The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 79 You Shouldn't Have Found Out (4.6k)

To be honest, there is very little in the world of dwarves that can be called 'fear'.

When faced with giant creatures that are much taller and more imposing than themselves, they only show disdain, thinking, "They're just big, dumb bastards."

Then he kicked their ankles hard, trying to make the giants fall to the ground and look up at him.

This is often done when crushing gravel—

Not long ago... about two hundred years ago, the Goliath race of giants who lived nomadic lives in the northern lands of Icewind Valley chose to migrate south due to the increasingly hot climate.

Back then, all the dwarves thought they were talking nonsense.

It wasn't until after on-site investigation that they discovered that the land further north than the frigid North was actually an active volcano.

Over the course of two hundred years, the dwarves and Goliath clashed several times, ultimately ending in a great fusion. As a result, Ironforge in the Northland is now frequently hosting wrestling matches between dwarves and Goliath for various historical reasons.

Wrestling requires skill, and it takes even more technique for a shorter person to trip a taller one.

But all techniques are predicated on the ability to locate the opponent's legs and feet.

Now, faced with a colossal giant, a mass of corpses, that nearly occupied half the tomb.

Gravel realized that he couldn't use his past wrestling experience to do anything—

It wasn't just because that giant zombie was so fat that his belly covered his ankles.

Also because his belly was covered with countless hands and feet...

He simply didn't know where to begin!
This is a "zombie mass" pieced together and fused together from corpses.

Its source should be the large skull beneath the ceiling, its bloated body radiating an eerie green light—

"Damn it, I can't reach it at all."

"Roar!!!"

The fleshy mass's throat seemed to be pieced together, causing roars from people of different ages and genders to mingle together.

The shield charge just now didn't even manage to graze its skin, which was dripping with corpse oil.

The giant 'arm', made up of corpses, hands, and feet stuck together, crashed down almost the instant the flying debris was deflected.

The shadow of his arm covered his face amidst the rubble. He tried to escape the falling shadow, but found that his small body could hardly run to the cramped open space in an instant.

He knew he was about to be crushed under the lump of flesh, so he had no choice but to raise the tower shield above his head:

"That's why I don't like these giants!"

"This giant is so disgustingly ugly, he's even fatter and greasy than Merard!"

"Please, I'll lose weight later. Can you please stop dragging me into your insults?!"

The singing and complaining rang out at the same time, and the gravel turned to see that the giant's steps were slightly unsteady, so much so that his spliced ​​arms tilted.

He quickly rolled to the side, just as a loud crash landed behind him, and managed to roll into a corner:
"That mage is hiding behind the giant! There's nowhere for him to hide in the tomb—damn!"

Just as he shouted, a mournful bell rang in his ears, like a blow to the back, making his head instantly dizzy.

The cochlea became extremely itchy, as if some tiny insect lurking in the pores was breaking through the skin.

Sha Shi hurriedly reached out and scratched his ear canal, only to realize that it was all an illusion.

"Don't just stand there!"

Tang Qi's shout brought him back to his senses, but the horrifying arm of the fleshy mass swept down immediately afterward.

"Rua!"

Its massive body brings immense size and strength, but also comes at the cost of being slow and an easy target.

Unless Kuru mispronounces the spell, there's no reason for the [Freezing Ray] to miss—

The ice crystals hit the bullseye as the arm swept across, and the snow-white frost and cold air spread and proliferated together, slowing down the speed of its swing.

But the gravel had already rolled into a corner, leaving no room for it to roll backward any further.

He snorted coldly and pressed the tower shield beneath him:
"[Shield Charge]!"

The impact failed to shatter the rock floor beneath his feet; instead, the reaction force propelled his entire body upwards.

The slow sweeping motion missed the rubble, and the 'fist' struck the stone wall of the tomb, causing the entire burial chamber to rumble with a series of booming sounds.

At the same time, while Jue Shi tucked the hammer back into his waistband, extended his right hand, and tightly gripped a leg on his 'arm'—

He didn't actually want to do that.

Because he glimpsed that the end of the leg had completely disappeared into the fused mass of flesh. The connection point was covered with dense, disgusting lumps of flesh.

Even near the torso of the fleshy mass, one could smell a stench of corpse that could disturb one's senses.

But he was a dwarf, and strength and perseverance flowed in his blood—

Very few toxins would travel through his skin and invade his body.

This allows him to be much bolder.

He gripped the rotting calf tightly; the corpse's skin had no elasticity, and he suddenly pinched it, creating a noticeable dent.

