Apostle of the Void

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 47: From the Red Mountain Range (11)

“Another Stonian up ahead!”

“Damn, it’s another adventurer!”

The living stone statue, the Stonian, was indeed a threatening enemy. If Arzen were alone, it would have been regrettably impossible to take on such numbers.

But if I cooperate with Ronnie, we can easily clear a path!

With Ronnie blasting holes using explosive rounds, the investigation proceeded smoothly. By dividing their tasks, Arzen and Ronnie could conserve their power and ammunition.

However, the deeper they descended, the colder the underground air became.

It’s not just the temperature.

There was a vibration of sorts. At first, it felt like a tremor, but when measured with Alpha Vision, it turned out to be sound.

It was an immensely powerful noise, reverberating from who knows how far away.

They had been hearing it for over half a day, yet they still hadn’t reached its source.

Despite this, the sound was growing louder, making Arzen feel as if he might go insane.

“This tunnel is unusually long,” Ronnie remarked.

Svena furrowed her brow. “It’s not just long; it’s too wide. It’s spacious enough for ten people to pass through at once... Why is it so wide? It’s too big for kobolds to use.”

The sense of dread drew closer. It was something one could definitely feel without amplifying their senses to the extreme.

Thud… Thud… Thud…!

That sound.

The noise of metal striking metal!

It echoed clearly, like the heartbeat of some monstrous creature.

“Shh! The tunnel is about to end!”

Arzen raised his finger to his lips.

Soon, the investigation team arrived at the mouth of the cave where the tunnel ended.

The sound that had been echoing through the passage was now booming fiercely directly ahead.

Arzen first sent the light of the Lamp of Prayer into the cavern.

The space was so vast that the light couldn’t reach everywhere, leaving parts shrouded in darkness.

In that immense area, Stonybolds were hammering away, but this was unlike any sound they had heard before.

Yes, the source of this ear-splitting noise is…!

Right in the middle of the cave, a giant was driving a massive stake into the ground with a colossal hammer.

That stake is at least five times the size of any I’ve seen so far… It’s not just the size of my forearm; it’s the size of my entire lower body!

Arzen swallowed hard.

He couldn't discern the identity of the behemoth driving in the stake.

But he certainly felt the tension coursing through him.

This sensation, akin to when I fought against powerful monsters during the era of the Divine Guillotine… a feeling where the very existence of life is threatened!

Svena spoke in a startled tone. “Trog…?”

Ronnie rushed to the front, leveling her firearm. “What’s a Trog?”

“It’s a failed creation that didn’t quite make it to troll status! I was hoping it was just a rumor when I saw the Stonians, but they really exist!”

“A troll? That troll?”

Trolls are one of the six major demon races. Each individual is a fearsome monster, typically ranked as 'B+' in danger level.

Arzen had never encountered a troll in person.

But the basilisk I saw in the *Draining Desert** was A-rank.*

Just being one rank lower indicates how formidable they are.

“How strong are they? Are they as strong as trolls?”

“No, they’re not even close to that! They’re probably only half as strong at best.”

“Then at least they’d be ranked ‘D+’!”

The adventurer guild categorizes monster danger levels into seven ranks from A to G.

Rank G is classified as 'Lowest Tier,' for which creatures in the steel and bronze ranks are typically responsible.

Rank F is considered 'Lower Tier,' mainly handled by mid-ranking bronze-level adventurers.

Starting from Rank E, monsters are categorized as 'Lower Mid Tier,' specialized for top-tier bronze and bottom-tier silver-level adventurers.

Rank D is 'Mid Tier,' setting the minimum requirement for participation in eradication at the silver level.

Rank C is 'Upper Mid Tier,' dealing with top-tier silver and bottom-tier gold-level monsters.

As indicated by the emergence of the top 1.16% gold-ranked adventurers, rewards significantly increase from this point onward.

Rank B is 'Upper Tier,' dedicated to gold-level specialists.

Rank A is 'Top Tier,' managed by high-ranking gold and platinum-level adventurers!

“That guy is making Stonians! We have to stop him!”

Svena exclaimed.

There were numerous Stonybolds gathered around the Trog.

They were placing stone-carved hearts into the corpses of adventurers from whom the Trog had extracted their hearts.

Then, they coated the adventurers’ bodies with monster crystals as if wrapping them in batter, giving birth to Stonians.

“Eeeeeek!”

The Stonybolds, exposed to the light, screamed in horror.

They were the ones applying mud to the adventurers' bodies while adding monster crystals.

