Chapter 137

Chapter 137 - Zombie Apocalypse (3)

Looking at the attires of the rushing monsters, there weren't only unfortunate farmers. Pirates from the east and mercenaries originating from the peninsula were mixed in.

Whether they settled down after plundering the village and were killed by the farmers undergoing mutations, or whether they entered a village infested with monsters from the beginning, they had paid the price for their sins with death.

"Shoot!"

At Eugene's command, tautly drawn arrows flew. They weren't exactly aiming for vitals but were suppressive fire to hurriedly stop their movements.

Thwip-thump!

At a unique sound of piercing meat, the tribal warriors' long ears twitched.

"Wood?"

"It feels like shooting a wooden shield."

Having pierced flesh countless times with arrows, their sense of hearing was also sharp. They could estimate the degree of damage just from the sound of the arrows sinking in. Their experiences informed them that the enemies were entirely unscathed.

"Aim for their necks or faces!"

An arrow fired by Rex hit precisely the face of a rushing monster.

This was also a misfire. The arrow failed to even pierce the mushroom growing on its cheek and plummeted weakly.

"Why is a mere mushroom so hard?"

Rex was beyond dumbfounded and fell into astonishment.

The mushrooms he knew, whether poisonous mushrooms or edible mushrooms, were only of the squishy variety. The ones that tore making a subtle sound even if a little force was applied.

Ting!

Thud-tik!

"They're not getting pierced!"

"Damn it! They're covering all their vitals?"

Besides mushrooms, the monsters also had tree bark or bizarre vines sprouting all over them.

Serving under Eugene, the tribal warriors' supply situation improved, so they began using broadhead arrowheads formally.

The arrows that made the previous pirates wail in a single shot could not exert their power against these monsters.

"Are you sure those things aren't undead?"

Monsters rushing in without hesitation despite having several arrows dangling off them. Appalled by that momentum, the heavy cavalrymen pressed the priests.

"Had they been undead, they would have crumbled down before the power of the holy relic."

"No, look at that state... How are those living guys? They're not just arrows but broadheads."

Even a Troll equipped with ferocious and tenacious vitality would have shown some reaction if arrows were lodged like that.

Of course, all were equal before the flail Eugene swung.

Crash!

As a black flash passed by, the head of the monster rushing from the very front exploded.

Normally, blood and brain matter would have splattered grandly, but what scattered were solid matters. The smashed cross-section had undergone extensive fibrosis. Exactly like looking at torn black bread.

'It feels like hitting dead wood soaked in rain.'

Since there was no worry about arrows or bolts flying over, Eugene discarded his shield and held his flail with both hands.

The black flash strengthened into a black storm and started smashing the monsters in the front row. However, as enemies surged in not fearing death, one or two inevitably leaked through.

"Spears and shields!"

At Eugene's command, the heavy cavalrymen quickly dismounted and formed a phalanx in the front row.

"Wheeeet-!"

At Homi's whistle, the warhorses simultaneously slipped to the rear and lined up. Having mingled and played with the horses whenever she had free time in the stables, she had even become capable of issuing simple drill commands.

"Just moderately push them back and hold out."

"Leave it to us! It's not like it's our first or second time coordinating with you, Lord."

Everyone in the unit knew that the destructive power was maximized when their Lord provided supporting attacks from beyond the shield wall.

"Kieeeek-!"

The heavy infantrymen overlapped each other's shields to form a firm defensive formation and grasped an opportunity.

"Now!"

Thump!

Pushing out their shields in unison, the monsters were pushed back frantically by that power.

Crunch!

Immediately, the bundle of maces descended upon the guys' heads and ruthlessly crushed them as if splitting from their foreheads down to their necks.

"Damn it... It doesn't work!"

The mercenaries confident in their swordsmanship occasionally thrust their swords into gaps, but failed to inflict meaningful hits.

"Holy Spirit, grant us tireless vitality!"

"Bestow the power to purify evil upon our iron maces!"

As the armed priests also joined the attack, the tide of battle swiftly tilted. Unlike arrows or swords, the heavy iron maces they swung were also effective against the monsters.

Both the hard mushroom carapace covering their faces and the tree bark coming down like beards covering their necks shattered to pieces before the iron maces.

"Keuek-!"

However, because they were not two-handed blunt weapons and possessed the arm strength of ordinary humans, they could not deliver fatal wounds.

The staggering and retreating monster glared with ferocious eyeballs between shattered mushrooms.

Thwack!

The tribal warriors aiming for gaps shot arrows at the exposed flesh.

"Crazy bow-wielding bastards anyway."

Seeing 4 arrows lodge into a not-so-large eyeball, the mercenaries marveled. They were smoothskins who were sometimes unluckily arrogant, but their archery skills were genuine.

