Chapter 216 - Episode Eleven - High Elf Sorcerer, Devin (4)
Finally, we arrived at the fourth level, which was a forest.
Colorful trees with multicolored leaves grew here and there.
But halfway through the entire level, I was already feeling the limits of dungeon exploration.
It is a vicious and inhumane labyrinth created by the delusion of Altamir.
It was not supposed to be easy to capture.
I may have underestimated it a bit.
“…………”
I went limp, letting my weight rest on the tree on my back.
I almost collapse and Mea carries me on her shoulders.
“A-Abel! Get a grip!”
“I can’t …… anymore. I think I’ve made a mistake.”
“Abel!”
The magic beasts that surrounded me and mea are inching closer and closer.
“Gube ……gube ……gube ……”
A dragon head — a magic beast with a green, round, rugged shell.
They are so-called because of their appearance with a detached dragon’s head and frog-like limbs.
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Despite its round, lovable appearance, Dragonhead is a dangerous magic beast with a danger level of C-class, even on its own.
It has a hard body, strong fangs, and the ability to use its legs for instantaneous force.
In addition, this monster beast, which even breathes fire, is like an expert in melee combat, and it moves in packs of nearly thirty, which is a nightmarish characteristic.
If the Dragonhead’s herd was noticed, it would be very difficult for all members of the party to survive.
Even the most seasoned adventurer will not be able to stand a chance against a pack of dragonheads.
(Quoted in Edna Albert’s “Dangerous Magic beasts”)
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I’ve read about them in books, but when I saw them in person, they were quite humorous and adorable.
We were walking on the fourth level and before I knew it, we’re surrounded by a flock of them.
“Don’t come over here! Mea will shoot! I’ll shoot! So don’t come!”
Mea holds a bow and keeps the dragonhead in check.
But one of the dragonheads, swinging its large, clawed, telescoping arms, leaps at me as if to mock Mea’s actions.
Mea shoots an arrow.
The target deviates slightly before the free movement of the dragonhead.
It ends up just snatching the scales of my stomach.
“Oh, no …… I can do whatever I want with that one.”
I crooked my fingers, and the World Tree Ortem in my hand flew out and kick downed the Dragonhead.
“Gubo!?”
All at once the other dragon heads went on a killing spree and attacked World Tree Ortem.
From there, it was World Tree Ortem’s peerlessness.
Strike. Hit. Throwing, hitting other dragonheads.
Even though he was spewed with fire, he plunged through the fire and sending the dragonhead flying, hitting the other dragonheads like billiards.
The dragonhead that was sent flying crashed into a tree, snapped back, but still had too much momentum, and went into the ground.
For a long time, Mea watched in silence as the World Tree’s Ortem showed his killing spree on Dragonhead, then came to her senses and looked back at me.
“…… It’s good to see that Abel is looking good.”
“N-No …… I don’t feel fine at all, though. My legs are already…… my legs already …… don’t have the strength to go home ……”
I don’t think I can walk any more properly.
The stairs here were that much more vicious.
“…… It looks like Dragonhead is having more trouble than Abel. Look at that dragon head, the tail is off.”
“I feel like my legs are going to stick together.”
“It’s just a metaphor.”
I don’t care if my muscles are exhausted, I can use magic without any problem.
If I had to choose, it would be a slight disruption in concentration.
It’s nothing more than putting the Ortem into auto mode.
“Mea, I was seriously worried about you, though ……”
Mea puffs out her cheeks, squinting.
Wait, are you sulking……?
B, but I’m serious about my legs being close to their limits, too.
“I, I’m sorry …… but my legs …… really, my legs ……”
“…… I’ll give you a massage.”
“Oh, thank you ……”
Thank God, she wasn’t sulking that much.
As I was relieved, I suddenly saw another herd of nearly a dozen dragonheads running toward us from behind Mea.
Had they called for reinforcements, or had they heard our screams and come over?
Among the herd, there was a dragonhead with a golden body surface mixed in.
“…… Golden Dragonhead?”
The Golden Dragonhead is a rare species of dragonhead.
It is harder, faster, and smarter than the normal dragonhead.
It also has a higher range and power of flame.
Because of this, the body surface of the golden dragonhead is not only suitable for making armor, but is also considered to be a good omen, and is often stuffed and decorated by large merchants, which is why it’s sold for a very high price.
