16. Beyond the Gate (2)

Kwa kwa kwa kwang-

A burst of intense explosions sent black smoke billowing from the spot where Chloe had been standing.

I reacted faster than she did, pulling her into my arms from behind, saving her from the blast. Thankfully, she was unharmed.

Startled by the sudden impact, Chloe exclaimed,

“W-what on earth was that just now?”

Chloe had been passing near a gridded sewer grate. The explosion had erupted from beneath that grate.

“Looks like flammable material accumulated and exploded. This is a dungeon of a type I’ve never seen before, so it’s not surprising. Pay closer attention, Chloe. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Yes… Count Yulian-nim.”

Barely recovered from the shock, Chloe replied in a subdued tone.

Her self-esteem had soared with my praise, and she had confidently taken the lead. But from the very start of the mission, she’d almost fallen into an unexpected trap.

If I hadn’t saved her, she could have been seriously injured. Far from showing off her experience as a combat mission veteran, she’d almost become a liability, so it was natural for her to feel deflated.

To make matters worse, the dungeon itself was unfamiliar to her, a resident of a medieval fantasy world. Chloe’s expression grew even more tense.

‘Truthfully, I know this place inside and out.’

Not just the modern urban landscape, but also, thanks to Demon King Slayer, I know exactly where traps like this are located.

So I had been trying to navigate the dungeon carefully, but Chloe had triggered a trap much sooner than I expected.

‘But this actually works out well for me.’

I reacted immediately, so she was safe. And now I’ve created a debt by saving her. I’ll be able to manipulate Chloe even more easily in this dungeon.

“From now on, I’ll take the lead.”

“Count Yulian-nim! Even so, as the senior squad member with more experience…”

“Wasn’t it you who almost fell into that trap just now?”

“Th-that’s true, but…”

Struck right on target, Chloe was speechless.

“I am a successor of Essenmund’s Reinhardt. But I’m also the son of Saint Agnes. My sensitivity to the demonic energy here will be higher. So I’ll find the way.”

She obediently nodded.

And my words weren’t just a bluff. Divine power radiated around the two of us as we started walking again.

Chloe, a priestess of the Alchemist Order, possessed Istia’s divine power. I had only infused a tiny amount of Jedin’s divine power, which I had obtained as a reward, into the rosary.

Of course, even that was far superior to Chloe’s divine power. So, just as I said, my senses were heightened.

Uuuuu-

Agnes’s rosary was also reacting strongly to the surrounding demonic energy. I continued,

“Instead, Chloe, your alchemy skills are higher than mine. So support me properly from behind.”

“Yes!”

I didn’t forget to offer a bit of encouragement. Chloe nodded eagerly.

The two continued to advance. The dark clouds in the sky grew even darker. As expected, the inside of the dungeon was filled with curses, just like the ominous gate.

If they were territorial soldiers without divine power, they might have collapsed from the curse alone before even encountering a monster.

‘I was right to choose this dungeon.’

The fifth Chaotic Gate located in the old Imperial Capital. Something must be happening to that massive gate that Saint Agnes sealed.

The ominous, out-of-規格 gate that appeared in Nvere territory, and the appearance of this dungeon created inside the gate, were proof that the seal was weakening.

‘The prophecy mentioned in Demon King Slayer. Things are proceeding exactly as it said.’

Saint Agnes’s prophecy. According to that prophecy, even the seal that Agnes created by sacrificing her life wouldn’t last long.

‘If I report this fact to the squad headquarters quickly, we can further increase the success rate of capturing the nest later.’

Chloe and I quickly left the area filled with skyscrapers and buildings. The dungeon was as complex as a maze, but I already knew the way.

In other words, I could choose the most efficient route.

“I’ll avoid other monsters as much as possible. It’ll only waste our stamina.”

“Understood, Count Yulian-nim.”

Chloe’s eyes were full of questions, as she didn’t know the inner workings of this dungeon.

