The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 39

SPEAR MASTER AND THE BLACK CAT CHAPTER 39

Thirty-Ninth Episode~ Item Box

“-Chi, that “rotting Dwarf” is still alive…well then, I’ll return soon . ”

Kuna says so in a high-pitched voice and goes to lock the prison but when she extends her arm- I instantly move .

Activating that <skill> I store mana in both of my arms .

Fuuun, I forcibly break the black shackles binding my wrists .

A dull sound echoes-ite .

Because I broke it forcibly, some of the skin around is torn and I am bleeding .

Ma, since the wound heals immediately it does not matter .

I release Rollo’s feet .

In the small gaps on the black constraints, I store mana in my fingers and am careful to not hurt Rollo when I free her .

Kuna leaks a “eh” voice when my arms become free .

The key Kuna was holding falls to the floor .

With an expression of shock her body rises into the air as she lets out a small groan .

This happens because I activated the <Magic Thought Guidance Hand> skill .

With the <Distorted Mana Hand> I grasp Kuna’s body to crush her .

Her scaled arms twist in the vice and she bends into the く character .

The sound of an apple being crushed and an abnormal noise of meat being ground up echoes .

“H-how, u… gu-gatsu . ”

Kuna’s tail hanging between her legs draws an arch as she mutters in pain, the tip extends out to my face .

I grab the tail with one hand and stop it .

-Surprising .

Even though I crushed her chest to pieces she still counter attacked…

This stubbornness . As expected of a demonic being .

Moreover, there is a needle at the tip of the tail with a liquid dripping out .

Oi, this is poison .

“Y-you…”

“Kuna-san, it’s regrettable . I will return the favor from before . How about I tease you a little and then kill you?”

I strengthen the grip of the “distorted mana hand . ”

I squeeze tighter .

“Gahha . ”

The demonic being Kuna vomits purple blood from her mouth and her purple face is trembling .

I break Kuna’s needle tail and forcibly pull it .

“Gyaa!”

“Noisy . ”

Oh, yeah, does she have a soul?

I manipulate the <Magic Thought Guidance Hand> and bring the bloodly body of Kuna right in front of me .

I bring her face close so that Kuna’s eye bordered in black and purple meet mine .

I see her eyes clearly .

“Kuna…you tricked me . However, I did the same thing to you . I’m not human either . ”

Kuna’s eyes dilate at my words .

“Didn’t you say ‘tooo baaaad’ to me?”

With a wicked smile, I give Kuna her last words .

Immediately I bury my face in the purple scruff of the transformed Kuna, and suck her blood .

Light begins to flow because of “soul sucking . ”

I taste her soul . I unconsciously tremble with excitement at the exhilarating feeling .

That moment, Kuna the demonic being suddenly dries up .

Furthermore, large ten centimeter insects fall out of her upper body .

What? Did insects live inside Kuna’s neck?

The accessories Kuna wore fall to the ground with a metallic sound along with the insects and corpse .

The sound echoes .

Did that monster called a Godo come out?

…However, its figure does not appear .

The metallic sound does not seem to reach outside the prison .

I do not have my favorite black spear so I am slightly uneasy .

Ma, I can only fight if it comes .

First, I should check the items Kuna wore .

I stoop down to the floor after treading on the insect husks strewn about .

I will start with her rings .

Three rings fell to the floor .

I can tell the rings are special because how they’re designed .

The rings that produced the light spheres is the triangular triforce .

I try it out and I try to put it on, but…

It is only big enough to fit on the tip of my ring finger…

Ma, I’ll force it on . Next is this bracelet .

The small sun-like crest symbol has a small depression in it .

I touch the crest symbol .

It does not react . I may need to equip it .

Saying that, I put it on my wrist . I reject my left wrist since that is where the chain ejects from .

So, I place it on my right wrist .

I place the bracelet on my right wrist .

Then, the metal bracelet suddenly tightens to fit my wrist .

