VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 5

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 5

When the heavens open, they drown kingdoms, not just fields.

For the first time in their lives, Austen and George finally understood what this popular saying in the Kingdom of Lukas meant.

After killing the abyss lurker, and under their master’s constant urging, the two delved deeper into the tunnels, slaying numerous monsters along the way—darkmantles, nightwalkers, ursus bats—everything. Austen’s precise defenses, capable of withstanding even the shrieks of the bat monsters, paired with George’s devastating quickcast offense, made the duo a force to be reckoned with.

Thanks to their unusually large mana reserves, the brothers could fight off hordes of weaker monsters with minimal rest.

They had now been inside the tunnels for three days.

Considering it was their first real experience fighting monsters, Lark had compromised, agreeing to protect them once a day for a couple of hours. This allowed them to rest safely every now and then, steadily accumulating battle experience, just as Lark intended.

Aside from the time when they fought against a strange creature with a body seemingly made of indestructible crystal, Lark hardly interfered in their battles through the adamantite cubes.

He remained a mere observer and a light source when needed.

Thankfully, aside from the abyss lurker they’d encountered at the entrance, the brothers hadn’t seen any more of those terrifying creatures.

Fight. Eat. Rest a bit.

For several days, this routine continued.

Finally, on the seventh day—after slaying nearly a hundred monsters—they found their target.

“Is that… it?” mumbled George.

Unlike before, the boy no longer sounded enthusiastic or full of vigor. His hair was disheveled, and his tattered clothes were caked in dirt, blood, and soot. His once slightly chubby cheeks were now chiseled—give it a few more days, and they might have sunken altogether.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” said Austen, exasperated. “But yeah. That one looks special.”

It wasn’t the first time they’d run into a monster that might be the one they were hunting. The tunnels of the Bottomless Gorge teemed with grotesque and unique monsters. Each time they encountered one that stood out from the rest, they felt a thrill of hope. But every time, Lark would shoot them down—it wasn’t the one.

“Haahh,” sighed George. “But look… doesn’t it look intelligent to you?”

“…Yeah.”

Their kalrane stones had long since run out of power. Now, only George’s orb of fire and the glowing runes from the adamantite cubes lit their surroundings. Still, the light was enough to make out the monster’s appearance.

Three meters tall, even while hunched. A long, oval head, and a massive, translucent cranium—nearly a meter in diameter—revealing the pulsating brain within. Its body resembled that of a shriveled, emaciated old man, with ribs protruding outward. Where its nose should have been was a small, round mass that appeared to be an eye.

Given how disproportionate its body was, it was a wonder the thing could even maintain its balance.

Brain monster—both brothers tacitly agreed on the name.

“Woah, dang it. That’s one huge head,” said George. “If that’s not our target, I don’t know what is.”

Austen agreed. He turned toward one of the adamantite cubes hovering behind them. “…Master?”

The cube’s runes flared briefly, and a voice answered, “Yes. I believe it’s our target. So, that’s what it looks like, huh?”

George and Austen looked at each other and broke into broad smiles.

“Yes!”

“Finally!”

Hearing Lark’s confirmation, energy surged back into their worn-out bodies.
Like a candle on its last flicker, the two readied themselves for their final battle.

Of course, they still had to fight their way back out of the tunnel—but that was a problem for their future selves.

“Haha! We finally found you, bitch! You’ve made us suffer so much! I’ll make sure to fucking kill you!”

“George. Your words.”

“A-Ahem… S-Sorry, Master. I got caught up in the moment.”

The monster with the translucent cranium stared curiously at the adamantite cubes.

Just as the humans were observing it, it too was studying the brothers—and the strange artifact floating behind them.

This wasn’t a dead end, nor was it a vast chamber that could house a nest.
Yet the creature appeared here, blocking their path. That could only mean one thing—it no longer saw Austen and George as a threat.

It must have been watching their battles from the shadows, learning their abilities, escape methods, and trump cards.

Anticipating this possibility, Lark had purposely refrained from using the full power of the adamantite cubes.

If the creature realized just how powerful they were, it would’ve fled its territory immediately.

Its cautious nature was what made it survive until now despite being hunted by the Dragons.

“Master? What kind of creature is it?” said Austen.

Lark replied through the adamantite cubes, “I don’t know. It’s my first time seeing something like it, too.”

The brothers knew the vastness of their Master’s knowledge. If even he had no idea what the creature was, then it was undoubtedly a unique entity—something exclusive to the Bottomless Gorge.

Should they fight it?

Well, it’s not like they had a choice.

They had entered these tunnels to hunt this monster. Now that it stood before them, turning back was no longer an option.

This moment was the culmination of all the hardships they’d endured over the past several days.

They couldn’t miss it.

Austen and George nodded at each other.

“Eat this!”

