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"Light! There's a light ahead!"
A guard walking in the vanguard shouted, his voice reverberating off the damp, jagged walls of the cave like the tolling of a distant bell.
"Enter!" Jackson gripped his large sword with both hands, his knuckles whitening under the strain, and was the first to rush into the blinding glow ahead.
The rest followed suit, their boots pounding the rocky floor in a chaotic rhythm, reminiscent of a bell's erratic chime in a storm.
"Argh!" "Monster!" "Be careful!"
Various shouts resounded, a cacophony of fear and adrenaline, as weapons were brandished—swords clashing against claws, metal ringing like a struck bell. The air filled with the metallic tang of blood and the damp musk of the cave. (Image)
[Alert! Imminent attack ahead! Optimal response: step back and crouch!] The A.I. Chip's cold, mechanical voice intoned in Leylin's mind, projecting a faint blue screen that shimmered like the surface of a bell catching the light.
On the screen, a talon the size of a palm slashed toward Leylin, its arc swift and deadly. Leylin swiftly retreated a step, the movement as precise as a bell's pendulum, and easily dodged the attack. The talon struck the ground instead, sending up a spray of dirt and stone that rang faintly as it scattered.
Amidst the wails all around, Jackson's faint howling rose above the din, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to echo like a bell tolling for the fallen. After the A.I. Chip's scan, Leylin could see—through the enhanced clarity of his augmented vision—that many lizard-like creatures were exploiting their familiarity with the cave's twisting passages.
Their scaly bodies slithered and darted, attempting a massacre of Jackson and the squad of guards surrounding him. The sneak attack was so sudden, so perfectly timed, that when Jackson and the rest finally reacted, the squad had already suffered heavy casualties, their cries fading like a bell's last reverberation.
Leylin swept his gaze across the scene, his eyes flashing with an azure light that pulsed faintly, as if synchronized with an unseen rhythm. The floor was littered with corpses—guards and creatures alike—many bearing the jagged marks of being chewed by these strange, reptilian assailants. The air was thick with the coppery scent of blood, and the faint hum of the A.I. Chip's analysis seemed to resonate in Leylin's skull.
At that moment, only the two Knight-level squad leaders and the grey-robed figure—who always lingered silently behind Jackson—remained standing with the Grand Knight.
As for the acolytes, one lay crumpled on the ground, his breath shallow and ragged, while another clutched a gaping wound on his abdomen, blood oozing between his fingers in a slow, steady drip that pooled on the stone like the tolling of a death knell.
Looking at the dying knights and acolytes, Leylin felt a fleeting temptation to end their suffering himself—to bind their fading souls to his own power. But he restrained the impulse. Among all those present, only Grand Knight Jackson, Level 3 Acolyte Murphy, and the half-beast with his peculiar support spell attribute held any real value to him. The rest were mere chimes in the wind, insignificant and fleeting.
At the apex of the cave, white-colored, jellyfish-like creatures floated lazily, their translucent bodies pulsating with a soft, eerie glow. The flash from earlier had radiated from them, a burst of light that now dimmed and swelled rhythmically, as though they were bells of luminescence tolling in silence.
Murphy appeared suddenly at Leylin's side, clutching a weathered book to his chest as though it were a shield. His face was pale, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and dread. (Image)
At this moment, the cave teemed with mutated yet familiar creatures—lizards with elongated claws, brown bears with matted fur and glowing eyes, elks with antlers twisted into unnatural spirals—all numbering over a dozen. At the center of this grotesque menagerie loomed an enormous yellow snake, its scales glinting dully in the faint light.
It seemed to reign as their king, guarded by the lesser beasts in a protective circle that pulsed with a quiet menace.
"It's Mankestre—Great Withering Snake Mankestre!" Murphy's book slipped from his trembling hands and hit the floor with a dull bang, the sound echoing in the cavern.
"A.I. Chip, scan!" Leylin instructed, his voice steady despite the chaos.
