Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Dungeon

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

 

The man got back on all fours, rejoining the group. He gave heartfelt thanks to the young silver-haired girl for saving him.

 

“Step back.”

 

“Y, Yes!”

 

Aellasis raised her hand again and produced dozens of ice spears. The same number of monsters emerged from narrow paths, walls, windows of buildings, and brightly lit dining halls.

 

They all had human-like appearances. But the wounds on their necks, their unfocused eyes, and their flailing limbs proved that they were already dead and had become monsters.

 

Aellasis remembered the vibrant capital of the day, the hustle and bustle, and people’s cheerful voices. They are all buried underground now. There would be no more laughter.

 

Suddenly, her body began to glow. To the astonishment of the people watching, Aellasis transformed from a young girl to a mature woman.

 

She realized that her current appearance was temporary. Russell had given her more than enough magical power, and her emotions seemed to have affected the dragon’s body.

 

But the increased height was satisfactory. Aellasis found herself hoping that Russell could see her now.

 

“Caw!”

 

“Kyahhhhh!”

 

A wave of monsters interrupted their thoughts. And Aellasis didn’t like it.

 

She snapped her fingers as if it were nothing. The results were anything but playful. Ice spears as fast as arrows embedded themselves in the monsters’ bodies.

 

As soon as they threw the ice spears, they recreated them in mid-air. And again, they pierced the monsters’ bodies, freezing them solid.

 

Soon, dozens of ice statues stood on the street. The monsters shook their bodies as if they were about to break free from the cold and charge. When she saw them, Aellasis raised her right hand to the sky.

 

As it happened, the sky was full of clouds. They lacked the time and quantity to form rain clouds. But they were enough to follow a dragon’s will.

 

The people of the capital, who thought there could be no more surprises after the girl turned into a woman and after ice spears shot out in all directions and froze the monsters, closed their eyes. They were recalling the self-evident truth that one can’t see an inch ahead in life.

 

Kwarung-!

 

Lightning struck, shattering the frozen monsters.

 

Aellasis grinned and hopped onto Kry’s back, who had been walking along by himself. The dragon’s body and senses differed from those of a human, despite the saddle not fitting properly. Kry calmly carried its young lady.

 

She yelled at the people looking up at her from the suddenly high vantage point.

 

“Run, everyone! If you continue to go at this turtle’s pace, the monsters will keep coming. Run as fast as you can to the square!”

 

People kicked their legs, shouting, “Whoa!” With her elongated legs, Aellasis kicked Kry’s flank. Kry reared up, howling, and then pounded the ground.

 

As they ran, monsters flew out of nowhere. Some still retained their human form, while others were already monsters in appearance. They were larger than adult males, and their lower jaws split into two with forked snake-like tongues.

 

The claws protruding from their fingers were blades in their own right. However, a woman riding a horse crushed all the monsters’ attacks with her hands.

 

“Hah! Hah! Run, Kry!”

 

Aellasis urged her horse on, circling the people running around. Even so, her wide field of vision caught monsters leaping out of corners. Then, without fail, ice awls and ice spears would fly out and pierce the monsters, followed by lightning that shattered them.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

People were already swarming the square. Guards and wizards from the Magic Tower formed a front line, standing outside, centered around the people of the capital.

 

Wizards have a reputation for being frail, but surprisingly, many of them put a lot of effort into training their bodies as well. The mind dwells in the flesh. Without support for the flesh, mental strength becomes mere incantation.

 

Runebas is a good example, moving around as well as a young man despite being in his forties and wielding powerful magic. He swung his staff vigorously, creating a ball of flames.

 

From the ball of flames burning in mid-air, smaller flames escaped and turned into arrows. The flame arrows pierced the mouths of the charging monsters and exploded.

 

The other tower wizards and apprentices squeezed out their mana and chanted spells, casting magic. Though not destructive, their magic was undoubtedly helpful.

 

Suddenly, the monsters slipped on the floor and collided with their own kind. The collapsed debris and stones gathered together, creating a golem, and the wind gathered to form a sharp blade.

 

Evelyn groaned as she used a spell to cave in a monster’s chest and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Despite the night, the surroundings were bright. Not only because of the small fires burning throughout the city, but also because the wizards were floating balls of fire in the sky.