Without waiting for Lark’s command, George summoned the strongest compressed orb of fire he could muster and launched it at the creature. Austen, meanwhile, cast a shield of wind to block the shockwave and heat of the explosion.

The brothers braced for impact.

But to their utter shock and horror—it never came.

“W-What?”

“…It vanished?”

The compressed fire orb, fueled by a massive chunk of George’s mana, dissipated the moment it touched the monster’s body.

The explosion they expected never happened. As if something had siphoned it away, everything vanished without a trace.

The monster, which had remained still until now, began to move.

“H-Hey, George! What did you do?! Why did your fire orb fail?!”

“Fail, my ass! It vanished! Didn’t you see that?!”

The two backed away as the brain monster slowly crawled toward them, one step at a time.

Although they couldn’t confirm whether the round flesh on its face was an eye, both George and Austen felt its gaze locked on the adamantite cubes.

Was it wary of the floating artifacts?

If not for those strange cubes, the creature would likely have charged at them the moment it spotted an opening.

“Shit…! Shit!”

Panicking, George hurled several more fire orbs at the creature. Even Austen—despite not being skilled in offensive magic—joined in, flinging his spells as well.

But again, the fire orbs and wind blades disappeared the moment they touched the creature.

The brothers stood frozen, stupefied.

“W-What the hell is wrong with that thing?!”

“Our magic isn’t working!”

The creature growled. A moment later, as though fed up with the humans’ antics, it let out a thunderous roar.

The tunnels trembled violently, and the brothers felt walls collapsing all around them.

Dozens of hidden entrances burst open.

Like loyal soldiers answering a call to arms, a horde of monsters poured out, sealing off any chance of escape.

George and Austen’s minds went blank.

“…Abyss lurkers?”

And when they saw several dozen abyss lurkers among the horde, they nearly fainted in terror.

It became clear—the reason they hadn’t encountered any more abyss lurkers after the one at the entrance was because this brain monster had been controlling them all along.

“I-I thought it didn’t have control over the abyss lurkers?!”

“W-What’s… what’s g-going on?!”

They finally understood—they had been dancing to the brain monster’s plan all this time.

True to its cowardly nature, it had thrown only weak monsters at them, using them as fodder to observe and assess the abilities of its intruders. So devious and cautious was the creature, it hadn’t revealed itself until it was sure the humans had played all their cards.

The monsters surrounding them shrieked.

The tunnels quaked.

Lacking experience and utterly overwhelmed, Austen and George could take no more.

George wet himself, and tears began streaming down Austen’s cheeks.

They gasped for air, choking on panic.

This couldn’t be real.

No matter how they looked at it—there was no escape.

Realizing that they were going to die, the brothers broke down and fainted.

Just before they hit the ground, a soft voice was heard.

“You did well. I’ll take it from here, my disciples.”

A thick mana shield enveloped the unconscious boys. The adamantite cubes split into several fragments and launched themselves at the monster horde.

Lark didn’t forget about the brain monster either. To stop its escape, he cast several restriction spells using the adamantite cubes.

Just like before, the restriction spells vanished the instant they touched the monster.

“Not bad,” said Lark, amused.

The adamantite cubes intensified their assault, unleashing even stronger restriction spells.

But when even those failed, Lark immediately ceased the attack.

He realized what was happening —The brain monster could deconstruct enemy spells and absorb the external mana, converting it into its own.

It was a terrifying ability—one capable of neutralizing even the most powerful magicians.

Fortunately, the adamantite cubes weren’t limited to magic alone.
They could also attack physically.

Skillfully, Lark turned the cube fragments into high-speed projectiles and began launching them at the brain monster.

***

Meanwhile, the garrison where the battle was being projected was in a festive mood.
A week had been more than enough for the dwarves to organize a festival and spread word of the “event” to nearby camps.

With permission from the Dragons and the princes, the dwarves had gathered at this garrison to watch George and Austen’s battles live.

Alcohol and meat were distributed freely, and gambling stalls had even been set up here and there.

“Hahaha! The kids fainted!”

“Darn hammer! There goes my bet!”

“Ahhh! That piece of shit, I bet all my money on you!”

“Wake up! Fight! Fight!”

“Hey, where’s my beer?!”

“W-What’s that?!”

“Ancestor’s beard! What’s going on?!”

“Those adamantite cubes are slaughtering the monsters!”

Most of the dwarves had placed bets on whether or not the kids would escape the tunnel alive on their own. Now that the boys had fainted, those who bet on their success had just lost everything. In the eyes of the gamblers, fainting while surrounded by monsters was no different from forfeiting.

Of course, Lark saw it differently. To him, it was already a success that his disciples had managed to lure out the boss creature.

“Did you manage to put a mark on it?” asked Vulcan.

