Chapter 168: Worthy Opponent
Mumu! Its so big! Thats not just on the level of a mountain anymore!
That was Orihimes impression once she saw the Spirit Turtle. Well, I and Elna also have that same impression.
Long neck and thick limbs. A shell that is like a wall of rock. On top of that shell is a real mountain that probably formed over the course of 200 years.
With a quick nce, I think that it is probably hundreds of meters in both height and length. Leviathan would look cute inparison.
It was called a turtle because of its shell but it would be more appropriate to call it a dragon with a shell.
Even though we are looking at it from the sky, the turtle doesnt make any move. It would be great if it stayed quiet like that until Leo finished evacuating the citizens.
When dealing with a giant monster at this size, I would have to use magic with high firepower. That being the case, I can not afford to care about my surroundings.
It doesnt seem to move huh?
Do you want it to?
Thats not the case but normally when a creature senses a threat to their life it would be more vignt right?
Orihime is correct.
Why doesnt it move when the three of us approached it like this?
I think that we do post enough threat.
Surely, It isnt saying that we dont even worth being vignt against right?
Elna gazes at the Spirit Turtle with a little irritated look.
Elna hates being looked down on after all. Plus, the opponent is a monster.
She seems like she was about to summon her holy sword and sh at it so I give her a warning.
I dont mind that you are burning with fighting spirit but if you do something now, the people down there will get involved you know?
I know that! Shut up!
This is exactly why Hero is so troubling. You are such a war maniac that you dont care what happens around you at all.
You have a lot to say huh..are you saying that you properly keep an eye on your surroundings here?
I am! I am different from you after all!
Then can you tell me? What did you understand from your keen observation.
Umu! I was thinking about why the turtle didnt move! And I got the answer! Right now, the Spirit Turtle is sleepy!
.
It has slept for 200 years after all! Maybe it is just sleepy because it just wakes up, right! Thats why it doesnt have any reaction toward us! My head spins when I wake up after a long sleep too. It is sleepy, theres no doubt about it!
Hearing Orihimes conjecture, I and Elna sighed at the same time. She probably wasnt trying to be funny but her reasoning is just too bad.
I will take that as one of the possibilities.
You dont have to, alright. Its definitely not the case after all.
What!? Then what do you think is happening here!?
If I know that we wouldnt be so troubled right!
Then how can you say that Im wrong!?
Taking my eyes away from the two, I look at the Spirit Turtles eyes.
It isnt looking at us. Instead, it looks like it is looking somewhere far away.
It is definitely wide awake. Being sleepy isnt the case here.
It probably doesnt see us as a threat since we didnt show any sign of attacking it huh.
If we attack it, it will surely have some kind of reaction.
Well, I dont care what it is thinking.
As long as it doesnt move, it is convenient for us after all.
I will dly ept the time that Leo can use to evacuate the citizens.
While I was thinking so, the Spirit Turtles neck suddenly started to move.
It is staring in the direction of the forest where Leo is evacuating the vigers.
The turtle that hasnt reacted to anything until now begun to react to something.
I immediately set up a detection barrier to look for anything unusual in the surrounding area.
Leos group is fighting against the monsters.
A unit from the imperial army is holding back the monsters some distance away from him.
Its a dangerous situation.
I thought about going over to help them for a moment.
But suddenly, magic power swelled up at Leos area.
Sensing that, Orihime and Elna also look in the same direction as me.
Then, the Spirit Turtle slowly opened its mouth. Its face looked somewhat happy.
It is as if it has found a worthy opponent.
Then, a huge amount of energy gathered in its mouth.
A ze!? We are going!
I grab Elnas arm and transfer us to where Leo is.
There, the imperial army group has joined up with Leo and his knights as they protect dozens of vigers.
However, what surprised me was the existence of the old dwarf.
Elder Egor. So it was you.
Oh! Its been a while, Silver.
A simple greeting.
This is quite a tame greeting between SS-rank adventurers.
This white-haired dwarf called [The Lost Sword Saint] is an SS-rank adventurer who the guild has no way to contact.
There is no problem with his personality. He is an adventurer who crushes the tyrants and helps the weak. However, due to him always moving on his own ord, he doesnt respond to any demand from the guild. In the first ce, the guild couldnt even figure out his location.
In some sense, he is also a problem child.
