Chapter 767
"Professor!"
"Professor Hongpeng!"
Kamibarez and the village girl ran over, sobbing.
Even seeing it with their own eyes, it was hard to believe.
The ever-gentle Hongpeng, who had always guided her students with a kind smile, the professor every student admired, was now slumped down, bound by chains.
Her hair was as brittle as old fabric, and her body was covered with wounds, large and small.
"Too cruel."
Startled, Maelyn covered her mouth. Then, quickly regaining her senses, she headed toward the magic circle drawn on the wall.
Kamibarez knelt beside Hongpeng and began examining her body. Dick followed close and asked.
"How is she, Kami?"
"Fortunately, it looks like she just fainted for a moment. She seems okay."
Crackle!
The sound of sparks popped. Maelyn, who had tried to dismantle the magic circle, flinched and pulled her hand back.
"What the, this? Its structure is completely different from any magic circle we know!"
"Well, it’s primitive black magic, of course it’s different from what we’ve studied. No need to dismantle it piece by piece."
Dick said, pulling out tools.
"If we cut the chains and physically create some distance between the magic circle and the professor, maybe it’ll work."
"Let’s try it."
The more unknown the technique, the simpler the approach needed.
What bound Hongpeng was the curse magic circle on her back, not the chains themselves. Maelyn unleashed successive Darkness flame spells, heating a narrow section of the chains, and Dick followed with a heavy work knife, slicing through in a single stroke.
"Done, let’s move!"
Dick hoisted Hongpeng onto his back, the other three following behind.
True to its primitive form, simply moving Hongpeng out of the circle’s effective range freed her from the curse’s influence.
Still, just in case, they decided to carry her further to a safer distance.
"......Who?"
At that moment, a hoarse voice came from Dick’s back. Everyone’s eyes widened.
"Professor Hongpeng! It’s us! We came to save you!"
"Ah, everyone......."
At her request to be put down, Dick laid her gently on the ground.
Emaciated like a mummy, she looked to be at her limits, on the verge of death.
While Kamibarez kept watch, Dick pulled out several first-aid potions from his bag.
"Medicine won’t help. Do you, by any chance...... have anything to eat?"
At that, Maelyn rummaged through her bag. A hunk of raw meat and a few pieces of leftover bread from yesterday were all that remained.
No sooner had she offered them than Hongpeng snatched up the raw meat with her bare hands and began devouring it savagely.
"Eek, that scared me."
Maelyn flinched and stepped back.
Like a person possessed by gluttony, Hongpeng began devouring the meat and bread without hesitation. Then, changes came instantly. Her dull face and skin regained life, and her withered body quickly filled out.
For an ordinary person, it would have been impossible. It was as if the meat, the moment it slid down her throat, turned directly into flesh and plastered itself onto her body.
After gulping down water as well, she sat cross-legged and began deep breathing.
Twisted organs realigned, blood once again surged vigorously, and her color returned. Oxygen within her body turned into Darkness, refining her system. Impurities seeped out through her pores in drops of sweat.
"Haa."
Finally exhaling deeply, Hongpeng looked at the students, and in her usual clumsy tone said.
"Thank you, everyone. Becauze of you, I jurvived."
"Professor Hongpeng! What a relief!"
"Professor Hongpeng!"
Kamibarez and the village girl threw themselves into her arms, weeping. Hongpeng stroked their heads with a gentle hand.
"I’m ashamed. A teacher, who should protect her disciples, only receiving help like this. All while being captured. I kept worrying, don’t come, don’t come."
"Don’t say such sad things!"
Dick rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"If a professor is in danger, of course students must come help!"
"Yes, thank you."
Hongpeng smiled warmly, then looked around.
"But, it seems someone is missing. Where is Simon?"
Maelyn answered.
"Ah, Simon is distracting the monsters right now. That’s how we were able to sneak in and rescue you, professor."
At those words, Hongpeng’s pupils shook uneasily.
Seeing her alarm, Dick quickly added.
"Simon will be fine! The Student Council President of Keyzen wouldn’t fall to such monsters......!"
"That’s not it!"
She shot to her feet. Now that her body had recovered, the mist clouding her mind cleared away.
"Then you’re telling me, only you students are here? Without any escorts? No reinforcements from Keyzen, not even agents or other adults......?"
"We only came because we were invited into the grasslands by Professor Hongpeng. We had no chance to contact the outside."
