Chapter 260.3

Volume 3: Chapter 260 – God-Summoning Ritual (3/4)

“Let’s release the carnivorous monster beasts.”

“Good idea. Nothing will change even if they’re killed.”

Strangely enough, they reached the same conclusion as Gi Gu. Normally, the carnivorous monster beasts would only be released at the end of the battle to clean up the battlefield. All the monster beasts that Gi Gi had gathered from all over their territory to strengthen his army – from the Giant Spiders of the forest to the Saber Tigers to the omnivorous Armored Bear – were unleashed on the wounded humans.

The rain of magic bullets didn’t bother Zailduk much.

In the first place, they never micromanaged their forces, and Gi Gi just arranged his beasts by type and released them on the enemy. His strategy was literally just to overrun his enemies. No matter how the situation turned, his response was always the same – push. That was how Zailduk fought. And regardless how many monster beasts died in the process, that strategy would never change.

As the battlefield grew ghastlier, the Goblin King rode toward the main cause of this battle with the imperial guards following from behind as they staked their lives on their assault.

Something was there. His intuition was telling him that, so he changed his course and swung his sword in the face of the growing resistance of his foes. His beloved steed, Sui, crushed the enemy along with their iron armor, then crushed them underfoot.

But the Goblin King did not even have the leisure to feel the sensation of crushing an enemy under his steed as his Flamberge clad in black flames skewered another enemy soldier.

As he bellowed out a howl and raised it above him, he knocked the enemy off of his blade, then urged his steed to move onward from that pool of blood as he cut down the foes that obstructed him with his Black-Red Speckled Great SwordZweihander.

Its sharpness had dulled from the blood and fat of his foes, but the weight and durability remained strong.

Under the furious swings of the Goblin King, Zweihander would crush the Goblin King’s foes along with their helmet, break their shields, and bury them with their armor smashed.

“Move!”

As the Goblin King howled and broke through the forces surrounding him, his eyes gathered onto a single figure, and he yelled.

“Reshia!!”

◆◇◆

After breaking through the fifth floor protected by inorganic guards, Mill and her group made their way to the lab in the sixth room, where silence greeted them once again. This should be the highest floor, but there was no one in sight.

“Did I fail again!?”

Mill kicked a bookshelf in frustration, but when the bookshelf fell to the side, her eyes widened.

“A hidden door!　Good job, Mill,” Fick said

As he caught up to her. Mill nodded vaguely to him and proceeded inside. As Mill led the group through the hidden door, a dark space welcomed them, and then before long, a vast lab.

Cluttered documents were randomly stacked on the desks, and the bookshelves were filled to the brim with books. Various specimen and stuffed animals could also be seen. They seemed to have been used for some kind of experiment. The eyes of the adventurers ominously gathered onto the only room where the lights were suppressed.

“…Who’s there!?”

At the end of Mill’s gaze appeared a young man dressed in the robes of the elder of the Blue Tower.

“I wasn’t expecting guests.”

Despite the appearance of some unknown intruders, the man faced them with a smile.

“I am Floyd Berchen, the elder of the Blue Tower, a member of the Council of Three Towers that manage the Ivory Tower.”

Mill’s glare grew sharper. This was the man responsible for putting Reshia on a pedestal and using her to start a war.

“I am Lili Aureya. I have no grudge with you. Where is Reshia Fel Zeal?”

Lili’s introduction was far too formal for a mere adventurer. But Floyd made no remark about that and merely nodded before looking out the window.

“She should be fighting in the holy war against the monsters right about now.”

In other words, she wasn’t here.

The rescue team looked at each other. If the man was telling the truth, then coming here was a waste of time. They failed to produce any results, but they really might just have to retreat like this.

“Hey, uncle, what are you doing at a place like this?”

Leonis sea-blue eyes gazed into Floyd as he asked that question, and the smile of the man only grew deeper.

“I don’t mind sharing it, but it might take awhile. I hope you don’t mind.　To put it briefly, I’ve been experimenting on matters related to humans and gods.”

“Humans and gods?”

Leonis asked. What an ominous sentence.

“Yes, an experiment. Hmm… If I may ask, do you believe in the gods?”

Floyd found himself a chair and sat, then started talking normally as though they were having a class. The adventurers found his behavior odd, but they listened nonetheless.

“Of course!” Leonis said.

“A little,” Fick said.

In contrast to the two eager beavers, Mill and Lili remained quiet.

“In that case, what are gods?”

“Huh?　Aren’t gods, gods? The new gods that created the humans, the old gods that created the elves and the demihumans. There are a lot of them.”

“An exemplary answer. Wonderful. But then, has anyone seen them?　What form do they take? What are their thoughts? Why did they make the demihumans, the elves, and us?”