Volume 7 Chapter 2 Part 1 (2/2)
The larger monsters with the charging abilities were not able to avoid the medium sized monsters in their way. They were also trampling over the smaller monsters.
Many monsters were trying to run away, frightened of the effects and overwhelmed by s.h.i.+baid's aura. The lower-level monsters were heavily affected, while the higher level monsters were all agitated.
”That should have thinned the crowd out”
After confirming that 30 of the low-level monsters had disappeared, s.h.i.+baid took off in a sprint.
He's much slower than Schnee or Girard, but that was a matter of battle style. s.h.i.+baid did not have to rely on speed.
”Haaaaa.”
He breathed out, charging at the array of monsters, wavingPlacid Moonfiercely. The tip of the spear was channeling a white flame, which blew out 5 mels wide.
A combat composite skill White Haze, the mixture of flame magic and spear arts.
The fire encased the axe portion of the halberd, the blade width easily exceeded 30 cemels.
s.h.i.+baid dodged all long-distance attacks against him, and encroached closer and closer to the monsters.
”Ngrrr!”
With all the momentum put into one step, the ground starts to fissure. At around the same time he let out a battle cry, the holy halberd's blade encased in flame drew an arc in the air.
The flame's heat and cleansing powers compounded its damaging effects, turning all of the monsters within its reach into ash.
For undead monsters, flame attacks are one of their weaknesses, with holy and light being the most effective.
On top of that, s.h.i.+baid had used a skill comparable to that of s.h.i.+n's, which cleansed the undead.
The aggro skill lures the monsters, and as they draw near they are burned to ashes. The undead monsters didn't stand a chance against s.h.i.+baid's physical strength, combined with a superior weapon, and effective skill.
”Ha!!”
With one swing, two, then three.
Moonlight illuminates the black canvas of the night, while a white flame draws arcs.
The smaller and medium-sized monsters were reduced to ashes with a single blow, now only the larger monsters remain.
Even the larger monsters with higher endurance had just barely survived fatal blows, with their limbs burned off after one strike. Following that their head would fly off after the next strike.
s.h.i.+baid had smartened up, knowing that the larger bodies couldn't stand the repeated attacks from underneath. The undead were being sliced into bits with a swing from s.h.i.+baid's Placid Moon.
However, he couldn't keep a.s.saulting the monsters on the ground, as there was a shadow that was floating in mid-air.
A rotting pumpkin, a Jumpkin, floated above.
”Yhallhooolll!”
The hole of the monster's mouth released a soprano voice, giving us the impression of a young boy.
Listening to the pitch of the voice gave off an off putting feeling, and yet nothing seemed to be out of place. On top of that the Jumpkin looked like a Halloween pumpkin.
”Now its flying types, eh?”
s.h.i.+baid mumbled to himself, as several other flying monsters approaching from the rear of the Jumpkin.
There were undead monsters immune to physical combat, such as a Ghosts, spectre-type monsters.
These monsters often attack using black magic skills that give status abnormalities, and by default they are always flying. This made it difficult to land a hit on these monsters, and the players hated it.
About 30 monsters were afloat.
The issue wasn't fending them off, but rather how they were going to take up more time in comparison to monsters bound to the earth.
”Ha!!”
Dodging the magic raining from above, s.h.i.+baid jumped up. Underneath, you could see the ground he leapt from was caved in. The magical attacks against him were wide range, but s.h.i.+baid was used to acting as the party's s.h.i.+eld. This was a piece of cake.
A blue wall of flame is spread out in front of him, despite this, s.h.i.+baid thrusts his flame encased weapon into the crowd of monsters.
There were no other monsters left in the sky, after the white flame engulfed the surrounding.
s.h.i.+baid made use of the force from swinging Placid Moon to adjust his position in mid-air. What awaited him below was claws and fangs on land, but what awaited them too was a halberd clad in flames.
The blade's first round of attacks burned and split a giant-type undead cyclops. The heat caught up and burned what was left of the body.
The monsters didn't seem to care that one of their kind was burning to the side. They came after s.h.i.+baid with murder in their eyes.
”Hm?”
As s.h.i.+baid prepared for combat in the air and on the ground, in the corner of his eyes, the ghosts in the sky were being pierced by a ray of light that looked like a spear.
s.h.i.+baid instantly knew that the ray of light was caused by a composite skill using spear arts and light magic, Shooting Star.
It was a highly effective skill against the undead, and had two uses. It could be either thrown like a javelin or made to radiate the light to the surroundings for use in close combat.
