Volume 2 Chapter 14 Plant Research Area, Variant Trooper (2️⃣)
I could only understand that things had gotten bad.
"Torches! Light them all up!"
The squad led by Knight Gaston and Sofia turned back from the end of the corridor.
As Gaston raised his torch while shouting orders, countless creeping vines retreated to the walls.
"I had no report of such a monster existing!"
Sofia, standing back to back with Gaston, slashed at the vines with her sword.
"It's probably a variant of the Roper. It seems weak to fire as well. Could it be that the underground garden waking up has stirred it from its dormant state? The corridor getting bright backfired on us..."
As torches lit up everywhere, the vines began to retreat as if fleeing from the flames.
What we thought were plants were actually the tentacles of a giant monster called the Roper.
"Did we manage to pull it off somehow?"
"Wait, something feels off."
The Roper's tentacles, which had covered the corridor, suddenly clustered together, completely blocking the path to the entrance area.
The writhing vines──a wall formed from the Roper's tentacles──was closing in.
The soldiers at the back of the line screamed and fled in terror.
The orderly march from moments ago was now unrecognizable.
"C-Captain! The wall is closing in!"
"Get out of the way! I'll burn it all!"
Sofia held her hand out toward the approaching wall.
As her short chant ended, multiple fireballs were shot in quick succession.
The blazing flames flew toward the Roper.
But a pattern resembling a beehive of hexagons appeared and dissipated before making contact.
"Barrier!? Even this...!"
"Sofia! Watch out!"
In retaliation, the tentacles were unleashed all at once toward Sofia.
Gaston raised his shield to protect Sofia, but the tentacles ensnared the shield.
The situation was not good.
We were clearly at a disadvantage.
Faced with such a scene, even if I wanted to do something, there was nothing I could do.
Powerless.
So powerless.
I felt my own lack of strength strongly.
ven if I were whole, the outcome wouldn't change.
Still, I have to protect her....
──"Ark!"
──"Remember what I said!"
That's right.
I feel like someone told me that.
When was that?
"Ugh..."
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
My right arm, which shouldn't hurt, suddenly begins to ache.
As I try to remember, my consciousness blurs, and I lose focus.
"Please, hold on. If you fall now, you'll be left behind."
In a weak voice that isn't like her, Leanne said.
She looks just like the Leanne I spoke to long ago in some distant town.
"It's okay... I won't let you die this time."
"What are you saying...?"
Even though it's my own words, they make no sense.
Yet, a whisper in my heart insists I must not ignore this feeling.
There is a way to save Leanne.
I need help for that.
I check my surroundings.
In the back, Lord Barton was supporting Gaston and the others.
"In this corridor, we are at a disadvantage being attacked from all sides. We must move to a wider area."
Lord Barton urged Gaston to move the troops.
"But, Barton-sama, if we don't take them down now, we might be cornered."
"Fighting here will lead to many casualties. We cannot do that."
"But──"
"I will take full responsibility. Move forward."
"...Understood. Everyone, run towards the back! Don't stop until the corridor ends!"
At Gaston's command, the soldiers all began to run deeper into the corridor.
"Ark-dono, can you go?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
"We will take the rear guard. Hurry."
Lord Barton and the knights faced the ropers, waiting until the last soldier escaped.
"Let's go too."
"Are you okay?"
"No problem, Leanne. Let's hurry."
As we took each other's hands and ran, the wall beside us bulged, and the roper's eye appeared again.
The giant eye moved smoothly within the wall, following us no matter how fast we ran.
It's strange.
Why does the eye follow us without attacking?
It's really just watching us.
What exactly is it looking at?
That question was resolved as I followed the gaze of the eye.
It's Leanne.
The eye was watching Leanne.
It keep chasing her without taking its eyes off her.
After all, there is something related to Leanne and the underground garden.
She is recognized as a special being.
Still, we run through the endless corridor anyway.
The roper's eye stubbornly followed us, but we still pushed through.
Was it luck? Before our stamina ran out, the passage ended, and we could enter a large room.
