Chapter 51: 《The Adventurer of the City》 – (3)
(I)
“Damn it!”
The leader of the adventurer party representing the fortress city of Nevirthol, known as Golden Ring, Blacky, contorted his face in frustration.
His expression resembled that of a puppy biting into dung while eating, with wrinkles on his forehead growing deeper as he frowned.
“What kind of monster is this?!”
“T-The attacks aren’t affecting him at all….”
…And his companions were in a similar state of disbelief.
Composed entirely of A-rank adventurers, the Golden Ring party had handled every monster they’d faced with ease.
The fact that none of their attacks could leave even a scratch on this creature made it all the more difficult to laugh in this absurd situation.
“So its shell is as thick as its size suggests….”
What stood before them was an S-rank monster, one of the strongest monsters known—Behemoth.
However, this particular one appeared larger and more ferocious than usual, likely a mutant variant.
Its body length alone was approximately 30 meters, and it destroyed everything in its path with the enormous twin horns on its head.
They had no means to stop this creature.
“Frensia! Durang! Hit it with magic again!”
“Got it!”
“Understood, leader!”
…Physical attacks were completely ineffective against the Behemoth.
If they couldn’t pierce its defenses with conventional weapons, the only option left was to overwhelm it with powerful explosive magic.
Blacky gave the order for the party’s mages to pour all their magic into one final strike.
“Oh flame that spreads, descend upon the earth!”
“Explosion Floor!”
Two of the city’s most renowned mages simultaneously cast large-scale fire magic.
Gigantic crimson magic circles appeared, enveloping the sky.
Judging by the sheer size and the immense power emanating from the magic circles, it was evident that the mages had poured their all into what appeared to be an ultimate magic spell.
“This time…!”
Hope flickered on Blacky’s face as he stared at the magic circles.
No matter how formidable this mutant Behemoth was, it couldn’t possibly withstand such a devastating bombardment.
“Go!”
“Take this!”
As their incantations concluded, the two mages, Frensia and Durang, unleashed their spells simultaneously.
Two massive pillars of fire descended from the sky, aiming directly at the Behemoth.
-Graaaaaaahhh!!
Struck directly in the middle of its massive body by the fiery pillars, the Behemoth writhed in pain.
A deafening explosion followed, and thick smoke obscured everyone’s vision.
“Cough, cough! Did we… did we kill it?!”
Waving his hand to clear the smoke, Blacky tried to get a better view.
He coughed violently, hoping that when the smoke settled, the Behemoth would have been reduced to ashes, leaving only its bones behind.
-Graaaaaahhhh!!
“No way….”
…But standing there, as resolute as ever, was the Behemoth.
Despite being hit squarely by the massive spells, the monster’s enormous body bore not a single scratch.
“That kind of firepower could obliterate an entire village….”
Blacky’s pupils quivered.
The combined magic of Frensia and Durang, the most skilled mages of the Golden Ring party, could easily have annihilated a small village.
Yet, instead of inflicting significant damage, they failed to leave even a minor wound on the monster.
The only thing they accomplished was making it angrier.
-Graaaaaaahhh!!
“Arghhhh!!”
As the Behemoth swung its massive horns in rage, dozens of adventurers and mercenaries clashing with it at the frontlines were sent flying.
-Grumble….
Still unsatisfied, the enormous monster’s crimson eyes glowed menacingly as it searched for the ones who had cast the magic.
“Eek…!”
“It’s looking at us….”
Seeing the Behemoth lock eyes with them, Frensia and Durang trembled in fear.
They seemed paralyzed, unable to even attempt to flee.
Not that running would make much of a difference.
With a creature of that size, they’d be caught in no time.
Exhausted from casting such large-scale magic, they had little mana left for another fight.
From commanding the battlefield with powerful magic circles, Frensia and Durang had suddenly turned into helpless prey trapped in a corner.
-Graaaaaaahhh!!
“Stay away!!”
“Kyaaaaaaahhh!!”
“Run!!”
The Behemoth charged at a terrifying speed, its massive form hurtling toward the two mages.