"In that case!"
Her expression grew deadly serious.
"When I was freed, were there not any guards around?"
"No, is something wrong......."
"Damn."
She quickly stepped away from the group.
"It’s Myurr’s scheme! Get back!"
"P-professor Hongpeng? What do you mean......."
Grrrk!
Suddenly she twisted her head in pain. Her brown hair whipped violently like a raging sea. Her eyes bloodshot, her body exuded ominous energy.
Aaaagh!
Grrrk!
"Professor!"
Maelyn rushed toward her, face full of concern. At that moment, Hongpeng mustered strength in her eyes and whispered something in Maelyn’s ear.
Maelyn nodded once, then immediately drew a magic circle into the fabric of Hongpeng’s clothes.
"It’s done, now hurry and run......!"
She could endure no more.
Strange blotches spread across her skin. Ominous energy burst out from her back, splitting into two streams.
[At last, you have restored your body. I’ve worked hard to claim it fully.]
Kyaaaaah!
Her hair darkened to black.
Hongpeng’s body was changing.
[There is no time, go. Go and defeat my nemesis.]
Snap!
Her eyes, now crimson like blood, flared open, her body bent low. In an instant she kicked off the ground, her figure shooting upward like lightning.
Kwakwakwakwa!
She smashed through the temple ceiling, shards raining down upon the group.
"Dodge!"
As everyone scattered, massive fragments of the fortress fell around them.
* * *
At the same time.
Outside the temple, a fierce battle raged.
Simon, gasping for breath, was climbing the steep pyramid-shaped temple.
He had climbed high enough that the landscape below seemed faint and distant.
'Show yourself, Myurr!'
It was clear he was preparing some powerful black magic. If Simon disrupted the ritual, Myurr would be forced to reveal himself.
Step! Step! Step!
The ancient residents guarding the temple swarmed toward him.
Their grotesque faces were smeared with streams of blood from their mouths. Some were chanting incantations, preparing black magic.
'I’ll break through!'
Right now, the only thing he could trust was Herseba in his hand. Simon swung his arm with force.
<Simon’s Original - Mummy Guard>
As streaks of green lines slashed through the air, the swarming ancients were cleaved apart, their bodies splitting in two.
"Nice."
Behind him, the mummies blessed by the Guard spell reeled their bandages back in after throwing them. Thankfully, physical destruction worked.
'More than that.'
Every time he destroyed one of the residents, the ominous Darkness pervading this place seemed to weaken ever so slightly.
Everything happening here, every element and process, was Myurr’s black magic itself.
If so.
'I’ll sabotage it thoroughly!'
Bwoong! Bwoong!
Simon pressed forward, the fluorescent mummies flinging their bandages like ropes around terrain features, swinging freely to guard their master.
The ancient residents of the temple surged forward to meet him.
"Go!"
At Simon’s command, the mummies spun in place, lashing their bandages.
It was a sight like a small turquoise whirlwind raging, grinding down the charging ancients to shreds, and in that opening Simon slipped safely through.
[Kid! This really never ends!]
Herseba, clutched in Simon’s right hand, panted out. Simon, climbing the temple steps, swung Herseba down.
"Sorry! Just hold on a little longer!"
<Golden Transmutation>
The ground turned to gold, the steps around him smoothing out into a slick slope.
The pursuing cannibals could not climb further, slipping and tumbling down.
Thud!
"Urgh!"
Suddenly Simon staggered, collapsing to the ground.
The sensation of his body being split in half, transmitted through the shared link, made him gag.
Turning his head, he saw one of the mummy guards skewered on the ancients’ spears.
The shared damage effect, both strength and weakness of the Guard. But Simon grit his teeth, forcing his trembling legs to move.
[Kid! There!]
Beyond the ancients, new enemies appeared. Five of the ‘Faceless Fiends’ that had chased Simon before were now guarding the temple.
Their appearance was like flat hides stretched over two-legged human forms, grotesquely smeared with blood.
They were far stronger than the residents. They must have been placed to guard the summit.
"Guard!"
Bwoong!
Bwoong!
The mummies behind hurled their bandages like flashes of light, but they only scratched shallow wounds on the fiends’ hides.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The faceless monsters charged with their massive bodies.
The mummies tried binding them again with bandages, but they were overpowered, dragged forward instead.
'Damn!'
Simon instantly opened his subspace.
