11-7 Part 2
The Town of Stakes, Ratatosk
- Insects of the Abyss -
Translator : PolterGlast
「That is an Abyss Ant! Please be
careful, Shinza-san, Abyss Ants have hard skeletons that repel even
steel!」
「Well, I can tell that just by
looking without you telling me. Sorry, Yung, never mind us, please
evacuate the pilgrims.」
「Wait, Sh-Shinzaaaa?!!」
Without waiting for a reply, I charged at the monster. Abyss
Ants after Abyss Hounds. The Abyss truly is a hell.
Reinforcements of Abyss Ants were coming out of the gate one
after another, but that's not a problem. This is the Labyrinth City Ratatosk;
passing adventurers were surrounding the increasing Abyss Ants, readying their
respective weapons.
「Oi, don't do anything reckless,
coordinate with us, youngster!」
「Sorry, I'm bad at that.」
The number of enemies is currently 7. We are roughly 10
people. But the Abyss hole hasn't disappeared. Monsters are leaking into our
world one after another.
First, slipping through the adventurers' encirclement, I
closed the distance with the one closest to me. From their perspective, it
might have looked as if a piece of meat jumped right in. But that guy is making
a huge mistake.
Toward that meat, the ant unleashed a continuous attack
using its front legs and jaws. I, a muscle-brain, parried all of those sharp
and powerful attacks with the steel Shovel. By sheer force before I even
had time to explain.
「This is... troublesome now that I
actually try it.」
I can be a peerless master swordsman against humans holding
metal weapons, but it seems I can't cut through their exoskeletons. My Shovel
doesn't exhibit any special efficacy against flesh and bone. For now, that is.
So, while keeping a close eye on the ant, which is fast but
has monotonous movements, I handled the attacks flying at me intermittently.
「I'm already starting to miss Sigrun...
If only I had that absurd strength...」
「I, I (Atashi) am here!
Besides, you should be able to defeat a guy like that easily, Shinza,
because you're strong!」
Compared to the pack of goblins I fought in Corin Village,
these guys are even more ferocious, and on top of that, they have ironclad
defense. Although Kachua is encouraging me, now what should I do about
this.
While I was exchanging blows and searching for the
opponent's weak point, an adventurer fighting alongside me screamed. Caught by
those strong jaws, he was bleeding while being covered by his comrades.
Ratatosk, quite a
dangerous town. However, this is bad at this rate. If we don't settle this
quickly, our numbers will dwindle and we might end up surrounded by enemies.
「Eh... Shinza, you're running
away?!」
That's right, running away. I turned my back on the Abyss
Ant and started running. The enemy is an idiot. The individual confronting me
closed in, trying to eat me as I fled.
But that is a trap. Traps are the very essence of the Shovel.
Reversing direction suddenly, I dug up the paving stones I had cut beforehand
and turned them into a wall.
Due to this, the enemy crashed into an unexpected object
and, furthermore, lost sight of me due to the cover. You could call it the
secret technique: Paving Stone Flip. If I can't cut the hard exoskeleton, I
just need to cut the ground instead.
Using that perfect opportunity, I leaped over the paving
stones and got on its back. Then, I thrust the hard and sharp Shovel
into the insect's weak point, the thin joint connecting the thorax and abdomen.
The result was truly immediate and effective. Having its
nerves deeply severed, the Abyss Ant's upper and lower halves began moving in
opposite directions. The dangerous giant ant lost the ability to walk straight.
「Leave the rest to me, Shinza!」
Following that, Kachua loosed her bow again. It shot
through the joints of its two front legs, robbing the ant monster of the
strength to stand. With this, one Abyss Ant was as good as incapacitated.
This accuracy, it's too good to be a fluke. As expected, is
it the skill brought about by the bizarre book, the power of the Emperor's
Round? Setting such questions for later aside, it was extremely reliable covering
fire.
「Shinza, don't look over here, the enemies, the enemies!」
「Oops... sorry, it seems I was
fascinated by your technique.」
While I was looking at Kachua from atop the
incapacitated individual, this time two Abyss Ants swarmed me. But they are no
longer our match. The eccentric using a Shovel as a weapon parried the
two's front legs and jaws, caught them, and skillfully brought the fight to a
standstill.
「Now, Shinza!」
「Oh, this is impressive...」
Seizing that opening, Kachua's arrows once again shot
through the joints of their front legs. With their legs taken out, both fell
forward, so taking advantage of this, I stepped on their heads and severed the
nerves connecting the thorax and abdomen respectively.
『Ashley, enough playing around with the small fry. Now, cut off the
enemy reinforcements immediately.』
At that moment, the usual meddlesome voice echoed in my head
without a care. However, even if you tell me to cut off the reinforcements,
what exactly should I do?
『Never mind, just pierce the Abyss
Gate with that power! Eei, this is frustrating, I shall help you!』
I see, so that settles it. Zirant is a born busybody.
