Impregnation Reincarnation Adventurer ep033. Grotesque Monsters
Impregnation Reincarnation Adventurer ep035. Merging the Pure and Impurity
Claire rushes over to see Alex, who’s wounded.
The person in question just brushed it off lightly.
「 This isn’t that big of a deal. I’m just a little dizzy from the repercussions of using my Mana shot. Zalmen’s just exaggerating when carrying me! Wait! Get me off now! I’d rather not have a fellow man see me like this 」
「 Pfft, if you’re that energetic then I shouldn’t have worried. 」
Claire breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Alex being lively.
「 How’s Cindy? 」
When I asked, Claire smiled cheerfully.
Seems like she’s in good condition too.
She leads me and Alex to Cindy.
My heart aches at the sight of Cindy’s tragic appearance, half of her face is covered in bandages.
It seems that Claire left some clothes in the place I tore off her equipment.
Her small body and small chest fall and rise in regular motion. Seems like she’s stable 」
「 It’s not life-threatening. However, it’ll leave some bruises on her 」
「 You can’t fix those, Claire? 」
「 That’s not a normal scald. I’m sure we’ll know more once we’re back at church to check it up, but I think it’s a curse 」
「 A curse? 」
Claire nods.
「 I can’t heal her any better than what I already could. I’m sorry 」
「 You don’t have to apologize to me. Besides, I can tell that Claire did a good job from Cindy’s calm face 」
I cheered up the depressed Claire.
I’m showing the attitude that it’s fine as long as everyone’s safe, and that’s what matters right now.
「 That’s right. Claire. Don’t let Zalmen get carried away with light praises. A small fry will always be a small fry, and just let me keep you all safe! At your level, you’ll turn into crushed tomato paste just from a single hit 」
「 Sure, sure. Thanks for worrying about me 」
「 W-Who’s worried about you! Stop joking and rest!
「 Fufufu, this exchange is so nostalgic 」
Claire pushes the noisy Alex aside.
He sure has a lot to say, but his body seems to hardly move.
Perhaps he squeezed out his mana to the limit to perform his special move just like when I activated the teleported trap.
The fact that this dungeon has a pack of monsters lurking that could match the level 15 Alex. It’s weighing heavily on my mind.
I refilled the magazine from the luggage, loaded the crossbows, and made some minimum provisions.
I leave them as they were still motionless and I explored the garden alone, where the scars of the battle are still fresh.
「 I think the adventurers who disappeared in the dungeon have reached here. Then, those monsters crushed them 」
I’m already imagining the worst. The crazy shape looked like mangled humans, they were victims of that monster. And Marie might’ve been…
「 Stop. That’s a waste of time 」
It might be cruel to say but I shouldn’t be fixated on her.
The only advantage we have, the silver rank party, had been exhausted from the battle. We can’t do anything extreme now. We have no choice but to leave the dungeon as soon as possible. I need to grit my teeth and steel my stomach.
It must be an hour since we started exploring.
We can’t find any clues as to what we should be looking for.
I wipe the sweat from my forehead and catch my breath. It helps that there are no monster attacks, but the nerves are tingling, and the energy and stamina drain are intense. I’m thirsty, but I already used all the water I have and we ran out. I wonder if I could drink the water flowing on the river through the gardens, but I remembered the monster spread the curse earlier and gave up. I don’t know what the curse is, but I’m not even in the mood to try, considering that this water might be contaminated.
I put my glasses on, which shifted from my sweat.
For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in front of my eyes.
「 What was that? 」
As I put off and on my glasses, adjusting the position by gripping the rim to bring them to focus, something faintly flashes across my vision again.
「 There’s something there? 」
There’s nothing note to be seen here, no craftsmanship, no decoration, nothing.
There’s even the fountain that I saw when I came in.
I carefully adjusted the angle of the lens.
After a few tries, I finally saw it.
「 Is this a console? 」
A hologram-like pictogram floating in the air.
You can only see it through a lens, so it must be shaped by magic. It looks to me like a control panel for a machine because I had my previous life to compare, but otherwise, I won’t have any way of understanding what this means.
I try to reach out, but I can’t touch it.
My fingers scratch only the air, and there’s no response, no sign of anything happening.
「 I guess this reacts to magic 」
I don’t think I can figure out any more than this.
I have no choice, I returned to where everyone else was with my observations and went back.
