Chapter 5
True to its name, the Smog Plains was blanketed in a thick, hazy fog that made it difficult to see even an inch ahead. Worse yet, the only structure in sight was the fence bordering the plains, making it nearly impossible to gauge distances.
Not having any terrain or landmarks to use is a pretty big risk.
Cadel clicked his tongue as he scanned the plains. In an environment like this, they had no choice but to rely entirely on pure skill. For someone with zero confidence in his own abilities, that was a heavy burden.
Perhaps noticing the worry on his face, Van stepped up beside him.
“I will keep watch, Captain. Please get some rest in the meantime, even if just for a little while.”
“Huh? No, I’m fine. On an open plain like this, I can see everything just by turning my head.”
It hadn’t even been a day since they met, but the knight tended to be overprotective. Wasn’t it usually the subordinates who trusted the captain to have their backs?
…Then again. I suppose I have to show I’m reliable to earn that kind of trust.
Mocking himself internally, Cadel called out to Ron and Babil, who were anxiously looking around.
“There’s still time before the moon rises, so let’s rest first. After that, how about we each take a direction and watch for approaching monsters?”
“S-Sounds good. Let’s do that.”
“Damn it, my heart’s pounding so hard I don’t even know if I can rest.”
They sat as close to the fence as possible and began unpacking their bags. Cadel offered Van something to eat but was flatly refused, leaving him to chew on Van’s share of the jerky as well. Having eaten nothing proper all day, he kept stuffing the meat down, even though it tasted as bland as paper.
If Cadel Lytos dies… will I really die too?
Looking up at the fog-blurred sky, Cadel fell into thought. Since he had possessed the game’s protagonist, maybe things like “save points” or “resurrection” were possible. But he lacked the guts to test that theory himself. No sane person would throw their life away on a gamble with no guarantees.
I have to survive, no matter what. And…
His gaze slowly shifted from the darkening indigo sky. Reflected in his deep brown eyes was the handsome face of Van, who had taken the seat next to him.
I absolutely cannot fail.
Getting a second chance at life after being hit by a truck was practically a miracle. Naturally, such luck wouldn’t strike twice. He had no choice but to stake his life on every single moment.
Steeling his resolve, Cadel tilted his canteen to wet his mouth. At that very moment, Ron’s terrified voice rang out.
“T-The moon is up!”
Sticking to the fence and guarding only three sides.
In a way, it seemed like a rational method, but it was strictly amateurish. One wrong move and they could be surrounded with their escape route blocked. Furthermore, if the fence broke during the battle, the trapped monsters would scatter in all directions. Vils Village would be the first to suffer, and even if Cadel’s group managed to survive, they wouldn’t be able to avoid being held accountable by Viscount Stra.
And so, on this crescent moon night, they pushed through the terrible visibility of darkness and fog to set up their base in the center, as far away from the fence as possible.
“Didn’t you say you were a mage? I feel like I’d be a lot more at ease if you set up a barrier or something,” Babil said in a tense voice from his post guarding the east.
Cadel replied nonchalantly, keeping his eyes on the north.
“There’s no need to waste mana this early just to put your mind at ease. Don’t worry. I’ll make one when the time comes.”
It was a bluff, of course. He didn’t even know how to create a single spark, let alone a barrier. Van had stuck by his side throughout their entire rest, refusing to leave. Cadel couldn’t exactly practice lighting fires right next to his subordinate, could he? A captain with neither money nor ability would definitely be abandoned.
When the monsters appear, I’ll have to leave the fighting to Van first. I can try attacking while pretending to provide rear support.
A mage was meant to support knights from the rear anyway. No one would find it strange.
Having quickly formed a plan, Cadel caught his breath. Never in his life, naturally, had he seen a real monster. How could he have seen something that didn’t exist? At most, he had looked at monsters in movies or comics and thought, That looks gross, or I’ve lost my appetite.
Let’s just try not to humiliate myself by passing out.
He swallowed hard.
The plains, devoid of a single blade of grass, consisted entirely of dry dirt and finely shattered stone. The thick fog covering the rugged ground wavered, casting a dreary atmosphere. Even the moonlight, their only source of light, did no more than weave a dim glow through the haze. The stifling visibility, heavy breathing, and damp air formed a trinity that soaked all his senses in an unpleasant tension.
Cadel narrowed his eyes, carefully observing his assigned direction.
