章節 174: Chapter 174
'It's like a dungeon.'
The thought crossed Ian's mind as he entered the baron's castle.
Ian had been reincarnated in a medieval fantasy world, not some game world. He'd never seen a dungeon teeming with monsters. If he had to compare, Baron Talian's graveyard was the closest thing to a dungeon. But this place felt even more dungeon-like than that.
First off, there were no people.
No. There were, but...
'Corpses.'
There were dead people.
Brutally murdered bodies lay strewn about the corridors. Some had holes in their chests. Others were missing body parts.
"Ugh..."
"What in the..."
The wizards grimaced at the horrific scene. It was revolting, but there was something even more concerning.
"Is this the work of demons?"
"Black wizards! It must be black wizards!"
"...It could be the baron's doing too."
The culprit who'd turned the castle into this mess was nowhere to be seen.
Ian felt even less inclined to go rescue Inglan...
'Should I just bolt?'
Making a run for it was an option.
But Ian shook his head.
With four wizards gathered in one place, it made sense to settle things here. What would change if he ran away now? The black wizards would only have more free rein.
"Um, seniors? What if we just run..."
"That's not an option, Krysus. Are you suggesting we turn a blind eye to this carnage?"
"Are you telling me to run away with my tail between my legs?"
'...Good thing I didn't say anything.'
Krysus, who'd foolishly suggested running away, got an earful from the senior wizards. Anton and Herta had no intention of fleeing either.
That's when it happened.
"H-help..."
A corpse grabbed Ian's ankle.
No. It wasn't quite a corpse since it was still alive. Though it'd become one in about 10 minutes.
'No good.'
Ian tried praying, just in case.
But his will couldn't reach the Sky God. He'd twisted the world's will too much by healing Anton.
"..."
Herta bit her lower lip hard.
She couldn't even muster an empty "Are you alright?" It wasn't something you'd say to someone with a hole in their stomach, intestines spilling out.
"M-monster...! Monster...!"
"Calm down and speak."
Ian listened closely to the voice of the woman who looked like a maid.
"A monster cursed by the heavens...! Ahhh! Save me!"
Thud.
The woman fainted.
She likely wouldn't regain consciousness before dying. So, it was safe to consider her dead.
"Damn demon."
Anton muttered.
He'd been attacked by a demon before.
"But Anton. Is that demon so terrifying? Enough to be called cursed by the heavens?"
"..."
Anton fell silent at Herta's point.
She was right.
Demons just looked like demons, not terrifying monsters.
"There might be another monster."
That was Ian's guess.
And soon after, Ian's guess proved true.
Crunch... Crunch... Crunch...
An eerie sound echoed through the chilly corridor.
The sound of bones breaking and muscles twisting.
The sound of a person being devoured.
"What the... f*ck is that?"
Anton exclaimed in shock.
It was a statement that spoke for all the party members.
The monster before their eyes could only be described as a 'monster'.
It was massive, filling the entire corridor with its eight long legs and plump body. And... it had a human-female head with insect eyes.
Disgustingly horrific...
Especially since it had just been eating human entrails!
"Eeeeek!"
Krysus let out a scream that nearly choked her.
But no one blamed her.
That thing was so monstrous that not screaming would seem abnormal.
"Oh? Aren't you wizard fellows?"
The spider-like monster spoke in a grotesque voice.
It was a hideous voice that felt like it would tear their eardrums.
"If you're looking for Inglan, head to that tower over there."
"Y-yes! We'll go right away!"
Krysus answered sharply!
Ian was so dumbfounded he smacked the back of Krysus's head.
"Eek!"
"Sorry, senior. But! What the hell are you thinking, listening to a monster like that!"
"Ah... Ah! R-right!"
Krysus snapped back to her senses.
She'd been so terrified and distressed that she almost moved exactly as the monster ordered. But thinking about it again, it was a foolish action. Who in their right mind would follow the orders of such a monster!
"Hahaha!"
"Ugh...!"
"What a terrible voice...!"
As the spider monster laughed happily, a brain-rattling shock wave hit them.
"I apologize for my late introduction. I'm Karenne, a transmutation wizard. I'm your friend?"
"..."
Ian was utterly dumbfounded.
Who the hell decided we were friends? This crazy bastard?
"The Inglan you're looking for went to be killed by a demon called Pentagon. So head that way."
"Ah. Is that so?"
Ian retorted sarcastically.
"But what the f*ck is this mess? Friend? Why are you eating people?"
"This? I ate them because they're delicious. It's also good for replenishing meat. Transmutation isn't magic that creates something from nothing, you know."
"..."
"They're all just servants anyway. Don't worry about these commoners, let's continue our chat. Wizards. I want to help you. Actually, the culprit who harmed you wizards is Pentagon..."
Ian drew Anor-lsil and swung it.
Blazing flames followed the sword's trajectory.
The spider monster, Karenne, made a strange expression.
"Friend. Could you shut the f*ck up? No. There's no need. I'll make you shut up myself."
"You foolish bastard. I told you, didn't I? You should catch Pentagon, not me..."
"As if anyone would be convinced by that appearance."
Ptui. Ian spat out saliva contaminated by the disgusting air.
Karenne seemed desperate to send Ian to the demon called Pentagon, but Ian had absolutely no reason to listen to Karenne. Why would he listen to a man-eating monster?
