Chapter 42 - 042 Lake Bottom Temple Guardian
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042 Lake Bottom Temple Guardian
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The battle between Ojin and Sage Daguldor, Roxwell, and Endever began.
Unlike on land, Ojin's movements were fast in the water. Roxwell and Endever requested, saying they would keep Ojin's movements in check so that Sage Daguldor could deliver a heavy blow.
"Very well. Behold my power to your heart's content."
"Hah!"
It wasn't just for show that the two had trained in the seas of Dedel Territory. In the Dedel Territory sea, about 100 rom (200 meters) offshore, fairly fast currents flow. By resisting those currents, they had trained to move freely even underwater.
Seeing the two move without losing to Ojin's speed, Sage Daguldor narrowed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth, as if to say he couldn't afford to lose either.
Ojin's size was such that even the experienced Sage Daguldor rarely saw. His heart leaped at the big one after a long time.
Sage Daguldor refined his magical power.
"Roxwell! Endever!"
"Aye!"
The two guided with all their might to a position where Ojin could not see Sage Daguldor.
"You disgusting monster, go die. Death Cannon!"
Perhaps sensing the presence of death, Ojin turned his face toward Sage Daguldor. But it was already too late; the black, murky cannonball of Death Cannon was right before his eyes.
Ojin twisted his huge body trying to dodge the cannonball, but it hit the base of Ojin's head.
"GYAAAAAAAHHHH!"
An unpleasant scream traveled through the water.
The spot where Death Cannon hit was discolored black. The black gradually spread over Ojin's body.
The blackened scales peeled off in flakes. Pain attacked Ojin so severe that even he could tell his skin was rotting. The rot spread to the flesh under the skin, and further necrotized even the bones and internal organs.
Ojin thrashed about in agony, but gradually his movements became sluggish, and when his entire body turned black, he stopped moving.
Ojin turned to dust and vanished, and his Life Light Stone fell to the lake bottom.
"I've never seen such source power. As expected of Sage-sama."
"Roxwell, the world is vast. What people can know is but a small part of this world."
"I will firmly remember your words, Sage-sama."
Unless one can secure a large amount of Life Light Stones, one cannot obtain source power. As long as one clears that condition, anyone can use it. But unlike source power, magic is not something anyone can use.
How many people in this world can use magic? Even Sage Daguldor, who has lived long, does not know anyone other than Bajis who possesses magical power.
Even if someone with magical power existed, would they realize they could use magic? It would be difficult.
No one notices magical power. That might be the reason magic does not develop in this world.
Sage Daguldor lamented that he could not pass on his magic to future generations. In this world, source power can be obtained more easily than training in magic. That might be a hindrance.
But he found a boy named Bajis with magical power rivaling his own. It was a joy that made his body tremble.
He hadn't brought him this time, but someday Bajis would become a new Sage. He would raise him to ensure that.
That was the determination in Argus Selbam Daguldor today.
Rodney and his party, heading for the Lake Bottom Temple, advanced while cutting down the approaching sea folk. Wherever they came from, no matter how many they cut, sea folk kept appearing.
Nevertheless, Rodney and his party advanced. And they finally reached the Lake Bottom Temple.
When Rodney and his party stood before the entrance of the Lake Bottom Temple, strangely the sea folk stopped attacking. The sea folk cannot enter a certain range around the Lake Bottom Temple.
"Well, it's huge, isn't it?" Emilia said, looking up at the giant Lake Bottom Temple.
"It seems opening this giant door will be quite a struggle," Yulin said with a realistic thought.
Now that he had made a statue of Yulin, he could understand. The delicacy of the carvings on the walls of the Lake Bottom Temple was worthy of admiration. Even Sage Daguldor apparently did not know who had created the labyrinth, but its beauty of form was praiseworthy.
"Big Brother, let's go inside quickly!"
Emilia takes out the key from her bosom and holds it up to the door.
If this Lake Bottom Temple is a treasury, the key will apparently respond just to this.
The key vanished smoothly. As Sage Daguldor said, this Lake Bottom Temple was a treasury.
"Big Brother, the door is opening."
The giant door slowly opens. A dazzling light leaks out from inside.
They shield their eyes from the glare with their arms. The light envelops Rodney and his party.
"..."
When they realized, the three were inside the treasury.
They didn't understand the principle, but it seemed they had moved in an instant. They were merely enveloped in light and felt nothing else.
