The group of monsters approaching Iskia Village was easily breached by the support fire of a Golem archer.
For some reason, the Golem had a panda-like color scheme and rabbit ears, but there was no doubt that he was a highly skilled archer.
What he fired were not just arrows, but attacks that exploded upon impact—more like missiles, really.
A hole opened in the enemy ranks, and all I had to do was pass through it at full speed.
Although we successfully made it through the first wave, the real problem lay ahead as we were about to leave the main road and enter the Ischia Hills.
“Whoa, that’s a lot of them…”
We encountered a massive horde of monsters.
Various types of monsters were mixed together along the gentle slope of the hill, yet they were still forming orderly lines, like ants.
Famous creatures from Ischia, such as Centaurs and Silent Sheep, were there. Alongside them were familiar Rank 1 monsters like Goblins and Slimes, as well as Dortus, Land Dragons, and even Moljula. There were also some large monsters I hadn’t seen before.
It was as if the dungeon had mobilized all its monsters.
The sky was already turning pale, and even without the light of the “Lantern,” the overwhelming scene was clearly visible. It was impossible not to see it.
Our direction and that of the Monster Legion were exactly opposite—we were heading deeper into the dungeon, while they were moving outward.
“Are they heading for Iskia Village?”
We had just passed through the village, but now, faced with this crisis, I couldn’t help but worry…
“The village will be fine,” Nel whispered, as if sensing my anxiety.
“That big red Orc is the leader of the famous Rank 5 party, Spada. The Golem who supported us, along with the Cyclops and Minotaur, are all there. With them, the village won’t fall so easily.”
“I see, that’s a relief.”
But then, a new concern arose.
“This might mean the castle is in trouble too.”
The boss, Greedg, might have finally gotten serious and mobilized the monsters, frustrated by the village and castle’s resistance.
Or, worst-case scenario, this Monster Legion might have already taken the castle.
No, that can’t be. There were no human figures among the monsters.
They’re being controlled by parasitic abilities. If so, most of the defeated humans would be enslaved rather than eaten.
Well, overthinking won’t help. Right now, I need to focus on reaching Ischia Castle as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, we’ve put some distance between us and the advancing Monster Legion, and they’re not paying special attention to us as we run up the hill.
I thought we might be able to slip through unnoticed, but…
“Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.”
“Ah, the Centaurs are coming this way!”
As Nel said, a group was breaking away from the monster ranks and heading straight for us—undoubtedly Centaurs.
From my vantage point, a cavalry unit was advancing from quite a distance ahead, spreading out to block our path.
Given the positioning, it seemed impossible to go around them.
That left only one option: a frontal assault.
“Is that the boss?”
At the forefront was a red-haired Centaur, exuding the aura of a tribal leader. Both his horse body and human torso were significantly larger than the others.
He was the only one equipped with metal armor and a massive spear—clearly the leader.
Following him were Centaurs clad in black leather armor, likely woven from Silent Sheep’s wool, wielding spears and bows.
Despite being wild monsters, their unified equipment suggested they were an elite force.
Even in their parasitic state, their command structure seemed intact, and so did their combat abilities.
The Centaur cavalry was indeed imposing, but…
“Nel, I’ll leave defense and support to you. Keep it minimal; we have more ahead.”
“Got it, Chrono!”
We can do this. With just the two of us, we’ll definitely break through.
This was the first time I’d fought alongside Nel, but strangely, I felt confident.
“Let’s go! Haaah!!”
I spurred Merry with a tentacle whip and charged at the Centaur army.
“Kiko Hiroshi activates multiple strong elements—’Attribute Enhancement.'”
At the same time, Nel activated a strengthening spell from behind.
The flowing, melodic incantation alone showcased her high proficiency in magic.
Fiona was like this too, her incantations were so beautiful.
With a slightly rude thought, I felt the magic’s effect on me. My magical power doubled—no, it felt denser, more concentrated.
‘Attribute Enhancement,’ as the name suggests, strengthens attributes like fire, ice, and lightning.
What does Black Magic enhance? It’s a bit unclear, but this time it was straightforward: it boosted my fire attribute.
“Early lawyer, quick and aware—’Concentration Enhancement.'”
Another strengthening spell followed. As the name implies, it boosted my concentration for casting magic.
This not only sped up spellcasting but also increased the processing speed of spells in my mind, allowing me to cast multiple spells simultaneously.
“Magic Bullet.”
My most familiar Black Magic activated seamlessly even on horseback.
A line of black bullets appeared around me, encircling me as I rode Merry, quietly awaiting the command to fire.
Now, while casting one spell, I also activated this Magic Bullet, and thanks to ‘Concentration Enhancement,’ I could layer more spells.
“Magic Sword—”
Another familiar Black Magic, but this time, it was different.
“—Nameless Nine Blades.”
What I summoned were not cheap longswords, but nine cursed weapons I had acquired just the day before.
Longsword, shortsword, rapier, scimitar, battle axe, hand axe, short spear, spear axe, trident.
They varied in type and shape, but all were dyed in the black of my dominion.
The voices of nine grudges resonated in my mind, but their volume was always faint.
“Newcomer, I’ll work hard for you, Master!”
Hitsugi’s voice, always eager to talk, was much louder. Why was she acting like a senior? Was she trying to act like the head maid of cursed weapons?
“Works through the speed of the foot to operate faster—’Speed Enhancement.'”
The final enhancement followed.
It felt less like a tailwind and more like I had become the wind itself. With this additional boost, my charge was fully prepared.
“Haaah! Yaaaaah!!”
The red-haired Centaur roared, signaling the attack.
He charged at me head-on, as if daring me to face him.
Spears were raised, bows were drawn.
The bow cavalry pulled back their plant-like bowstrings with force, ready to release a volley of arrows—but I’d fire first.
In my right hand wasn’t Merry’s reins, but the crimson blade of the mountain sword ‘Raspun’s Right Arm.’
And at its tip, I created a single shell containing black flames.
Thanks to the double enhancement from ‘Attribute Enhancement’ and ‘Raspun’s Right Arm,’ the firepower was twice as strong as when I tested it at the School of the Gods’ training ground.
Back then, it engulfed my target and the ones next to it. Now, I wondered how many Centaurs it would blow away.
“‘Grenade Shelling.'”
The black shell was unleashed with a deafening roar.
A black booster flashed for a moment before the shell flew straight into the Centaur ranks.
Impact. Explosion. Flames.
A eerie mix of black and red flames filled my vision.
“Whoa, that’s amazing…”
Nel’s genuinely surprised voice reached my ears.
Pretty flashy, right? I wanted to boast, but I didn’t have the luxury to act cool.
“Ooooh!!”
From beyond the flames, a Centaur’s roar echoed as it charged over its fallen comrades.
Whether it was their natural bravery or the parasite’s control, they showed no fear, continuing their relentless assault.
I, too, immediately activated my next countermeasure.
“Full Burst.”
The black barrage I unleashed kept the advancing Centaurs at bay.
While ‘Grenade Shelling’ aimed to create gaps in the enemy ranks, ‘Magic Bullet’ was for mid-range interception.
Unfortunately, even with Nel’s support, I couldn’t continuously use ‘Full Burst’ in all directions.
Instead, I used:
“Suppressing Fire.”
In my left hand, I summoned a nameless prototype gun. Its dual horizontal barrels spat fire.
I charged into the gap opened by the ‘Grenade Shelling,’ firing wildly.
Merry trampled over the torn ground and the scattered remains of corpses without hesitation, charging forward.
At this point, it was inevitable that we’d come into close contact with the enemy.
‘Suppressing Fire’ was mowing down the approaching enemies, but its range and rate of fire were insufficient.
The overwhelming numbers reminded me of the Arzas battle, but this time, they were all cavalry, making it even worse.
“Haaah!!”
Emerging through the clearing black smoke and gunfire, a Centaur finally swung its spear at me.
From here on, it was close-quarters defense.
“Pierce, Magic Sword.”
As if it had been waiting for its turn, the longsword that had driven an Elf mad lunged at the target in front of me.
Its design was simple, not much different from a standard magic sword, but its essence was undoubtedly that of a cursed weapon.
It pierced the forehead of the rugged-faced Centaur without fail.
Immediately, it was pulled out and leaped onto the one running beside it, as if it hadn’t had enough blood.
It reacted before I could even give the order—almost like it was acting on its own.
But that was fine for now. My only ally was behind me, and all around were enemies, enemies, enemies. They could drink as much blood as they wanted.
The weapons I collectively called ‘Nameless Nine Blades’ danced through the air, somewhat independent of my will.
Still, those who managed to get past the nine slashes were unavoidable.
“Red Slash.”
My most trusted cursed weapon, ‘Grudge Demon Blade “Neck Sever,”‘ took care of them personally.
The Centaur’s spear had a longer reach than the axe, but that was easily compensated for with the blood blade.
The crimson flash cut through both the spear and the Centaur’s body.
By now, I had switched the mountain sword in my right hand for a great axe.
Right after the first strike, I had thrown ‘Raspun’s Right Arm’ into the fray, joining the ‘Nameless Nine Blades.’
Though, I had it preparing for the second and third shellings, so it wasn’t part of the semi-autonomous counterattacks.
But even with all my Black Magic active simultaneously, the numerical disadvantage was hard to overcome.
The momentum of the charge had allowed me to attack almost unilaterally, but that ended now.
The Centaurs finally began firing their bows.
“Even in this chaos, they’re still shooting.”
Whether it was their own will or not, the arrows were already in the air.
I was fully focused on attacking. I had no room for defense, and on horseback, evasion was difficult.
“Kiko Hiroshi activates a great wall of wind—’Great Wind Barrier.'”
But there was no need to worry; I had left the defense to Nel. And she delivered.
A swirling wall of wind enveloped us.
It deflected every arrow raining down from above, not letting a single one through.
The rain of arrows, meant to hit even their own, pierced through the Centaurs, taking down dozens.
But, as expected of elite Centaurs, even with one or two arrows stuck in them, they continued to charge, their four legs moving vigorously, spears at the ready.
“Damn, they’re tough…”
I muttered a mix of frustration and admiration.
Monsters were indeed tougher than humans, far surpassing Crusader Soldiers in resilience.
It took dozens of Magic Bullets to stop them, and even cursed magic swords, if they missed vital spots, would be held down by the Centaurs’ arms, refusing to let go.
“‘Grenade Shelling!'”
“—’White Light Shield!'”
The completed shell was fired again.
Immediately after, Nel deflected a barrage of spears—not just one, but many—with her light defense magic.
The shelling blew away several Centaurs, but it was weaker than the first shot. It wasn’t enough to turn the tide.
The Centaurs, now like death soldiers, continued to close in on us, suffering heavy casualties but narrowing the encirclement despite the Magic Bullets and Magic Swords.
This was bad. If this continued, we’d be overwhelmed by their numbers before we could whittle them down.
With ‘Speed Enhancement,’ I could outrun the Centaurs in a straight line, but when it came to evasive maneuvers, I couldn’t maintain top speed and couldn’t shake them off completely.
To defeat them or escape, we needed to reduce their numbers further.
In that case, there was only one thing to do: keep attacking at full speed while running. Nothing else would work.
It’s a close call, but we’ll manage. If we can’t handle this, there’s no point in going for reinforcements!
“Woooooh!!”
I swung the axe, cutting down a Centaur charging from the left.
With it gone, my left side was clear.
“Hmph, Haaah!”
Running parallel to me, dozens of meters away, was the red-haired boss.
I thought I had blown him away with the first ‘Grenade Shelling,’ but it seemed his red color wasn’t just for show. He had high heat resistance.
The steel armor he must have taken from some adventurer was blown off, but he showed no signs of damage, roaring fiercely as he raised his long spear.
He held it in a reverse grip, ready to throw—not to stab. It was a spear-throwing motion.
And it wasn’t just a throw; I could clearly feel the magic gathering in his arm and spear, as if a martial skill was being activated.
That’s dangerous, I thought, and immediately prepared to counter—
“Yaaaaah!!”
“Damn it!”
The Centaurs, desperate to stop me from interfering with the boss’s attack, charged at me.
“I’ll handle them!”
“Leave it to me!”
I left the Centaurs attacking from all sides to Nel. I had to kill the boss.
I stopped the ‘Suppressing Fire’ and aimed the gun at the boss.
I fired the penetration-enhanced bullet Simon had made, which had been waiting for its turn. A regular Magic Bullet would take dozens of shots to stop the boss, but this one would do it in one.
I had to stop that spear throw before it was launched—my intuition screamed in my head like a loud alarm.
“Make it in time!!”
I pulled the trigger.