31: Failed Subjugation Request
In the end, we continued searching for two days, but we didn’t encounter the target magical beast, let alone any other magical beasts.
In the midst of such an incomprehensible situation, it was at a time when it was thought that we would return to town once today was over.
A sudden roar from the west filled the surroundings.
“It’s the third group! Hurry!”
Despite being in the lead, the voice of the organizer (Lieden) that resonated strongly, everyone started running in the direction of the left hand side at once – in other words, the direction where the [Dyed Light Ball (Ansel)] is currently being launched.
The color of the [Dyed Light Ball] is determined for each group, and if the group at the far end launches the [Dyed Light Ball], it seems that the next group will launch it in the same color to let them know their location . In order to make sure that they can confirm each other, the overall progress speed (pace) and the time to enter the camp are also mostly decided.
The color of the [Dyed Light Ball] floating now is yellow. If it’s the color decided in advance, it will be the third group in charge of the left end.
“I wonder if it’s not over when we get there.”
“It would be a bonus if it was over.”
Even if you say it’s the end, the distance is probably more than ten kilometers. In addition, there should be a forest between the first and second groups, so it will take some time to get through. There is a steep hilly area between the third and first groups, so it should take even longer.
Well, the third group itself is a coalition (raid) of a fairly large league (guild), and the neighboring first group is a territorial army of 150 people, including the lord’s direct subordinate soldiers. Surely they will have defeated it by the time we arrive.
On the way, we take a short break. The adventurers (Adbel) who are competing in physical strength, but fatigue is bound to build up. Even if Lieden and some people with excellent physical strength are okay, it’s pointless if people who aren’ t can’t move because they’re pushing themselves.
Lieden has a stern face, but as expected of a veteran adventurer. He calmly understands the current situation and makes a judgment.
“Jas, you have a lot of stamina, seriously.”
“I’d like to borrow some.”
“Me too.”
“Me too…”
Neil and Iriel are a little out of breath, and the remaining two are visibly more tired. They’re also sweating a lot, and it’s good evidence that they’re sitting down. Well, we’ve been running at almost full speed.
“Well, people have their strengths and weaknesses. I just happen to have a lot of stamina.”
“Don’t lie.”
I wonder if it’s okay to not trust people from the beginning. I can say for sure that there is no one as honest as me.
That’s when a red [Dyed Light Ball] rose into the sky.
“Oh, come on, seriously.”
Red [Dyed Light Ball]. It’s a sign that you’re in a critical situation. Two [Dyed Light Balls] went up. In other words, it means that even the first group that rushed in as reinforcements is in a critical situation.
“Those of you who have stamina to spare, go ahead! The rest of you, follow behind!”
‘Oh!’
As soon as they said it, a small number of solo runners and groups started running. I saw them off, thinking that they would be okay. Because the second group is made up of people from the fifth stage of the league (guild rank 5 ).
When I glanced at everyone, Neil raised an eyebrow.
“Jas, you can go by yourself, right?”
“I said I would fight with you this time, but I didn’t say I would fight alone.”
“Oh, that was the promise. You’re still you after all.”
“I feel like I’m being made fun of.”
When I said that, the four of them, including Neil, laughed. What, everyone still has room to spare.
After some hydration, we start running. The other groups are also heading towards us while slowing down.
Just when I was thinking that we were about to arrive, the giant figure was reflected in my [Mana Reed] that had been narrowing the range. Wow, it’s big.
“We’re almost there.”
“Jas, teach me that perception skill later. How do you do it?”
“Sense.”
“What the…”
Our voices are intermittent because we are running. Ignoring Neil, I was a little excited. That’s because the [Mana Reed] shows the adventurers who are moving around the magic beast quickly.
I wonder what kind of battle they are fighting, I thought with a smile as we crossed the hilly area and saw it.
Most of the soldiers were lying in a sea of blood, and the members of the alliance were either retreating to the rear to treat their injuries or were unable to move.
Huh? I wondered. There were so many of them, and they were supposed to be quite elite, so what’s with this situation?
“Seriously…”
Neil, who was standing next to me, was stunned. I can understand why. That’s because the ones fighting now are only fourteen members of the fifth stage of the alliance (guild members), some soldiers, and other members of the alliance.
Among them are Nail, Keith, and Mash, but they are visibly injured. They should retreat once and heal with recovery magic. Mash, for example, definitely has a broken left arm.
Even in such a state, as expected of the fifth stage of the alliance. The one who seems to be fighting bravely in the vanguard and dealing the most damage is probably the guild master or the sub-master of the alliance.
As expected from the advance information, he receives the giant arm that is stretched out and swung around head-on, shifts his body position while flowing with it, cuts the arm that remains in place, and then charges forward. As the opposite arm is about to be swung down, the magicians (colors) who are positioned in the rear restrain its movement and simultaneously burn it with fire attribute magic (flame color) and blow it away.
While receiving support from the archers (archers) who fire arrows wrapped in light, the man running in front and the man and woman following behind him cut off his feet. The cuts had already been made several times, and the cuts were getting bigger.
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“Hmm, is that what you call party play?”
I glanced at Neil deliberately, and he grimaced.
“No, you’ve never seen ours before, have you?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
The battle continues, and it seems that thin vines are growing from the branches and leaves of that head, and they are attacking Nail and the others as sharp whips or spears.
The reason why they are not retreating even though they are clearly injured is probably to prevent it from going to the [Rainers (Guild Rank 5)] members.
“It seems like it would be a hindrance to participate in this. We can’t coordinate.”
