Chapter 188 — Taking Down the Patroller Alone

1

[Screeech!]

The Patroller.

A powerful demon marked with the Roman numeral ‘3’ let out a startled cry.

Its tentacle, strong enough to shatter the exterior walls of any building, had been blocked by a mere human—by hand, no less.

Unbelievable.

When the Apostle had created it, they hadn’t made it weak.

It was supposed to be powerful enough to wipe out a mere human in an instant.

[Screeeeee…]

The Patroller hesitated, writhing its tentacle as it watched Manus.

Seeing its reaction, Manus began to prepare his spell.

Still gripping the tentacle, he began casting Cadenza.

A powerful buff magic enveloped his entire body.

[Consolidatio]

Casting speed doubled, and the power of his magic also increased twofold.

Manus took a breath, waiting for his mana to fill. Then, he began weaving his next spell.

One strike.

It was time to see just how much damage he could do in a single blow.

He considered using a 6th-Class spell but decided against it, as it lacked stability. He needed to conserve energy, so he opted for a 5th-Class Cadenza instead.

A combination of holy and ice magic.

The recipe for the spell sparked in his mind.

[Frina] — [Exodus]

[Double Spread]

An angel with frozen wings descended.

The snowflakes blooming from its outstretched wings gently covered the flowers below.

It all happened in an instant, leaving the Patroller to hastily withdraw its tentacle in shock.

[Screeech!]

When an enemy was casting, it was the perfect opportunity to strike back.

The Patroller launched one of its massive leaves, wielding it like a giant blade.

Andrea, its master, had taught it well.

A human mage was vulnerable just before an attack, during preparation.

Though getting hit could be excruciating, it was a moment when the mage was completely defenseless.

Andrea’s knowledge had whispered this truth.

Attack now!

“These Patrollers are all fools.”

If only they had stayed quiet and waited their turn, they might have had a chance.

Apparently, Andrea wasn’t as smart as she’d thought either.

As Manus continued casting, he casually ducked his head.

A cold wind swept just above him.

If it had hit directly, he might have been sliced in half.

But it was too predictable, and too slow.

Did they really think that just because a mage was casting, he couldn’t move?

‘Ridiculous.’

Were mages supposed to be idiots these days?

Not addressing basic weaknesses like that would be an embarrassment.

Being able to move while casting was a fundamental skill.

Avoiding an enemy’s attack while casting a spell to counterattack was the most basic combat strategy.

Instead, the Patroller had thrown a big attack and was now stuck in the delay that followed.

Alright, time to finish this.

[Scapula Flos]

The flowers of ice began to scatter.

The petals spread, freezing everything they touched.

Ice thorns sprouted wherever the tiny petals landed.

While it was originally a wide-range spell, Manus concentrated all its power on a single point.

[Screech?! Screeeeech!]

What would it feel like to freeze piece by piece?

Albion quickly retreated behind Manus, avoiding the icy ground.

Starting from 5th-Class and above, each spell had a unique additional effect.

The spell [Scapula Flos] had the power to hinder an enemy’s movement.

It was often used to prevent fleeing enemies like golden goblins.

Now, it kept this Patroller from escaping.

On top of that, it was completely immobilized for one turn.

“Freeze and die.”

Once again, Manus gathered his mana.

It was a bit exhausting, but he was sure he could end it in one go.

He needed a powerful physical magic.

A 5th-Class physical magic should suffice.

[Screee… Screeeee-!]

The Patroller let out a pained cry.

The immobilized Patroller was nothing more than a high-health sandbag.

A massive blade fell from the sky.

It was a 5th-Class physical spell.

[Grandis Ensis]

A colossal sword took form and impaled the mask of the Patroller.

A sword fit for a giant mercilessly stabbed through the core of the plant.

[Screeeeeeeeech-!]

What would it feel like to have a giant sword pierce your face when you couldn’t even move?

Not something Manus particularly wanted to imagine, but it had to be an agonizing pain.

Manus watched the Patroller as he recovered his mana through measured breaths.

Slowly, the Patroller began to disintegrate into dust.

Just two spells.

He had taken down a Patroller with only two spells.

Manus let out a hollow laugh.

Was he stronger than expected, or was the enemy just weak?

‘Turns out… I’m stronger than I thought.’

It was worth it to master the boss’s skills.

He had combined the strengths of all the characters into himself.

The challenge was successful.

He had proven that if the kids ever found themselves in danger, he could cover for them effectively.

If he could take down a Patroller alone, it meant he could buy enough time for recovery and regrouping.

Feeling a strange sense of pride, Manus allowed a smile to spread across his face.

Now that his business alone was done, it was time to regroup.

“They need to grow stronger without me if they want to handle emergencies. Isn’t that right?”

[Growl-]

Albion rubbed its head against Manus’ leg.

It wouldn’t be long before Albion went through its next evolution.

When that time came, traveling together like this would be difficult.

For a while, anyway.

Manus petted the head of his adorable familiar before heading off to hunt once more.

