chapter_0220
by adminMesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
220
Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
220
It’s not necessarily a bad
thing that the monsters here are weak. Since I’ve already given up on
earning experience points, it’s to my advantage if things go
smoothly.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t shake
off an inexplicable sense of unease.
This isn’t a dungeon, so
there’s no reason for any unexpected variables. Everything here
aligns with my knowledge, yet I still couldn’t feel at ease.
Why, you ask?
Has anything ever gone
according to plan since I fell into this world? Has anything ever
been resolved easily?
That has never been the case.
I always faced a near-death
crisis.
Unexpected obstacles always
blocked my path, and sudden enemies grabbed me by the throat. That
was my life.
It took overcoming numerous
crises for me to finally stand here.
Maybe that’s why. It’s
impossible for me to simply enjoy this peace and tranquillity.
Isn’t there always the chance
of a sudden ding?
Could a dungeon suddenly
appear out of nowhere?
Could Luca’s scheming be aimed
at killing me?
Or might there be some unknown
variable in this forest?
These uncertainties kept
making me look around nervously.
‘At this point, I almost wish
something would just appear.’
If something were to happen,
at least I could deal with it. It would undoubtedly be dangerous, and
I might even have to brace myself for death, but at least I wouldn’t
have this nagging anxiety.
Unable to dispel my anxiety, I
grumbled, and Grandpa murmured this.
‘What are you even saying?’
I’ve always been human, you
know?
‘Grandpa, you’re really bad at
jokes. I can only imagine how much your subordinates must have
suffered.’
‘And your colleagues, not your
subordinates?’
‘So you’re saying they just
humoured you.’
An old boss with achievements,
skills, and power? Horrifying.
There’s probably some pillar
in the Paladin Order’s headquarters with Grandpa’s name etched on
it, full of complaints.
Ignoring Grandpa’s claim that
he was a good superior, I continued forward.
The third boss was a
two-headed dog that walked on two legs.
Not knowing to be afraid of
people despite being a mere pet, it pushed its teeth towards me.
After a few lessons with my mace, it collapsed onto the ground.
The fourth boss was a witch
that bloomed from a rotting corpse flower.
Using her vine-like stems to
bind her enemies and attacking with magic, poison, and curses, she
could have been a formidable opponent normally, but not to me as I am
now.
Her vines weren’t strong
enough to bind my body.
Her magic couldn’t penetrate
my shield.
The poison was purified before
it could even touch me.
And the curses couldn’t even
approach me.
At first, she was
overconfident, but when her face started to turn to shock, I struck
it with the mace, and she soon disintegrated.
I double-checked to make sure
she was completely reduced to ashes by my divine energy and then
picked up the seed from the remains and tossed it into my inventory.
I would take it to Adri later;
after removing the curse, it would have some use.
Now, only one remains.
The one who turned this forest
into a realm of death.
Once a necromancer, now an
undead spirit seeking to live again. Seeking revenge. Seeking what
was left behind. Coming to a forest full of vitality and turning it
into hell, fed on the life force until he lost his original purpose.
The Necromancer.
I have slain his four minions
that rule this forest, so now he will reveal himself in the centre.
As I moved toward the centre
of the forest, a massive Aura of Death emerged from the distance and
spread around.
This aura was on a different
level compared to what I had encountered so far. Riding the black
magic denser than the Night’s Veil, it carried a grudge.
A voice filled with
resentment. A will determined to curse the living. A desperate need
to become stronger, even after going mad.
‘Yes. This is nothing.’
I received it with my body,
but I felt nothing unusual. The foul aura was purified by divine
energy before it could even penetrate me.
‘It seems so.’
As expected of the true boss.
Just its presence alone carried this much intimidation. It would have
been a tricky opponent if it weren’t already mad.
I remember hearing about how
the Paladin Knights of that time were considered monsters to have
defeated such a being.
‘Compared to an Evil God,
this is a weak opponent, don’t you think?’
It’s embarrassing to even
compare it to Karia, let alone an Evil God. There’s no reason to
feel threatened.
‘Is that so?’
That’s true. Now that I think
about it, the comparison does seem a bit much.
Then, hmm. Ah, yes. This would
be a more accurate way to put it.
Given the right circumstances
and conditions, my friends from the Academy—Arthur, Joy, Phoebe,
and Frey—could hunt this opponent.
It’s largely because Phoebe is
perfectly specialised in fighting the Undead, so as long as we buy
her time to purify the spirits, it counts as a win, right?
I can say with confidence: the
Necromancer of this forest is only such an opponent.
Unless there’s some
variable, there’s no way I would lose to a guy like that.
The issue is if there are
variables. But if it’s an ordinary case, even my current self can
handle it.
