Chapter 60: Forest Wave Interlude (2): Crystal Beasts

There were a few monsters here and there,
but not many—and nothing particularly dangerous.

“Where exactly is the Forbidden Land?” 

Bid suddenly asked.

“It’s a ruin at the far left edge of the Great Heizen Forest,” 

Galad replied.

“A ruin?”

“Yeah. It’s like an old city, and there’s a temple there.”
“…So the dungeon anomaly is in that temple.”
“That’s right.”
“A spider?”
“…A large one. White body with black mottled patterns. Its threads are troublesome—sticky, and once you’re caught, you can’t move. Despite its size, it’s fast. Its body is tough. And don’t look into its six red eyes—it has an evil-eye type relic.”
“Ugh, an evil-eye type?”
“It only immobilizes you for a few seconds, but against that spider, that’s fatal.”
“…Those threads…”
“Yeah.”
“Sounds like a tough opponent.”

Definitely troublesome.

Nabel muttered:

“Actually, during the First Wave, I saw a small spider that looked similar.”

I see.

Galad frowned.

“…That might be one of its minions.”
“Spiders do tend to swarm…”

That’s true. Spiders come in huge numbers.

Or maybe that was its form before becoming a dungeon anomaly.

A dungeon anomaly is basically an error in a dungeon—it might have mutated and grown into that massive form.

There were many possibilities, but first, we needed to reach the Forbidden Land.

“By the way, how far ahead has ‘Torquetum’ gone?”

We couldn’t see them.
We were supposed to meet at an abandoned subjugation village ahead.

…Hm? Red dots.

[Danger Detection] reacted—monsters approaching from ahead.

“Enemies incoming. Three of them.”

Everyone readied their weapons.

Bid assembled the folding spear at her waist.

“You’re using that?”
“Might as well.”

Her weapon was a trident.

Though silver, it shimmered with a metallic blue hue.

Its three prongs were uneven—left longest, center medium, right shortest.
Between them were black orbs embedded.

Nabel readied the Wolfeg Blade.
Hoss held a halberd.

As for me… right, I’ll use these.

First, I gripped a knife with a shimmering blue blade—Agaro’s Modified Knife Mk.3.

Liv had upgraded it further.
Its surface reflected red and green depending on the angle.

Then I took out another weapon— a white rectangular rod with blue, red, and black lines.

It looked like just a block, but it was real—a knife granted by the Goddess of Knives.

The enemies weren’t visible yet.

Meanwhile, Bid removed the right-side black orb from her spear
and placed it slightly ahead to the right.

Then the center orb—placed forward.
Then the left orb—placed to the left.

“What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.”

“Enemies in sight!”

Nabel’s voice rang out.

A crystal-covered bear, wolf, and mantis appeared.

“Crystal Beasts,” 

Galad said.

His greatsword ignited with flames—the heirloom blade of the Jinryu family.

Crystal Beasts… defeat them, and they drop random crystals.

Wait—does a mantis count as a “beast”?

“I’ll take the bear with Hoss.”
“Got it.”
“Nabel and the girl take the wolf.”
“Roger.”
“Understood.”

That left the mantis to me.

“I’ll handle the mantis.”
“…By the way, Galad—does a mantis really count as a beast?”
“…It does.”
“…Got it.”

Apparently, mantises are beasts.

“Alright, let’s go—”
“Wait!” 

Bid stopped us.

“What now?”
“I’ll pin them down with this spear—Palestesia.”
“Pale—what?”
“Just watch.”

She stepped forward alone.

The Crystal Beasts noticed and prepared to attack.

At the perfect distance, she stopped.

The moment they charged—

“Take this!”

She thrust into empty air.

The spearhead detached and launched forward—
splitting and scattering into multiple projectiles.

They struck the beasts—but only caused minor wounds.

However—

thin wire-like threads extended from the tips,
connected to the black orbs placed around them.

“Restriction Relic—Palestesia’s Miniature Garden!”