Trog’s aversion to light is likely even worse than that of kobolds.

Even the successful trolls turn to stone when exposed to sunlight.

The Trog looked up at the Lamp of Prayer and let out a scream filled with hatred and rage, so intense that it could be felt in the cold sweat on its body.

“Ugh, ugh! I will… destroy everything! By the master’s command, I shall turn them all to stone!”

The Trog charged forward, dragging its hammer along the ground and shaking the earth beneath it.

On either side, the Stonybolds surged forward in a frenzied charge.

Arzen opened the Tome of the Void and commanded the void creatures.

“Formation! Stonybold eradication formation!”

Immediately, the void creatures lined up in three rows and unleashed a barrage of void energy.

In the chaos where brain matter was splattered, the void creatures and Ronnie’s iron bullets pierced through.

Those hit by the former writhed madly before collapsing, while those struck by the latter spun around and fell backward.

“This is never-ending!”

This time, Svena actively joined the battle.

“I summon the will of flame to unite! By my command as Svena, gather here! Velsalabor!”

Fire erupted before the advancing Stonybolds, breaking through the hail of void energy and gunfire.

“No matter how hardened they become, it seems they can’t withstand the heat of flames piercing through their thick skin! Ha!”

Svena shouted confidently.

The Stonybolds writhed in agony as they blackened and burned.

“Trog is coming! Reload!”

“To the front, Middle Guardians! La Tsi Qua!”

One Middle Guardian can unleash the power of two Greater Guardians.

The void creatures surged forth, becoming a maelstrom of void fog, swirling with the power to cast everything beyond the borders of oblivion.

Ten Middle Guardians used their own bodies as material, creating a vortex of devouring force.

“Grrrrraaaah!”

Direct hit…!

The storm of the void spun violently, beginning to gnaw at the entire body of its prey.

“It hurts! The Trog is terrifying! But the master's command is even scarier!”

However, the Trog’s body wasn’t merely covered in monster crystals like the Stonybolds or Stonians.

Insane!

Its entire physique was made of monster crystals!

This is madness!

The storm of the void only weathered the surface of its body like eroded stone.

It didn’t reach a fatal wound.

Arzen gritted his teeth in irritation.

Why do I keep running into these guys who have a bad matchup with the void creatures, like the Giant Slime? Is this supposed to be a stepping stone for growth?

The Trog raised its hammer menacingly.

Ronnie launched herself, rolling along the ground with Svena.

“Arzen, dodge!”

Dodge? Me?

Nonsense!

The only time this Arzen dodges is when a pile of poop is charging at me!

“Don’t underestimate me! How dare a pathetic failure like you, who can't even become a troll, act so high and mighty!”

This power is, unlike yours, a force for domination! It’s an overwhelming power that could elevate me to the Diamond rank!

Come closer within my range!

The void demon, Nightface, can pierce your heart from within range!

Just a little? A bit more?

No, not like this!

It’s reaching my limit!

If I push any further, I might just die in reverse!

“Come, Barolus!”

The demon that emerged from the void, bringing only a hollow light.

Its arm caught the hand of the being revealing its hatred towards the apostle… and twisted it, shattering it.

“Grrraaaah! It hurts! The Trog is hurt! My arm is broken!”

As the Trog’s wrist twisted and crushed, it rolled on the ground. The hammer crashed down, shaking the earth.

Success! This power that could shatter the inner walls of *Karshiko**! No matter how rocky the body is, it can’t withstand that!*

Nightface ranks among the highest echelon of void entities.

Usually, it’s just a glutton relying on its powers, but when it comes to this, it certainly earns its keep!

I tried to wait until I could aim for the heart or head, but that still seems difficult.

But that’s not a problem!

After a month of training, I can now freely use Evakta even after casting Barolus.

“**Evakta!**”

The tendrils of the void entwined around the Trog.

Lifting the void was impossible due to the load.

But it was certainly possible to bind its movements.

“You trash! A pathetic Trog that can’t even be a troll! Let’s see if I can twist you out! Where's your weakness!”

The vines of Evakta constricted around the Trog's body, twisting it painfully.

The stone began to crack slowly, revealing the soft muscles beneath.

Ronnie gasped.

“Ah! Being a bipedal life form means it must have softened areas at the joints! That’s impressive!”

Taking a deep breath, Ronnie pulled out two clips from both the black and blue belts.

The black ones were Pargap rounds. The blue ones were Frost bullets. In other words, she was loading cooling rounds.

Four pistols all loaded!

