Volume 1 Chapter 103 Time Limit
"We're going now."
I watched Mel, who had been shaking Fatina's body, for a while, but since it was getting nowhere, I called out to her.
"Mother, mother...hey, wake up..."
While muttering, Mel continued to shake Fatina relentlessly.
What on earth is she doing?
Now that I think about it, Mel only talked about the king on the way, and never mentioned her mother even once.
Where is Mel's mother, probably the queen of the Cretia Kingdom, and what is she doing now?
I'm from a small village in the east of the kingdom, and I've never heard any rumors or stories about her death.
If the queen had agreed to a plan involving the key, it would be unnatural for her not to be mentioned.
"Look closely, that's not your mother. That's Fatina."
As I explained that, Mel looked at me and Fatina alternately with a puzzled expression.
It was almost like a child who hadn't yet grasped the concept of death.
Unlike before, her behavior lacked any sign of intelligence.
Maybe she was driven mad by the shock of Fatina's death, or perhaps it was the result of some kind of mental manipulation.
Ragius had asserted that there was no way to save Mel in my conversation with Fatina.
I don't intend to easily believe his words, which are filled with lies, but perhaps Mel is truly in a state where there is no way to help her anymore.
"Step aside for a moment."
I pulled Mel away and held Fatina's body with both hands.
Even though my physical abilities should have increased, she felt much heavier than when I carried her on my back.
I leaned her body against a tall rock nearby.
Fatina's face, with her eyes closed, looked surprisingly beautiful for someone who appeared to be dead.
Looking at her like that, it's probably because of the magic Ragius cast on me that nothing touches my heart.
If I were the previous me, what would I have done?
I heard a sharp sound, and when I looked at the ground, there was a beautiful short sword lying there.
Mel gave it to Fatina, who was feeling down.
Since it's no longer useful anyway, I decide to take it with me.
"...Ah?"
Suddenly, my vision blurred.
For some reason, tears were streaming down my face.
It was unpleasant and very painful to have to cry when my heart doesn't feel anything.
"Gu...gi..."
Is it because this is the first time I've experienced parting like this?
No, I feel like there was someone else I parted with a little while ago.
��But I can't remember who that was or how it happened.
"Please kill me... Ragius..."
I couldn't help but say those words out loud.
I still don't want to die.
After a while, I calmed down and wiped my face with the hem of my coat before leaving the spot.
"Hey, let's go."
I called out, but Mel just stood there without saying a word.
She wasn't even looking at anything, and her eyes seemed unfocused.
Reluctantly, I took her hand and started walking.
Since Ragius said he spare her life, I can't just abandon Mel.
Even if it might be too late to do anything by the time we get there.
We crossed the empty square with only corpses and continued on a path of sloping dirt.
It seems like this is the way to the altar, our destination.
There isn't much left to do.
Kill Balzark and take the key.
Gather the three keys and offer them at the altar.
If Albain appears, run away immediately.
Just this.
Thinking it over in my head, I decided to keep moving, aiming upwards relentlessly.
It's getting quite dark, so I light up the lantern.
Thanks to the red-hot lava pools scattered around, I was able to move without slipping.
"I'm thirsty. Can you get me some water?"
"......"
Some time has passed since we started walking.
Mel follows me without saying a word, just looking down and holding my hand.
Clearly, something was mentally wrong with her.
When we entered Inferno Pathway, Mel said something.
She said she didn't really understand why there was a god.
At this point, it seemed that Mel's memory was already having problems.
Her behavior became childlike, and it seemed like some of her memories were missing.
Does undergoing mental manipulation make you forget past events...?
��Maybe, am I also going to be like this?
"...Hey, Ragius"
I speak towards the empty space in front of me.
"Hey!!"
Even if I shout loudly, there is no response.
The voice that called out in my mind was gone.
Instead, a cry came from the sky.
When I looked, four or five drakes were circling above us in an arc.
Almost at the same time, a status screen suddenly appeared in front of me, and the phrase 'If the search for the key is refused, the magician will die' flashed in red repeatedly.
"K-Kuhahahahaha..."
Laughter welled up from my stomach.
