Chapter 509
[You’ve strayed too far, Nirti.]
At Simon’s words, Nirti sneered coldly with a mocking laugh.
“Gone stray, huh?”
Her interest in Simon vanished, and her eyes flickered with contempt.
“What, are you going to spew some pathetic sermon about how vengeance is evil?”
[No.]
Simon slowly shook his head.
[I don’t care to understand the motive behind your massacre, but I do know this—neither forgiveness nor repentance will fix everything. Even if all the people of Tarados sincerely begged for your forgiveness, your hatred would not disappear.]
“What? Then—!”
[But.]
Simon cut her voice off.
[From where I stand, your revenge is already complete. Yet you didn’t stop there—you declared that you would destroy the kingdom, and beyond that, the entire alliance.]
Ka-ga-gak—
Simon’s greatsword scraped emptily across the dungeon floor.
[And when someone declares that they’ll destroy the people and places dearest to me right before my eyes—]
Nirti had crossed the line.
[Do you think any fool would just sit back and let it happen?]
Both the direction of her revenge… and its targets… all of it.
[And more laughable still—you dared to propose joining forces with me, a mere bystander. Why? Because I seemed useful. A convenient tool to further your so-called cause. My goals, my intent—they don’t matter to you. You were never prepared to persuade others. No, you don’t even have the will to persuade.]
Simon’s eyes sank into desolation.
[You’re not carrying out vengeance, Nirti.]
His murmuring tone chilled the ground beneath them.
[What you’re doing isn’t revenge. It’s just a tantrum.]
“......”
A long silence and stillness wrapped around the two of them.
Both Simon and Nirti knew well enough by now that they would never understand each other.
Then the only choice left was for the stronger one to decide.
Simon adjusted his grip on the greatsword, while Nirti infused Darkness into her modified chimera arm.
“So we’ve come back to the beginning.”
Nirti said.
“But really, what can you do alone? With each passing moment, the victory of our ‘Executioners’ grows more certain.”
[From this moment on—]
Simon’s lips curled.
[I’ll change things so that my victory becomes more certain.]
Swoooosh—
The instant he finished speaking, sand began to spread across the void where there had been nothing.
[Did you forget? We took the Dungeon Master.]
The duration of Herseba’s dungeon had ended. As the sand receded, Herseba appeared, her staff drooping as though all her strength had been spent.
Behind her lay the shattered body of the Dungeon Master, its flesh riddled with black feathers and sand.
Nirti’s face hardened.
“My Dungeon Master, enhanced through my research…!”
He had been certain Herseba and Akemius would win.
Though the Dungeon Master had been reduced to chunks of meat, the dungeon itself remained intact. Nirti had already suspected this after seeing that taking the Dungeon Master to another dimension did not cause the dungeon to crack.
The Dungeon Master was still alive. Its immortal ability was beginning to regenerate its flesh, but Akemius’ cursed feathers lodged within prevented full recovery.
‘If they destroy it beyond all recovery—!’
Tack!
Simon kicked off the ground, charging toward the Dungeon Master.
Nirti also shot forward, propelled by Darkness, intercepting him.
BOOM!!
The greatsword and chimera arm collided head-on.
With a thunderous crash, both were forced backward. Nirti raised her left arm, unfolding a magic circle.
“Research suspended. Code release. Power surge!”
As she activated the circle, the sound of shattering vials rang out from all directions.
Chimeras burst free from their containment tubes.
-Krrrk!
-Keeeeee!
The moment they emerged, they bared killing intent toward Simon and swarmed.
‘So she plans to overwhelm me with sheer numbers.’
Simon let out a battle cry and charged.
Clang!
He swung his greatsword upward, cleaving a chimera in two.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
White arcs flashed through the air, slicing monsters apart.
But a bull-headed chimera forced its way through the blade’s path and rammed Simon, sending him crashing into the wall with a resounding impact.
“Kill him!”
Nirti roared.
Dudududududu!
At her command, every chimera in the lab rushed into the dust cloud around Simon. Just then, Simon raised his arm.
<Simon’s Original – Royal Guard>
Swoooosh!
The dust exploded into emerald sword-lights that tore through the air, scattering with gale-force winds.
Step! Step! Step! Step!
Emerging from the dust were twenty skeletons wielding emerald swords, cloaks fluttering behind them.
[Follow me.]
Simon took the lead, his Royal Guard trailing him in shining arcs. Every time the fluorescent blades flashed in the darkness, chimeras were ripped apart.
‘Skeletons defeating chimeras…?’
From Nirti’s view, it was unbelievable.
The chimeras were being minced like meat through a grinder.
Unable to watch any longer, she sent a signal through a magic circle, and the chimeras regrouped into a tight defensive formation.
[That’s exactly what I was waiting for.]
Simon opened his subspace. Clouds of energy drifted from several Royal Guard and formed a magic circle in front.
[Come forth, Skeleton Knights.]
Five Skeleton Knights spun out from the subspace at high speed.
The moment they passed through the magic circle forged by consuming the Royal Guard—
<Simon’s Original – Royal Guard & Blade Storm>
Kwoooooosh!
