Kays Translations

Chapter 277: Lost on a Path of No Return

The moment they stepped into the forest, a shiver ran down their spines. This was the domain of nightmares, where humans should not tread. Despite being in an open area, it felt like they had entered a dungeon.

Covering their mouths with cloth, Lutz and the others ventured into the forest. They wanted to avoid inhaling the suspicious mushroom spores as much as possible.

“Will this really protect us…?” 

Josel said anxiously, and Gerhardt chuckled under the cloth as he replied.

“The human body is designed to expel foreign substances to some extent. And if the mushroom’s reproductive ability were abnormally strong, we would have turned into mushroom people long ago when we fought the giant orcs.”

“Well, that may be, but…”

“The important thing is to acquire the right knowledge and take the right actions without being overly afraid.” 

Gerhardt said firmly, and Josel seemed to regain his composure. Gerhardt himself didn’t have deep knowledge of those mushrooms, but he was probably trying to encourage his disciple in his own way.

“The villagers probably wouldn’t want to step into a place like this willingly, and I don’t think it goes that deep… Oh, could that be it?”

Lutz pointed ahead, where three mushrooms as tall as children were growing. At their base lay a mass of orc flesh, beaten by the youths and now mushy from being drained of nutrients by the mushrooms.

“We should burn it as soon as possible, but with this humidity, it won’t go well. Lutz, could you handle it?”

“I’ll give it a try.”

Responding to Gerhardt’s request, Lutz drew his beloved sword, kyouka suigetsu. This was a blade that could eliminate the flames of regeneration and the flames worn by monsters. It was worth trying to cut the parasitic mushrooms, even though he didn’t know what would happen.

He gripped the hilt tightly and steadied his breath. Ancient characters engraved on the blade of the sword glowed brightly. With this, he felt confident.

Once again, the trail of light was drawn three times. The mushroom, severed from the center, collapsed on the spot as if it had fast-forwarded ten years and decayed. The orc corpse also collapsed, turning into dry, dirty pieces of meat.

“Alright!”

While Gerhardt and Josel cheered, Lutz looked at his beloved sword, tilting his head in confusion.

When he had slashed the mushrooms before, he had been able to seal the unique regenerative ability of the orcs, but it couldn’t break free from the mushrooms’ control. But now, when he had cut the mushrooms themselves, they had crumbled as if evil spirits had escaped. What was the difference?

…Perhaps he had to clearly understand the opponent’s characteristics and decide what abilities to seal. When he had slashed the mushrooms before, he had a clear intention to destroy the parasitic mushrooms. Maybe that’s why the sword had responded. It seemed that it wasn’t as convenient as saying, “Lucky, the enemy weakened when I slashed it randomly.”

Lutz slowly raised his head from the blade and looked around, feeling the presence of a huge beast.

They couldn’t see anything yet, but it was definitely there. Gerhardt and Josel also looked around vigilantly, weapons at the ready.

Eventually, a huge shadow emerged silently from between the trees. It was a human-sized figure, larger than usual.

Perhaps due to being forcibly enlarged by parasitic mushrooms, its clothes were torn off, leaving it naked. The tattered remnants of its clothes clung to it here and there.

Its flesh bulged and stretched skin, about to burst at any moment. No, upon closer inspection, parts of its body were torn, revealing bare muscles. It might be more accurate to call it hypertrophy rather than gigantism.

Three huge figures crawled slowly towards them. They had lost all evidence to deny the worst-case scenario: these were the missing young people from the vanished village.

“Rraaah!”

With movements unimaginably swift for its appearance, the giant human extended its arm. Was it to crush Lutz and the others, or was it reaching out for help?

Either way, there was no way to save them.

Gerhardt, enduring intense pain, swung “Ittessu” and cut off the giant’s fingers.

Gerhardt kicked the finger that had fallen with a heavy thud, sending up a cloud of blood, and cried out.

“Kill it! That’s the only salvation!”

If there were a way to save them, such naive thoughts wouldn’t hold. They realized immediately upon seeing them. Even if they were freed from the control of the parasitic mushrooms, they didn’t seem to be able to live normally.

Three against three. Although they hadn’t discussed it in detail, each of them faced their opponent with weapons ready. One kill per person. Whining about not wanting to kill the pitiful villagers wouldn’t fly. They had come here prepared for everything, relying on their comrades.

The giant figure in front of Lutz opened its mouth wide and charged. The parasitized couldn’t speak; their jaws were covered in mycelium. Therefore, biting should be considered the most powerful attack.

Once bitten, it would likely be impossible to shake them off. And the fungus might spread through the wound, turning them into their comrades.

…This is no joke!

With a flash, Lutz dodged the giant’s charge and slashed its right ankle. He commanded the sword clearly: sever the mushroom’s control.

Bang! The flesh of the giant’s right ankle burst. The body, held together by the power of mycelium, couldn’t withstand it any longer.

“Guh, guhhhh!”

An indescribable moan of agony echoed through the forest. The pitiful eyes of the giant, turning its entire body around, pleaded for help.

Lutz shook his head slightly.

“I promise to defeat the mastermind behind this tragedy. That’s the least I can do.”

Swinging his sword like scooping, its tip deeply cleaved the giant’s throat. Blood gushed fiercely from the wound, along with mushy flesh and dissolved mycelium.

The giant, burying its face in the bloodied mess it had become, breathed its last.

Lutz tried to peek at its face, then quickly stopped himself. It would be selfish to wish for a peaceful expression. Regardless of the circumstances, he couldn’t save the suffering villagers; he had killed them. That was the reality. It was the karma he had to bear.

A sword is just a tool for killing. Without glorifying its purpose or holding it askew, accept it as it is. His late father’s teachings came back to him.

“…Now, I feel like I understand the meaning of those words a little better, Dad.”

He murmured as he wiped the blade of kyoka suigetsu and sheathed it.

The sword at his waist felt a bit heavier than usual.

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