 

Red reflections flickered between people, the ground, and buildings. As the light intensified, so did the darkness. The number of monsters had decreased significantly, but the vampires controlling them had yet to be dealt with.

 

According to Jirach, who had been saved by Russell, there were supposed to be six of them. At that moment, the clouds on the other side of the sky flashed and produced thunder and lightning.

 

Evelyn couldn’t help but open her eyes wide at the torrent of magical power. Who is it? Is it Russell?

 

And the master who had summoned the lightning came riding on horseback. Behind her, dozens of people were running along, drenched in sweat.

 

“Aellasis?”

 

Evelyn muttered, unsure. The woman on the horse certainly resembled Aellasis, with her white hair and doll-like appearance. But she was definitely a small girl when they parted.

 

She arrived at the square, tearing through the obstructing monsters with spears of ice and a net of lightning. It was a sight that was hard to believe the little girl from before could have done. It seemed that there was a reason Russell had brought her along.

 

Aellasis, who had slowed Kry to a walk, also spotted Evelyn.

 

“Evelyn?”

 

“. . . . . .It’s Evelyn. Aellasis, right? What happened to your appearance?”

 

Aellasis shrugged.

 

“I don’t want to explain.”

 

“. . . . . . I see.”

 

Magic is mysterious. Even though she manipulates mana, processes it with her magical power, creates circuits in her body, and pours it out into the world, ultimately, magic is mysterious.

 

She also wasn’t the type of person to force someone who didn’t want to talk. It wasn’t the kind of behavior that suited the current situation, either.

 

But Runebas had that personality, and he was a wizard who could act on it.

 

“Are you that little kid? H, How?”

 

Runebas glared at Aellasis with eyes that burned like torchlight. Aellasis, annoyed by his gaze, led Kry away.

 

Runebas tried to follow her in a hurry, but Evelyn stopped him.

 

“Wait a minute, Runebas-nim. This isn’t the time for that.”

 

“Not the time? How was she a little girl just two days ago? But now all of a sudden she’s. . .”

 

Then, more groups appeared in a different direction. It was Ramon Errandis, an old man with a stern face, wearing armor and holding a silver sword. He was accompanied by two knights, Deborah, soldiers, and Jirach.

 

From the other direction came Captain Jensen Otbal, his guardsmen and Remeron, Phel, and Kai.

 

The Lord quickly assessed the situation.

 

“First, all of the city’s citizens should be sent to the lord’s castle. Horgo! You will lead the soldiers and people of the city to the castle.”

 

A knight bowed his head and rushed off. The lord, who had been watching the citizens of the city evacuate along the boulevard, spoke to Jirach.

 

“You said they were vampires. Do you know where any other vampires like you might be?”

 

“That’s difficult. However, I can roughly determine the vampires’ location. And there’s a high probability that there will be a vampire controlling the vampires nearby.”

 

“How many are left?”

 

“As far as I know, there are five besides me. . . . . . . . . .”

 

“Four.”

 

Phel approached and said, Jensen nodded and informed him that, with the help of the elves, they had killed one vampire. Lord Ramon Errandis looked grim.

 

“That means there are still four vampires. What on earth is their purpose?”

 

Jirach replied,

 

“We, or rather, they, are expendable.”

 

“Expendable?”

 

“Yes. Our purpose is simply to spill blood. As much as we can.”

 

Everyone who had fought recalled the scene, according to Jirach’s words. A floor covered with corpses. The blood that should have been on the corpses had completely disappeared, creating a scene of grotesque murder.

 

Evelyn, who had been resting her chin in her hand, said, “

 

“Ultimately, the essence of a vampire is in the blood. They are born in blood, and they live in blood. And if they need this much blood, there’s usually a ritual or sacrificial use for it.”

 

“Ritual, sacrifice?”

 

“Resurrection.”

 

Remeron said this, fumbling.

 

“It’s. . . . . .It’s been so long, but I just remembered. There’s a record of a powerful lord who ruled this area about 800 years ago. The king possessed strength comparable to the ancient kingdoms of that era. Ultimately, a combined attack from the kingdoms defeated him, rendering the land uninhabitable. The lord, who had lost his people and land, ended up making a pact with the devil and became a monster. . .That’s the legend I just remembered.”

