Ch.33The Ghoul’s Altar (6)

And then I was defeated.

The monster’s magic targeted my blind spots from within the fog. With limited visibility and only a spear as a weapon, I was forced into close combat.

Projectiles could be blocked or dodged easily enough. The problem was that every long-range technique the monster used was formless.

Despite my struggle, the situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable.

“Ugh!”

Rachel was thrown back by a blade of wind and tumbled across the ground.

[“OMN UNHT.”]

The monster approached while muttering an incantation.

She desperately tried to retrieve her dropped weapon, but before her hand could reach it, the monster’s kick sent her spear flying far away.

A brutal hand grabbed Rachel’s jet-black hair, yanking her upward. Her eyes met bloodshot eyes with golden irises.

They were definitely not human eyes. Up close, she could see maggots writhing around the eye sockets. Rachel wrinkled her nose at the putrid stench.

[“GRA VLYTH. LYNAR KALTHUR.”]

“Ugh, what are you saying…?”

[“VAR TU’KATH, GARN KHAL NA. KALMA ORTH LUN ZHARA.”]

The man snorted derisively. He was mocking her. His expression seemed to ask why she had charged at him in such an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation rather than running away.

Rachel wondered: was she no match for this monster at all?

No, that wasn’t true.

She had dodged several invisible spells. Not only that, she had managed to close the distance to within three yards. The monster had even panicked and tried to widen the gap.

The divine power bestowed by the goddess was originally a blessing given to humans to vanquish evil mana. If she could have gotten close enough, Rachel would certainly have been victorious.

She had simply forgotten because she had grown too accustomed to it.

“The mage.”

The Magic Kingdom’s mage, Erich Lohnstein.

“If he were here, you’d be finished by now.”

The mage had protected Rachel’s flanks in every battle. Whenever her blind spots were exposed, he would cast appropriate spells to cover the gaps.

The two of them had strangely good teamwork. Though they couldn’t communicate verbally, they always moved as if reading each other’s minds.

Thanks to that, Rachel could take the vanguard position and finish battles almost without injury every time.

“When the Colonel and the mage arrive, you’re done for. I can see your wounds from yesterday haven’t fully healed. Today should be your death day… Aaaaagh!”

The monster gripped Rachel’s head tighter, as if telling her to shut up.

[“DNA SYRATUL UNNA. VITH KRA. THI KA SARTUN.”]

Her body had lost all strength, and she could do nothing. Rachel glared at the man in one final act of defiance.

“I’ll… kill you…”

Though defeated in battle, she would not surrender. That was what it meant to be a Valkyrie. She might be dragged away now with her strength depleted, but she would strike back and end him the moment an opportunity arose.

Rachel’s consciousness began to fade as her strength ebbed away.

Colonel Kasten, and the mage.

For now, trusting those two was her best option.

***

The saint and I ran with our arms linked.

Monsters continued to pursue us from behind. They were more persistent than I expected. Whenever we managed to shake off a few, another group would appear and continue the chase.

We could probably defeat them, but without the Valkyrie at the vanguard, it would be too dangerous.

Moreover, I had used my magic stone twice yesterday, so I hadn’t gathered much magical power today. I couldn’t waste magic stones on underlings when I needed them for the leader. Our priority now was to regroup with the Valkyrie.

If my guess was correct, this fog was like a maze. And most mazes have only one exit.

That’s why we chose to head quickly toward the mountain summit.

“Run faster!”

“Wait, you! Your steps are too quick…! Ah!”

The saint nearly fell. No matter how well-trained a soldier she was, there was a height difference between us. Our strides were naturally different.

At this rate, even if we shook off these pursuers, we might be chased by other monsters. We needed to lose all these minions before reaching the mountain summit.

It would be exhausting, but there was no other way.

“I’ll carry you.”

“What?”

“This is no time for a three-legged race!”

I quickly picked up the saint and carried her in my arms. Her eyes immediately turned orange.

After a brief look of embarrassment, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed close to me. This made it easier to balance her weight.

Of course, it was more tiring than carrying her on my back, but with monsters constantly on our tail, we couldn’t afford to slow down even for a moment.

After what felt like forever, we finally managed to shake off the monsters, and I set the saint down. My lungs felt like they were on fire. As I exhaled rough breaths, the saint offered me her water canteen. Her eyes had turned light pink.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. Why are you so heavy?”

“I’m slim, you know?”

“Never mind, let’s keep moving.”

The howls of monsters could be heard again nearby. The saint and I took just enough time to wet our throats before moving on.

Whenever we sensed we were about to be chased, I immediately carried her on my back.

It was definitely more comfortable than carrying her in my arms. I also began to understand why she felt heavier than her appearance suggested.

After alternating between running and walking for who knows how long, the babbling cries that had been echoing from a distance suddenly fell silent all at once. The void left by the absence of sound was filled with desolation and loneliness.