With a lively leap, Ronnie aimed for the exposed weakness of the Trog and unleashed a barrage of bullets from the air.

The first to fire was the Pargap round.

The bullet struck the Trog’s soft tissue, shattering the rocky parts and widening the hole for further penetration.

Ronnie let go of the pistols.

As they hung from the steam core’s rubber hose in midair, she pulled out the third and fourth pistols from the holster and fired again.

“Grrraaaah! It hurts! Master, the Trog is in pain!”

The Trog screamed in agony.

This was to be expected.

As soon as the bullet pierced the skin, a cooling phenomenon occurred inside.

“Ice has the same mass as water but a greater volume! You’ve essentially created material inside your body out of nowhere!”

The ice began to expand.

At that moment, Arzen manipulated the movement of Evakta with his hands.

By covering the area where the bullets had penetrated, he ensured that the ice couldn't escape and instead burrowed deeper into the Trog's body.

“Ugh! Ugh! Grrrrraaaah!”

The Trog screamed in agony, flailing its arms wildly to grab Arzen and Ronnie.

Dirt erupted around Arzen as the creature’s body became a wreck and rolled on the ground.

Svena rushed in, shouting urgently.

“Arzen!”

However, since the previous blow hadn’t been a direct hit, Arzen quickly stood up, covered in dirt.

“That pathetic Trog’s attack landed at my feet! I’m fine!”

Even amidst all this, Arzen did not let go of his grasp.

It was all to maintain the binding power of Evakta.

His efforts paid off as the Trog twitched in pain throughout its body.

Soon after, it shattered into dozens of stone fragments and chunks of flesh, scattering in all directions.

“Ronnie, come back!”

As Ronnie landed with acrobatic grace, Svena quickly cast a protective barrier.

It was just large enough for the three of them to fit inside.

However, the principle of the barrier meant that the wider it was, the thinner it became, and the narrower it was, the thicker it grew.

That barrier safely protected all three amidst the storm of flying rocks.

* * *

“There are no life signs.”

Ronnie reported after scanning the interior of the chamber with her Alpha Vision.

Only then did Svena exhale deeply and lower the barrier.

“You guys are amazing! Especially you, Arzen, your performance was incredible. I can see why the master nominated you!”

Ronnie said to Arzen, twirling her pistol before holstering it.

“Arzen, why are you Steel rank? I’ve heard about Summoners, and their summons seem much weaker than you.”

“Hmm… I’m just humble. I didn’t want to stand above others… until now.”

“That's impressive! Such a noble mindset! Truly befitting someone who performs miracles!”

Isn't she a bit too easy? How did she manage to become Silver rank in this kingdom of beasts?

“What should we do now, Svena?”

“We need to take this back. So, what’s next?”

“Well, I wanted to pull it out, but it doesn’t budge at all.”

“That’s expected. The guy who was hammering it in with that unrealistically large hammer, there's no way the three of us can pull it out…”

“?”

“Well, if an adventurer capable of handling a powerful summon were to lend a hand… we might be able to pull it out.”

At Svena’s gesture, Arzen pretended to roll on the ground.

“Gah! My insides! My insides hurt!”

“Oh, I know it doesn’t hurt. If it does, I’ll heal you.”

“That’s true, but if you use it now, it’ll definitely hurt! Do you know how awful it feels to vomit blood? I need to rest.”

“How long?”

“This one is the strongest among my summons… so I need to sleep at least four hours. Otherwise, I’ll faint.”

He had already used a full course of Void Miracles, from Kaz tu Arcturus to La Tsi Qua, Barolus, and Evakta.

Though he felt proud to have used them all as a measure of his growth, he had certainly come to realize his limits during that process.

If I use Barolus now, I’ll surely summon a demon with a ridiculously low chance!

Even if he managed to summon one, he would undoubtedly suffer from hemoptysis and congestion.

“Hmm.”

Svena nodded.

“Then I guess we have no choice but to rest here for about five hours.”

“Ugh.”

“And we’ll pull this out and head up to the surface. If I take this back as my first task right after being appointed Witch, my reputation will skyrocket!”

Arzen swallowed his tears.

The life of an adventurer is harsh.

The client's demands are even harsher.

“Ronnie, you follow me. While he’s resting, I need to investigate this chamber a bit. Let’s recover the adventurer badges.”

As Ronnie hurried after Svena, Arzen grinned.

It’s not like he was sneaking or cheating.

The body of the Worker Bee that had settled on his shoulder was undergoing a transformation.

Indeed, by defeating the Trog, Arzen had obtained the third Universal Key.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]