Being over 300 years old, he is the oldest SS-rank adventurer and he has held that title for over 200 years.
I have something I would like to ask.
Ask away.
Was it you who failed the subjugation 200 years ago?
Thats right, thats right. This is really embarrassing.
Saying so, Egor scratches his head.
Id like it if he doesnt talk like it was some small mistake. After all, because of his failure, an SS-rank monster has been born.
Celestial Princess-dono.
Already on it.
Before I gave my instruction, Orihime had already erected a strong defensive barrier in front of us.
A huge amount of magic power gradually swells from the other side of the forest.
It was a terror that even a normal person could feel. They may not know why but their body would start to tremble. That would be the vigers impression.
It is an instinct as a living being that tells them of danger.
Then it immediately became a reality.
A deafening sound of an explosion could be heard from the other side of the forest. At the same time, a huge ck sphere is flying toward us.
It destroys the forest in an instant and collides with the barrier Orihime erected.
A strong light is emitted on impact and a thunderous roar could be heard over the distance.
The impactsts for some time and finally the light and sound cease.
No, way..
Someone whispered.
The surrounding terrain had changed.
The forest in front of me was destroyed and there was nothing blocking the way between us and the Spirit Turtle.
With the changed terrain, the Spirit Turtle is clearly visible from our location.
Its red eyes are looking straight at us.
It seems it has been waiting for you, Elder Egor.
I have that feeling too. Thats why, I thought that I should approach it in a way that it wouldnt notice at first, you see.
You should havee to me if that was your n.
That n came to me after I got lost in the forest for a week so it was already toote. Well, I have no sense of direction anyway. It couldnt be helped.
I tiredly looked at Elder Egor who wasughing Wahaha while opening the transfer gate.
The Lord of Rostock took his people to another city in the area. The destination of the gate is that town.
I cant say that it would be safe there but it is way better than being here.
This ends the evacuation. Head through that gate immediately. Tell the Lord there to get his people ready and evacuate from the city.
For you to say that, is the situation that grim, Silver?
Yeah, thats right. The guild gave that turtle the S-rank designation but that is clearly an SS-rank monster. It is a monster that you would normally have to call multiple SS-rank adventurers to subdue. Well, by chance, we have 2 SS-rank adventurers and others who have equivalent fighting power here already so we should be able to manage it but-I am not confident that we will not involve the nearby people.
So hurry up and go.
Understanding that, Leo immediately sent the people through the transfer gate.
Fortunately, Orihimes barrier is still holding.
As expected of the strongest barrier user on the continent huh. She could erect a barrier thatpletely absorbed a ze from the Spirit Turtle in such a short time.
However, Orihime looked unsatisfied with the result.
Is there any problem?
That guyit wasnt being serious but my barrier almost copsed from the blow just now. Unforgivable!
That wasnt a serious attack?How much stronger is itpared to when you faced it, Elder Egor?
About a hundred times stronger. In the first ce, it wasnt that big before.
Hearing that from Egor, I let out a small sigh.
It would be dangerous to fight it alone. If it bes a fierce fight, the whole Empires northern region might be destroyed.
We have to stop it as soon as possible, failure is not an option here.
Lets join hands. Fighting that thing separately is not a good idea.
Seems so. I will take themand.
What are you saying! Its me who should be taking themand right!
What are you saying, youngdies. The eldest one here is me.
I will take themand. You two will be fighting on the front line so you are not suitable for the job and Celestial Princess-dono has to maintain the barrier and stop its attack. The only versatile one here is me and I can support you with the transfer gate too. I trust that there isnt any objection.
It is doubtful whether these three can cooperate or not but if I dont manage them well, the Empire will be hit hard.
There is no choice but to do it.
I am worried that we have to do a party battle with this lineup but our opponent is that strong. If we fail, I will take all the responsibility.
Ara? So you are thinking about losing as well?
I will tell you something interesting. If I really think about losing, the word responsibility would nevere out of my mouth. Let me tell you this, this man called Silver has never been defeated by anyone.
Saying so, I slowly step forward.
Leo and the others have already evacuated through the transfer gate. I am sorry but if there are any other survivors left, they cant be saved anymore.
The battle that will ur from now on is not a battle that I can afford to do that.
Now, lets do this.
As I whispered so, the Spirit Turtle thunderously roared as if to challenge us.