Dark, gloomy, and quiet.

It felt as if we had entered some kind of barrier.

I set the saint down and caught my breath. The fog was gradually lifting. Now I could see that the mountain summit was right in front of us. It was as if that ghoul was beckoning us to come closer.

“Mage, over there!”

The saint, who had been looking around with her arms linked, pointed at the ground and shouted.

A stone spear lay on the ground. It was the one I had made for the Valkyrie to use.

“Why is this here?”

The blade part was still warm. The magic stone inside was filled with Ekirel. The heat generated from the neutralization reaction between mana and Sephiron was gradually cooling.

There was no doubt. A battle had taken place here.

The irregular patterns imprinted on the ground supported this conclusion.

Until just before the fog set in, the Valkyrie had been walking right in front of us. Yet we only discovered this spear much later. Perhaps that monster was using magic that distorted space and time.

“Ah…”

The saint’s eyes were purple. For her, a member of the Lumina race, to have such eyes was a very bad sign. It meant she was either terrified or extremely anxious.

“Let’s hurry.”

We continued on our way.

When we reached the summit, an open landscape appeared before us.

The first thing that caught my eye was a tree cut down to its stump. Judging by how cleanly it was cut, tools had been used. This was the first trace of civilization we had found on this island.

And looking up, the second trace became visible.

Stone pillars.

Not just one. About fourteen pillars stood in a circle.

Inside the circle of pillars was a stone platform shaped like a truncated pyramid. I could feel an unusually strong magical power emanating from it.

It looked like a temple for worship, or perhaps an altar for sacrifices.

“This must be it. Our destination.”

The saint glanced around nervously and carefully unwound her arms. She cleared her throat with a “hem-hem” and replaced her previous posture by grabbing the hem of my clothes.

It was then that the magic stone in my pocket resonated.

Woong woong woong.

“…What’s this?”

Curious, I took it out. It was the magic stone I had obtained after capturing the siren on the previous island. I hadn’t been able to figure out its purpose, so I had just been carrying it…

Now I understood.

I invested all my remaining mana to activate the magic stone. The stone greedily devoured the magical power and then belched.

Eventually, we cautiously moved forward.

We hadn’t noticed from a distance, but skeletons were scattered around the altar. All of them were human bones. There must have been at least dozens, if not hundreds.

And up there.

The Valkyrie was lying on the stone platform.

[“Ah, you came at just the right time.”]

I tensed at the demon’s voice.

[“I need to offer this woman first. Sorry, but your turn will come next.”]

***

Ghouls die if they don’t eat humans.

Amalgam, who was once a low-ranking soldier in an army led by some great figure long ago, was in the same position. He had once been human but became a ghoul, and now he was a being whose immortal body would expire if he didn’t eat people.

Actually, he didn’t mind. He had enjoyed eating people even before becoming a monster.

However, his immortality wasn’t complete. Like any monster, demon, or evil spirit, his body would be destroyed if struck by divine power—the power bestowed by the goddess worshipped by the Holy Spirit Kingdom.

That’s why the spear thrust by the female soldier from the Holy Spirit Kingdom was more lethal than the ambush by the mage.

[“I simply cannot forgive this woman.”]

He had nearly died.

He had hastily used teleportation to return to his dwelling, but he had expended too much mana on movement and regeneration, so he needed to rest immediately.

However, the mage’s party had survived the night and still had enough energy to invade Amalgam’s lair.

[“After I complete the offering, I’ll chew your bones and flesh. Of course, the same goes for you two. I’m looking forward to it. It will be a wonderful feast.”]

There was no reason to hide anymore. Amalgam unwrapped the bandages from his fingertips. Srrng. The bones protruding through his fingers gleamed sharply.

The mage gave a hollow laugh.

[“You should have shown your true colors from the beginning. Why did you act so cunningly all this time?”]

[“I told you. For those who use magic, concealment, deception, and cunning are virtues. Who would put ingredients on fire without tenderizing the meat first?”]

[“That’s your…”]

[“Rise.”]

The ground beneath the mage and the saint bulged upward. Sharp metal spikes sprouted like emerging shoots. The two managed to dodge with split-second reflexes, but this caused them to separate from each other.

That was Amalgam’s aim.

[“Push through.”]

[“Pierce.”]

The two mages chanted simultaneously. Amalgam’s iron stakes and Erich’s Piercing Blue Stone met in midair, sending sparks flying.

“———.”

At the same time, Tiria drew her baculus and recited a Divine Word. A halo of light shone behind her back. Amalgam widened his eyes.

[“Damn it.”]

That cursed divine power.

[“Did you really not use any of it on your way here?”]

[“Saving it for you.”]

It was Erich who answered. Amalgam clicked his decayed, crumbling tongue with a “tsk” sound. His plan to drain the two of their power beforehand had failed.

The real battle was just beginning.