Chapter 13 — The Ancient Monster
Early the next morning, the expedition party gathered outside the city gates. Lain silently counted the people present—there were no fewer than fifty. Most were adventurers and mercenaries drawn by the bounty, though their equipment varied wildly in quality.
Leo rode at the very front on a white horse, his armor gleaming as he held his twin swords with practiced confidence. Elily followed behind, her boots kicking up dust as she hurried to keep pace, a foolishly proud smile plastered on her face.
Lain and Kraft stayed near the rear of the group, walking side by side.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Kraft said suddenly.
"Relax," Lain replied with a faint smile. "No matter what comes out, you could probably handle it with one punch."
Kraft snorted.
With a hero from the ancient era around, even if Mahart appeared, it would likely choose to avoid them.
After roughly three hours of marching, the terrain gradually rose and vegetation thinned. Ahead, half-buried beneath rubble and collapsed stone, an ancient stone gate emerged. The surface of the gate was covered in complex runes, faintly emitting an ominous aura.
"This is it," Leo said as he dismounted, drawing his twin swords. "Everyone stay close. Move out!"
"Charge!"
The group cheered and rushed forward.
Kraft paused briefly at the entrance, his fingers brushing across the cracked carvings. His expression darkened. "This is an ancient seal that was forcibly broken. Whatever is inside has likely been starving for a long time."
"Unfortunately, some people didn't investigate properly and instead rushed in to feed it," Lain replied calmly as he stepped inside.
At first, the interior of the ruins was relatively flat. They advanced through wide stone corridors lined with crumbling gargoyle statues—bull-headed creatures with bat wings frozen in snarling poses. The air was thick with dust and silence.
Then, a scream suddenly rang out ahead.
It was sharp and desperate, followed by the chilling sound of bones breaking and something wet striking the stone walls.
"What's going on?!"
"There's something up there!"
The formation instantly fell into chaos.
"Don't panic!" Leo shouted, raising his sword, though his voice trembled slightly. "Hold formation! Where's the vanguard?!"
Before anyone could respond, a cold gust swept through the corridor, extinguishing every torch at once. Darkness swallowed the ruin.
In the pitch-black silence, a pair of crimson eyes lit up.
By the faint glow of the magic stone embedded in Leo's sword, the creature was finally revealed. It was a massive spider monster. Its upper body was that of a beautiful woman, while its lower half was a giant, hairy spider's body. Its limbs scraped against the stone floor, producing a horrifying sound.
"Knesos!" someone screamed. "An ancient monster from the old records—it actually exists!"
"Run! Run!"
No one knew who shouted first, but panic erupted instantly. Adventurers dropped their weapons and shoved one another as they fled toward the exit.
Leo ran the fastest. Without hesitation, he pushed others aside, stumbling and rolling as he rushed back the way they came.
"Lord Leo…?" Elily stared blankly at the fleeing figure, her admiration collapsing in an instant.
"Hiss—"
Knesos let out a shrill screech. Thick white silk shot out, instantly binding several unlucky adventurers. With a violent tug, their screams were cut short.
The monster's gaze then locked onto Elily.
Frozen in place, she couldn't move, couldn't even draw her sword. This was nothing like the Red Dragon. This was real terror.
"It's over…"
She shut her eyes tightly.
Clang!
The sound of metal colliding rang out. A powerful shockwave brushed past her face.
Elily opened her eyes trembling.
A familiar figure stood in front of her, twin swords crossed.
It was Lain.
With both hands gripping his swords, he firmly blocked the massive spider leg in mid-air. The impact sent a dull shock through the stone floor, yet his stance did not waver in the slightest.
"L-Lain…?" Elily's mind went blank, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
"Don't space out," Lain said without turning his head. "Fall back."
Only then did Elily snap out of it. She stumbled backward several steps, nearly tripping over her own feet before putting distance between herself and the monster.
"I never thought I'd actually see something like this," Kraft said as he emerged from the shadows, rolling his shoulders and flexing his wrists. "An ancient monster straight out of the old records. Lain, you taking this one, or should I?"
"Split it," Lain replied flatly.
The next instant, silver light flashed.
With a flick of his wrist, the twin blades traced clean arcs through the darkness.
Ssshhh!
Two of the Arachne's front legs were severed at the joints. Green, viscous blood sprayed across the stone floor as the monster let out a shrill, ear-piercing scream. Its massive body lost balance and crashed sideways, shaking the entire ruin.
Before it could even struggle upright, Kraft was already in motion. He leapt onto its back and drove a fist straight down.
Boom!
