Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy - Chapter 122
Only Noblemtl
Episode 122: The Final Knot (2)
A forgotten stone pagoda that has collapsed into nothingness, despite having endured for many years.
There were two people standing in front of him. Elwin and Zerap.
“… … It’s completely broken.”
Zerap looked at the view from the tower with a very tired expression.
Boom. Boom.
Perhaps because half of the stone pagoda had blown away, small and large pieces of debris kept falling on my head.
It was a very slight vibration, but the tower suddenly tilted and then returned to its original position repeatedly.
If we went in like this, it seemed like a collapse would occur.
“Hmm.”
But Elwin didn’t seem to care at all about this, and was wandering around the blocked entrance to the Forgotten Stone Tower and its surroundings.
Elwin’s purpose was self-evident.
Entering the basement of the forgotten stone pagoda.
“The entrance is blocked by debris so it might be difficult to get in… … I think we’ll have to find another entrance.”
“… … Are you really planning to go down to the basement?”
“Yes. Because I need it.”
Then, as if he had discovered something, Elwin ran off somewhere with his eyes shining. Zerap had no choice but to follow him.
Kookookookookook.
There was a sound like something huge was being lifted with great force.
I found that curious.
“I found it!”
Elwin was smiling brightly, holding a huge, almost majestic rock in one hand.
Without any sign of difficulty, just fine.
‘… … Huh. Does special class have special power too?’
Zerap stuck out his tongue inwardly. He was a wizard, but he was proud of his ability to use his strength.
But even for such a Jeraprah, it would have been difficult to lift that large rock without strengthening his body with magic or magical power.
‘No. I wouldn’t have even thought of doing that.’
It was such a grand rock that I felt like I could be crushed to death if I made a single mistake.
But Elwin was lifting it without any physical strengthening, only with brute force.
Zerap rubbed his eyes and checked again.
‘… … It doesn’t seem like he used any magical power. He didn’t use any unique magic either.’
Oh. Zerap let out a small exclamation that was neither shock nor amazement.
Then, absentmindedly, I stared at Elwin’s hand and thought.
‘With that level of strength… … .’
Thud.
Elwin’s grip was so tight that pieces of crumbling dirt and rocks fell to the ground, like fallen leaves.
‘I guess I’ll be able to survive even if I get hit once.’
I could easily imagine myself lying around in a mess.
Since Free’s resurrection is at stake, I’m still on a leash anyway…
‘Never, no matter what happens, don’t give up.’
Let’s not be foolish, Zeraphus said quietly.
Although he had been eaten by a monster once, he did not hope to kill someone else in his next death.
Then suddenly, I remembered ‘that thing’ that had been hitting Elwin in time with the rhythm.
The overwhelming atmosphere at first had now faded and I couldn’t even remember it very well.
‘I guess it’s because I watched him get beaten up like that… ‘
Now, when I think about ‘that’… … the only images that come to mind are the image of him being beaten by Elwin without even being able to fight back, or the image of him flying away while screaming miserably.
– Okay. Surely this isn’t the end, right? Get in position. Let’s play a little longer.
-Get up! You have to fight back. Are you going to just be defeated like this?
-… … Oh. Are you starting to wake up now? Looks like you’re done using the sandbag. What a pity.
Zerap shuddered. Suddenly, he was worried about the state of Gale’s body, which had become ‘it’… no, perhaps a living being of ‘it’.
I thought that being alive might be a good thing.
“I think I can go down this way.”
Then Elwin opened his mouth. His other hand was pointing down calmly.
Zerap’s gaze naturally followed Elwin’s hand.
“This is… … .”
“It looks like a path made by an old man in the mountains, doesn’t it?”
“……okay.”
After digging through the rough ground with a huge tree trunk, traces of a passage were visible.
The tree trunks stretched straight down to the ground, winding like a path.
“I can feel Gerard’s magic from below.”
Did you come here at the last minute?
Suddenly, Zerap’s eyes became silent.
“Good. Let’s go down.”
“……yes.”
Exactly!
As soon as Zerap snapped his fingers, a tree trunk rose from under the ground.
Elwin and Zerap climbed on top of it naturally and headed underground.
Choaaaak!
As the tree trunk the two people were riding on descended rapidly, Zerap glanced at Elwin.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“Oh, did you know?”
“If you act like a puppy that needs to be watered, everyone will know.”
Zerap made a strange expression.
Although he was a special hunter who used polite language and honorifics to everyone, I got the feeling that his personality wasn’t all that gentle.
“So what was the question you wanted to ask?”
“… …Why do you want to go underground?”
Zerap said, lowering his eyes.
Unlike him, who had a duty to see to Gerard’s end, the Hwang Hunter seemed to have no particular reason.
“Even if you hadn’t chased after him, Gerard would have probably… … died. That guy was almost completely preyed on.”
Zerap swallowed dry saliva.
It was the most plausible reason he could guess, and the one he wanted to beg for restraint on if possible.
After defeating evil villains, their heads are usually cut off and put on display in a grand manner.
“If you need the assistance of Chief Deficio… … .”
“No, that’s not it.”
Elwin flatly denied it.
“I have two reasons for going underground, but neither of them have anything to do with the Old Man of the Mountain.”
Then Elwin added, “Ah.”
