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Chapter 239: The Aurora shines through the Darkness. [Release Version]
🕑 Added 2021-10-29 04:14:54 +0000 UTCEdit: Gave Hestia a bit more punk during her meeting with Eithalr.
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<9 human and beastmen followers lost>
<Total follower count updated. Total follower of [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]: 2684>
“All of the target locations are spread throughout the whole undercity. I’ll make this quick, so get on you two.”
A map of the different locations of Hamil’s hidden bases was all Muraina was able to dig up, but that was enough of a lead for me to go on.
Descending down to Shaturein had some complications. First, Lord Helvas’s griffon couldn’t come with us and Tasianna had to stop flying so as to not expose her fairy nature to a bunch of shady cutthroats. Thankfully, it was hard to see her flying with everything going on in Griffonpeak, and the only ones who saw her like that were Eshe and her knights.
Still, Griffonpeak wasn’t the only ones dealing with the monsters, as the red-light district and Shaturein dispatched multiple gang members to subdue the monsters within their boundaries. The people living inside the undercity itself, due to how they had adapted to living amidst normal monster spawnings, were dealing with the attack far better than those living on the surface.
Regardless, it was chaotic down here, well, more chaotic than usual.
“Wooooo! Let’s go! It’s hunting time bo— Argh! Shit! Fuck!”
“That’s what ya get for being cocky, ya bloody fool! Hurghaaaa!”
“Run! Run! Leave this crap to the Blackreach guys!”
Trials and tribulations bring people together, and it was doubly so for the Shaturein people. While I saw people trampling on each other and pushing each other away to escape, there was a certain hopefulness down here. The gang members might argue even now, but they were keeping each other alive in the exact same way they did during my first visit. They were doing their job by protecting the people.
“You, get over there and reinforce that group! You! You! And you! Bring our customers into the center, but keep an eye that they don’t steal our damn stuff!”
The Blackreach guild was Shaturein’s primary defense force. From the lowly grunt to the enforcers and executives, everybody was getting into the fray to take down all the undead and experimented monsters. I could also see mages helping out.
“By the Goddess…” Lord Helvas looked at the sight of all these people fighting together with surprise. Sure, they were uncoordinated and disorderly as they fought, but at least they were defending everybody regardless if they were a rich merchant or a lowly beggar. In comparison, the knights were still being held up by those stinking nobles.
We had a perfect bird’s eye view from above here. With [Unheilige Engel], I was holding up both Helvas parents while carrying Tasianna in a bridal carry. With my rocket boosters, I blasted through the undercity towards Hamil’s hidden bases, using that wind barrier idea I got from Assurfel to prevent the three from getting acceleration stress.
At the first base, we noticed monsters crawling around the area with no one trying to subjugate them. Four-legged beasts with black globules growing from their bodies had dragged a few of their victims to this area and began devouring them in a frenzy, only stopping once they noticed me dragoon diving two of them to death.
I twisted my wrist, slashing four more of them in an arc with my glaive before raising it over my shoulder. My catalyst crackled and sparked to life as I conjured up a large flame around its tip, which I used to hammer onto the ground, causing an explosion to wipe out all the monsters at the entrance.
<Experience has reached multiple breaking points. [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]’s Job [Incandescent Blaze] has risen from [Level 2] to [Level 3]>
<Attributes have increased due to level up>
“Let’s go.”
The inside of the large building was equally infested with those experimented monsters, who are using this place like a nest. While Lord Helvas did state that Hamil or the girls probably weren’t here, I argued that this might just be camouflage. Making the outside look derelict, meaning it’s far easier to hide a secret entrance or basement.
Still, after killing these monsters and searching the whole place, we couldn’t find anything. Even after I uprooted the building, Lord Helvas’s assessment remained true. Clicking my tongue, I blasted over to the next location… and the next… and the next.
“Drink up!” I threw two dragorades over to the Helvas’s parents, seeing as they were exerting them by killing the monsters during our searches. Lord Helvas’s advanced swordplay was a treat to see, a possible testament to how Ellaine will grow in the future, while Lady Helvas wasn’t joking when she mentioned that she was a battle-hardened mage.
At their skill level, both of them could have possibly taken out Charlelsyt in a one-v-one.
“So this is what Ellaine has been drinking all this time. It’s certainly a better training drink than potions. A more delectable taste, at least.” This was the first time either of them had a taste of the dragorade.
