Chapter 140

Chapter 140 - Zombie Apocalypse (6)

The monsters spread here and there across the village were lured by the noise of battle and smashed to pieces.

Since they possessed incredibly tenacious vitality, even if they were neutralized by the slinging, they didn't die completely.

Despite having a spot on their heads caved in completely like the flag of the Pitfall Mercenaries, they squirmed and crawled around like earthworms.

"Normally, it would be proper for them to die around here... They have durability exceeding Wights."

Rampage clicked his tongue.

"Those guys are many yet one."

"Pardon?"

"My eyes can see... That their bodies are many, but they share a single will."

To Eugene, each monster looked like a small light bulb decorating a tree. A single will harboring mystery was traveling in and out among them like an electric current.

It went beyond simply issuing commands, pulling and pushing each other. If it wasn't damage severe enough to smash their heads, other nearby entities shared their thoughts and senses to make them move.

It could be seen as a huge difference from a horde of lower-tier undead like Wights. Silver or holy water doesn't work, and neutralizing them is more difficult.

"Is something like that possible? It's standard for any monster to keel over if its head is injured."

"As expected, you can also see it, Lord."

Unlike the surprised Rampage, Cassandra wore a joyful complexion. Being a witch, she too could feel the bizarre characteristics of the monsters.

A commander capable of seeing through mystery on the battlefield is a reassuring existence from a subordinate's perspective.

Because even if facing an unpredictable situation, they would cope more efficiently and catch the timing to retreat faster than other commanders.

"Honey mushrooms, coral reefs, aspen trees, and so on... There are organisms in the world that form colonies stretching several kilometers from a single root... Those guys must belong to such a category... Do not consider them animals just because they emit bizarre shrieks and move their limbs."

However, even Cassandra widened her eyes roundly when letting them know this fascinating knowledge.

- The smell is savory.

- Ah! Captain Cassandra... You have arrived... Today's lunch was made by the Lord.

- Again? He is truly peculiar too.

- It's nice for us since we get to eat delicious things, right?

It was like that when stationed at the Moving Castle as well. Despite being a knight and a Lord, when he was bored, he visited the distribution center and commanded the women on the front lines.

The new menus that appeared each time provided unique and stimulating tastes no one had experienced before.

'I heard he grew up in a rural village, and in an ascetic monastery at that... How does he know all this?'

He was a bizarre man in many ways.

"Let us end it here... Archers, step back... We will handle the finishing touches in close combat."

The female warriors who were stepping on the dwarves' shoulders jumped down to the rear with graceful movements.

Even those ladies who bickered with the dwarves and were arrogant from start to finish obeyed the Lord's commands like a blade.

The dwarves forming a formation trudged forward and delivered finishing blows to the crawling monsters.

"Grant peace to the guys whose heads aren't fully broken yet!"

"Khazad! ai menu! (The Dwarves are here!)"

The dwarven warriors, whose hands were itching from only watching, swung their hammers.

Crunch!

The unique vibration digging into their grips the moment the skull shattered. That was the sensation the Hammer Brotherhood dwarves loved the most in the world.

"This is the taste of life! Wahahaha!"

A thirst unable to be quenched no matter how delicious the mushroom wine. A delicacy that could only be tasted on the battlefield.

"I get that you're excited, but don't step on the stones! You idiots!"

"It's hard to pull them out if they get lodged in the ground... Little runts carrying too much weight."

Some dwarves who got too excited had their backs smacked by the Dark Elf female warriors.

Retrieving the stones rolling around the battlefield was also an important task for them. It was a matter of simply picking them up, but if a dwarf stepped on and passed over it, it turned into something like potato harvesting.

"Dwarves don't look under our feet!"

"What does it matter whether you lower your gaze or not? The ground enters your sight anyway with your height."

"Those are harsh words!"

Crash!

Even while squabbling, the dwarves mercilessly took care of the monsters ceaselessly. However, after hearing the nagging, definitely no one stepped on stones in their path.

Eugene nodded watching that sight.

"I see... They can continuously maintain their combat power as long as we are winning?"

"There are some that shatter or fall into places they cannot be retrieved, but normally we recover over 80 percent."

"I should increase your numbers further... I should speak with Chieftain Allesa regarding unit reinforcements."

"Are you certain?"

