NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65
My sword sliced the chimera in half.
“Senior!”
“You…!”
I could hear Jane and Angela gasp.
‘That was close.’
I knew that thing had come outside, but I never expected phase one to be over already.
The “chimera” is the final boss of the early stages.
The first phase should involve battling a monster that hasn’t fully assimilated yet.
‘Did those two do it together?’
The chimera had already completely assimilated and transformed.
Jane and Angela must have taken care of phase one in my stead.
Thanks to that, I could save a bit of stamina.
“Are you injured anywhere?”
“Ugh…! Yes!”
Angela smiled with a mix of relief and excitement.
I could tell she was glad I looked fine.
“Then hurry and escape.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean….”
“This one. It’s still alive.”
Angela tilted her head, confused by what I said.
Right now, the chimera was perfectly sliced in half by my “shadow sword.”
If it were an ordinary monster, there would be no doubt it was dead.
Yeah.
If it were an ‘ordinary’ monster.
Squirm!
The cut surface began to bubble and tentacles started to reach out.
“What the…!”
“Ugh! It doesn’t seem to tire out!”
Jane stuck her tongue out and pretended to gag.
It truly is a disgusting creature.
“I don’t think it will be easy to kill.”
I tightened my grip on the shadow sword.
“I’ll take care of this. Senior, please escort the Princess to the safe zone.”
“What?! Are you really thinking of facing that monster alone?!”
“Junior… I don’t think that’s a good idea either.”
Jane looked at me seriously.
‘So this is what it means to be a senior.’
I always thought of her as a light-hearted person.
But now her eyes were filled with deep responsibility.
After all, sitting in the student council chair wasn’t just for show…
“Are you seriously telling me to leave a man behind and retreat? A woman?”
“…….”
“Ugh! That won’t be tolerated! That’s just absurd!”
Ah.
Damn gender roles.
“No way. I can’t let you go off on your own.”
“…Then at least can you take the Princess to the safe zone? You can come back later.”
“Well… if that’s the case….”
“Why am I the only one being left out of this conversation… Aaah?!”
Actions speak louder than words.
Jane suddenly picked up Angela.
“Talking is tiring, right? I’ll drop her off quickly!”
“The expression of dropping off the Princess… no!”
I gave up on the conversation and bluntly informed them.
“The shadow serpent with the Princess will guide you.”
“Shh!”
A black serpent emerged from Angela’s embrace.
Before the festival, it was the shadow clone of Black Lotus I had planted while talking with her that night.
It seemed to be diligently carrying out the task I had set for it.
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Don’t die, Junior!”
Angela made a teary sound, but Jane ignored her and moved quickly.
Grrr!
In the meantime, the chimera, having finished its recovery, looked my way, its tentacles writhing.
“It’s even more grotesque in person.”
It was already disgusting enough in graphic form.
But seeing it in reality made it utterly unbearable.
A mass of tentacles with various eyes and mouths.
“The production team, these perverted fools.”
They made such a thing into a boss monster.
No wonder newbies run away screaming.
“Well, maybe saying that doesn’t make much sense coming from someone who’s defeated it thousands of times.”
What… are you…!
The chimera clumsily continued its speech.
In line with its feature of endlessly learning and adapting, it attempted to communicate by learning human language in real-time.
“You wouldn’t know. You liquid monster.”
Lower… beings… permitted to slaughter… the prey….
The tentacles of the chimera split, transforming into various swords.
I will chew you up… and fill my empty stomach…!
The more it spoke, the more fluent it became.
This thing is truly talented.
If it were to be a translator, it would surely have a bright future.
“You say you will chew me up?”
I let out a derisive laugh, channeling my energy through my body.
“Out of all those mouths, which part will you use?”
…How ridiculous!
“Do you think I’ve killed you more times than I can count?”
Perhaps I know that thing better than it knows itself.
How it behaves in what situations, what reactions it displays, and what attacks it uses.
What it says next.
Where that thing came from.
Grr!
I coated my sword with energy and provocatively waved my finger.
“Wow. I’ll give you a hug, lonely one.”
*
“Let go of this!”
Flail!
Angela flailed her body while being carried by Jane.
