LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 45
Chapter 45
The March of Shadows
Led by the fiery spirit of Phenex, the punitive force marched on, undeterred.
Thud, thud, thud…
Screech… screech…
In the abyssal darkness, where only torches fend off the consuming shadows, courage isn’t just desired—it’s essential. For as long as history recalls, humans have harbored a primal fear of the dark.
Yet, those gathered here under Faust’s command to conquer the boss of Sector 2 were not mere humans; their steps never faltered.
Crunch… crunch…
“They’re cautious, not rushing into an ambush,” observed one.
“Indeed. It’s rather dull,” another sighed.
“Fighting under disadvantageous conditions is hardly pleasant. Patience, Lord Phenex,” a voice counseled.
Goblin King Jakim, once so arrogantly dismissive even towards Faust, now addressed Phenex with a surprising deference.
“Phenex, did Faust provide you with no information?”
“My lord? No, he simply bade me return.”
“Hmm… Such trust he places in you, Lord Phenex.”
Phenex scratched her head, chuckling awkwardly.
“Well… I mean… he often says he can’t do without me…”
…Though he never actually said that.
Jakim offered Phenex some comforting words.
“He trusts you enough to believe you’ll succeed without issue.”
Ruby smirked.
“Oh, aren’t we sweet-talking now? Is that your usual style?”
“Silence, rogue. A demon and its master deserve respect.”
“Heh… Fair enough.”
Demons.
These enigmatic and beautiful beings possess power that surpasses their allure, a fact well-known to their summoners.
Growl…
After a lengthy trek, they encountered an unpleasant reality.
“Traps still active after all this?”
“Indeed… Phenex, this is…”
“Hmm… Jakim?”
“Likely, these are traps from the dungeon’s past, long before our time.”
“Wait… That means…”
Before long, they reached their intended destination, only to find a massive wall blocking their path.
“Hmm… We’ll have to go around. This thickness is beyond even the power of solid rock.”
“It’ll take more than a day.”
“It can’t be helped.”
Limp… limp…
Jakim’s leg, after such a journey, couldn’t possibly be unscathed.
“Damn it…”
“Phenex, over there.”
Phenex halted and turned.
“Let’s rest here for a bit.”
Jakim, sweating profusely, took a seat.
They kindled a fire with the broken palisades nearby, with smoke escaping into the tunnels.
It was a sign of ventilation, and a reminder of the underground chill.
Growl…
Solid Rock adjusted his position, enveloping everyone a bit more.
“Thank you, Solid Rock. I’ll remember this.”
“Pfft… What’s there to remember?”
“I never forget a kindness or a grudge, whatever it may be.”
“Is that so?”
Jakim, somewhat calmed, surveyed the surroundings.
“This dungeon… it’s vast. The influence stretching this far from the dungeon core suggests the previous owner was a formidable one.”
“Right, hmm… Who could it have been?”
“Unknown. But the functioning traps imply they weren’t from ancient times. Perhaps the Underground Count, the Seven Sins, or the Steel Titan…”
“You know of the Seven Sins?”
“How could I not? They’re heroes to the persecuted races.”
“You haven’t always lived in the forest?”
“To survive the forest, one must venture beyond it. When winter came, we’d raid villages for food, even plunder merchant storages.”
“Again?”
“We’ve clashed with punitive forces and sent many knights across the river of death.”
“You must have been infamous.”
“That’s why the decree for my subjugation was issued… and why I ended up with this leg.”
As Jakim grumbled about his past, Ruby inquired.
“Can’t it be healed? That leg.”
“All who’ve tried have failed. I’ve nearly given up.”
“If left as is, it could rot or cause issues…”
“Then I’ll simply cut it off. Hmph.”
Ruby chuckled, teasing out the hidden sentiment.
“You’re lying, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“You don’t want to lose that leg.”
“…”
“You wish to walk properly.”
“Shut up, what would you know…”
“If not, why would you bother with a summoner’s contract?”
“…”
Ruby gazed at Jakim with sparkling eyes.
“You hoped for a miracle.”
“Hmph…”
Growl…
“What’s wrong, Solid Rock?”
Growl…
“It’s not Solid Rock, it’s Phenex.”
Growl…
Phenex, with a droplet hanging from his nose, leaned against Solid Rock, fast asleep.
“Goodness… Is she truly a demon?”
“Don’t try to understand demons. Unless you’re that curious.”
“Fear demons?”
“I fear not fearing demons.”
“Keheh… Is that so?”
“Never seen one before, I take it.”
“Nope, Phenex is my first.”
“Don’t get too close. They are beings of freedom.”
“Isn’t freedom good?”
“Freedom means no allegiance to good.”
“…”
Crackle…
Click…
“I want to return for a bath. Can we bathe here?”
“There seems to be an underground stream…”
“That’s sufficient.”
“Your name was Ruby?”
“Yes. Pretty, isn’t it? Faust gave it to me.”
“How did you lose your homeland?”
“…Why the sudden curiosity?”
Ruby, on guard, asked as Jakim snorted.
“It’s basic to check for thorns before lying down in a new place.”
“Heheh… Is that so? Part of surviving, I suppose.”
Jakim didn’t back down, lifting one thick eyelid slightly, and Ruby sighed.
“Sigh… My homeland, Rubitorium, was a forest where the sky filled with stars at night.”
