Chapter 122: Into the Abyss.

Chapter 122: Into the Abyss.[Insatiable Glutton] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]

Daggers digging deep into flesh, spells rending bones and black slime, and a single spear flying through the battlefield with a trail of white flames.

The moment we entered the first chamber of the Rashan Ruins, a horde of onnikai-possessed corpses attacked us. Among them were a few humanoids, but most of them were the bodies of low ranking monsters, ranging from E to G rank. Did the onnikai army play their best cards on the village assault?

Thats a possibility, and if you look at the situation like a game, then you can rationalize it. The raid is like a special event where the difficulty was set high to fight back against the soldiers and guards, while this chamber was literally the first one. You dont place the hardest foes right at the beginning. However, I know this thinking was a bit nave. This wasnt a game, it was reality.

Regardless of what the truth was, the first chamber only had fodder. Saori blitzed through the enemy with a storm of claws and steel, keeping her [Lifetaker] buff at its maximum efficiency the whole time. Silva and Tasianna kept the enemies under control using their wind and ice spells respectively, making a fine support team. I, on the other hand, took the opportunity to train up my spear skills and [Hellblade Dragon].

Bonepecker Bladeclaw Spear

A spear made with light andurium metal to increase the nimbleness and steel to increase the durability of the weapon. Multiple small Bonepeckers beaks were added into the blade to increase penetration effect against flesh and bone. Claws from a Blade Cougar increase the edges sundering power. Quality wood was used in the making of the shaft, improving throwing power and accuracy

Attack Power: 591

Skill

[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 3]

[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 3]

[Durability Loss Reduction Lv. 1]

[Spear Mastery Lv. 2]

[Agility Enhancement Lv. 1]

[Throwing Accuracy Correction Lv. 2]

[Throwing Mastery Lv. 1]

The spear was a bit taller than me. Despite the description saying that it was made with andurium, a lightweight metal that I hadnt asked the blacksmiths about yet, it had a nice weight behind it, making it comfortable to wield for me. Due to my high Strength, I wanted a weapon that made me feel like I could do damage with it, instead of a spear that felt like a plastic toy that would break with one hit.

While munching on a piece of fruit or sandwich in order to maintain the [Insatiable Glutton] stat-boosting effect, from my [Gluttonous] skill, I was throwing the spear around the chamber aiming at zombies, before catching up with it and tearing the spear out from their bodies. Meanwhile, I had my tail coated in [White Flames]. I was able to grind my tail on the floor to create my distinctive crimson and my purple corrosive flames, so I thought I should be able to do the same to make holy fire. I did it with my claws, after all.

Fundamentally, it is just another application of the [Hellblade Edge] dragon ability by grinding and igniting my scale-dust, I could envelop my tail in a coat of fire. I just needed to change the fire with [White Flames] and I basically got [Hellblade Edge] with the holy element.

After retrieving my spear, I usually swung my tail in an arc to cleave any nearby zombie. The onnikais fear of the holy element was valid, since any zombie that was hit by my tail quickly slumped down like a broken marionette. After creating some space between me and the zombies, I assumed the stance the guild master taught me and began wielding the spear normally.

I wouldnt call myself trained yet. I was still having trouble adapting to using the spear, as I was more used to using my usual combat style of combining my spell casting with my dragon abilities. Mixing my different offensive abilities was smart it allowed me to stay flexible and be hard to predict. However, this divide in focus meant my spear proficiency wasnt rising very quickly, evident as I had neither leveled up [Spear Technique] yet nor gained [Spear Mastery]. All the enemies were fodder and great practice dummies, so this was an opportunity to get some actual combat practice with a spear. Unfortunately, I wasnt using it well.

I blame my other attack options for being more efficient and powerful. White flames and [Sacred Smite] handled anything mid range while my tail and claws could handle close range. Its a habit.

After a couple more minutes, the room was filled with corpses. Saori went wild and was the one with the highest kill count, far surpassing my killing speed and the support duo. Well, I wasnt using any AOE spells like [Banishment Beam] or [Omnictus] for fear of the ruin collapsing, so whatever.