In the impact and tremors, he almost tore his leg off!
But fortunately, he steadied himself, raised his tower shield high, and used the limbs pieced together from the 'arm' before him as stepping stones to climb the peak, running step by step toward its shoulder and even the skull that shimmered with an eerie green light—

Dais watched the stone-breaking action unfold.

That skull is the core of the zombie's flesh; it must not be allowed to be destroyed by the dwarves so easily!

He was about to snap his fingers, causing the Death Knell to toll once more, shattering the dwarves' eardrums completely.

But the song, carrying an element of encouragement, arrived in an instant:

"You're a small, insignificant nobody, go and pierce that giant's head!"

"You don't need to sing the first line!"

Although the stone fragments were cursing loudly, the resentment in their hearts made them even more excited.

Strange, he didn't remember having a hobby of being whipped or verbally abused.

But it was this inexplicable surge of energy that caused him to be so engrossed in anger that he failed to hear the mournful cries and wails as the death knell to tolled in his ears.

"Why!?"

Realizing that the spell had failed again, Dess couldn't help but get furious.

But the insults then turned their anger towards him—

"I was so busy scolding him that I almost forgot about you."

You bald, cowardly bald man, you're an even uglier skeleton than a zombie!

The splitting headache returned, and Daisy let out a wail.

Fueled by the adrenaline rush of rage, Shattered Stone charged toward the head of the [Zombie Flesh Bump], twisted his waist, and swung the mace in his hand, smashing it down onto the giant's skull!
"Bang, bang!"

He kept moving:
"Again!"

The four chisels struck in the blink of an eye seemed to truly live up to his name, possessing the ability to split mountains and shatter rocks.

The massive skull was smashed into stark white fragments, the violent shockwave forcing the entire mass of flesh to fall to the side—

This also exposed the person behind it, Des!
"Kuru!"

Even without Tang Qi's command, the wand emitted a cold, sharp light, shooting directly at Dais, who was trying to escape in panic.

It struck him squarely in the magical armor that resembled his sternum.

"I shouldn't have had any expectations of you."

Tang Qi sighed, ignoring the pouting, aggrieved kobold, and started running towards Dais's direction.

In any case, we must first get around that 'mountain of flesh'.

But then he realized that the fleeing Desce was not running deeper into the tomb.

Instead, they ran closer to the stone platform in the center...

He recalled the instructions [Dawn] had given him before he entered the tomb.

"We can't let him get near there—"

He tried to quicken his pace, but he couldn't bridge the vast distance between them at all...

Meanwhile, Dais had already lifted the white cloth covering the stone platform, looking at the broken sword at his waist that seemed to tremble, and muttered an obscure incantation:
"From the beginning of life, to the other side of death, to the bridge of souls..."

A mysterious, dark purple light transformed into a magic array inscribed with runes, enveloping the stone platform.

That was a ceremony that had been prepared in advance—

"Fuck you!"

Tang Qi's curses were rhythmic and brief, but perhaps this brief outburst was completely beneath Dais's notice.

Or perhaps it was because he was so engrossed in a state of intense concentration that words had no power to influence him.

The result was that verbal abuse failed to achieve the desired effect.

Tang Qi understood that to interrupt his chanting, he needed to simultaneously recite a spell to summon the deceased hero.

But he still needs to get close to that body!
Because the way [Dawn] advised him was to let the heroic spirit take over the physical body first, in order to prevent the resurrection of the 'false god'...

He needed time to get closer to that unfinished body—

A snow-white blur swept past Tang Qi!
Tang Qi saw the little girl running forward like a white wolf.

He immediately strummed the chords and sang a song:
"Show your fangs and claws, and punish your blood feud!" Suddenly, Anbi heard echoes of her childhood confusion—

"Dad, why do we live in the forest?"

"Because only in this way can we avoid hurting others."

What if someone tries to harm us?

"Then Mom and Dad will definitely not let him hurt Ambiya."

But Dad.

Do you know?

If the price is your departure, then that's a kind of harm in itself.
It did not cut Ambi's skin.

But Ambly will still cry.

The little girl ran towards her enemy without stopping for a moment; she felt the world slow down before her eyes.

Her breathing became more even.

As the beast-like claws extended from her fingertips, she realized she was already very close to the 'skull'.

"Roar!!!"

A fierce wolf howl erupted from its throat, and its claws nearly tore Dais's face apart, causing him to abruptly stop chanting amidst his cries of pain.

This also forced the broken sword, which had just been raised, to fall back down in front of the waist and abdomen of the body.

Ambi slammed Dess to the ground, her claws pouncing on his throat.

In that moment, hatred made her lose her reason.

Embracing his true nature, he was like a real wild beast!

"【Touch of Freezing Cold】!"

