Chapter 267 – Reunion
Ario and Ginny looked ill as they fell to their knees.
“…I’m going to vomit.”
“My hands and feet are numb. I cannot stand. Is it poisonous gas?”
While they were in pain, the symptoms were still light.
It was those who were strong who felt the full effect of the protection of the evil god. And so Ario and Ginny got off lightly, because they were weak.
“…Lord Gerberga. Are you all right?”
“…Oooo…”
Lord Gerberga was shaking within my jacket.
Lord Gerberga was the God Fowl. And so he should be feeling the effects more than anyone here.
Perhaps while I was fighting against the Lord, the protection had already started to be activated.
And so while Lord Gerberga had appeared to be asleep, he might have actually been feeling ill due to the effects.
I cast magic over the surrounding area and searched. However, I could not find it.
Not only was it well-hidden, but I wasn’t at my best due to the protection of the evil god.
“Kathe. It’s the protection of the evil god! Find the core! If we can destroy it…”
Perhaps if both of us searched, we may find it. That’s what I thought as I shouted.
This protection of the evil god had been used before, when I defeated a High Lord with Eric, Goran, and Shia.
That time, we had been able to destroy the core.
“I cannot find it!”
Kath’s voice sounded like a scream as it echoed. So she was already searching for it.
Due to the protection of the evil god, the precision of magic detection had fallen greatly.
That being said, we were outside. And I couldn’t see any place where it could be hidden. We should be able to find it easily.
And yet we couldn’t.
“…Is it below?”
I activated magic detection towards the ground. Of course, that meant my attention moved down as well.
That’s when it happened.
“Up, you fool!”
A low voice rang in my ears, and then giant magic bullets rained down from above.
I immediately cast a barrier to protect Ario, Ginny, and Grulf.
While Kathe was a powerful sorcerer, she was under the influence of the evil god’s protection, and it was all she could do to save herself.
Even under these conditions, I could stop normal magic bullets. But these were extra powerful.
Stopping them was no easy feat.
When the rain finally stopped, I turned to the others.
“Are you all right?”
“Mr. Locke. You’re bleeding!”
Ginny screamed. But I smiled.
“It’s just a scratch. Don’t worry about it.”
“A scratch? Hmph. It looks like a piece of your shoulder was carved out to me?”
From above, the person who had blown a chunk off my shoulder began to descend slowly.
“You’re just seeing things. I would be more worried about your face. What’s wrong? You look like you’re dead?”
I was actually surprised, but remained calm.
“Locke, that one…he should be dead!”
The one who came down was the true ancestor that we had already defeated.
“I should be dead? You lizards cannot comprehend the truth, it seems.”
Its face was ghastly pale, and different from average vampires.
Perhaps there was some method to it, but I did not know.
“…It’s painful, isn’t it? The god’s protection.”
After coming down, the true ancestor shoved his hand into the ashes of the Lord.
And then he took out the medal. This too looked different from the medals usually found in Lords.
“I had cast my nets. But did not expect to catch you so quickly.”
“I see. So you’re not a bat, but a spider?”
I said as I quickly used magic detection on the medal.
But it must have noticed me doing this. The true ancestor grinned and then undid the magic on the medal.
“Locke. That…”
Kathe realized it as well. The core had been made to look like a medal. That’s why we were unable to find it.
“That was very clever of you.”
“Even you did not notice it. And they are strengthened when this is buried in them. It’s two birds with one stone, isn’t it?”
He had seemed strong for a Lord, but not as strong as someone strengthened by the evil god. But the mystery was solved now.
The true ancestor put the medal in his mouth and swallowed it.
“If you want to undo this protection, you will have to crack me open.”
This was incredibly dangerous now.
The true ancestor was strong enough on his own. And fighting and defeating him here would be very troublesome.
“…You must be very afraid of me then.”
“I’m not afraid. However, you are rather capable for an ape.”
“Thank you.”
“I sent a lot of Lords like this one to different villages around the capital, and waited for you to get caught.”
The true ancestor said with a gleeful laugh.
“I’m glad it was me, then. Were it any other Adventurer, they would have been killed.”
But not much time had passed since we last defeated him. So that meant he had only set the traps very recently.
These were likely villages he already had control over, and he sent Lords with the evil god protection embedded in them to the villages.
And so he was able to set these traps in no time at all.
“You are happy that you’re the one who is going to die? How very noble of you.”
“Hardly. It’s you who is going to die. Well, maybe you are already dead.”
“Hmph.”
As we talked like this I communicated to the others through telepathy.
‘Ario, Ginny. Please. Take Grulf and run.’
“B-but, your wound…”
Ginny didn’t realize it was telepathy, and said this out loud.
‘Be quiet. It’s only a scratch for me. And while he is troublesome, I can still defeat him.’
‘We defeated him before! There is no need to worry!’
Kathe agreed cheerfully, and so Ario and Ginny seemed to be convinced.