Even if something approached, the fog meant its silhouette would only become visible at a fairly close distance. If he didn’t concentrate, he would end up facing them point-blank. He wanted no part of a surprise gift like that.
Pushing his senses to their absolute limits, Cadel strained his eyes. And right at that moment.
Far off in the north, a tiny silhouette suddenly revealed itself. It was a small shadow, swaying like a flickering candle. Whatever it was, something that hadn’t been there before had just appeared. Making a swift judgment, Cadel opened his mouth to announce the enemy’s arrival.
“T-They’re here!”
“Over here too!”
“Captain, they’ve appeared!”
The three guarding the east, west, and south shouted at the exact same time.
“W-What! Are we surrounded?!”
Letting out a shrill cry, a terrified Ron stumbled backward. There was no time to panic alongside him. Cadel immediately turned around and shoved Ron and Babil toward Van.
“Commence combat! We’ll break through the south first with Van in the lead! You two watch the rear and support Van!”
He had a bad feeling from the start given the open plains, but he hadn’t expected them to close in from all sides right away. The only saving grace was the outstanding knight on his side.
As soon as Cadel gave the order, Van drew his massive greatsword. Without delay, he gathered his energy, and a fierce red aura began to wrap around the broad blade.
In an instant, Van’s pupils bled crimson.
Leaving the tense group behind, he charged forward. The heavy greatsword surged, cleaving straight ahead.
A low swoosh tore through the air, accompanied by a gust of wind. The powerful strike blew the fog away, clearly revealing the scene beyond it.
“Undead!” Ron shouted sharply.
Babil hurriedly drew his sword and ran after Van. However, Cadel couldn’t follow them. His legs had stiffened like stone.
W-What is that…?
As the fog parted to reveal the monsters, Cadel froze in shock. Simply put, they were zombies.
But to be more specific, first, they had no necks. Instead, they were carefully cradling their own heads. The heads had no eyes, and with no nasal bones, there were barely two holes punched through for noses. Their lips had melted hideously, the top and bottom of their mouths sparsely fused together like spiderwebs.
Second, the creatures were completely naked, their entire bodies riddled with blue mold and pitch-black holes. It was a sight so repulsive it induced nausea just looking at it.
Things like that are swarming us from all sides?
It was horrifying!
His legs trembled on their own. Cadel couldn’t even bring himself to look around, but mustering what little courage he had left, he ran toward Van. He judged that sticking close to the knight would be the safest option.
It was the right call.
Van unleashed rapid strikes of red Sword Aura with an agility that made it hard to believe he was wielding a greatsword. Crescent-shaped waves of aura bisected the undead’s upper bodies along with the fog.
His reddened eyes darted around with beast-like intuition, grasping the enemies’ movements. The undead were slow and sluggish, but that didn’t mean they were easy to defeat. Rather, they were kind of a hassle.
“Captain! They’re ‘Head Pitchers’! You need to create a barrier!” Van shouted as he relentlessly cut down the monsters.
Cadel, who had been shrinking back in terror, flinched at the powerful yell.
Right.
They were monsters with an appearance so appalling it was a miracle he had held back his vomit, but they were all targets he had to eliminate. Hadn’t he just been planning to provide rear support?
Fuck, fuck, fuck, I can do this, damn it…
Spitting out a mouthful of curses internally to suppress his fear, Cadel kept his head down and gritted his teeth. It felt better to just not look at the monsters.
Magic, come out. Come out, magic. Please come out…!
He strained every muscle from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His face flushed bright red as if it were about to burst, and all his muscles contracted tightly, accompanied by a stinging pain.
A magic barrier was a basic skill inherent to all elemental magic. Simply put, it was a shield. Recalling the image of the barrier he had seen in the game, Cadel desperately tensed his entire body.
“Heads are flying in! Don’t let them touch you!”
“Mage! Deploy the barrier!”
Ron and Babil yelled, but their voices didn’t reach Cadel’s ears at all. Within him, an extreme concentration fueled equally by survival instinct and fear was slowly taking over his mind.
In a fleeting moment, Cadel felt a bizarre sensation of something hot flowing inside his body. It wasn’t blood. It was hotter, faster, and closer to a more fundamental energy.
I’ll draw on this power.
Only by drawing out this energy could he create a barrier. Instinctively realizing this simple truth, Cadel twisted the flow of energy with all his might. Then, he felt a heavy heat surge up, incomparable to anything he had felt before.