Chapter 8

Adventurer registration applications can only be made at the guild.

It takes a day and a half to walk from Daford to Garrett, the port city where the guild is located.

The smell that suddenly hit his nose was about half a day after leaving Daford, while he was walking around the Nether Valley where Adam had stabbed through.

"This smell..."

It was a poisonous scent, very similar to the smell of decay from ripe fruit.

It was sweet, yet carried a hint of death—.

"There's no mistaking it."

It was the same kind as the one Yeti had emitted when infected with the disease of undeath.

—Master, have you noticed?

Yeti suddenly asked.

"Yes, Yeti. Are you awake?"

—I am, but I can't sleep soundly in this stench.

"Is there an undead beast nearby?"

—That seems to be the case.

Considering the location, it's highly likely that it's an individual infected with the disease that originated in the Nether Valley.

Following the source of the smell, he pushed through the forest.

He eventually discovered the entrance to a cave, its mouth gaping open on a steep slope.

He slid down to that point.

He put his hand on the rock and peered inside.

The damp air flowing from inside definitely contained that smell.

—This entrance is connected to the cave where I met you, deep underground. The beast emitting this smell might be the one that infected me.

"Which beast attacked you, Yeti?"

—Unfortunately, I was struck from behind and couldn't confirm the attacker's appearance... However, I can narrow it down to a certain extent. There are only two beasts in this underground cave that could have attacked me from behind. Even if the disease of undeath increases their attack power, I can assert this point.

"Which two?"

—Fresvelg and Fenrir.

Fresvelg is a large bird-type beast resembling an eagle.

It has a sharp beak and is known as the bird that swallows corpses, as it can swallow its prey whole.

It is extremely aggressive and has a danger level of S rank.

Fenrir, on the other hand, is a beast-type monster that closely resembles a wolf.

Its danger level exceeds that of Fresvelg, placing it at SS rank.

"S-rank Fresvelg and SS-rank Fenrir, huh."

Faced with the existence of such formidable enemies lurking in the darkness, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, that makes sense."

They are strong enough to attack an S-rank Yeti from behind.

It's only natural that the names of the strongest beasts would come up.

"If it's Fresvelg that has become undead, it might be better..."

Fresvelg is a wind-attribute beast, and its weakness is Yeti's ice attribute.

If the goal is not to defeat it but to activate the blessing at the right moment, there might be a way to find a breakthrough depending on the situation.

The problem is the SS-rank Fenrir.

There is a clear difference in power between A-rank and SS-rank.

Moreover, the attribute compatibility is bad.

If the abilities I gained from Yeti are ineffective, it would be no different from entering the battlefield unarmed.

If I can't activate the blessing first, I'll be killed without resistance.

I was lucky to activate the blessing when Yeti attacked, but such a coincidence won't happen twice.

—Master, I may be overstepping, but I think it would be best to leave this place immediately... Undead beasts hate light and won't come out of the cave, but it's better to be cautious.

"No, I can't run away with my tail between my legs right after declaring that I'll deal with the undead beasts."

—What are you saying, Master! The opponent this time is too strong...

I understand that, of course.

"If it's Fresvelg that has become undead, I intend to try to save it with the blessing. However, if it's Fenrir that's infected, I think I'll have to give up for now. I'm sorry, Yeti. I can't make a definitive statement that I'll save your kind from suffering because I'm weak."

—Master... You are too kind...

"Thank you, Yeti. For your sake, I need to become strong enough not to have to retreat."

Because I want to save the beasts, I can't let my ideals run wild.

No matter how lofty my ambitions, if I die pointlessly, that's the end of it.

Dying while thinking I've done something good without saving the beasts would be nothing more than self-satisfaction.

"Let's first confirm which beast is infected with the disease."

◇◇◇

The dim cave was made of rocks that glowed bluish-white.

It was eerily quiet, with no sign of any living creatures.

The other beasts must have been hunted to extinction by the undead beast.

The interior was like a maze, with countless branching paths.

Each time he encountered a fork, he made a mark on the rock with his knife, but he still ended up circling around the same place.

His sense of time was numbed, and he had no idea what time it was.

When exploring maze-like dungeons or underground caves, a mapmaker with the necessary skills is indispensable as a guide.

If he continued to wander, he might have to give up and return without ever discovering the true identity of the undead beast.

Just as he was strongly feeling his own shortcomings again, he heard the growls of multiple beasts coming from ahead.

A few seconds later, a shock wave-like sound echoed, and the ground trembled slightly.

"Are the beasts fighting each other?"

—Probably. And the growl of one of the beasts, that is evidence that it is afflicted with the same strange disease as I was.

Indeed, the growl of one of the beasts sounded like a painful cry.

Yeti had said that the suffering caused by the disease was so intense that one would wish for death.

If possible, I wanted to save it from that suffering.

