Chapter 70 – Demon Castle (4)

He felt an immense amount of water pressure. The group hurriedly backed away, but the stream of water clung to their bodies as if it were a magnet. Moreover, instead of pushing them away, it dragged them inside the door. Fuck. What is this? A spell? Velloc spat out the water in his mouth and lowered his head.

The crest armor was emitting light and sparking, but it could not overcome the wave itself. No matter how great the relic was, it seemed there was a limit. Fucked up. The water that had risen to his neck encroached upon his vision. The water droplets seeping into the gaps between his retina and his armor were sticky and pitch black.

‘Is it a swamp or something?’

“Aaaaargh!”

“Fuck! What is this! Lord Velloc!”

“Everyone calm down! First, breathe in and protect your head…”

Before he could even open his mouth, a whirlpool from below and a massive wave from above engulfed the group. Velloc tightened his grip on the hand holding the sword. The blade screeched, and the palm inside his gauntlet was torn. However, thanks to that, he was barely able to save his fingernails from the rushing disaster. After that, quite tiring situations followed.

He rolled here and there, like a shipwrecked sailor. He drank water until his stomach filled up, and slammed his body against rocks or broken buildings. His spinning vision and the surrounding sound rumbled like thunder were bonus.

An ordinary person would have lost consciousness long ago and left their body to the waves. However, Velloc’s mind and body rejected it. The will of a warrior who had undergone countless hardships would not be broken by something like this.

Chwaaaaak

The greatsword, cutting through the water pressure, shattered the stone wall. Soon, using it as a support to resist the current, Velloc leaped onto the stone wall. His body was heavier than usual, and his ears were muffled. As if to prove this, water trickled through the gaps of his armor. Coughing and spitting out what was inside him, he looked around.

Elongated stalactites were densely packed on the ceiling, and pitch-black water filled the space below. Here and there on the water were half-destroyed statues or buildings. It looked as if a city that had been submerged in the sea had popped out.

The place where he stood was also one of those buildings. Fuck. What kind of place is this. Velloc cursed internally and took off his helmet. After running his hand through his hair, he tapped his ears. A warm liquid trickled down, and his muffled hearing returned to normal.

“Phew.”

He took a deep breath and stood up. He firmly gripped the sword with his right hand. There was no time to delay. He had to find his scattered companions. They might be resting on a building like him after overcoming the current, but they could still be drifting.

They were all friends who had followed him here, looking only at him. A woman who had gone from a squire to a paladin serving God, a mage who had almost been burned at the stake as a witch, and an elf who had been in despair after losing her comrades. Even when he acted out of desperation to return home and did ridiculous things, they were friends who always backed him up.

They were also some of the few people he could trust in this fucked up world, possessing their own beliefs and loyalty.

“Wait for me.”

Velloc muttered briefly and stepped forward. The moss-covered stone floor shook violently, and the building stuck in the water wobbled, but he did not care. Velloc dashed into the darkness where he couldn’t see a single step ahead without hesitation.

He jumped over a few buildings and was running along a sandy shore where silt had accumulated. His eyes widened. A person was lying stretched out on the mud, half-submerged in the water. A slender white wrist and red hair curly like seaweed. It was Cara.

“Cara! Are you alright?!”

Velloc rushed over and examined her body. Soon, he scowled deeply. She must have hit rocks while drifting, as her forehead and the hem of her robe were full of blood. Moreover… the crystal staff that should have been in her hand was impaled in her stomach. Her breathing was growing weaker. The pitch-black water was stained dark red with the blood flowing from her body.

Seeing his companion in tatters, Velloc grit his teeth. Unlike the warriors armed in armor, she, a mage, only wore a robe over cloth clothes. Thus, the wounds she received must have been greater. Damn, once this matter is over, I’ll have to get her some leather armor to wear. I should make her do some physical training too. Velloc carefully moved his hands and lifted her up. Soon, he laid her down on a flat spot slightly away from the water.

“What a state you are in.”