With their mana depleted and their legs frozen in fear, the mages could do nothing but scream.
“Frensia! Durang!”
…Unable to do anything from afar, Blacky could only watch in horror as his precious party members were crushed under the monster’s colossal feet.
The Behemoth’s massive foot, comparable in size to an entire building, stomped down, leaving behind only a pool of blood and scattered pieces of flesh and organs.
“Frensia… Durang….”
Looking at the crimson pool that had once been his comrades, Blacky’s sanity snapped.
“You bastard! How dare you… kill my comrades!!”
Gripping his long spear tightly, Blacky charged at the Behemoth with reckless abandon.
Whether he could harm it or not no longer mattered.
All he cared about was avenging his fallen comrades.
“Take this!!”
Leaping high into the air, he prepared to throw his spear.
But before it left his hands, an immense pain struck his side.
“Ugh!!”
The Behemoth, displaying speed unfitting for its massive size, rammed Blacky with its horns.
Those horns, hard enough to resemble steel, shattered his ribs with a sickening crunch.
Flung through the air, Blacky crashed into a nearby building’s wall.
“Cough, cough!”
Blood spurted from his mouth as he writhed on the ground.
“Damn it….”
To allow not even a single effective attack—what kind of monster was this?
Blacky had encountered a Behemoth in a dungeon before, but never anything as absurd as this.
Not even all the adventurers, mercenaries, and soldiers in Nevirthol combined could subdue this creature. Could it truly be called a Behemoth?
-“It’s coming this way! Dodge!”
-“Stab its weak points!”
-“It’s no use! Its hide is too thick… Arghhh!!”
“Damn it! Damn it!”
Horrifying screams echoed like a deadly symphony across the battlefield.
Unable to endure the grotesque reality before him, Blacky pounded the ground with his fists.
“It’s hopeless… if we can’t even scratch it, what are we supposed to do…?!”
With no weapons or magic working against it, there seemed to be no solution.
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t see a way out.
“Is this… the end…?”
Resigned to his fate, he let his body collapse, tears of despair streaming down his face.
Death seemed inevitable now.
…Until the Hero appeared.
“What… is that?”
Descending gracefully from the heavens like a shining star, a man with unique ash-gray hair and blue eyes unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the Behemoth’s crown.
-“O starlight, sing your song.”
“….”
-Sacred Starburst.
From the tip of his sword, golden light erupted, spiraling toward the massive monster’s head.
A deafening explosion followed.
-Kyeeeeeeek!!
“A… scream?”
This time, mixed in with the explosion was the unmistakable cry of pain from the Behemoth.
It was a sound that no one had managed to elicit, no matter how many times they’d struck the beast.
But the man who descended from the sky, the Hero Vellius Grandius, had done it with a single strike.
“Uwaaahhh!!”
“The Hero is here!!”
“….”
Cheers erupted from the soldiers and adventurers who had been frozen in despair.
The strongest human in the world, known as “Humanity’s Hope,” had arrived.
With his presence, an answer to the impossible had appeared, and hope began to bloom in everyone’s hearts.
“How dare a monster like you come here?! Sacred Bind!”
“Just die already!”
“Kiiieeeeeeeek!!”
Not only had the Hero, Vellius Grandius, arrived, but so had his party.
The sight of Daniel, the holy knight, unleashing divine magic, and Yuna, the female swordsman, executing precise follow-up attacks left onlookers in awe.
“It’s working! The monster is in pain!”
“Now we can win! We’ve got this!”
“Everyone! Let’s give it everything we’ve got one more time!”
“Uwaaaaaaah!!”
“….”
When the Hero’s Party managed to inflict damage on the seemingly invincible Behemoth, soldiers and adventurers who had all but given up began to regain their strength and hope.
…To turn the tides, to inspire courage in all, and to purify even the greatest of evils—the Hero of Avilia Kingdom, Vellius Grandius.
This was why he was hailed as “Humanity’s Hope” by all.
“Yuna, Daniel! Let’s go at it again!”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
However, merely dealing damage wasn’t enough to take down the Behemoth.