If the real worst case
scenario comes and I find myself in a situation I absolutely can’t
handle…
Well, when that time comes,
won’t Armadi somehow manage it? Since it’s the trial he gave, he’ll
at least bear minimal responsibility, right?
If the worst case scenario
isn’t Luca’s scheme, Luca will protect me.
Really, there’s no way I can
suffer losses here.
Even as I laugh at the
thought, I don’t stop walking.
The farther I go, the denser
the black magic becomes.
For an ordinary person, the
density of this magic would be suffocatingly overwhelming.
Like pushing through fog, I
blindly forge ahead until I somehow reach the centre.
Only then do I come to realise
a few things.
The black magic spreading
through the forest isn’t being intentionally spread by the
Necromancer; it’s just that he can’t control it.
The Undead Spirits are
gathering and cheering at the reappearance of their true master after
such a long time.
There’s a vast difference
between seeing through a monitor and experiencing the pressure in
person.
Taking a deep breath, I let
the divine energy flow through my entire body.
Though his personality is
strange, Armadi’s bestowed ability is genuine; the divine energy he
granted wraps around me, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
In this place that was filled
with black, a white dot forms, and every gaze in the vicinity
converges on it.
Facing the shock and hatred in
their stares, I internally chant the divine magic.
As the divine energy
intensifies, various Buff Skills naturally enhance my stats.
My body, which has wandered
the forest for so long, feels invigorated, and my heightened senses
pick up the voice of an Undead Spirit.
“It’s a Paladin. What are
you doing here?”
I tighten my grip on the mace.
Perfect.
“Kill her.”
“No, we must torture her.”
“We must hear her scream.”
“Make her beg for her life.”
“Turn her into one of us.”
I grasp the leather handle
attached to the shield.
“Everyone, be quiet.”
I closed my eyes and then
opened it again as I tilted my head upward.
Dark eyes that look down like
an abyss meet red eyes that look upward.
“A little child that seems
like it would vanish if crushed. There’s something I want to ask
you.”
A deeply raspy, rotting voice
echoes in my ears. While difficult to understand, it’s not entirely
incomprehensible.
“What is it?♡ Go ahead
and tell me, old woman with dementia♡ I’m kind, so I’ll listen to
your crazy talk♡”
“Have you met a girl named
Adri?”
And its contents are not much
different from what I know.
While I need to exchange a few
more words to be sure, I’m already fairly confident.
This necromancer is no
different from the one in the game. Not much different from what I
remember.
“Are you curious?♡ Are
you really curious?♡ Let me think for a moment♡ I don’t tend to
remember lowly rabble well♡”
“Think carefully. Your life
depends on it.”
“Ah!♡ I remember now!♡
The lonely hag staying at the mansion!♡”
As I raise my voice, a red dot
appears in the necromancer’s eyes, which were blackened.
This is evidence of reason. It
means we can communicate, even if just for a moment.
The skill I received when I
gifted a ribbon to Adri in the past. Adri’s power residing in it. It
has restored reason to this necromancer.
Yes.
This necromancer is Adri’s
mother.
They were subjugated by the
Paladins in the past but somehow managed to preserve their soul and
escape.
Then they came to this forest,
planning revenge and salvation.
In the end, they couldn’t
withstand the undead spirits’ grudge and went insane. Now, they can
never return to being human. Their soul is so worn that they can’t
even find solace in Armadi’s embrace.
Necromancer Abina.
“Adri. Have you seen Adri?!
Is she alive?! Answer me! Answer me, I say!”
A poor mother who still calls
out her daughter’s name even after losing her sanity.
Remember when I mentioned this
quest being re-evaluated after it was revealed to be a linked quest?
This is why. If you come here
after completing a quest related to Adri, what was a gruelling
farming quest suddenly transforms into a touching story.
They say a mother’s love has
the power to move people to tears.
To be honest, I still can’t
empathise. I was born and raised as an orphan, so I’ve never felt
maternal love.
Though recently, I did
inadvertently experience something akin to paternal love.
But that’s not really
important, so I’ll skip over it. Anyway, what I wanted to say is.
“Yes! I saw her! I know
where she is! But I won’t tell you!”
Even knowing all the
circumstances, I could still provoke the Necromancer.
“What?”
“You look pretty dumb, so
even if I tell you, I don’t think you’d remember. So, I won’t say
anything.”
“…I see. Then I’ll make
you talk.”
As a voice filled with deep
grudge targets me, a rush of power wells up within my body.
Oh, right. There’s one thing I
haven’t mentioned yet.
When I reached the centre of
the forest and faced the Necromancer, I realised something.
This one might be just good
enough for a warm-up.
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