277 - Whirlpool (3)

"N-no...!"

Those were the man's last words. Amelia ignored him completely and stamped down, crushing his head like a dropped watermelon.

CRUNCH.

It felt a little anticlimactic. After such a desperate struggle, this was how it ended?

"Barbarian."

Amelia turned her attention to me.

"You're badly hurt."

What was she talking about?

"You're one to talk. You're missing an entire arm."

"There wasn't enough time."

What did time have to do with this? Were we even having the same conversation?

Just as that question crossed my mind, Amelia, who was searching the man's corpse, spoke.

"I didn't expect him to have kept this, too."

She pulled a severed arm out of his subspace.

What the hell? Why did he have that in there?

I grimaced involuntarily, but Amelia calmly held the arm against her stump.

'Come on, that's not going to...'

"It'll take another day for the nerves to return to normal."

'... It attached?'

All she'd done was hold it firmly in place for about ten seconds, yet it stuck fast as though she'd used glue. Judging by how perfectly the proportions matched, it did seem to be her own arm.

'Come to think of it, she said potions didn't work on her.'

I recalled a brief conversation we'd had in the sewers.

["... Didn't you take a potion?"]

["It's just how my body works."]

'So she really did absorb that Essence.'

[Source of Agelessness].

A Passive Skill that prevented its user from receiving any healing effects, including potions, in exchange for greatly increased natural regeneration. It even allowed missing body parts to regrow with time, making it pretty good value—

"B-Bjorn! Are you okay, nyah? How did you get this hurt again, nyah...!"

Oh, right. This wasn't the time.

Finally snapping out of it, I pushed myself up off the ground. I was dying to know what had happened to Misha, but that could wait.

"I'm... fine. Just help me walk."

"O-okay. Come here, nyah!"

With her supporting me, I walked over to my companions. Everyone was gathered in one place.

"Misha... I'm glad you're safe. Mr. Jandel was terribly worried about you..."

"Ah, sorry I'm late, nyah. Something happened, nyah. But who's that lying in the middle...?"

Then Misha saw the fallen man's face and recoiled in shock.

"A-Avman?! Is he d-dead, nyah...?"

"..."

Raven didn't answer. She only stared at the ground, bitterness in her eyes.

When I took my hand off Misha's shoulder, she hurried over to check Mister Bear's breathing.

"He's... not breathing, nyah..."

She stared at me, eyes wide with alarm, then quickly moved her hand over his heart.

And...

"I can't feel... a pulse either, nyah. Th-then he really is..."

Unable to finish, she hung her head.

At that, Raven pressed her lips together as though she might burst into tears and gave a brief answer.

"... Yes."

What a comedy.

'What do you mean, yes?'

Ugh, at this rate I'd die first.

"Why are you... writing off a man... who's still alive?"

Dragging my battered body over to Mister Bear, I turned the bracelet on his thick wrist so they could see it clearly.

No. 7611, Necromancer's Arrogance.

When its wearer sustained fatal damage, it put them in suspended animation and granted immunity to damage for a set period.

"Luckily... it seems to have... worked."

Only one of the bracelet's gems was still glowing.

Had Raven not known about this item?

"What? What do you mean...?"

I didn't have the energy for a lengthy explanation, so I simply uncorked a potion and poured it over Mister Bear.

HISSSSS.

The partially dried blood began to bubble and froth. Proof that Mister Bear was still alive. Potions didn't react at all on someone whose life had ended.

"Ersina, what are you doing? Hurry... heal him."

"Ah, ah... Yes! Right away!"

With the priestess's healing added to the potion, Mister Bear's wounds began closing rapidly.

Whew. At this point, it was safe to say he'd live.

Thank goodness I'd made it over before the item's effect expired. Thank goodness I'd somehow stayed conscious even though I'd felt ready to collapse at any moment. Without me, wouldn't they all have just stood there crying, thinking he was dead?

"Mister, you come over here, too. We need to treat you right away..."

Erwin approached and said something to me. But perhaps confirming Mister Bear's survival had drained away all my tension.

"Ah."

Right. I needed treatment, too.

"Huh?"

Just as I tried to move, the ground began to tilt.

THUD!

That was my last memory of that day.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it was dark. Dense trees surrounded me, a small patch of night sky showing through their blue-black leaves.

CRACKLE, POP!

I could hear a campfire. An inexplicable sense of comfort made me want to stay like this a little longer.

But...

'First, figure out the situation.'

I planted my hands on the ground and forced myself upright. From my shoulders to my back to my calves, every inch of me ached. Thanks to Pain Tolerance, though, the sensation was a little different from pain.

"Whew."

I let out a long breath. Had that tiny sound woken her? A pointy-ear poked her head out of the sleeping bag beside mine, rubbing her eyes.

"... Mister! You're awake!"

It was Erwin.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"... For now."

I glanced around as I answered. There were several sleeping bags nearby, so everyone else seemed to be asleep.