At the end of s.h.i.+baid's gaze, he caught a glimpse of Wilhelm holding his weapon Beinot proudly.
But Wilhelm also knew, that time was of the essence.
”I suppose there's no need to waste time”
While carefully surveying his surroundings, Wilhelm watched the monsters disappear as they are pierced using the skill from earlier.
There really wasn't a reason for concern, but it would be catastrophic if these monsters were to breach Sigurd.
Not just that, but spending too much time here was not a good idea either. In reality it was more for the peace of mind.
s.h.i.+baid could take on the larger groups of monsters, while Wilhelm concentrates on surveying the surrounding area for any remaining enemy presences.
Sigurd was once an area plagued by war. Places like those, tend to be breeding grounds for the undead.
It's entirely possible that more undead would rise, due to such large numbers of undead concentrated in one location.
In the time it took s.h.i.+baid to get rid of one monster, Wilhelm had already taken on more than 10 ghouls and skull faces.
However, they were reviving themselves at an alarming rate, even for Wilhelm he had never experienced such a thing. On top of that the strength of the individual monsters were on a whole different level.
”This is out of the norm. The undead are rising too quickly”
At the corner of Wilhelm's eyes, he saw the tempest like destruction that s.h.i.+baid created. As he witnessed this, he started to run.
Even for a land that was war torn for a long period of time, it was unusual for so many undead to be awakened.
By all accounts, and Wilhelm's experience, something was very wrong. There were monsters that were tamed by riders, as well as monsters that were following suit.
Considering this kind of man power was at Bulk and company's disposal, it was clear that the interior of Sigurd was stained with blood.
”What? What is that presence?”
Wilhelm could sense a little bit of a distance away, beyond 30 or so monsters in a cl.u.s.ter, something in the shrubs.
Something was lurking.
He felt it, and knew it.
He had to go there.
He couldn't explain himself, but Wilhelm was encroaching closer and closer towards this presence within the forest, slaying one monster at a time that was in his way.
The forest was dim; there weren't many places the moonlight could reach.
A silhouette in the shape of a man was being lit by the moonlight.
”You”
”Long time no see. It's been a few days right”
Wilhelm was on guard, as he saw Eline Sperizer's face. He was supposed to be dead.
Eline smiled. There was no mistaking him.
It was the man that Wilhelm had once fought.
”What luck. Meeting again in a place like this”
””
He smiled, not even holding a weapon. It was as if he wasn't even aware of the epic battle happening a few feet away from the shrubs and greenery.
It was odd, and anyone would vouch by that statement. Even now, Wilhelm could hear the echoes of battle.
”You're awfully quiet. What is the matter?”
”Who are you?”
”Oh, have you forgotten me already? But of course, I'm”
”No. You're not Eline”
Wilhelm cut him off.
Even if they had only had one encounter, Wilhelm had fought with every strength of his body. A skilled warrior like Wilhelm would never forget or misinterpret a presence like that, one he had fought against for his own life.
”I'll ask again. Who are you?”
He readjusted his weapon Beinot in his hand.
”Eline” silently looked at Wilhelm, before bursting out with laughter.
”HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
His voice was eventually louder and louder, and within seconds he was showing signs of a maniac.
”I really shouldn't attempt to do things I'm not used to. I was outwitted in seconds!”
”Yeah. Don't even try”
”But honestly, I thought I did a decent job. Just to be clear though, tell me what I did wrong.”
The man that stood there was still a mystery, despite just being outed.
”He was rotten, but unlike you he could not use his body to emit miasma.”
”Ah, of course. I guess my precision was not accurate enough. I am not there yet for sure”
””
Wilhelm was silent in front of the laughing mad man.
This man was clearly delusional and abnormal, but Wilhelm couldn't just let him go either. He was waiting for a chance to strike, but he couldn't.
The miasma from this man was stinging Wilhelm's skin.
He had a similar aura to the Skull Face Lord, which he had once seen.
”Don't be so sullen. I came to see you specifically.”
”I have no idea who you are though.”
”That's cold. Well, to be honest, I came to pick you up. It doesn't matter how you feel about me.”
”What is that supposed to mean?”
Pick you up. It was the kind of wording you'd use to express camaraderie. Even then, Wilhelm hadn't a clue.
The problem wasn't even there the problem was how there was no way that this kind of company could elicit welcome.
”We're out of manpower. We need what we can use”
He grinned, and continued.
”You came to me because you felt like you were being called on, right?”