Thus, the Hero’s Party resumed their relentless assault.
“Sacred Starburst!”
“Holy Blessing!”
“Radiant Slash!”
“Kiiieeeeeeeeeek!!”
The three members of the Hero’s Party displayed perfect teamwork, gradually overpowering the Behemoth.
As they continued to focus their attacks on the same area, noticeable wounds began to appear on the monster’s crown.
“Graaaargh! Graaaaaargh!!”
The Behemoth roared in defiance, attempting to fight back with all its might.
However, the Hero’s Party had long surpassed even S-rank adventurers, making the monster’s attacks seem slow and predictable.
…It was only the Behemoth’s overwhelming durability that allowed it to endure their strikes.
“Damn it, how thick is this thing’s hide?!”
“Even with all this, we’re only barely scratching it. Is this really a Behemoth?”
The unexpectedly thick hide of the Behemoth left even the Hero’s Party astonished.
If their party had included a mage, the battle might have progressed more smoothly.
However, for some reason, their great mage, Milan, was nowhere to be seen.
“Huff, huff…”
“You damned monster….”
Despite their intense battle lasting for several minutes, the Hero’s Party had only managed to create one significant wound on the monster.
Exhausted, they momentarily retreated to catch their breath.
Even for the Hero’s Party, the Behemoth proved to be a formidable opponent.
The confidence they displayed at the beginning had now faded from their faces.
Still, if they continued to target the massive wound on the Behemoth’s crown, they believed they could eventually claim victory.
“Yuna, Daniel, it’s too early to tire. Let’s focus on that wound.”
“…Alright.”
“Understood.”
Encouraged by the Hero’s words, his companions readied their weapons and prepared to charge once more.
“Grrrrrrr….”
The Behemoth also appeared ready for round two.
With a ferocious roar that shook the heavens, the massive monster signaled its determination to fight on.
“GRAAAAAAAAARGH!!”
“Hm?”
“Is that black smoke rising from the Behemoth’s back…?”
As if preparing for something decisive, black smoke, resembling steam, began to billow from the Behemoth’s back.
“Hah! Is it so angry that it’s steaming?”
“Well, monsters are simple-minded, after all.”
“Right, don’t let it intimidate you. Let’s just finish it off now.”
Despite the ominous black smoke, the Hero’s Party showed no signs of fear.
Confident that they wouldn’t lose to a mere monster, they stepped forward resolutely.
“I’ll go first again.”
After a brief respite, the first to move was the Hero, Vellius Grandius.
Leaping high into the air, he once again aimed his attack at the Behemoth’s crown.
“O starlight, sing your song.”
Just like before, golden particles began to gather at the tip of his sword.
Once the mysterious light had fully accumulated, the Hero extended his blade triumphantly and shouted:
“Sacred Starbu—…!!!”
However, his bold declaration was abruptly cut short.
Just before he could finish his incantation, something struck him, sending him hurtling through the air and crashing into the ground.
“Kuh, ugh….”
Groaning in pain, the Hero curled into himself, clutching his body.
Everyone around him was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
“G-Grandius!”
“Hero! Are you alright?!”
“What just happened? The Hero was suddenly thrown….”
“It looked like he was hit by something…?”
“Could it be… the Behemoth?!”
All eyes shifted from the Hero to the Behemoth.
“GRAAAAAARGH!!”
Sure enough, the Behemoth stood proudly, lifting its horns high and roaring triumphantly.
“Its speed has increased….”
“What’s going on? Why? Could it be because of the smoke…?”
“What does it matter?! The Hero is injured!”
Whether it was due to the black smoke or some kind of awakening, the Behemoth’s speed had increased dramatically.
With blinding speed and overwhelming power, it had used its horns to hurl the Hero far away.
“Ugh… kuh….”
The Hero clutched his abdomen, staggering as he tried to stand.
However, it was clear that he was in no condition to continue fighting.
“This… this can’t be….”
“The Hero… was defeated…?”
The fact that the Hero had been struck down by a monster plunged all of Nevirthol into panic.
No one had even considered such a possibility.
