Chapter 82 - Sewers (3)

We’re descending the stairs. Even with our torches and the light-orb spell active, there’s no end to the darkness in sight. It feels like we’re wandering through a bottomless abyss.

“I’ll pick up the pace a little.”

At Rotmiller’s discretion, we descend faster.

How much time passes after that?

“Huh...”

“To think there was such a vast space beneath the sewers.”

“Hahaha! Humans alone could never manage construction on this scale. Whatever its purpose, my ancestors must have built it.”

At last, we step off the final stair into a wide-open cavern. The ceiling alone is over six meters high, giving the place a sense of openness that’s hard to believe possible underground.

“There’s only one visible path for now.”

Rotmiller surveys our surroundings and points. Looking closer, I spot a passage behind an unidentifiable stone statue weathered by time.

“The woman’s scent continues this way, too. If my guess is right, we may run into her soon.”

All right, then.

“I’ll take the lead from here.”

Since it’s a straight passage, we change formation. I take point, with Rotmiller following to help navigate. I send the dwarf to the rear to guard against a possible ambush.

“Dwalki, stay close to me, nyah.”

“I-I will.”

Misha’s job is to protect our mage in the middle, then move to support either the front or rear as needed.

“Let’s move.”

We walk down the passage until we reach a fork. We don’t know the way, but that’s no problem. We have Rotmiller the bloodhound along for the journey.

“She definitely went that way.”

We take the left path, where he says her scent leads.

But what’s this now?

“... Another fork.”

We’ve reached another junction, this time with no fewer than five choices.

“Rotmiller?”

“Ah, it’s a little unclear. Her scent is in every passage. Perhaps she was wandering around lost.”

“Does that mean you can’t follow her anymore?”

“Not at all. Let’s go that way. The lingering scent is particularly strong, so I believe that’s where she passed most recently.”

“I see.”

Navigation and tracking aren’t my field, so I obediently follow the expert’s directions.

Except...

‘What is this place?’

Before long, we reach another junction.

I’m beginning to get a sense of this place’s layout. I have no idea what purpose could possibly require a design like this, but... it’s a maze.

“Hikurod, do you have any idea what this place is for, nyah? You’re a dwarf, nyah.”

“Ha, haha! It’s narrow-minded to assume every dwarf has a profound knowledge of architecture. So... Dwalki, what do you think? You’re a mage, aren’t you?”

“Do you think every mage is a sage who has grasped all truth? I haven’t the faintest idea why people of old would deliberately build such a place underground.”

Questions spread through the party. I nip them in the bud before they become any more bothersome.

“Enough chatter. Whatever this place is for, all we have to do is catch that bitch and go back.”

“That’s true, nyah, but...”

“If you’re that curious, ask the administrative agency. That’ll be more accurate than our guesses.”

The three chatterboxes promptly shut their mouths.

Whew. Why am I, the barbarian, stuck playing drill sergeant?

Rotmiller really is the only one I can rely on. He’s the only man here who always quietly does his job.

“Bjorn, stop.”

“What is it?”

“The scent suddenly became much stronger. I don’t think this is just a lingering trace...”

Rotmiller trails off, sniffs again, and his eyes sharpen.

“I’m certain. She’s coming toward us from the other side.”

He points to the second passage from the left. I never expected her to come to us on her own. It’s a little sudden, but I check the important thing first.

“How long?”

“I can’t be certain without knowing her speed.”

“Give me your best guess.”

“... About two minutes, I’d say.”

“Did she spot us first?”

“I don’t think so. This is only a guess... but I suspect she’s lost.”

Hmm. That certainly sounds plausible.

Instead of the dwarf, who’s merely listening to our conversation wide-eyed, I come up with a plan.

“Everyone, get ready to fight. We’ll hide, then jump her all at once when she arrives.”

First, we conceal ourselves in an adjoining passage. Rotmiller readies his crossbow, and Dwalki starts casting in preparation for the ambush.

We’ve barely finished when—

TAP, TAP.

Footsteps reach us from far away. They draw steadily closer.