However, in the struggle, Des forcefully conjured a bone claw and pierced Ambi's chest.

The bony hand seemed to pierce through her skin, scraping against her sternum.

The aura of death corroded every inch of her bones, forcing her to howl in agony.

She was just a child who hadn't fully transformed into a beast.

The immense disparity in their abilities left her powerless to resist the pain inflicted by the bone claws.

But Daisy had no time to bother with an injured wolf cub.

He shoved Ambition to the ground, then tried to get up and return to the stone platform—

But upon closer inspection, they discovered that the foul-mouthed poet had already touched the broken sword with his finger.

With hymn-like tones, he chanted a very obscure yet familiar incantation:

"From the beginning of life, to the other side of death, to the bridge of the soul."

I call upon those heroic souls lost in the dust of time—

【Aye·Dawn】.

Break free from these rotten shackles and fill this hall of flesh and blood.

With lofty will, let us rekindle the glory of dawn!

"Buzz!"

There was no warning.

Within the complex magic array, a flashing, dazzling light suddenly burst forth from the broken sword.

It was no longer clear whether the holy radiance had fallen into the broken sword, or whether the broken sword had instantly burst into golden flames...

But this almost solidified flame of light instantly illuminated the four walls of the tomb, filling the dark burial chamber with dazzling golden light.

Tang Qi had no choice but to close his eyes.

The lump of flesh that had fallen to the floor also wailed at this holy light.

Amidst the roars, the halo gradually faded.

Tang Qi forced open his bloodshot eyes and saw a headless man holding a broken sword standing in front of Dais.

The broken, ornate sword was now covered in brilliant gold, revealing its sharp edge.

It was as dazzling as the blazing sun, sweeping away all decay and filth.

Before Dais' eyes, the repaired blade transformed into a golden crescent.

Wherever it passed, even the crimson flesh was burned to ashes by the flames!

In that instant, Desce seemed to see the bridge connecting 'life' and 'death'—

As a necromancer, he spent his entire life leading others to death.

So much so that he couldn't understand what 'death' felt like.

Now he understands:

Death is a cold embrace.

Not because it is painful enough.

Rather, it reminds you of...

That moment, which I could not let go of until the very end of my life.

"how come……"

Puzzled, Des reached the other side of the bridge.

As he fell silent, Shattered Stone felt the large, fleshy mass beneath his feet, and then lost what little reason he had left—

It seems that because it lost its 'master' who controlled it, this filthy aggregate became extremely manic.

"I'm so fed up with these zombies! When can I just smash them all to death with a hammer?!"

In fact, the four blows from the gravel had already shattered the skull of the fleshy mass.

But it is, after all, a 'zombie,' and it also possesses the characteristic of remaining standing.

"We can't keep fighting with it like this!"

The repeated fierce battles, and even the extensive use of combat techniques, had left Shattered Stone starving.

He can't swing that hammer many more times...

A sword beam imbued with light dispelled the dwarf's concerns.

"Boom!!!"

The headless man raised his broken sword and swung the golden blade at the rotting mass of flesh.

Where the sword light passes, darkness has nowhere to hide.

The massive mass of flesh was split in two in an instant, and at the scorched yet smooth opening, only scattered ashes remained.

Amidst a mournful roar, the mass of flesh, together with its 'master,' stepped onto the other side of the bridge.

The gravel has a history of over two hundred years.

This made him clearly realize where this golden sword edge originated:

"What the hell is this...?"

"【The Supreme Slash】?"

That power belongs exclusively to paladins, the most dazzling profession on this continent.

Just as the gravel was about to loosen, it jumped into the gap of the rotting flesh.

His eyes clearly caught Tang Qi's movements:
"Hey, poet!?"

He just felt that this foul-mouthed poet had gone mad—

He actually drew his 'Snake Kiss' and swung it at the headless paladin!
The latter clearly noticed the danger behind him.

Ignoring the fact that his body was exposed, he raised the broken sword in his hand, which had lost its golden light and returned to its original state, and hastily blocked Tang Qi's slash.

She then took two steps back, conveying her shock to Tang Qi in her mind's eye:

"I—I just helped you, why are you turning your sword against me?"

Tang Qi gripped his scimitar tightly, beginning to consider his chances of killing the 'paladin' before him:
"Because during the chanting, I discovered that the formation was never prepared for any 'false god'."

The goal associated with 'the perfect work of art' has always been singular—

Your soul.

"..."

[Dawn] fell into silence.

After thinking for a while, she seemed to realize that this was not something that could be easily covered up with a random excuse.

He then held the broken sword in front of him, extinguished the flames burning his wrist, and asked in his mind:
"You shouldn't have found out."

(End of this chapter)