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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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A deafening roar tore through the darkness of the dungeon.
—!!
A massive boulder hurtled towards them with terrifying speed.
Crash!!
The ground shook violently as the boulder slammed into it, the impact sending tremors through the dungeon, causing a section of the ceiling to collapse, raining down debris.
“Kuh!”
A choking cloud of dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe, obscuring his vision.
He coughed, trying to clear his lungs, struggling to assess the situation. Debris from the collapsed ceiling lay scattered around them, the floor cracked like a spiderweb.
“…….”
He quickly covered his mouth with his sleeve and looked around.
A massive boulder blocked their path, the passage beyond it collapsed, the cracked floor littered with rubble, the surrounding structures damaged by the impact.
“Is everyone alright?!”
Lucy’s voice, sharp and urgent, cut through the dust-filled air. Gasps and coughs answered her.
“I’m alright! But Master—!”
“Cough, cough! I’m okay!”
His throat was scratchy from the dust, but he was unharmed. He looked around; everyone seemed to be okay. But he couldn’t let his guard down. This wasn’t a simple accident.
“What was that…?”
Varis looked around, his jaw set. Elisha also got to her feet, brushing the dust off her clothes, her expression filled with unease.
“That wasn’t… a natural rockslide, was it?”
Her voice was laced with a worried certainty, a premonition that quickly proved to be true.
Thud…
A tremor.
Thud… Thud…
Another one. The ground beneath their feet vibrated, the tremors growing stronger, drawing their attention.
“…What is it?”
Varis gripped his sword, his expression tense, as he looked around. And then—
“Guys! Look!!”
—Lucy pointed into the darkness.
As the dust settled, a grotesque figure emerged, a massive, muscular form, its face a horrifying amalgamation of human features, multiple red eyes gleaming menacingly in the darkness.
It stared at them, its form slowly resolving from the shadows.
“This… is bad.”
“What is that thing?!”
“Ugh…”
Melina instinctively nocked an arrow, Varis gripped his sword tighter, and Elisha’s breath hitched, her face pale with fear.
“That’s… a Fusion Monstrosity.”
Lucy muttered, her jaw set.
“It’s far more dangerous than any orc. Don’t let your guard down!”
The monster lumbered forward, its grotesque form twitching and convulsing, its muscles bulging.
“Don’t worry, everyone! If we work together, we can handle it!”
Lucy raised her staff, her voice filled with encouragement, trying to reassure them.
—!!!!
But then, a deafening roar echoed through the dungeon, a chilling scream that made their hearts pound.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
It wasn’t just a tremor. The ground beneath their feet vibrated violently.
“…….”
And then, a horrifying sight unfolded before their eyes.
“What the…?!”
As the monster roared, the ground cracked open, and something began to emerge from the fissures.
One.
Two.
Three.
No, dozens.
Twisted, grotesque creatures crawled out of the ground, their sharp teeth protruding from their misshapen mouths, their abnormally long, lanky limbs resembling those of insects, their bloodshot eyes glowing red in the darkness, radiating a predatory madness.
They moved towards them, their bodies contorting in unnatural ways, their movements like a grotesque dance, a sight that filled them with a primal dread.
“Ugh… There are so many of them?!”
Lucy gasped, stumbling backward, her voice trembling with fear, her hand tightening around her staff, her fingers twitching.
The monsters closed in, forming a tight circle around them, their sharp claws scraping against the stone floor, their chilling moans echoing through the dungeon, the cold stone wall at their backs a grim reminder that there was nowhere to run.
There was no escape.
Their only option was to fight.
“Maintain formation! Don’t get separated!”
Lucy shouted, her voice filled with desperation.
But the monsters, as if on cue, charged at them with earth-shattering roars.
—!!!!
A chorus of terrifying screams echoed through the dungeon as the grotesque creatures swarmed them.
“Oh, frigid depths that swallow the earth, freeze time and all creation! Show those who stand before me the abyss of winter!”
Elisha was the first to react.
“Ice Age!!”
As she finished the incantation, a wave of chilling cold exploded outwards, freezing the dungeon floor, the ice spreading rapidly, sharp frost covering everything in a blanket of white.
—!
The monsters shrieked as their feet froze to the ground, some slipping and falling, others thrashing wildly, trapped in the ice, their movements halted.
“Good, Elisha!”
Lucy, impressed by her quick thinking, raised her staff, its tip glowing ominously as a wave of heat filled the air.
“Fire Burst!!”
A powerful fire spell, cast without a chant, erupted in a fiery explosion, a wave of molten lava spreading across the ice, engulfing the monsters.
The air shimmered with heat, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.
“Yes, that should do it!”
A confident voice echoed through the dungeon. But their triumph was short-lived.
“…What?”
As the flames subsided, the monsters remained, their bodies unharmed, their bloodshot eyes still gleaming menacingly in the darkness.