Lark nodded. “Yes. Even if it escapes now, hunting it later will be easy.”

Like the dwarves, Lark and the Dragons sat at their respective tables, watching the projected images above.

They observed as the adamantite cubes shielded the unconscious brothers while simultaneously slaughtering nearby monsters.

The adamantite cubes were currently at full mana capacity. Even if the battle lasted several more days, they wouldn’t run out of mana anytime soon.

But of course, nothing in this world ever went perfectly. To prevent any unforeseen threats from harming the unconscious children, Lark decided to intervene personally and hunt the brain monster himself.

It was a tricky opponent—one capable of nullifying magic. If, by some chance, it found a way to neutralize the adamantite cubes, the results would be catastrophic.

Lark stood from his seat.

“You’re going?” asked Vulcan.

“Yes,” Lark replied. He turned to the dwarf across the table. “Crown Prince Hafnir, I’ll have to cut off the mana-projected images.”

Without Lark, who served as the medium, projecting what was happening inside the tunnels to the garrison would no longer be possible.

“I understand,” said the Crown Prince. “Do you need us to come with you?”

Lark shook his head. “No. I’ll move faster on my own. It should be quick. I’ll be back soon.”

“I see. Then, please take care, King Lark.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

After the exchange, Lark began reinforcing his body with mana. Lightning crackled beneath his feet, and a swirling gust of wind wrapped around him.

Just as he was about to leave, two women stepped forward to block his path—Lady Alice and Chryselle.

“Master.”

“King Lark.”

They spoke at the same time.

Although they had already heard Lark’s conversation with the Crown Prince, they still chose to voice out their desires.

“Please take us with you,” said Lady Alice. “We promise not to hold you back.”

“If we fall behind, you can leave us,” added Chryselle.

As the leader of the Witches of Aravark, Lady Alice was more than qualified to accompany Lark. Chryselle, however, was a different matter. Though she was a former Elder of the Wizzert Tower, the monsters in the Gorge were far stronger than your average monster. If she were to get separated from Lark, her chances of survival would plummet.

Seeing Lark’s hesitation, Lady Alice pressed, “Please trust us.”

Lark pondered briefly. In the end, he agreed. Nothing good ever came from being overprotective of one’s people. Just as George and Austen had grown through battle, so too would Chryselle benefit from this experience.

“Alright,” said Lark.

The expressions of the two women brightened.

“Make sure to keep up. Don’t expect me to stop if either of you falls behind.”

“Yes!”

“Of course!”

Though Lark said those words, he wouldn’t hesitate to turn back and save them if they were in danger. His warning was simply meant to keep them grounded—to remind them not to overestimate their abilities within the Gorge.

“Let’s go,” said Lark.

Without another word, the lightning beneath his feet surged once more, and he shot off toward the tunnel where George and Austen were.

***

As though the dungeon had come alive the moment the brain monster appeared, hundreds of monsters poured out of the tunnels and attacked Lark’s group the moment they entered.

It was as if the narrow pathways from before were nothing but an illusion—the tunnel walls had collapsed, forming a wide corridor teeming with monsters on both sides.

Amazingly, the creatures—despite being of different species—cooperated in an organized effort to kill the intruders.

“Stop blocking my path!”

Lady Alice punched the darkmantle to her left and kicked the nightwalker to her right, sending both creatures flying backward. She dodged the sudden drop of an ursus bat from the ceiling, seized its head, and crushed its skull with her bare fingers.

Despite her short stature, she displayed overwhelming strength, capable of overwhelming her foes through sheer brute force. Her blood-soaked hands and face made her look sinister.

Clasping her hands as though in prayer, she channeled mana into the runes engraved on her wrists, ankles, back, and chest.

“Come forth and serve your new master,” she intoned fervently. “Rise, my soldiers!”

A black haze engulfed the corpses nearby. The dead twitched, then rose, answering Lady Alice’s call, and charged toward the other monsters.

For the first time since they’d met her, Lady Alice finally revealed her necromancy—the very skill that had propelled her to the upper ranks of the Council of Scholars.

Her undead were far weaker than the living monsters, but they were disposable, felt no pain, and would not die unless their link to her was severed.

Nearby, Chryselle clenched her teeth and fought fiercely against the monsters surrounding her. Four lightning serpents slithered around her, striking any enemy that dared draw close.

Unlike Lady Alice, she didn’t possess monstrous physical strength. But she made up for it with devastatingly powerful spells. After mastering the modified mana formations taught by her master, Chryselle’s strength had grown severalfold.

She never spoke of it, but she believed she was close to reaching the level of Wizzert’s Tower Master. Of course, her brother, Alecto, had also been training relentlessly ever since his defeat at Lark’s hands—so perhaps her estimation wasn’t entirely accurate.

“At the very least, I won’t be a burden to Master.”

