CH 29

[The boss monster Shaman <Khrush> of ‘Hell Goat’s Burnt Offering’ has appeared.]

A goat twice the size of an adult male stood on its two feet and howled.

Khrush is a monster that looks like a chimera of a human and a goat. Although I’d only seen it twice, it was still a thought-provoking friend.

There was an intruder in the temple, and the said intruder had broken into the sacred altar. Of course, it must be upsetting for Khrush.

I recalled the goat’s attack pattern as I moved to avoid the flying fireball.

Oh, yeah.

The boss’ pattern here can be summarized in one sentence: I’m sorry, I did that to show you this.

At first, the boss drains its opponent’s soul with a wide-area weapon. If its opponent tries to dodge the wide-area skill, which is wide in scope, but tight in spacing and visual, a shabby attack will fly toward the opening of the opponent, who took a breather.

Everyone gets caught off guard and will want to deflect the attack, but let’s keep this in mind here: the real thing is the one shot afterward.

Jiing—

Magic circles filled with unknown formulas embroidered the air. The red-hot magic circles showed off their firepower by emitting flame stems.

Loveless was seen nervously lowering the temperature.

If I was weak, I would get burned after being hit by that, but my characteristic was basically body enhancement. Even a second attack wouldn’t be fatal to me.

I moved forward, extinguishing the pouring flames with my blue flames.

My second characteristic, ‘the Burning of the King of Lust’, which was not originally mine, is a flame that extinguishes the unclean. 

As it is the power given by the King of Lust, everything that is not of the King of Lust’s family is included in the scope of ‘unclean’, so this trait is actually hostile to me. The more I use it, the slower my breathing and movements.

The sensation disappeared, and I could hear a whisper.

「“I know what you want.”」

The voice floating in the air recited what I’d heard over and over again.

I shook off the insistent voice and charged forward.

「“Be mine. Give me all the glory of this universe, and I will give you the peace you desire.”」

The blue flames engulfed one arm.

The feeling of a heavy weight pressing down on my body was unfamiliar. It was a sensation I always experienced when overdoing it, but it was more unfamiliar today.

“Your Highness!!”

Is it because people are watching? It seems that way.

Bang, bang, bang—!

At the same time as Loveless shouted, a tiny bolt of energy came in after the gap.

It passed by where I was standing just a moment ago, flew through the air, and exploded with a huge explosion as soon as it hit the wall.

The huge ice wall created by Loveless shattered without blocking the explosion’s aftermath.

The rupture shook my eardrums as if tearing them apart, but the excessive use of skills had dulled my hearing, so I could endure it.

I should say I’m glad I don’t bleed from my ears like Loveless.

The flame of purification purifies the owner of the flame and makes it a complete follower of the King of Lust. But conversely, my characteristic body enhancement also pushes out impurities in the body and maintains a pure state at all times.

To sum up, if the purification flame tries to eat away at my body, my body enhancement pushes it away.

Since my main characteristic is body enhancement, body enhancement wins in the end, but no one knows what the end will be if I try to overcome the limit with the flame of the King of Lust.

My mom always said there’s nothing free in life. I sympathize with that.

As I thought absent-mindedly, the Fragarach that I wielded felt heavier.

Blue flames that burned the unclean things were scattered like flares. They entwined around the blade, which could never be said to be sharp.

Khrush raised his wand and cast an unknown spell.

“■■ the king ■■, ■■■■ of ■■■■, ■■■.”

Splurg!

The sound of bones being crushed was clear.

The head of the black goat with horns rolled on the floor with a thud.

I wiped the blood off my hands and smashed the altar to pieces. The altar made of the bones of an unknown creature collapsed.

[(Player1) <Behind the Scene I Really Like> (S) activates ‘Space Cut’.]

[‘Hell Goat’ (411) disappears.]

[(Player7) <Seobin> (B+) activates ‘Enhanced Piercing’.]

[‘Hell Goat’ (412) disappears.]

[*Hell Goat’s Burnt Offering – ‘Hell Goat’ (412/579)]

[*Hell Goat’s Burnt Offering – Defeat ‘Shaman <Khrush>’ (1/1)]

[The collection of behavioral data has been completed.]

