Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 100: The Spirit Realm (5).

The group briefly stood still to catch their breath. Honestly, it was hardly a rest, but for them, who had now entered the very heart of the battlefield, this was more than enough.

Allen also forcibly calmed his breath that had risen to his throat. His whole body was already drenched in sweat.

Thankfully, the Blind Saintess was guiding them. It was somewhat a relief that they didn’t have to comb through the Baron’s castle meticulously. Otherwise, the damage would have been much greater.

Especially since, during the charge earlier, there were a couple of mercenaries who had been taken down by the undead. Of course, it wasn’t because they were too weak to handle the undead; rather, they were just really unlucky. Those things would sometimes pop out of completely unexpected places. Even appearing right behind them and suddenly biting down on their necks.

The members of the Allen-Mercenary Group were not without their own incidents, but fortunately, their level was significantly higher than the other three mercenary groups, so they at least avoided fatal injuries… Now, they certainly felt like they were earning their keep.

“Has everyone caught their breath? Let’s depart now.”

Group Leader Allen glanced over the group and gestured with a nod that it was time to move on. And then, they advanced again.

As they moved towards the highest and most splendid Baronial castle within the inner fortress, suddenly, from several directions, long, rope-like tongues shot out like arrows.

——!!

There were four in total. Three were somehow blocked, but one got through. It snatched up the body of a female mercenary and, in a flash, whisked her away.

Uwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.

She disappeared into the mist in an instant.

“Damn this shit…!”

Group Leader Allen had no choice but to shout to speed up. And then, the tongue-like rope flew at them again. But while one might fall for it once, they wouldn’t fall for it twice.

Fortunately, they safely entered the Baron’s castle. Of course, this place was also enveloped in dense fog, emitting a chilling, murderous aura. It was so intense that even the Blind Saintess, who usually wouldn’t show any discomfort, rubbed her temples as if she had a headache.

Ordnung removed her blindfold from the moment they entered the Baron’s castle. Her pitch-black eyes followed the stream that was the source of the evil energy flowing out.

And from a certain moment, not even one undead appeared… However, that made the mercenaries even more afraid. The fact that the undead didn’t appear in an environment where they should meant that something was preventing them from approaching.

Haaa, haaa, haa.

The mercenaries panted heavily with tense breaths. The four mercenary groups meticulously scanned left, right, front, back, and even above and below as they moved along the wide corridor. This Baron’s castle, which must have once flourished, now only had the feeling of death.

They went deeper and deeper. Even the faintest glimmer of light disappeared, and they now relied solely on the orb light emitted by the two mages.

Wandering through the fog, they began to doubt whether they were truly alive. Perhaps they were already undead, aimlessly wandering the Spirit Realm like ghosts…

Allen, who was checking the mercenaries’ minds in real time, had the responsibility to snap them out of their creeping fear. If he left them be, and they ended up acquiring [Mental Disorder] or [Madness] traits, it would be quite troublesome… Indeed, in terms of mental management, the status window was beyond useful; it was almost like a cheat key.

“Don’t worry, everyone. You’re all still alive. If you were undead, you wouldn’t even have such worries, you brats.”

Seeing that the group was overly tense, Allen even mixed in a bit of a joke. It wasn’t nearly as effective as mental immunity, but it definitely improved the mercenaries’ condition somewhat.

Of course, their steps did not stop. They were steadily closing the distance to the gate of the Spirit Realm.

…And then, the leading Blind Saintess suddenly stopped in her tracks and sharply raised her hand. It was a signal to stop.

The mercenaries, who had been on high alert, stopped all at once. She slowly lowered her raised hand and then pointed ahead with her finger.

“Over there… there’s something… It’s incredibly strong.”

Allen was certain that it was the guardian of the portal to the Spirit Realm.

“Form up. Prepare for battle…!”

No matter how much one mastered [Guild Master], there was no way to know exactly what kind of creature the guardian was. It varied depending on the situation. Of course, the most common case was it being the mage who opened the gate, but even that probability wasn’t very high. Statistically, about 20%.

Once the group was ready for battle, Allen gestured for them to slowly advance with a swish of his hand. And the mercenaries moved forward in formation, step by step.

The first row advanced cautiously, setting up a tower shield that was scratched, cracked, and missing pieces here and there. Ready for any attack, bracing for impact.

…And, eventually, the identity of that guardian slowly revealed itself.

Euhheuheuheu, my son, euhheuheuk, my child, my son…

A being that looked human was sobbing, holding someone in its arms. Of course, it was impossible for a human to be living here unharmed. It was clear to anyone that this was a monster.

Allen ordered the two mages to cast spells towards the enemy. And that would be the signal for the battle to begin. Soon, a powerful mana bullet was launched at the creature.

——!!

At the same time, the enemy swiftly leaped to the ceiling and clung to it like a spider. Of course, the magic without a homing function merely struck the empty space in vain. The mercenaries didn’t seem to expect the foe to dodge the magic so swiftly.

Save my soooooon!!!

As the monster’s head split into four, its body swelled up massively in an instant. The monster’s body was mixed with parts of human bodies. Naturally, the rotten corpse of its son was also dangling from its chest.

The thing hanging from the ceiling leaped towards the group of mercenaries. The first row raised their shields to block the attack, but as the massive arm as large as a human torso swung down, they were either pushed back or knocked down by the impact.

Save my son. My son. My sooooon!!

The guardian monster was insane. It seemed the reason it opened the gate to the Spirit Realm was to save its son.