'Looks like we're camping.'

Looking farther out, I saw monsters held back by a translucent curtain. The effect of [Proclamation: Destruction of Evil].

Of course, someone was on watch.

"Finally awake, I see."

Amelia Reinweils. The woman I'd run into by chance time and again, though I still couldn't tell whether our connection was a blessing or a curse.

"... What happened?"

"It's been about a day since you lost consciousness. That's all."

Hmm. I didn't remember asking how much time had passed.

"I meant why you were with Misha, why your companions betrayed you, and anything else I ought to know."

"I see."

After I spelled it out simply enough for a three-year-old to understand, Amelia nodded and answered.

"Ask your companions about that."

Hah. Prickly as ever.

"Erwin, tell me."

I redirected my questions to Erwin and got a rough account of events.

"I-I'm not sure where to start... I'll begin with what happened after you collapsed."

Apparently, everyone had been frantic when I lost consciousness. After all, they couldn't heal me.

Mister Bear's unhealable state had been caused by the drake's skill, but I'd been poisoned by the swordsman's blade, which wasn't so easily dealt with.

["H-he'll definitely die at this rate."]

["What? Can't you use magic, nyah?!"]

["Detoxification magic is versatile, but it isn't specialized enough for this. It's impossible."]

["Th-then what about Divine Power?"]

["This poison is so potent it's a miracle he's been able to move all this time. In my current condition, I don't have enough Divine Power to purge it."]

["Bjorn isn't a warrior who'll die in a place like this!! Save him!!"]

Magical detoxification wasn't feasible, and the priestess had run out of Divine Power, making healing impossible as well.

That was when Amelia stepped in.

["Use this. It's probably the antidote."]

She found an antidote among the items in the swordsman's bag and handed it to the group, allowing them to neutralize the poison.

"Fortunately, it seemed to work. When we gave you a potion afterward, your wounds started healing."

That settled my health crisis for the time being. But things hadn't exactly become less chaotic afterward. Monsters were still pouring in from every direction, and everyone was in terrible shape. Having to look after an unconscious Mister Bear and me must have made things much harder.

"Still, thanks to that lady over there... helping us, we managed to hold out until the priestess could use [Proclamation: Destruction of Evil] again."

"And that brings us to now."

"Huh? No. This is our third break like this."

Erwin said that when they first put up the barrier, the atmosphere had been almost as murderous as when they were fighting monsters. All because of Patzran and Amelia.

["We had no choice but to cooperate earlier, but that woman is a plunderer from Noark. We can't trust her. She's the one who attacked us in the first place."]

["Wh-what?! She's from N-Noark, nyah...?!!"]

["Don't tell me you've been traveling with her without even knowing that. You've been lucky in more ways than one."]

Patzran hadn't hidden his hostility toward Amelia, and she'd been no different. She might not have been the first to show it, but...

["You talk too much. If you want to attack me, go ahead."]

Rather than sidestep his hostility, she'd watered the seeds of discord. As murderous tension filled the barrier...

["S-stop it, both of you, nyah! I didn't know she was from Noark... but she isn't a bad person, nyah!"]

Misha had defended Amelia.

["What do you plan to do next time if she's gone? Mr. Patzran, think rationally. Her companions betrayed her, too, didn't they? With only two of them left, they won't attack us. Besides, if she wanted to, she'd have done it already."]

Raven had also tried to take a rational approach and mediate. Naturally, neither party had listened.

["You want me to forget every grievance just because the situation has changed? As if harming Draus wasn't enough, that woman sent pursuers after us. We'd probably have died if we hadn't handled it properly."]

["What a pity. If you'd died then, I wouldn't have to listen to your whining now."]

["What? You plundering bitch...!"]

Patzran had drawn the spare sword he carried, and Amelia had drawn her dagger to face him.

But...

["Yes. You've made the right decision, Sir Patzran."]

In the end, he hadn't swung. I didn't know him all that well, but he wasn't that stupid.

["I'll be watching you. Don't even think about trying anything."]

An uncomfortable rest had followed. Once the barrier ended, they fought monsters again, then rested whenever [Proclamation: Destruction of Evil] came off cooldown.

Mister Bear had woken during the second break.

["Haha... Don't tell my wife about today. She'll make me quit exploring for sure."]

Worrying about the aftermath as soon as he woke up, Mister Bear had soon regained his strength and rejoined the front line.

And...

"That was when the monsters coming out suddenly changed."

The third wave had begun while I was unconscious. Its miniboss was a Grade 4 monster. There had been several close calls, including the priestess being knocked unconscious by the boss, but Amelia had fulfilled her role as the main damage dealer and brought them victory.

"What about an Essence?"

"It didn't drop one."

Sigh. Of course not. Did that mean only the final boss remained? I really hoped that one would drop an Essence.

'No, shouldn't I be worrying about whether we can kill it first?'

