CH 134

I stop the tornado that gouged out Rihalzam’s arm. If I break his magic stone, all of this will have been for nothing.

Now that I think about it, he was dragging his leg the last time I saw him. This thought crosses my mind as I use a few active scrolls.

“I’ll end it here! 《Manifest》, partial summon. Rose.”

Rose’s vines burst out of a floating scroll.

“Rose, take this!”

I take out my last expanded pot from my backpack.

One of Rose’s vines wraps around it and takes it.

“This is the crucial moment.”

I put another scroll into operation while touching a vine.

“《Magic Crest Applied on Transmuted Beast》, Rose, 《Running Water Film》.”

Rose’s vines soak in the pot, and the potion in the pot becomes a film that coats them.

This potion film probably doesn’t work on Rihalzam, and it probably puts a big strain on Rose if it’s applied for too long.

I need to hurry.

“Master Rust! A large number of mushroom people just passed through the entrance to the underground and are heading here.”

Says Roa.

“…! Thank you Roa! I guess Rihalzam called them.”

Looks like Rihalzam played his next card while I was getting ready with Rose. But it’s too late, and he probably knows it.

I give Rose a signal.

“Rose, bind Rihalzam!”

Vines coated with potion press towards Rihalzam.

He immediately turns around and tries to run, but his missing right arm throws off his balance.

His ankles, his remaining wrist, Rose wraps around it all.

When Rose’s vines touch Rihalzam, black stains appear, like they’re being corroded. Is that poison from the mushrooms? Another form of parasitism? In any case, the potion film heals it.

There’s a balance of corrosion and healing.

Rose doesn’t concern itself with this, and drags Rihalzam to the ground.

I run towards the downed Rihalzam. I start to hear the sound of many footsteps behind me. The mushroom people will be here soon. At this rate, they’re going to just throw themselves at the wall protecting Taula, Ahri, and Roa.

My mind is focused on those echoing footsteps too, but I take out the last scroll.

I place it on Rihalzam’s right thigh like I’m pasting it there, and activate it.

“《Transcribe》, Display!”

Above the scroll, it shows me the position of Rihalzam’s magic stone.

I unsheathe a twin line-horn knife, grab it with an underhand grip, and pour bloody potion on the groove.

I then grab the knife with both hands, and pierce through the scroll and into Rihalzam’s magic stone.

A bright red light bursts from his right thigh, and Seilook, who is sitting on my shoulder, lets out a loud cry.

A half-transparent plate appears in the air.

And then another.

And it doesn’t take long for many plates to start surrounding Seilook and Rihalzam.

“Seilook! What’s going on!?”

Seilook spreads its wings, and as if waiting for this signal, the letters in the plates start changing faster than I can see.

The white light bursting from Rihalzam’s thigh envelops his whole body.

His body starts twitching, and the mushrooms that composed it start to detach and fall.

While foaming, Rihalzam looks at his remaining hand. As the last mushrooms fall from it, its texture begins to look just like a regular human hand.

“See? I told you, I’m, human.”

He says, while closing his eyes.

Rihalzam got his human body back for just a moment, before it crumbles.

It liquefies, and with a splashing sound, flows on the ground.

All that’s left is Rose’s vines, which look ragged at the tips and return to their scroll, and Rihalzam’s deep red magic stone.