Chapter 424
Simon and Lete entered the black cave without hesitation.
Outside, a raging blizzard howled like madness, but inside the cave, it was unusually warm.
“This looks pretty plain for a dungeon entrance.”
Simon said as he glanced around at the jagged stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
“I think we’re in the right place.”
Lete, walking beside him, pointed straight ahead with her fingertips. They hadn’t walked very far, but the end of the cave was already in sight.
The end of the cave was blocked off, and two intricate magical seals were deployed.
One was black, the other white. Long circuits extended from the two magic circles and disappeared into tiny cracks in the cave walls.
“Just like Lady Israfil said.”
Simon spoke as he approached.
“The Darkness magic circle and the Holiness magic circle. This is what she meant when she said we’d need both.”
“It would've definitely been tricky without you here.”
Lete added, examining the structure of the circle beside him.
“If you try to force a change in the composition, the cave collapses by design.”
“No need to change anything.”
Simon placed his hand on the black magic circle.
“Let’s start.”
“Alright.”
Lete placed her hand on the white circle as well. Both closed their eyes and focused, channeling Darkness and Holiness into the circles.
Wooooong!
The formerly empty husks of magic circles lit up, awakening runes and activating formulas.
Like interlocking gears, each component gained power one by one, and the circles began full operation.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu!
The two turned their heads.
It wasn’t the end of the cave they had been touching—rather, a wall to the side opened, revealing a large portal.
“Nice, nice.”
Lete clapped her hands and smiled.
“Just as expected~ And goodbye to that wretched blizzard!”
Simon also lifted his hand from the circle and came to stand beside her.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
The two threw themselves into the portal at the same time.
The portal wasn’t very deep. The moment they passed through, they dropped straight to the ground.
‘Hmm.’
Simon’s expression stiffened slightly.
Bones. Everywhere.
Bones of humans, animals, and monsters piled high into great hills.
Clack!
Just then, Lete landed beside Simon.
She looked down at the rattling sound under her feet.
“!!”
Letting out a startled cry, she clung tightly to Simon’s arm. Due to her past, Lete was afraid of skeletons.
“You okay, Lete?”
Simon asked gently. Her face pale, Lete looked at him, then quickly stepped aside.
“Hmph. Ah. I’m fine.”
She gave an awkward cough.
“If it’s too much, you can wait outside. I can handle this alone.”
“...Are you being kind, or just looking down on me like a jerk?”
Determination filled her eyes.
“This is a matter for the Holy Federation. As a Saint, there is no way I’d ever retreat.”
‘I knew she’d say that.’
Simon said no more and resumed walking. Lete kept pace beside him.
Sweat dripped from her face, falling onto the skulls below. Though she flinched at every clatter beneath her feet, she kept walking, staring straight ahead.
She really is incredible.
“Simon, there.”
Lete suddenly pointed ahead.
Someone was standing there.
A young woman in priest robes, glasses on her face, and a wide smile.
‘I’ve definitely seen her somewhere before.’
A chill of unease crept up. Simon rustled through his robe pocket and pulled out a photo.
“No doubt about it.”
He spoke grimly.
“That’s the teacher who went missing after arriving at the village before us.”
“Looks like she was offered up to the dungeon as a sacrifice.”
Lete’s expression turned cold in an instant.
“Is your hobby turning your meals into human disguises, monster?”
As if it understood her words.
The figure’s flesh began to bulge and grow, its size increasing severalfold.
Thud! Thud!
Heavy limbs burst out from the splitting skin.
Thud!
Its elongated head resembled a reptile—more precisely, a dragon. Its body was covered in brown scales, with blade-like spines running down its back.
Cold air seeped from its open mouth, and its eyes glowed blue.
Its danger level hadn’t been measured, but it was common knowledge that monsters with dragon-like forms were powerful.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Did it think they were just another routine offering? The wingless dragon charged forward, shaking the cave with its massive legs. Every bone underfoot was crushed into powder.
“Ready?”
“Don’t fall behind.”
The monster opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Lete raised her right arm.
<Holy Barrier>
Kwaaaaaa!
The monster’s charge was blocked head-on, and Simon slipped in quietly through the gap.
His black robe fluttered, and six vials of toxic potion flew into the air.
‘Open Gate!’
And Overlord, too.
From six directions, blade-tipped tentacles shot out and shattered the potion bottles. Coated in poison, the blades dug straight into the gaps between the monster’s scales.
–Ggeeeeeaaargh!
The monster shrieked in pain.
“Nice!”
This time, Lete canceled the Holy Barrier and took to the air.
Holiness gathered in her hand and morphed into a massive hammer.
<Holy Hammer>
BOOOOOOM!
A crushing blow landed on the monster’s head.
Staggering backward, the huge creature reeled as Simon and Lete canceled their skills and dashed forward again.
–Grrrrrrrrrrr!
The monster’s body puffed up, and the weight shifted to its two legs, transforming into a bipedal form.
Just like before, with its human disguise—it seemed shape-shifting was one of its specialties.
“So what?”
