SWNOVELXO Ch54 - Joint Struggle
Chapter 54: Joint Struggle
The Cursed Deer emerged from the forest, their murky red eyes fixed on Lena’s party. A viscous black sludge clung to their bodies, melting patches of fur and exposing raw, pink flesh. With each breath, a putrid odor wafted from their half-open mouths. Everyone grimaced at the gruesome sight.
“…We need to put them out of their misery,” Luca said.
“Leave it to us! We’re not afraid of curses!” Kureha and Izumi declared.
“But, Kureha, Izumi, don’t let your guard down. Curses…they spread corruption through contact…and they’re frenzied, so they attack recklessly. …Their physical abilities are also enhanced. …Right, Master?”
“Good job, Lily! Aw, you’ve grown so much… My little girl is so amazing!”
Lena, the mother hen, was moved by Lily’s display of knowledge, despite her usual academic struggles. One had to wonder if she’d become an overprotective parent in the future.
Hamaru, now 1.5 meters tall, nudged Lena and lowered his head to the ground.
“Just in case anything happens to my Queen, I shall be your protector. Please, ride me.”
“Thank you, Haru-kun. But…could you please call me Lena-sama like you usually do…?”
“Lena-sama! Lena-sama!” Sylphine chanted.
“Ah, Sylphine-chan, that’s not it…!”
Sylphine seemed to have fully embraced the “Queen” persona. Lena, who hadn’t intended for this, teared up. It should be noted that the “-sama” honorific wasn’t usual.
Luca, who had begun channeling lightning magic into his magic sword, burst out laughing, scattering small sparks of electricity. The Cursed Deer blinked, seemingly dazzled. By pure chance, it appeared that white magic-based light had a blinding effect on cursed creatures. Grinning as if pleased with this discovery, Luca glanced at Lily and lightly swung his sword.
“Skill: [Lightning Flash]!”
“Skill: [Magic Absorption Barrier]!”
Lily responded instantly, seamlessly activating her new skill. [Magic Absorption Barrier] was a convenient skill that absorbed low-level magic attacks directed at the barrier.
Luca’s [Lightning Flash] skill detonated a small orb of light amidst the three Cursed Deer, momentarily flooding the forest with a blinding white light. A Lightning Flash that manifested as an orb of light was unusual, but Luca had apparently equipped the “Lightning Master” title.
Before the light could harm her allies, Lily instantly created a black dome-shaped barrier, encasing the deer. She had intentionally used a skill meant for self-defense on the deer instead. The Lightning Flash, contained within the dome, intensified, accumulating damage on the deer’s eyes and fur. What little intelligence remained was scrambled by the chaos, and they began thrashing wildly against the barrier, their decaying bodies breaking apart gruesomely.
After about ten seconds, Luca deactivated [Lightning Flash], anticipating that Lily’s [Magic Absorption Barrier] would soon dissipate. While incredibly robust, the barrier had a short duration, becoming a fragile shell once its magic absorption effect wore off.
The Cursed Deer, with a final headbutt, shattered Lily’s barrier and charged out. Luca deftly incinerated the dripping black blood with lightning magic before it could hit the ground.
The Jewel Slimes confronted the deer as they stumbled to their feet. Scraping the earth beneath them with a zazaza sound, they lured the blinded deer. If they were human, they would have been wearing a sinister grin. They stretched their bodies thin and wide, their entire surface becoming a “mouth,” ready to devour all three deer.
▽3 Cursed Deer use Charge Attack!
▽Kureha & Izumi use Devouring Counter!
A strange splat echoed through the forest as the elastic slime bodies collided with the deer. The outcome was obvious.
“Heehee…”
The slimes enveloped the deer with their oozing bodies and began dissolving and consuming their toxin-ridden forms. The deer, which had been thrashing wildly despite their broken bones, went limp as their joints dissolved. The slimes savored the toxic feast slowly, following Lena’s instructions to eat cursed creatures gradually to avoid stomach upsets. Truly a motherly figure.
“…I won’t let you ambush us! Skill: [Blood Drain]!”
Another bat monster, lured by the flash of lightning, swooped down towards Luca, only to be intercepted mid-air by Lily.
“Thank you,” Luca said.
“…chuckle You’re welcome! …Your blood is still the best, Master.”