After confirming that nobody had leveled up, I cast [Sanctuary].

A few onnikais escaped from their possessed corpses during the battle but those who didnt were now captured inside my barrier of light.

Wow, my Mana is regenerating at an insane rate. This ruin is overflowing with mana; no wonder so many monsters were spawning outside of it, I mentioned.

Mana regeneration consists of your bodys natural regeneration, similar to how your body can produce blood, plus the mana that your body absorbs from the surroundings, which enters your body through mana paths. I noticed the high mana concentrations around Rashan Village and in the woods close to the ruins, but they couldnt compare to the ruins themselves. The mana was thick like smoke in here to the point that I couldnt even use [Mana Eyes] for more than a second or two.

Miss Silva, could the onnikai have purposefully flooded the surroundings with mana and caused monster spawnings in order to possess them? Saori asked, pointing at one of the fresher corpses. There were large holes in its throat and neck but no signs of other wounds.

Possibly. These onnikais are simulating the creation of undead, but without actually transforming the corpses into true undead. Truthfully, if they were real undead and considered monsters, the human and beastman ones would be more problematic, Silva answered. From the look of it, this thick slime is actively regenerating any wounds or other injuries. Look, I noticed a few corpses that were hit by Miss Saori and Princess Hestia. The bodies hit by holy spells were abandoned by the onnikai while those slain by Miss Saori still have them.

Saoris strikes were precise and effective, aiming to kill with one hit or deal serious damage. Looking at some of the bodies closely, black slime was surrounding stab and slash wounds. If the onnikais were actively regenerating the bodies, then that would explain why some of the more weathered and damaged corpses could still move around.

While I found two more of the missing D rank adventurers, Silva performed the ritual dance to purify the onnikais. Mana gathered at the top of her staff, where the alchemical stone of her catalyst was placed, and began touching each slime individually. The onnikais turned white and then disappeared like fading ghosts.

Thinking it was finished, I dispelled my [Sanctuary]. Silva, for some reason, frowned and mumbled, This is not good

When I asked her to clarify, she answered with worry, Princess Hestia, every onnikai that Ive purified successfully turned into a spirit, but they just told me it would be dangerous for all of us if we delved even deeper into the ruins. The moment you deactivated your barrier, instead of flying up to the surface, they went through that entryway. I presume its the way down.

They are going down? Are they being lured by something or what is happening?

Silvas words gave me a bit of a fright of the unknown. We had no information of what was dwelling under all these corpses, while it was possible that the enemy already knew all about us. I could see perfectly fine in this darkness even without a light source, but I still felt scared. Its like imagining a vampire or ghost invading your home, even though you know for sure they dont exist and that your home is secure. The possibilities are the frightening part.

Steadying my breath and my heart, I recovered my resolve. We had a task so we wouldnt chicken out just yet. Moving back into formation, we ventured through the entryway and continued our spelunking.

Our formation was pretty simple but it wasnt actually super effective from an RPG standpoint. We were essentially three mages and a rogue-mage, which meant we had no tank or warrior to stand in the front. Although my Job and equipment didnt reflect it, I had to act as the frontliner for our party due to my high stats and pseudo-tanking with my healing spells, barrier skill and natural regeneration.

In that sense, I was leading the group in the front, Silva moved behind me with Igniculus lighting our way, Tasianna was the third in the formation, and Saori was the last, who was leaving behind a trail of mana threads so we could find our way out.

The ruin itself looked and smelled old, if you ignored the obvious scent of death. There were cracks in the floor from which grass and plants grew, there was moss on the walls and ceiling, and the musty air smelled pleasant compared to the stench of decaying and rotting flesh. There were signs of battle blood and scratch marks littered the hallways and empty side chambers.

While traversing this foul reeking place, the occasional enemies or monster room blocked our path forward. The deeper we went with every stairway, the stronger the enemies became. The quantity of E ranking monsters increased while D ranks, like the loopriszars that attacked the village, began to appear.

