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Chapter 65
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My sword cleaved the Chimera in half.
“Junior!”
“You…!”
Jane and Angela’s exclamations echoed.
‘That was close.’
I knew that thing had broken out, but I didn’t think the first phase had already ended.
The “Chimera” serves as the final boss in the early stage of the story.
The first phase involves fighting it before the corruption is fully complete.
‘Did those two handle it?’
The Chimera had already finished its transformation, fully corrupted.
It seemed Jane and Angela had handled the first phase in my place.
Thanks to them, I could conserve some of my strength.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Ah…! No!”
Angela smiled with a mix of relief and excitement.
She seemed glad that I looked unharmed.
“Then, hurry and escape.”
“What…? What do you mean….”
“This thing is still alive.”
Angela tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.
Currently, the Chimera was split cleanly in half by my “Sword Break.”
If it were an ordinary monster, there’d be no doubt it was dead.
Yes.
If it were an ‘ordinary’ monster.
Squelch.
The severed part bubbled and writhed as tendrils extended out.
“What in the world…!”
“Gross! This thing doesn’t get tired, does it!”
Jane stuck out her tongue, pretending to gag.
That’s how disgusting it was.
“It seems killing it won’t be easy.”
I readjusted my Shadow Sword.
“I’ll handle this. Senior, please escort Her Highness to the safe zone.”
“What?! You… you’re not saying you’ll face that monster alone, are you?!”
“Junior… even I think that’s not a good idea.”
Jane looked at me seriously.
‘So, this is what it means to be a senior.’
I always thought she had a light-hearted personality.
But now her eyes were filled with a deep sense of responsibility.
She clearly didn’t become the Disciplinary Leader just for show….
“Are you telling a man to stay behind in danger while a woman retreats?”
“…….”
“Tsk! I can’t allow that! No way am I running away!”
Ah.
Curse this reversed gender dynamic.
“No, I absolutely won’t leave you alone.”
“…Then, can you at least take Her Highness to the safe zone? You can come back after that if you want.”
“Well… if that’s what you mean….”
“Why are you all excluding me from the conversation… kyaaa?!”
Less talk, more action.
Jane abruptly picked up Angela.
“Long talks are tiring, aren’t they? I’ll drop you off quickly!”
“Don’t use the word ‘drop’ for Her Highness… that’s not it.”
I gave up on convincing her and instead issued a simple order.
“The Black Snake with Her Highness will guide you.”
“Hiss!”
A black snake sprang from Angela’s arms.
It was a shadow clone I’d planted that night when we spoke alone before the festival.
It seemed to be faithfully carrying out its duties.
“Then I leave it to you.”
“Don’t die, Junior!”
Angela screamed something, sounding on the verge of tears.
Jane ignored her and quickly moved away.
Squelch.
Meanwhile, the Chimera, now fully restored, turned toward me, its tendrils writhing.
“Seeing it up close is even more disgusting.”
It had been horrifying enough as a graphic.
But seeing it in reality was beyond words.
A lump of tendrils covered in eyes and mouths.
“Those game developers… they’re insane.”
They made this abomination a boss monster.
No wonder newbies screamed and ran.
“Well, I guess I have no right to talk, having slain this thing thousands of times.”
What… are… you…?
The Chimera’s garbled voice came out slowly.
As if fitting its endless learning trait, it was attempting to communicate in human language in real-time.
“You don’t need to know, slime.”
Inferior… species… slaughter is permitted… prey….
The ends of the Chimera’s tendrils split, morphing into multiple blades.
I will devour you… and fill my starving belly…!
The more it spoke, the more fluent it became.
Quite the prodigy.
If it worked as a translator, it’d probably have a bright future.
“Devour me?”
I chuckled, unleashing my energy throughout my body.
“Which mouth are you planning to use?”
…Ridiculous!
“How many times do you think I’ve killed you?”
I might know more about this creature than it does.
How it reacts in every situation, what responses it has, what attacks it will launch.
Even what it will say next.
And where it came from.
Hum!
Surrounding my sword with Qi, I provocatively beckoned it with my fingers.
“Come here, lonely one. I’ll embrace you.”
***
“Let me go!”
Angela struggled, squirming on Jane’s back.
“Whoa! You’ll get us in trouble if you keep that up, junior!”
“Lan is in danger! You know that!”
The Chimera was dangerous.
Even someone at a professor’s level might not be able to handle it.