“Wha! That’s dangerous, Junior!”
“Lan is in danger! You know that!”
The chimera is indeed a threat.
Even someone at a professor level would barely be a match.
Besides.
“It’s getting stronger!”
Unlike the first time we faced it, the chimera was learning more and growing stronger.
In other words, the chimera Lan was dealing with now was even more formidable than when those two faced it.
Angela’s heart, leaving Lan to confront such a monster, was.
“Please…! Please! Lan will die!”
It felt like it was tearing apart.
In the end, it was the same.
She had learned sword techniques, preparing to be of help, even risking her soul’s erosion.
But at the critical moment, she ends up relying on him again.
It was pitiful, to an extent that words can’t express.
“Let go! Just enough to let Lan escape…!”
“Junior, please be quiet.”
Jane’s cold voice pierced Angela.
In stark contrast to her usual light and playful demeanor.
“…I know.”
Her face was solemn and filled with despair.
Gwaah!
Her tightly clenched lips were flushed red, as if they would bleed any moment now.
From her furrowed brow, deep anger spilled forth.
“You know, Junior. I also have my share of experiences?”
Through the distance.
In the family.
And in various missions.
Jane Rune has accumulated countless experiences.
“In that fight, we were a clear hindrance. We had already exhausted our strength and instead became the ones who needed protection.”
“That….”
“Lan is strong. Stronger than me.”
Jane acknowledged it without reservation.
A first-year student admitting that someone was stronger than her.
That’s why she could make such a choice.
“Do you think I wanted to leave you there? I didn’t want to. I really didn’t….”
Jane continued with a sad expression.
“But I don’t want to betray Lan’s wishes for such a trivial reason.”
“If it’s Lan’s wish….”
“To save you. To save the Princess.”
Lan chose the path of risking his life to save Angela.
If that was his intention, then she would simply help fulfill that choice.
It was a repayment to the one who saved her life and a duty to the Empire.
“Haha… Saying it out loud makes it sound lame.”
A woman to a man.
A senior to a junior.
It was entirely a situation of completely placing responsibility on him.
“So no matter what happens, I’m going to take you with me.”
“…….”
“…Shadow serpent. Guide us.”
“Shh!”
Instead of the quieted Angela, the shadow serpent extended its head and started guiding the way.
It ran silently over the ruins of the broken gargoyle.
“Heh….”
Jane sighed softly.
“…Ugh!”
Angela shed a few tears.
And then it happened.
“Jane!”
I encountered a woman coming towards us from that direction.
“Elma!”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Haha…! You look fine too. Still in one piece, I see.”
“This person is….”
Elma checked the state of the two and breathed a sigh of relief.
“By the way, have you two seen Lan?”
“…!”
“He suddenly dashed off in this direction….”
Grab!
Angela abruptly released herself from Jane and grabbed Elma’s arm.
“Wha, Princess?!”
“Ugh…! P-please save me….”
“…Excuse me?”
“Help Lan…!”
Angela explained the situation with a trembling voice, detailing their encounter with the bizarre monster and that Lan was facing it alone.
Throughout the story, astonishment filled Elma’s face.
“You foolish idiot!”
In the end, words that were hard to hear came from her lips.
“Where is that place? We need to go provide support!”
“Well….”
Jane’s mind became complicated.
According to Lan’s request, she should take Angela to the safe zone and leave Elma behind here.
“But if I ignore this….”
Elma likely wouldn’t make it in time to help.
The venue was vast, and the specific characteristics of each location weren’t clear.
Without someone to guide them, they would likely be lost.
“Hurry! Please guide us!”
“Senior!”
She had to go… had to take Angela to safety….
“We need to act! Time is of the essence!”
“We have to hurry!”
She had asked for help… it could be a last wish from her savior….
“Jane!”
“Senior!”
“Aaaah! I don’t know anymore!”
In the end, Jane, bursting out, turned with her signature smile.
“Let’s go! Save Lan!”
Ta-dah!
Indeed, being overly serious and complicated didn’t suit her at all.
Acting as she wanted.
Like now.
“Make a grand entrance and save Junior Lan!”
Yes, that’s what I wanted to do.