Chapter 118 : Purgatory (2)
Chapter 118: Purgatory (2)
The sound of wind slicing through the air.
Thud!
A gentle breeze instantly transformed into a raging gale and surged forward.
“Guh?”
“Urgh?”
The soldiers whose bodies had been pierced with wind holes died on the spot.
As though they hadn't even realized what had struck them.
Their eyes remained wide open.
Clang!
The one who first stopped that relentless charge was a man wielding twin daggers.
Lee Siwoo.
The Ranker who led the Monarch Guild and once held the title of S-Rank.
True to his assassin class, his movements were unbelievably swift.
Ordinarily, merely dodging would have been difficult enough.
“Oh? Impressive, human.”
As the high-speed charge came to a halt, the attacker's form was finally revealed.
A Dryad.
Its upper body was that of a beautiful woman, while its lower body resembled that of a deer.
Holding a long spear, the Dryad looked down at Lee Siwoo.
“I thought your kind loved forests and peace.
Was I mistaken?”
“There was... a time when we did.”
The Dryad tilted her head upward as though reminiscing about the past.
But only for a moment.
“Now, we are nothing more than cursed souls who wish to escape an endless punishment.”
The Dryad raised one hand.
Then—
Thud... Thud... Thud...
Countless Dryads emerged from between the fog-covered trees.
“T-There are over several hundred!”
“Multiple new monsters have appeared as well! Including those carrying books! They're coming!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions shook the heavens and earth.
They had barely entered the outskirts, yet they were already facing such an obstacle.
The journey to the gate was beginning to feel increasingly unreal.
＊＊＊
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bang! Bang!
An all-out melee where countless lives became hopelessly entangled.
Blood and flesh scattered everywhere.
Every kind of weapon moved solely to take another's life.
They had already been locked in fierce combat for over an hour.
Yet the situation hadn't improved in the slightest.
The other expeditionary forces were probably experiencing something similar.
“Huff... Huff...”
Yohan let out the breath he had been holding as he pulled his sword from the Dryad's chest.
Whoosh!
A thick stream of blood gushed out like a waterfall.
Its mobility was exceptional.
On top of that, it used all kinds of nature magic, making it far more troublesome to kill than expected.
“For a mage, you seem to engage in close combat almost as often as I do.”
Seo Changhee spoke while shaking the blood from his blade.
“Kuhahaha! Didn't I keep telling you? He's a Warrior!”
“It's a good thing we outnumbered them. Otherwise, we'd have been wiped out long ago.”
Rodbrok and Scarlett each added a comment.
Fortunately, everyone was still in one piece.
Thanks to growing stronger through rewards.
And constantly honing themselves through training.
That said...
‘There's no point maintaining formations like this.’
Military formations only reached peak efficiency when every unit worked together in perfect synergy.
But within this fog...
Even distinguishing friend from foe wasn't easy.
And after the chaotic battle they had just fought, everyone had already been scattered.
‘Visibility is around twenty meters.’
With sight this limited, moving in small groups was far more efficient.
Yohan unfolded the map.
The first rally point lay four kilometers from their current location.
Once each expeditionary force finished their own battle, their commanders would head there as well.
Just then—
“Aaaah! R-Run!”
“What the hell is that monster?!”
Shouts erupted from the direction of the Arcane Guild, where Lee Siwoo was fighting.
He thought their battle had nearly concluded.
So what happened?
The answer appeared immediately.
Rumble!
Pink flower petals swept through the fog.
“Kikik... Kiiyaaah...”
The laughter of a woman sounded as though something were caught in her throat.
No way...
“Damn it.”
Yohan cursed.
He knew that Named Monster.
One with a danger level incomparable to the Evangelist.
“Heh heh. Looks like another battle awaits us.”
“Brothers, I'll cast buffs.”
The instant Rodbrok and Lagersa prepared for combat—
“Run!”
Yohan shouted.
His voice carried such urgency that no one even asked why.
Everyone instinctively understood.
Something truly terrifying was about to happen.
Rumble!
Thick vines burst from the ground.
It had been a close call.
Had they hesitated even slightly, those countless vines would have captured them all.
Everyone immediately hid behind trees and suppressed their presence.