But...

TAP.

At a certain point, they stop.

‘What happened?’

I’m tapping Rotmiller’s shoulder, asking the question with my eyes, when—

PATTER-PATTER-PATTER!

Hurried footsteps echo through the passage.

“Bjorn!”

Misha cries out in a whisper, and I close my eyes.

The echoes make it confusing, but once I focus on my hearing, I can tell. She isn’t running toward us...

“She’s running away.”

“She must have realized we were hiding here,” Rotmiller says urgently.

I agree. What other reason would she have to turn around and sprint off when she’d been walking perfectly normally?

“What will we do?”

“Do you have a bad feeling about this?”

“I’m not sure.”

All right, then.

“What are you doing? Get moving and lead the way.”

We were the ones being chased in the Witch’s Forest...

“We need to catch her and kill her before she gets any farther.”

But now the tables have turned.

* * *

Carui.

The being known as the evil god, or the god of darkness.

He was as reasonable as he was capricious. Blind faith was always rewarded.

[“I offer this blood, flesh, and soul. Please, show me the way...!”]

Elisa Vehench.

It was that very aspect of her god that had allowed her to survive the Witch’s Forest.

After sacrificing three explorers she happened upon in a hut, she received advice that burning corpses would extend her rest time, along with a new power called [Undeath]. Using it kept monsters from attacking her first and made her immune to the Witch’s Forest’s regional effect.

That was why—

[“Huh? That woman...!”]

[“What are you doing? Run!”]

—when she happened to discover the dwarf’s party in the forest, she had been able to pursue them to the end. Without its regional effect, it was just an ordinary forest.

Unfortunately, the pursuit ended in failure. When they ascended to the fourth floor, she hurried after them, but the portal changed color a moment too soon and sent her somewhere else.

As for the monsters crowding the portal? She endured all ten days using [Undeath].

Then she returned to the city.

[“Priestess Vehench, where are you going with all that luggage?”]

She immediately packed only what she needed and fled. She had seen what happened to apostate priests time and again. For her, the city was now more dangerous than the Labyrinth.

But wasn’t there always a way to survive, even when the sky fell?

The capricious evil god offered advice as well. He said the city hidden beneath the sewers, with their filth and wretched fugitives, would accept her.

[“What the hell? This is my spot! Get lost!”]

Following the evil god’s guidance, she had little trouble finding the “gate” hidden in the sewers. The vagrant already living there posed no great problem either.

However...

[“Offer sacrifices.”]

The capricious evil god did not tell her how to open the “gate.”

So she roamed the sewers, gathering and offering dozens of sacrifices. In return, she learned how to open it and descended underground.

But...

‘What is this place?!’

The passages were far too complicated. She wandered in the darkness for hours on end. The capricious evil god seemed to have no intention of showing her the way until she offered more sacrifices.

In the midst of all that...

‘...?’

The [Call of an Evil God] she had set up as a precaution using her sacrifices’ remaining vitality activated.

From then on, an uneasy premonition plagued her. They might be pursuers sent by the temple. She wandered the maze, watching her surroundings a little more carefully.

That was when it happened.

[“Keeheeheeheehee!”]

The evil god suddenly burst into laughter. Unease rising, she stopped. When he did that, it usually meant danger and hardship lay on the path ahead.

‘Could it be pursuers?’

She stood still for a moment and focused on her hearing. Faint breathing reached her through the silence, from beyond the passage she had been about to take.

The instant she realized this, she ran the other way.

Apparently she had not imagined it, for she soon heard someone following behind her.

Except...

“What are you doing? Get moving and lead the way. We need to catch her and kill her before she gets any farther.”

That clipped voice sounded familiar.

“Bjorn! Be careful, nyah! That evil bitch might have set something up, nyah!”

Then she realized exactly who they were.

Bjorn Jandel. The brainless barbarian bastard who had struck first with his mace even after she identified herself as a priestess—and his companions.

‘They weren’t sent by the temple...?’