Velloc muttered, taking off his gauntlets as he looked down at Cara. Soon, he rummaged through his bag, took out a canteen and a potion, and washed his hands covered in sandy dust. Judging by the position, the wound in her abdomen was definitely fatal. If he pulled out the staff, not to mention organ damage, her intestines would spill out. However, he had healing potions. If he treated it well, she would live. Velloc felt a bit heavy-hearted.

It was the first time. Since their journey began, he had never seen any of his companions get injured so severely. Is Adel safe? What about Isabel? If things went wrong and the two of them were also severely injured or dead… Velloc shook his head, throwing away his thoughts. Soon, he pulled aside her robe and tore her blood-stained shirt. He saw the cold foreign object lodged in her white flesh. Velloc lightly gripped the staff and pulled it out at once.

“Cough.”

Her body convulsed, and blood sprayed from Cara’s mouth. Her delicate belly also wriggled, spewing out organs. Velloc hurriedly blocked the protruding intestines. Soon, moving only his fingers gently, he pushed them back in and poured the potion over the wound. Steam sizzled up and bubbles boiled. The wound on the affected area healed in an instant as if it had never been punctured.

Truly amazing performance. Or, it’s because you made it so well. Leaving the smell of blood and strawberries piercing his nose behind, he poured the potion over the wounds all over Cara’s body. The external wounds all healed. However, she still did not regain consciousness. Is it due to internal injuries? It seems he has to feed her the rest.

Recalling that Cara had fallen into the water and was unconscious, he let out a hollow laugh. Ha. This is how it goes. I felt it would be useless, but it was good that I learned it. There was no time to hesitate. Even now, the flame of life was fading.

Velloc lifted her chin to secure the airway and breathed in. Soon, controlling the force of both hands, he slowly compressed Cara’s chest. The hands that always broke things were now being used to save someone. It wasn’t a bad feeling.

Her body shook ceaselessly. How long did he repeat artificial respiration and CPR? Finally, a response appeared.

“Cough, ugh!”

Cara spat out water. Soon, she began to cough violently. Velloc stroked her back and patted it.

“Cara! You have to breathe! Inhale deeply!”

Cara coughed with her eyes closed, then began to exhale panting breaths. Soon, her eyelids trembled. Her blurry brown eyes met his black eyes. Her pupils shook violently.

“Velloc… you…”

“Drink this first.”

Ignoring Cara’s words, Velloc pushed the remaining potion into her mouth. Unlike his words, the hand supporting her chin and the speed of tilting the bottle were quite gentle. Cara drank the remaining potion with her eyes squinted. Vitality returned to her pale skin. Her parched lips also became moist and glossy. She rolled her eyes slightly and glanced at Velloc. Soon, after catching her breath, she uttered a word.

“It hurts. It stings… and burns.”

Hearing her groan, it seemed her condition had mostly improved. Has she passed the crisis? Velloc smiled slightly and touched her forehead. Her hair and body were wet. It also smelled strange. However, because it was filled with the warmth of the living, he felt a sense of relief.

As his calloused hand stroked her face, Cara’s face became the same color as her hair. Covering her eyes with one arm, she gave Velloc a light tap.

“Help me up. We have to find Adel and Isabel.”

“Sure.”

At that moment, Velloc’s eyebrows twitched. As he turned his head, Cara asked,

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It seems uninvited guests have arrived. No, are we the uninvited guests to them?”

Velloc’s eyes scanned the lake submerged in darkness. Dozens of bubbles were boiling up. Soon, the owners of the bubbles slithered up. Hair falling out in patches along with the scalp, hollow eye sockets. And bloated, heavily swollen bodies.

Hmm. A bit disgusting. Looking at the drowned corpses approaching while dripping black water, Velloc frowned. As the squelching sound grew louder, the waves violently tossed. This caused circular ripples, and dozens of ripples soon became a wave of monsters.

“It seems the place we fell into was their bathwater.”

“What should we do…? I don’t think I can use spells right now. I’ll only be a burden to you…”

Cara murmured. The creatures were now stepping on the sandy beach, drawing closer. Along with the smell of water, a disgusting stench of rot vibrated. Velloc looked at the monsters and the patient briefly, then carried her on his back.

