Volume 6 Chapter 3 Part 4 (2/2)
His body started convulsing wildly, with jerky movements like a puppet with unoiled joints.
”What's going on?”
s.h.i.+n was puzzled at Eline's sudden strange movements.
”Aaahgahwhy? N-noNOOOOOOOO!!!”
Eline screamed out of the blue.
Perhaps he had been hiding something in card form, Eline was holding a short sword with a black blade in his hand. After that, right before s.h.i.+n and Wilhelm's eyes, Eline stabbed himself with that same blade.
”What the!?”
The sudden insane act stopped both s.h.i.+n and Wilhelm in their tracks for an instant.
The moment the blade penetrated Eline's body, his HP gauge, as it appeared in s.h.i.+n's eyes, instantly dropped to 0.
Instant death.
”Gahi”
Eline whispered something, spat blood and dropped to the ground. A mixture of fear and confusion remained on his face.
”Give mea breaksuicide all of a sudden? Is this a sick joke?”
Unable to understand what had happened, s.h.i.+n grimaced at the blood flowing from Eline.
”We don't know for sure. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d sure didn't look like someone who was thinking of offing himself.”
It was clear that it had not happened because of Eline's will. His movements, as if under someone's control, led s.h.i.+n to think of a certain item.
s.h.i.+n drew closer to Eline and examined his neck, arms, legs. However, not a single submission item similar to Millie's could be seen.
”So, he wasn't controlled via an item?”
”Looks like it. Did he have any abnormal statuses?”
”No, it didn't look like he was affected by anything”
s.h.i.+n checked Eline's general status display, but found no trace of status abnormalities.
He wasn't controlled by an item, nor under the effect of confusion or brainwas.h.i.+ng. It was a very odd situation.
(Could it be something I'm not aware of? Or is there something I missed?)
As the game turned into reality, it was highly possible that something not existing before now did. However, it could simply be that s.h.i.+n had forgotten about it.
Even a long-time player like s.h.i.+n could not remember all events and in such detail.
”I can't think of anything related, but it's probably better to check with Schnee too.”
”Why's that?”
”Well, it could be something I forgot about.”
As s.h.i.+n mentioned that Schnee and the others might know something about it, Wilhelm nodded in approval.
”It's surprising that there are things that even you don't know. Anyway, he was raised by Bulk since he was a child. The Summit Faction likely did something to him, not that I pity him though.”
Rather than an item, he could have been under the effect of magic. If that was true, that could perhaps also explain his contorted personality.
Wilhelm, having heard of Eline's feats from Jai, did not have any compa.s.sion to spare.
Memory manipulation by an item could delete memories but it could not affect the person's personality. And Eline who actually used this type of item, said as such.
Even after such a death, it was clear that he wasn't worthy of pity.
”We got the information, but I can't call this a pleasant way to close the curtains.”
”I feel the same. The bodyI suppose we can leave it here.”
This room too was inside Palmirack.
As with the chosen one who exploded, after some time pa.s.sed the corpse would be dispersed.
The two removed all of Eline's equipment and items, searching for what could have been manipulating him. Not even s.h.i.+n knew of a way to preserve corpses, thus they left it to be dispersed.
As s.h.i.+n left the room with Wilhelm, a Mind Chat from s.h.i.+baid reached him.
”(s.h.i.+n, we have subdued Bulk's subordinates who attacked us.)”
”(They came to you then, as expected. What happened to Bulk?)”
”(He ran away with a teleport crystal stone. However, the crystal seemed to be quite low in purity. He should have fallen in the maze section.)”
”(Please give me a secondyes, I found him. Leave the rest to me.)”
s.h.i.+n, who had activated Palmirack, could use part of its functions even without the control console.
He used the search function he had previously used to find Wilhelm and confirmed that Bulk was moving within Palmirack.
Even a teleport crystal stone of the highest purity would not allow instant escape if used inside Palmirack.
Even s.h.i.+baid, whose fighting-oriented job did not grant especially high appraisal ability, understood that the crystal stone used by Bulk was a low purity one. Such a crystal stone would not allow the user to flee, but instead would transport him directly to the maze section, built for intruders.
As he closed the Mind Chat with s.h.i.+baid, s.h.i.+n called to Wilhelm, who was walking ahead.