「 Are you sure there’s something here? 」
「 I can’t see anything 」
Claire and Cindy stare into the air with their eyes but don’t seem to get it.
「 Are you sure there’s something here? 」
「 I don’t get it 」
「 I can feel the faintest hint of magic, but only a hint, it’s something you feel everywhere in the dungeon. Honestly, I’m half doubting it 」
Brid and Zash, and Miks all show suspicion.
「 And so, what do you plan? 」
Alex urges me to continue.
「 The device in the Magical city of Mara detects and reacts to the amount of Mana the user has and activates it. In short, I’m thinking if we want this contraption to work, we’re going to need someone with a certain amount of mana 」
「 To be specific? 」
「 ………… 」
I’m at a loss for words.
I don’t know what to do either.
「 For now, I think we’ll have to try things out for now. I have no knowledge of magic or magical tools, so I’m hoping that Claire or Miks can give me an idea 」
「 I use magic, but I’m no magician. I don’t think I can help 」
「 I don’t have much to say either, I’m sorry 」
「 That’s fine. Anything can be a hint 」
I tell Claire and Miks what I think and explore the possibilities.
I tried touching the hologram and using magic nearby to see how it reacts, but the results were not good. Time passes in vain.
「 –This didn’t work either. Are you sure there’s something there? 」
Miks asks with a tired look on his face.
I nodded, but I must be pale. They might not be complaining, but there’s a sense of disbelief.
Zash and Brid, who regained their strength are also helping check all the surrounding structures for traps.
It would be hard to believe that someone with so little knowledge of magic would claim that there’s something in here that is activated by magic. They still cooperate with me without complaining because Alex and his team built trust with me.
And their trust is betrayed. In the end, nothing comes out, which is frustrating for me.
「 Haa, don’t look so pathetic. You’re a man. Get yourself together! 」
「 Ouch! 」
Alex slapped me. It hurts, it almost blew me away.
「 You’ve yet to experience the career as an adventurer that you deserve! At times like this, you should smile fearlessly like a seasoned veteran. 」
「 Sorry, Alex 」
「 !!! This is why you’re always called the “Iron Rank All Year Round” or “Seedless Zalmen” by those who have nothing better to do but drink in the guild! Don’t you feel any shame or regret? 」
「 I told you I’m sorry! Geez, why why are you so mad when people speak ill of me anyway? 」
Even though I’m taking in Alex’s pep talk, I’m still feeling a little uneasy because I feel like there’s too much pressure on him even though it’s someone else’s problem. Alex had always been calling me a small fry and always feeling disappointed. A sigh of frustration escapes me.
「 Claire, Cindy, say something 」
「 Alex has always been like that. You try to stir up Zaryu too much 」
「 I have faith in him, and he also has faith in us. Isn’t that good enough? 」
Alex is still yelling something.
I’m so absorbed in my thoughts that I can’t hear them, but it seems that they’re in a bad mood.
They don’t like how crooked it is so the discussion will continue until they’re satisfied.
「 Is this in a series? 」
I suddenly remember batteries.
If I recall, Alex and the party were all teleported here. I made up for the lack of mana by adding mana stones in my mouth. If my hypothesis about the inability to move the contraption here is because we don’t have enough mana required is correct, then we need to have enough mana in a bundle, just like the teleporter trap, for the trap to recognize it as one.
「 Okay, let’s try this one 」
I told everyone my idea.
I already run out of mana stones I brought with me, so I tried to reproduce the pattern with Alex and the group. We all gather in one small area. I get each of them to touch me.
「 No, it’s not reacting 」
「 You mean this isn’t enough because everyone’s drained of mana and stamina? 」
「 This method may not work either 」
「 What else is there to do? 」
「 Leave this to me! 」
「 We’re running out of food and water, so we can’t expect to recover any better than this 」
「 Zaryu, what’s the plan? 」
With Everyone’s eyes on my back, I desperately try to rack my brains.
A way to use mana. Means of manipulating magic tools.
Something, there has to be something.
A flash came to my mind.
「 –My heart, my body, my soul. Disclose the power that resides in you! 」
I slap. Then an explosive sensation ran through my fingertips.
It’s the chant you use on the magic tool to check if you leveled up. It’s the only spell I know when using magic tools. It’s a formidable task that I never did before. I fearfully touched the pictogram behind the lens with my finger.
The dungeon shakes with heavy bass.
