CH 326

“Master Rust, Lady Kalin will be all right.”

Roa brings me back as I watch the Hipopo brothers charge towards the castle in a daze.

“Yes, you’re right.”

I need to prepare quickly to go after Ahri.

“Roa, wait three minutes. I’m bringing back Rose, so please cover me in the meantime.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Roa stands ready with her spear, as I recall all the scrolls to get ready as fast as possible.

《Return》 Rose for now, change the Hipopo brothers’ 《Manifest》 scrolls so they stay active…

Rose’s Rose Garden is undone, and I can see the bug enemies that remain on the other side.

It looks like the Hipopo brothers cleaned up a bit. I can see some squashed enemies.

“Roa, the enemies that are left should be more intelligent than the others. Be careful!”

“Yes. Focus on what you’re doing.”

Roa steps in front of me to cover me, raises her flexible spear, and starts fighting the bug enemies.

She’s right, I have to leave this to her and hurry. All right, I’m done making sure the Hipopo brothers’ 《Manifest》 scrolls stay active. But that took quite a bit of resources. I should have started reworking the composite magic circle… Then again, how was I supposed to know Kalin was going to take the Hipopo brothers?

“I’m ready Roa! 《Manifest》 Rose. Rose, build 『Spiral Staircase』!”

“I’m done here too.”

Says Roa, with a grasshopper the size of a person impaled in the tip of her transmuted beast spear.

She turns around, and looks at the hole where Ahri fell with a puzzled expression.

“Rose’s vines?”

“Yes. Give me your hand, just at the start.”

“Yes.”

I put out my hand, and then hold Roa’s, as we walk towards the hole with Rose’s spiral-shaped vines along the wall.

As we’re about to step on the vines near the edge of the hole, the attentive Rose folds its vines to widen our footing.

“Here we go…”

I jump on the vines, and Roa follows right behind me.

“Are you all right, Roa?”

“Yes. No problem.”

“All right. Rose, start descending.”

Rose’s vines directly beneath our feet start slithering, and gaining speed as we go down.

“How are you doing in terms of balance, Roa?”

“No problem.”

“All right. Rose, separate our footing into individual spaces.”

I let go of Roa’s hand. I’m anticipating a fight, so I have Rose separate us but leave us just close enough that we can reach each other.

If there weren’t any enemies, I could have asked Rose to wrap itself around us and bring us straight down. This way is slower, but we can deal with anything that comes more efficiently.

I take out the twintail horn knife while watching the wall go past us.

“Master Rust, they’re coming. I think they’re pill bugs.”

Roa warns me just as I’m getting ready.