It should be a fairly rare magic beast but …… to see it so easily come out, I should say as expected of Altamir’s sleeping tower.
It’s a den of rare monsters.
When you think about how many more such rare monsters can be found in the next level, you are tempted by the desire to go up to the seventh floor, even if it means going against your will.
The World Tree Ortem charged toward the ten dragon heads.
The moment World Tree Ortem is about to kick off the area in front of them, the dragonheads quickly split off to the left and right and try to run off in different directions.
Seeing this, I belatedly understood.
The ten dragonheads weren’t chasing us, they were running away from something.
As soon as the World Tree’s Ortem chased one of the dragonheads on the right, a chunk of stone, no taller than a child, that seemed to be chasing the dragonheads, leaped up into the air and appeared.
The stone has branches that appear to be roughly limbs, and the entire body is engraved with a magic formula.
It doesn’t seem to be a magical beast.
It’s likely that he was chasing after the dragon head.
When the stone doll stood in front of us, it waved its arms wide with an eerie movement to the side, standing beside Mea.
“Kyah!”
Mea was scared and taken aback.
The stone doll was trampled by the World Tree’s Ortem.
The doll’s feet thrust into the ground, and the head, which was engraved with what looked like the first symbol, was in a state of limbo, just above the ground.
Mea almost knocked down on her ass on the spot.
From the position I was sitting against the tree, I hurriedly jumped to the side to support Mea’s body and became her footing.
“O-, Ow……”
“A, Abel, I’m sorry ……”
Normally, this would be a scene where you would be thanked for supporting her in a cool way, but I being apologized to in a normal way, which is uncool of me.
After regaining my poise, I approached the head of the stone doll that had popped out of the ground.
“W-What is that?”
“…… I guess it’s like a variant of golem, or something. To be honest, I’m not really sure.”
I cautiously approached the stone doll.
It was a one-sided chase around a group of magic beasts with a danger level of C-class.
Simply put, the danger level should be considered B-class.
“…… You don’t look too happy even though you found something so unusual, Abel.”
“Well, the way this magic circle is constructed is similar to the one found at …… Zeshum’s ruins and the one used by Ebelheid. I don’t see how it could be from Altamir. That would mean that there is a sorcerer who attacked us, regardless of Altamir.”
While I was vigilant about my surroundings, I felt a strange spirit’s movement.
It seemed that from somewhere, a spell had been exercised on the area.
As expected, a magic circle emerged in front of me, and a human shadow emerged within it.
Wavy, golden hair.
The slit eyes were odd-eyed, the right eye was blue, but the left eye was venomously red.
She wore a lapis lazuli robe decorated with magical stones and jewels.
He was a terrifyingly well-built, beautiful man.
And his ears were long and pointed.
Although I could imagine it from the magic technique, but It is an elf, as expected.
His apparent age was something like twenty-five or six years old, but if you’re an elf, you can’t rely on that.
You should think of it as five to ten times your apparent age.
I’ve seen elves before like Ebelheid, but the quality of magic and the aura of the person themselves are clearly different from Ebelheid.
It was as if he was a completely different creature.
You can’t help but feel taller just by being stared at.
The elf had a stern look on his face, but when he looked at me and Mea, his expression dropped and a mild smile appeared on his face.
I can’t help but smile, too.
For a while, I wondered what would happen, but it seems there is no hostility.
This place is currently off-limits.
I guess they weren’t expecting people to be here. The earlier attack was something of an accident.
I didn’t know there were any visitors other than me and Mea.
The elf then turned his attention to the stone doll buried in the ground and smiled elegantly, hiding his mouth.
“I thought what magic beast I stumbled upon, what, two norcs, huh!”
“…… ah?”
I and Mea are not Norcs.
It is Marren and Doom.
From an elf’s point of view, all human species except for the elves are norcs, I suppose.
As expected I also realized with that statement that these elves are not friendly.
“No, I don’t like it. I don’t like it, really. A mere norcs dethroned my Stone Servant.”
The elf said to me.
The face is smiling, but a closer look reveals that it’s not the kind of smile you’d expect to see on a person.
It’s as if they found a strange magical beast or something.
It’s clear that he is looking down on me.