Growl…
“The warriors of my tribe were all strong and proud. We cared little for the affairs of the continent… We were too busy dealing with our own.”
For a moment, Ruby’s eyes seemed to deepen in color.
“…Until those damned humans burned our last paradise.”
“Did you live through the conquest wars?”
“No, I was born much later. A native of Rubitorium. By the time I came into the world, Solomon was already a figure of the past generation.”
“You’re the last child of Rubitorium?”
“Ha! No, there are still survivors from Rubitorium besides me. It’s just that their whereabouts are unknown.”
As Jakim was about to conclude his tale, Ruby interjected.
“What about you?”
“Your homeland?”
“Yes.”
“I have no homeland. My memory does not serve me.”
“Huh…”
“Goblins are foolish. Always fighting, always losing. A pitiful race.”
“That’s harsh.”
“Fools led by a fool, all dying like fools. I killed the strongest fool before me. And so it continued.”
“Hmm…”
That was the reason for Jakim’s existence.
“When I stood before those fools, I won for the first time.”
“…”
“Only then did the scenery start to look worthwhile.”
“What are your plans going forward?”
“Hmm…”
“You must have a purpose for becoming a summoner’s servant?”
“What do you think a one-legged, packless creature like me would do? I plan to ride the waves. I’m hoping the waves will push me towards them.”
“Them?”
“Just like you. Those damned humans.”
“Keke… At least our sentiments align there.”
Suddenly, they realized they could no longer hear Phenex’s snoring.
Phenex murmured quietly,
“Don’t make a sound, stay quiet. It’s an ambush. From above.”
“…”
“…”
“When I count to three… leap to dodge. Hmm… Ah.”
Phenex’s next words came.
“Three.”
“Damn!”
“What?!”
Fwoooosh-!
The summoners scattered in all directions.
Growwwwwl!
Moam, due to his size, couldn’t react quickly enough, and his arm was swept away by the impact.
Boommmmmmm!
Something long and massive burst through the ceiling and vanished into the floor.
“…Good heavens.”
The creature had enough strength to shatter Moam’s arm in an instant.
Crashhh…
Fortunately, as long as Moam’s core wasn’t destroyed, he could easily regenerate his body parts. Had it been anyone else, they would have awakened not here, but in the Garden of Regeneration.
“What is that…”
Rumble rumble…
The creature was digging through the ground, the vibrations felt through the floor.
Grind grind grind…
Unsatisfied with the attack, it retreated with a strange cry, like that of a deep-sea monster.
“Is it retreating?”
“Let’s follow.”
Phenex spoke succinctly, and Jakim hastily reached out his hand, saying,
“Wait… I can’t run anymore…”
Banggggg!
The air vibrated, and a burning smell assaulted their nostrils.
Sssss…
The path Phenex took was left scorched, indicating where he had moved.
Growwwl!
The guardian of the ruins, Moam, lifted Jakim with one hand and placed him on his shoulder.
“Are we good now?”
“…”
At a loss for words, Jakim didn’t respond. Such an experience was new to him.
“Moam! Follow Phenex!”
Roarrrr!
Roarrrrr!
Moam moved his massive body at a swift pace.
His reflexes might be lacking, but his speed was not. In fact, it was a wonder that such a large body could move at such a speed.
Sssss…
Sniff sniff…
“Over there!”
The scorch marks were intermittent, but Ruby’s nose caught the scent of char and didn’t lose track of the direction Phenex had gone.
The vibrations from the digging had ceased long ago. Far ahead, Phenex sent up a flame as a signal.
“Ah, this door…”
“It’s the same kind we saw before.”
The relic blocked by a solid wall, which they had to circumvent. There was definitely something beyond it, perhaps a spatial rift.
Whooooo…
“We can’t open this.”
Phenex gestured with her palms up, indicating helplessness.
Thud…
Roarrrrr…
Moam, liking this place, rubbed his body against the door.
Growwwl…
“What are you doing!”
“Jakim, come down. Moam seems to be up to something.”
Pop!
Jakim landed awkwardly, and a bluish energy began to gather in Moam’s hand.
Whooooo…
A massive amount of magic, dormant in the core, gathered in his giant hand…
Creeeak…
And he began to pry open the door of the ruins.
Grind grind…
“Oh…”
“His strength is overwhelming.”
“We would have had to turn back if not for Moam.”
Phenex snorted and nodded.
“Indeed, my lord. You foresaw our path here.”
Moam’s eyes flashed with a brilliant blue light.
Growwwwwl!
Creeeak creak…
The door, widened enough for Moam’s large body to pass through, seemed unlikely to close anytime soon due to being forcibly opened.
Step…
Step…
Thud…
As the punitive force entered, the air grew heavy.
“Is that… a rift?”
“It’s huge.”
Ziiiiing…
“Everyone, be quiet.”
Phenex closed her eyes and placed a hand to her ear.
“…”
“…”
After a moment of silence.
“They’re here!”
Boommmmm!
Bursting through the ceiling was something resembling a giant worm, but where its mouth should be was a terrifying array of cylindrical teeth. It seemed to be a kind of death worm commonly found in caves.
However, its size was uncommonly large.
[Neutral Boss ‘Gluttonous Tamaga’ is very angry.]
[Boss battle commences.]
[A spatial rift causes anomalies, sealing off the surroundings. Escape is not possible.]
…
The second battle against the indigenous boss of the Rotten Roots begins.