I held my breath and cautiously moved forward.

The shock waves continued.

Just as I turned a corner, feeling the wall to avoid falling due to the tremors—

"…!"

In an open area, a winged beast and a wolf-like beast with bared fangs were facing each other.

Both were enormous.

One was definitely Fresvelg—

I couldn't help but frown.

Its fur had fallen out, exposing its skin.

The skin was covered in oozing pus and countless holes caused by the infection.

Drool that emitted a foul odor dripped from its huge mouth.

Where the droplets fell, a nasty-smelling smoke rose with a sizzling sound.

Its large ears were almost gone, hanging by a thin layer of stretched skin.

Its eyeballs had long since melted away, leaving empty sockets.

Blood tears flowed continuously from the dark, gaping holes.

Judging by the process of elimination, it was probably Fenrir.

The disease of undeath had so altered Fenrir's appearance that it was unrecognizable.

The monster compendium noted that Fenrir prided itself on its lustrous fur and impressive ears.

The pained howls of the Fenrir, deprived of both by the disease of undeath, made my heart ache.

The tragedy didn't end there.

There was a deep wound on Fresvelg's chest, as if it had been bitten by Fenrir.

The wound was oozing the same foul-smelling liquid that dripped from Fenrir's body.

I recalled Yeti's words that being bitten by an undead beast was the cause of infection.

If that was the case, Fresvelg would also be unable to avoid the onset of the disease.

The time when Fresvelg and Fenrir were restraining each other lasted only a few seconds.

Fenrir made the first move.

Fenrir's sharp claws tore into the flesh of Fresvelg's chest.

Fresvelg let out a scream of pain, but it seemed to have narrowly missed a vital spot.

However, Fenrir's attack didn't stop there.

It quickly regained its stance and bit into Fresvelg's throat.

No matter how much Fresvelg struggled, Fenrir didn't let go.

It didn't take long for Fresvelg's body to stop moving completely.

Fenrir threw Fresvelg away like a toy it had lost interest in.

With Fresvelg's death, the battle between the two was over.

—Master, Fenrir hasn't noticed our presence yet. Take this opportunity to retreat while it's looking away...!

Since it wasn't Fresvelg but Fenrir that had become undead, there was nothing I could do now.

Just then, it seemed that Fenrir was distracted by something and turned its face toward the rock.

However, it suddenly started to thrash its head and body against the rock wall.

—It seems the pain from the disease of undeath is attacking it.

It wasn't hard to imagine the level of pain it was experiencing.

—...Master, now is the time.

To only be able to abandon such a suffering beast and run away.

"..."

I knew I had to retreat as Yeti suggested.

As I clenched my fist in frustration, a pitiful cry suddenly reached my ears.

"Meow..."

It was the voice of a young, helpless creature.

I moved my gaze to search for the source of the sound.

A small Fenrir cub peeked out from the shadow of the rock, hesitantly.

I understood why the undead Fenrir had been concerned about the rock.

The adult Fenrir, ravaged by the disease, and the cub.

Fenrir is a rare individual and doesn't form packs like wolves, so the possibility of the two being there by coincidence was low.

Therefore...

"…A parent and child?"

—Hey, Yeti. Do you think an undead beast can recognize its own child?

I asked, hoping it was true.

—Unfortunately, I think it's quite difficult. When I was undead, I was consumed by pain and hatred and had completely lost my sense of self. I suspect the same is true for that Fenrir...

Yeti's words seemed to convey a sense of helplessness.

Immediately after, as if to prove Yeti's explanation, the adult Fenrir growled low at the cub.

The size difference between the cub and the adult Fenrir was at least five times.

Even if the cub were swatted away with one hand, it would have no chance.

Wait a moment.

If that's the case, why hasn't the cub been killed yet? (...)

Just as I felt this inconsistency—

The undead Fenrir, which had been emitting a cursed roar, leaped in front of the cub, kicking off the ground.

The speed was so fast that I couldn't even catch my breath.

—Ah...

Yeti groaned, as if not wanting to see a parent kill its child.

However, instead of attacking the cub, the undead Fenrir bit into its own foreleg with great force.

Blood spurted from the foreleg, which had been bitten without mercy.

At first, I didn't understand what was happening.

But as I watched the undead Fenrir lunge at the cub and then suddenly engage in self-harm, I realized what was going on.

The undead Fenrir didn't want to hurt the cub.

Even while being attacked by the pain of the disease, it was desperately fighting against the aggressive impulses caused by the disease.

It wasn't a matter of rationality.

What was driving it must have been the love of a parent.

Because it was loved, the cub couldn't leave its parent's side.

Looking closely, the cub's hind legs were injured.

Unlike the wound on Fresvelg's chest, it wasn't oozing the same rotten, bubbly pus, so it didn't seem to have been bitten by the undead Fenrir.

