Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 166

166

Huff!

“……!”

At that moment, without even a breeze, the light from the torch in Alisa’s hand went out. Not only hers, but the torches held by other soldiers also went out.

“Wh-what is it?”

“The torches!”

While the bewildered people were panicking, I reflexively looked up at the sky. The sun, which had been hanging over the cliff just a moment ago, had disappeared. Night had completely fallen. As soon as I realized this, I shouted towards Isana.

“Isana! Be careful!”

Kugwaaaang!

The deafening sound echoed almost simultaneously. A massive pillar rose up directly in front of Isana and Alisa. No, to be precise, it wasn’t a pillar but a thick, leathery body. Even in that brief moment, I could see hundreds of eyes densely packed on its bumpy surface. Sharp, long teeth protruded from its crown like whiskers.

‘Tunnel Earth Ogre!’

They said it was a large monster, but seeing it in person, it was truly overwhelmingly huge. The ground shook violently just from its sudden appearance. As people lost their balance and staggered from the strong impact, the monster immediately roared and lunged at Isana and Alisa in front of it. It was almost instantaneous.

Kurururung! Kwajik!

“Isana!”

Fortunately, Isana reacted quickly enough. Just before the gaping mouth could reach them, সিক্যুয়েল [Sikyuweol, likely a name] swiftly jumped in front of them. The blue stream of water emanating from him spun sharply like a vortex, creating a round barrier. Then, the two energies collided head-on, and the monster’s body bounced off as if it had hit a wall. Perhaps due to the recoil from the speed of its dive, the distance it was thrown back was considerable.

Kugung! Kwaaaang!

“Kieeeek!”

‘Hoo.’

I let out a sigh of relief as I heard the painful cry. I thought they would be okay, but watching the dangerous situation unfold made my heart race. The people who had been milling about in confusion seemed to finally grasp the situation only after hearing the monster’s scream. Their bewildered faces hardened as they confirmed the writhing, massive body.

“Hiek! It’s here! The Tunnel Earth Ogre!”

“Uwaaagh!”

Starting with someone’s scream, the people fell into chaos all at once. As some of the terrified soldiers tried to retreat, the formation fell apart. But that would be nothing compared to the shock of being attacked right in front of them. Alisa was frozen, unable to breathe. No matter how skilled a mid-level spiritist she was, she was still just a girl who had grown up normally. There was no way she could maintain her composure while looking at a monster of such overwhelming size.

“Are you alright?”

Isana carefully asked her, concerned about her pale face. As soon as she received his question, Alisa began to tremble. It seemed she was only now realizing that she had almost died. Isana said without taking his eyes off the monster.

“Don’t leave my side. It will attack again soon.”

No sooner had he given the warning than the Tunnel Earth Ogre’s body disappeared back into the ground. Alisa shuddered as the vibrations rose again. The next attack came immediately. No sooner did it seem to have vanished than its body burst out of the ground again. It seemed to have suffered no damage from the previous impact, and its movements seemed even faster.

“সিক্যুয়েল [Sikyuweol]!”

But thanks to being prepared in advance, Isana was able to block the attack even more easily than before. At the same time as deflecting the rapidly approaching fangs, the counterattack was launched immediately. সিক্যুয়েল [Sikyuweol] began to climb lightly onto the monster’s body. Streams of water rose from every part his feet touched, wrapping around the monster’s torso like ropes.

Hwirik! Chwaaaak!

“Kieeeek!”

As its massive body was restrained, the Tunnel Earth Ogre thrashed wildly. Each time, the binding streams of water lashed out like blades, finely cutting into its hide. Green mucus and clots of blood mixed with water and splattered everywhere.

“Oooooh!”

“He caught it!”

Small exclamations of awe rippled through the subjugation force as they saw the monster being bound. Now that its movements were restrained, the finishing blow was only a matter of time. Isana took a light breath and closed his eyes tightly. Then, the streams of water began to compress the monster’s body even more. They applied so much pressure that they pierced through its hide.

Kujijik! Kwaaaak!

‘Ugh…….’

