Chapter 40 : “The Second Sword, Polique (2)”

A den of monsters formed by a special magical rift.

Among them, the “origin site” is a place with a unique structure.

The topographical features of the den and various magical phenomena are all interwoven, and explorers face numerous dangers, often called “traps.”

The enemies that appear are no exception.

Far stronger monsters than usual emerge, and sometimes, even magical beasts make an appearance.

The “origin site” encompasses all the hazardous elements of the den, so to fully conquer the area, it must be thoroughly explored.

Fwaaash—.

Ka, ahhh!

As soon as we reached the origin site, a chilling energy engulfed us.

A foul stench that seemed to fill the surroundings.

Bone-chilling shrieks.

And an oddly familiar magical energy.

Amid the overlapping similarities in the landscape, I quickly identified its essence.

“…Lahara.”

A form strikingly similar to the Rank 2 magical beast “Swamp Lahara,” which we had hunted before, appeared before us.

It wasn’t just one.

Two Laharas were encircling us, drawing closer.

Another magical beast of the same type as one we had already hunted.

The tension I had maintained since entering felt somewhat futile at that moment.

It was a rather predictable outcome, yet so obvious that I hadn’t anticipated it.

“Or perhaps, this might have been the original habitat of that creature.”

It was possible that the Swamp Lahara’s natural dwelling had been this origin site all along.

A magical beast’s “escape.”

That peculiar phenomenon, now a reality, was no longer a rarity.

Of course, having more than three magical beasts in a single origin site was unusual, but it wasn’t unprecedented.

“Sir Edgar, both are Rank 2 Laharas.”

“…Ray, can you see their forms clearly?”

“<Magical Sight> is typically a fortuitous trait for archer heroes, but I thought it would be useful and acquired it myself.”

The common archer hero’s trait, <Magical Sight>.

Despite its grandiose name, it merely focuses magic power to the eyes to an extreme degree.

This allows for more detailed observation of distant objects and enables detection of forms hidden within terrain or cloaking.

Although its performance falls short of traits like <Farsight> or <Insight>, it has high versatility and proves surprisingly useful in party-based explorations.

Without dragging out her explanation, Ray began speaking promptly.

“The magical beast approaching from the left is the ‘Black Hide Lahara.’ It is extremely fast and possesses monstrous strength. Its abilities are centered on physical enhancement, so it likely lacks special magical attacks. The one on the right is the ‘Pond Lahara.’ It is the opposite of the former. It specializes in water-attribute magic and uses tricky attacks, so be cautious.”

“……”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Ray, though akin to a walking encyclopedia, had such an in-depth knowledge of these unique magical beasts.

It was impressive to uncover this information in advance, but memorizing it all was even more remarkable.

Thanks to her, I now had a clear grasp of the beasts before us.

“The Swamp Lahara must have been a midpoint between these two.”

“Exactly.”

The Black Hide was physically superior to the Swamp Lahara.

The Pond was more advanced in magical prowess.

That was the final conclusion.

Based on this, a hunting strategy began to take shape in my mind.

First, engage the Black Hide as quickly as possible, then focus on evading the Pond’s magic to minimize damage…

“Instructor! Then I’ll take on the Pond!”

“…What?”

I stupidly repeated Lys’s unexpected declaration.

She looked at me with unwavering determination.

“I’m confident in a magical duel. I’ll keep it occupied, so you deal with that Black Hide, alright?”

“……”

Was she no longer bothering to hide her intentions?

When I gave her a baffled look, Ray chimed in.

“Then I’ll assist her.”

“Ray, the opponent is a Rank 2 magical beast.”

“Finishing it might be difficult, but I can at least hold it at bay.”

In that moment, a realization dawned upon me.

Rank 2 magical beasts require a party of third-tier heroes to take down.

Even to simply restrain one, a hero must be at least third-tier.

And that meant Ray was indirectly revealing herself to be a third-tier hero or higher.

I chuckled as I looked at her.

“So you’re only telling me this now?”

“…Apologies for taking so long.”

“It’s fine as long as you’re saying it now.”

The roles were set.

To be honest, this arrangement was more convenient for me.

While I could use the <Velum Swordsmanship> to handle both beasts simultaneously, focusing entirely on a single target was far more efficient.

The plan was to defeat one as swiftly as possible and then move straight to the next.

Nodding at their proposal, I unsheathed my sword.

“Then, stay safe, Ray.”

“…Understood.”

“Instructor! I’ll stay safe too!”

The battle proceeded smoothly.

Magical beasts relying on physical strength to engage in close combat are undoubtedly formidable but pose little threat to me.

The reason is simple.

My physical abilities far surpass theirs, and my primary technique, <Velum Swordsmanship>, is designed to crush foes through sheer physical superiority.