Recognizing them, she slowed without thinking. She didn’t know how they had found out and followed her all the way here, but...

‘This is for the best.’

She came to a stop.

Last time, they had defeated her and forced her to flee, but hadn’t that been because she had expended so much power resurrecting herself?

「Elisa Vehench has summoned [Gate to the Demonic Realm].」

If both sides were at full strength, there was no way she would lose.

* * *

Just as we seem to be steadily closing the distance—

TAP-TAP!

The running footsteps echoing through the darkness stop. Then eerie noises ring out from beyond the passage.

[“Kyaaaaaah!”]

[“Gekekekekeke!”]

The eerie noises approach rapidly. Soon they enter the radius of our torchlight, revealing dozens of four-legged monsters.

‘[Gate of the Dead].’

I’m impressed all over again. Perhaps because she hasn’t spent her power resurrecting herself, this is definitely different from last time.

「Elisa Vehench has summoned [Shadow Guards].」

The sheer numbers alone are on another level. Along with [Gate of the Dead], which spews monsters for several minutes, she’s summoning Shadow Guards without restraint. Their momentum is truly like a tidal wave.

Still...

“What are you doing? Let’s go smash them.”

There’s no need to chicken out. None of that changes anything.

“Hahaha! You barbarian bastard! I regretted leaving you behind, but here you are, crawling to your own death! I won’t let you escape this time!”

Bullshit. She won’t let me escape? That’s my line.

“This time, I’ll smash your fucking skull!”

The battle begins with us exchanging declarations. From the outset, it’s nothing like our last fight, which dragged on for tens of minutes.

SLASH!

The Shadow Guards with their fairly high Physical Resistance? Every wild swing of Misha’s twin swords slices through them helplessly.

“... Were they always this easy, nyah?”

Well, she has an ice-element bonus now.

Besides, the curses that were so troublesome then don’t work anymore.

「Elisa Vehench casts [Lesser Decay].」

「Elisa Vehench casts [Strength Reduction].」

「Leor Wuerv Dwalki has cast the rank-7 support spell [Brilliance].」

「All evil-element effects afflicting party members are dispelled.」

Was it because of his recent windfall? I told him to learn Remove Curse, and he came back with [Brilliance], an area-of-effect purification spell.

“Heh heh. What do you think?”

“Impressive.”

I toss the smug Dwalki a casual compliment. I get the feeling he took what I said last time to heart.

Anyway, it’s about time I joined the fight. Simply forming a shield wall and blocking the way would more than fulfill my share of the work, but... it isn’t efficient.

“VEHELLLAAAAAA!”

As I roar the ancestral god’s name, vitality actually begins surging through my body.

「The character has used [Wild Outburst].」

「The character’s Threat stat temporarily triples, and Physical stats increase in proportion to that value.」

The passage is too narrow to combine it with [Gigantification], but the effect is more than enough.

[“Grrrrrr.”]

Sensing the threat, the summons begin charging straight at me.

‘This feels like playing a hack-and-slash game.’

As if venting all my past frustrations, I swing my upsized mace like a madman.

THWACK! THWACK! WHACK!

Physical Resistance or not, guards burst apart with every swing.

I suddenly remember my old self, fighting for my life against a handful of goblins, and a peculiar thrill runs through me.

Yeah. This is why I play RPGs.

THUNK!

“Aaagh!”

With the aggro drawn to me and the guards scattered, Rotmiller takes advantage of the opening to land a crossbow bolt. The dwarf also uses his Lightning Unleash combo to clear a temporary path.

I charge straight through it.

“Bjorn, it’s dangerous to go alone—”

“VEHELLLAAAAAA!”

Summons blocking the passage be damned, I close the distance rapidly. At last, I can clearly see that bitch Elisa’s face.

“Th-this can’t be...”

She looks utterly disbelieving. What, didn’t expect to get your ass kicked this one-sidedly?

I call out ahead of time.

“Dwalki, now!”

“Now...?”

Dwalki echoes the question in confusion, but... I’m an elite barbarian who doesn’t repeat past mistakes.

