Chapter 354: Drive Hunt
Fwoosh!
A sound that shouldn’t have resulted from merely pulling out a dagger echoed through the cave.
“Wh-what is this?!”
The striga queen clutched her belly in alarm. Blood gushed with a ferocity that could only be compared to a vacuum pump—a violent pressure that shouldn’t have been possible.
Striga didn’t possess regeneration like trolls, but they could freely manipulate blood flow and muscle.
This was because their aesthetic involved luring prey by appearing vulnerable before hunting.
-Hahahaha! That guy was bragging about having an underground troll as a subordinate, yet he was killed by a druid. Were there others besides him?
-I didn’t see them. Who knows where they all went.
-Fine. Follow me. I’ll take you to our settlement.
If necessary, striga could take the form not just of orcs but of females from even more powerful species. A technique used when, apart from aesthetics, they desired the vital essence of a powerful warrior—chieftain-level.
-Bugbrain. Studied arithmetic diligently to become number one, yet didn’t enjoy it long. How did he die? They said he was good at escaping.
-…Like this.
Slaaash!
-Huh? H-h-haaah!
The striga queen had also deliciously devoured the rival chieftain that Eugene’s alliance with the druids had destroyed.
Though Eugene had dismissed her as a mass-produced Nosferatu, it was the striga who contributed most to the folk legends of evil vampires.
To impersonate females of various species, one had to control every strand of hair to perfection. A dagger wound was nothing—she could easily seal it.
Glug glug glug.
But what now occupied the queen’s belly was divine authority. Discarding the dagger and covering her abdomen was useless. Blood flowed ceaselessly between her fingers.
“Feels like a snake squirming inside, doesn’t it?”
Eugene narrowed his eyes, watching the mysteries of Kalash’s divine power roiling through her interior. Unless excised first, no amount of bandaging would matter.
‘In a way, this is a more terrifying weapon than the Aether Sword.’
As a blade, its striking power was weak, but a single hit meant death without counter-curse. The curse of bloodletting would torment until death.
“You! What did you do to me?!”
“I told you not to pull it out.”
“You stench-ridden wretch!”
The striga queen roared at the provoking, grinning knight. But with her blood pressure raised, the bleeding only worsened.
“Why does she keep saying I stink?”
Eugene sniffed his arm but smelled nothing. Having dragged subordinates along and not fighting personally unless absolutely necessary, he hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Meanwhile, other striga licked their lips at the blood their leader spilled. Long tongues snaked between hideous fangs.
Being such a mobile species, their community discipline was lax. If things went south, they could abandon the current group and go their own way.
“How dare you stick out your tongue?!”
The striga queen roared to enforce hierarchy—
“Attack!”
Eugene charged alongside Homi. As if waiting for this signal, the knights surged forward, followed by soldiers with siege crossbows aimed.
Unlike regular crossbowmen who tried to maximize distance from monsters, these were Lantzheim’s elite. Trusting the knights to protect them, they moved closer to deliver devastating shots.
Their valiant charge made even the striga queen unwilling to face directly, and she tried to create distance.
‘These are no ordinary opponents. A frontal clash is too dangerous.’
Quickly judging, she tried to cling to the ceiling.
But Eugene and Homi, leading from the front, simultaneously threw bola. Three iron balls connected by ropes far longer than usual—special bolas.
Covering a diameter of approximately three meters, the bola flew with tremendous spinning force.
The striga queen dodged one, but the other entangled her legs, sending her tumbling. They’d been thrown to cut off evasion angles from the start—dodging both was impossible.
She struggled to cut the thick rope, but Homi was already upon her. No primate in this world was faster.
“Lady Homi!”
“It’s dangerous alone!”
Some knights shouted at her charging in without water warrior transformation.
The striga queen, seeing Homi approach with bare fists and no weapon, glared.
“You little brat—you don’t know how scary the world is!”
No matter how dire the situation, being this underestimated was a first. She’d retreat when she needed to, but tearing this fearless little one apart would ease her mind.
Raising her claws, the striga queen launched a counterattack that could kill even a wild boar in one blow.
Grin.
Homi’s lips curved upward with satisfaction.
She dropped her boxing stance and scattered what she’d been holding in both hands. Fine silver powder showered the fierce-looking striga queen like a dusting.
“Kyaaaaaaa—!”
Striga were beings filled with evil energy. Even as living creatures, they took tremendous damage from silver.
The queen’s entire front face burned with silver powder, and she thrashed wildly through the air. Only the surface was coated, so it wasn’t fatal, but the excruciating pain and sensory disruption held her in place.
During that moment, Homi slipped inside the queen’s guard and delivered a twisting blow to her jaw with a clenched fist.
Crack!
The impact that could daze a bear sent her two-meter body staggering sideways. But Homi’s assault didn’t stop. Relentless combinations battered the queen’s abdomen and face at irregular intervals.
Thwack!
“You…”
Thwack!
“Des…”
Thwack!
“Serve…”
The striga queen had much combat experience and had faced many crises. But being beaten this brutally, this humiliatingly—this was a first.
Blam blam blam!