“They’re still standing… after that…?”
“Are they… stronger than last year?”
Lucy’s voice wavered.
—!!
The flames had melted the ice, freeing the monsters from their frozen prison. Black smoke billowed outwards as the ice melted, the grotesque figures emerging from the flames.
“Allow me!”
Melina stepped forward, her voice calm, her blue eyes cold and sharp.
“Haa!”
She drew her bow, the arrow splitting into multiple projectiles in mid-air, streaks of light flying towards the monsters.
—!!
The monsters shrieked, some stumbling, the arrows embedded in their flesh emitting a dark smoke, their bodies seemingly dissolving.
“Did it work?”
But it was only a temporary reprieve. The monsters, ignoring the pain, got back on their feet.
“What?! They’re still standing?!”
Melina’s expression hardened. Even her special magic arrows couldn’t inflict significant damage.
“Hyaa!”
Varis swung his greatsword, the heavy blade cleaving through the air, aiming for a monster.
Crash!
But the monster countered with inhuman strength, its long arm whipping out like a lash, sending Varis flying backward.
“Kuh…!”
He rolled across the floor, absorbing the impact, but his breathing was ragged. The monsters were larger and stronger than orcs, and facing them head-on was suicide.
“Master! Stay back!”
Eilly stepped forward, her movements fluid and graceful as she weaved through the monsters, her sword a blur of motion, more like a dance than a fight.
“Hmm!”
Her blade flashed, aiming for their vital points: ankles, solar plexus, heart.
Thud -!
A monster lunged, its massive fist aimed at her, but Eilly spun gracefully, dodging the attack, her sword flashing like lightning.
Thwack.
A monster fell, its face impaled by her blade, its massive body crashing to the ground.
“—?!”
She pierced the knee of another monster, and as it stumbled, she swiftly decapitated it.
“Eilly… you’ve gotten stronger…”
Elisha muttered, her jaw set, seemingly unwilling to admit it, but unable to deny Eilly’s skill.
“Good, Eilly! Keep it up!”
Varis, quickly recovering, cheered her on. The tide of the battle seemed to be turning in their favor.
“We can do this…!”
Lucy’s voice was filled with hope.
Thud!
But just then, the situation took a turn for the worse. A massive shadow hurtled through the air.
“Eilly! Look out!”
Lucy’s warning echoed through the dungeon.
While Eilly was focused on the fight, another monster hurled a massive boulder.
“Ah!”
She twisted her body instinctively, avoiding a direct hit, but the impact of the shrapnel sent her tumbling across the floor.
She managed to regain her footing, but her breathing was ragged. Her attacks were strong, but the monsters were stronger.
The monsters’ eyes gleamed with predatory intent.
“Eilly, are you okay?”
“Lucy… Y-Yes… I’m… alright…”
Their formation crumbled. The overwhelming number of Fusion Monstrosities pressed their attack, pushing them back. Lucy bit her lip, her expression grim.
“Lucille… I didn’t expect your creations to be this strong…!”
Her voice was filled with hatred, her eyes flashing with resentment.
—!!
The monsters’ roars echoed through the temple, a cacophony of chilling screams, but they couldn’t afford to cover their ears.
“There’s no other way…”
Lucy’s mind raced, and she finally made a decision.
She pulled out a scroll from her pocket, its surface glowing faintly blue.
“Everyone! Retreat! We can’t fight them here!”
The Portal Scroll. It would allow them to escape. She channeled her magic power and unfurled the scroll.
But—
—!!
—as if refusing to let them escape, the monsters surged forward with terrifying speed, converging on Lucy.
“Ugh…!”
A monster’s massive fist was inches from her face.
It seemed like it was all over.
But—
“……Huh?”
—it didn’t happen.
Or rather, he stopped it.
“——?!”
The monster let out a confused, startled sound. He had jumped forward, intercepting the attack.
But he didn’t just block it. His sword pierced through the monster’s arm in a single, swift motion.
“Huu.”
He exhaled softly, the sensation in his hand simple and clear. The monster’s struggles were irrelevant.
“A-Arnold…?”
Lucy stared at him in disbelief. But he ignored her and pushed his sword deeper.
—!!
The Fusion Monstrosity collapsed, the formidable foe that even Varis couldn’t handle, felled in an instant, like a paper doll.
“—…”
But there were still more monsters behind it, their bloodshot eyes gleaming menacingly.
He swung his sword.
Swoosh—!
Crimson blood splattered through the air, the massive forms collapsing, their upper bodies severed, like puppets with their strings cut.
“What… what kind of power is that…?”
Lucy muttered, her voice a mix of awe and fear.
But he didn’t answer, simply stepping forward again.
—!!
The monsters’ screams echoed through the dungeon… but this time they were of rage, fear, and desperation.
“…Huu.”
There were still many of them.
All he had was a single sword.
But it was enough.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
If you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
