Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 143 - C-Rank Labyrinth – South Continent Expedition (4)

Chapter 143 — C-Rank Labyrinth – South Continent Expedition (4)

 

Inside Solmiran’s Hammer. The expedition members’ living quarters.

“Expedition members, assemble on deck!!”

Suddenly, Expedition Leader Brinya’s booming voice echoed throughout the ship. The expedition members, who had been sprawled across hammocks or lying on the floor, jolted upright in surprise.

“…What?”

“Did a monster appear?”

They hesitated for only a moment before hurriedly preparing to head to the deck.

“We’ve been called.”

Pendrick immediately stood and looked around at his companions. Everyone was already fully prepared. Veldora, the heir apparent to the Nunun Bear Love Guild, spoke gravely.

“According to Golden Crow’s plan, the moment the expedition leader gathers everyone is when the next phase of the strategy begins, right?”

“That’s right.”

Unwrapping the bandages around both hands, Bartimir slammed together his two fists, which moved of their own accord due to the curse [Sinister Eye Ground].

“And then we’re supposed to beat every sailor into the ground.”

The second phase of Karr’s strategy for conquering [South Continent Expedition].

Knock down every sailor you see.

“Simple. I like it.”

Holding throwing daggers in both hands, Tilda grinned mischievously. Bartimir mirrored her smile.

“Everyone, calm down!”

Just then, a sailor appeared and blocked the expedition members from heading to the deck.

“Ever since Expedition Leader Brinya sighted a sea monster, he’s been showing signs of delirium! The monster has already been defeated, so please remain inside the ship without worry!”

His pronunciation was exceptionally clear. The handsome sailor spoke so persuasively that the expedition members began murmuring among themselves.

“The leader went crazy?”

“Dwarves have incredibly strong minds. They don’t go insane easily.”

“But the sailor has no reason to lie to us either… does he?”

Since they were all capable adventurers, they didn’t immediately swallow the hastily fabricated excuse. But none of them knew what was happening outside.

Just as they stood there hesitating…

BOOOOM!!

A dark green aura suddenly flew through the air and smashed directly into the sailor’s face.

“Ghk…!”

His handsome face was utterly ruined as he collapsed backward.

“And just where do you think you’re wagging that tongue? You disgusting bastard.”

Bartimir tossed his white sailor’s cap onto the floor and charged forward.

“What do you think you’re–”

A sailor trying to protest the surprise attack took a kick squarely to the face.

“I’m going toooo!”

“Don’t be reckless.”

Tilda’s throwing dagger buried itself in another sailor’s forehead, while arrows fired by Lael, the Wood Elf ranger from the Nunun Bear Love Guild, pierced other enemies.

The battle had begun without warning. Pendrick addressed the expedition members who still hesitated.

“Everyone. The captain is a cultist serving the Loathsome Lord of the Abyss. He’s planning to sacrifice us to a fallen divine beast. The sailors are working for him. And our expedition leader simply doesn’t know much about the world, so he was deceived.”

“……”

It was an admittedly sudden revelation. But after only a brief moment… the expedition members erupted in outrage.

“I knew something felt suspicious!”

“I had a bad feeling about this!”

“If Pendrick says so, it must be true!”

Possessing the kind of sociability that let him befriend anyone within five minutes… Pendrick had already become close friends with every single expedition member.

In less than a day since departure, he hadn’t merely befriended everyone… they trusted everything he said without question.

“Let’s all work together and help the expedition leader!”

Pendrick raised Astrimia high into the air. The expedition members answered enthusiastically.

“Let’s go!”

“We’re not falling into the ocean before even reaching the Southern Continent!”

“We’re counting on you, Pendrick!”

As the expedition members revealed their hostility, the sailors finally dropped all pretense and charged as well.

“For the Deep One!”

“Just kill them all!”

Followers of Nadeu’saf Versus the expedition members who had passed rigorous interviews and practical examinations.

Naturally, the latter held the advantage.

Thrust!

A beastkin knight’s spear pierced straight through the chest of a muscular sailor.