She vomited blood upward and downward while trying to claw at Homi, but it was impossible. Given her physical structure, she couldn’t properly counter an infighter like current Homi.
“Kyaaa—!”
Giving up on clawing, the striga queen spread her arms wide. She intended to embrace and neutralize Homi, then bite. But Homi dodged flat, then threw herself sideways.
Without water warrior transformation, each blow’s destructive power was lower, but her movements were lighter and faster.
For Eugene, the brief time she’d bought was enough.
“I’m proud of you.”
That single word was enough for Homi too.
The striga queen realized too late. Even now, she tensed her thigh muscles to retreat—
Stumble.
Severe dizziness and leg weakness.
Glug glug glug.
Her steadily hemorrhaging abdomen was the cause.
“Spare m—”
Spit!
The Last Autumn’s blade flashed, and the striga queen’s head fell to the ground. Even if she’d shown willingness to negotiate, she was a monster that fed on human blood. Eugene had never intended to let her leave alive.
“Not a single one escapes!”
Around that time, knights and crossbowmen were engaging the remaining striga.
The striga bore demon-like forms with membranous wings, but possessed no flight ability. For perfect shapeshifting, they needed to preserve both arms and hands, so structurally they were far closer to flying squirrels than bats.
Climbing walls or clinging to ceilings was their limit. But with elite crossbowmen swarming, the walls and ceilings were the most dangerous.
Pow!
Thwack!
“Gooo—.”
Striga bristling with bolts fell from the ceiling. Since they didn’t interfere with each other’s line of fire, concentrated volleys rained down.
“Fire without mercy!”
The Lantzheim fire control officer was thrilled at the opportunity to unleash silver-plated bolts.
“How much does all this cost…”
“It’s not our money, is it?”
Throughout history, there was few pleasures greater than spending someone else’s money lavishly.
Seeing their kin riddled with bolts and burning, the striga had no choice but to descend to the ground.
“Wooooah!”
Heavy armored knights charged them. Each received royal-standard mass-produced silver weapons from their squires.
Sensing defeat, some tried fleeing through the outer exit, but that too was impossible.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dazzling sunlight pouring through the cave entrance rapidly dimmed. A massive entity with three glowing eyes like will-o’-the-wisps blocked the retreat.
Alzhar, who had been chanting with closed eyes, had finally completed the incantation.
It was a living net of countless intertwined tree roots. Clumps of earth and moss made it appear even larger than its actual size. Large enough to block an entire cave.
[I am the remnants of dead trees. The master of roots that have lost their trunks and leaves.]
The tree root spirit spoke through Alzhar’s borrowed voice.
When a tree reached its lifespan, was struck by lightning, swept by wildfire, or destroyed by various creatures—when it was left alone, the wills of those remaining roots coalesced into a divine spirit.
[By covenant with the keeper of the earth, I seal this passage. Those who pass without permission—become my nourishment!]
Living roots spread in all directions, blocking the cave exit.
The striga tried to squeeze through gaps, but it was a foolish choice. Like spiders wrapping prey in web, they were entangled tightly in roots.
“Kyaaaa—!”
With a single scream, the striga vanished between roots and mud.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The sound of being crushed by overwhelming force echoed faintly. Only palms or soles protruding pathetically waved about.
“For the king!”
“Evil beasts! Receive Britainia’s blade!”
Before the king himself, the knights unleashed the martial arts they had honed to the maximum.
Striga were powerful beings who could easily kill hobgoblins or orc warriors without even their charm ambush. Their strength rivaled bears, and their claws could shred leather armor.
But human technology and capital had forged decisive weapons—knights who were no less formidable. Severed limbs fell and rolled in all directions.
Ssss.
Fwoosh.
No blood flowed from the cross-sections. Striga writhed in pain from the wounds and burns, retreating chaotically.
“Ugh!”
“Sir! Fall back!”
“Just a scratch—nothing!”
Knights also suffered injuries but didn’t retreat a single step, pursuing glory.
“Keep firing!”
Striga trying to cross over Eugene’s army from the ceiling were shot down by bolt barrages.
“They’re falling here!”
“Spear wall!”
Lantzheim pikemen didn’t dodge falling striga—they set their partisans and caught them.
“Kyaaaa—!”
Striga tears and snot streamed as they thrashed in midair. Multiple partisans had pierced their backs, thighs, and crotches—they were pinned butterflies.
Striga that hadn’t climbed to the ceiling clung to walls, but the pikemen dragged them down.
“Come down here, you freaks!”
Pikemen leaped toward barely reachable striga, stabbing with their partisans.
“Kya—!”
“Kyaak—!”
Every time a silver-plated partisan grazed their thighs or soles, the striga screamed, and one by one they fell from exhaustion.
As dusk descended, the battle ended. Chasing the few striga that managed to escape took time, but they couldn’t escape the war dogs’ noses.
*
Eugene first commended Alzhar.
“Well done. Thanks to you, we eliminated them cleanly.”
“…”
Normally, Alzhar would have launched into “Your grace is too great!” and other dramatics. His silence immediately signaled something was wrong.
Munch munch.
Alzhar’s rolled-back eyes moved oddly. Not chanting spells—more like eating something.