A sudden flood of thoughts filled my head, but I set them aside and listened to the rest of Erwin's account. There was less to it than I'd expected. She went on at length, but it boiled down to fighting, resting, and Patzran and Amelia sniping at each other.

"Anyway, that brings us to now."

"Yes. Did that answer all your questions?"

Some of them.

"Thanks. You must be tired. Get some rest."

"... No, I'll stay with you."

Hmm. I didn't think she needed to go that far, but it'd be silly to make an issue of it.

"But, Mister, um... shouldn't we wake Misha?"

"Misha? No. I know she's alive and well. Why wake her? Let her sleep."

The fact that not one person had woken despite our conversation said enough. Exhaustion from the grueling battles must have pushed them to their limits. We could talk later.

Which meant it was time to hear the other side of the story.

"It's been a while, Amelia."

I climbed all the way out of my sleeping bag and sat in front of the fire. Then I thanked her.

"Thanks for helping earlier... No, yesterday."

"That's a long preamble for a barbarian. If you have questions, just ask."

Hey, even barbarians could manage this much courtesy... Whatever. I was always happy to get straight to the point.

"What happened with Misha?"

"Didn't that elf tell you?"

"I thought it'd be better to hear it from you."

"... Tch."

Amelia clicked her tongue in annoyance, but surprisingly, she told me what had happened without further protest. How Camilla and Belverson had betrayed her. How she'd met Misha while fleeing and received her help.

One part in particular really surprised me.

"What? A [Proclamation: Destruction of Evil] scroll? You had something that rare?"

Divine scrolls were no longer produced, as the methods for making them had been lost long ago. Naturally, they were treasures that could command any price.

Where on earth had she gotten something like...

'... Oh. She must've looted it.'

"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt. Go on."

"I don't like that look in your eyes."

"You're imagining it. Just imagining it."

Anyway, thanks to the [Proclamation: Destruction of Evil] scroll, Amelia and Misha had weathered the monster wave safely. Afterward, she'd recovered enough to move.

"I still don't get it. How did just the two of you make it through all those monsters to get here?"

"... There's an Essence that prevents monsters from attacking first."

Oh, so she'd absorbed that Essence? But why? Even for a Scout, that was a problem solved by bringing along a priest...

'Oh, right. Noark doesn't have priests.'

Besides, now that I thought about it, she was a plunderer. That Essence must have been incredibly useful when roaming the Labyrinth alone.

"So, is that everything you wanted to know?"

"No, a few more things."

"Go ahead."

"Do you know what caused this island to end up like this?"

Who had activated this island's event? I phrased the question indirectly, and Amelia gave me the answer.

"Camilla and Belverson tampered with Gabrilius's arrangement. When I escaped alive, they apparently decided they had to trap me here and finish me off somehow."

Hmm. So that was what had happened. Maybe one of those two had been a Player, too.

Gabrilius's arrangement meant a hidden piece. But even among Players, hardly anyone seemed to know about the hidden piece on this island.

"Did you hear that directly from the summoner when you interrogated her?"

"Yes."

"What did you do with her?"

"I don't forgive traitors."

So she'd killed her.

'Ugh, why kill her after going to all the trouble of taking her alive?'

I couldn't hold back a disappointed sigh. After all, that woman had been an explorer with a rare flying summon. We could have used her to leave the island immediately.

'What's done is done.'

Rather than blame Amelia and sour our relationship, I turned my attention elsewhere.

"Anyway, did you find what you were looking for?"

"..."

Amelia clamped her mouth shut. She seemed to be debating whether to tell me.

I spoke coaxingly.

"Come now. After everything, why keep secrets between us?"

"Hmm. Between us?"

"Like it or not, I did save your life."

"What are you talking about...?"

"Do you think Misha would've saved you if I hadn't known you?"

"..."

Amelia didn't argue, perhaps because she agreed. She merely clicked her tongue and answered my question.

"I recovered it. Despite his claim that he'd hidden it somewhere, it was sitting right there in his subspace."

"Somehow, I thought as much. People like that wouldn't let treasure out of their possession."

"Then you're done with your questions now?"

No, of course not.

"Just one more."

I asked my final question.

"What exactly is that thing? From what I've heard, it has enough power to change history—"

"Stop."

Amelia cut me off sharply, her expression twisting.

Ah. Was this a sensitive subject?

"Y-you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just curious!"

Seeing the grim set of her mouth, I hastily offered an excuse, trying to make it clear I hadn't meant to overstep.

But had I misunderstood something?

"A monster."

Amelia stared into the air and said something rather unexpected.

... A monster?

WHOOOOSH!

Barely had I tilted my head when fierce winds swept in from every direction, shaking the branches. Only then did I understand.

Sigh. I'd wanted to rest a little longer.

"There's a monster nearby. At least Grade 3. Wake your companions, now."

Right. The final wave had begun.