Ian didn't heed the words of the evil monster.
As a wizard, he'd learned one thing clearly. Monsters with sh*tty behavior invariably have sh*tty personalities.
"Ha. You... useless demon!"
Karenne directed her anger not at Ian, but at the demon.
But anger aside.
Karenne swung her massive log-like front leg.
Now that things had come to this, she decided to eliminate Ian directly!
"Dangerous!"
Jubal leapt out and grabbed Karenne's leg.
As the 2-meter-tall human-troll exerted his strength, surprisingly, the leg stopped.
"Monster...! Rip off leg...!"
Crack!
Jubal twisted the spider leg with astonishing strength.
The sound of joints twisting and exoskeletons cracking echoed.
"You crazy bastard?!"
Karenne shouted in surprise at Jubal's monstrous strength.
His strength was so incredible it made her suspect he'd enhanced his body with transmutation.
But that was the extent of her surprise.
Karenne wasn't a wizard foolish enough to lose a leg so stupidly.
She had eight legs.
Thump!
Karenne swung another leg, striking Jubal's head.
"Jubal!"
Jubal's forehead split open, blood streaming down and soaking his eyes.
But Jubal didn't even flinch.
While he was incredibly weak against ghosts or demons without physical form...
He wouldn't cower before monsters with physical bodies!
"Hraaah!"
Jubal reached out and grabbed a second leg.
Karenne's movement stopped once again.
It was mind-boggling.
A single person stopping the movement of a 3-meter-tall monster!
It wasn't even a human empowered by magic or blessings.
He was just that f*cking strong in his arms and legs!
"Monster leg! Rip off both!"
Jubal exerted all his strength.
But unlike before, Karenne's legs didn't break.
Even Jubal couldn't destroy two legs simultaneously.
"You insect!"
Crack!
Karenne was furious at being restrained by a mere human.
Using her monstrous mass, she pressed down on Jubal like a crushing weight.
As the remaining six legs braced against the corridor walls, even the herculean Jubal couldn't hold on any longer.
His shoe soles shattered as he was pushed back dozens of meters.
A long trail of red blood followed his skid marks.
The skin on his feet had been torn off, leaving them bloody.
"Ugh...!"
"Damn it, Jubal!"
Belenka hastily swung her longsword.
But Karenne wasn't an opponent that could be dealt with by a single longsword.
The monster was too massive and too tough.
"Ian! The flames!"
Kira called for flames.
But Ian immediately shouted back.
"No! We can't burn Jubal too!"
"Then what do we do!"
Ian gritted his teeth.
He needed physical force.
Overwhelming physical force that could push back even that massive monster's body!
'Think.'
The battle was in full swing.
Jubal was even at a life-or-death crossroads.
"Arrrgh! Kuh!"
"Hahaha! Struggle all you want! You bug!"
If no one helped, Karenne would pop Jubal's body like a balloon.
'Think, Ian!'
But Ian observed the battlefield with a cool head.
What a wizard needed was a sharp mind to find the best solution.
'There are many wizards.'
The advantage overwhelmingly favored Karenne.
After crushing Jubal to death, it would soon be Ian's turn.
But there were wizards by Ian's side.
They had to find a way before Jubal's last breath.
"Freeze!"
"...?"
Just then, a silver-haired wizard darted past Ian's eyes.
It was Krysus!
'Ice magic?'
Surprisingly, Krysus used ice magic.
'Could it be, from the ice cave?'
Her senior, the ice wizard Victor, had gathered a massive amount of ice magic just before dying.
Krysus must have taken the remaining ice magic before leaving the cave!
Krysus stretched her hand towards Karenne's legs.
"Freeze and shatter! You monster!!!"
A chilling cold poured forth.
It was a storm of ice so intense it made the entire corridor frigid.
Krysus's trump card.
But...
"Oh ho. My leg's frozen solid?"
Krysus's ice magic wasn't powerful enough to freeze Karenne completely.
Nothing would change by just freezing one leg.
Karenne swung the frozen leg like a club.
"Senior!"
"Kyaa!"
By a hair's breadth, Ian hugged Krysus's waist and rolled on the ground.
Krysus's action was reckless.
But it gave Ian an inspiration.
"Senior! Are you alright?"
"Ian...! I... my ice magic...!"
Krysus cried out, almost in tears.
"I guess it's no help after all...! I'm sorry! Ian!"
Ian quickly shook his head.
As expected.
Krysus's ice magic was excellent.
It just wasn't utilized in the right place and time!
"You should have told me you could use ice magic earlier!"
"What...?"
"There's something you need to do, senior."
Even Ian couldn't perform ice magic as well as Krysus.
It wasn't winter right now...
So only Krysus could properly unleash ice magic.
"Let's try freezing that bastard one more time."
"H-how?!"
"Can you do it? Senior? Just tell me if you can or not!"
Faced with Ian's firm and resolute expression.
Krysus found herself nodding as if entranced.
She had failed on her own, but...
Perhaps. If Ian helped.
It might be possible to freeze that massive monster.
She just had that feeling.
"I-I can do it!"
"Good. Senior. Let's give it a shot."
Ian snapped his fingers.
Now, the wizards' time had begun.
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