Chapter 891 – I Don’t Believe in Legends (Flag)

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One thing Cleon realized as he walked down to this deep area was that he couldn’t use magic hastily in this area.

In an extremely dark passage, lighting up the surroundings with a single Bourbon lantern was limiting the view too much, and Cleon thought that it was necessary to brighten the surroundings even a little.

Although he wanted to save his magic power as much as possible, he thought it was inevitable for safety reasons and raised his hand to create a sphere of light on top of it.

Light source magic is one of the first magics that all wizards learn.

＂Oh, wait!＂

However, Bourbon, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around when a bright light appeared behind him.

An urgent voice.

＂What’s wrong?＂

Cleon asked Bourbon that question, but no answer was needed.

Because I could see the reason right away.

The annoying friction sound of metal hitting each other echoed throughout the cave.

When Herti flinched and shrugged his shoulders at that unpleasant yet scary sound, Bourbon spoke to Cleon.

“Fool…! Quickly remove that magic!”

When Bourbon made a voice like that, Cleon canceled the light source magic as if he knew, and then the metallic sound that was heard around him disappeared in an instant and the inside of the cave became quiet.

＂Phew…＂

＂I just…＂

Herti sighs, and Cleon looks around the inside of the mine, which made a sound as if in response to magic.

Should I say that the wall illuminated by the magic stone lantern has become a little… Sharper? Cleon breaks into a cold sweat as he looks at the jagged protrusions rising from the surface.

“Now that I think about it, I should have been careful in advance… Cleon, you can use magic… Because people who use magic or incantations are not common in Eastern countries.”

While blaming himself for being completely out of his own way of thinking, Bourbon looks back at Cleon and speaks.

＂You must not use magic power in the deep zone. Just like before, the adamantites that react to magic are transformed. I didn’t know the principle or reason before, but I understand now.”

＂It’s stretching out its senses to devour magical power…”

When Herti answered like that, Cleon had no choice but to break into a cold sweat and reflect on his carelessness.

And suddenly, what caught my eye was the lantern that Bourbon wore on his body, using a magic stone that gave off a bright light (though even that wasn’t enough in this dark place).

Although it is quite old-fashioned, it was a ‘lifeline’ for the three of us today, as it allowed the light generated inside to flow to the outside through neat polishing on the outside.

However, as the name ‘Magic Stone’ suggests, its power is basically magical power.

“Is that magic stone lantern okay?”

Since it is a type of mineral created by hardening the magical energy materialized in the stratum, magical energy can be detected in the surrounding area.

Just like the light magic he used.

“Ah, this is okay. Because it uses an outer shell that blocks the magic flowing outward. It is a material that does not allow about 99% of the magic generated inside to pass through.”

It’s a technology from the Dwarven Empire. Bourbon is rubbing and stroking his lantern while saying this.

“I thought he was using an old lantern, but he turned out to be a bigger guy than I thought, that was…”

“What. Although I do not deny that it is an antique. In the mines, there are many creatures with reduced vision that use strange things to find prey. Among them, there are some that target miners who come inside by smelling magical power. For example, Worm Mall.”

As Bourbon said that, he turned his body and started walking inside the dark mine again.

Both Cleon and Hertida followed behind her and started moving their feet.

＂Worm Mall? It’s my first time hearing this name.”

＂That’s right. Since it doesn’t appear unless it’s near a rare mineral mine, its existence is probably unknown to the public, right? It looks like a mix between an earthworm and a mole, but it’s also incredibly big. Is it about the size of a brown bear?”

It was a strange combination that I couldn’t imagine naturally in my head.

Do such creatures really exist in the natural world?

“Well, what kind of animal is a worm mole?”

“Oh. Are you interested? Then let me explain further. First, it is a monster with an elongated body like an earthworm, a pointed nose, and ten feet that can easily tear off things like human skin or bones. Because they live underground, their sense of smell is developed instead of their sight being regressed. As I said before, what you smell with your sense of smell is magical power. Of course, it is said that there are times when people are chased not with the person’s magic power, but with the magic power of the magic tool the person brought with them.”

