Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 298

Dungeon Journals – Episode 299

# 299

Dungeon Journals

Episode 299

The death grew denser, and within it, the birth of an unholy being stirred. The corpses that filled the battlefield clumped together, soon becoming a massive monster.

[The Lord of Lament has summoned a terrifying being. The Ragged Monstrosity has appeared on the battlefield.]

[This horrifying monster, stitched together from the flesh of the dead and awakened by the grudges and sorrows of the spirits, is the very essence of the Lord of Lament’s power.]

[The dead, robbed of their right to rest, now endlessly hate the living. The bitter resentment of thousands upon thousands of spirits is the driving force behind the Ragged Monstrosity.]

[This dense energy is a terrible thing that hardens the bodies of the living and freezes their souls.]

A bloated body of blood and flesh writhed grotesquely, growing in size.

[Fortunately, the Einherjar [warrior spirits] guarding Valhalla are beings close to spirits. They are not greatly affected by the Ragged Monstrosity’s aura.]

[The Nagas [serpentine deities] have overcome the Ragged Monstrosity’s aura based on their blind faith in their master. Their hands and feet will not be paralyzed by the monster’s presence.]

The Einherjar, busily moving along the walls of Valhalla, and the Nagas, waiting to spring into action, were not significantly affected by the Ragged Monstrosity’s aura.

However, that didn’t mean they could rest easy.

The presence of the monster summoned by the Lord of Lament was immense. It was truly the essence of her power.

Groooooaaan.

The thousands of teeth sprouting from the Ragged Monstrosity’s flesh gnashed and howled.

The head, towering as high as the walls of Valhalla, looked as if it would slam into the walls at any moment, and its grotesquely drooping arms were threatening to sweep away the Einherjar moving along the walls.

“Mjolnir, target that monster first!”

Kim Jin-woo shouted fiercely. It didn’t matter why the Lord of Lament, who had shown a friendly attitude until now, was with them.

On the battlefield where life and death were at stake, the distinction between friend and foe was clear, and within that, Catherine was definitely not an ally.

So he ordered them to strike without hesitation, and Morrigan and Baek-oh faithfully carried out his instructions.

A dozen or so lightning bolts struck the massive monster. For a moment, its flesh was torn and burned, but the lost flesh was quickly restored by stitching together thousands of corpses.

Only then did Kim Jin-woo realize why the High Lords were forcing meaningless sacrifices. The corpses filling the battlefield were the foundation supporting the Ragged Monstrosity.

“I can’t touch that thing either.”

Even Angela, who rarely showed surprise, seemed disgusted by the monstrous creature that was unlike anything she had ever seen. Her face pale, she warned him in a sharp voice.

“There’s not a trace of life in it, so all my powers will be useless against that monster.”

The situation was no different for him. As he saw it, the monster’s origin was death itself, and even the power of Gluttony, which usually ate anything, couldn’t devour death.

Even the non-discriminating Gluttony had met an opponent it couldn’t handle.

But he didn’t bat an eye. He knew that they had put in a lot of effort to deal with him, but that was all.

If he couldn’t eat it, he would just destroy it.

Just as Kim Jin-woo was about to move towards the Ragged Monstrosity, a message appeared once again.

[The Lord of Lament has summoned new Ragged Monstrosities.]

[Although they are smaller than the first one, the new Ragged Monstrosities may be more difficult to deal with.]

[A total of three additional Ragged Monstrosities have been summoned.]

“This is too much.”

At this point, even he, who had steeled his heart, couldn’t help but frown.

The first Ragged Monstrosity charged towards the walls of Valhalla, while the others rushed towards Kim Jin-woo.

“What a foul smell.”

Wrinkling his nose at the stench of rotting corpses, he calmly stood in front of the Ragged Monstrosities.

Crash.

In a brief clash, their flesh was chipped, broken, and cut off. But the Ragged Monstrosities didn’t mind their flesh being destroyed at all.

Because there were corpses everywhere to restore their shattered bodies. As expected, the monsters’ flesh was quickly restored.

“Hoo.”

Kim Jin-woo’s expression hardened. Although it was only a single clash and he had gained a small advantage, the Ragged Monstrosities’ flesh was tougher than he had expected. At this rate, it was bound to be a long battle.

And as he thought, the battle didn’t end easily. To make matters worse, some Dukes took their own lives, and the Ragged Monstrosities absorbed their flesh. From then on, it became a tedious war of attrition.

In the meantime, the Sky Giant Lord and the Beast King intervened. The Sky Giant Lord rushed in more fiercely than before, as if to prove that he had deliberately hidden his strength and lost.

But the more difficult opponent was someone else.

It was the Beast King. Transformed into a giant wolf, he was unbelievably agile and ferocious.

The space where his teeth grazed was torn apart, and the earth where his claws slashed was split open. A sense of crisis pressed down on him, as if his flesh would be torn to shreds if he allowed even a small gap.