No, it’s just our surroundings deforming.
The fountain extended upward, breaking through the stained glass ceiling, and strangely enough, nothing shattered, it just grew steadily. There’s a staircase on the side of the column.
「 W-Wow 」
The spiral staircase covered in a curtain of water appeared in front of us.
What lies ahead? Anxiety and anticipation crossed my mind.
I took a step forward to lead the way, but Alex’s grip on my shoulder and his fingertips tell me to stay in place. I turn around to see him look straight at me with a serious, yet tired expression.
「 Is it okay? 」
A short, yet heavy question.
I closed my eyes.
「 Yeah, I take responsibility for this 」
Alex’s hand loosened up.
Claire, Cindy, Zash, Miks, and Brid didn’t say anything.
Failing to save your comrade or abandoning them.
It’s always in the mind of the adventurers.
They’ve experienced that more times than I did.
It’s too late to spill tears now.
「 Cindy, let’s go 」
I put the luggage on my back and stepped on the stairs.
One by one, I take the step higher.
*****
The end of the stairs was the ground level.
Half of the sky is tinted red by the sunset.
Colorful stars are beginning to twinkle in the blue sky.
It’s a familiar place.
The cathedral, the entrance to the Mara dungeon. and the fountain in the huge plaza.
「 A-Are we out?! Did we get back to the surface?! 」
「 S-Seriously?! I was just about to give up. hahaha 」
「 Uooooooohhhhh!!! 」
I hear happy shouts from the trio as they hug each other.
I collapsed on my knees and went on all fours on the ground.
I don’t feel that I survived.
「 You saved us again 」
「 Zaryu’s amazing. Puff your chest out 」
Claire and Cindy put their hands on my back to encourage me.
I grip the soil with clenched teeth. There’s blood coming out of my hand. Yet, I don’t feel pain.
My breathing’s getting rough. My chest hurts. I can’t breathe.
My vision blurs. My head hurts. Why, why, why…
Alex stands in front of me as I shiver in coldness.
He goes to his knees, grabs my right hand with both of his and clasps it tightly around his chest.
I sense the will that he won’t let go.
「 No, let go, I-I have to go 」
「 No. You’re going to die 」
「 M-Marie’s waiting! I have to go! Please! I can still make it 」
「 No 」
「 Alex! Let go! I’m going! 」
「 I’m not letting go! Both you and Marie came here ready for this 」
I tried to fight with all my might, but the overwhelming difference in level was too much for me to overcome.
It’s not just Alex.
Claire and Cindy were all holding me.
「 Y-You guys…Let go…Get off me 」
I have to look for Marie…
I have to go back to the dungeon to look for Marie.
No matter how much strength I muster, I couldn’t resist them at my level.
「 Uuuu..oooooooh 」
It’s so unsightly. I’m so powerless.
Power. I need power.
I want the strength to grant my wishes.
「 Aaaaaaaaaah!!! 」
I screamed with my all.
That’s all I can do for her, helpless as I am.
「 Marie!!!! Marie!!!! 」
「 What? Too noisy! 」
The wind stopped. I hear her voice in the silence, as if time had stopped.
It sounded too clear for a hallucination.
It’s as if she’s standing right in front of me—
「 What’s that face you guys are making? What a welcome after a six-month absence, huh? 」
I’m too shocked, but the tone is too light.
I look up and all I see was Alex’s chestplate.
I pushed him, he turned around, and his frozen posture broke.
I see nothing.
With my blurred vision, I couldn’t see if she was real or just a phantom.
「 Zaryu 」
A calm voice calls my name.
She squats before me.
「 You’re right, I’ve been waiting for you to return 」
She smiles and her hand touched my cheek.
The feeling of her slightly cold fingertips is real.
「 M-Marie?! How?! 」
「 Eii! 」
「 Gefu!!! 」
She slaps my face as hard as she can as I tremble in joy.
It shook my brain. I’m feeling dull pain. My face was rubbing on the ground hard.
I can’t understand what’s going on.
「 M-Marie?! How?! 」
I was at the limit of my stamina and that’s all I could say in my fading consciousness.
「 Zaryu. Poor guy 」
Cindy’s line was the last I heard as my consciousness went away.
Impregnation Reincarnation Adventurer ep033. Grotesque Monsters
Impregnation Reincarnation Adventurer ep035. Merging the Pure and Impurity