[Great Withering Snake – Mankestre (Half-adult body) Strength: 11.9, Agility: 6.5, Vitality: 14, Spiritual force: 8]
[Abilities: 1 – Parasitic. A Mankestre is able to develop an extremely strong parasite in its body, and spread it to other organisms, making them its underlings.]
[2 – Wither. In any areas where a Mankestre has passed by, the plants will die, and become a type of nutrient for the Mankestre. An adult Mankestre possesses the strength of an official Magus, and can transform an entire forest into withering ashes.]
[Source of information: Classified]
The A.I. Chip delivered the data in an instant, the words flashing before Leylin's eyes like the peal of a bell cutting through fog.
"Murphy, snap out of your fear! If it were an adult, we'd already be dead by now," Leylin said sharply, his tone ringing with authority.
"Indeed!" Murphy scrutinized the brown-yellow hue of the massive snake, his breath steadying as logic overtook panic. "An adult Mankestre is at least 100 meters long, and this one is clearly not that size. The number of parasites it's produced is off too—it's not fully mature!"
"This huge snake is the cause of the withering woods?" Jackson asked from the side, his voice low and resonant as he stared at the creature, his Adam's apple bobbing as though swallowing the echo of his own words.
"That's right! A Mankestre uses the juice of plants as its food. They're crafty and lazy, hating to move about. It relies on its parasites to gather sustenance for it!" Murphy explained, his voice carrying the weight of experience, each word falling in a measured tone.
"So then, if we kill it, the herb production in Dark Night Woods can recover again?" Jackson's grip tightened on his longsword, the blade gleaming faintly as he pointed it at the huge yellow snake, its parasitic minions shifting restlessly around it.
"In theory, yes, as long as you kill it or drive it away. Its death won't revive the withering woods immediately, but it will allow the prey and flora to slowly recover over time," Murphy replied, his wry smile tinged with the faint hope.
Hiss! The snake coiled at the cave's center hissed, its sound a grating friction like two pieces of rotten leather rubbing together—an unpleasant noise that scraped against the ears. The creatures surrounding Leylin and the others seemed to receive some silent command, howling as they charged forward in a wave of claws and teeth.
Leylin drew his cross blade, its edge gleaming coldly in the dim light. With his high-level Knight meditation techniques and superior strength and agility stats, he stood leagues above everyone present—not even Jackson could rival his agility alone.
His movements were fluid, precise, each step and swing resonating with clarity and deadly intentions.
Leylin's feet shifted as he dodged a brown bear's lumbering attack with effortless grace. The cross blade in his right hand flashed, slicing through the beast's thick hide and cleaving it in half with a single stroke. The bear's body fell to the ground with a heavy thud, its death knell a dull echo in the cave.
Leylin glanced at the corpse, disdain curling his lip. He didn't even entertain the thought of binding its soul—too weak, too insignificant. Instead, he commanded the A.I. Chip, "Devour whatever I kill for now."
[Beep! Mountain bear devoured. Strength increased by 0.01, Agility by 0.01, Vitality by 0.01, Spiritual Force by 0.001.]
"Tsk… Worthless," Leylin muttered, the word falling in scornful distaste.
The few surviving acolytes cast their Rank 0 spells, flashes of light and bursts of energy flaring around them as they assisted in felling the lesser creatures. Their incantations rang out briefly, sharp and fleeting, but Leylin spared them only a glance.
Spells were a last resort for lower-level magi—a Level 2 acolyte could manage three or four at most before collapsing, helpless as a fish on a chopping board.
Sssii! The brown bear's corpse at Leylin's feet decomposed rapidly, its flesh melting away as veins sprouted from the bones. They twisted into the form of the strange creature they'd chased earlier, scurrying toward the Mankestre's gaping maw.
The snake's tongue coiled, drawing the red-veined parasite into its belly with a wet, resonant gulp.
The Mankestre Snake finally uncoiled, its crimson eyes blazing with rage as it surveyed Leylin and the group slaughtering its underlings. The cave trembled as its massive body shot forward, the ground quaking with a deep, booming resonance.