Red blood poured out like a waterfall from the piercing streams of water. I frowned deeply as I watched the writhing monster. I could vividly see the monster’s body being gradually severed as the water ropes dug in. I had become quite accustomed to gruesome sights while working with the Champagne Mercenary团 [Champagne Mercenary Group], but I couldn’t help but feel a primal revulsion.

“Kieek! Kieeeek!”

Thud! Kuuung!

After a while, with a loud noise, the monster’s head fell to the ground. Its body had been completely severed.

Even after being separated, the fallen part and the remaining part writhed desperately on the ground for a while. Unlike its threatening appearance as if it would attack again at any moment, its struggles gradually weakened noticeably, and soon it slumped down and became still. What that meant was clear.

“Th-the monster is dead.”

“No way. So quickly…….”

Along with someone’s muttering, the sound of dry swallowing echoed here and there. It seemed they still couldn’t believe it, even though they had witnessed the entire process. It was no wonder they couldn’t believe it, as the death was so simple compared to the long time they had been persistently tormented.

Meanwhile, সিক্যুয়েল [Sikyuweol], who had returned to his wolf form, landed lightly on the ground. When Isana held out his hand, he immediately approached him and rubbed his head against his chest as if seeking praise. It was a kind of interaction between a spiritist and their contracted spirit.

While Isana was gently stroking সিক্যুয়েল’s [Sikyuweol’s] fur, Alisa was holding her breath and watching. As if sensing her intense gaze, Isana smiled and asked.

“Are you amazed?”

“……His body is made of water.”

“Because he is a water spirit.”

“Then, 멀든 [Muldeun] is…….”

“멀든 [Muldeun] is an earth spirit. Have you never touched him before?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Try touching him. You’ll feel completely different from just looking at him.”

At those words, Alisa turned to look at 멀든 [Muldeun], who was standing stiffly beside her. As the two black eyes embedded in the center of the pillar slowly blinked, she hesitated for a moment before reaching out and slowly stroking him. Then, as if feeling good, 멀든’s [Muldeun’s] leaves fluttered, and colorful flowers began to sprout from between the branches. The sight of the branches, which had been full of only green leaves, being covered with colorful petals was so beautiful that it was breathtaking. A honey-like sweet fragrance vibrated from the fully bloomed petals.

“Ah……!”

Alisa’s eyes widened at the amazing sight that unfolded before her, and then she smiled faintly. Her eyes, looking back at the snow-like scattering petals, flickered as if she were about to cry. At this moment, it was as if only they existed in the world.

It was then.

Creak, a rough sound suddenly came from the surroundings. It was the sound of something stiff being forcibly pulled. There was no need to find out where the sound was coming from. All the soldiers were aiming their bows.

“……!”

The arrowheads they held were all aimed at Isana and Alisa. Isana, who immediately grasped the situation, quickly had Alisa stand behind him. Only then did Alisa’s face harden as if she had discovered the soldiers holding bows. The peaceful atmosphere disappeared in an instant, and the air became tense.

“Wait a minute! What are you doing……!”

Confused by the incomprehensible situation, I tried to step forward. Then, the soldiers in front of me drew their swords and spears. The weapons they aimed surrounded me and 시벨리우스 [Siberius, likely a name]. A faint murderous intent could be felt in every gaze we met. It was clear hostility.

“……What is the meaning of this?”

It was Isana who asked the question. Then, the commander standing in front of the soldiers chuckled and replied.

“I’m sorry to say this. I have no personal grudges.”

“I don’t understand. Is this the reward for catching the monster?”

“Of course, I appreciate that part. But only the monster died.”

“……?”

As Isana looked at him with a puzzled expression, the commander smiled bitterly and pointed at Alisa. His eyes, glaring at her, were full of fear and hatred.

“Today, that child’s role was to die here with the monster. But she survived. In other words, the disaster lingering in this village is still the same. For this village to be completely peaceful, that child must die.”

“What…… What nonsense are you talking about? Are you still talking about the girl of disaster? I told you that Alisa is just a spiritist.”

“Of course, I heard. But what does that matter?”

Isana’s eyes shook greatly at the calmly uttered reply. Seeing him showing agitation, the commander smirked.