“Hurry!”

“A-all right!”

While Misha and the dwarf, who have already caught up beside me, provide support, I keep smashing my way through.

Thirty meters, twenty, ten...

The distance shrinks rapidly. I make a great leap, lunging at that bitch Elisa as if sliding into her.

But the moment I reach out to grab her, her body turns translucent and begins rising into the air.

「Elisa Vehench has cast [Spirit Form].」

[Spirit Form]. A high-tier movement ability that grants physical immunity and even lets her glide.

“You bastards! I will never forget this humili—”

Never forget, my ass. If she thinks we’re the same people who helplessly watched her escape last time, she’s mistaken.

“Dwalki!”

The instant I shout behind me—

“It’s ready!”

The spell I requested in advance is completed and launched. It’s the spell Dwalki says he paid a whopping 1.3 million Stones to learn at the Magic Tower this time.

「Leor Wuerv Dwalki has cast the rank-8 curse spell [Materialization].」

[Materialization].

An enemy hit by this spell loses physical immunity. In other words, even a warrior with no equipment can beat up spirit-type monsters.

Of course, it’s completely useless if it misses, but...

「Leor Wuerv Dwalki has cast the rank-9 support spell [Aim Assist].」

Our Dwalki is finally starting to move beyond being a half-baked mage.

“Ugh, ah! Eek!”

The moment [Spirit Form] wears off, my outstretched fingers make contact. It’s much like my first battle with a goblin.

Whether it’s a wrist, an ankle, or even her neck doesn’t matter. I simply tighten my grip on whatever I’ve caught, collar or otherwise, and—

CRASH!

—slam her into the floor with all my strength.

Then I immediately straddle her upper body. Apparently it did enough damage to stun her, because that bitch Elisa convulses, glaring up at me.

“Ugh! Uh, ah, uhhh, ugh...!”

It sounds like she’s trying to curse me out... Still haven’t fixed that idiotic way of talking, huh?

Of course, I have no intention of letting my guard down just because my opponent is an idiot. This is the same bitch who got up like a zombie, shoulders twitching, even with her head crushed.

I smoothly lift my mace at once. But just as I’m about to bring it down with all my strength—

“W-wait!”

Dwalki urgently calls out to stop me.

“Wouldn’t it be better to bring her in alive for a larger reward?”

Hmm. The wanted poster did say that, but I didn’t expect him to care about something like this.

... Is it because he’s finally had a taste of real money?

He really has become a proper explorer now.

“True. Killing her would be a waste.”

I get off that bitch Elisa, then have Dwalki cast [Paralytic Poison]. After that—

WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

With no personal feelings involved, I strike each of Elisa’s arms and legs once with my mace. Bone and flesh are thoroughly crushed.

“... Was all that necessary?”

The dwarf frowns, but, well...

“She might escape otherwise.”

I’ve always believed it’s better to do too much than too little in matters like these. In that spirit, I bind the crippled Elisa tightly with rope and sling her over my shoulder like a piece of luggage.

“We’ve gotten a lot stronger, nyah. I never thought we’d win this easily, nyah...”

Misha returns after finishing off the few remaining summons, murmuring in an exhilarated voice.

I agree. Less than three minutes have passed since the battle began. Since we fought this enemy relatively recently, our growth feels tangible.

Still, we can save the mutual compliments and congratulations for the tavern later.

“Rotmiller, lead the way.”

I pat his shoulder as I speak. We’ve accomplished everything we came for. Time to leave this creepy underground space—

‘Huh?’

What’s this now? Why isn’t he moving when I’ve called him?

I call Rotmiller’s name aloud again.

“... Rotmiller?”

Again, there’s no answer.

Only then do I realize something is wrong and hurriedly check my other companions.

“Misha? Dwalki? Hikurod...?”

No one answers. Even now, I’d gladly hear them say they were just pretending I was invisible...

But that can’t be it.

“...”

At some point, a suffocating silence has surrounded me.

I murmur quietly.

“I’m fucked.”

Ha. I knew things were going too smoothly.