Meanwhile, Eugene couldn't erase the anxiety from his face throughout the battle.

"Valda... Do these guys happen to spread diseases?"

"Disease?"

"I am asking if the crumbs or fragments they shed while dying can contaminate the surroundings."

While mercenaries or tribal warriors only focused on the hardness of the mushrooms sprouting on the monsters' bodies, Eugene was looking at a different aspect.

"Could the fragments they shed infect people through their respiratory tracts?"

Mushrooms are fungi, meaning spores. Even armor covering the body flawlessly would be penetrated by a single mosquito carrying an infectious disease.

Even when his subordinates let out roars of victory at the sight of the final monster collapsing, Eugene was deliberating, 'Should I order a retreat immediately?'

"You do not need to worry about that... Just like getting bitten by a Wight doesn't turn you into a Wight... They are merely puppets raised by a spirit of the forest."

"That is a relief."

Although all the monsters collapsed, the subordinates still maintained formation and glared at their surroundings.

However, their ears focused on Valda. Because fighting an enemy they knew at least something about was better than fighting an unidentified enemy.

"Did you not say you couldn't interfere with spirits of the forest, Valda? What was it when you utilized spirits on our way to take up our post in Northfork in the past?"

Back then, when Ghouls and Wights attacked, Valda raised vines and sealed their movements. It was a powerful magic made possible by forming a one-time contract with the spirits in the area.

"The targets I traded with back then were spirits of vegetation... They are elemental spirits dwelling within each individual member of nature like grass, moss, or trees."

"Are spirits of the forest different?"

"They are existences of a much higher tier... If elemental spirits are hungry farmers, should we say a spirit of the forest is a boss commanding thousands of them to stage a rebellion?"

In short, it meant they were much more intelligent, powerful, and dangerous existences.

Listening to their conversation, Marbas approached and opened his mouth.

"They are called spirits, but they possess power equivalent to gods of primitive religions... If there is a difference, it is the point that they can maintain their authority even without believers."

"Then does it mean we must eliminate the spirit of the forest itself?"

Marbas shook his head.

"Why would a spirit that has existed for a long time cause harm just now? To wield authority in the present world, a medium is unconditionally required... It didn't exist until now, and then suddenly appeared."

"So if we simply handle that, we can resolve the situation... By a medium, would it be something like a magical artifact?"

"A more troublesome existence."

As if finding it a headache just thinking about it, the old summoner massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Someone capable of moving independently and even forming plans... It is a Spirit Summoner."

* * *

Priest, mage, witch, summoner, shaman, alchemist. They are classified into diverse categories depending on how they understand and handle mystery.

And the most heterogeneous existence among them, without a doubt, is a spirit summoner.

Existences wielding supernatural forces relying solely on innate affinity without any research, materials, or even a master.

"Both Sir Marbas and I are only capable of indirect interactions with spirits... One-time contracts offering prices and forming mutual agreements."

"Even that's primarily targeted at lower-tier elemental spirits like vegetation spirits or wind spirits... But a spirit summoner is different."

Valda and Marbas bore dreadful expressions. As if discussing a pagan mage.

"I have heard a brief explanation from my Master... He said they use the power of spirits without contracts."

Even the always-confident Godfrey taught him to simply avoid spirit summoners if he met one.

Just as a knight swinging a sword accumulates fatigue in his muscles, wielding mystery requires a price.

There was no need to explain how dangerous an enemy a spirit summoner who ignored that fundamental principle was.

"That's important too, but the truly dangerous reason is their mental world... Spirit summoners are capable of 'direct communication' with spirits... It's as good as their mind assimilating with the spirit."

"Is that special? If their minds connect, I suppose they could wield the spirit better."

Valda gently massaged Eugene's shoulders. Things he occasionally showed were surprisingly smart, but his nature was a knight after all. He was slow to understand in areas like this.

"Think about various fermented foods including alcohol."

"I know... The speed and direction of putrefaction were selectively chosen beneficially for humans, correct?"

"What do you think it would feel like if there was a human whose mind could assimilate with the fungus cultivating that putrefaction?"

"Ah..."

In an instant, Eugene felt like he understood something.

Devour.

Spread.

Steal.

Multiply.

Existences moving following a few primitive codes with no room for morality or reason to intrude.

If one utilized it from far away, it might be fine, but if there was a person directly communicating and assimilating their mind with it, there was no way they were sane.

"A spirit is that sort of existence... Utilizing them through contracts but never giving away one's heart... That is the proper relationship."

"Whether one becomes a spirit summoner because they were a madman, or whether they become a madman while communicating with a spirit is unknown... However, they are absolutely not existences that can accompany civilization."

Valda raised the blade of her hand and mimed slicing her neck.

"If you encounter one, do not even mind communicating or negotiating, and immediately slash them down."

"..."