Thud... Rumble... Boom!
Something enormous emerged through the fog.
It stood well over several dozen meters tall.
Its body was composed of grotesque plants twisted together into a single massive form.
It slowly advanced.
“Kikik! So... so many... delicious things. Good... good.”
A human-sized woman sat atop a giant blooming flower, giggling.
It was Raplier.
Known throughout Purgatory as the Floral Artist.
“Cough!”
“Ugh...”
Countless soldiers and Hunters hung from the vines sprouting from the giant plant.
Their arms and legs had all been broken.
None of them could even struggle.
Click.
As though serving as her escort, dozens of Dryads accompanied her.
“Our children have suffered many injuries.
It seems several remarkably powerful humans are mixed among them.”
“Kikik! The livelier they are... the more exquisite they taste.
I'll devour every last one of them.
Not a single one shall remain!”
Crunch! Crack!
Several of the captives caught within the vines were crushed into masses of blood.
As blood poured over the plants, even more magnificent flowers bloomed.
“......”
Seo Changhee's eyes narrowed.
He lowered his stance while gripping his sword tightly, looking ready to charge at any moment.
“Don't.
Hold yourself back.
Even if we rescue them, they're too injured to escape.”
Yohan grabbed Seo Changhee's arm.
Heroism was admirable.
But if they acted now, the situation would only worsen.
One of the Floral Artist's Traits caused it to release a sweet bodily fluid whenever attacked.
That fluid summoned hundreds of insects.
At worst...
They could exhaust all of their strength here and be completely annihilated.
“Damn it.”
Seo Changhee bit his lip before slowly sheathing the half-drawn sword.
Rumble...
Soon afterward, the Floral Artist and the Dryads disappeared into the fog.
Wherever they headed...
A horrific massacre would follow.
In exchange...
Everyone else would get a little closer to the gate.
In a way...
That was both the essence and the only strategy for this entire raid.
About ten minutes after they resumed moving—
A scarecrow holding a lantern appeared before them.
“What is this thing?”
“It doesn't seem to be moving enough to call it a monster.”
Tap.
Tap.
Rodbrok poked it with his axe.
Scarlett stabbed it with Blood Threads.
Yet the scarecrow showed no reaction.
Naturally.
‘Finally found it.’
The emergency patch had mentioned items that would allow them to adapt to Purgatory.
This scarecrow was the clue leading to one of them.
Snap!
Yohan plucked a large leaf lying beneath the scarecrow and held it up to the lantern.
Words gradually appeared across the previously blank leaf.
[Should you pay the same price as the one who committed the greatest sin, you shall obtain a sweet fruit capable of resisting those who have yet to receive redemption.]
“Wow...
Lord Yohan, how do you know things like this?”
“Every time I see it, I'm reminded just how clever Warrior truly is.”
The others exclaimed in admiration.
“Shh.”
Vivian gently placed a finger over her lips so Yohan could concentrate.
He appreciated the thought.
But she didn't really have to go that far.
This story was far too famous.
The tale of Judas, who betrayed the Son of God—his own master—for thirty pieces of silver.
The problem was...
Who still carried thirty silver coins around these days when credit cards existed?
Fortunately, there was a solution.
“All right.
Empty your pockets.”
Lagersa, who carried all sorts of coins for rituals and curses.
Scarlett, who practically overflowed with treasure.
And Vivian, who, admittedly based on prejudice, looked like she'd have plenty of ancient relics.
There was no shortage of people to shake down.
Clink.
Once thirty silver coins of various shapes and sizes were placed before the scarecrow...
A small flame burst to life.
[You have obtained the Divine Relic 'Torch of Radiance'!]
Acquisition Difficulty: AA
Description:
A consumable item.
While holding this torch, monsters of May 1-Star Rank or lower will not attack you.
(However, this torch can only burn through Divine Power, and its effective radius depends on the amount of Divine Power supplied.)
Now this...
Was even better than he'd expected.
The Floral Artist, the strongest monster they had encountered near the entrance, was estimated to be at the very end of April Rank.
Which meant...
As long as they had this torch, reaching the first rally point would be completely safe.
If they were willing to take a bit more risk and save the torch...
It could become invaluable later.