There were no distress signals yet.

So he could take his time exploring.

How furious Andrea would be if she saw this from wherever she was watching.

Indeed, the enemy’s misery was always his joy.

2

“Aaaaagh-!”

The pain struck her.

From the deepest part of the garden, she screamed, clutching her face.

It was excruciating.

Her limbs had frozen, she couldn’t draw nutrients, and the most crucial part—the mana stone—had been pierced.

The pain of a skull splitting open—no one, not even Andrea, could endure it with a clear mind.

She screamed for a while, then gasped for breath.

Gritting her teeth, Andrea got up.

A huge soul had been absorbed into her.

“Those… damned fools!”

This was dangerous.

She realized.

Those intruders were absorbing the cores, the mana stones of her plants, and growing stronger.

They were gaining strength through the artifacts, the cursed relics forged through her efforts.

Time… Time was not on her side.

Manus.

The memories extracted from Chesthip, the gardener, flooded her mind.

Her hatred toward him.

Her resentment.

“Manus… I will come after you myself.”

She had figured out who the linchpin was.

Now was the time to bring down that linchpin.

At any cost.

At any cost, she would lead them to ruin.

“I will turn you into the pretty decorations of this garden.”

Shhhhh-

As she stepped forward, a path of blue tendrils formed in front of her.

Just as she was about to head toward the garden, something blocked her way.

Andrea frowned.

“What is this?”

“Long time no see, Andrea. Still keeping up with the elegant hobbies, I see.”

“Why are you here?”

“You can’t be asking that without knowing. The Apostle is an observer. Don’t overstep your bounds.”

Grit-

Andrea clenched her fist, producing a harsh sound.

She might look like a woman, but she wasn’t weak.

Most golems would be shattered by her fist.

“You say that even after watching my garden being torn apart?”

“The garden can be restored. But… orders must not be defied. If you do, the balance will crumble.”

“I need to kill them now, so get out of my way.”

Andrea’s rage had already reached a boiling point.

To sit and wait just because someone was an Apostle?

Don’t make her laugh.

This place belonged to the dead.

The living had no business here.

“You cannot. Something irreversible will happen.”

“So, it’s okay for the ones in my garden to be mercilessly trampled?!”

“Face them on the 80th floor. By then, the fate will already be sealed.”

Andrea took a deep breath, letting out a sigh.

The visitor’s words calmed her a bit.

Right, they were Apostles.

Holy beings sent by Him to accomplish predetermined tasks.

Matia had already fallen, and Andrea’s garden was in ruins.

Following fate was their current mission.

“Damn… The 80th floor. I won’t hold back after that.”

“Agreed. And as for the lost gardener, I will provide support. There are many warriors in the desert.”

“Alright. [Cantati]. I’ll consider this a satisfactory deal.”

“Then I’ll be on my way. Don’t ever forget—we exist for our mission.”

Andrea nodded heavily.

The one called Cantati patted her shoulder.

She felt her rage, her emotions tainted with anger, begin to subside bit by bit.

That was his power.

The ability of Cantati, who trained warriors in the harsh desert.

It was time for him to leave.

Even Cantati himself had exhausted a fair amount of power with this.

“Don’t make me have to come here again. I need to conserve my strength as well.”

“…Just leave.”

Cantati didn’t respond and vanished.

Tendrils grew beneath Andrea, forming a throne as she collapsed into her seat.

The more she thought, the angrier she became.

She pondered and pondered.

How could she best punish those who destroyed her garden?

She contemplated it over and over.

And suddenly, an idea came to her.

“…The 80th floor, is it?”

Closing her eyes, Andrea sent her orders to the flowers in the garden.

Only the dead flowers in the garden would know what command she had given.

3

The group was still in the midst of battle.

Kael and Anais’ spells flashed wildly, while Melanie’s spirit held its ground steadfastly.

Alano cast healing spells on those who were fatigued.

What became evident in this battle was how much they missed Pearson’s presence.

And how well Trace was fighting.

Having an additional frontline fighter greatly lessened Melanie’s burden.

“Phew… We held out well again.”

“Good job, everyone. How are we on stamina?”

“We’re alright. Thanks to Trace, it’s definitely easier.”

Trace scratched his head.

His dodges with chains and precise strikes with his dagger were impressive.

His swordsmanship wasn’t refined, but its effectiveness in real combat was undeniable.

“I didn’t do much, really. Haha.”

“Don’t say that, you made it much easier to hunt even without Pearson around.”

“I’ll try even harder.”

“Just don’t overdo it. Like Manus said, we still have a long way to go.”

Trace nodded.

At that moment, a message came in from another party.

Nia’s voice echoed through the communication orb.

“Alano? Can you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you.”

“The demons… they’re acting strange. They’re running away.”

“…What?”

That was very strange indeed.

They had charged in like they wanted to kill them just moments ago, and now they were fleeing?

This garden, truly, was an unpredictable place.

–TL Notes–
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