Chapter 78

Tracing the trail, they proceeded through the sewers for a while and suddenly emerged into a vast square.

It was probably beneath the center of the town.

Huge holes were scattered everywhere, seemingly where waterways converged.

"There are plenty of places to hide here."

"Yeah, I can sense something lurking around."

There were many traces of something having passed through.

It seemed to have made its lair here.

"Shall we draw it out?"

He cast the purification holy magic, "Sunlight."

A glowing magic sphere slowly ascended above their heads.

This holy magic created a massive light source above them.

While lighting up the darkness could make them easy targets for enemies, "Sunlight" also had an offensive component, making it easier to avoid attacks.

The darkness cleared as if illuminated by the midday sun.

"Chuuu!?"

The rats that had been hiding around them fled, but those that couldn't escape fell and evaporated.

"Is this light a holy magic? I remember you went to the church the other day. You must have learned it, Lloyed-sama."

"Wow, Lloyed! Even the dirt in the sewers is disappearing!"

The mud and grime that had clung together crumbled like sand.

Perhaps holy magic could be useful for cleaning as well.

"Hey, Jiruel, rats and mud aren't monsters, right? Why did they disappear like that?"

"‘Sunlight’ has the effect of purifying the unclean with holy light. It seems to have had the effect of purifying rats and mud, which are symbols of uncleanness. ...However, the range and power of this effect are extraordinary. Indeed, Lloyed-sama, your magic power is impressive."

"But if it attacks such a wide area all the time, the monsters won't even come near, will they?"

Indeed, as Grimo said.

While thinking about what to do, Shiro suddenly darted in front of me.

"Unn!"

"Hmm, hmm, oh, oh... Lloyed-sama, Shiro says he found a monster."

"Really? Can I count on you, Shiro?"

"Unn, unn!"

Shiro let out a proud cry and started running at an incredible speed.

After a while, a sound came from a distance.

A large number of rats emerged from the tunnel Shiro had entered.

"Unn! Unn, unn, unn!"

It seemed Shiro had been chasing them.

The "Sunlight" bathed the rats that had rushed out one after another.

"Chuuu!?"

The rats immediately evaporated.

The effect was excellent. The rats that had rushed out like a landslide quickly disappeared.

"Kyawn!?"

Shiro seemed shocked that the rats he had gathered had disappeared so quickly.

"Don't worry, Shiro. Next time, bring something bigger."

"Unn!"

But when I comforted him, he quickly regained his composure and darted back into the tunnel.

Hmm, the wide attack range of "Sunlight" is a bit of a drawback. Well, I'll just think of it as a way to clean the sewers.

"Lloyed-sama, they're coming again!"

This time, among the group of rats, there were several slime monsters.

Shiro seems to have brought the right kind of monsters this time.

There don't seem to be any ghouls, but it looks like we can conduct the experiment.

First, the rats in the group that were bathed in light disappeared, and then the slimes stopped moving.

"Peeg!?"

It seems they don't like the light and can't get close.

They turned away from me and headed toward Shiro.

"Unn!"

Shiro scratched them with his sharp claws, but the slimes, which have a strong regenerative ability among monsters, continued to escape even as they were torn apart.

"Lloyed, the slimes are escaping."

"…There's no choice, I'll block their escape route."

He cast the fire magic, "Inferno Barrier."

A wall of flames surrounded the slimes.

"Peeg! Peeg!"

The slimes cried out.

Unable to escape, the flames gradually closed in.

Good, now is the chance to use "Sunlight."

As he brought the floating magic sphere closer, the slimes, illuminated by the light, began to droop as if exhausted.

They seemed to be regenerating, but each time, the light burned their bodies.

The slimes soon stopped moving and disappeared, smoking.

"I see, ‘Sunlight’ is a holy magic that keeps monsters at bay, but it seems to be able to defeat them without any problems. A magic that can attack a wide area without hitting allies is quite valuable."

Wide-area magic inevitably hits allies.

But with "Sunlight," there's no damage to allies, and it continuously attacks a wide area, making it strong against surprise attacks.

The only drawback is that it's a bit conspicuous, but it's definitely a very useful magic.

"‘Sunlight’ is supposed to have almost no offensive power. To use it in reverse, like slowly roasting something over a low flame… What a devilish way to use it! Lloyed-sama, you are truly terrifying…!"

"Heh, it's not a scary way to kill. I even feel sorry for the slimes."

Jiruel and Grimo muttered.

Am I using it in a strange way?

"Lloyed-sama."

Suddenly, Silfa looked straight ahead with a serious expression.

Her gaze was directed to the depths of the tunnel, into the pitch-black darkness.

But the presence emanating from there was what we had been chasing.

A high-pitched sound, and a figure emerged.

A blue, corpse-like face, rotting skin, red eyes, and sharp fangs.

—In other words, a ghoul.

"Uu, uu…"

Growling and baring its sharp fangs, the ghoul glared at us.

It seems the main event has finally arrived.