Oo, its movements surpass shape memory alloy .

I touch the surface . There is still no reaction .

Kuna uttered a word while touching the surface with the opposite hand .

I will imitate her .

“Open . ” (TL: Open is English . )

Uo, nearly instantly there is a reaction .

My left hand is drawn in . and a window appears from the sun disk .

The light green rhombus ◆ window, has a humanoid model, storage, and menus with that mark icon are displayed .

While looking under the character menus, the item column is displayed .

Various items are stored inside so I need to take some time to inspect this .

“Oooii, someone out there?”

While I was checking the items, I hear a deep voice from a neighboring prison cell .

He spoke out earlier .

I am interested in who is talking so I will go look .

I close the item bock, and head to the cell the voice is coming from after I pick the fallen key ring .

In the cell is a stagnating pool of shining fluorescent water .

The surface of the water is reflected on the ceiling, creating mysterious designs .

“I’m here, I’m the person who was going to go next to you . ”

“What!? You were able to get out? Help me!”

“Leaving that aside, why are you imprisoned? Except…why is your room flooded with the oddly colored water?”

I hear a *basha* sound of slapping the surface of the water .

“Mm, that, question . Please take me from here! I am Henkai son of Richa of the Bundando clan of Langur Kingdom . My body may be like this, but I was called the Silken Commander Henkai . If you release me I will swear loyalty to you!”

Langur Kingdom, loyalty?

Saying strange things…like Silken Commander, I do not understand .

It is like the nuanced of a warring age, but…

“I don’t need your loyalty . I will help you even if you don’t say such a thing?”

“W-what, understand . Thank you . So, please . Help me!”

I cannot see his face from here, but since he is giving off the feeling of being driven into a corner I might as well help .

“Now then . I will help you, Henkai . Wait a moment . ”

“Oooh, thank you . ”

I fumble through the keys I took from Kuna while trying to find the one for the cell .

After trying several keys, a key finally slides in with a click .

Bingo . (TL: English)

I open the heavy iron door and enter the prison cell .

“Oi, is it safe to touch the pool of fluorescent water?”

“It’s fine . I’m fine as long as I don’t drink it . This is the extracted magic essence that has begun to mix with the magic jewels in the earth . I will get power if I drink it…but I will also suffer from magic essence poisoning…”

“Gu…”

The extract reacts to the words immediately and begins to spread .

To begin with, what are the magic jewels in the earth?

“Please remove this collar first . ”

Then, I look at the owner of the deep voice for the first time .

Are, he is very round…

That, his head is shaped like an onion .

The onion oyaji moves his neck and nods his head up and down .

His hair is long and unkempt…

A huge iron chain is binding his neck to the wall and his upper body is completely soaked in the fluorescent pool .

It looks painful . I must help him .

“…Got it, I’ll remove it . ”

“Nya . ”

Rollo reacts to the strange glowing pool .

She goes to swipe at the surface of the water .

“Rollo, don’t play with this water, touching it is dangerous . ”

Rollo approaches Henkai the onion head who is sunk into the pool .

It cannot be helped; I need to enter the pool .

There is a key hole on the right and left of the iron collar around Henkai’s neck so I search through the key ring for the right one .

The key that opened the prison does not work .

I try several keys until I find the right one .

Opening the lock with the key, I remove the huge chain .

“…Sorry . Will you also release my hand?”

“Yeah . wait a sec . ”

I look at Henkai’s arms soaking in the pool .

The black tubes on both arms, no, the tentacle-like pipe extends into the pool and seem to be connect to the bottom .

As I look, something like a magic formation seems to be drawn on the bottom .

Steel restraints are binding both of Henkai’s hands .

This is strange .

This is a magic tool but it looks like a machine .

The pipe connected to the arms is torn in several places and fluorescent liquid is leaking from it . The steel handprint is firmly fixed to the floor .

The floor-

“What is it? Light?”