“Normally, a 3rd Form monster’s dungeon doesn’t have this many subordinate monsters. This place is different from ordinary dungeons…”

“It seems so. Let’s hurry and deal with the monster and the core of the gate, and then leave this place.”

The cries of monsters echoed from all directions. Unless it’s a large-scale gate, it can’t produce monsters on its own.

So the monsters devour all living things in Island, regardless of whether they are humans, monsters, or beasts.

‘They turn the creatures they devour into subordinate monsters.’

It was said that three villages in Nvere territory had been wiped out. In addition, monster villages such as goblin nests and orc nests in the vicinity were also attacked.

So this dungeon wasn’t just an easy place with only four 3rd and 4th Form monsters. Subordinate monsters were swarming everywhere in the dungeon.

Chloe, overwhelmed by the sight, seemed to want to use the return stone immediately. But seeing my calm expression even in that hellish landscape, she silently followed behind me.

Soon, the two entered a bizarre area like an abandoned Harlem neighborhood in New York.

---

The path was filled with dungeon traps.

Exploding manhole covers. Asphalt roads suddenly collapsing like sinkholes. Even streetlights collapsing into giant weapons.

But I had cleared this dungeon so many times through Demon King Slayer that I was sick of it. I avoided all the traps with near-future prediction, and evaded danger in advance.

Chloe stared at my actions in astonishment, as if she had seen a ghost. Before I knew it, she was clinging tightly to my side.

And finally, the two confronted a group of subordinate monsters.

Humans who had become ghouls. And goblin and orc hordes that had been transformed into even more ferocious forms by the influence of demonic energy.

About 20 subordinate monsters were standing before us. They screamed.

Gueeeeeeeek-

And judging from the rosary’s reaction, there was a 4th Form monster not far away. There was no longer a way to detour. So we had to face these guys directly.

“Chloe! Attack with alchemy first!”

“Yes!”

Chloe inserted throwing knives between her fingers and hurled them into the monster horde.

Shuuuuuk-

The wedge-shaped metal throwing knives flew through the air. At the same time, a massive explosion erupted from the knives.

Kwa kwa kwa kwang-

‘As expected, Chloe’s alchemy is impressive.’

I instantly observed Chloe’s attack through the trait ‘Ordinary Alchemist.’

It was right after the throwing knives reached the monsters.

Chloe’s mana contained in the knives intervened with the physical force of the air attribute. It instantly decomposed the metal mass of the knives into extremely fine powder.

And the mana remaining between the powder was converted to the fire attribute. Soon, it ignited a small fire, and the metal powder, whose reactivity had been drastically increased due to the fine pulverization, caused a massive explosion.

‘She implemented a very high-level alchemical circuit in the throwing knives. After all, not just anyone can become the student representative.’

The alchemy was applied after the throwing knives left her hand with a casting delay. That remote circuit alone couldn’t be conceived with ordinary skill.

Furthermore, the multiple elemental attribute transformations of mana were implemented consecutively in between.

It was a technique impossible without considerable alchemical skill.

I couldn’t just stand idly by either. Many of the monsters were weakened by the dust explosion. Some of the monsters died instantly, but half of them survived.

I quickly jumped into the fray. Then, the Lionheart Swordplay unfolded like flowing water. Because the trait was being applied, the Imperial sword in my hand moved as if it were part of my body.

——-

[Trait is activated.]

* Trait: Evolved Ordinary Mana Swordsman (B+)

: You begin to open your eyes to the world of swordsmanship. The sword begins to feel more familiar in your hand.

* Mana Consumption

: 10 MP per hour

——-

Evolved Ordinary Mana Swordsman. I still couldn’t use Aura, but just by infusing mana into the sword, its sharpness increased even more.

Moreover, my strength and stamina stats had already increased through training at the Combat Order and Lilia’s healing magic.