“Yes, dear, certainly, we can talk about the monetary worth of this drink later. First, we need to find our daughter! Then we have to, find out where Jonathan went with Lord Charleslyt!” Lord Helvas’s businessman side came out for a moment, only for his wife to remind him about our situation.
The stress was getting to both of them, it seemed. This was the fourth building we had swept through cleanly, but we still hadn’t found any sign of Ellaine. There were only two bases left on Muraina’s map and we were becoming increasingly fearful of the possibility that we wouldn’t find Ellaine or Amelia at either of them. The idea of having wasted our time was irritating.
“We’re splitting up!” I suggested.
“Lady Hestia, splitting up would be too dangerous! There are a substantial number of black mercenary companies in Shaturein, and Hamil could have hired any of them without the Blackreach guild’s permission! Even the Yanderu could be one of them,” Tasianna sternly objected to my idea.
During the slave auction, Hamil was able to hire some muscles from the Empire, which included a swordsman elementalist — who used a djinn, an eastern elemental — and the necromancer causing all this trouble with the undead. We didn’t know how much money he had left, but he had nearly been able to hire Eithalr.
Still, who knows what they were doing to Ellaine right at this moment. I was thankfully not losing any more followers, but Shaturein’s ceiling was trembling in periodic bursts. Ellaine, Amelia, and Jonathan weren’t our only worry; Griffonpeak itself could fall if we don’t hurry up.
Please, Muraina, show me why they call you the ‘Haitiri!’
Muraina never specified what her actual adventurer rank was. All I knew was she was at the very least on par with Farron and Yorshka, and possibly even stronger.
Still, we were on a timer, and wasting more time was not good.
“No, I know the risks, but the longer we continue this scavenger hunt, the more problems that will pop up! For Ellaine, Amelia, and even the whole city! There are two bases left — Tasianna you go with Arcanuess and Arcaliess Helvas to the one closest to our location,” I ordered.
“Lady Hestia?! No, I will not leave your side when there are so many possible threats nearby.” Tasianna, as loyal as always, could not agree to my demands.
Lord and Lady Helvas stayed silent. They knew my idea was the correct choice to help their child, but at the same time, Tasianna’s argument of it being too dangerous to go alone was rational.
“Tasianna, there is a 50-50 chance that Hamil will be in one of these buildings. That is our ticket to get Ellaine back! If you forgot, Klea’Hatma is still with her, and if she was kidnapped, she would have been injured. Ellaine is strong enough to defend herself, she wouldn’t have let Amelia get kidnapped without a fight.”
When you’re at your most desperate, the whispers of evil are the most seductive. The troll shaman and Davison both ingested an unknown substance when they were on death’s door, which caused their bodies to deform into eldritch monstrosities.
This sorta situation was exactly what Aurena warned me about. There might be a holy protection on her [Okl’Luthier’s Powers], but we cannot risk it activating when Ellaine was at her most desperate.
“… I understand, Lady Hestia. Please, be careful. Don’t engage in anything you cannot deal with, your inclination for danger is terribly bad.”
“Whaaaaat? You know I fully believe that escaping is winning, Tasianna. Don’t worry, we’ll rendezvous at the other’s location the moment we end up empty at our respective locations, alright? Good luck!”
And with that, our party was separated once again. Honestly, going alone might be the perfect recipe for dying, if slasher movies are to be taken seriously. The only difference was I wasn’t a normal human being even outside my dragon form.
When I flew over to the next location, the first thing that stood out was the number of monsters in the vicinity, which could be counted with two hands. The neighborhood was abandoned with so many derelict houses that it would make a realtor cry in their sleep. No people, but there were enough monsters around to give it a bit of a post-apocalyptic feel.
I recharged my glaive and shot down the eight monsters roaming on the streets. Preparing myself, I entered one of the two last hidden bases, and, to my surprise, it hadn’t completely turned into a monster nest.
Similar to the other bases, it was well-furnished with rugs, tapestry, and candle stands, although it lacked finer luxury items like mana lamps and paintings. I activated [Detection Sensor] and, after excluding the small signals I guessed were bugs and vermin, there was nothing inside this building. Still, I pressed on, knowing there were rooms like Farron had which could hide the presence of the people inside.
The hallways were completely dark from what I could guess. My night vision was good enough to get me through this, even if there were only a few lit candles. Still, it was ‘cause of these candles that I was sure somebody was here. The thing is, I was getting more anxious the longer this silence continued.