“Right.”
“Should we at least change Nail’s position? No, but it’s a hassle.”
“You’re really amazing to be able to say that even after seeing this.”
By the way, our leader, Leiden, is lying on the ground a little away from us, groaning. He is probably still injured, and the healers have not been able to reach him.
Even in the midst of all this, the [Mana Reed] shows that the soldiers who have been seriously injured are dying one after another.
I think it’s pathetic to be weak. I understand it all too well. I was an incompetent who could have been rolling around there until just recently.
That’s why I don’t pity them. I don’t feel like helping them in particular. The weak just wither away.
It seemed that not only us, but also the others had no intention of participating. Well, even if they did participate, they would only be a hindrance rather than a fighting force, so it can’t be helped.
And finally, the man who seemed to be the leader of the alliance cut off his right leg. The magic beast fell to the ground on the part that corresponds to its knees. Seeing an opportunity in the fact that it was supporting its body with its right arm, they launched a simultaneous offensive. The attacks of the magicians and archers began to concentrate on its face, and it seemed to be effective.
I thought it was over, when the branches and leaves above our heads shook.
At that moment, I felt something in the air–no, a strong surge of magic power, and then the magic beast’s eyes glowed, and a huge beam of light was emitted from them. magicians, moved upward as soon as it hit the ground, scraping the ground far into the distance.
And then, after a brief moment, a huge explosion occurred.
The impact and blast reached us, and even I, who was covered in [Sun Ku Room] all over my body, was forced to take a step back due to the air pressure.
When the impact and blast subsided, it showed a scene that looked more like an explosion had run through it than a beam of light had passed through it. There was no sign of the magicians or archers who had been standing there. There was no sign of the soldiers or adventurers who were supposed to be further back.
Even Neil was frozen, when he heard a sound.
It was the sound of the magic beast’s right leg, which was supposed to have been lost, gradually returning to its original state. I had heard that wooden magic beasts are full of vitality and recover quickly even if they are cut, but I didn’t t think it would be this much.
Even though it is a special individual, I personally think that this is no longer a danger level 5. It is comparable to a danger level 6 that would require more forces to defeat.
I look at Neil, who is completely frozen.
“What do you think, Neil? We might as well go home in this state, right?”
“Yeah, I guess… If we stay here, we’ll definitely die.”
The other three also have their expressions completely frozen. I think everyone here is prepared to die.
By the way, the reason I have no intention of fighting is because Neil and the others have lost their will to fight. I agreed to fight with Neil and the others, but fighting alone was not part of the request.
Just as I was thinking about getting ready to go home, the monster’s huge arm swung towards Neil and the others behind me.
“—“
I moved to the front of the attack and received it from the side as it swung. There was no damage at all. However, the impact of the attack caused the ground under my left foot to crack wide open.
“Hey, this is a failed request, right? Since it looks like we can go home, why don’t we go home? I’ll help you with that much.”
“Jasper, you…”
As the face of the mushroom that looked up at me hardened, I received the one that was swung down from above with my left arm. This time, the ground under both of my feet was completely dented and crushed.
The beast that pulled back the arm I had received looked down at me with its dark eye sockets, and it felt as if it was observing me.
From the branches and leaves above my head, a dozen or so vines approached at high speed, but I drew the cheap sword from my waist and strengthened it with [Property Hardening (Mana Curing)] and cut them all apart. After repeating this several times, the vines retreated as if they had given up.
“Hey. If you go somewhere quietly, I’ll let you go. Get lost.”
To be honest, I was very unpleasant. The pitch-black darkness that looked down on me and observed me amplified my irritation.
Then, without a word, the beast lit up the pitch-black darkness for a moment and fired the same thing that had killed so many people earlier.
I spread out [Five-Colored Room] to cover the three people behind me. No matter how powerful it is, there is no way it can destroy [Five-Colored Room], which was created based on [My Room (Colorless Room) ], which I created for the first time. If you really want to destroy it, you’ll have to bring the Ancient Dragon (Seven Dragons).
The light continued for a while, and when it was over, I removed the barrier. When I looked at my feet, the ground that had not been covered by [Five-Colored Room] had completely disappeared. The same scene was probably happening behind the three of them.
I finished firing the beam and gave the last mercy to the one who was looking down at me without doing anything.
“This is the last one. Get lost.”
The answer was the arm that was swung down. My irritation had reached its limit, and my patience was gone.
I flicked away the thick arm that was swung down to my head with one arm. The monster that was pulled away by the centrifugal force of the arm and adjusted its posture was annoying.
“Hey, how long are you going to look down on me, you lowlife?”
I jumped up. The height was just at the level of the monster’s forehead, and I punched it with all my might.
Instead of falling, the body was blown away, and I jumped and chased after it as it slid while landing.
I stood on the face of the monster that had finally stopped after scraping the ground, and looked down at its eyes.
A pitch-black hole that I don’t know what it’s looking at. Even so, I could clearly see that it was looking at me.
“How rude. Die and apologize.”
I wrapped the raging wind around my fist and swung it down.
A different shock and explosion from the beam shook the surroundings. It was much more powerful than the beam from earlier.
After finishing the attack, I blew away all the dust that was dancing around and obscuring my vision with wind magic, and the face that had been at my feet was nowhere to be seen, only the ground that had been gouged out by my fist. There was not a single fragment left.
I looked back at the torso and confirmed that there was no sign of movement. It seems that the face was the lifeline.
I exhaled strongly from my tense chest. I feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time.
This request was a failure. Because all I did was feel unpleasant.