And to make things worse—
‘It’s getting stronger!’
Unlike when they first fought it, the Chimera was continuously learning and growing stronger.
In other words, the Chimera Lan was facing now was far more formidable than the one they had fought earlier.
Angela’s heart raced as she thought of leaving her fated partner behind to face such a monstrous being.
“Please…! Please, I beg you! Lann is going to die!”
Her voice was like a desperate cry, as if her heart were being torn apart.
In the end, it’s the same.
She had learned sword styles, risking the erosion of her soul, just to be of help somehow.
And yet, in this crucial moment, she was leaning on him once again.
Calling herself pathetic wouldn’t even begin to cover it.
“Let me go! If nothing else, let me hold the Chimera back so Lann can escape!”
“Junior, stay quiet.”
Jane’s cold tone pierced Angela.
A tone far removed from her usual light-hearted, playful demeanour.
“…I know too.”
Her face was filled with anguish and despair.
Her tightly clenched lips looked like they might bleed, turning red with tension.
The furrowed brows carried a deep, unmistakable anger.
“Listen, Junior. I have my own share of experience, you know?”
In training, at the family estate, and during various missions.
Jane Rune had accumulated a vast array of experiences.
“In that fight, we were nothing but a hindrance. We were completely drained of strength and had become the ones who needed protecting.”
“That can’t be….”
“Lan is strong. Stronger than me.”
Jane admitted it without hesitation.
That a freshman—a first-year student—was stronger than her.
Because of that, she could make this choice.
“Do you think I wanted to leave him behind in that situation? I hate it. I hate it so much….”
Jane continued, her face a mixture of sadness and frustration.
“But, even so, I don’t want to betray Lan’s resolve for something so trivial.”
“Lan’s resolve…?”
“Saving you. Protecting the princess.”
Lan had risked his life and chosen the path of saving Angela.
If that was his will, then Jane believed she should do everything in her power to assist in that decision.
That was her way of repaying the benefactor who had saved her life and doing what was best for the empire.
“Haha… Saying it out loud, I sound so lame.”
A woman relying entirely on a man.
A senior leaving everything to a junior.
It was such a shameful sight.
“So no matter what, I’m taking you with me.”
“…….”
“…Black Serpent, guide us.”
“Hisss!”
The black serpent extended its head and began guiding the way, replacing the now silent Angela.
It silently slithered forward, crossing the debris of a shattered gargoyle’s remains.
“Hahh…”
Jane let out a short sigh.
“…Sniff!”
Angela let a few tears fall.
It was at that moment—
“Jane!”
A voice called out as a woman approached them from the opposite direction.
“Elma!”
“I’m glad to see you’re safe.”
“Haha…! I’m glad you’re safe too, and still in one piece.”
“And this person is…?”
Elma glanced at the two of them and sighed in relief after assessing their condition.
“By the way, have you seen Lan anywhere?”
“…!”
“He suddenly ran off in this direction….”
Angela suddenly slipped out of Jane’s arms and grabbed Elma’s arm.
“Y-Your Highness?!”
“Sniff…! P-Please… save him….”
“…What?”
“Help Lan… please…!”
Angela’s trembling voice recounted the situation—encountering the grotesque monster, and how Lann had stayed behind to face it alone.
Elma’s face gradually grew more horrified as she listened.
“That idiot!”
Eventually, a rare curse slipped from her lips.
“Where is it? We must go and support him at once!”
“But….”
Jane hesitated, her thoughts in turmoil.
According to Lann’s request, she should leave Elma behind and focus on escorting Angela to the safe zone.
‘But if I ignore this now….’
Elma likely wouldn’t make it to the location in time.
The White Coffin was vast, and its sections had distinct characteristics.
Without a proper guide, anyone could easily get lost.
“Hurry! Show me the way!”
“Senior!”
She should leave. She should escort Angela to safety.
“We need to move now! Time is of the essence!”
“We have to go quickly!”
She had been asked. It might even be Lann’s final request.
“Jane!”
“Senior!”
“Argh! Fine, whatever!”
Finally, Jane exploded in frustration, her signature mischievous smile returning as she turned around.
“Let’s go save Lan!”
She took off at full speed.
Serious and complicated matters didn’t suit her at all.
Acting on impulse, doing what she wanted to do—
Right now, for instance—
‘I’ll make a grand entrance and save Lann!’
Yes, that’s exactly what she wanted to do.
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