From the 1st to the 5th form of the Lionheart Swordplay. The sword was thrust and swung appropriately against the subordinate monsters rushing at me.

I easily cut down all the subordinate monsters. I had killed more than 10, but it was instantaneous.

“Let’s keep moving, Chloe.”

I returned to Chloe’s side. Chloe’s eyes widened as she watched my swordsmanship.

“Count-nim… you really knew how to use a sword?”

“Of course. What nonsense. How could a man from Essenmund, and especially from the Reinhardt family, not know how to use a sword?”

“That’s true, but…”

Of course, Yulian hadn’t used a sword at all until last year. So she must have thought that I would just stand around like a screen even on missions.

But the figure I had just shown was that of a skilled swordsman. It was no wonder Chloe was surprised.

“I just dealt with a few subordinate monsters, not even monsters. A preliminary squad member of the Golden Wings should be able to do this much. It’s only natural.”

I said nonchalantly and moved on. Chloe silently followed me as I took the lead again.

---

We had reached close proximity to where the 4th Form monsters were gathered. Judging from the rosary’s reaction, it seemed like all four of them were gathered together.

We had cut down a considerable number of subordinate monsters while coming here. So Chloe was worried about my stamina.

“Count-nim has been continuously defeating monsters. It wasn’t just one or two… are you alright?”

“What nonsense. I’m fine. Are you ignoring the Reinhardt blood?”

In reality, there was nothing particularly difficult.

The horde of subordinate monsters was mostly neutralized by Chloe’s wide-area explosion. All I did was deliver the finishing blows with the improved Lionheart Swordplay.

Moreover, the proficiency of my swordsman trait had increased a lot due to those finishing blows. I was simply reaping extreme benefits.

But it must have seemed to Chloe that I was deliberately taking on the dirty work. I had prevented her from stepping forward by trying to take all the finishing blows.

I even pretended to be considerate of Chloe by telling her not to waste her stamina.

I said,

“I understand. If you’re that worried, I’ll use divine power.”

I injected the spare mana into Agnes’s rosary and used a tiny amount of Jedin’s divine power. Then, a light green divine power enveloped my body.

Recovery through divine power. Healing was applied to my body.

“Now that I’ve used healing, you don’t have to worry too much.”

Chloe was once again surprised by that sight. The amount of mana is not infinite. Divine power is also divided from the mana you possess.

But I used that mana generously in front of Chloe. I wore a divine magic of protection to block the curse of the dungeon, and at the same time, I used mana to continuously cut down monsters.

In the midst of all this, I used healing magic again. In other words, I had shown Chloe the image of a skilled paladin beyond an ordinary knight.

It was completely different from Chloe, who was gradually getting exhausted due to continuous use of alchemy and the curse.

“You’re right. You seem perfectly fine.”

“If necessary, I can use healing on you too.”

“It’s alright, Count-nim. There are 4th Form monsters over there. Let’s save it.”

Chloe, who had nothing to say, changed the subject.

“I understand. You’re right, it would be better to use mana to deal with those guys.”

The center of the Harlem we had entered. There stood a collapsed two-story building.

The 4th Form monsters and subordinate monsters used the collapsed building as cover, building a small fortress on the second floor. It seemed the monsters had been watching our performance from afar. Their preparation was thorough.

So, it seemed difficult to quickly deal with them with a simple firefight like before.

‘There doesn’t seem to be an easy way to get to the second floor. It seems those guys have destroyed the stairs.’

Among the subordinate monsters, there were also archers. So it seemed difficult to charge recklessly.

So, Chloe’s face became confident instead. She spread her fan wide open.

“It’s time to show the true power of alchemy. Terrain is useless in front of alchemy. We can change it into terrain advantageous to us with earth attribute alchemy!”

With those words, she confidently pointed her fan at the asphalt road. The energy of mana could be seen gathering at the tip of the fan. Chloe used alchemy.

But nothing happened.