As a musician, the quiet flickering of the candles and thuds of my leg on the wooden floor wasn’t enough for me. It was creeping me out. Every corner I walk, only silence and darkness. No life, no warmth. Even the candles I saw felt cold with the atmosphere.
… It was like that cave. That dark, damp cave. No friends, no allies. Nothing to do but my own thoughts arguing with each other like a discord call with a bunch of fangirls. My parallel minds were my only source of comfort, my retreat from loneliness.
Did I almost go insane back then? Or am I still insane?
I conjured up a bright [Shine] on my glaive, using it as a lantern to guide me through this terrible darkness. I whispered to myself, “In the darkness of despair, the Goddess gave us the miracle of the light, banishing the many ailments of the land and bringing those lost in the shadows back with her ray of hope.” It was an excerpt from the clergy handbook I had to read during my theology lessons with Eshe and Theodore.
Reciting excerpts from a religious textbook. I really have gone insane, huh?
Regardless of what was going on in my head, with my light radiant, my confidence surged and my path was made clear. In the light, I felt safe, I felt able to win anything…
… All I needed was the strength to do it, no, I must have it to save Ellaine.
I never want to be alone again.
With the shadows crawling back away in fear of my [Shine], I ran through the small manor, looking through every room I could find, using [Mana Eyes] to detect potential magic. It did strain my eyes a bit, since Shaturein is just a cauldron of mana, but I didn’t care. The moment I detected a faint hint of concentrated mana inside the building, formed around a humanoid body, I had already forgotten the pain in my eyes.
Found it! Well, something, at least.
Dashing over to the location, I readied my weapons. Using [Detection Sensor] once again, my hair began to stand up like chicken skin, noticing how there was nothing for me to sense inside that room. However, with my eyes squinting from using [Mana Eyes] to confirm it, I could see something inside there staying in one place.
Now the question was, who was skilled enough to hide away from my [Detection Sensor] like Saori or Muraina? Who was able enough to suppress their mana to the point I couldn’t detect it without using [Mana Eyes].
… I had a bad feeling.
Should I run? … Warp Point: Exit.
I walked over to a window and cast a [Warp Point: Exit] magic circle outside the mansion, using it as my last resort of escape. I made sure to suppress the detection of the cast with [Silent Casting], assuring myself that whoever was inside did not just detect me using magic. I double-checked everything for traps with [Mana Eyes] once more, and then grabbed the handle.
“Took you a while to open the door, little pastry genius.”
I gulped audibly.
Grey hair, a week-old beard, a red trench coat over a white shirt. The man sat on the couch of a ruined office, biting into a fried pastry — a Berliner. He had an indulgent smile as he chewed on it, fully enjoying the last two on his plate as I buffed myself with everything I had.
<[Blessing of the Goddess of Light (Major)] [Various Spell Buffs] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]>
It was none other than Eithalr.
Mana Eyes!
I had to check. I had to know how strong he was, to form a plan around it, but the moment I activated it, I suddenly felt a strong jolt running through my eyes. “Kiiergk!” I groaned as I grabbed my head, holding my hand over my eyes as I felt white flames trying to heal the pain.
“Woah, there, kiddo. Already? We haven’t even started yet and you already tried to appraise me? Talk about guts, hahaha!” I heard Eithalr say with a laugh. “Thought you knew of the existence of [Identify] protection tools. I always have mine on, you see. Hmm, but somehow, I didn’t get your information… Just how high is your [Identity Blocker] skill?”
Tools meant to protect you from being appraised also had the secondary effect of giving the protected information to the appraiser if the appraisal failed. I guess I just learned that your [Identity Blocker] could also block the rebound function.
Verdammt, I gotta find a chance to escape! This is bad!
“Well, anyway, it doesn't really matter. I prefer learning how to fight opponents during a match, you see, makes it more fun. Exciting. Go, Armory Prison.”
Multiple ghostly swords materialized behind Eithalr as he shot them forward, breaking through the front of the room’s entrance and opening up the ceiling. The hallway and the office room were rearranged to give us a large field fit for a battle. Once done, the swords sunk their tips into the ground, forming a large circle that invoked a phantom-like barrier.
“I wouldn’t try escaping while that thing is up if you don’t want to turn into a pincushion.”
The translucent greatsword he had during our first meeting reappeared in his hand as he swung it over his shoulder, resting it there.
