When the Pope Becomes Competent - Chapter 143



Only Noblemtl

143. The Identity of the Chimera
2024.03.22.

“Dionik!”

I called out to Dionik at the top of my lungs. However

, Dionik, who was trapped in an ice pillar, couldn’t answer. ‘Damn it. I didn’t think there was a trap skill lying on the floor.’ Just 5 minutes ago, we were delighted to find a fruit that could be used as a fever-reducing medicine. I thought maybe Dennis was nearby. However, what actually appeared was not Dennis, but a chimera. A chimera that could even place ‘trap skills’ on the floor. The reason Dionik was trapped in an ice pillar right now was because he stepped on that trap. ‘I can’t get Dionik out right now. I have to deal with the chimera first.’ I glared at the giant chimera while leaving Dionik trapped in the ice behind me. It was a chimera covered in white fur all over, with long, hideous limbs. [Chimera in the Snowfield (L)] [Owned Skills] – Stomp (S) – Cold Roar (S) – Rising Ice Mountain (S) – Summon Ice Golem (L) – Ice Armor (L) . . *Special Note: A chimera created by the breeder by gathering several animals and synthesizing them. Simple communication is possible. It is currently under the control of its breeder. I gritted my teeth as I looked at the chimera’s information window. ‘An L-class chimera monster… … .’ Dionyk was trapped in a pillar of ice, and Nadia looked very scared. In other words, I could say that I was left to deal with a monster of a higher rank than me all by myself. While I was examining the chimera’s information window, the chimera activated its skill. Kukukung – The ground shook loudly, and at the same time, chunks of ice began to rise from the ground. The chunks of ice that rose soon coalesced into a human-like shape. ‘Ice Golem Summoning Skill?’ I activated my Deification skill while looking at the three golems created by the ice. I used the Sword of Judgement to destroy them before they could rush at us. Kwakwakwang! With a loud noise, the shattered ice shards flew in all directions. I thought the golems were completely finished since they were shattered to this extent. However― ‘The shards are gathering again… … ?’ The shattered golems gathered again as if nothing had happened and formed their original forms. They seemed to be monsters that would revive no matter how many times they were destroyed. “Nadia! Can you protect Dionik? It seems that those summoned golems will disappear only if we defeat the Chimera first!” “Yes, I will! Leave it to me!” Nadia took out a long spear item from her inventory. She looked quite trustworthy, but I couldn’t just leave it to her, so I activated my second skill. [Skill 「God’s Legion (S)」 has been activated!] [The divine legion protected by the gods appears before your eyes!] ―Currently summonable soldiers: 3 The number of divine soldiers that could be summoned before was only 2. However, when I used the skill again, 3 soldiers were summoned. It seemed that my proficiency had increased in the meantime, so the number of summonable soldiers had increased. In any case, the total number of soldiers summoned was 3. The number of golems summoned by the chimera was also 3. I thought I could leave it to them, so I rushed straight towards the chimera’s main body. Damn it― Originally, I had planned to use the Sword of Judgement to cleanly cut the chimera’s body in half. However, the chimera immediately raised its arm covered in transparent ice, and my sword was blocked by the ice armor. ‘Ice armor skill…? …?!’ The Sword of Judgement originally had the function of corrupting living things. However, when it touched ice instead of living things, nothing happened. It was just blocked in vain. Krrrr… … The chimera stretched out its hand while making a menacing noise. Then, it slammed its palm down on me, who was on its arm, as if swatting a mosquito. Bam! Fortunately, I jumped up to dodge, so my body didn’t burst under the palm. I jumped up and stood on the chimera’s shoulder. Its neck wasn’t covered in ice armor yet. If I slashed at it with my sword, it would be easy to cut through.

Saa—

The sword of judgment that he swung sharply cut through the cold northern air.

It would have cut off his head.

If I hadn’t heard Chimera’s voice at that moment.

“… … Nadia.”

Chimera spoke.

And it wasn’t just babbling.

Chimera called Nadia’s name with great precision and clarity.

After hearing that, I immediately stopped trying to cut off Chimera’s head and retreated towards the group.

Then I asked Nadia.

“Did you just hear… …?”

“It… It was Dennis’s voice!!”

When I heard Nadia’s words, I felt like I had been hit in the back of the head.

‘Why did Chimera call Nadia with Dennis’s voice?’

While I was so shocked, Chimera slammed down on us with her ice-covered forearm.

Boom!

Since Dionych was frozen behind me, I couldn’t dodge this time.

If I dodge, Dionych would have been shattered into a pillar of ice.

So I raised my sword to block, and a shock that felt like my bones would shatter was applied to my body.

“… …!”

Blood gushed out from my throat as if I had suffered an internal injury.

In the meantime, Nadia, who had difficulty coming to her senses after hearing Dennis’s voice, just stood there, stunned.

“Nadia! Come to your senses!”

When I shouted that, Nadia finally came to her senses and activated her skill.

The skill she activated seemed to be called ‘Ice Chain’.