Color returned to Cassandra's face.

The rangers of the Blackhand Mercenaries were led by her. If the quota increased, it was synonymous with her position strengthening soon.

"I like that you are versatile and can maintain combat power for a long time with minimal supplies... Being able to inflict damage on enemies where arrows do not work is a plus too."

The sling pouches of the female warriors were practically full already. They contained an amount of stones not much different from right before the battle.

In contrast, once arrows are fired, a considerable amount must be given up. Because arrows have weak durability, and since monsters flail around when hit, they frequently break.

At that moment, Might turned his head in a certain direction.

Grrrrr-!

He bared teeth like an alligator's and emitted a sound like boiling lava.

"Something has come."

Ever since reincarnating as a World Charger, Might became a predator. Just as much, his sense of smell had also strengthened, and he reacted particularly sensitively if a strong individual like himself appeared nearby.

He was a fellow who didn't even react to things like Direwolves obtained from the slaver's stronghold. It must undoubtedly be because a dangerous enemy had appeared.

Homi also stood straight stepping on Sandy's back and stared toward the forest. Her fur and tail were standing up straight.

"Do you know what it is?"

Shake shake.

It was Homi's body that always reacted a beat faster than her cognition. However, she still lacked the experience to also know what it was.

"Knights, prepare for battle! Rangers, retreat behind the allied camp!"

Even at Eugene's sudden shout, the subordinates reacted nimbly. Everyone tossed aside the spoils they were holding in their hands and retreated to form a formation.

"What is the matter?"

"It seems the real deal has appeared because we kept poking around here and there... Valda, please take refuge in the rear."

With those words, Eugene turned the horse's head toward the nearby small church.

"Might... Give me a wider field of vision... Let us look at the face of the enemy we will fight."

His ink-colored legs kicked the ground, and the knight and warhorse flew up. They mounted the roof of the carriage parked in front of the church just like that.

Crack!

Above the wooden fragments shattering and breaking apart, Might soared even higher and mounted the top of the church building.

"..."

"..."

At that sight, the subordinates couldn't say any words. It wasn't merely because it was unrealistic.

Flap flap!

The insignia covering Might and the Warg cloak blending together to flutter in the wind. The black wave created as such. It was because it was beautiful like a painting.

A unified will waiting for what enemy the Lord had discovered, and what order he would issue. Eugene felt the high-spirited military discipline on his back.

'Something is approaching from beyond the forest, but.'

The distance was far, and the trees were obstructing his vision. Had it felt its master's heart like that?

Might's eyes burned intensely like purple lanterns. At the same time, a purple glint settled into Eugene's brown eyes as well.

"Oho."

A new field of vision unfolded before Eugene's eyes. The eyes of the World Charger that saw through the world were granted to Eugene as well.

"Might... I hope we can be together until the day permitted to us ends."

The loyal warhorse calmly accepted its owner's touch stroking its neck.

A large existence and a small existence were approaching from the forest.

'A Dryad and a Spirit Summoner?'

The prime culprit who created a zombie apocalypse unsuited for the era revealed their appearance.

A pair completely different from Grace, who was engraved as a noble memory in Eugene's mind, and Valda. A twisted and incredibly dangerous appearance.

* * *

Born and raised in a mountain village of the Appen Mountains, Balthazar made a living as a woodcutter.

When other woodcutters swung their axes ruthlessly without thought, Balthazar entered the deep parts of the forest.

"Respect the forest... If you listen to the forest first, she will also answer you."

To follow the teachings of his deceased mother. It was also the teachings of a witch who served the forest.

"It hurts if your skin is scarred, but it doesn't hurt when you cut your nails or hair... Listen to the forest's voices and only take what they permit... Then you can become their friend."

The fellow woodcutters mocked and ostracized such a Balthazar.

Because leaving the trees scattered nearby and sweating profusely to fetch wood from far away looked pathetic.

Despite that, seeing him fetch rare herbs or food ingredients to touch money was an eyesore. Because it looked contrasting to themselves living in poverty.

Even if they asked the secret of how he found them, he merely said, 'The forest gifted them.' The appearance of lying to monopolize profits alone further fostered the woodcutters' hatred.

Therefore, when an unprecedented scale of pirates landed and stirred up the Appen Peninsula, Balthazar received ugly vengeance.