”Listen, Wilhelm. It looks like Bulk ran away. I'm going to go catch him, so go ahead and join the others.”
”He ran away? You don't need any help?”
”I already know where he is, so no problem. He can't get out, or rather, he ended up in the maze section we used for training. If we leave him there, he's going to die. We have information to extract from him too, so I'm going to secure him.”
”Looks like his luck finally ran out, eh? I'm going ahead then. Make sure you give him a good scare.”
Wilhelm, with an evil grin, walked on through the corridor.
After seeing him off, s.h.i.+n used Teleport.
”Aaaahh!! Eeeekk!! What, what's going ooon!”
Forcing his pudgy body to an awkward run, Bulk cursed his fate.
Bulk, church priest and central member in the Summit Faction at the same time. After gaining a p.a.w.n such as Eline, he had stained his hands in all sorts of evil deeds.
Drunken by the vision of attaining High Human status, he had slain not only monsters but also other humans.
He was responsible for the death of many humans with special abilities, offering them in ritual sacrifice.
After gaining control of the Holy Woman and the knight guarding her, thanks to an item obtained by chance, he even managed to control a girl with the ”Star Reader” t.i.tle. In that moment, he thought that the whole world was moving to help him become a High Human.
”s.h.i.+t!! Someone of my caliber is not supposed to end in a place like this..! Bwah!”
Bulk was running frantically, but finally his unhealthy lifestyle caught up and his feet tripped each other up. He fell to the ground and, unable to break the fall, was struck badly all over his body.
”Gaah! Where is this place supposed to be anyway! I used the teleport crystal, so why am I not outside!?”
Bulk flew in a fit of anger while squirming because of the pain.
He was supposed to have been transported outside Palmirack, but he found himself inside a dark cavern instead. The unexpected situation was already pus.h.i.+ng Bulk's frail spiritual fort.i.tude to its limits.
”Grrrrrrrrrrrr”
”Eeep!”
What eroded Bulk's spirit the most was the roaring cry which would sometimes resonate in the cavern. The cry, clearly coming from a monster, was coming closer and closer to Bulk's position.
He could not see where the corridor lead, no exit was in sight, nor were any of his guards escorting him.
The increasingly louder roar was shaking Bulk to his core.
”Da-d.a.m.nitall!!!”
”Yo”
A hand touched Bulk's shoulder as he was about to run again. As Bulk turned around, his field of vision was filled with the figure of a man emerging from the darkness.
This new surprise caused the already tense Bulk to utter an incomprehensible scream: ”KWESDRFIGYYFIJIKIIII!!”
”Fijiki” is the only thing I could make out from that.”
Bulk had jumped up, crashed back down, and was now looking up at the face of the young man who talked to him.
”W-what in blazes is going on!! But no matter! You, take me out of here! Now! I am a church priest, you shall be amply rewarded.”
Bulk, in a state of confusion because of the extreme situation, barked his orders without confirming the young man's ident.i.ty.
To such a Bulk, the young man talked with a smile and a menacing tone.
”Hahaha. Your face is the only joke we need here, pig b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
”W-what did you say? I'm a priest of the church, I said!!”
The young man walked closer to Bulk while cracking his knuckles. The closer he came, the farther Bulk crawled.
In that moment, Bulk finally understood that the young man had clearly hostile intentions.
But it was far too late.
”I have a bunch of things to ask you. You better answer if you want to stay in one piece.”
Eyes lit up in the dim darkness.
A completely artificial smile.
Hostility so palpable that his instinct was screaming to run away.
It was the manifestation of fear, a terror the likes of Bulk had never experienced before.
Bulk had no room to crawl backwards anymore, and part of his clothes had started to become slightly damp. A faint scent of ammonia p.r.i.c.ked the two men's noses.
”Let's start talking.”
Bulk's screams resounded through the barely lit corridors.
Lilis.h.i.+la's party had reunited with Hermie and Millie, led by Schnee, and was in a joyous mood.
Lilis.h.i.+la shed tears of happiness at the sight of Hermie's neck, finally free of the black collar; seeing her in tears made Hermie cry as well.
The knight cheered loudly, confident in Bulk's downfall.
As Wilhelm arrived, Millie, who had been eagerly awaiting him, ran up to hug him.
”Oh, nice cheery mood here folks.”