Blinding whirlwinds of emerald light surged forward, shredding every chimera in range. Nirti’s jaw dropped.
“What the hell is that?!”
Concentrating her forces to block the Guard had been a mistake.
The giant vortices tore through her formation without resistance, and Simon and the remaining Royal Guard safely advanced behind them.
As most of her forces evaporated before her eyes, Nirti screamed like in a nightmare, tearing at her hair.
“Fire everything!!”
BOOM!
BOOM!
From the rear, artillery-type chimeras launched flashes, Darkness projectiles, and biological shells at the whirlwinds. The blasts disrupted the Skeleton Knights’ rotation, sending them crashing down.
[Grhkk!]
When the Guard was struck, their master Simon took the damage too.
‘So that’s the limit…’
Simon ignored the blood at the corner of his lips and sharpened his gaze.
‘I’ll surpass it again and again!’
He recalled the Cloud from the Skeleton Knights and concentrated the bones of the remaining Guard into himself.
The Guard’s true strength lay in their adaptability.
Simon kicked off into the air.
<Royal Guard – Flight Mode>
Adding Feer’s Bone Armor to the Guard’s flight, Cloud flared like booster from Simon’s back as he soared.
A streak of emerald zigzagged through the sky, slicing through dozens of artillery chimeras in an instant.
“Youuu!!”
Seeing her most important chimeras shredded beyond regeneration, Nirti turned in rage.
At that moment, Simon charged, gathering Cloud into the shape of a bow.
<Simon’s Remade – Blood Arrow>
A black arrow shot like a beam of light, piercing Nirti’s arm before exploding into an inky blast that engulfed her.
“Khkk!”
Her chimera arm was shredded to tatters as she barely endured. Reeling back, she saw Simon roar forward like thunder right in front of her.
His greatsword drew a straight line down toward her head.
Crash!
Nirti blocked with her ruined chimera arm.
[Khuhuhu!]
‘!’
Something was off.
The strike was weaker. Though he maintained the Bone Armor, it was hollow inside.
‘Don’t tell me—!’
Her head snapped around.
‘A double feint!’
The real one—
Simon, freed from the Bone Armor, stood behind her in perfect throwing stance. His body twisted, channeling his full strength into the cast.
<Simon’s Original – Chaos Spear>
KRRAAASH—!
With a sound like the air itself being torn apart, two violet spears shot forth and pierced Nirti’s abdomen.
“Guahk!!”
Black blood gushed from her mouth.
‘How many Originals does he have—?!’
“It’s not over yet!”
Simon drew and hurled more Chaos Spears in succession.
A third, a fourth, piercing her torso and chest. At last, chimeras threw themselves before her to shield her body.
Tap!
Simon ceased ranged attacks and charged bare-handed.
Even the Feer clone that had tricked Nirti dissolved into bone shards and clothed Simon once again.
Bone Armor reformed, and his speed multiplied fivefold.
CRASH CRASH CRASH!
Chimeras fell like ragdolls before his rampaging greatsword.
‘What is this monster?!’
Nirti’s pupils trembled.
‘Eyes that read the flow, battle sense beyond belief… He’s already surpassed the level of a professional by far!’
And that earlier glimpse—when he removed his Bone Armor. That form.
There was no doubt.
This monster’s true identity was none other than Student Council President Simon.
‘Lack of experience? No! Just how many death lines and limits has he crossed to get here?!’
Crack!
Watching her chimeras being mercilessly shredded by the irreparable greatsword, Nirti bit her lip hard. But when it came to crossing the line between life and death, she too was second to none.
“Come forth!”
With her left hand, she grabbed a fresh syringe and stabbed it into her neck, then activated the Eternal Magic Circle embedded in her abdomen.
Chrrrk!
Chrrrk!
From her belly, tentacle-like appendages burst forth, latching onto the surrounding chimeras and fusing them onto her body.
Simon, who had been relentlessly cutting his way through the chimeras toward Nirti, halted in his tracks.
‘So this is Nirti’s trump card she saved until the very end.’
This was on a completely different level than merely replacing limbs with chimeras.
She had abandoned any hope of returning to her original form, fusing herself with over a hundred chimeras. Her body seethed with grotesque flesh, leaving only her head intact.
[Keh-heh-heh! They say madness is a necromancer’s virtue, but this… this is outright insanity!]
Even Feer clicked his tongue.
Simon clutched his greatsword, panting. He had to sever her head before her body grew any larger, before it fully stabilized.
‘But the backlash of forcing myself this far…!’
Controlling the endless legion, breaking through to the third underground floor, burning through his Cloud techniques, and even wielding chaos skills—he had thrown in everything he had.
He forced strength back into his legs.
But only managed a few staggering steps. Meanwhile, Nirti was growing ever larger, ever stronger.
‘Any moment now…’
Simon panted, glancing upward.
‘It’s about time.’
For Nirti wasn’t the only one hiding a trump card.
While the two fought desperately, a massive crack had spread across the ceiling of Nirti’s laboratory.