The monster swung its arms wildly. A truly barbaric attack with no form or technique. However, its destructive power was unbelievably immense. Where its fist landed, everything was immediately smashed, shattered, and crushed. A direct hit would result in at least a serious injury.

Allen and the third row quickly retreated. It was best not to loiter in the chaos, as getting hit even by mistake could mean bidding farewell to the world. Moreover, dying in the Spirit Realm meant they couldn’t escape the fate of those poor souls either.

My sooon!!

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

It was flailing its arms and fists in desperation. The first line tried to block the attacks and create an opportunity for a counterattack, but it seemed impossible for them to fully fend off the monster’s attacks with their level. Already, everyone in the first line had at least one arm or leg injured. Still, they endured the pain and somehow managed to move.

This time, too, the Blind Saintess Ordnung and the Itty Titty Swordsman Natasha played a crucial role. Indeed, its destructive power was tremendous, but… as long as they didn’t get hit, it was fine. Of course, the monster was fast, but it felt slightly lacking in catching up with their speed.

The two dodged the monster’s attacks with swift movements, twisting their bodies here and there in a miraculous manner. While the monster was momentarily distracted by them, the mercenary group quickly swallowed potions and reorganized their formation.

In the meantime, the Milk-Jug Mage had prepared a powerful spell. Whether it would hit or not, launching it would at least draw attention for a moment.

Once again, a mana bullet flew. It missed the monster this time too, but it created an opportunity for Ordnung and Natasha to take their shot, just as she intended.

And right then, the Newbie Kori, who was at the side of the third row, felt an ominous presence and glanced outside the window. There, an enormous number of undead, and that death-bringing monster, were approaching.

Damn it!

The youngest screamed in horror, raising his voice to the Group Leader.

“Th-there are undead coming from outside!!”

At that moment, Allen couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were screwed. They hadn’t even dealt with the guardian yet, and facing the undead was clearly going to be no easy task.

However, the undead had already leaped over the window towards them. Newbie Kori and the Cautious Archer Gheorghe swung their clubs and bows frantically. The other mercenaries also fought desperately to protect the first and second rows from the undead.

In the midst of such fierce fighting, Itty Titty Swordsman Natasha seized a fleeting moment and, like lightning, slashed the monster’s chest wide open with her sword. Cutting through the rotten body of its son was just a bonus.

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

The guardian charged at Natasha in a frenzy. How dare she inflict a deep wound on the body of its beloved son?!

In the moment its gaze was fixed on the Itty Titty Swordsman, the Blind Saintess saw her chance and clenched her fist.

She aimed at its solar plexus.

But of course, what she hit was not the monster’s solar plexus but its back. A punch with all the strength of an A-rank power 63—no monster could withstand it.

The mercenaries in front of the monster were covered in ash after a huge explosion.

Bang!

Of course, it was only natural for the monster to fall forward.

Natasha, who quickly stepped back, also rushed forward again and swiftly chopped off the creature’s terrible head with her sword.

My sooooon!

The monster stood up again, but this time, it fell after getting punched in the leg. Taking advantage of the moment, both the first and second rows rushed in and furiously beat the monster’s massive body. While the monster, lying down, swung its fists as if in a struggle and managed to hit a few mercenaries, that was all it could do.

The persistently regenerating guardian monster, unable to restore its body any longer, eventually turned entirely into ash and scattered.

After much trouble, the guardian monster was eliminated. However, since the gate to the Spirit Realm remained open, the undead continued to pour in incessantly. On top of that, several soul collectors, including Andontra, joined the fray.

Group Leader Allen confirmed the guardian was gone and quickly headed there. There was a passage leading underground nearby. It was obvious that the gate to the Spirit Realm was there.

“Ordnung! Come with me.”

The situation wasn’t good enough to remove Natasha from the battlefield. The two hurried down the passage to the basement.

Ugh.

The energy flowing from the gate of the Spirit Realm was so immense that Ordnung let out a faint groan. Now, that energy had begun to inflict physical damage.

“Damn it…!”

Their skin cracked and started to peel off. Pus and blood oozed from every hole, and blood tears flowed from their eyes.

It was a pain that felt like their flesh was being torn by a knife.

Yet, for Ordnung with a high physical strength stat, it wasn’t quite unbearable yet.

Ah.

Allen almost lost consciousness to the pain in that moment… but he clenched his teeth and endured it to the end.

The two, the man and woman, barely made it down to the basement. There, in the middle, a huge and vast abyssal hole was wide open, belching out thick, milky fog in fits and starts.

We must find the medium.

Allen and Ordnung quickly searched the basement. And Allen found the figure of a mummy, crouching in the farthest corner from the entrance.

“Over here!”

The woman, who had been recklessly destroying the offerings near the gate to the Spirit Realm, ran towards the source of the shout upon hearing Allen’s call and smashed the mummy’s head in one fell swoop. Yet, the gate did not close.

“Throw it inside the entrance!”

With Allen’s cry, Ordnung picked it up and threw it straight into the maw of the dark abyss.

At the same time, a black hand rose like a mirage and began to slowly close the door.

With a thunderous roar similar to the sound of thunder…

The gate to the Spirit Realm was firmly closed.

The thick fog disappeared as if it were a lie, and the basement became quiet as if nothing had happened.

As if everything until now had been a dream.

Ah.

Only after Allen, who had been bleeding profusely from every hole, finally relaxed and collapsed, did the Blind Saintess gently catch his body.

“…You’ve had a hard time.”

Ordnung lifted the Group Leader like a princess and went up above the basement.

…In the cleared Baron’s castle, beautiful sunset light was pouring in.