-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vellum looked down the mountain with a worried tone.
"Aren't we completely screwed...? All the traces must be completely buried in the avalanche."
Davian shook his head.
"No. The avalanche happened as soon as we planted the ninth trace. The avalanche itself was the trap being triggered."
"I know that. But anyway, that rock we barely found must be completely buried."
Latia slowly looked around.
"Maybe it was meant to lure us here, away from the avalanche."
Libel clapped his hands.
"Ah! Because if you climb the mountain to avoid the avalanche, the only place you can end up is here!"
"That's right! Until now, we've always been able to get the next trace by somehow avoiding the traps."
Davian nodded.
"Let's start searching around here again."
The Grey Bear Expedition spread out across the mountaintop and began their search.
A moment later.
"Davian! Guys!"
The friends quickly gathered around Libel.
"Look at this. Doesn't it seem strange?"
Libel pointed to a tree about the height of a person.
"Huh? Something seems strange, but what?"
"This tree is just a bit different. What is it?"
Libel approached the tree and touched a leaf.
"This tree is the only one with broad leaves. The rest are all trees that live in cold regions."
"Huh? It is?"
"Oh, Liver! Not bad?"
One broad-leaved tree stood upright among the dense conifers.
It was unusual.
Latia asked.
"Liver, what was the story associated with the tenth trace?"
"We did it in our play. Where the Archmage Fabian Hendrix first met his lover, Roan Kaelem."
"And? That wasn't all, was it?"
"The place where Fabian and Roan joined hands and defeated the demon legion commander."
Nubes shouted.
"Bonita played the sexy demon legion commander!"
"That's right. It's here."
Vellum carelessly leaned his arm against the trunk of the strange broadleaf tree.
"Ugh! What is this!"
Vellum's arm went right into the tree.
Nubes quickly grabbed Vellum's shoulder and pulled him out.
Davian, watching the scene, nodded.
"This tree..."
The friends' eyes turned to Davian.
"It seems to be a dimensional portal to the Demon Realm."
Luna's eyes widened in surprise.
"D-Demon Realm?"
"Yeah. It seems we have to go in here to get the tenth trace."
Latia and Bonita looked intrigued.
Luna was still shocked.
Libel was deep in thought.
Nubes and Vellum looked tearful.
"A-are we going all the way to the Demon Realm now?"
"No."
Vellum tilted his head at Davian's firm answer.
"No?"
"Yeah. The Demon Realm is too dangerous. It's not like some dungeon. If we all go in, some of us might not come back."
"Then what do we do?"
"I'll go alone."
Luna asked in surprise.
"Davian alone?"
"Yeah. We don't know what kind of demon we'll meet as soon as we cross the dimensional portal. If I'm alone, I can somehow get out, but if we all go in together, some of us might not make it back alive."
Luna grabbed Davian's sleeve.
"You're not going to... pull out, are you?"
"What?"
"You're not going to pull out. Until you get the tenth trace. You're that kind of person, Davian."
How did she know?
No matter what, he was going to get the tenth trace.
There were only three traces left to get the ★★★★★ rarity item.
He couldn't give up here.
While Davian hesitated at Luna's sharp remark.
"Davian is right. There's no need for everyone to go in. Something terrible might really happen. But I can't just send Davian alone. Let's form a party. With the minimum number of people. A party that can come back alive no matter what happens in the Demon Realm."
Luna's logical explanation.
While he was thinking, 'She's not usually like this...'
"I agree."
"Me too. I can't always let Davian do the dangerous things alone."
"I agree."
Before he knew it, the opinion was leaning towards forming a Demon Realm entry party.
Nubes offered an opinion seriously for once.
"First of all, Davian can be both a ranged and melee dealer, so don't we just need a tank? I'll go."
That was right.
Luna also stepped forward urgently.
"What if the battle gets long? Of course we need a healer, right? I have to go too."
This was also right.
Bonita lightly stretched her body.
"I can get out if something happens, so there's no reason not to go, right?"
That's right.
Finally, Latia also stepped forward.
"No matter how strong Davian is, what if we need magical support? Shouldn't I support you?"
All right.
Only Vellum and Liver didn't particularly insist on going.
Of course, Vellum and Liver weren't just staying put because they didn't want to go to the Demon Realm.
They knew that they didn't have a place in the 'minimum party' based on a cold judgment.
They might just be a burden to their friends if they followed along.
"Five people is too many."
Davian slowly sorted out his thoughts.
What if he encountered a demon or monster as soon as he passed through this dimensional portal?
What if a very strong guy appeared or the number of demons was too high?
If he formed the wrong party, he could lose his carefully nurtured colleagues.
"Then I'll go in and come out."
Liver shouted.
"What? Then we're back to square one!"
"No. I'm just going in to see what the situation is like. Then it's right to form a party. There's no use forming one now if the synergy isn't right."
Latia nodded.
"Davian seems to be right about that."
Bonita also agreed.
"Okay. Let's do that. But! You absolutely can't break through a dangerous situation alone. You have to check what's inside and come right out."