“Lord Summoner?”
“Lord Alzhar. Are you alright?”
The knights guarding him were panicked, but Eugene and the summoners identified the cause.
“Has he been possessed by the Root Master?”
“It seems so, Your Majesty. Lord Alzhar isn’t someone who makes such mistakes…”
“The price of summoning such a powerful spirit.”
Munch munch.
Alzhar was synchronized with the tree roots. He was savoring the captured striga together.
“Hey, snap out of it.”
“Your Majesty! Stop!”
The summoners urgently restrained Eugene from shaking Alzhar’s shoulder.
“Single-cast spells and sustained spells are different. If you disturb a caster focused on an external spirit, his soul could leave his body.”
“That’s nothing to worry about.”
The summoners marveled at their king’s magical knowledge. They knew he had broader knowledge than typical monarchs, but to this extent?
However, what they witnessed moments later made that seem trivial. Eugene held Alzhar with his left arm while extending his right hand toward the root mass sealing the cave.
Grip.
And pulled.
“???”
“What is His Majesty doing?”
Soldiers watched Eugene’s fishing posture with confusion. But mages and summoners understood the gesture’s meaning and were horrified.
“Good heavens!”
They detected the thread of soul connecting to Alzhar’s body, and Eugene had grabbed it.
Alzhar’s soul, freed from the great tree roots, seemed confused in midair.
“Don’t wander. Come here. Your dwelling place awaits.”
Guided by Eugene, it swiftly returned and settled into his body.
“Kgahhhh!”
Alzhar’s eyes snapped open and he inhaled deeply, like someone who had been submerged in a swamp.
“Pant! Pant!”
“Are you conscious?”
“Y-your Majesty. What exactly happened to me?”
Catching his breath, Alzhar quickly deduced what had occurred.
“Did my incantation fail?”
“No. It was a great success. Thanks to you cutting off their retreat, we annihilated the striga. Isn’t that right, men?”
The knights responded enthusiastically immediately.
“As Your Majesty says. Lord Summoner must have slain the most striga.”
“Truly impressive golem. It crushed everything that came near—absolutely…”
Surprisingly, few magical arts were effective in direct combat. Most proved useful in non-combat situations or domestic affairs.
That was why battle mages who could provide direct support on the battlefield—like Valda, Marbas, Alzhar, and Ricardo—earned great respect from knights.
Alzhar’s career accumulated on the battlefield was something even Valda had to concede.
“Did everyone see that? His Majesty just…”
“She’s not just a goddess’s representative in name—he can truly guide souls.”
The knights’ admiration, however, paled compared to the shock the summoners received.
*
After that, it was the domain of those who wielded the arcane.
[No. I am hungry.]
“You’re too greedy. This should be sufficient compensation for your descent.”
Eugene bargained with the tree roots blocking the cave entrance. Even after throwing in all the striga corpses, the spirit showed no satisfaction.
“As summoner, I command you! Honor the contract! Move aside!”
[No. Hungry.]
“…”
Alzhar’s face flushed with shame. He’d summoned too powerful a spirit and was so exhausted he lacked the mana to maintain control.
Starting with Eugene and Ricardo, the village’s eminent mages took turns, but the spirit remained immovable.
“Great embodiment of decay and guardian against pestilence. We can offer nothing more. Please, for the sake of future encounters, yield the path.”
[…I shall comply with your will.]
But when Valda stepped forward, it was easily resolved.
[The past was better. Now I am displeased. No one tends to what lies beneath the soil. I missed the old blood.]
The Root Master hadn’t forgotten the friendship once shared with the elven royal house. That was the way of trees. They might let trivial matters pass between their roots, but what truly mattered was engraved like growth rings.
Light from the setting sun poured through the reopened cave entrance.
“Hurry. Before night falls, finish what needs to be done outside.”
Eugene went outside to fulfill summoner Ricardo’s oath.
“Here is good. It will stop creatures lurking near the sealed cave entrance.”
Soldiers set down the jar-like plants one by one. A path connecting the cave entrance with both sunlight and soil in proper measure.
The carnivorous plants, instantly grown, bloomed enormous flowers and trembled. The healthy natural energy they’d never tasted before plunged them into ecstasy.
Roots burrowed into nutrient-rich soil, wriggling continuously. Like someone who had lived as a cripple their entire life taking their first barefoot step on an earth path.
Shhhhhh—
Tchaaaa—
The carnivorous flowers opened their fearsome mouths wide with delight.
[Rich soil!]
[So soft! No matter how much I root, it endlessly accepts me!]
[The sun here… so wonderful… stronger than where we came from… younger… warmer…]
Ricardo translated their will to Eugene.
“Since they seem satisfied, that’s good. I wish you well. Swallow anything that comes here.”
[Thank you, little friend.]
Eugene waved to them and turned back.
He would soon place a magical seal on the cave entrance, but it wouldn’t last forever. The more pressure applied from outside, the weaker the sealing incantation would become.
But with carnivorous plants standing guard at the entrance, the sealing period could be greatly extended.
Whether human or not, useful allies were always better in greater numbers.