For her, it was a considerably radical gesture and expression. It seemed they were that dangerous of an existence.

Well, since a dangerous psychopath had allied with a mighty enemy called a spirit of the forest, it wasn't strange either.

* * *

A pirate-attired monster sprawled near the phalanx twitched.

"Kiek-!"

It was a guy with a broken neck bone, yet as if waking up from fainting, he staggered over.

The horrifying sight of walking over clawing the empty air while its back of the head dangled touching its back.

At the monster's appearance, which absolutely could not be considered a living existence, the mercenaries bore apalled expressions.

Some mercenaries cast gazes of distrust toward the armed priests who swung their maces to finish it off.

"That thing isn't an undead? I can't believe it."

"Isn't that holy relic a dud? You said it was a fake."

Normally, mercenaries would not have dared to defy armed priests. However, given the situation was what it was, everyone had grown bolder.

"The holy relic is genuine... I felt its holy power... Do not insult the result of sacrifices performed by many religious orders for the masses."

"I-I apologize."

Upon Eugene saying a word, the mercenaries shut their mouths, feeling overwhelmed with awe. Conversely, the priests bowed their heads with emotion welling up from their hearts.

"Do we enter the village?"

Shhhhck, shhhck.

Hind asked while grinding his sword blade with a whetstone. Having slashed such hard carapaces, a portion of the edge was already damaged.

"We will search the village forming teams of 3... When entering a building, ensure a knight stands at the vanguard unconditionally."

"Understood."

Although they lacked blunt weapons like the priests, knights were originally those who faced enemies wearing thick armor.

Relying on their powerful strength and swordsmanship, they possessed the capability to stab into vitals not covered by carapaces. They also wore armor that would laughably block attacks from monsters like these.

"One over there!"

One farmer monster that had collapsed jumped up abruptly and charged, but its neck was severed by the tribal knight's dazzling swordsmanship.

"There's one over here too!"

A mercenary deflected with his shield a monster collapsed next to the well charging over.

The guy immediately tried to pounce again, but collapsed receiving a heavy impact from a roundhouse kick from Homi, who flew over as if soaring.

"Kuwuu-!"

The edge of the shield stabbed down into the face of the monster trying to stand up while flailing.

As the shield held in Homi's two hands successively smashed the monster's face, the woody carapace that looked thick shattered in an instant.

Crunch!

On the fourth strike, its head was split in two, and the top of its head from above the bridge of the nose rolled over and over. Inside, a solidly hardened brain was stuck to it.

Eugene examined the nearby monster corpses.

"These guys' mouths are blocked... That is a relief."

Things grown to cover the vital spot, the face, such as tree bark mushrooms and vines, covered not only the mouth but down to beneath the neck.

Thanks to that, they could nullify arrow attacks, but biting, the greatest weapon for this category, was also sealed off.

"Now that they have become existences closer to plants, they do not need to consume food... Unlike Wights, they probably won't infect people with corpse poison just from a bite either."

Valda looked at Eugene as if wondering. The brave knight who seemed to fear nothing appeared extremely tense today.

"Because I considered them as much more horrifying types of enemies... Like increasing their kin merely by biting or scratching."

"Nonsense... Existentences outside of common sense like that have never been reported once since history began."

She stroked Eugene's back as if telling him to relax.

Since it was a small village, the reconnaissance ended quickly.

"There are no survivors."

"Gather all the corpses and prepare to burn them."

At Hind's report, Eugene finalized things and prepared to leave.

"What will you do, priests?"

"We must hurry and report this anomaly... The higher-ups probably only know it as a simple undead outbreak."

Because they were an incredibly well-equipped army, they swept them away unilaterally; an ordinary mercenary corps would have conversely been swept away.

Because they were enemies possessing the immortality of Wights, yet silver or holy water did not work, and they moved much more nimbly. Vitals were protected as sturdily as decent armor.

"Our original plan was to visit a few more villages besides here..."

The old priest holding the holy relic bit his lip. Abandoning a suffering village for a more important goal was easy for nobles, but it was a painful act for devout priests.

"We will handle those villages... The priests should report to the Apostle State."

"A-are you certain?"

"Helping the weak is also a knight's duty... We have to search the surroundings to find our comrades anyway... This too must be God's guidance."

"We will put your name, Sir, at the very top!"

The priests drew the cross, deeply moved by the unexpected goodwill.

* * *

As the priests left for a city where their religious order was situated, Eugene's army also returned to the Moving Castle for the time being.

Because it was necessary to reorganize the unit due to the special traits of the enemies they would face this time.

Because the Blackhand Mercenaries here had also enclosed a map when sending the drawing, tracing the path was possible even without a local's help.

"It is finally our turn to step forward."

The eyes of the entire Hammer Brotherhood, including Rampage, burned with fighting spirit.