Either way...
They had just acquired another extremely useful trump card.
＊＊＊
[Time Remaining: 54H : 11M : 09S]
Roughly six hours after the raid began.
Yohan and his companions finally arrived at the first rally point.
Fortunately...
They hadn't needed to use the Torch of Radiance.
‘Vivian's help made the biggest difference.’
She hadn't openly fought in front of the others.
Instead, she acted only at the most appropriate moments, slaughtering every monster in sight.
Watching chunks of flesh disappear into the mouths of the Gluttonies...
Honestly...
It became difficult to tell which one truly belonged in Purgatory.
Once again, Yohan found himself grateful that Vivian was on his side.
“You made it safely.
You must have had quite the journey.”
As they reached the entrance to the rally point, Ian welcomed them warmly.
As expected of the Vice Commander of the Dragon's Claw.
Despite being assigned to one of the fiercest battlefields...
He hadn't sustained any serious injuries.
Unfortunately...
Not everyone could say the same.
“Ughhh...”
“S-Send me home.
I don't want this.
I don't want to stay here!”
“Aaaah!
Midori was eaten!
Alive!
Right... right in front of me!”
The atmosphere was even worse than Yohan had expected.
Priests and Healers could treat physical wounds.
But the trauma left in one's heart...
Couldn't be erased so easily.
“Is this everyone who has arrived?”
Compared to the number who had departed...
Far too many were missing.
Even considering there were still about two and a half hours left before the deadline...
The number present was disturbingly small.
“Regrettably, many seem to have fallen.
Still...
I'd like to keep hoping and wait a little longer...”
Even Ian trailed off with a bitter expression.
If a veteran knight who had survived countless battlefields spoke like that...
The situation truly was dire.
At least...
None of the top Rankers Yohan had met inside the command tent had died.
Lee Siwoo and the Arcane Guild's core members, who had encountered the Floral Artist, were also still alive.
“For now, get some rest.
According to the Rangers, things only become more dangerous beyond this point.”
Naturally.
To be honest...
If not for the necessity of maintaining relations with the Hestia Empire...
Leaving the gate alone had even been one of Yohan's considerations.
This incident was that insane.
“If you wish...
I'll step in.”
Once Ian left, Vivian quietly sat beside Yohan.
The Maple Witch who would leap into a sea of flames without hesitation if he gave the order.
In this hopeless situation...
Vivian was one of his final hidden cards.
“When the time comes, I'll tell you.
Until then...
Wait quietly.”
“Yes.”
Vivian respectfully lowered her head.
Then she remained glued to Yohan's side without the slightest intention of moving away.
Hmm.
He wished she'd relax and get some proper rest instead.
She was becoming more and more attached.
Shuffle.
As though noticing that, Scarlett quietly sat down on Yohan's opposite side.
“Ahem!
I figured you'd be hungry, so I put in a little extra effort for the first time in a while!
I carefully selected only the freshest local ingredients!”
An unidentified culinary abomination appeared.
Did she even realize this was Purgatory?
If those ingredients were "fresh" because they came from here...
The best possible outcome was food poisoning.
With slightly worse luck...
Something unidentifiable would begin growing inside one's body.
“Kieee...
Curse.
Death.
And despair.”
Well.
The purple-colored food was talking.
Even a Nephilim or the Floral Artist would probably refuse to eat that.
“Who exactly is this contaminated food meant for?
If your goal was poisoning Lord Yohan, I could at least understand it.”
Vivian pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor without hesitation.
Normally...
It wasn't easy to say something like that directly to someone's face.
“Tr-Trash?!
That's way too harsh!
And what exactly have you ever done for Lord Yohan to say something like that?”
Scarlett flared up after Vivian's devastatingly truthful remark.
She was so angry that she unconsciously switched to informal speech.
“I was planning to prepare maple tea for Lord Yohan.
Unlike Miss Scarlett's contaminated substances, it's one of the beverages Lord Yohan enjoys very much.”
“Oh really?
What is he, some kind of monk?
You think a few cups of tea are enough to restore his strength?
Everyone knows meat is the best source of energy.”
Sparks flew between the two.
Sigh.
Honestly...
He just wanted them to let him rest in peace.