The snake charged at Jackson, its jaws gaping wide to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. A fishy stench rolled from its maw, and if Jackson were caught, he'd be swallowed whole, leaving no trace behind—not even an echo. (Image)
"Sir!" the remaining two Knights and the grey-robed figure shouted in unison, their voices overlapping like a frantic tolling.
"Hah! Good try!" At the brink of death, Jackson unleashed his full internal energy, his sword slashing toward the snake's crown with blinding speed. The blade rang as it struck, but it left only a white scratch on the scales. Jackson twisted midair, using the rebound to evade the snap of the snake's jaws, landing with a grunt that echoed faintly.
"Protect our Lord!" The two Knights rushed forward, their armor clanking like bells in a gale. The Mankestre roared and swallowed them whole, their cries silenced as they vanished into its gullet.
"Secondary Fireball!"
"Acidic Aqua Shot!"
The acolytes unleashed their spells, striking the snake's body with bursts of flame and corrosive liquid. A black arrow tipped with yellow fire exploded against its scales, leaving two scorched gashes that oozed dark ichor. The snake roared in agony, its scales rattling like a discordant chime, and swung its tail in retaliation. The massive appendage smashed into the acolytes, turning those too slow to dodge into bloody smears on the cave floor.
"No! Decker! Lancer!" Murphy cried hoarsely, his voice breaking like a bell cracked by grief.
"There's no choice—we have to retreat!" the grey-robed figure growled, his deep voice rumbling from behind Jackson.
"No! This damned worm dared to kill Decker and the rest! I won't let it go!" Murphy's eyes were bloodshot, his scholarly demeanor shattered as he stepped forward. "I have a spell to restrict its movements temporarily. The rest is up to you."
He pulled the monocle from his pocket and hurled it at the snake. The glass shattered against its scales with a sharp bang, and dark red runes erupted from the point of impact. They multiplied rapidly, forming a long chain that wrapped around the Mankestre, binding it. (Image)
Leylin's eyes flashed. "It won't move for at least half a minute. Use whatever you've got."
The fine rune shackles were mere threads compared to the snake's bulk, yet they held it fast, pinning it to the ground with an eerie stillness.
"Hurry, charge!" Jackson howled, his sword glowing with radiant energy.
The grey-robed figure lifted his cloak, revealing a Half-Beast Man's snarling visage, and began chanting an incantation with a guttural roar.
Roar! The remaining creatures sensed their master's peril and surged forward, heedless of their own safety, their cries a chaotic peal.
"Fuck off!" Leylin snarled, activating his Knight killing technique—Serpent's Requiem. His cross blade sang as it tore through the air, ripping apart everything in its path with the precision and ferocity of a tolling bell marking doom.
"To the Mankestre, the eyes are its Achilles' heel—more vulnerable than the heart!" Murphy shouted, his voice cutting through the clamor.
Leylin ceased waiting and began chanting, his voice low and resonant in the ancient Byron tongue. Shadows coalesced around him, twisting into jagged spikes that coiled like serpents. With a thunderous momentum, they surged toward the snake, their tips gleaming like the edge of a thunderous javelin. (Image)
"Go!" Leylin commanded, pointing.
The shadow spikes bombarded the Mankestre's eyes, each strike ringing out as it struck scales. One alone couldn't pierce the hide, but the relentless barrage—spike after spike—hammered with the force of a tolling cathedral bell, chipping away at its defenses.
Sssii! The snake writhed, its agonized screeches echoing through the cave. The rune shackles smoked red, straining under its thrashing.
"Hurry! I can't hold it much longer!" Murphy bellowed, his composure gone.
The shadow spikes pounded the snake's head, finally breaking through to gouge both eyes. Dark blood spurted, pooling on the floor with a wet, resonant splash.
"Now!" Leylin's eyes glinted as he withdrew a test tube from his robes. Its contents glowed blood-red, radiating a palpable sense of danger.