Namely, she finally couldn't stand just watching anymore, and manifested her
figure along with light in the midair right before my eyes.
The girl possessing dragon eyes and scales remained floating
in the sky, pointing her arm toward the Abyss Gate and the Abyss Ants swarming
on the way there. Then, she shouted something I could hardly agree with
completely.
「Those who obstruct the Emperor's
march, freeze!!」
When the Dragonewt Zirant unleashed what is called an
Ice Spike in the books from the other world, the Abyss Ants were frozen solid
all together. Because even the individuals on the other side of the Abyss Gate
were frozen, the gate is temporarily closed to traffic with this.
「E-Eh... A g-goddess...?」
「You went overboard, restrain
yourself a little, Zirant.」
I charged into the perfect opportunity without hesitation.
Leaping over the Abyss Ants that had turned into ice sculptures, I reached the
thing called an Abyss Gate beyond them.
「Now pierce it, my Apostle!」
I didn't know what to do, but since I was told to pierce it,
I have no choice but to do it. Just as told, I thrust the Shovel into
the gate. A heavy response returned. From there on, the usual method should be
fine. I flipped the Shovel that pierces everything, and by brute force,
dug up the Abyss Gate itself.
Alright. I don't really get it, but it seems the gate closed
with that. Accurately speaking, it might be more correct to say I dug it out
along with the gate and severed the connection.
The distortion known as an Abyss Gate disappeared, leaving
only the normal scenery of Ratatosk. However, what an Evil Dragon,
making me do such unreasonable things...
「Is this fine, Zirant?」
「Ooh... So it turned out like this
after all, splendid, you are truly splendid, Shinza! That's right,
remember that sensation! You just dug right through a dimension itself!」
The Evil Dragon Zirant was elated. But it seems she
exhausted all her power with that single Ice Spike. The girl possessing the
same dragon eyes as me vanished from the real world once again, like a mirage
the other day.
Because Zirant took the best part, the remaining
Abyss Ants are 3. These guys were also surrounded by the adventurers, and with
reinforcements arriving, they were quickly subjugated.
The Town of Stakes, Ratatosk—that is an outrageous
danger zone. To think they can spend their days peacefully with such monsters
as neighbors, I was made to realize once again the habituation and robustness
of people.
◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
Now then, since everything was cleaned up, Kachua and
I discussed how to regroup with the pilgrims.
「Ah, Shinza. An official is
here.」
However, we were interrupted there. Thinking I might have
done something that violated a city ordinance, I fearfully looked back, only to
find a mysterious middle-aged man whose eyes were sparkling with joy and
expectation for some reason.
Let me say this first. I'm bad at dealing with the kind of
people who wear exaggerated togas.
「Thank you very much, warrior-sama!
If you please, could you meet with our Mayor! The Mayor wishes to meet you by
all means!」
「We did it, Shinza, doesn't
this mean you achieved a great deed?!」
「No, I refuse. Sorry, but we are in
the middle of an escort mission; considering our job, we simply eliminated the
threat before our eyes.」
Turning my back to the middle-aged man, I searched for the
figures of the pilgrims. ...No good, I can't find them. Well, with monsters
like that appearing, I'd want to run to the ends of the earth too.
「W-Wait please, we want to thank you—」
「Don't need it. An enemy common to
humanity appeared right before my eyes, so I assisted the people here. That is
all. It is not something I alone should be praised for.」
「Ah... Sorry, mister. Shinza
is just this kind of person... He doesn't mean any harm, though—ah, there's
Priest Yungwi over there!」
Kachua's bow
skills are good, but her eyes are also incredibly good. Chasing after her
running back, I started walking down the emptied main street.
「Please wait, Shinza-sama!」
「I refuse. Kachua, let's shake
off this weird middle-aged man.」
「No, why are you being so modest...
The Mayor-san might even treat us to delicious food, you know?」
「That—that is slightly tempting, but
let's not after all. I can't balance a mission and a free meal.」
「You can! Please, I beg you, please
wait, Shinza-samaaa!!」
Ah, I see, this sensation... This overlaps with that
sensation of being chased around by Jii and it's extremely bad. I just hope he doesn't ruin his
health from being too devoted to Father...
「Let's go, Kachua!」
「B-But... Wah, wait, where are you
touching... Sh-Shinza...?!」
Pulling Kachua's firm upper arm, I fled the scene.
Still not knowing at all that an unexpected treatment awaited us ahead...
- Table of Contents –
【Name】 Ashley
【Lv】 32 → 33
【Exp】 5330 → 5580
【STR】 62 → 63
【VIT】 256 → 259
【DEX】 131 → 133
【AGI】 211 → 214
【Skill】 Shovel LV 5 Scoop
LV 1 Imperial Bond LV 1 Direction Sense LV 1
『Do you intend to throw away a precious chance to make a connection... What a troublesome guy, let me, Wagahai, produce you a little... As expected, a living body is a good thing.』
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