＂Uh, such a dangerous creature…!?＂

Herti raised her voice in disbelief, but Bourbon smiled and continued her explanation.

“It is said that it uses its scent to find its prey, miners, and quickly devours the dwarves with its huge mouth and body. It digs a tunnel so quietly that you don’t even know it’s coming, moves under your feet, and then jumps out to the ground and devours you. In times like this, the first people to target are… The greedy people.”

“Hey, greedy?”

“Okay. If you move around with more minerals than necessary, your body will naturally become sluggish, right? So, it’s easy to target the slow-moving guy first.”

＇…? ＇

Cleon listened to Bourbon’s explanation up to that point and there were some parts that he did not understand.

It approaches without you even knowing, so why does it target the greedy first?

Generally speaking, when a surprise attack is successful, the first thing to deal with is fast-moving prey.

If you are slow on your feet, you will eventually be able to catch it even if you chase after it.

Although it only lives in rare mines, it is a creature that Cleon himself has never heard of.

Irrational hunting methods and Bourbon’s explanation that seems a bit exaggerated.

＇… Perhaps.＇

Could it be that Bourbon is bluffing a little so as not to make the walk through the dark mines quieter?

Well, it’s better than quietly moving on without saying anything…

＂Ugh…＂

After hearing Bourbon’s explanation, Herti held Cleon’s hand a little stronger and immediately clung to Cleon’s arm as if wrapping her own arm.

When something soft and squishy touches her arm, Cleon speaks to her, engraving her ‘bearance’ in her heart.

“Don’t worry, Herti. Didn’t Bourbon say that no other creatures live underground?”

＂Okay, okay. What. To tell the truth, this guy named Wormmol is something that only appears in dwarven legends, to teach a lesson-“

Bang!

When Bourbon said that, it was at that moment that she tried to reveal the truth of what she had said.

Suddenly, the thing with her long nose burst through the ground where she had just been standing and swallowed her.

＂… Hah?＂

Cleon was momentarily unable to judge the situation due to the sudden incident, but he saw that Bourbon had been instantly swallowed up by that ‘unusual monster’ right in front of his eyes.

It is fortunate that the magic stone lantern fell to the ground due to impact. If we hadn’t done that, the surroundings would have darkened, and we would have been attacked in an instant.

＂Boo, Bourbon?!＂

Herti also felt that Bourbon’s voice disappeared with a loud noise and called out her name in surprise.

However, there is no answer.

Cleon regains his cool in an instant at the sound of Hertie’s voice, and blocks the space between Hertie and the monster that suddenly jumps out as if to protect her.

It has a long earthworm-like smooth body, no fur, and only the wrinkled skin inside is visible.

Six feet with sharp claws… However, the lower half of the body was still stuck in the ground, and seeing that part moving, you could think that there were more feet in the ground.

Above all, it has a thick body like a brown bear, an elongated nose, and a huge mouth.

＂They say it’s a legend for a lesson!?＂

Cleon lets out a scream-like voice without realizing it.

If we look at its external features from beginning to end, it was undoubtedly the ‘worm mole’ described by Bourbon.

＂K, Cleon, there is no answer from Bourbon, is it okay?＂

＂Ugh… Well, that is… ＂

Herty may not have seen Bourbon being devoured by the Wormmol in front of her, but after hearing the noise she heard, she asked in a worried voice, as if she could infer the situation to some extent.

That’s why Cleon didn’t know what to answer to her question, even though he was quickly racking his brain-

As the thing that swallowed Bourbon looked towards her and opened its mouth, I felt an appetite as big as its ferocious appearance.

‘Are you planning on swallowing this one too…! Anyway, if you don’t take out the Bourbon swallowed inside…!