“Whether she’s a spiritist or not, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that everyone believes that child is the source of the disaster. In fact, it’s not entirely wrong. It’s true that the monster attacks on this village started because of the ability she possesses. So, nothing will change.”

“……That’s sophistry. Weren’t you happy when you lived prosperously thanks to that ability?”

“That was a long time ago. And as you know, the terrible drought is over now. We just want stability.”

“Stability built on the blood of an innocent girl? Do you know how ignorant you look right now? You won’t be able to avoid criticism if this fact becomes known to the world.”

“Of course, it will be known to the world that she died fighting the monster. Even if two or three more people died in the process, no one would find it strange. It’s a common occurrence when catching such a huge monster.”

I was momentarily speechless at the brazen way he twisted the words to mean he was going to commit murder. 시벨리우스 [Siberius], though not as much as I was, was also making a dumbfounded expression. I slowly looked around. Among the numerous soldiers, not a single person opposed the commander’s will. I couldn’t even find anyone who looked sorry or showed any aversion. They were all of one mind.

Looking at the triumphant soldiers, Isana sighed softly. He hesitated for a moment as if he didn’t know what to say, and then said as if exhaling a sigh.

“You’re thinking very simply. Do you really think we won’t resist at all?”

“Hmph, I know you’re strong. But no matter how great a spiritist you are, you can’t stand against this many…….”

But the commander couldn’t finish his sentence. At that moment, dozens of water droplets floated up like bubbles and swallowed the bows that the soldiers were holding. The bows trapped in the water droplets crumbled to dust while still in their owners’ hands.

“Huh? Uh-uh-uh?”

The soldiers all stared blankly at their hands, dumbfounded by the sudden phenomenon. The commander also couldn’t say anything and just widened his eyes. Isana, who had caused all this with a single command to সিক্যুয়েল [Sikyuweol], asked in a calm tone.

“There are a lot of you. So? Are you going to fight without weapons?”

“…….”

The soldiers all froze in silence. Their faces completely lost their will to fight due to the overwhelming difference in power.

“It’s over.”

시벨리우스 [Siberius], yawning, muttered leisurely.

“Idiots. How can they even think of attacking after seeing him take down a huge monster in an instant? I’m too pathetic to even feel sorry for them.”

Listening to his exasperation, I smiled bitterly. In fact, spirits are much more powerful when fighting against a large number of people than in individual battles. Even a mid-level spiritist can take on a decent group all at once. The problem is that most people don’t really know this. Because spiritists themselves are so rare, there isn’t much information known about them. Most of the people here probably don’t even know that সিক্যুয়েল [Sikyuweol] is a high-level spirit.

Moreover, Isana is a contractor of the Spirit King. In terms of swordsmanship, he has reached the level of a master. At that point, it doesn’t matter if the opponent is numerous. Especially if they are low-level soldiers who haven’t even received proper military training.

“What are you going to do with us?”

At the commander’s question with a hardened face, Isana let out a hollow laugh.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something. You’re the ones who threatened us. I have no intention of harming people.”

“Are you going to let us go quietly?”

“If you retreat like this.”

For a while, unspoken gazes were exchanged in the tense air. But the decision that could be made had already been decided.

“……Everyone, retreat.”

In the end, the commander’s gloomy voice cut through the heavy air. The hesitant soldiers soon began to slowly retreat, watching our reactions. Isana, who had been silently glaring at the soldiers until then, finally smiled and turned to look at Alisa.

“It’s alright now.”

“…….”

At his affectionate tone, Alisa made a face as if she had something to say, but then closed her mouth. I looked at her with a slightly uneasy feeling. The situation had been settled for now, but it wasn’t completely resolved. I was worried about Alisa, who would be left alone after we left. She wouldn’t be able to do anything right away, but as long as she lived in this village, she would definitely be harassed in some way. Isana’s expression was also very dark, as if he had the same thought.

It was at that moment that the unexpected happened.

Kwajik! Chwaaaat!

“Uwaaaagh!”

“……!”

A sudden, loud noise rang out, and then a scream echoed. Reflexively turning around, I couldn’t help but be startled. The Tunnel Earth Ogre was rising from the ground.