The air was filled with nothing but the sound of terrified, shallow breaths.
“You wretched monster!!”
Seeing the Hero fall, Yuna roared in anger.
Clutching her sword tightly, she charged at the Behemoth with all her might.
“Dieeeee!!”
“GRAAAAAARGH!!”
Her longsword clashed head-on with the Behemoth’s horn.
Sparks flew, and the sound of metal grinding against metal echoed as human and monster collided.
“Ughhhh…!!”
“Graaaagh….”
Amazingly, Yuna managed to hold her ground against the massive Behemoth.
Though her lips bled from biting down hard, she showed no signs of backing down.
The clash between her longsword and the monster’s horn remained at a standstill.
“Wow! Could it be that Yuna might…?”
“As expected of the Hero’s companion! She can do this!”
Hope began to return to the faces of those who had been despondent.
Yes, the Hero’s companions were just as brave and strong as he was.
It was too soon to give up. This fight wasn’t over yet.
“You can do it, Yuna! Stay strong!”
“Quickly destroy that damned monster!”
The crowd united once more, cheering for the Hero’s companion, Yuna.
Watching her holding her ground against the Behemoth longer than expected, hope began to well up again in their hearts.
…Until Yuna’s sword shattered.
Clang!
“Huh?”
Perhaps the weapon was too fragile to withstand the Behemoth’s immense strength.
The sword, which had been holding back the Behemoth’s horn, split cleanly in two with a bright, ringing sound.
…With the sword gone, there was nothing left to stop the Behemoth’s horn from swinging down.
“Ugh!”
Yuna took a direct hit from the Behemoth’s horn and was hurled straight into the wall of a nearby building.
“Cough, damn it… my head….”
She crashed into the stone wall with such force that it crumbled, spitting up bright red blood before losing consciousness.
Continuing the fight was out of the question—she was now in a state where her very life was at risk.
“Goodness, even Yuna has….”
“Great Asteria….”
Even with the Hero included, two members of the Hero’s Party had been defeated.
Tears began streaming from the eyes of the citizens witnessing this unprecedented event.
The hope that had filled their hearts at the Hero’s appearance now turned into bitter despair.
“Damn it! Hero! Yuna…!!”
Now, the only remaining member of the Hero’s Party was the holy knight, Daniel.
Though he still stood firm, gripping his weapon tightly, no one could believe he had any chance of defeating the Behemoth.
If even the combined efforts of three members of the Hero’s Party couldn’t subdue this monstrous beast, what could a holy knight, significantly weaker than the Hero, possibly do?
“It’s over….”
“We’re being annihilated not by the Progenitor Vampire, but by a mere Behemoth….”
The fortress city of Nevirthol was now engulfed in despair and fear.
The wails of hopelessness echoed through the air, as if everyone had resigned themselves to their impending end.
Even the kingdom’s greatest asset, the Hero, had been defeated.
There was no certainty that reinforcements from nearby territories could defeat the monstrous Behemoth, and by the time they arrived, Nevirthol would likely already be in ruins.
No hope, no light, no solution—there was nothing left to cling to.
…And that’s when she appeared.
“Step aside.”
“Ugh?! What the—?!”
A beautiful woman with skin as pale as white jade stepped forward, pushing Daniel aside as she confronted the Behemoth.
Judging by her brown adventurer’s armor, she seemed to be an adventurer from somewhere.
With her snow-white hair flowing in the night breeze, she confidently walked toward the Behemoth.
“H-Hey! Stop! It’s dangerous!”
“….”
Daniel hurriedly tried to stop her, but the white-haired adventurer ignored him completely and continued her stride.
“What on earth is that woman doing…?”
“Is she trying to commit suicide?!”
“Hey, adventurer! It’s dangerous! Get out of there!”
“….”
The citizens and other adventurers nearby urgently tried to stop her as well, but the pale adventurer didn’t even flinch.
“Hmm….”
She finally stopped walking when she was directly in front of the Behemoth.
She began to examine the beast closely.
“Don’t tell me she plans to fight…?”
“Is she crazy?! Even the Hero was defeated!”