 

“That monster?”

 

“I think it might be the ancestor of the vampires.”

 

At that moment, Runebas pointed his finger at Jirach.

 

“Wait a minute. If I’m not mistaken, that man called himself a vampire.”

 

Runebas didn’t stop pointing, and he immediately chanted a spell. Above his head, a ball of flames burned menacingly.

 

Ramon Errandis stepped forward urgently.

 

“Stop it! Master Runebas! This man is a vampire, but he’s on our side.”

 

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

 

“Russell, the dragonslayer, rescued this man from his original master. And now he is a man who has the ability to help us find the other vampires in the capital.”

 

“I can’t believe this. No, where is Russell?”

 

Runebas said, looking around.

 

“I can’t see him anywhere. Could it be that he ran away in this situation with his tail between his legs?”

 

“Watch your mouth, Master Runebas.”

 

Runebas looked at Ramon Errandis and was surprised. The lord glared at him with flames in his icy eyes.

 

“We have left him on his own to resolve this entire situation. He is the one who helped my son to his eternal rest, and he is also an honorable knight who protects this city and its people. Do not insult him.”

 

Ramon Errandis’s voice, which was dignified for his age, sounded like a beast growling. Runebas, who had almost taken a step back without realizing it, soon turned red in the face.

 

“What on earth are you talking about, I. . . .”

 

Runebas, who had been looking around again to get some kind of agreement, saw the knights, the two elves, an orc, the white-haired woman, and the gaze of his close friend and rival’s niece.

 

With a slightly pale face, Runebas turned his head. Now didn’t seem to be the right time. Runebas, who had risen to the position of master not only because of his magical abilities but also because of his political acumen, instinctively felt it.

 

Ramon Errandis gave instructions. Following his instructions, people split into groups of three or five. According to Jirach’s tracking ability, they had to catch the vampires while maintaining maximum speed. That was the only way to help Russell, even a little.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

“Is this it?”

 

Running like the wind, Russell followed Gorden’s guidance and reached the western outskirts of the capital. He revealed that they discovered the dungeon while clearing the forest for a construction project to expand the capital’s outskirts.

 

A laborer’s shovel caught it while he was cutting down trees and excavating the ground. After that, Ramon Errandis discovered the entrance leading underground—the dungeon—on the completely cleared land. And it all began.

 

Barricades and obstacles blocked the area around the dungeon to prevent entry. The closure order prompted the implementation of this measure.

 

From that time on, the lord must have decided to face his son’s condition and the evil lurking within the city head-on. 

 

“Yes. We put a lot of effort into exploring the dungeon, and we also invited wizards from the Magic Tower, but it was no use. The dungeon became more and more complex, and strange traps appeared every day. Every day, the structure transformed into a living entity, leading to the ultimate decision to prohibit entry.

 

Russell looked down at the entrance and stairs leading underground. The entrance appeared designed for effortless access. But from a certain point on the stairs, pitch-black darkness spread out.

 

In an anxious voice, Gorden said,

 

“Are you really going to be okay by yourself? Shouldn’t you go with a wizard, as much as you are?”

 

“I’ll be fine.”

 

He looked up at the sky. It was still a long way from dawn. Thanks to the thickly flowing clouds, a deep darkness pervaded the surroundings, with not a single star in sight. The stench of blood that had filled the city was completely absent here. That made it all the more eerie.

 

Russell put his hand inside his coat. Gorden, who had been expecting him to pull out that fearsome axe, made a dumb face when he saw him take out a cigarette.

 

With his magical power, Russell calmly created a flame and put it on the tip of the cigarette. A thin, elegant stream of smoke crossed the void.

 

“Well then, let’s go.”

 

He went down the stairs without even waiting for Gorden’s answer. And at one point, he disappeared completely.

 

Translator’s Blog

Blog

• Kimonos, Cosplay, and Cultural Cancels: Nezuko’s Demon Slayer Saga in China
• How to Know If You’re Cringing Your Classmate: A Guide to Social Survival
• How to Stop Your Friends From Thinking You’re a Weeb: A Guide for the Anime-Obsessed
• Intrusive Thoughts: Pikachu vs Levi
• Why You Can Read Light Novels But Can’t Speak English: A Guide to Unlocking Your Inner Voice