“Sorry about this. I really meant it when I said I don’t like killing good chefs, I actually never accept requests targeting people who made my meals. Never anger the person making your food, right? A good friend gave me that tip.” As Eithalr walked closer, I inched backward, feeling the pressure he exuded. “But… Hamil has something I really need. Something my partners need, too. I made this whole trip over here just for him, after all, and now I’m honored-bound to also take care of the Yanderu group around here.”
He sighed, looking conflicted.
“A job’s a job. Get ready, kid, I can’t go easy on you. Hope you’ll forgive me once you meet Ilsaphone.”
“I-I,” I stuttered, trying to say something.
“Go on, time is not on your side. You’ll be staying here for a looooong while.” For some reason, his eyes turned into a pale grey as I could feel mana congregating around his left forearm. As he walked closer and closer, I stomped my feet down, took in a deep breath and pointed at Eithalr with my left arm.
“I activate my favor! Don’t kill me and let me go!”
“…”
“…” My legs trembled.
“… You pissing on me?”
“Wha-What?! Why are you talking about peeing at this moment?!” I did not wet myself, I repeat, I was scared but I did not piss myself!
“I meant, you are joking, right? All this suspense, all this build-up with me leading a monologue, and you stop me just like that? Anti-climatic as hell,” he stated with a disappointed expression.
“You said you would keep your word! You said it when you escaped with Hamil! I’m not joking here when, as you said, I don’t have the time to spare! Keep your promise and let me go out of here, alive!” I shouted.
“… Paaaaah, alright, alright. I’ll do just that. I won’t kill you today.” The ghost swords disappeared and the way was free again. “Well, whatever, go. Get your Hamil. The place where he is should be is guarded by my new crew, so you’ll know if it’s the correct place if you see them.”
“T-Thanks.” I nodded, still slightly trembling.
Success! Victory! Speechcraft for the win! Avoiding the boss fight with words, let’s goooooo!
Similar to how I diffused the tension in the air, the pressure in my chest dissipated as I let out an internal sigh. I turned away from Eithalr, absolutely elated I didn’t have to fight him, and flapped my wings to begin flying. As I was about to fly to the location Tasianna and the Helvas parents should be, however, Eithalr suddenly spoke again.
“You know, my job was actually to stall anybody I saw who wanted to find Hamil. He never mentioned killing anybody since it was obvious enough how killing was the perfect stalling method. You, the lycerepth, the kingdom, whoever I met. It didn’t matter.”
“… Why are you telling me this?”
“Well, you see, even if you went over to Hamil at this moment, you won’t be able to get any information out of him concerning the whereabouts of your little girl friend. After all, the one who contracted me to do so was the cardinal, who asked Hamil to hire me to bring the Greenveil girl to a kid called Charleslyt. The one you want to ask is right in front of you… and you just used up your favor.”
My head turned around slowly. Rage. Anger. Confusion. These thoughts shoved out the anxiousness I felt for him.
“Now we’re talking… How about I feed that fire of yours a bit.” He smirked. “I planned to kill that blue-haired girl with my first attack, but she somehow survived it. After I incapacitated my target, I stomped on your girl’s head, aiming to take her out this time, only for some bones to sprout out of her shoulder, protecting her from a second killing blow. I ended up taking her with me to Charleslyt, since leaving her behind would be too risky.”
[Panzer] covered my body in purple armor. Crimson, purple, and while flames began shooting out of my wings as I kept myself down with [Tailwind]. [Unheilige Engel] and [Halo of Consecration] materialized, again. I used [Instant Heat Ignition] to heat up my tail as my scale-dust refuelled my glaive.
“That girl is a demonkin contractor, huh? She’s pretty skilled with it, since I wasn’t even able to detect that demonic mana until that moment. Whatever sin she had, it helped her survive, but she did lose a couple of good teeth. I wonder how she met a demonkin so far away fr— Woah!”
A gunshot, or rather, a fire explosion echoed through the area before something exploded behind Eithalr. He had his body turned away from me, having just dodged my projectile attack.
“Purple Flash… Symphonie des Feuergottes.” A purple magic circle appeared before I chained the spell’s effect into a giant red one in the sky.
“Oh no, you don’t. Can’t have you mages do whatever you want.”
Eithalr dashed towards me in a blink of an eye, but I had already anticipated him doing that even without [Foresight], remembering how he kicked me when he escaped with Hamil. I activated [Dreadflare Aura], blasting Eithalr away from me and melting my surrounding area.