Lete kicked off the ground and soared.
“Changing your form won’t save you.”
Her body turned into a beam of pure white light and shot forward.
The monster reached out, but Lete’s kick snapped all five of its finger joints cleanly.
–GEEEAAAARGH!
The monster twisted its head and lunged its maw toward Lete’s thigh.
Crack!
But this time, Simon’s right foot smashed into the monster’s face. The creature’s facial features collapsed like a shoe print, and Simon tumbled backward, landing on the floor.
‘Feeling good today.’
He activated the magic circle he had drawn in his hand. A massive surge of jet-black energy seeped into the surrounding bones.
‘Follow me.’
When Simon raised his index finger, the bones on the ground obeyed his command and floated up.
<Bone Prison>
For a necromancer, making use of the terrain is essential.
The bones slapped onto the monster’s body or linked together like chains, forming a cage. The monster, trapped, thrashed desperately.
“Lete!”
“Understood!”
Lete, seeing Simon’s Bone Prison, prepared the appropriate holy magic. From midair, twenty blades of pure holiness surged through the gaps in the Bone Prison, piercing the monster’s flesh.
The monster writhed in pain and let out a scream.
“Damn it, this thing is stubborn as hell.”
“We need to finish it off properly!”
Kwaaaah!
The monster trapped in the bone cage unleashed a breath of freezing air. The bones froze like icicles and fell to the ground.
Simon and Lete quickly retreated to prepare their next moves.
-Grrrrrr!
Even the monster that had stopped its breath attack began its third transformation.
From bipedal, it shifted back to quadrupedal—no, eight more legs sprouted, giving it twelve in total, and it charged toward Lete like a centipede.
“Haah.”
She exhaled and brought her hands together in a prayer-like gesture. Closing her eyes, she recited a spell:
<Strength, Bless, Haste, La Vitesse>
No magic circle was necessary. Every time she spoke the incantation, countless blessings filled her body. Brilliant, colorful radiance enveloped her.
Meanwhile, Simon pointed his fingers at the monster, with multiple curse magic circles floating in the air.
<Exhaust, Sickness, Weakness, Paralyze>
One after another, curses shot from Simon’s fingertips. The monster weakened under the curses, while Lete grew stronger with the blessings.
Finally, when Lete and the monster confronted each other.
Swish.
The difference in power between the two was like heaven and earth.
Bang!
Lete’s fist, wrapped in holiness, smashed into the charging monster’s head, driving it straight into the ground.
The relentless onslaught continued.
Lete’s martial arts, the ‘Holy Fist’ technique of priests, was top-tier. Every punch and kick she threw shattered the monster’s joints and split its scales.
Crack, crack, crack!
The difference in strength and speed was clear.
Bang!
The monster, struck by her next straight punch, slammed into the cavern wall. Fully alert now, it began to flee.
“Ugh, what a nuisance!”
Lete panted as she extended her arms.
The monster was running, with obstacles all around.
‘This is it.’
‘Switch to holiness!’
Simon withdrew the darkness and filled himself with holiness. Stretching his right arm forward, a holy spear formed before him, and the blessings spiraled around it, shaping it into a drill.
The same formation unfolded for Lete on his left.
Their magic completed simultaneously.
<Lete Original – La Escrime> ×2
Thwokkk!
With the sound of launch, the holy spears shot out like white streaks.
Thunk!
Thud!
The monster’s body, pierced by the twin drills, slammed into the wall.
A deafening roar shook the entire dungeon.
Blood splattered from the monster’s abdomen, dyeing the surroundings green.
“Haah.”
“Phew.”
Simon and Lete lowered their arms simultaneously. They exchanged a brief glance and burst out laughing.
“Not bad, huh?”
“Still far from the original, though.”
No more words were needed. The two placed their hands on their knees, savoring the thrill of victory.
* * *
After destroying that monster, Simon rifled through its remains. Lete, feeling squeamish, crossed her arms and turned away.
Soon, Simon discovered a key-shaped mineral among the monster’s remains.
The two immediately moved on and finally reached the dungeon’s last destination.
“The dungeon isn’t as big as I thought.”
Lete brushed her hair back.
“Yeah. Looks like that monster was the last one guarding the dungeon master.”
“Feels like someone else had cleared it already.”
She waved her fingers dismissively.
“Of course, that someone probably couldn’t defeat the ‘dungeon master’ at the end and was killed. That’s my guess.”
“So the dungeon master is right in front of us.”
Simon, holding the key found in the dead monster, stood before the large door.
“Let’s open it.”
“Ready.”
Lete gathered her holiness, prepared for any eventuality.
Simon slowly inserted the key into the keyhole.
‘Ah!’
Suddenly, the key slipped from Simon’s hand and was sucked straight into the keyhole. With a clunk!, the stone door began to open.
Ggrrrrrr—
The scraping of stone against the floor was accompanied by ominous white smoke billowing from the door’s gap.
At last, the dungeon master’s chamber was fully revealed.
“……!”
Simon and Lete’s expressions stiffened as they looked inside.
“……What is this?”
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