Monsters. Beasts of power that oppose humanity. Though the term is simple enough, their kinds are as varied as grains of sand. The history of humankind is, in many ways, the history of fighting monsters.
Human nations and cities are generally established outside the territories of powerful monsters, so ordinary people rarely encounter them — but the true rulers of this world are not human.
Monsters dwelling near boiling craters, monsters building vast colonies across sweeping wastelands, monsters nesting deep in ancient forests and claiming ruined strongholds as their lair, monsters silently reigning over underground caverns stretching hundreds of kilometers, monsters hiding within human cities themselves. Ueno and his companions had traveled the world, fought countless monsters, and subdued them all.
It wasn't just a matter of raw strength. Monsters possessed an inherent, living nuisance — something entirely different from the Phantoms that appeared inside Treasure Halls.
The Divine Tree Passage, which they had entered by following the guidance received from Thousand Transformations, was simultaneously paradise and hell for the Thousand Demons Night Parade.
The ceaseless echo of attack magic. The roars of magical beasts, and the metallic ring of a Star Eater's armor deflecting blows.
The monsters that appeared in the Divine Tree Passage possessed far greater power than anything Ueno and his group had fought before. The concentration of Mana Material permeating the area was different, and the elemental attributes of the monsters were ones rarely seen.
They were likely endemic species of the Divine Tree Passage. Quite a few among them were creatures that even Ueno — an expert on monsters — had never encountered before.
Hiding in the shadow of the Star Eater centipede to block the venom spat by a giant serpent-type magical beast, then diving sideways to dodge the attack magic launched by a Spirit species that had swooped down from above.
Every single magical beast here was, conservatively speaking, at least Level 6 by the Explorer's Guild's rating standards.
At this level, even a stray projectile was lethal. The weakness of handlers like Ueno was that their own abilities were paltry compared to the monsters they commanded. They had to stay out of sight and never, under any circumstances, take a hit.
"Hah, hah! I can't believe this many magical beasts and Spirit species are showing up! No wonder they call Spiritfolk security top-notch!!"
"No time for complaints. Here they come!!"
The Thousand Demons Night Parade's general — Quint Gento's favorite. Zork, a Dark Cyclops, swung his mace with devastating force, smashing into a serpentine magical beast and sending it — along with several other monsters that had been waiting for an opening to ambush — flying. The Star Eater let out a piercing roar, intimidating the swarming monsters.
But the monsters of the Divine Tree Passage showed no sign of retreating.
Both Zork, controlled by Quint, and Adler's companion, the Star Eater centipede, were creatures that had once reigned as kings of their own territories. Monsters should instinctively sense the gap in power and feel at least some intimidation — but this was an unprecedented experience.
Currently, Ueno and his group had already committed most of their monsters to holding off the Mourning Specter. They were still holding on thanks to the remaining stamina of Zork and the Star Eater, but this was already the fifth attack — and the number of beasts striking each time kept increasing. If things continued this way, they would be slowly bled dry.
The great serpent that should have been blown away by Zork's strike calmly raised itself back up. To take a direct hit from Zork — a beast specialized in physical power — and remain unfazed spoke of terrifying durability.
It couldn't have taken zero damage, yet its lifeless eyes burned with undiminished fighting spirit.
"...Adler, something's wrong with these things. It's like they can't feel fear or pain at all!"
"Something must have happened. The Mana Material here is far too dense. It's not as simple as just being above a Ley Line. Isn't that right, Ueno?"
Adler's words were correct. As a Holy Spirit user, Ueno possessed a special ability to see through things that were normally invisible.
It seemed that secret arts were warping the space, but through Ueno's eyes, a torrent of power — a flood of Mana Material — could clearly be seen pouring in from a single direction.
In a normal Treasure Hall, one could see power rising from the earth — from a Ley Line — but here, the energy was unmistakably flowing in from outside.
This was undoubtedly what was strengthening the monsters of the Divine Tree Passage.
Mana Material forcibly altered living creatures to some degree. If this was the doing of Spiritfolk secret arts, then it was an utterly monstrous act.