Lily presented the desiccated bat carcass to Lena like a cat offering a gift. Lena, maintaining her masterly composure, accepted it with a strained smile.
“Fufu, how about you save it for tomorrow? My blood should be replenished by 4 AM. Kureha, Izumi, good work. I’ll purify the spilled blood inside the barrier.”
“Good job, Luca! You’ve improved! That was cool!”
“I’m all tingly! Lightning Master indeed!”
“Hey, is ‘Lightning Zapping Illusion Sylphine’ Luca’s nickname?”
“Hahaha, so that rumor’s going around…”
Luca looked distant, a melancholic air about him as he plunged his magic sword into the ground and cast [Purification Purge].
“I see…so that’s why I’ve been the victim of so much peeping…”
“L-Luca…was that why you were wearing pants while bathing…?”
“Yes…it happened so often, it became unsettling… Well, I electrocuted and knocked unconscious anyone with ulterior motives who peeped on me while I bathed, then erased their memories. …Perhaps the shock wasn’t strong enough. I’ll be more careful.”
“We’ll protect you from now on…! You’ll be safe.”
“…! I’m touched…thank you…”
From now on, Lucky, the party’s guardian deity, would surely protect Luca from peeping eyes. Probably. Since luck came with drawbacks, there were no guarantees.
Having defeated the Cursed Deer, the group relaxed and congratulated each other. However, Luca and Lily soon narrowed their eyes again, gazing into the forest. Luca’s purple eyes narrowed, glaring at something in the distance.
“This is bad! Run!”
“Kureha, Izumi, cling to Haru-kun! …Haru-kun, run as fast as you can!”
“Skill: [Burst]!”
“Yes, ma’am! Let’s go, Lena-sama, hold on tight!”
“W-Waaaah!?”
Luca had seen a green-haired man pointing at them. Lily, sensing danger from the rapidly approaching reddish-black birds, ordered a retreat. Five strange birds were pursuing them. Luca’s “Mind’s Eye” revealed they were riddled with curses. Luca, using [Burst] to catch up with the fleeing Hamaru, deftly jumped onto Lena’s back.
“Skill: [Sprint]!”
“Skill: [Black Fog]!”
Hamaru ran with all his might. Lily created a dark fog in the birds’ path to obstruct them.
Three birds, their vision obscured, crashed into trees, their rotten bodies disintegrating. Their reckless flight suggested their minds were broken by a frenzy curse. The remaining two were closing in. They were ordinary Tzutsuki birds, but when cornered, they attacked with violent beak strikes. Their speed was likely enhanced by the curse.
Luca took down the remaining two Tzutsuki with his lightning-wreathed magic sword, but five more birds emerged from a side path. How many were there? Why was that green-haired man—the sorcerer—targeting them? Panic rose in everyone’s hearts.
It was Sylphine, the spirit, who saved them.
“Wind Wall!”
She stood between Lena’s party and the cursed birds, executing a graceful somersault. A powerful vertical vortex of wind appeared before her. While her hair flowed gently, the Tzutsuki were caught in the fierce wind wall, their bodies scattering.
“I’ll hold them off. I’ll catch up later, so you all go back first.”
“Sylphine-chan!?”
“It’s okay, Lena♪ I’m a powerful spirit!”
Sylphine smiled reassuringly. Luca’s voice was sharp.
“It seems the enemy has seven birds left. Can you handle it?”
“Leave it to me♪”
“Thank you! We’ll be at the inn. Come there when you’re finished; I’ll heal you. …Be careful.”
Sylphine blinked, then smiled wryly. “You know everything, don’t you? Amazing!” Lena looked worried, but urged on by Luca, who was riding the sheep, she reluctantly headed back to town.
After dealing with the remaining Cursed Tzutsuki, Sylphine gathered the scattered remains into a pile and stuck a “Notification Tag,” swiped from Lena’s pocket, onto it. She clasped her hands as the party members had done, then, glancing sadly at her blackened fingertips, quickly left the scene.
The green-haired man watched from afar, observing the area where the strange wind had blown. After a while, as high-ranking adventurers gathered, he lost interest, turned on his heel, and vanished back into the forest.
Sylphine gracefully arrived at the inn where Lena’s party had returned. She slipped into their room through the open window, her bright smile putting everyone at ease.
“Sylphine-chan…! Thank you for saving us. Welcome back!”