Still, with that injury, it would be impossible for the cub to escape.

It was unclear how long the undead Fenrir's restraint would last.

Evidence of this was the increasingly vicious expression on its face as it growled at the cub.

If this situation continued, the cub would either be killed or infected.

"Yeti, do you think the adult Fenrir can maintain its sense of self while I go out and take the cub away?"

—What!? That's far too dangerous...

I glanced at the corpse of Fresvelg.

Due to the effects of the disease, the corpse was decaying at an unnatural speed.

—The adult Fenrir is barely holding on by some parental instinct. It won't understand that you're trying to help its child and will attack immediately.

"I agree. In that case, there's only one path left."

—...Master? What are you...

Seeming to sense something from my tone, Yeti spoke in a hurried voice.

Time was precious, and I didn't have time to answer as I tried to activate the blessing.

However, the keen-eared Fenrir seemed to notice the rustling of my clothes and suddenly turned its body.

It then kicked off the ground and pounced.

I barely managed to dodge, but another attack immediately followed.

Fenrir's attacks were limited to physical ones.

Like the undead Yeti, this Fenrir also seemed unable to use magical attacks.

Still, I was barely managing to dodge, and there was no room to activate the blessing.

Even when the pain of the disease attacked Fenrir, it became even more reckless, making it even more dangerous for me.

It was impossible to get close enough for the blessing to reach.

Moreover, while using the blessing, I would be defenseless.

The blessing was undoubtedly a powerful one, but the success rate was low unless the target was weak or showed a weakness.

It was a tricky blessing that required careful judgment of the situation.

"Even a weakness..."

Fenrir's movements were simply too fast.

I was barely dodging.

This couldn't go on forever.

Just as I thought that, a powerful impact hit my abdomen, and I was sent flying.

Prioritizing not being bitten, I failed to dodge the attack from the forelegs.

Well, that's to be expected.

There's no way a human could keep up with Fenrir's speed.

I knew that from the beginning.

If I waited for an opening, I would be killed.

—Ah, Master...! What a reckless move!

I must have looked like I was in a dire situation, as Yeti let out a mournful cry.

She probably thought I had acted on impulse, driven by the desire to save the cub.

If saving the cub required risking my life, that would be one thing, but acting without thought in this situation would only add to the number of unnecessary deaths.

"Don't worry, Yeti. I have a plan."

As I said this, I extended my right hand.

"If I can't find an opening, I'll create one."

I put some distance between myself and the suffering Fenrir and activated the blessing again.

The target was not Fenrir.

The way the undead Fenrir thrashed around in pain made it clear that getting close enough for the blessing to reach would result in being torn to pieces instantly.

The activation of the blessing hit me with a strong sense of hunger.

At the same time, a white, glowing snake emerged from my arm, writhing at high speed and lunging forward.

Toward the corpse of Fresvelg—

The mouth of the glowing snake seemed to expand infinitely.

Opening wide, it quickly sucked in the massive body of Fresvelg.

"..."

The moment the glowing snake swallowed Fresvelg, a torrent of knowledge flooded my mind.

The feeling of new power surging within me, as well as the sense of satisfaction, was the same as when I had absorbed Yeti.

I could consider the absorption through the blessing a success.

Looking at my wrist, the black mark had grown larger.

There seemed to be a connection between the black darkness that had swallowed the hero Olean and this black mark.

There was a high possibility that using the blessing brought some kind of risk.

The hero Olean probably died at the end of that risk.

Even knowing this, I had decided to activate the blessing to save the cub.

"The abilities Fresvelg possessed were <Wind Magic>, <Flight Magic>, and <Resistance to Enchantment>."

I had all the knowledge about all the beasts from the monster compendium in my head.

Incidentally, Yeti was a beast with <Ice Magic> and <Resistance to Sleep>, and had an ice attribute.

The ice attribute of Yeti and the earth attribute of Fenrir were incompatible.

However, the wind attribute of Fresvelg was compatible with the earth attribute.

Of course, even with good compatibility, it was impossible to defeat the SS-rank Fenrir with the S-rank Fresvelg's wind magic.

The fact that Fresvelg was killed by Fenrir was clear evidence of this.

Moreover, the undead Fenrir, made more aggressive by the disease, was even more formidable.

Still, it didn't matter.

I didn't need to defeat Fenrir.

All I needed was a single opening.

As the pain of the disease subsided, the fanged Fenrir launched another attack.

I immediately activated the wind magic.

The method was the same as using Yeti's ice magic.

While barely dodging the attacks of the pouncing Fenrir, I kept generating small tornadoes with wind magic.

When the tornadoes were swept away by Fenrir, they easily disappeared.

Fenrir's attack power was too high.

However, some of them managed to merge with others before being destroyed, growing to about twice their