"Big Brother..."
"Rodney-sama..."
"O-oh..."
There was no water inside the treasury; instead, a stone giant stood there. It was a Hecatoncheir.
"This one is big again."
Its size was larger than the Hecatoncheir they encountered in the Oburosu Labyrinth. Its appearance was exactly the same, with three heads and eight arms, but it was nearly twice as large.
Looking behind, the door was firmly closed.
There is always a guardian in a treasury. Unless they defeat that guardian, they cannot escape. Just as Sage Daguldor had said.
"Emilia, Yulin. Preemptive strike."
"Yes."
The three drew their swords and took stances.
Emilia and Yulin fired the High-speed Rotating Scatter Bullet at the Hecatoncheir. At the same time, Rodney also fired Explosive Annihilation Bullet.
The vicious source powers shot by the three reached the giant Hecatoncheir in an instant, causing a huge explosion.
The three activated source powers like Iron Wall, Solidity, and Diamond to withstand the blast.
The explosion subsides. The giant Hecatoncheir is damaged but still standing.
"Harder than the one in the Oburosu Labyrinth!?"
"Rodney-sama. Its mouth opened."
That was the preliminary motion for a beam.
"Counterattack!"
"Yes."
At the same time that Emilia and Yulin fired High-speed Rotating Scatter Bullet again, a beam was released.
Three beams approach. The two High-speed Rotating Scatter Bullets fly toward the giant Hecatoncheir without hitting the beams.
Rodney also activates his source power. But this time it's Mist Disperse. The three approaching beams vanish.
The two High-speed Rotating Scatter Bullets hit the giant Hecatoncheir, causing another explosion.
Rodney fired Explosive Annihilation Bullet three times in a row without rest.
An overwhelming blast hits the three, but Rodney activates Diamond and stands in front to protect Emilia and Yulin.
In the midst of the blast, Keen told him that the giant Hecatoncheir was still alive.
"It's still alive. What a sturdy bastard."
Guardians are unlike ordinary Selvanui; they are extremely powerful and sturdy. He recalled Sage Daguldor's words.
He could tell the giant Hecatoncheir had started moving. It made a ground-shaking rumble that could destroy the floor.
The giant Hecatoncheir that appeared had lost two faces, and only one arm remained. There was also a hole in its chest, showing the other side. Even so, it still moved, so rather than sturdy, it would be more accurate to describe it as tenacious, or even persistent.
"Big Brother, Yulin, let's go!"
"Yeah!"
"Yes!"
The three scattered and dashed out.
When Emilia closed in linearly on the giant Hecatoncheir, the one thick remaining arm swung down, and its fist embedded into the floor.
Emilia jumped up, landed on the thick arm, and ran up the arm to deliver four thrusts to the face. The stone face was destroyed, but only its cheek was gouged out.
"You're tough, aren't you!"
The giant Hecatoncheir moved its upper body largely to shake off Emilia. Emilia performed a backflip and landed.
Yulin and Rodney slashed at the giant Hecatoncheir's legs from both sides. Yulin's blow gouged the thick leg with her red true steel greatsword. Cracks started forming from there.
Rodney also slashed at the giant Hecatoncheir's leg. His blow, which wrapped Monster Arm, Acceleration, and Kashima Old Style, and even Haki around the White True Steel Sword, was a sharp slash that could be called a divine strike.
Under the giant Hecatoncheir's own weight, the cracks in the leg caused by Yulin's attack widened.
As for the other leg, a single line appeared at the ankle, and it slipped off from there. The giant Hecatoncheir, losing its balance, fell with a thunderous roar.
"I won't lose to those two's teamwork!"
"That's nothing!" (Yulin and Rodney in unison)
"Emilia's named move, Deadly 15 Consecutive Thrusts!" (all three in unison)
Three Emilias attacked the giant Hecatoncheir's head. It was a thrust attack so fast that it was impossible to tell whether three were each doing five thrusts or one was doing fifteen thrusts.
The giant Hecatoncheir's head burst. That was the finishing blow, and the giant Hecatoncheir turned to dust and vanished.
In its place, a mountain of treasure appeared.
"Ooh, this is amazing."
"There's a mountain of gold coins, Big Brother."
"So it really was a treasury."
Before the mountain of treasure, Rodney and his party sat down and laughed together.
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