Zombies leapt out, wrapping with their bandages as they were thrown, followed by a Corpse Explosion, but the faceless fiends rushed in, tanking the blasts head-on.
The firepower wasn’t enough.
Swish!
The fiends’ arms were long and thin like spears. They thrust toward Simon, who ducked swiftly, driving his palm into a monster’s torso.
<Simon’s Original - Shockwave>
Boom!
It was a technique meant to strike within thick hide, but it failed.
He quickly withdrew his hand, slipping between the monster’s legs, then leapt up, slamming a Darkness-charged kick into the back of its head.
Crack!
"Kh!"
Simon’s face twisted in pain.
Even though he had loaded Darkness into the strike, it was his own leg bone that felt like it cracked.
Failing his landing, he tumbled across the ground, while the monsters’ spearlike strikes slammed into the floor where he had been.
[Kid!]
"Haa, haa."
Simon staggered back to his feet.
[I’m, I’m sorry! If only I had more strength to spare!]
"No, Herseba."
Simon wiped his mouth, lowering his stance.
[Kahahahaha!]
A booming laugh rang out.
Simon raised his head.
'That voice, no way!'
[Switch, Herseba!]
A skull head floated down from the sky, grinning. Simon smiled in turn, stretching out his right arm.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Bones infused with power unlike any skeleton came flying, locking onto Simon’s arm.
The sense of danger receded, strength surged.
Whoooosh!
The once-threatening strike of the fiend now seemed trivial. Simon raised his hand, catching the monster’s arm with ease.
Brrrrrr—
The faceless creature tried to pull free, but the balance of power had already reversed.
Simon yanked it close, then loosened his grip slightly, smashing his elbow into its face.
Bang!
A clean hit.
The fiend’s body was hurled across the temple floor.
—Grrrk!
The monsters rushed again, and now bones from Feer clamped onto Simon’s left leg piece by piece.
Soon his leg’s Bone Armor was complete, and Simon stomped the ground lightly.
The floor caved, and in the next instant his vision flipped. Somehow he was already behind the fiends, looking at their backs. Especially the one he had kicked earlier.
Kwaaaang!
He hammered his heel into its skull.
The monster’s head smashed through the temple floor.
"Haa."
Simon stepped back.
Clank!
Clank!
Feer’s Bone Armor rattled as it attached across his body—left arm, right leg, chest, and back.
Then Simon stretched out his arm.
Shrrk!
A white greatsword fell into his grasp.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The fiends rose again, all five charging Simon. He lowered his stance, his cloak whipping.
Clank!
Feer’s helmet clamped onto his face.
'Not the enemy itself.'
Simon’s focus drew back, the fiends becoming distant, their bodies intersecting in lines.
'I see the space that holds the enemy!'
He spread his legs, twisting his body with all his strength. Legs moved, waist followed, arms flowed with it, cloak flaring like a storm.
The perfect angle.
Slaaaaash!
After swinging the greatsword, Simon straightened, giving a light flick into the air.
The five faceless fiends’ upper bodies were cleaved, soaring like fountains.
[Kahahaha!]
Feer’s satisfied laugh followed.
[What’s this? You’ve grown during such a short break, boy!]
"Yes."
Simon recalled the events of his time travel, smiling faintly as he slung the greatsword over his shoulder.
"Especially in spirit. I missed you, Feer."
[Kheh, I’ll hear the details once we’re back! For now, we must chase Myurr!]
"Let’s go!"
Clad in Feer’s Bone Armor, Simon kicked off the ground, leaping from the temple.
The summit came into view.
[On the way, I saw rituals being held at every temple across the grasslands!]
"Yes, I confirmed it too."
[A vile stench indeed!]
Simon reached the top of the temple.
"We have to stop this. At least this one first."
At the summit stood an altar, flames roaring above it. Simon lifted the Greatsword of Destruction.
Rumbleeeeeee!
Suddenly the temple floor shook as though an earthquake had struck. Simon, sword raised, lost balance and staggered.
Kwaaaaang!
The floor shattered, and something burst out. Rising high into the sky, blotting out the moonlight, it dropped before Simon.
"There was still an enemy...... huh?"
Simon’s eyes widened.
Hair blackened and corrupted, limbs limp and drooping.
The form was changed, but unmistakable.
'No way, Professor Hongpeng?'
Through the darkened hair, blood-red eyes flickered savagely.
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