””
”Me too. I was the same, and I think you're also considering listening to what I tell you to do, right?”
Wilhelm listened without saying anything. On any other occasion, he'd have a mouthful of words to throw back.
The man was right. Despite what his mind told him, his heart disagreed.
”Gr!!”
Wilhelm tried to fight his own will from within, when a pain surged through him.
It was painful from the hip down. It was exactly where Millie had struck him with the short sword.
”What”
The pain was becoming worse. In proportion to the rising impulse boiling within his body, Wilhelm's consciousness was fading.
A black powerful fog was gaining control from the waist, spreading through the rest of the body slowly with pain and terror.
”Yes. Stay as you are and WHOA!”
As Wilhelm was ready to succ.u.mb, his weapon Beinot suddenly started to beam with light.
The spear that had been improved by a High Human was no joke. The fog was almost magnetically being repelled by the holy light of the divine spear.
”What! Beinot can do this!?”
Even divine weapons didn't possess such special abilities.
At least, as far as his knowledge goes, only Beinotcan do such a thing. Even if they could mildly deter darkness, it just meant that the weapon was 'fairly strong'. Not like this.
”Ugh! Man, nothing goes my way!”
The man had encountered a technical issue, and he had to also bear in mind the weapon in Wilhelm's right hand.
Moments later, the same mist that had shrouded Wilhelm was sprouting out of Wilhelm's hand; the hand that held Beinot.
Beinot's light defused at least half of that darkness. But it was not enough for the other half to cling tightly onto Wilhelm.
As the darkness did its job, the man reached into his pockets for a single item card. He threw it at Wilhelm, but more at his weapon.
”I can't believe I'm using an item!”
The card was thrown with enough might, that while in the air the card materialized a long thin cloth. This cloth landed on Beinot, wrapping around it, absorbing the weapon and covering it completely.
The man had thrown a 'cloth of weapon binding'. This item weakened the effects of a weapon. It targeted all weapons unconditionally, even divine weapons.
If the owner of the weapon was aware, he or she could remove the cloth from the weapon. The situation was less than ideal as Wilhelm was unconscious. Beinot lost its glow with each wrap around it.
”Jeez, that was close”
The man grew a little tired, taking Beinot away from a helpless Wilhelm. The man smiled at the lackl.u.s.ter and dull Beinot, about 70% of it covered in cloth.
”Wow, I mean. Aside from how it looks this is barely a Beinot. No wonder the light it produced was strange. Well this is a cool find.”
For the man's safety, he had to expended a reasonable amount of miasma, his source of power, when dealing with Beinot. And yet, knowing that, he still poured an equal amount of miasma into Beinot.
The inscription on Beinot's surface melted and burned the man's hands heavily. He seemed at lost at what to do, yet he continued pouring miasma.
The silver glow of the spear turned a vivid onyx. The inscription on the surface had also turned into a b.l.o.o.d.y crimson.
It was the h.e.l.l spear Vakira.
Even among the darkest weapons, this one was more powerful, and one of the few that were clad in miasma.
The man spun the spear in his hands once, and the cloth around it faded away before hitting the ground.
Wilhelm remained standing silently in the background, covered in dust and dirt.
”Well they should be done kidnapping the Holy Woman by now, right? So, I should head home wow, I almost thought that that was the Dark Blacksmith. But, it seems the rumors differ reality.”
Based on the clothing and the armament, he was inferring that s.h.i.+n was a High Human. He had also thought s.h.i.+n was the Dark Blacksmith based on his features.
However, his behaviours at the time differed from what he heard from his comrades.
Accordingly, NPCs outside of players were treated as mere objects. That, and there was no hesitation killing people. The Blacksmith's eyes were ice-cold. He also had murderous intentions with every action. None of this was like s.h.i.+n today.
If s.h.i.+n was the person the man heard about, no one would survive in Palmirack except the Rokuten and their subordinates.
”So are you the 'Blue Trickster' or the 'Golden Merchant'? Well, I doubt that you're always wearing that but”
The names were derived from the colors that the Rokuten's members were clad in, but that was not necessarily a rule of thumb.
Thus, the man made the second mistake of thinking s.h.i.+n is Cain or any other member of Rokuten.
Either way, all evidence pointed to how at least one of the Rokuten members had come back. It made no difference who.
Just one of the Rokuten could decide the victor of a war.
After discerning the location of the Megrade, the man and Wilhelm vanished without a trace, unbeknownst to everyone.