"Yes! I can feel massive amounts of Mana Material interfering with the formation from over there! The Spiritfolk must be forcibly powering up the monsters to bolster their defenses!"
Raising an arm, Ueno pointed in the direction from which the Mana Material was flowing. The details of the formation were unclear, but the Spiritfolk surely hadn't expected that someone with the ability to perceive Mana Material existed among their enemies.
"Adler, shouldn't we turn back after all!? If we follow the guidance from that thing we received, we won't be attacked by the monsters, right!?"
"That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it? Our goal is to secure new fighting strength. If we just follow the path given to us, we'd be playing right into Thousand Transformations' hands. We can always retreat whenever we want."
"Well... that's true, but..."
Adler frowned at Quint's unusually reasonable suggestion.
Then, curling his lips into a grin, he laughed.
"On the contrary, isn't this thrilling!? Whether the Spiritfolk have their hands in it or not, nothing changes! We surpass these creatures, subjugate them, and make them our servants. That's how we've grown stronger! That's how it's been, and that's how it'll always be! If we subjugate the magical beasts and monsters here, we'll be — invincible!"
"That may be so... but there's no end to them!"
A blade of wind slipped past the Star Eater's defenses and grazed Adler's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
The Star Eater's defenses were ironclad, but it couldn't cover everything. Especially against sheer numbers.
"Lord Adler!!"
The name escaped their lips involuntarily. But Adler didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow, the deep grin still fixed on his face.
Then, as if answering on behalf of its master, the Star Eater centipede — which had been coiling protectively around Adler and the others — sprang into action.
Yuden, a Star Eater centipede — one of the most powerful monster species to have ever ruled the ancient world.
No command was needed. The monster that had once been the ruler of an ancient ruin — unearthed by Adler from crumbling scrolls long ago — raised its body, arched like a drawn bow, and surged forward in a single explosive burst.
Its exoskeleton boasted a hardness far surpassing ordinary metals, and its explosive speed left even sound behind. The colossal body shattered cliff faces, sent trees flying, and swept aside every magical beast and monster in its path.
No matter how much the monsters had been enhanced by Mana Material, their base power was simply on another level. This creature — which had survived hundreds or even thousands of years — possessed abilities that already surpassed those of dragons, the strongest species.
The monsters that had withstood Zork's strikes with ease now lay sprawled on the ground, not so much as twitching.
Their bodies were riddled with countless holes. The razor-sharp legs that lined Yuden's body had pierced through their hides as it swept past.
The Star Eater centipede carried a potent venom. Its toxin — capable of rendering even high-ranking magical beasts incapacitated with ease — was one of the reasons ancient peoples feared the Star Eater as one of the most powerful monsters in existence.
But the monsters weren't dead yet. The Star Eater could use multiple types of venom. Killing them outright would mean they couldn't be added to the army.
It was strong. Without question, among all magical beasts in existence, this was top-tier. Extraordinary vitality that let it survive even when its body was torn apart, overwhelming power, and the ability to wield multiple venoms for subjugation.
It had even withstood the full assault of the Mourning Specter. Across the entire world, there were probably hardly any who could take Yuden down head-on.
"The ones that tanked Zork's hits... taken out in a single strike. As expected, it's a monster."
Adler snorted dismissively at Quint, who was growling with some frustration.
"But it didn't work on the Mourning Specter. Ueno, go persuade the ones we just took down. If they fold this easily against Yuden, they won't be much use in a real fight, but with enough of them, we could at least mount a nuisance raid. Ah, don't push too hard. It seems there's no shortage of magical beasts in this place."
"Understood. Well, I'm not sure the persuasion will go smoothly, but..."
Subduing magical beasts was difficult. Many couldn't be communicated with at all, and success often depended on compatibility and luck.
The key to subjugating monsters was demonstrating power and carving a hierarchy into them. Most monsters instinctively craved strength.
With Yuden's overwhelming power freshly displayed, negotiations would likely go more favorably.
