Chapter: 304
“Ugh, this body is such a mess…!”
After defeating the Witch of Lust and acquiring the Sacred Remnant, I desperately ran back the way I came to escape the massive centipede’s body.
The time I requested for the hunting party to hold on was 30 minutes.
However, the Witch of Lust’s abilities took much more time than I anticipated, which was a problem.
With my heart racing, I even considered blasting my way out with flames, but without knowing the outside situation, I couldn’t carry out that plan.
Looking at how the insides of the centipede were writhing even now, it seemed like a fierce battle was going on outside, and if the people got caught in my flames, that would be a disaster.
So ultimately, all I could do was run for my life, hoping that the promised 30 minutes hadn’t passed yet.
“An exit…!”
With all my strength, I soon spotted the mouth of the centipede that I had squeezed through earlier.
Even though my head was crushed, the mouth still had the strength to close, which meant the hole was almost blocked but still…
However, as I was nearing the exit, I couldn’t help but realize something.
“Why is it so quiet…?”
Since I was almost outside, I should have heard sounds of the hunting party battling the demonic beasts or confronting the centipede, but there was nothing of the sort.
Uneasy thoughts flooded into my mind.
Wait, am I late?
Did the squad have to retreat without me because I wouldn’t make it in time?
Having just confirmed that the insides of the centipede had calmed down after writhing violently just moments ago, it seemed very likely.
Oh no, I might have really been left behind.
I didn’t particularly resent the squad for leaving me behind.
If I were late, they couldn’t exactly wait for someone whose arrival was uncertain.
After all, it was also my own fault for wasting time being careless while fighting the Witch of Lust.
But it was still a big deal.
I felt my face go pale.
Since the insides of the centipede weren’t filling with water yet, it seemed that the outside wasn’t underwater, but if the hunting party retreated, that meant it would be soon.
The problem was,
“I can’t swim…!”
The issue was that I completely couldn’t swim.
Due to my family’s circumstances, I never had the chance to learn something like swimming.
What would happen if I were left alone at sea…
What should I do? I’ve heard that people float in water, but do witches float too?
They say during medieval witch hunts, if they threw someone in a lake and they sank, they were a witch, so wouldn’t that mean they don’t float?
I had no clue, but one thing was certain: I didn’t have the confidence to swim to the surface.
If this continues, I’ll turn into a water-element witch instead of a fire one…!
“I don’t want to…!!”
Fearing being left behind and drowning in the sea, I hastily exploded the centipede’s head with flames and escaped outside.
The moment I got out, what came into view was a dark cave landscape, and,
“……I’ll give you an answer when I safely return.”
“……Okay.”
For some reason, behind a massive pillar at the cave entrance, there was a strange atmosphere around Florene and Dwight, who were awkwardly stuck together.
Seeing the two of them, I involuntarily muttered.
“……What are you two doing?”
Why did they give off a vibe that made it seem like they were the last two people on Earth?
Still bewildered, I asked that question, but they looked even more confused.
“……Eh?”
It seemed they were more shocked than I was, staring at me in disbelief for a moment before they both shouted in a flurry.
“Eek?!!! It’s only just outside!!! Scarlet is out!!”
“What the heck…! Let’s escape, escape! Scarlet! Don’t just stand there, run outside quickly!!”
“Oh? Uh-oh…!”
The strange atmosphere from a moment ago vanished, and their expressions changed 180 degrees as they shouted.
Having never seen Dwight so frantic before, I instinctively sensed the urgency of the situation and ran toward the cave exit without thinking.
Just as I thought Florene and Dwight would follow me out, Florene shouted at the pillar she was holding onto.
“Wait! This thing is embedded in the ceiling, and if I let go, the cave is going to collapse…!”
Hearing that, I realized that what Florene was holding onto was not a pillar but her weapon.
It was probably called the “Girl Identification Device” or something.
A staff that grew larger the more pressure you applied.
It seemed she was using it to prop up the cave’s structure.
Upon hearing her words, Dwight shouted at me.
“Scarlet, did you bring the Sacred Remnant!”
“Um, it’s right here…!”
“As long as you have the Sacred Remnant, we’re good! It doesn’t matter if the cave collapses, just escape!”
At Dwight’s words, Florene replied with, “Okay!” and let go of her weapon, causing it to shrink instantly, which had been holding up the cave floor and ceiling.
At the same moment, we felt a strange tremor.
We sensed it was a precursor to the cave collapsing and fled out in a panic, with Dwight unexpectedly shouting at the Dolos family members near the entrance who looked flustered for some reason.
“It’s going to collapse! Run!”
“Ah, got it!”
Hearing Dwight’s words, the Dolos family members joined our group and ran to escape the cave.
And in that moment,
With a tremendous noise, the cave we had just entered fell apart.
But before I could even relish the relief at narrowly avoiding being buried alive, I screamed at the sight before me.
“What the heck is that!!!!”
The sea that Marin had split in half like the miracle of Moses.
That split sea was now being rushed toward us like a monstrous wave from both sides at terrifying speed.
If we got swept up in that, we wouldn’t even have bones left!!!
I screamed both inwardly and outwardly, frantically searching for a way to escape.