"Okay."
The Grey Bear Expedition made their decision.
Davian went straight into the tree trunk without hesitation.
A red sun and red clouds.
Three planets floating near the horizon.
The smell of sulfur刺激 the nose.
Mountains and fields all dyed red.
"I knew it. It was a dimensional portal to the Demon Realm."
Davian quickly looked around.
Fortunately, he didn't fall into the middle of a demon army.
Davian was in a narrow canyon.
There was a cliff behind him and a long road ahead.
The road curved sharply to the left, so he couldn't see far ahead.
'Should I go in a little?'
Davian cautiously and slowly headed forward.
Not just to keep his promise to his friends.
Davian himself had realized the danger of the Demon Realm.
Every move had to be careful.
'What's that?'
As he went in a bit, he saw a group of monsters up ahead.
At first glance, they looked like buffalo.
But the animals of the human realm don't live in the Demon Realm.
Davian approached a little more.
Now the monster's appearance was starting to be seen properly.
It had the body of a buffalo, but its thick legs were those of a hippopotamus.
It wasn't small, but it had an even bigger and heavier head.
The head, which was unusually large for its size, was that of a wild boar.
A long mane of horsehair grew on the neck connecting the body and the head, completely covering the face.
A monster that always looked down at the ground because its head was heavy.
It was a Catoblepas.
'A dangerous guy.'
A monster that only looks at the ground because its head is heavy.
There is a legend that if you make eye contact with a Catoblepas, you will die on the spot.
But fortunately, since it always hangs its head, there are no reports of anyone actually dying from making eye contact.
It is one of the rare herbivorous monsters, and it only eats poisonous plants.
As he got closer, he saw a long sword stuck in the middle of the Catoblepas grazing leisurely.
'That's it. The tenth trace.'
It was probably the sword of that demon legion commander who fought the Archmage and his party on Mount Ebete.
According to the history books, the sexy legion commander, who was seriously injured and defeated, returned to the Demon Realm and never appeared in the human realm again.
Feeling Davian approaching, a few Catoblepas raised their manes.
Puh-ruk, puh-ruk.
The Catoblepas exhaled roughly.
A thick green mist spewed from its mouth.
Davian ran back the way he came without looking back.
Soon, he saw the dimensional portal to the human realm.
Ripple.
The broadleaf tree rippled for a moment, and Davian popped out.
"You're back early, Davian?"
"What's inside?"
"Did you see any demons?"
"How is it? Can you find the tenth trace?"
"Yeah, I found it."
Liver looked at Davian's hands.
"You came back empty-handed, so I guess it's not something you can easily take?"
"Yeah. I can't defeat the monsters guarding it alone."
"Monsters? What's guarding it?"
"Catoblepas."
As befitting a bookworm, Liver answered quickly.
"Catoblepas? That monster that spews poisonous mist?"
"Yeah. So I think we need to form a party and go in."
"How are you going to form it?"
Davian's eyes turned to Luna.
"Luna and I. We're going in together."
Latia and Bonita looked displeased.
"Just the two of you?"
"Can the two of you do it?"
Davian nodded firmly.
"It'll only be a matter of getting poisoned if more people go in. Liver, how is the Catoblepas's poison?"
"If you inhale even a small amount, you'll lose your voice and soon die of thirst."
"Did you hear that?"
Vellum clapped his palm with his fist.
"You're going to have Luna use detoxification magic!"
"That's right. But no matter how good Luna is, she won't be able to protect everyone. That's how dangerous the Catoblepas's poison is."
Latia slowly nodded.
"Luna detoxifies and Davian slays the monsters?"
"Slay them, roast them, whatever. There are many ways. The important thing is that we absolutely need a mage who can use detoxification magic."
"Well, Davian seems to be right."
"Does everyone agree? Let's go then, Luna."
Luna, with her wide, startled eyes, answered in surprise.
"Huh? Oh, okay!"
"Do you see them over there?"
"They look like buffalo. No? The legs are hippo legs? How many are there?"
Davian confirmed the number of Catoblepas again.
"Twelve."
"I see. Davian, doesn't it feel like that time? The day we took our entrance exam. That day, it was just you and me in a party like this."
"That's right. Just do as well as you did that day, Luna."
"Huh? Okay..."
Luna, who was blushing for no reason, shook her head vigorously and asked something else.
"Should I use detoxification magic and healing magic at the same time like that time?"
"No. The Catoblepas's poisonous mist is different from the Hydra's breath. It doesn't melt your body if you touch the mist, so just use detoxification magic. But if you drink even one mouthful of the poisonous mist without detoxification magic, you'll die immediately."
Whoosh.
An ice sword appeared in Davian's hand.
"It spews poison, right? Isn't it better to attack from a distance?"
"It's a poison that kills you even if you drink a small amount. It's better to jump into the middle and kill them quickly."
"Really? But my detoxification magic doesn't work from far away..."
"Get on my back."
"Huh?"
"I said get on my back."
Comments
Post a Comment