Slash!

An elf shaman’s spirit decapitated a sailor whose back sprouted insect wings.

“Want to bet who knocks down more?”

“Obviously I’ll win.”

Bartimir and Tilda rampaged through the battlefield, gleefully knocking down enemies one after another.

“Expedition members!”

Riding atop the shoulders of the large monster-warrior from the Nunun Bear Love Guild,

Veldora waved both arms energetically.

“Let’s fight our way through the sailors and head to the deck to assist the expedition leader!”

“Who made you the boss?”

“You’re tiny.”

“……”

Veldora looked down at Pendrick.

“I was actually thinking exactly the same thing.”

“Really? Then let’s stay alert and move carefully!”

“……”

Momentarily dejected, Veldora quickly regained her composure like the veteran adventurer she was.

“The enemy has quite a few Blood Warriors. If we’re careless, they’ll overwhelm us.”

Blood Warriors. A class that seeped into the souls of those who had grown alongside bloodshed and slaughter.

All of them shared Mysteries that strengthened their bodies by absorbing blood. Furthermore, they became stronger every time one of their comrades died, making them particularly troublesome opponents.

“So we’ll fight them after strengthening ourselves first.”

Receiving Veldora’s glance, Lucius blessed the expedition members.

Three Mysteries that enhanced physical abilities. Two Mysteries that sharpened the senses.

Though they seemed minor, in battles between experts, they could prove decisive.

“Now let’s go! Tilda! Sir Bartimir! You two break through the front!”

“Got it!”

“Alright!”

The demon and the human charged together, noisily leading the assault. The other expedition members followed behind. Having already defeated five enemies in this battle, Marlin walked near the rear while concentrating her hearing.

“……”

Every voice echoing throughout the ship and the deck flowed into [Heaven Ear]. Following the method Seraphina had taught her, she focused until she isolated Karr’s familiar voice from the swirling chaos.

“Marlin. Can you hear the captain?”

“…Yes.”

“What did he say? ‘Ahahahaha! Another ten minutes! Ahaha, hahahaha!’…That’s what he said.”

“……”

Pendrick awkwardly smiled while absentmindedly stroking Astrimia’s blade.

“Looks like he’s fighting with everything he’s got.”

 

***

 

Cephalopods are the noblest creatures in the sea.

Smooth skin. Flexible bodies. Countless legs adorably wriggling like tentacles.

Surely, in the paradise where the God of Great Seas and Purification resides, cephalopod angels swam about softly.

CRAAACK!

Legs coated in foul-smelling slime wrapped around my limbs and crushed them with all their might.

My neck bent sideways. My waist arched backward. My legs folded forward.

“Ahahahaha!”

Blood burst from my mouth. Bright crimson sprayed from my torn skin and split flesh. Not a single bone in my body remained intact. Even with [Veil That Defers Wounds] and [Ghoul Mobility], the accumulated impact had become impossible to endure.

[Remaining Vitality: 15/100]

[That’s enough enjoying yourself! Start fighting already!]

Enjoying myself? What an outrageous slander.

I’m merely offering positive emotions to His Majesty the Demon King. This ordeal crushed my entire body. This joyous pain would make the eventual conquest of the dungeon shine all the brighter.

“Hah… ahahaha!”

Through [Soul Bond], a portion of the Demon King’s will flowed into me.

“An exquisite delicacy indeed! Was exploring dungeons this enjoyable? I should try it myself someday.”

He seemed extremely satisfied. This much should suffice for my duties as Grand Duke.

Crack!

While imagining how pleased His Majesty must be, my spine bent into another impossible angle.

[Please! >:(]

“Alright, alright.”

To think I had to hurt such an utterly lovable Kraken. It pained my heart. But love between enemies was always destined to end in tragedy.

“Lord Kraken… I’m sorry.”

Stretching out my trembling hands beyond the sticky legs wrapped around me, I invoked the Mystery Lidni had bestowed upon me after the sacrificial ritual in [Trial Sewer].

Clank!

A pair of shabby handcuffs materialized from thin air and locked themselves around my wrists.