“Welcome back!” everyone chorused.
“I’m back, everyone♪ It’s so refreshing to be welcomed like this! I’m happy.”
“Welcome back, Sylphine. You’re affected by the curse…may I help you?” Luca asked.
“Yes.”
Sylphine floated in the air, extending her hands, fingertips together, towards Luca. “It’s just a temporary measure,” he said, casting the light magic [Purification Purge]. A soft, pale yellow light enveloped Sylphine’s fingertips, sparkling briefly.
Her blackened nails turned a light grayish color. The taint wasn’t completely gone. He needed to cast [Purification Purge] directly on the Dryad sprout she originated from.
It wasn’t certain, but spirits seemed quite vulnerable to curses. Born from people’s faith, they might be susceptible to the opposing force of resentment.
Though not fully purified, Sylphine cheerfully declared, “My body feels so much better♪,” her joyful dance easing the worried atmosphere. Luca withdrew his hand and looked up at her.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more. We plan to go to the Labyrinth tomorrow, so I can purify your sprout then. Can you wait a little longer?”
Everyone in Lena’s party had the Labyrinth stamp on their hands again. Getting stamped so frequently was usually prohibited, but given the circumstances, they had used Lily’s powerful [Illusion] +2 skill to disguise themselves and obtain the stamps. It was up to Lucky now.
“Okay♪ Thank you, Light Child♪ Everyone’s working so hard for the spirits, so I want to do my best too. I can only do small things because I’m a Mizukuda…but I’ll help everyone if they’re in danger!”
“Sylphine-chan… Thank you so much for helping us, even though you knew your wind would be affected by the curse.”
“Fufu, it’s okay, Lena♪ A queen shouldn’t bow her head♪ I’ll give you a congratulatory song when we rescue my sister, okay? La la la~”
“Yay! Kureha and Izumi will sing too! Transformation!”
“Ah, wait until I get your bathrobes! No nudity!”
“Hee hee hee!”
Lena (aka Mom) hurriedly covered the naked slimes with bathrobes. As they squealed excitedly, she shushed them and reminded them to be quiet in the inn. The usual commotion eased the excessive tension.
Once the nudists were clothed and calmed down, they reassessed the situation.
“That green-haired sorcerer doesn’t seem to be targeting us specifically. He seems to dislike adventurers hunting cursed animals, so he’s been siccing Tzutsuki birds on everyone. There have been several reported incidents since this morning.”
“Oh, really?”
“The attacked groups were at the clinic. The Adventurer’s Guild has already issued a warning. …The group that went to the clinic…they were infected with the corruption curse and looked to be in a lot of pain. We’re fine for now, but we really need to be careful. …Will that arm heal?”
“I checked it out for reference, but only the very surface of the skin was decaying. Curses don’t become too severe when infecting intelligent beings, so it can be healed. That level of injury can be treated at Lachelle’s clinic. They’ll scrape or cauterize the decayed area and use healing magic to regenerate the skin.”
“Wow…magic is amazing.”
“Magic can heal most physical damage, but regrowing a limb, for example, is excruciatingly painful, literally. I don’t recommend it. Without a mental fortitude gift, it can lead to mental breakdown in the worst cases. There are many cases of adventurers being reckless and ruining their careers. Lena, try to avoid injuries as much as possible.”
“Y-yes.”
Lena’s face paled.
There were other changes in town. Word of a suspicious green-haired individual sighted in the forest had spread among the citizens. Guards were posted at the town entrance, conducting identity checks. It was unlikely that person would roam Lachelle for a while.
“How is your sister, Sylphine?”
“…I think she’s not doing well…”
This was the biggest problem. Sylphine drooped at Luca’s question. It seemed the taint was accumulating in her sister again due to the decrease in adventurers hunting cursed animals. They had to somehow stop the corruption’s progress until the nationally affiliated high mage arrived in Lachelle.
“Let’s do our best!”
“Yeah!” everyone cheered.
Lena and her familiars renewed their resolve, determined not to abandon their mission. Luca smiled wryly at their determination. He had just been “kicked for doubting his comrades” by Lily after saying, “It’s quite dangerous…do you still want to help?”
With all the commotion, dusk had fallen. They ate a simple stew for dinner, checked that their stamps were glowing, and then fell asleep, their heads resting on fluffy golden pillows.