Special techniques like <Falling Leaf Step> are born from reaching the pinnacle of such skills.

“Of course, higher-tier magical beasts would be more challenging…”

That doesn’t mean I can overwhelm every magical beast as I am now.

Having not fully regained my pre-return physical condition, I’m aware there are countless magical beasts on this continent with immense power.

Even a Rank 3 magical beast would require my utmost focus.

“Still, I’ve found a way.”

A method to bridge the gap has appeared.

The inevitable skill tied to the <Beast Tracker>, <Mana Stone Absorption>.

Upon absorption, it enhances physical capabilities and increases magical reserves—a very unique ability.

For a first-tier inevitability, its performance is exceptionally high, but thanks to this skill, I found my path.

By consistently using <Mana Stone Absorption>, I can restore my pre-return physical state and potentially attain power beyond it.

For instance, the Rank 2 mana stone I acquired after hunting the “Swamp Lahara” last time.

Just by absorbing it, I experienced substantial physical enhancement.

Kaaah—!!

“That ear-splitting scream never changes.”

With such a superior physical advantage, the “Black Hide Lahara” easily yielded its hide to me.

There wasn’t even a need to use <Falling Leaf Step>.

I relied solely on the basic techniques of <Velum Swordsmanship>, slashing through its body.

First, its back.

Then, its belly.

Next was its tail.

And when I returned, it was back to its belly and back.

Kakaaak—?!

Its long body was meticulously sliced apart as if sculpting it.

Every opening for a counterattack was met with a precise thrust, leaving it no chance to recover.

The “Black Hide Lahara,” which had moved violently at first, was soon flailing like a fish out of water.

And finally.

As always, the finishing blow.

“The eyes will do nicely.”

Kaaahhh—!!

With an ear-piercing scream, the magical beast met its end in a spectacular fashion.

Just as with the previous hunt, I finished it by striking its eye.

It may seem cruel, but it’s the cleanest way to hunt.

No, there’s nothing cruel about hunting magical beasts in the first place.

These creatures kill humans as effortlessly as swatting insects.

Unfazed, I shifted my gaze from the beast’s corpse to the other side.

Toward the “Pond Lahara” that Ray and Lys promised to keep restrained.

…But.

“What on earth happened here?”

Kaa, ahhh—.

The magical beast was already collapsing in a weakened state.

The overwhelming water-attribute magic that once filled the area was gone, as was the concentrated mana saturating the origin site.

In front of it stood Ray and Lys.

Or rather, Ray, who appeared as baffled as I was, was staring at Lys.

With the simultaneous defeat of two Rank 2 magical beasts, the origin site conquest was complete.

Fortunately, there were no traps in the vicinity, nor were there any remaining monsters.

It seemed the two beasts, along with the Swamp Lahara, made up the totality of the “Blue Marshlands” origin site.

And then.

“Lys, I understand now that you’re no ordinary student of the swordsmanship department.

I’ve suspected it for a while, and you don’t seem to have any intention of hiding it.

But why did you bring us here, and what is your true identity?

I think it’s time you told us.”

We were pressing Lys for answers.

Despite Ray, a third-tier assassin hero, assisting her, Lys had nearly single-handedly taken down a Rank 2 magical beast.

We wanted to uncover her true identity.

But Lys’s expression was strange.

She seemed utterly unconcerned by our interrogation, instead looking anxiously into the distance.

“Instructor, I’ll tell you everything later.

But can we find Polique first?”

“…What?”

“I’ll explain everything!

But first, let’s claim the origin site reward.

I need to see if you, Instructor, can wield Polique—or rather, if you can even use the inevitability embedded in it!

I’m just so curious.”

Her outlandish words made me chuckle in disbelief.

Should I call her impulsive or just pure-hearted?

Either way, we decided to go along with her request.

After all, the very reason she introduced us to this “Blue Marshlands” was because of the special sacred sword, <Polique>.

Since the origin site was compact, we were able to locate the loot fairly quickly.

“Sir Edgar, I believe this is the sword.”

“Oh! Yes! That’s it, Assistant Instructor! That’s the one!”

A sharp, long blade with a handle adorned in intricate decorations.

Embedded near the hilt was a large blue gem.

While it bore similarities to Galid, its distinctiveness was unmistakable.

It was clear that this was the sacred sword Lys had been searching for—<Polique>.

I nodded lightly and approached, slowly wrapping my hand around its hilt.

And then.

「The shadow of inevitability approaches!」

「You are a hero who possesses the inevitability <Resonating Sword Strike>!」

「You can temporarily utilize the inevitability <Whirlpool of the Sword’s Eye> embedded in the ancient maritime kingdom’s sacred sword, <Polique>.」

Lys’s imagination had turned into reality.