[Demon Suppressor]. A masterpiece-grade item that absorbed a portion of the murderous aura accumulating inside the wearer.

Using the Fourth-Tier Mystery of Twisted Truth, [Treasures That Cross Space], I skipped the intermediate steps and directly equipped an item I already owned.

“Lord Lriria, I shall prove with my own body how magnificent your divinity truly is.”

Then I activated [Life · Reverse · Cycle.].

A Mystery that amplified the Vitality stat in exchange for filling the body with a demonic aura… an aura that would transform one into an undead after ten stacks.

Crack-crack!

My twisted bones instantly returned to their proper places. My torn muscles and skin regenerated in moments. A miraculous regenerative ability.

Kweeeeeh!!

Perhaps sensing something ominous, the adorable Kraken tightened its grip even harder. Not to be outdone, I repeatedly activated [Life · Reverse · Cycle], continually restoring my body.

[[Life · Reverse · Cycle.] has reached Tier 2!]

[No… its tier rose again, reaching Tier 3!]

[Absolutely not, congratulations! — [Life · Reverse · Cycle.] has leapt all the way to Tier 4!]

The advancement condition for [Life · Reverse · Cycle] was for one’s vitality to fall to the brink of death before recovering.

Thanks to my beloved cephalopod Kraken, the Mystery of the Silent One was growing at astonishing speed.

Twitch.

Lord Lriria was pleased as well.

The serpent tattoo serving as His terminal swayed its head while observing the murderous aura piling up at frightening speed around the handcuffs on my wrists.

[Now!]

At Truthy’s signal, I activated my trump card.

Whoooooosh!

A freezing wind erupted around my body.

[Wicked Freezing Gale]… the Mystery that converted demonic aura into an icy storm.

Crack-crack-crack!

The legs wrapped around me froze solid in an instant. It was an unbelievable power of wind emitted by a mere cultist.

[:O]

Kweeeeegh!

“From this moment onward… I must make you suffer.”

In the game, when afflicted with Enchanted, one couldn’t attack the object of one’s affection… nor move away from them.

I hadn’t understood it back then. I still didn’t understand it now.

Crackle!

I shattered the frozen sections with black lightning. Lord Kraken screamed and wrapped even more legs around me.

“Please don’t resist. I wish to cause you as little pain as possible.”

Using the combination of [Life · Reverse · Cycle] and [Wicked Freezing Gale],

I froze and shattered every leg restraining me, slowly making my way toward the Kraken’s head.

“Lord Kraken. My Lord Kraken.”

Whoooooosh!!

“I truly love you.”

CRAAAAACK!!

“Which is why… I want to possess every part of you.”

[Remaining Vitality: 200/200]

“I want to claim your soul.”

I landed atop the Kraken’s lovely head. Unable to resist, I threw myself flat against it, feeling its smooth skin with my entire body.

Kweeeeegh!

“But I knew you would never understand my words and peacefully stay by my side. So I have no other choice.”

Love is the heartfelt desire for two people to cherish and adore one another.

But what if… the other person’s heart never connected to yours?

Then… surely the only remaining option was to forcibly connect it… and make it yours.

Crackle!

Transforming only my right arm into lightning, I thrust it into a point just below the center of that beautiful head.

Then… using [The Hand That Grasps the World], telekinesis… I pulled at the Kraken’s core.

KWEEEEEEEEGH!!

The Kraken writhed violently, screaming in agony. My heart ached. 

Even so, I steeled myself, pouring every ounce of concentration into my telekinesis.

Rip!

At last, piercing through the Kraken’s skull, a lump of deep blue… as dark as the abyss… was pulled free.

A Soul Stone. The jewel dwelling within every divine beast, containing both divine power and its soul.

“At last… You are in my hands.”

Standing atop the Kraken’s body, which had begun to go limp, I embraced the Soul Stone.

“Now… You’re never going anywhere again.”

Lord Kraken and I would remain together from this day forward. Forever.

 

(TL Note: I think he might’ve actually gone off the deep end…)