“Hey! Don’t try to be a hero! Save yourself first!”
“Someone pull her out of there!”
“Are you insane?! How can anyone go in there?!”
…The sight of an adventurer standing alone against the unprecedented monster that had defeated the Hero’s Party left everyone in shock and terror.
No matter how desperate the situation, recklessly throwing away one’s life like that wasn’t the right choice.
“…Noisy.”
As everyone shouted in panic, the white-haired adventurer nonchalantly picked at her ears, ignoring their cries.
“GRAAAAAAAARGH!!”
The Behemoth roared furiously at the adventurer.
Its bellow was filled with rage, as if offended that this insignificant being dared not fear it.
“Ugh…!”
“I can’t watch!”
…The crowd either squeezed their eyes shut or turned their heads away.
Surely, the adventurer would be struck down by the Behemoth’s horn just like the Hero.
If the Hero had sustained critical injuries, there was no way an ordinary adventurer could survive a direct hit from the Behemoth.
Especially not at such close range.
“It’s larger than I expected. Interesting.”
But instead of fleeing, the adventurer calmly raised her right hand, as if preparing to cast a spell.
“Please, just run….”
“Hurry up and get out of there, you idiot!”
“What are we even watching…?”
“Shut up already!”
…Everyone—citizens, mercenaries, adventurers—held their breaths.
What would happen to this mysterious adventurer? Would her body be reduced to an unrecognizable mess?
“GRAAAAAARGH!!”
As everyone imagined different outcomes for the adventurer’s fate, the Behemoth finally raised its horn high and prepared to bring it crashing down on her.
The white-haired adventurer also opened her right hand as if readying something.
“GRAAAAAARGH!!”
The Behemoth’s monstrous horn sliced through the air toward her.
“Hmph.”
The adventurer smirked faintly and clenched her fist.
And then…
“…Huh?”
“What… is this…?”
“The Behemoth…?”
“It’s… frozen?”
…The massive Behemoth froze solid in an instant, as if time itself had stopped.
It then began to crack and shattered into countless pieces.
“…What?”
“What just happened…?”
The fearsome Behemoth had vanished without a trace, leaving only beautiful ice crystals drifting down like snow from the sky.
No one could comprehend the situation.
No one could accept it.
The most terrifying monster, which had even overwhelmed the Hero, had suddenly turned to ice and shattered.
It was a scenario that defied all logic.
…The crowd’s gazes naturally shifted to the white-haired adventurer, who still stood firm.
With the Behemoth gone, all attention turned to the woman with skin as white as snow.
Hadn’t she just been standing face-to-face with the Behemoth moments ago?
Yet, now the Behemoth was gone, and she remained unscathed.
“Could it be…?”
“That adventurer…?”
“No, that’s impossible….”
The sight was so unbelievable that everyone’s minds seemed to freeze as well.
The white-haired adventurer had raised her hand, and the Behemoth, which had even defeated the Hero, froze and shattered in an instant.
It was as if this adventurer had effortlessly taken down the monstrous beast with a single strike….
“….”
“….”
There was no cheering, no sighs of relief.
Everyone simply stared at the white-haired adventurer with their mouths agape.
“…How dull.”
The adventurer, meanwhile, paid no attention to the reactions around her.
She simply brushed off her hands and turned around, walking away casually.
As she moved forward, the crowd instinctively parted to make way for her.
Thanks to this, the adventurer walked unhindered toward her destination, eventually stopping in front of a man with ashen hair, collapsed on the ground.
“Y-You are….”
The Hero, Vellius Grandius, who had been struck down by the Behemoth, struggled to lift his head and look up at the white-haired adventurer who had approached him.
With great effort, he forced out his voice to ask her:
“Who… are you…?”
It was a question full of meaning.
Who was this being that had vanquished the Behemoth in a single strike?
Who was this person who had saved them amidst this chaos?
“Are you talking to me?”
The beautiful, white-haired adventurer reached down as if to help the Hero up and answered his question.
“…I am Isera.”
Her voice was cold as ice, yet eerily calm.
“Just an ordinary adventurer.”
—
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