“If Mr. Zeraf wishes, you may retrieve the remains of the mountain elders or the Gnaud clan members who were offered as sacrifices.”
“……thank you.”
Zerap thanked him with a choked voice. His feelings were complicated.
Just a moment ago, we were fighting with blood brothers and were truly trying to kill each other.
The thought of him being dead and even his body being exploited made me feel a bit suffocated.
“What? That’s just how families are. Even if you hate them and dislike them, you end up forgiving them the next day.”
Elwin seemed to know his mind and spoke softly.
“Everyone lives like that.”
“……okay.”
Although Zerap had never experienced a ‘normal’ family, he felt a sense of trust when Elwin said that.
“Well, but don’t forgive Mr. Zerap.”
“yes?”
Zerap blinked at the words that had a completely different meaning from what he had said before. Elwin smiled faintly. He was somewhat hazy.
“I was betrayed by the family I trusted and almost died. Please don’t forgive me. Even if they are already dead.”
“……yes.”
Suddenly, Zerap wanted to ask.
‘Do you have a family member you can’t forgive?’
I had to swallow my curiosity at Elwin’s next words.
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
The depths of the forgotten stone pagoda.
Gooooooo-
There was a huge jar there, spewing ominous air.
The jar boasted a smooth surface and stood tall with its bottom embedded in the ground.
As if it had never been broken, so proudly.
“I knew this would happen.”
Elwin smiled coldly upon seeing this.
‘In order to break the seal inside Gale, he must have used the soul of the Water King.’
The reason why Elwin came to the Forgotten Stone Tower in such a hurry in a situation where both ‘it’ and Depicio were neutralized.
It was meant to completely destroy this jar.
‘If only I could get rid of this… … .’
It could hinder the strengthening of enemies that Elwin and Spero would later have to face.
Because that jar is the deep-seated hatred that the previous Black Special Hunter held… … .
‘Because it was a medium that contained the bondage for all the Suin tribes that would be born afterward.’
Skya, the black-clad special hunter of her time, placed a terrible curse in exchange for her own ‘annihilation’.
By limiting the infinite potential of the Suin tribe, they have infinitely fallen.
-Why do you hand down such a terrible punishment!!!
And… … King Suin witnessed this clearly.
Because Skya knew better than anyone.
Even if he were to brutally slaughter the four limbs of King Suin, he would never show any remorse because he was so shameless.
-I have done nothing wrong! What sin is there in doing one thing to ensure that my descendants will live in abundance for generations to come?
-If I have any fault, it is only my defeat.
Skya wanted to repay the King of Water’s sins without leaving a single bit behind… no, she wanted to make him suffer even more.
She made him watch the merciless downfall of the descendants of the Suin tribe, whom he most wanted to protect, even after his death.
For a long time, only the soul was tied to this world without a physical body.
May his descendants suffer for the sins he committed, and may he be forever resented by those he cherished so dearly.
– King of the Watermen, Balan Krantos. This is the end of your sins, and the punishment I give you.
Skya, even if she were to be forgotten forever by the people of the world, it would be enough if the sins of the Water King were to be remembered forever by the people.
… … Well, anyway, this was the history of the jar.
The jar had a different true function, one that even Skya, who had placed the curse in the jar, probably could not have anticipated.
‘If the water race born after Skya’s death touches that jar.’
The bonds she had been under were released, and she was able to awaken the primal and destructive power unique to the Suin tribe.
“Rampas” had such a gimmick hidden in it.
‘It would be nice if only allies could use this.’
Unfortunately, such a pleasant thing did not happen.
If the enemies discover this gimmick first, it often leads to the strengthening of the enemy forces.
That was the worst possible situation for Elwin.
‘… … Including the Familia boss, there are many people from the Suin tribe among the top executives.’
Now that Depicio’s destruction is practically certain.
Information about the jar will soon be revealed by a swindler or opportunist who has not yet been able to weed it out.
Among them, there must be someone who can see through the truth about the jar.
‘Primo and Secondo of Familia. Can’t those capable and meticulous guys figure it out?’
No way. If they find out, they’ll come running at you like a swarm.
‘So, we have to destroy it all before that.’
Since the jar was created by offering up the existence of a special hunter, it cannot be destroyed by normal means.
However, since the key to destroying it just happened to fall into his hands, shouldn’t he use it?
“Huh! Why is that horrible aura still there… …!?!”
Zeraf Gnaud, who was once eaten by a manticore and then resurrected.
Probably one of the few ‘death’ attribute wizards in this world.
He was able to destroy the jar.
More precisely, if Elwin’s assistance is added, it could be destroyed.
“Mr. Zerap.”
“… …Lord Elwin?”
Elwin led Zerap, who was looking confused as he looked at the jar, towards the jar.
“Please put your hand here.”
Zerap followed Elwin’s instructions slowly, although he was wary of the threatening aura emanating from the jar.
“Mr. Zerap. You still aren’t able to use your newfound power properly, are you?”
“… … How did you know that?!”
“Haha. You can tell at a glance.”
This was something that could be known from the fact that Zerap lost sight of the mountain man.
If he had known how to control the powerful and attractive power called the magic of ‘death’, he would never have missed the fleeing mountain old man.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
Elwin smiled confidently.