No matter where I looked, all I could see was the massive wall of water that was approaching.
But when I looked up,
“Scarlet!!!”
There, I spotted Ari and Sylvia’s starry sky flying toward us at breakneck speed.
However, unlike Ari, who had felt my energy and was flying toward me, Sylvia’s starry sky looked like it would be too late, no matter how I tried to reason.
To be precise, if she came down to us, she would surely be swept away by the oncoming sea.
So I shouted loudly to Sylvia.
“Sylvia!! Don’t come down, go up!!!”
“Uh…! Yes!!”
It seemed like Sylvia realized the danger too, as she didn’t hesitate to turn back and fly upward.
The problem was, right now, Ari’s form was a literal fireball, so she couldn’t carry anyone else here but me.
But it wasn’t like there had to be no way to bring everyone along.
I suddenly grabbed Ari’s legs as she flapped above me, urging her to hurry, and shouted at Florene.
“Florene! Grab my legs!! Everyone else, hold on to each other!”
Physical contact to keep each other from getting burned.
That was the best plan I could think of at that moment.
It was a crazy idea that if we lost our grip for even a second, we could die, but most of my companions were from the Dolos family, who all had great strength, so it was possible.
“Dwight! Since you’re weaker, cling to Florene’s back!”
“Ugh, given the situation, I can’t say no…! Pardon me, Florene!”
“Hehe, Florene is fine!”
The wizard, who was relatively weaker than others, clung to Florene’s back.
And so, ultimately, I held onto Ari’s legs, while Florene carried Dwight on her back, and we completed a comical arrangement where everyone held onto each other’s legs to survive.
But who cares about appearances when it’s a matter of survival?
“Everyone, hold on tight! Ari, let’s go!”
At my shout, Ari ascended toward the sky, pulling the human rope made of our bodies along with her.
“Uahhhh!!”
“Waaahhh!!”
The speed made those dangling below swing around and scream.
Each time they screamed, I felt like I would join them.
Even with a witch’s sturdy body, having seven people hanging onto my legs made my arms and legs feel like rubber bands stretching out.
But no pain could compare to the terror as the enormous wall of water loomed closer.
“Ari!! Up!!! Faster!!”
I urged Ari frantically, feeling the overwhelming presence of the wave that was approaching.
But there was no way to speed up when she was already at her limit.
The wall of water encroached on both sides.
The surroundings darkened.
The sea splashed up, and I could taste the saltwater in my mouth, but the wall of water stood significantly higher than us.
In that moment, I realized.
Oh no, this is bad.
We’re getting swept away.
Getting swept away.
Getting swept away!!!
“Ahhhhhh!!!”
“Waaahhhh!!!”
“Eek!!!!”
Everyone felt we were doomed and screamed, and just like that, the sea swallowed us whole.
.
.
.
At least that’s what I thought,
“……Huh?”
When I came to my senses, we were somehow on the surface.
Looking down, I saw the sea frozen in place, leaving only a tiny gap.
And glancing to the side, I saw Marin, looking pale and drained, collapsed like a rag doll on Sylvia’s flying spell above us.
She had stopped the sea just before it crashed upon us.
Thank you, I believed in you…!
Just as I was feeling emotional, suddenly,
Splash!!
The sea returned to normal, and the shockwave of the rushing water enveloped us.
“Eww! That’s salty!!!”
“Yuck!!!”
We were drenched in an instant, squeaking like wet mice, and bustling in a commotion about the seawater.
-■, ■■■■■■■!!!
-■■■■■■■!!!
But that commotion was nothing compared to the reactions of the Fury Beasts.
They squawked and trembled like they were doused in paint thinner, their silent screams were a sight to behold.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
At that moment, someone burst into laughter.
“Ehehe, hahaha!!”
“Haha!! Ugh, ugh…”
And that sparked everyone to eagerly join in the laughter.
I laughed too.
It just came out naturally.
The reason we all laughed was not only because the beasts’ reactions were hilarious, but likely for the same reason we shared.
As the laughter died down a bit, I set down everyone who had clung to my legs onto Sylvia’s starry sky and climbed onto Ari’s back.
And then, holding up the Sacred Remnant hanging from my neck, I said.
“Everyone, thanks to all your efforts, I was able to safely retrieve the Sacred Remnant. I also defeated the Witch of Lust. It’s great that we successfully completed our mission, but there’s even better news. Sylvia?”
At a nod from me, Sylvia responded.
“Yes. During the battle, some injuries occurred, and Marin overexerted herself and sustained significant internal injuries, but…”
As Sylvia was saying that, Marin, who had been resting her head on Sylvia’s knee, waved her hand to indicate she was fine.
Seeing that, Sylvia smiled and addressed everyone.
“There are no fatalities. You all worked hard.”
Cheers erupted from everywhere at the announcement of no deaths.
Until now, whenever something happened, we had always resolved it with someone’s sacrifice.
However,
The operation to hunt the Witch of Lust and reclaim the Sacred Remnant.
Seven injured.
No fatalities.
At that moment, we could purely celebrate our success without any sadness or mourning for the first time.
I felt happier than ever before.