The funny thing about these bodies was the freshness or liveliness about them. They almost looked alive. The moment they noticed us, their expressions contorted in anger, roaring and screaming while they charged at us. There were also a few humans and beastmen among them who were able to shout Hey! or There! They were simple; so simple that a chill went down my spine. If it werent for the black slime covering their bodies like a parasite, I would honestly believe they were alive.

Proficiency requirements fulfilled. [Spear Technique Lv. 2][Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 6] [Fear Resistance Lv. 4] gained

Killers-AreHere.

Kill! Mana! Kuuuurrraraggghieeuuuukkk!

Die-Die! Give! Mana!

Verdammt! Why are there so many of these things?! Lightning Bolt! Tornado Bullet! Sacred Smite!

Eeek! I cant stop them from coming closer, Lady Hestia! Air Shield! Frozen Shield! Aqua Prison! Icicle Gust!

They are overwhelming us with numbers at this point! Tasianna, Miss Silva, get behind me! Claws of Darkness! Umbral Pendulum! Shadow Pack! Shadow Clones!

Thank you, Miss Saori! Sister Tasianna I will trust in your defensive spells! Igniculus get ready, Smite! May the Goddess of Wind blow away my sorrows, Wind Blast!

At the third floor, the amount of enemies just increased and increased the deeper we went. The whole place was a miserable labyrinth filled with nothing but enemies. Without a map, we didnt know which paths to avoid, so our travel speed was slow. Neither the villagers nor the guard captain were able to tell us anything, so we got ourselves into this mess due to a lack of information. I couldnt blame it on anybody, but I really wanted to.

Experience has reached multiple breaking points. [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor] has risen from [Level 0] to [Level 1]

Silva didnt have any buffing spells left that didnt overlap with our buffs, so she couldnt do much there. However, with Igniculus her light elemental, she was able to temporarily imbue Saoris daggers with the holy element. I didnt need it, as I could coat my spear in [White Flames]. I just used [Pyrokinesis] to keep it around the spear, nothing complicated.

Once we were ready, we entered the room. Inside, we noticed a single pedestal at the end of the room, holding up a hand-sized, stygian crystal ball with black slime. Behind it was a massive, closed gate. As we approached it, the ball suddenly vibrated.

Weeellllllcoooome!

Eeek! All four of us cried out as assumed a combat stance. We were fully focused on the source of the eerie voice: the black ball.

Faaiiiirrrrryyy. Eeeleeemeentaal. Sourrrcees ooff Maanaaaa! Maaanaaaaa!

It was too late for us to notice when the shadows moved.

Awroooooooooooooooooo!

Next to the ball, four large raven-black wolves appeared, all looking frighteningly similar to Saoris [Shadow Pack] wolf, only they were larger. Instead of being formed of shadows, their bodies were a mix of rotting flesh, black slime and their skeleton. However, their menacing aura reminded me of somebody I knew too well.

Garms!

Grriiaarrrck! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! Without warning, Saoris eyes blazed in red as she snarled at the group of wolves, showing off her fangs. Her face contorted into a demons as her growling wouldnt stop.

[Saori, calm down!] I tried to soothe her but to no avail. The four wolves and Saori glared at each other, seemingly dueling each other as their bloodthirst was clashing together in an attempt to dominate the others, or otherwise show who was the alpha.

The shadows! Things are coming out from them! this time, Silva shouted.

With one move, the whole room was filled with zomb-monsters. No humans or beastmen were here anymore. As expected, the onnikais controlled every monster that spawned.

Yeeeees! Feeaarrrrr uss! Feaaaarr the daaaamned! Deessstroyy!

Please, listen to me! In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Silva stepped forward. I am a daughter of Goddess Zephira, the Origin Goddess of Wind! I am here to free you and bring you back to safety! Our wind mother has tasked me to help you! Please, these are my companions, we arent here to harm you!

Zeeeephhiirrrraa? Zeeeeepphhhirra?! Whhyyyy?! Whhhhhhyyy?!