“You were so cocky, serves you right.”

The Sky Giant Lord, who had blocked Kim Jin-woo’s attack with a Ragged Monstrosity as a shield, sneered.

“Keep talking. I’m thinking about eating you right now.”

Although the situation was urgent, he had enough余裕 [leeway] to respond.

The Sky Giant Lord looked 질린 [aghast] at his power, which didn’t show any signs of weakness despite being attacked by the High Lords and a terrifying monster.

“Nonsense. If you swallow us, you won’t be unscathed either.”

The Sky Giant Lord’s words were correct. One of the reasons why he couldn’t summon Nagaraja’s power was because of that.

The monster inside his body, which was still clamoring to be released, would reveal its true nature and steal his body as soon as it devoured them.

Kim Jin-woo didn’t want that situation, and he had no choice but to face them with his own power.

And for him, whose most powerful power of Gluttony was sealed, the Sky Giant Lord and the Beast King were not easy opponents.

The Sky Giant Lord enlarged his fist and slammed it down like a mace. At the same time, the Beast King bared his teeth, and the Ragged Monstrosities rushed in.

If he dodged, he would be surrounded by enemies, and if he blocked, he would be burdened by the Sky Giant Lord’s great strength. He chose to crush one of the Ragged Monstrosities, taking a slight loss.

“Serves you right.”

The Sky Giant Lord, seeing Kim Jin-woo’s back torn open by the Beast King’s fangs, gloated.

“Don’t provoke him unnecessarily. It won’t do you any good.”

At the Beast King’s words, the Sky Giant Lord looked startled. He must have thought that he might use the power of Gluttony as a last resort.

“That’s good advice. I’m seriously starting to consider it anyway.”

Using the power of Gluttony usually ends the battle simply.

He had been facing strong enemies in that way until now, and he was realizing that his senses had become dull. Losing his most powerful weapon made that fact even more painful.

But he didn’t despair. The burning pain from the wounds all over his body, and the pressure from the High Lords and the Ragged Monstrosities, made him feel alive.

Yeah. This is what it should be like.

He smiled pleasantly at the tension he felt after a long time, and the Sky Giant Lord, 배알이 뒤틀린 [with a twisted gut] at the sight, rushed in again.

– Master, I’ll help you.

– No, you should watch the situation more. Is this all they’ve prepared? You should prepare for the worst.

Angela, who couldn’t bear to watch his battle, offered to join him. But he refused firmly.

That’s because he couldn’t think that this was the end of the High Lords’ preparations.

The Ragged Monstrosities were threatening and powerful enemies. The combined attack of the two High Lords was not easy to deal with either. But he still had 余裕 [room to spare], so he became uneasy.

Catherine, who had thoroughly deceived him until now, was a cautious and cunning woman. She wouldn’t have revealed her true colors without a certain conviction.

That’s why he wanted to keep Angela in reserve for the worst.

– Protect the Wish Stone. You should be able to watch the situation from inside there.

“But there’s something I’m curious about.”

He gave instructions to Angela in his head, and asked the Sky Giant Lord with his mouth.

“If you needed the Wish Stone so much, why didn’t you go and get it yourself? I wasn’t really interested in it.”

The Beast King and the Sky Giant Lord, who were 질린 [aghast] at him for talking even in the midst of a fierce combined attack, didn’t answer. Instead, a low, 沉んだ [somber] woman’s voice spoke.

“I wish your thoughts hadn’t changed, but it’s a pity.”

“Catherine.”

The Lord of Lament, who had retreated to the rear with only the Ragged Monstrosities in front, finally revealed herself.

“Why did your thoughts change? You were against the integration of the Underworld and the Surface.”

Catherine looked truly sorry.

“Because I didn’t want anyone other than me to use the key as they pleased.”

At her appearance, the Ragged Monstrosities, who had retreated, slowly turned their bodies and approached Valhalla. Beyond them, the army of giants and beasts, who had been hiding until now, began to move.

“Is that the only reason?”

He didn’t stop looking at the battlefield even while listening to Catherine’s voice.

His strength is starting to run out little by little. If the High Lords’ main force joins the battle after the Ragged Monstrosities, it won’t be easy to hold out, even for Valhalla.

Mjolnir’s recharge frequency is also increasing due to excessive use, so even the Einherjar are now 악을 써댈 [struggling] on the walls.

The only consolation was that the enemies had stopped approaching the Great Labyrinth at some point.

“Is that the only reason you’re holding on to that precious treasure?”

Catherine asked with a relaxed face, as if she knew how the battle was going. The other High Lords also looked more relaxed with her joining them.

“I’m the one who’s curious.”

Kim Jin-woo asked, looking at them.

“Why do you need the Wish Stone? Don’t tell me you actually wanted the integration of the Underworld and the Surface?”

At his question, Catherine suddenly started 깔깔대며 [cackling].