A thunderous impact echoed through the chamber. Cracks spread across the stone floor as the Arachne's body was smashed flat, its movements instantly ceasing.
"Done," Kraft said casually, shaking his hand.
Lain slid his swords back into their sheaths. From start to finish, the entire fight had lasted less than ten seconds.
He turned toward Elily and extended a hand. "Can you still walk?"
Elily stared at his hand for a moment, sniffed, then grabbed it tightly. "Yes!"
She pulled herself up, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. The fear on her face quickly faded, replaced by excitement.
"I knew it!" she suddenly shouted. "I knew my instincts were right! You really are incredible warriors!"
Lain and Kraft exchanged a glance, then both laughed.
She recovered fast—too fast, if anything.
"Let's go," Lain said. "Time to head back."
The three of them left the ruins together.
Outside, sunlight poured down harshly, almost blinding after the darkness within. Leo and the remaining adventurers were still gathered near the entrance, their faces pale, clothes covered in dust. No one dared look back inside.
"Lain, that move just now was amazing! Teach me!" she chirped excitedly.
"No."
"You're so stingy! Then I'll teach you my ultimate technique!"
"Not interested."
"Uncle Kraft! That punch was awesome!"
"Call me Big Brother, I'm not that old."
They walked straight through the crowd without stopping, leaving the murmurs behind them.
…
In the 29th year of the New Calendar, Lain and his companions arrived at Tour Town.
The town was eerily quiet. Most shops were shuttered, and only a handful of blacksmith forges still glowed faintly in the cold air. Elily buried her face deep into her scarf, leaving only her eyes exposed as she muttered, "Why is it even colder here than our village? And where's the barbecue? All I smell is horse manure."
"In frontier towns like this, supplies go to the military first," Kraft said as he walked ahead, his monk's robe billowing in the wind. "If civilians can eat at all, they're already lucky."
Just then, raised voices echoed from the street corner.
"How many times do I have to say it? Supplies go to the front-line expedition first!"
The voice was commanding, sharp, and carried an undeniable authority. Lain glanced over and saw several heavily armored soldiers surrounding a caravan manager who looked close to tears.
At their center stood a man who was impossible to ignore. His silver hair was unkempt, a grotesque scar ran across his face, and his piercing eyes were sharper than any blade.
"Whoa…" Elily shrank behind Lain and peeked out. "That guy looks like a villain."
Lain narrowed his eyes. "That's Wirbel. Captain of the Northern Magic Corps. Rank two—no, first-rank mage."
"What?!" Elily whispered. "That face looks more like a bandit leader!"
The so-called bandit leader noticed their gaze and turned toward them. Elily immediately ducked her head.
After giving his subordinates a brief order, Wirbel walked over. "Long time no see. Last time was the Magic Association in the Magic City, right?" His gaze lingered on Lain. "Your fight against your clone in the Ruined King's Tomb left quite an impression."
"I've heard plenty about your reputation as well," Lain replied lightly.
"Weren't you traveling with Frieren?" Wirbel asked.
"We split up midway. Different destinations," Lain said. "What's going on here?"
"A demon general appeared near Casey Village. Several villages were wiped out. We're investigating," Wirbel said, rubbing his temple.
At that moment, a short-haired, flax-colored girl in a light mage robe approached. She wore round glasses and carried herself with calm precision. "Wirbel, we should move."
"Nero, take the others ahead," Wirbel said, then glanced at Elily. "Hm? Is this your little sister?"
Elily exploded. She jumped out from behind Lain and pointed straight at Wirbel's nose. "Little girl?! I'm Elily, the hero who scared off the Red Dragon! Don't underestimate me, you scary-faced old man!"
"Scared off the Red Dragon?" Wirbel froze, then burst out laughing. "You've got quite the imagination, brat."
"You—!"
"Enough," Lain said, placing a hand on Elily's head and gently pressing her back. He then looked at Wirbel. "If there's really a demon general involved, you alone won't be enough."
Wirbel's expression sobered. "There aren't any spare first-rank mages. I'm only here to investigate. If I can't handle it, I'll withdraw."
"What do you know about it?" Lain asked.
"It calls itself Thousand-Spear Retorias," Wirbel replied.
"A spear-type magic specialist," Nero added calmly. "Multiple villages destroyed."
"That's troublesome," Lain muttered. This demon didn't exist in his memory.
"It's late. We're moving out," Wirbel said, waving as he turned away.
Kraft watched him leave and nodded. "A real warrior. That kind of bloodlust only comes from surviving mountains of corpses."
"Let's find an inn," Lain said quietly, turning away.