That had been her goal from the moment she entered this tunnel. She knew she couldn’t keep up with him, but she was determined not to become dead weight.

Chryselle glanced ahead. Despite her best efforts, the distance between her and Lark kept increasing.

“…Amazing,” she murmured.

Unlike her, who could only deal with one or two enemies at a time, Lark was carving through the horde like a reaper. With each breath, another monster was cleaved in two.

The Sword of Morpheus sliced cleanly through their bodies as if they were made of butter, while Lark’s spinning orbs of compressed mana pierced skulls like paper.

He didn’t stop for even a moment—firing spells in every direction while using the Sword of Morpheus to clear the way ahead.

“I can’t believe it,” said Lady Alice. “Those compressed mana orbs aren’t just destructive. If one hit my undead, it would instantly sever my connection to them.”

Her voice, though filled with admiration, carried a hint of fear. It was her first time seeing King Lark fight in person—and only now did she truly grasp how formidable the Arch Magus of the Era of Magic was.

She could tell he wasn’t even going all out, and yet, he was effortlessly decimating everything in his path.

Lady Alice knew then that she had made the right decision in following him. She would never regret spending the remaining years of her life under his banner.

“Lady Alice!”

“I know! We can’t fall behind!”

They hardened their resolve, picked up the pace, and pushed forward, trying to close the distance as best they could.

Hours passed.

At last, they arrived at the site where the brothers lay unconscious.

Most of the monsters surrounding them had already been annihilated by the adamantite cubes. Those few that remained were gravely injured and barely breathing—including the brain monster with its disproportionately large head.

Lark’s eyes first went to his disciples. Confirming that they were safe, he turned his attention to the brain monster.

“I don’t know what species you are, but you don’t look like an ordinary monster,” Lark said. Lady Alice and Chryselle had just arrived behind him. “Are you a monster? A demon? Hmm… how interesting.”

Surprisingly, the creature showed no fear, even in the face of impending death.
Instead of looking at Lark, it fixated on the Sword of Morpheus, just as it had previously been more intrigued by the adamantite cubes than by George and Austen.

“King Lark,” said Lady Alice. “Your sword is made of adamantite, isn’t it?”

“A part of it, yes.”

“That monster seems obsessed with adamantite. No wonder it kept attacking the dwarves who tried to transport the deposits outside.”

Lark had noticed that as well.

According to Crown Prince Hafnir, although their army was nearly wiped out during the Trial, the monsters of the Gorge hadn’t acted this systematically back then.

Lark surmised that the brain monster hadn’t attacked Hafnir’s forces during the Trial simply because they hadn’t disturbed the adamantite deposits.

It had only appeared once the dwarves attempted to mine them.

“A demon obsessed with adamantite.”

It felt as though this creature’s very existence revolved around guarding that massive deposit.

“Are you capable of speech?” Lark asked. “Do you understand us?”

The monster, now half-dead and riddled with holes from the adamantite cubes, let out a soft growl. One of its long, twig-like arms slowly reached toward the Sword of Morpheus.

There was no killing intent—only pure fascination.

Lark understood its intentions.

“Here.”

He handed it the Sword of Morpheus.

The activated sword was an extension of his own body—there was no risk of it being used against him.

“You love adamantite that much, don’t you? I’ll let you inspect it.”

Although the creature had killed many dwarves, Lark respected its unwavering dedication to its mission.

It was a cowardly being—but also a steadfast guardian.

Perhaps the real reason the massive adamantite deposit in the Bottomless Gorge had remained undiscovered for so long wasn’t due to the monsters, but because this creature had been guarding it for centuries.

Because of that, Lark had been able to access it in this timeline.

The monster let out a purring sound, similar to a cat’s. Its trembling hands stroked the hilt of the sword reverently. After admiring the craftsmanship one last time, it gently returned the blade to Lark.

It lowered its head in gratitude.

“I’m sorry,” said Lark.

He truly regretted having to kill it. But this was necessary—to avoid any future calamity.

Lark raised the Sword of Morpheus.

“Rest well.”

He swung it down, slicing the monster cleanly in half.

He could’ve waited for it to die on its own, but he felt that the monster wanted to die by the very sword made of adamantite.

At first, Lark had planned to use this creature’s essence to forge another Lord Knight. But now, that felt too disrespectful.

After collecting the relatively intact corpses of the abyss lurkers in the tunnels, Lark’s group returned to the garrison.

By then, Austen and George had regained consciousness. The two were greeted by the frenzied cheers of the dwarves.

“Ohh! They’re here!”

“That was a great fight, kids! Gyahahaha!”

“Pisspants is back!”

“Pisspants George!”

“Pisspants George!”

That day, the troublesome creature that had hindered the mining of adamantite was finally defeated.

And at the same time, George earned his first moniker.