Chapter 125: (1)
“I would like to capture them with a dice roll if I could… but for today, let’s retreat.”
After giving a look to the hesitating Kuma creatures, Kaiyan strongly stepped on the ice platform, which now was reduced to less than 1 meter in size.
Crack!
The platform, which had been struggling to hold on, broke apart, and his body flew at high speed toward the outer swamp.
“Phew…”
“Kaaak?”
“Kuaaak!”
Initially surprised by his appearance, the Kuma creatures, thinking he was fleeing, screamed and snapped their jaws in the air, threateningly.
As if they would bite him to death the moment he landed.
“The spirits come first. ‘Guardian of the Sky’.”
Whoosh!
Falling toward the swamp, his speed decreased, and he rose into the air once again, defying gravity. He’s now somewhat accustomed to flying in the sky.
Guiding his body through the outer swamp and entering the forest where Rieka was waiting, the Kuma creatures didn’t seem to follow, only screaming without showing any significant movement.
[Kaiyan!]
“Rieka, what exactly is going on?”
[I don’t know either. It seems like there’s some problem with the spirits.]
“What could have happened…”
Even if he roughly estimated the time he fought with the Kuma creatures in the center of the swamp, it was at least over an hour.
Considering it took the spirits 10 minutes to dig and send a signal initially, something definitely felt off.
“We’ll have to go into the tunnel.”
[What? We don’t know what might be down there?]
As he mentioned the tunnel the spirits had made, Rieka voiced her concern with a troubled tone.
“Windy is worrying me too… but thanks to leveling up, my stamina has recovered, so I think it’ll be okay. Let’s go.”
[Sigh… There shouldn’t be any trouble.]
Holding Rieka, who had nestled into his arms, Kaiyan took out a light-emitting crystal he found when he first arrived at Havnheim from the storage and walked towards the cave entrance.
A steep underground cave, presumably dug by the spirits.
“Be careful not to fall.”
[Yes!]
Holding Rieka tightly, he leaped toward the dark cave like a chasm, buoyant due to the remaining effect of the title, and descended rapidly downwards.
Whoosh!
“I still can’t feel the presence of the spirits… Could they be further away?”
About 20 seconds into the descent, the title’s effect seemed to end, and his body began to plummet rapidly. He stretched his senses to the maximum to detect the spirits but felt nothing.
[Kaiyan, isn’t it strange?]
“…Indeed. The air is getting colder as we go down.”
Using the cave walls to slow their descent, the further down they went, the stronger the strange sensation they felt in Havnheim.
“It’s my first time encountering something like this while wandering around Havnheim.”
[There must be something underground!]
“I hope the spirits are safe. ‘Guardian of the Sky’.”
Worried that Windy might be in trouble, he activated the title again, descending faster into the underground. About 30 seconds later, he sensed multiple presences.
Among them was the pure presence of wind.
“I found Windy! But…”
[What’s wrong?]
“Their energy is weak.”
[Is it because they’re a lower-level spirit? Lower-level spirits are originally…]
“No. That’s not it…”
As they got closer, the energies became clearer.
But Windy’s energy, despite being a pure wind spirit, was rapidly diminishing as if it was dying.
“…Dying? Ah! Rieka! Use the Haste magic scroll!”
[Eh? Oh, yes!]
Seeing his serious expression, Rieka quickly used a Haste scroll, and their bodies accelerated further, slicing through the air as they fell into the underground.
Kwaaaang!
“Cough! We were right above it.”
[Cough, cough!]
Waving his hand to clear the dust and holding the crystal forward.
“Kahaak?”
“Chirp chirp!”
“Kuuu!”
A monstrous creature resembling a huge spider and several spirits revealed themselves in the light.
The spider monster recoiled as if uncomfortable with the light, and the spirits took the opportunity to approach him, except for one.
“Windy!”
“…Kkirrut!”
Windy, was caught by one of the giant legs of the spider monster as if impaled.
Startled, he called out to Windy loudly, and as if coming to their senses, Windy, who had been drooping, turned their head to look at him and made a sound.
“This…! Rieka, hold the crystal for me!”
[Give it here! gotcha!]
Not fully understanding the situation but knowing that the monster intended to kill Windy, he confirmed that Rieka could easily hold the oversized crystal before he dashed toward the monster.
‘The energy feels about the same as Muliaron. If it lets its guard down, I’ll finish it in one blow.’
Of course, it wasn’t a thoughtless charge. He’s no longer the inexperienced soldier he once was.
“Kahaahaak!”
The monster’s shriek echoed through the entire cave.
Intermingling, the murky appearance clearly indicated its connection to the three monsters he encountered in Lumbanium.
“Do you hate fire? Blaze Armor!”
Hwaruruk!
As he activated the armor, the energy of fire burst from his heart.
Blaze Armor engulfed and colored his body red, producing a strong light even without the crystal, scorching the spider monster’s eyes.
“Kahahak!”
“Release Windy! Penetrating Stab!!”
Taking advantage of the monster’s attempt to shield its eyes with its numerous legs, he thrust his hand powerfully towards the leg holding Windy.
Ssak-
Disproportionate to its giant size, the monster’s leg was cleanly severed by his small hand.
Burning the black fluid with Blaze Armor, he leaped towards Windy as the spirit fell.
“Blaze Armor, deactivate.”
Taaap!
Catching Windy and extracting the impaling leg, blue gas spewed from the spot.
“Windy!”
“Kkiru……”
Windy, with half-closed eyes, struggled to respond. As he was pondering what to do next, the monster, enraged by the severed leg, charged at them, screaming.
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