Simon had deliberately fought with a constant racket to keep her from noticing.
All that was left was a single strike.
KWA-BOOOM!
Right on time. With a deafening crash, the ceiling caved in, revealing a boy with his fist outstretched.
[Hahahaha! Kept you waiting, Simon?!]
Prince, who had gone upstairs to retrieve Kal, crashed down alongside Kajan. Beside them was a massive containment capsule.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Simon!”
[We found Kal!]
The two landed on the floor.
Prince clenched his fist and smashed the capsule. Yellow liquid spilled out, and a writhing mass of fluid splashed free—Kal’s true body, quivering as though in ceaseless hunger.
[Boy! Now! Take out Kal’s remaining half!]
“Yes!”
Simon opened his subspace and withdrew the body of Kal he had carried. The two halves surged toward each other, merging as though they had been waiting.
Rrrruuuumble!
As the two bodies reunited, something like a Core pulsed at the center. Flesh molded together, forming a massive canine shape that braced itself solidly on four legs.
‘That’s…!’
Simon’s fist tightened.
‘The true form of the Beast of Plague—Kal!’
It appeared as though wreathed in green gas and fire, its body blurred as if its form could not be fully grasped.
[O being who meets me for the first time! Thank you for freeing me from endless torment.]
Simon blinked.
‘First time meeting? So the true body has no memory of its fragments…’
“How’s your condition?”
[Not good.]
Kal shook his head solemnly.
[I’m already too late.]
“Huh?”
[My power has been wrung dry by them. The fact that I can even maintain this form is a miracle. Soon, I’ll completely vanish.]
Simon’s pupils quaked violently.
“But that’s not what your fragment said!”
[My apologies. My fragment knew nothing of the truth. To it, rescuing the true body was all that mattered.]
Kal’s gaze turned toward Feer’s skull.
[Feer, I am about to fade away. You know what must be done.]
[…]
A glint lit Feer’s eye sockets.
[Are you serious, Kal?]
[Hah! Don’t play dumb. You must’ve suspected this outcome.]
RUMBLE!
The gargantuan Nirti raised a colossal fist and swung it down toward Simon’s group.
[What are you all doing?! I understand it’s nice to reunite after so long, but is now the time for idle chatter?!]
Prince shot upward, unleashing a “Hidden Card Punch”, but the difference in mass and strength was too great. He was sent flying into the wall with a crash.
“Prince!”
[Hurry, Feer! And you, human!]
Kal opened his maw.
[At this rate, everything ends here! There’s only one way to defeat her!]
“Feer! What must we do?!”
[…]
Feer conveyed the truth into Simon’s mind. Simon’s eyes shook once more, but he soon squeezed them shut.
There was no time to hesitate.
“…I’m sorry, Kal.”
Simon raised the Greatsword of Destruction.
“I wanted to talk with you more.”
[Ha! If Feer chose you, then you must be Richard’s son. Sentimental, aren’t you?]
Kal stepped before him.
[I’ve been drained and exploited countless times! I’m tired. If you truly care for me, end me with your own hands.]
Simon nodded firmly. Kal’s chest split open, revealing his Core.
Kal could not last much longer. But there was still a way to reclaim his power.
“Farewell, Kal.”
The Greatsword of Destruction pierced through Kal’s Core.
Kal smiled in relief as his body liquefied.
Sluuuuurp—
And then, like a torrent, he was absorbed into Simon’s greatsword. The immense force transmitted into Simon’s arms was overwhelming.
‘Wh-what…!’
His arm trembled uncontrollably.
‘This power—I can’t control it…!’
Soon, Kal’s body vanished without a trace, leaving only a faint green glow imbued into the Greatsword of Destruction.
[I’ll explain once—listen well, boy!]
Feer spoke as Nirti’s massive kick sent Kajan flying, bringing her closer to Simon.
[From now on, we can wield Kal’s power!]
FWOOOOOSH!
Green smoke began to rise from the greatsword, forming the shape of a howling hound toward the sky.
“Huup!”
The method wasn’t complicated. Simon channeled Darkness into the greatsword and drove it into the ground with all his might.
Glop— Glop—
The earth warped, transforming into a swamp of virulent poison.
Nirti’s strides sank, her movements slowed. From the swamp, hundreds of small hounds—Kal’s “fragments”—sprang forth.
Simon shouted:
“Fire!!”
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
The countless fragments unleashed volleys of disease-laden toxins from their maws.
As the poison rained down, the fused chimera-flesh making up Nirti’s body shrieked in agony. She lost control, thrashing wildly.
‘Not yet!’
Simon dug the sword into the swamp again, then heaved it upward.
The swamp stretched like a serpent, coiling around Nirti’s colossal body and forcing her to collapse to the floor.
“Incredible!”
Simon couldn’t help but marvel at the newfound strength. Feer chuckled darkly.
[That’s nothing! Kal’s true ability lies elsewhere! You already know, don’t you?]
Feer’s gaze turned toward the shattered corpse of the Dungeon Master.
[With that sword—destroy the Dungeon Master, and claim this dungeon as your own, boy!]
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters