The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns

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[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 113

That’s why I tried to stop them.

From experience, ignoring this kind of déjà vu leads to catastrophe.

Of course, since there’s no solid evidence, it’s just my words against nothing.

“Leon... the direction changed…”

But Luna tugged hard on my sleeve and spoke.

“Inside...”

“Hah. Let’s go.”

Well, what could possibly go wrong?

“Let’s go. I’ll follow your decisions.”

At my words, the mercenary leader nodded.

“We’ll enter. Quickly take down the boss and return with its corpse. Stay sharp, and if you feel it’s dangerous, retreat without hesitation.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

With excitement, the mercenaries marched into the massive cave at the center of the misty area.

“The boss here is a giant anaconda. It’s not venomous, but its strength is impressive due to its size. Its blade-like scales can be used for armor or weapons, and its teeth are often crafted into art pieces.”

Even though we were heading to meet the boss, the chatterbox dwarf seemed as relaxed as ever.

Everyone ventured deeper into the cave.

“Our task here is simple. We need to organize the necessary supplies in our backpacks and prepare to deliver them to anyone calling for help during the battle.”

No one has the luxury to rummage through their bags mid-fight.

So, the porters stayed behind to organize supplies and prepare for immediate backup.

It’s riskier than just hauling cargo, but they often used this position to draw the boss’s attention away.

“Whew... What an overwhelming size...”

With a body that size, most porters would be scared out of their minds.

As we entered its habitat, the massive serpent’s form emerged from the darkness.

“It seems it hasn’t woken yet, so we need to strike a major blow in the first attack. Mage unit, get ready.”

Following the order, the head mage and the others began preparing a joint spell quietly and carefully.

Meanwhile, the vanguard and archers tensed, ready to launch their assault at any moment.

Then it happened.

“No.”

Luna’s voice echoed in everyone’s ears.

“What do you mean?”

“That... is already dead.”

At her words, I squinted and scrutinized the massive form, only to realize too late.

This anaconda—it had just died.

Though its soul had almost completely dissipated, traces remained, meaning it had been dead for less than an hour.

No wonder I felt uneasy.

Craaaaaack!!!

At the same time, a massive barrier-like fissure appeared across the cave’s entrance, trapping everyone inside.

“D-damn it! It’s a trap! Everyone, get out—”

BOOOOM!!!

Something emerged from the darkness and struck the mercenary leader, sending him flying.

The leader was a Swordmaster-level warrior.

Honestly, for a mercenary leader, he was incredibly skilled, and I’d heard he was once a renowned knight captain.

“Gah... Urk…”

Seeing him get flung so quickly, Luna raised her hands.

But before her healing powers could activate, a massive figure emerged from the darkness and swung a huge sword at her.

“Tsk.”

I reflexively grabbed her head and forced her down, but unfortunately, one of the rear vanguard soldiers behind me was split in half, collapsing instantly.

The magic seemed disrupted.

It felt like an EMP had directly hit electronic devices—necromantic magic was suddenly blocked.

I know what this is.

A hack.

I never expected something here would try to hack my magic.

Even cultists and 7th-circle liches couldn’t attempt such a thing, so this was surprising.

However, this was different from the type of hacking I usually did.

“Damn it... A Soul Eater!!”

Ah.

So it’s that thing.

[Soul Eater detected.]

Too late, Librarian.

I called it "The Spell-Eater" back at the Labyrinth.

A mage’s nemesis.

Soul Eater.

Thinking back to my memories from the Hall of Necromancy, it’s clear how troublesome this thing was.

I’d encountered them in the Halls of Swords and Nothingness, but they weren’t as threatening there.

However, the Soul Eater I met in the Hall of Necromancy had been an almost insurmountable monster when I was still inexperienced.

For a mage to defeat it, you’d need specific circumstances; even most archmages would struggle.

This monster shouldn’t even exist here, no matter how deep we are.

It instinctively devours magical spells.

There’s a reason it’s called a mage’s worst enemy.

I nearly let my guard down and got hit hard—a lesson learned.

In the thick purple mist inside the cave, two glowing eyes began to flicker.

It’s not just the Soul Eater.

As the massive figure fully emerged, everyone froze at its sight.

A stone beast of the Marga?

No, it’s much smaller.

Plus, they’re more beast-like than humanoid.

[Translator - Night]

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They looked similar to Balrogs, and some even carried massive stone swords.

But the energy radiating from them was at least Swordmaster-level.

There were 30 of them.

The mercenaries’ faces quickly turned pale with fear.

At that moment, the injured mercenary leader rose, bleeding, and shouted.

“Don’t panic!! Protect the flanks and rear! Regroup to one side! Mages, conserve your spells! If the Soul Eater devours your magic, the recoil will hit you hard!”

He was right.

The terrified mercenaries quickly gathered around us.

Encircling us protectively, the chatterbox dwarf grabbed a spare axe from the supplies, his trembling hands giving him away.

“Ugh... Today’s cursed, huh…”

“D-don’t worry. We’ll definitely save you…”

Though he looked like a warrior, not every dwarf was born to fight.

Rebecca, the young girl closest to the terrified dwarf, spoke in a trembling voice, sweat beading on her brow.

“For a mercenary, fulfilling a contract is a duty. Since I promised to protect your lives, I’ll do it… no matter what…”

Despite her words, the young girl couldn’t hide her fear at the sight of these enormous beings.

The mist gradually cleared, revealing the full number of enemies.

Thirty grotesque stone beasts.

About eight Soul Eaters.

Just one Soul Eater could disable five mages, so the mages here were effectively locked down.

And the stone beasts protecting the Soul Eaters exuded an overwhelming presence.

Some of them emitted an even stronger energy than the others.

At this rate... all the mercenaries were going to die.

Then it happened.

The stone creatures suddenly parted to either side, as if opening a path, and knelt.

And.

From the darkness, something tall walked forward.

This figure was not made of stone like the others.

A suit of jet-black armor.

Red, engraved runes.

The sword in its hand was clearly made of metal, not stone.

Hooo… Fuuu…

An undead?

No, this was a living being.

But there was something deeply twisted about its presence.

The massive anaconda carcass was covered in gashes.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear this creature was the culprit.

—Humans?

A strange voice escaped the creature’s mouth, causing those present to flinch.

"A m-monster that talks?"

"I’ve never seen anything like this before..."

While strange events sometimes occurred in the depths, a talking monster was unheard of.

Grrrrk…

Two of the statue-like monsters brought forward a massive throne and set it down behind the tall figure.

The towering knight leisurely sat on the throne, crossing one leg over the other and reclining against it.

—Humans, indeed. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen any. Entering this dimension brings about such novel occurrences.

"Who are you?"

The mercenary captain, bleeding profusely, gulped down a recovery potion and asked in a tense voice.

His instincts told him one thing: there was no way they could win against this opponent.

—"Who am I," you ask… I am myself. What more meaning is required?

"What does that—?"

—That’s not important. Judging by the fact that you made it this far, you must be quite skilled. I am an emperor who values talent. Therefore, I offer you this command.

The glow from within the helmet’s visor intensified.

“Send forth a representative. If you can defeat my sword, I will grant you a chance to survive.”

"What do you mean—?"

“Abandon any thoughts of fleeing. This place has already been sealed, making escape by your own power impossible.”

The invisible power of his words pressed down on everyone.

Several members collapsed with groans, unable to withstand the pressure.

With a flick of his hand, one of the statue monsters stood up slowly.

“This creature will be your opponent in my stead. Now, who will you send forth?”

The menacing energy radiating from the creature made it impossible to gauge its strength.

"Captain, I’ll go."

One of the younger members drew his sword.

It was the elf who had initially insisted they attack the boss.

"Repel."

"That monster... it’s incredibly dangerous, isn’t it? Damn it… It seems we have no choice but to accept his offer."

Though young and brimming with energy, the oppressive aura of the monsters was enough to shrink even his fighting spirit.

Repel’s body trembled from both battle fervor and fear.

"And since I pushed for this plan, I’ll take responsibility."

Hearing this, the captain lowered his head slightly.

Then, after a moment of contemplation, he stood up with resolve.

"I have one question."

“I’ll allow it.”

The hollow, eerie voice echoed once again.

"If I win, will you let us go?"

“If you satisfy me, I shall spare your lives. I have no particular interest in your deaths.”

With that, Albion, the mercenary captain, stepped forward.

"Captain?!"

"I’ll handle this. It’s the captain’s duty to protect his men. And right now, you’re not strong enough to deal with that monster."

Though he spoke firmly, the captain’s expression was anything but optimistic.

"I’ll take the fight."

Drawing his aura-infused blade, he walked confidently toward the creature.

* * *

Mercenary Captain Albion bore the responsibility for the current situation.

Though the younger members had taken the lead in proposing this mission, Albion had also felt that retreating now would result in massive losses due to their costly preparations.

At the very least, defeating the boss here was necessary to balance the books.

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