The black slime of the ball started to convulse as its voice shrieked in pain.

Whhyyy?! Haaveee yoouuuuuu foorrrrgootttten uuuuuus?! Whyyyyyyy!

The voice shifted from anger to sorrow, over and over again as the cries began influencing the wolves and zombies. Their shrieks were deafening like cries of banshees. It felt like a sonic attack as their combined voices echoed through the chamber.

Illlllssaappphhhhoneeeeee! Forrrrrgiveeeeen usssss. Zeeeepppppphhiirrrrrra! Fooorrggottteen ussssss! Kiiiiilllllll!

Scheie! Silva!

Acting on what my [Foresight] showed me, I pounced at Silva and pulled her out of the way of a spear-like shadow suddenly coming out of a shadow. As I was asking if Silva was alright, the shadow began to move.

W-What is that?!

Large hands with sharp claws came out of the shadow, pushing itself out. A large dog-like head with sharp black teeth growing out of the edges of its mouth came out, pulling out a monstrous body with a height that could rival a dinosaur. It stood on three legs with a large tail completing its appearance. Its whole body was devoid of details only shadows and black slime was covering it.

Maaaannnnnnnaaaa! A deep growl similar to the balls voice was released from the shadow beast.

Arck! M-My mana?!

Urgh! I-Its draining our mana! Its draining our mana!!! Tasianna cried out in a panic, her face paled as she slumped on the floor and screamed. Not in pain, but in fear. Aieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Igniculus! Quickly into your cage. Into your cage now! Silva cried out to the weakening light elemental, even grabbing him and forcefully putting him back into his wooden cage when he couldnt respond.

Warning

System Voice?!

The area designated as [Ruins of the Fenrirs Eclipse] has exceeded the maximum safe mana threshold. To safeguard the surroundings from further monster spawnings, the area will be forcibly transformed into a dungeon

It is advised for all occupants to leave the area [Ruins of the Fenrirs Eclipse] until the transformation is finished. To stop the transformation, reduce the mana concentration to below the maximum safe mana threshold before the transformation finishes

What the fucking fuck! Verdammte Scheie, what the hell is this shit?!

Grrrrrrack! As I was confused by the sudden System messages, a blue mist emitted from Saoris body. Once it dissipated, Saoris body was covered in full fur and her head resembled a wolfs. She turned into her [Humanized (Minor)] form!

Without warning, she and her shadow cadejo and clone sprung at the horde of zombies in the direction of the four zombie garms. The red mist coming off from her eyes made her look like a berserker as she charged in fearlessly.

Saori! Get back here! I screamed. She was not acting normal.

Scheie! The onnikai blocked our way out and theyre even charging at us now!

Tasianna, Silva! Get up! Get up! We need to fight! I couldnt help Saori while Tasianna and Silva were being consumed with fear. I had to drag them on their feet and shout at them to bring their focus back to our current predicament. Stay in my barrier, and get ready to fight! Sanctuary!

This is no time to hold anything back! Please, let this work! Dont cave us in!

Remembering how I fortified the walls I made for Carine Village, I activated [Terra Wall] and used [Fluid Cast] to have it fortify the chamber instead of creating new earthen constructs.

Humanize!

Mana mist covered my whole body as wings sprouted out of my body and my bodys skeleton adapted to my new form. All my pink skin changed color to a crimson red as scales protruded out of my body. My fangs became sharper, my claws even longer, and my tails carapace turned thicker.

[Humanized (Minor)] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]

Strength filled my body as the song [The Will to Fight and Survive] filled the room with peppy music. Nine magic circles appeared around my body as a veil of scale-dust surrounded Tasianna, Silva, and me like a protective coat.

As I was ready to fight, another System message appeared before me.

Individual [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor] has been offered a Divine Champion Quest. Please, confirm the Quest details before you accept

Will you accept?

Kuuurrrrraaaaaccccck! Giiiiiiveeeee! Maaaaannaaaaaaaa!

Wat?