She struck the ground with the butt of her spear.

Instantly—

electric currents surged through the wires,
binding the Crystal Beasts between the spearheads and orbs.

“Now!”

We charged.

Galad roared and split the crystal bear’s skull.
Hoss followed, driving his glowing halberd into its abdomen.

That white glow— the same soul power Ens had shown before.

When did he learn that?

“Iaido!”

Nabel struck the wolf—too shallow.

But calmly, he struck again— this time, severing its head.

We defeated all three.

Bid released the relic.

Galad spoke while harvesting materials:

“Nabel, your step isn’t deep enough. Step in further.”
“Y-yes!”
“He’s got talent.”
“He’s got potential.”

“Blue-Red Crystal.”
“This one’s Red-Green.”
“Mine too—Red-Green.”

I held up the crystal from the mantis.

At some point, I had already killed it.

While Galad struck the bear, I had cut the mantis apart.

Agaro’s knife was terrifyingly sharp—
it sliced clean through its body and scythe arms.

As for the other knife, I quietly put it away earlier.

Next time.

“As expected of you, Wof!”

Nabel looked at me with sparkling admiration, his wolf ears twitching, tail wagging.

He’s older than me, but… I kind of want to pat his head.

“Here—you need these, right?”

Galad handed me a crystal.
Nabel gave me his too.

“Are you sure?”
“You need them for the anomaly hunt.”
“Thank you.”

I checked my pouch:

• Red Crystals: 5
• Blue-Red Crystals: 6
• Red-Green Crystals: 7

…That’s more than I expected.

Just one more Red Crystal, and I’ll have enough for all uses.

“Still… at this rate, the Second Wave might be Crystal Beasts.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Reports say this year’s First Wave was unusually strong. Probably because of the dungeon anomaly. If we don’t deal with it soon, Heizen is in real danger.”

“I’m also worried about Ruma… Will defeating it really lift the curse?”
“Yeah… it will. And we’ve got a backup plan.”

The hunt for the “Marked One”…

If defeated, it would yield a relic that can erase relics.

We could only hope it works.

Deep within the Great Heizen Forest—

Araya of the Gouro Subjugation Unit collapsed, coughing blood.

Around her lay elite fighters and Kuhn Hunt members.

Ahead stood a beast with a massive X-shaped wound across its side—
the “Marked One.”

But it too was gravely injured.

Several legs of a massive white spider—covered in black patterns—pierced its body.

From the spider’s head grew the upper body of a woman, holding a white sword.

Her pale body and long mottled hair,
her drooping red eyes and beauty mark—

she was eerily beautiful.

A dungeon anomaly.

Even the spider wasn’t unscathed—
several legs torn off, eyes crushed, body partially eaten.

“…I came… this far…”

The woman muttered, looking at her sword.

“…Am I… the only one left…?”

The anomaly had fully taken over its vessel.

It was now controlled by one of the daughters of the Sword Goddess—Guene.

She had parted ways with Laada and the others—
even clashing with Laada and fleeing after losing.

She entered Heizen Forest seeking power—

her target: the “Marked One.”

If she killed it, she could obtain a relic that erases relics.

With that, she could survive anywhere.

By chance, she gained enough power to challenge it—
using the unstable vessel of a dungeon anomaly.

But then the subjugators interfered—

and it became a three-way battle.

“…We’ll die together…”

The Marked One was dying.
So was Guene’s vessel.

No matter who died first—both would fall.

There would be no winner.

The Marked One moved— biting into the woman’s upper body.

At that moment—the spider’s legs pierced deep into the Marked One.

Both died.

The white sword—Guene—fell into the creature’s mouth,
piercing not its heart, but its core—its soul vessel.

Silence followed.

Then—

small white spiders with black patterns gathered.

With four red eyes, they looked up at the corpses—
and began spraying threads.

Then silence again.

And something began to pulse.

Thump. Thump. Thump.