“Haa…”

She groaned at the coldness touching her abdomen. Velloc spoke, supporting his sword with one hand and Cara’s bottom with the other.

“Bear with it for a bit. Once I lose those guys, I will serve you very comfortably.”

“You are really…”

Cara was about to say something, but burst into laughter. Soon, wrapping her arms around Velloc’s neck, she muttered,

“If Adel saw us like this right now, she might try to eat me alive. This time, instead of my buttocks, I’ll get slapped on the cheek. What should I do then?”

Her voice was trembling, and the nuance seemed to expect some answer. However, Velloc only muttered that they were leaving and gave no answer. He could not give the answer she wanted. Because he was a stranger. Because he had to leave this place someday and return to his hometown. Cara let out a shallow breath. Soon, she only hugged Velloc’s neck even tighter.

#

Uwoooargh

A drowned corpse mumbled and vomited what was inside. Velloc tilted his body slightly to dodge, then struck it with the flat of his blade. The corpse tumbled backward with a groan and rolled on the ground.

It was a weakling. However, the problem lay elsewhere. As its body bloated further, he held his sword like a shield. A moment later, with a bang, bone fragments and organs battered his blade.

Tricky. Velloc let out a sigh and kicked a drowned corpse that was stretching out its arms from behind. Just as he felt the squishy flesh, that creature also exploded, clutching its belly. He muttered,

“They are walking bombs. Bad compatibility with a swordsman.”

“Hold on, I’ll use a spell… Ugh.”

“Stop, don’t overdo it. If the wound in your belly opens up once more, your life cannot be guaranteed.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Carrying Cara on his back, Velloc kept swinging his sword with one hand. The drowned corpses surrounding them were blown away, crashing into the water. The water surface tossed once again, and the water became even blacker. However, inside it, bloated monsters kept appearing. The reason the two of them could not break out from them was simple. There were few places to step, and the water was already the monsters’ domain.

It was a rather daunting situation for a swordsman who could only use one hand and a mage who could not cast spells. Making an aquarium in their dwelling, they must have money to burn. Just as he stepped on the sand and blew off the head of one creature, several light beams flew from within the water. He deflected a few with his sword and blocked a few with his armor. Fuck, what now.

Just as he braced himself. Slicing through the water spray, new monsters revealed themselves. Mazy-looking transparent corneas, flapping gills, and flashing scales. Cara said in a dismayed tone,

“It’s fishmen. The cursed kin of the deep sea, and greedy fish-heads. Why are creatures that should only be seen on the coast…?”

Kki-ru-ru-ruk!

Was it excitement over prey appearing after a long time? The creatures bared themselves halfway on the water, screaming excitedly. Then, pulling out extra spears, they gestured as if to throw them. In front of those fish monsters, drowned corpses stood blocking like a wall. The strength of Velloc’s hand gripping the sword grew even stronger. He was starting to feel annoyed by this fucked up trap and environment.

There was also worry about his companions whom he had not found yet, and anger about creating a brainless swordsman character instead of a mage or archer. The thought that swordsmanship, this ability he had accumulated, seemed futile crossed his mind.

Cara also bit her lip hard, perhaps because she thought she was holding Velloc back. If they stayed like this, both would die. In that case, I’d rather…

“Velloc. Just abandon me and…”

“Stop. How did I save you, only for you to tell me to let you die? Nonsense.”

“But…”

Velloc bared his teeth and raised his sword. His pitch-black eyes shone ferociously in the darkness. A good idea came to mind. It was a tactics he thought was brilliant himself. It was also a simple operation. He faced the murky darkness surrounding them and the malice felt from the monsters head-on. He said,

“We just have to kill them all. If you kill one and then another, it becomes two. After that, it will be three. In the end, it will be hundreds.”

“That’s reckless! No matter how strong you are…”

“No, it’s just what I’ve always done. And the ones standing until the end will be us.”

Velloc answered in a nonchalant voice. However, within it was filled with a warrior’s anger that could not be held back.

Kk-eeeeek!

The monsters charge. Murky poison and flashing spear tips also fly. Velloc let out a roar. Then, he began to swing the sword in his hand like crazy.

A blurry trajectory raged like a storm.