Because most of them stood by inside the castle while the heavy cavalrymen and Dark Elves continuously followed Eugene and established exploits.

"Getting out of that accursed Samur, an opportunity finally comes."

"Goddamn desert."

The sandy terrain where feet sank deeply into was the worst matchup for the short and heavy dwarven warriors.

Furthermore, both the Rakshasa and Lamia subjugations were operations where mobility was important.

The dwarves possessed great pride in their identity, but felt a sense of unfairness regarding their body shapes incapable of riding horses for the first time.

"So they're tenacious like Wights but aren't undead, and have hard shells, you say?"

Rampage listened attentively to the returned army's story without missing a single detail.

The tribal warriors grumbled that arrows wouldn't lodge, and the heavy cavalrymen complained that they couldn't cut them well and only their blades suffered damage.

"Are they not truly the perfect guys for us to show some love to?"

A decurion knocked his hammerhead on his thick hand and smiled cheerfully.

Behind him were decurions resting pole hammers on their shoulders or wielding two-handed morning stars.

Whoosh!

Swoosh!

Whenever various blunt weapons were swung, a terrifying sound of tearing the air rang out.

Although not as fierce a sound as Eugene's large flail, the dwarves possessed their own pride. That the weapons they used alone produced sounds akin to their employer's.

"If you think about it, aren't we the warriors most similar to the Lord?"

"Would those bastards who just shoot arrows continuously from afar and prod at things with swords know the taste of smashing skulls?"

Unknown supernatural enemies. Despite the possibility of facing a spirit of the forest if unlucky, not a single dwarf was scared.

"Good! Everyone maintain that momentum... We will properly show the Lord the might of the dwarven infantry division on this occasion!"

Even the cavalry unit acting conceited and swaggering around easily falls into chaos when encountering medium-sized monsters.

Not only can they not exhibit their usual skills because horses get scared and go wild, but due to the characteristics of cavalry unable to condense together, they are helplessly pushed back by monsters with larger weight classes.

However, dwarven warriors bundling together like a fortress wall assembling shields and weapons are different. They could withstand even considerable medium-sized monsters.

Therefore, the footsteps of the deploying Hammer Brotherhood were as light as if they would fly.

"You look to be in a good mood?"

Given they were in the middle of an operation, the dwarves maintained stern faces, but could not hide their leaking joy.

"Because we have finally become capable of earning our keep."

"You are already earning your keep completely... The children, women, elders, and even the male and female servants staying in the castle... If not for you guys, how would I wander around with a peace of mind?"

Rampage beat his chest with a gauntlet-clad fist and paid his respects.

"I am grateful for your thoughtfulness, but a warrior must still live befitting a warrior."

"Well, I understand... I heard you suffered caught between Valda and Cassandra."

"...Ahem."

Perhaps a painful memory surfaced, Rampage's face darkened.

It happened when they were exhibiting the newly acquired trophy, the Lamia Queen, in the entrance hall.

- Good... It's an excellent composition... Everyone worked hard.

- Don't mention it.

It was when the dwarves, covered in sweat, were wiping their necks with handkerchiefs in front of Valda, who was smiling with satisfaction.

- Won't this composition be better than that?

Cassandra, with her hands behind her back, walked over gracefully and threw out a word.

- The strongest and most beautiful Lamia Queen should naturally stand in the center.

- That is far too orthodox... We'll place the Lamia Queen in a diagonally reclining posture on the left, and the Gnoll Chieftain like this...

It was a part easily forgotten under Eugene's command, but Elves and Dark Elves were fundamentally archenemies.

Especially since they were races with great pride in their respective arts, as their opinions clashed on this topic, the heat rose rapidly.

- ...

- ...

The Elf lady and the Dark Elf lady stared at each other crossing their arms respectively.

Then, their gazes slowly reversed and headed toward Rampage.

Gulp.

Scrutinized by golden eyes and purple eyes, the dwarf captain felt as if he was getting goosebumps.

- What do you think, Centurion?

- Speak comfortably.

- ...

Both wore beautiful smiles, but an unignorable intensity overflowed.

- Uh, so... I th...ink Sir Valda's idea is b...etter.

- It is precisely so!

- ...

If forced to choose between the two, which rope he should climb was already decided.

Although Cassandra bore an indignant complexion, she maintained her smile. Because she too was aware that the difference in their standings in this castle was clear.

Only Rampage, caught in the middle, felt like dying.

Although they were fellow centurions, Cassandra was a lady of noble birth earmarked as a piece for a political marriage in the Blackhand Family.

One never knows how human affairs will unfold. He did not wish to struggle in a future where the underdog beat the favorite and became the lady of the house.

"It's correct for us to fight on the battlefield."

Rampage felt much more at ease swinging a weapon on the battlefield than experiencing such an event again.