The fact that there was nothing stronger than the Star Eater centipede brought a measure of relief.
A handler's risk of death was highest at the moment they encountered an existence that outranked the monsters they commanded. It was precisely at that moment that a handler's true worth was put to the test.
Just then, Adler's gaze drifted toward Ueno. Those quietly gleaming eyes sent a shiver of foreboding.
The Mourning Specter might have been put through the wringer, but Ueno and the others were being dragged around by Adler just the same.
"But they have spellcasters on their side. Adding mid-strength pawns won't accomplish much — Ueno, you said earlier that Mana Material was flowing in from over there, correct?"
"I did, but... don't tell me you're —"
Ueno's cheek twitched involuntarily. Adler narrowed his eyes and spoke.
When he wore that expression, no one could stop Adler.
"I don't know what's there, but if there's a source of Mana Material, doesn't that mean the strongest monster in the area is there too? We'll head straight for it while bolstering our forces along the way."
The words brimmed with confidence. There was logic to them, sure — but only if everything went exactly as planned.
It was far too dangerous. They had a general sense of how strong the monsters of the Divine Tree Passage were. So far, nothing had surpassed the Star Eater, but who knew what lay ahead. Even if nothing stronger than Yuden appeared, whether Ueno and the others could survive the fierce battles ahead was another matter entirely.
For starters, it was uncertain whether they could even function in Mana Material this dense. There was a real possibility of being affected by it midway through and losing the ability to move. Concerns piled up the moment one started thinking about them.
— But Adler was speaking with full knowledge of all this.
"Can't be helped. If Adler says we're doing this, then let's do it. Now that we've seen what's in here, there's no way I'm in the mood to go collecting weak monsters outside."
Quint, who had been arguing the opposite position moments ago, sighed and drew the sword at his hip. He intended to fight alongside Zork, his servant.
Quint was the type of handler who earned his monsters' trust by showing them his back — leading from the front.
With the two of them set on this course, there was nothing Ueno could do to stand in their way. Ueno's monsters possessed extraordinary power, but they weren't built for sustained combat, nor could they be deployed consecutively.
"If anything goes wrong, we're running. Got it? We can't afford a total wipeout in a place like this!"
"I know, Ueno. We've confirmed the Star Eater can still fight effectively here. Our supplies are holding too. Let's wipe out every last monster and teach that man who looked down on us a lesson he won't forget."
§ § § In this age of Treasure Hunters, the Treasure Halls drew considerable attention.
Research into Treasure Halls and Treasure Weapons was underway across nations, and the Explorer's Guild regularly received investigation requests. Thanks to these efforts, the Explorer's Guild had reached a point where — despite many remaining mysteries and irregularities — they could roughly determine a Treasure Hall's general characteristics and predict its tendencies.
A Treasure Hall's exterior could roughly indicate its difficulty. And among all the Treasure Halls, the most dangerous type was — "That is undoubtedly a Temple-type Treasure Hall. Given the strength of the Mana Material, I expected as much — but the information passed down about Yggdrasil holds up."
Elisa, who had gone out to scout the Treasure Hall at dawn and just returned, spoke with a weary expression.
Temple-type Treasure Halls. They were known for having fewer gimmicks but spawning Phantoms of formidable strength.
They were the superior counterpart to the equally high-difficulty Castle-type Treasure Halls. The key differences from Castle-types were that the Phantom appearing as the boss wielded power approaching that of a god, and that the Treasure Hall would collapse once the boss was defeated.
In most cases, conquering a Temple-type Treasure Hall was a historic feat.
The Treasure Hall once conquered by House Rodan — the very feat that earned them the title of Hero's Bloodline — the Star Temple, was a Temple-type. And the Holy King's Temple, conquered by Exceed Seekence, a Level 10 Hunter currently regarded as one of the strongest, was also a Temple-type.
Of course, Temple-types varied wildly in difficulty, but none of them were something that the Mourning Specter could handle with ease.
Liliz, who had come with Elisa, spoke with furrowed brows and a serious expression.