The room connected to the passage had white walls crumbling here and there, but there was still enough space for everyone.
The ceiling was high, so there was no fear of being attacked from above.
It was definitely a suitable place to fight the Roper.
No matter how much it could change shape, it wouldn't be able to spread wide enough to cover this entire room.
'Gehehe...'
I heard the familiar beast's cry echo.
It was the Chimera that escaped from the entrance area.
The Chimera that fell from somewhere reappeared before us.
"Is that the same Chimera from earlier?!"
"I can't believe it showed up at a time like this..."
The timing is just too bad.
The soldiers are disorganized, and we can't handle both at once.
'Roar!!'
The Chimera lunged at us immediately.
It was such a sudden event without hesitation that I thought I couldn't dodge it anymore.
However, the Chimera's massive body was suddenly pulled back as if yanked.
It was the Roper.
The Roper that had entered the room wrapped around the Chimera's limbs, trying to drag it in.
'Grrrr!'
'Eek-eek-eek-eek!'
'Hissss!'
The Chimera's heads screamed, thrashing as they were swallowed by the Roper.
In front of this terrifying sight, everyone lost their words.
"T-they fought and devoured each other, monsters..."
"But now only that one remains. If we're going to strike, it's now."
The Roper was moving its tall body slowly, but suddenly its tentacles twitched as if they were convulsing.
Countless tentacles intertwined and eventually split into 3 bundles.
The tips of the bundles each formed a Chimera's head.
As I was astonished by the Roper's unexpected change, 3 eyes began to shine.
The light gradually grew stronger.
It was as if it was gathering power to activate something.
"──Oh no!? This is bad! Spread out!"
Gaston's command seemed too late.
When I thought no one would survive this, I found myself running towards the Roper.
It was something I absolutely needed to do.
"Ark! Wait!"
I heard Leanne's confused voice.
"Ark!? What are you doing! Come back!"
"Gaston, you won't make it in time! We have to escape too!"
"But!"
The 3 heads turned to look at me at the same time.
Their long necks twisted, giving me a scrutinizing stare.
If I had any special powers, they were probably gone along with my right arm.
So, to defeat the Roaper, I had no choice but to call for someone else's help.
The only person I could think of was Fatina.
What I needed to do was show my determination.
If I did, she would come.
"Sorry. Thanks for your help."
A gust of wind blew, and the 3 heads split in half and exploded at the same time.
Red liquid sprayed from the ends of the tentacles like a fountain, raining down around us.
Fatina, who had defeated the Roper in an instant, stood quietly, getting hit by the blood rain.
"Don't you think it's pathetic to rely on others?"
"Yeah, it is."
"What would you have done if I hadn't come?"
"You would have come. It's not a hunch or a wish. You never abandon me, and you always help me."
"So, you had no reason to think that."
"I do have a reason. It's trust. Trust is invisible, but you can definitely feel it. No need to explain it in complicated terms."
"It's been a while since we've had a conversation like this."
It was strange.
Her bright red eyes, which should have been scary, now seemed reliable and nostalgic.
"It seems your memories aren't back yet."
"I don't remember anything, and I shouldn't have any memories like that since I grew up in the village. But I was with you, Fatina."
Fatina looked down and didn't say anything.
She wanted to say something but couldn't.
Her emotions were visible in her slight gestures.
"There's a place you want to go, right?"
"There's something I need down there. If I can get it, I can move forward."
"Even if there's nothing to expect?"
"I still want to know."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
"Thanks, it's reassuring to have you with me."
"...I wish you had said that sooner."
What Fatina wanted to say was understandable, yet not quite.
But being together would probably help me understand her better.
"Is your conversation over?"
Just as our conversation ended, Lord Barton spoke up.
"Did you notice?"
"Notice what?"
"This person knew I was going to help you, so she went ahead."
"Well, I wonder what that means."
"──Be careful. Don't get fooled again."
Lord Barton said.
The sword skill lets you understand the feelings of your opponent.
This old knight seems to be quite the trickster.
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