As [Symphonie des Feuergottes] showered me in a waterfall of fire, Eithalr’s greatsword vanished as a three-section nunchaku-thing appeared in his hand, which he used to create a wind barrier by rotating them in his hands.
<[Symphonie des Feuergottes (Allegro)]inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]>
“You’re dead. I will kill you, you bastard,” I declared as the flame sea dissipated, revealing Eithalr perfectly fine even as the rest of the surroundings burned.
With [Inferno Coating] and [Fire Abnormality Effect: Dread] after grinding through my dragon Jobs, if he hadn't protected himself, he would have been in big trouble. Instead, he was smiling, enjoying the sight around him.
“I will pry that information from your damn broken jaw!”
“Try it, don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise of not killing you today, kiddo.” He struck a pose, and gestured to me to attack. “Come on, let’s dance, Miss Idol!”
“Krrrriiiiiiiiaagghhhhhh!”
<[Battle Frenzy (Minor)] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]>
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“I see, so that abominable Hamil is here.”
Arcanuess Helvas drew his sword, activating the runes on it for the first time today. With his wife magician staff’s catalyst glowing, the both of them walked towards the large group of mercenaries, among them were a few Yanderu Eluseuss members.
“Huh? Tasianna? I thought Saori would come with you,” a familiar pantherae said as I showed myself.
“Kaian… I don’t see a loopridae around. Friell isn’t with you?” I asked. My catalyst was ready for a fight.
“We saved too many orphaned kids and she’s swamped taking care of them. Also, when she heard of this job, she kinda guessed your party would come to attack, so she asked the Boss to let her sit this one out. He’s nicer than our old one, you see.” Kaian then readied himself in a stance with his spear. “I wanted to test myself against Saori, but you shall do.”
“You overestimate yourself…”
But Kaian and the Yanderu weren’t the only familiar faces, there was also a group of four who had made me angry the moment I saw them again.
“Haha! Yo, isn’t that the elf from that one group? The group with that girl who shamed Dickslyt? Can’t believe we would meet one of them here.”
“Shut it, don’t speak badly of our contractor. The cardinal will have our heads if he hears us speak badly of his golden goose.”
“Who da fuck cares? We are wyvern slayers. Da boss can be a shit wimp and we’ll still get him out of his shit. After all, three opponents aren’t enough to defeat us.”
“Ready yourself already! I want to slice that damn elf already for glaring at us like that!”
Lady Hestia told me Charleslyt believed his party members were stronger than us. That Miss Saori wouldn’t be enough to defeat all four of them.
I shall serve them a cup of humility.
Priest Kush’lekzar, I shall borrow your spells today.
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She had the face of a human woman but the rest of her body was nothing but bones, with an orb hidden behind her ribcage. The robe fluttered from her black mana, which swarmed around her undead minions like it was tethered to her like a leash.
“Welcome to the one acknowledged by Mother Goddess! I see you understood the meaning of my mana! You do not know how elated I am to finally meet you again.”
“…” I remained silent.
I whistled, summoning my garms from my shadow, fully equipped with plenty of holy elemental mana threads I had made just for situations like this. They growled as they watched all the undead beginning to congregate around us.
Grimnir, having finished his own preparations, mounted on Quatre, reading not only his blasthammer but also gauntlets and his new weapon. I shrouded all five of them in my [Shadow Armament].
“… I see. Talk is superfluous at this point, correct? I understand. You have defeated me once already, but I reappear before you in my true form! That of a lich! That of somebody given a new life by the Mother of Necromancy! A true ruler over death!” Her form began to morph drastically, growing in size and height. She began to levitate from a cloak of souls, pointing down with the presence of a true monster now. “This shall be a battle between two who have gained the acknowledgment of the Gods! Who shall survive to become a blessed?”
<Proficiency requirement fulfilled. [Erosion Resistance Lv. 1] evolved into [Erosion Resistance Lv. 10]. 3100 SP remaining>
As my mana congregated around the white fur on my arms, it began to change into stygian lightning, crackling wildly as the voltage increased with every second. This lightning streamed into my armguards, activating the cogs inside it and charging the catalysts attached on both of them.
Let the duel begin.
Comments
Diego Rossi
knowing there were rooms (...) like Farron which could hide the presence of the people inside. -> I think some word is missing, probably "or people" heatiung -> heating