When the village people evacuated to the lord's manor, only Balthazar was rejected.

"That bastard colluded with the pirates!"

"He's the one who informed them of the village's location too!"

Because the woodcutters framed Balthazar. With the church's priest, who was already dissatisfied with the witch's bloodline joining in on top of that, there was no way.

Chased into the forest, he cried himself to sleep having given up on life. Dreading that the pirates would come to kill him left alone.

What woke Balthazar from sleep was an intense voice of the forest he had never heard before.

[I have waited for an unfathomably long time. For when the world becomes filled with nourishment and a lovely child like you appears.]

The spiritual high tide, and a person possessing the qualifications of a spirit summoner.

Timing and medium. Two things hard to coexist gathered in one place. It was the moment a spirit of the forest that had held its breath for a long time descended into the human world.

The forest, which merely offered its inner flesh powerlessly under the axes of humans, began taking revenge for the pain accumulated for over thousands of years.

Balthazar happily became her friend and tool.

If there was one thing he realized after becoming friends with the forest spirit...

It was the part where he felt absolutely nothing towards the deaths or screams of people.

Aside from being capable of talking with the forest spirit, it was perfect proof that Balthazar had acquired the qualities of a spirit summoner.

* * *

"Did you say it was a Dryad?!"

As expected, the one who reacted first was Valda.

As Eugene's legs nudged Might's torso, the fellow cleverly grasped its master's intention.

Running across the steeply sloped church roof and walls like running on a flat plain, he leaped lightly and landed in front of Valda.

Thud!

If it were an ordinary horse, its legs would have broken just like that, but Might appeared to barely feel any shock.

Hind felt jealousy. An emotion he shouldn't harbor towards his Lord, but as long as he was a knight, the desire for a great famous horse was something that couldn't be shaken off.

"It is not a noble appearance like Sir Grace... However, that massive size, unique posture, and atmosphere... I cannot think of any other race."

"It probably borrowed the appearance of a Dryad... Because if a spirit of that level intends to reside continuously in reality, an existence to possess is unconditionally required."

Was it because of the appearance seemingly defiling her precious memories? Anger tinged Valda's face.

"Wasn't it the spirit summoner doing that role?"

"Nonsense... If they receive such mighty mystery into their body, no matter how great a spirit summoner they are, they would turn into a mummy in an instant... However, it is correct that the spirit summoner's existence is essential... As long as the spirit summoner is punished, the forest spirit will also be banished from the present world."

That was the answer Eugene desired.

"But Lord... If the forest spirit has a mind as well, it will desperately try to protect the spirit summoner."

Cassandra spoke with an uneasy face.

As a warrior and witch herself, she could already feel just how dangerous the approaching existence was.

"Like it or not, we must settle the score... With them dominating the area, it will be difficult to find the disappeared tribe members like this."

Eugene folded the flail and tossed it backward, then drew Last Autumn. When it comes to slicing magical existences, it has always been the best means.

Until now, Eugene had to dismount and fight depending on the enemy's type. However, there was no need to do so anymore.

Might's legs will absolutely not break, and because he will step on even things unable to be stepped on to guide his master to an advantageous location.

"It is coming!"

"Do not shoot."

The warriors swallowed their saliva at the appearance of the large Dryad and the spirit summoner approaching silently.

Their hands gripping weapons trembled at the danger signals sent from their entire bodies. However, holding their positions was not difficult.

The knight aiming his silver blade forward. The massive warhorse baring its ferocious teeth and exuding an imposing aura.

The single horse and rider simply standing at the vanguard was splitting apart the momentum emitted by the supernatural enemy like an ebbing tide.

"I am Eugene Meyer, a knight of the Meyer Family... Are you the ones standing at the center of this incident?"

Since they were existences possessing intellect unlike monsters, Eugene wished to resolve it through negotiation rather than fighting abruptly.

However, by all appearances, that seemed like it would be difficult.

The Dryad that fully revealed its appearance before everyone was wrapped in human corpses on its twisted body. Exactly as if sucking up nourishment.

Among them was a Dark Elf with long ears and dark skin as well.

'It won't be a matter of whether we can compromise or not.'

The Blackhand Family unconditionally exacts the blood price of their kin. That rule now applied exactly to Eugene, who had come to love them.