There was no doubt that the warning not to leave in the middle was true.
The drakes suddenly dive down.
I stop in place and releases 'Extinction' towards the sky with my hands.
The swarming drakes immediately perish and crash in different directions.
"Io, it was just like you said."
I had been spending more and more time lost in thought, so I decided to climb with my mind empty.
As I crossed a steep slope, I finally reached a large, flat, and wide open space.
Thick clouds swirled above me, and because there was nothing to block it, a strong wind constantly blew.
Even though it was already night, this space was strangely bright.
At the far end of the square, there was a long staircase leading to a wide altar made of white stones or something similar.
On top of the altar, a large rainbow-colored flame flickered, even though there was no fuel.
This must be the goddess's altar mentioned in the ancient document Mel had.
The final key was right there, just within reach.
Green and blue lights overflowed from my chest.
It was the resonance of the key.
In front of us, there was a man sitting without doing anything.
He wore jet-black armor and stared at us while sitting on Drake's head in the center of the square. Right next to him, a large sword stained with blood was stuck in the ground.
Without a doubt, it was Balzark, the S-Rank adventurer that I had seen at Voltana.
He is a man with white hair, scars on his face, and eyes that could never be forgotten once they glared at you.
I never dreamed I would end up fighting this man like this.
"Wait here. Don't you dare come forward."
After instructing Mel to stay at the entrance, I moved forward, and Balzark stood up.
From my appearance here, he would understand that his party members are all already dead.
Asking for the key is pointless.
There's no need for any more conversation.
Balzark slowly drew his greatsword and prepared himself.
Even though there's still some distance between us, it seems he can leap to where I stand with his heavy armor.
Normally, this would be a joke, but the atmosphere surrounding this place tells me otherwise.
He can do it, and he's stronger than Io.
Surpassing the transformed homunculus, he must possess some incredibly amazing skill or something.
In the battle against Io, I learned something important.
When fighting humans, it's crucial to quickly assess their skills.
I failed completely with Kasim.
If someone has the strength to defeat a drake with a single greatsword, they must have skill with the sword or something related. If they possess multiple skills and own [Sword Saint], it could be troublesome.
I should have asked Dill for more information when I visited the guild.
I tightly grip my sword in my right hand, ready to move at any moment, bending my knees and leaning forward.
It's obvious that challenging an opponent with warrior skills head-on is a foolish strategy.
I'll use any means necessary.
If I can achieve instant death, I win. Otherwise, it's a loss.
For a while, we just glare at each other. And then--
Balzark suddenly disappeared, only to reappear right in front of me.
"Wha!!"
It was faster than I imagined, so I couldn't dodge in time.
I held the blade with my left hand and managed to withstand the slashing attack. It felt like every organ in my body was trembling.
If it wasn't for this sword, I might have been cleaved in two.
Balzark's movements were even faster than Io's.
I even doubted if he was truly human.
As I leaped backward, Balzark immediately kicked the ground without hesitation.
I knew he would come after me. It was a trap to lure him in.
In the brief moment we were both in mid-air, I aimed my left hand forward and unleashed (Extinction). There's no way he could dodge this. It's a direct hit.
Even with Homunculus's [Hyperfocus], the invisible magic attack seemed to have hit Balzark's head perfectly. There was definitely an impact.
However, for some reason, Balzark's charge did not stop.
It seemed like he wouldn't stop until I died.
In addition to the skill that enhances his physical body, he is "avoiding death with some kind of ability".
Now, a powerful and heavy thrust is unleashed by him.
I deliberately take it with my sword, get blown back, and use the recoil to create distance.
For now, I haven't seen any difficult techniques that are hard for ordinary people to understand, like the ones I felt from Fatina.
From what I can tell, at least he is not a [Sword Saint]. Rather, he gives me the impression that he swings his sword with brute force, just like me, an amateur.
"..."
I thought the fierce attacks would continue, but for some reason, Balzark didn't come any closer
I quickly understand that he is being cautious.
Maybe, he realized that he was attacked by (Extinction).
Saying that he let go of the attack means that he can't ignore it.
There must be something there that leads to a chance of winning.
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