"It looks like a considerable number of Phantoms have already manifested, so... yeah, this is going to be rough. Mm, it's pretty much out of reach — which makes it the perfect next target for the Mourning Specter!"
"I see... By the way, wasn't Elisa the one you asked to scout?"
Her thief's instincts must have been itching — stop tagging along like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Come on, it's dangerous for Elisa to go alone, and I left the main work to her, so what's the problem? I was just acting as her bodyguard!"
Sure, sure, that's what you say... By the way, what's with the person behind you who looks like she's about to die — When it came to Treasure Halls, Liliz and her group were absolute professionals. Even in Zebuldia, no one had cleared as many high-level Treasure Halls as they had.
Their wealth of knowledge and experience made their judgment worth trusting. Liliz was bold and self-assured — the type to declare something conquerable if there was even a sliver of a chance. For her to say it was pretty much out of reach meant the Origin Temple was every bit as dangerous as it looked.
Elisa let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"We don't need to go all the way inside to break the curse. We can cure Luke near the entrance. What we need is for Selen to receive the power emanating from the World Tree."
"Well, I guess that can't be helped. If we cleared a Temple-type Treasure Hall without Luke, he'd probably sulk about it later..."
"! Yeah, you're right."
Oh, so near the entrance would be fine after all... What a relief. That might actually be doable.
Liliz seemed satisfied with the plan too. Now it was just a matter of timing. Maybe, just maybe, things would go smoothly for once?
Citry, who had cleverly secured Selen's permission to peruse Yggdrasil's archives, spoke while scanning the texts.
"Once Luke's petrification is cured, we'll need to deal with the Treasure Hall next... It's my first time with a Temple-type, but if the legends are true, then even before the power accumulates, the root of the Treasure Hall — a Sleeping God — should exist at its innermost core. If we can deal with that, the power will dissipate and the Treasure Hall will vanish. It would be difficult to destroy a normal Treasure Hall, so the fact that it's a Temple-type is a blessing in disguise."
"...Can that thing actually be dealt with easily?"
"To my knowledge, there are no successful cases. The Sleeping God is supposedly an unstable mass of energy. Even dormant, a god is still a god — a reckless attack could turn everything within several hundred kilometers to ash. Though, if it meant saving the world at minimal cost, perhaps it should be done... That's right! Thinking about it this way, Klye would be the first to pull it off!"
Isn't that a strange conclusion?
I blinked.
No, wait...? I wanted to say that with no precedent, it shouldn't be attempted — but several hundred kilometers reduced to ash, huh... Normally that would be terrifying, but could the Barrier Ring withstand it, perhaps?
We had Barrier Rings in stock — enough for Liliz's group too — and for the first time, I felt a glimmer of hope.
Well, if it looked hopeless, we'd leave it to the next generation.
"Mm... So, Selen wants us to decide when to carry it out."
When to strike, huh. She was a Spiritfolk of standing. Even if it wasn't a major ritual, there would surely be preparations.
There was still some time before Luke completely turned to stone. Ideally, we wanted to execute the plan when Phantoms were at a minimum.
"...How many Phantoms were there today?"
Elisa was silent for a moment before answering in a grave voice to my cautious inquiry.
"...Around three hundred aberrant magical beasts near the entrance, types I've never seen before. But the interior of the Treasure Hall still gives off an indescribable presence. The chances of breaking the curse through a frontal assault are... probably just below fifty-fifty."
Fifty-fifty... Was I supposed to be glad that we had even that much of a chance?
But I was the kind of guy who always ran into trouble on jobs that were supposed to be easy.
Liliz, Citry, Lucia, Tinno, Anthem — they were all waiting for my answer. Making the call at a time like this was the leader's job.
I glanced at the stone statue of Luke, enshrined in the corner of the room, and with a hard-boiled smile, spoke: "We wait for the right moment. Now isn't the time."
I felt bad for Luke, but we couldn't take on three hundred aberrant magical beasts. He'd just have to stay as a stone a while longer until the perfect moment arrived.