Thick ice chains that rose from the ground began to wrap around the chimera’s entire body.

Keuuuuu!!

The chimera bound in the chains roared and struggled to break them.

Fortunately, the soldiers I summoned were holding off the ice golems well.

I took advantage of the brief gap I had and spoke to Nadia.

“Nadia… … . That chimera… … .”

“… … .”

Even though I was the first to speak, I had difficulty opening my mouth.

It wasn’t just because of my internal injury.

I knew how much of a shock I was about to give Nadia.

But I couldn’t help but say it, so I ended up moving my lips.

“That chimera started appearing after Dennis went missing, right?”

“… … Yes.”

“Maybe Dennis wasn’t just missing.”

After saying that, I took out an advanced potion from my inventory and drank it.

Then I continued.

“That chimera might be Dennis.”

“… … .”

“There’s a criminal we’re chasing. He can control or combine animals to create chimeras.”

“… … .”

“I think he mixed Dennis with other animals using that skill to create that chimera.”

Nadia seemed to be in shock, so she couldn’t answer.

I told her something that might give her a little hope.

“If it was synthesized with a curse-type skill, I might be able to fix it. I have a curse-removing skill. If not, it might not return to normal.”

“Your Majesty, if you use the curse removal skill, there is a chance that it will return to its original state?”

“Yes. I can’t guarantee it.”

Only then did Nadia seem to come to her senses.

She spoke to me with a slightly calmer face.

“I will somehow bind it with the power of my skill. Please use the curse removal skill on Dennis right now.”

“Good.”

My internal injuries had almost healed with the advanced potion.

I leaped toward the chimera, which was still struggling while bound.

Bam!

With one leap, I was on top of the chimera’s shoulder.

The guy was still tied up in Nadia’s ice chains and couldn’t move.

I quickly activated the Sacred Pact skill before Nadia’s skill was released.

Saaaaa—

A bright golden circle spread out beneath my feet, and I reached out and touched the chimera’s shoulder.

If this was a chimera created with the ‘curse skill,’ I could save Dennis like I had saved the people who had turned into animals before.

However.

[The target is not purifiable.]

A short message appeared.

I swallowed the dizzying despair and touched the chimera again.

[The target is not purifiable.]

The message that appeared did not change.

I gritted my teeth and swallowed my despair.

‘This isn’t a chimera created with a curse skill?’

It seemed like it wasn’t just people who had been turned into animals like the previous circus incident, but chimeras created by turning people into animals and then synthesizing them with other animals, so it wouldn’t be easy to turn them back.

‘Then how on earth do I turn them back to how they were? If this is how I find and kill that bastard Micheln, Dennis will still be the same…?’

That’s when I heard Nadia’s urgent shout.

“Your Majesty!! Get out of here!!”

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard Nadia’s shout and realized the situation belatedly.

The chimera turned its head and looked at me, and at the same time, its large mouth was open.

The chimera let out a roar.

“… …!!”

It was a roar so loud it was deafening.

However, the effect of that roar was not just deafening. Damn

it-

My body froze as soon as I heard the roar.

Slowly, from the upper body, to the arms, chest, and legs, a light frost began to form.

‘Damn, it was a skill.’

It wasn’t a simple roar.

I had heard one of the skills that the Chimera possessed, ‘Cold Roar.’

It seemed to be a skill that would freeze you if you heard the roar up close, and I soon fell to the ground like a well-frozen fish.

“Your Majesty!!”

My body fell into the snow field amidst Nadia’s shout.

Thanks to the thick layer of snow on the ground, I wasn’t injured from the fall.

However―

‘My entire body is frozen. I can’t move a single finger… … .’

I couldn’t move my body.

The Chimera ignored me as I fell behind it and struggled with all its might.

Crunch―

The ice chains Nadia had created eventually broke as a result of her struggles.

The Chimera, free from its restraints, then approached Nadia with thumping steps.

Since Dionik and I were already frozen and couldn’t move, it seemed that Nadia, who was still fine, had caught the chimera’s attention.

“De… Denis… … .”

Nadia didn’t run away.

No, it seemed like she couldn’t run away. She was

just trembling in fear and calling Denis’s name.

“Run… away… … .”

I wanted to shout loudly for him to run away, but my voice wouldn’t come out well.

As expected, Nadia didn’t seem to hear my voice, and now faced Denis, who had become a chimera.

“Denis, it’s… Nadia… … . Do you recognize me?”

“… … .”

“You were surprised to see me like that, right? Calm down for now. His Majesty promised to return you to your original self… … .”

Nadia seemed to think that the chimera still had Denis’s consciousness.

She was trying to convince the chimera.

But I could sense it. The chimera calling Nadia’s name earlier was nothing more than a coincidence.

If he had been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have attacked us in the first place.

‘No, he’s probably lost his Dennis self a long time ago. We need to get him out of here quickly… ‘

I forced my voice again.

“Nadia… That’s not Dennis anymore… Run away…!”