The number of goats to deal with was 579. The number processed so far was 412.

Normally, the gate would have been closed with the soul stone that came out after defeating the boss monster, but it seems that all monsters should be handled as this place exists for practice.

I picked up the soul stone dropped by the boss and kicked the collapsed altar.

The reason why the entrance to our dimension was opened was that the basis of the black goat’s festival is human sacrifice.

The altar, made of bones, was lined with magic circles drawn in ominous and unreadable characters. These red glowing magic circles are magic circles that make the sacrifices die in pain. And one of them was a magic circle that directly summoned the King of Sloth.

The first time, I didn’t know the boss’ pattern, so the King of Sloth appeared when I was getting beaten up in the fight.

Since we dealt with the boss quickly this time, we should also deal with the magic circle quickly.

I soared through the sky with blood stains on my feet. The sound of bones breaking excitedly filled the boss’ room.

I’m sorry to the bone owners, but what can I do? Those who live must keep living.

[(Player1) <Behind the Scene I Really Like> (S) activates ‘Space Movement’.]

[‘Hell Goat’ (423) disappears.]

Ri-ring.

The sound of the Hell Goat disappearing could be heard over and over again.

Just as the party on this side successfully defeated the boss, the party on the other side handled the Hell Goat smoothly.

I’m glad I left IRL.

After destroying all the magic circles that filled the altar, we should join them.

It would be fine if we joined now, but I didn’t want to create an afterthought of the King of Sloth’s appearance.

Until now, all Hunters who had seen ‘the kings’ had gone crazy unless they were extremely mentally strong.

Shrug.

The dried and stiff bones were trampled to pieces.

I kicked, broke the magic circles, and slightly turned my head back.

With dried bloodstains on her face, Loveless was trying to stop the bleeding by pulling out pieces of ice stuck in places.

Paradise’s S-class is a veteran who has gone through countless battlefields.

Moreover, Frost Flower is the closest aide to the guild leader Polar Night. Her actions were far more skillful and concise than those of the Daybreak’s 3rd raiding party.

It didn’t seem like I was needed. She wouldn’t want that either.

[‘I Really Like’ decapitates the Hell Goat. The Hell Goat disappears.]

[‘Geranium’ burns the Hell Goat. The Hell Goat has been critically hit.]

[‘Sweet Melody’ spreads the Blessed Zone. External damage is reduced by 40%.]

All the actions of the party members could be seen just by wearing the leader mark.

I heard that the technology had been improved, and they really made it like a game.

Well, that’s better. If you think of the battlefield as a game, you can escape reality.

[(Player7) <Seobin> (B+) activates ‘Find Weakness’.]

[(Player7) <Seobin> (B+) activates ‘Precise Aim’.]

[‘Hell Goat’ (450) disappears.]

[Specific conditions have been met.]

[<The Altar of Prosperity> reveals its true face.]

[The Watcher of the Black Land wakes up on the seat of diligence.]

[<The Altar of Prosperity> loads the stored formula.]

[A king clad in the sin of sloth among the seven sins will descend.]

Thud, thud, thud—!

The altar and the brass temple underfoot shook violently.

What the… What is this Flume Ride-like surprise factor?

I turned my head away, biting my lip at the sight I thought I would never see again.

Loveless, who had been sitting and examining her wounds, was up from her seat before I knew it.

“Miss Loveless, go out and regroup now!”

“Yes? Then, what are you going to do, Your Highness?”

“That’s why I told you to go. I can’t protect you from now on  because I don’t know what will happen.”

In fact, I have no memory of protecting her. I only have memories of bumping into her without consideration.

But she’s also a lunatic of Paradise, so although it’s a bit out of focus, as an aide of Polar Night, she has no reason to take issue with my words.

Listen and follow.

Their actions are so simple. They don’t think. They don’t open their eyes and ears. They just believe.

“I will do as you command. Be safe.”

Her behavior wasn’t different from what was expected.

I folded my arms as I watched her running out and picked up the soul stone I had thrown.

[“This is the second time.”]

I already felt the presence, but it was inevitable.

[“Did you call me through an illusion?”]

I was facing an existence that our dimension’s common sense did not work for.