Although Cleon thinks so, he confirms that there are no teeth in the guy’s mouth.

I guess I had no choice but to say that I was fortunate.

‘Just take it out before it is digested. However…’

Where and how should I cut it?

Even if he cuts off the guy’s body, if Bourbon is in that location, he might cut the guy down whole.

Because of that anxiety, if Cleon was unable to move quickly, the guy would slowly lead his body towards us.

It was as if he was trying to take advantage of Cleon’s opportunity.

In a standoff situation, if time dragged on, it was of course at a disadvantage for Cleon, who preyed on Bourbon.

If somehow I could find out where the Bourbon he swallowed is now-

It was that time.

Bang! When he thought he heard the sound again, the monster approaching towards them suddenly let out a long, screaming voice.

The guy was suffering intense pain from something and twisted his body as if he was in pain, staggering to the point where he couldn’t properly control his body.

＂What-＂

Cleon felt puzzled for a moment by the guy’s strange behavior, but then looked at the middle of the guy’s torso.

A loud sound suddenly rang out from that area again, confirming that the area was bulging.

＂!＂

There was no way his organs were moving so unnaturally, so naturally, something inside him must have reacted.

In other words, the story is-

＂… Herti. Please stay here for a moment.”

With Herti standing behind him, Cleon quickly caught his breath, calmed down his agitation, and placed his hand on the handle of his sword.

With the distressed guy in front of me, there was a brief standoff for a few seconds.

The next moment, if you think that Cleon’s body jumped forward from the spot as if it was slipping.

Suddenly! A sound as if a fruit had been cut was heard, and Cleon’s body had suddenly slipped out of the back of the monster.

Then.

A worm/mole whose body separates into top and bottom with a clean cut surface while making a squeak…

Thud! When the severed upper body fell to the ground while making a sound, it wriggled a few times before falling silent.

＂Puh-ha…!＂

And as he let out the breath he had been holding, Bourbon revealed himself from inside the guy.

＂Ugh… It’s sticky.＂

As he crawled out of the cut-up guy’s stomach, Bourbon couldn’t help but utter a disapproving voice as he looked at the slime sticking to his protective clothing and helmet.

“Bourbon! Are you okay?!”

As Cleon said, Herty, who was standing at the designated location, asked that question the moment she heard Bourbon’s voice, and Bourbon answered loudly, “It’s okay!”

And Cleon, who cut down Wormmol, will also return to where she is to check on her condition.

“I never thought it really existed, Worm Mall.”

＂So… I only thought it was a legend… Anyway, I’m okay. The protective clothing and helmet block digestive juices.”

And a pickaxe. Bourbon said and showed the weapon she was holding.

Indeed. When I heard the sound of something exploding inside, I guess I was swinging a pickaxe.

“And… Thank you for saving me.”

Bourbon, who seemed a little embarrassed, said this to Cleon as she tried to pick up the magic stone lantern that had fallen on the ground.

But-

Cheeik~

And when Bourbon thought she heard the sound of something being cooked, she couldn’t help but blink.

The slime on her hand – to be exact, when the wyrmmol’s digestive juices touched the surface of the magic stone lantern, the surface instantly melted.

＂Haa!?＂

Not only that, but even the magic stone inside it.

If the magic stone loses its ability to emit light in an instant, and even the lantern melts and disappears-

Pop. And the surroundings suddenly became dark, like a room with a candle turned out.

I could no longer see in front of me at all.

＂Is it a material that is vulnerable to corrosion by acid…!＂

Bourbon’s devastated voice echoes in the mine.

＂… What should I do?＂

A situation that has completely lost its shine.

Since the inside of the mine was not a one-way street, it was impossible to move forward without light.

In other words-

“… At such an important time, you were shipwrecked in a mine…!?”

Bourbon was raising his voice of despair while perfectly summarizing the current situation.

It’s going to be- it’s going to be-

And with her echo, as if teasing her.