”Here you are. Hey, it's still alive right?”
”He's not dead yet, nope. I doubt he'll be able to continue being a priest though.”
Wilhelm sighed while talking to s.h.i.+n, who had joined them with some delay. Millie was still stuck to him and wouldn't let go.
The reason was an unconscious Bulk, carried by s.h.i.+n's left arm.
Seeing the priest with white eyes, drooling and sometimes trembling would have provoked the same question not only from Wilhelm but from anyone who witnessed it.
”s.h.i.+n-sama? What did you.”
”I just squeezed information out of him. I'll let the church decide what to do with him next.”
s.h.i.+n handed Bulk over to the guard knights and opened a Mind Chat with Schnee and s.h.i.+baid.
”(According to Bulk, there's a high chance that Filma was captured by the Summit Faction. It looks like Exvaine was given to him by someone claiming to be from the Faction.)”
The two's eyes narrowed after hearing s.h.i.+n's information. They could not remain indifferent after hearing that a comrade might have been captured.
”(Is there no information about the ritual site?)”
”(Someone was supposed to come pick him up. I know the date, but who knows what this messenger will do.)”
”(Any other clue?)”
”(Nothing. I had the impression that he doesn't know anything either. Looks like they deleted the important parts of his memories.)”
Making Bulk sleep and using an item like the manipulation collar on him wouldn't have been difficult. Lilis.h.i.+la's method too would allow a similar result, if used with ill intentions.
”(Spiritual type skills are a real pain.)”
Right next to the rejoicing Lilis.h.i.+la group party, s.h.i.+n's could not feel at ease.
After s.h.i.+n and Wilhelm left, something started moving in the room where Hermie had been captured.
”Uuh..ghaah”
The figure awkwardly standing up was none other than the man who was supposed to have died on the spot after piercing his own chest, Eline.
”Kaah, he's finally dead!”
Eline's smile was even more distorted than before. More than half of his face was covered with a tattoo of thorns.
”This guy's contortion was of decent quality, but it was pretty obnoxious.”
Eline talked as if concerning someone else. To a third party's eyes, he would look like he had become someone else.
”Aaaah, having a body is really fantastic after all. Better not waste any more time here though, let's hightail it before that monster notices us.”
The words coming from his mouth clearly showed how the spirit inhabiting the body was no longer Eline.
Something was controlling Eline's body. With a small chuckle, Eline's body vanished into the darkness as if melting in it.
Nothing else was left.
Tiera, who was heading to the inn after parting ways with s.h.i.+n, was suspicious of the lack of any pursuers. She tried asking Kagerou and Yuzuha, but apparently there were no hostile presences in the surroundings.
Tiera too was worried about Millie, but she knew well that with s.h.i.+n's party heading to rescue her, there was nothing for her to do.
Tiera climbed onto the inn's roof and stood gazing at Palmirack. She let slip a small grumble.
”They told me to stand guard from outside, but I can't see anything. Someone that could slip away from s.h.i.+n and the otherswho could ever do something like that?”
She ended up wondering if she was really being of help to them.
Yuzuha and Kagerou, who were on lookout, drew closer to her as to rea.s.sure her.
”Kuu”
”Gruu”
”Thank you. Should something unexpected happen, I'll do my best.”
Tiera answered to the two and focused her sight on Palmirack.
Her focus then paid off, as she perceived unrest among the spirits around Palmirack.
Tiera followed their trail with her eyes and saw something fly from the roof of a building on the edge of Palmirack.
”What's that?”
Tiera's excellent eyesight allowed her to recognize the flying figure as humanlike. However, there were two pairs of wings sprouting from its back.
As far as Tiera knew, all Bird-type had just one pair of wings. None of the ones Tiera knew had two.
In addition, those two pairs of wings were one animal-like and the other insect-like, completely different types. It was clearly something abnormal.
The fact that the figure looked almost transparent must have been due to a skill.
”What in the world is that shadow? Is there any skill we can use to track it?”
Yuzuha activated a skill after Tiera's request. A bird-like something, melting in the moonlight, danced in the sky and flew after the shadow.
”Did something happen to s.h.i.+n and the others?”
Tiera then was informed of Millie's rescue by a late message.
The shadow she had witnessed.
That very shadow would decide the next destination of s.h.i.+n's party.