A part of the steel handprints restricting Henkai’s hands is shining .

The mysterious fluorescent liquid continues leaking from the black pipe .

It is not blood, this fluorescent color?

It seems like the magic formation connected to the steel handprint is absorbing Henkai’s magic essence .

The magic essence being absorbed from Henkai is what I saw flowing through the labyrinth .

While wondering, I insert the key and into the steel handprint covering his wrists and remove the shackles .

Furthermore, I pull out all the black pipes leading to his arms .

Uou, light .

I am surprised when I take out both of Henkai’s hands .

On the back of his hand is a geometric pattern with an octagonal jewel in the center of the design .

The jewel emits a yellow light .

With his hands freed, Henkai opens his dried lips .

“…This light . Isn’t it strange? That’s right . A magic jewel of the earth is imbedded in both my arms and stomach . This binding gauntlet is a special magic tool . The magic jewel reacts and absorbs magic essence so I was considered nourishment for the labyrinth…”

Continuously, Henkai looks at his palms while flexing his fingers, saying “At any rate, it has been so long since I have seen my hands…”

“My abdomen and feet are also bound . ”

There is another iron plate with a magic formation winding around Henkai’s abdomen so I remove it .

“I will also unlock both of your feet . ”

“Ooh, sorry . I am indebted-!?”

Henkai tries to stand up immediately and falls over .

“-Oi, don’t push yourself . ”

I lend him my shoulder and pick him up from the edge of the pool .

I am surprised again when I see Henkai .

A dark gray jewel is imbedded in his abdomen, different from the shining light yellow jewels in his arms .

It is just below the navel .

Around the dark gray jewel, a geometric pattern like an electric circuit is cut into his skin with black lines, spreading up to his chest .

This is not normal by any standard .

This dwarf…

The light of the jewel in his abdomen has lost its light while the jewels connected to his arms are shining .

Totally abnormal .

Henkai begins to explain weakly while I look at the dark gray jewel .

“…It seems the power of the jewel was completely absorbed . ”

He mentioned it early, but the power of the jewel?

…I will ask about it .

“What is it? That jewel?”

“Have you heard of the mysterious secret art of enchanting?”

“I have heard of enchanting, but at least…I have not seen a jewel connect to the hands and abdomen . This is a first . ”

“Is that so…”

With a sinking face Henkai hangs his head .

Aah, crap . This guy is completely exhausted…

Judging from Henkai’s appearance he has completely run out of stamina .

I touch the bracelet with the sun symbol and say “Open . ”

An item column is displayed and I immediately select the intermediate recovery potion from the list .

From the window the recovery potion bottle slowly appears .

“Drink this to recover . ”

“Ooh, thanks . Then…”

Henkai quickly drinks it .

His haggard face is instantly restored .

The wounds in his arms fade and his build suddenly changes .

His muscles seem to have increased by an increment .

Oh, the Dwarf appearance has become slightly bigger, although the onion head and thick eyebrows do not change .

About the same as Zaga and Bon in Hector but slightly big for a Dwarf, as expected they are from the same race .

He is larger than Loirr from underground .

“However, that high-class recovery potion, and to have such a valuable item box…are you a high ranked adventurer from labyrinth city? Or are you a noble of some kingdom?”

“Nyaa . ”

Then, Rollo looks at Henkai’s face to greet him .

“Nuo, a cat?”

“Aah, this fellow is something like my familiar . Her name is Rollodinu . ”

Henkai seems weak to cats and his face is drawn .

“Is, is that so . And what is your name?”

“I am Shuya Kagari . You can call me either Shuya or Kagari as you like . ”

“After all, you’re a noble . Then, Shuya . Thank you . ”

“There’s no need for etiquette…besides, I’m just an adventurer, not a noble . I got the item box from a human that transformed into a demonic being after I killed them . ”

When he hears me a single eyebrow twitches on Henkai’s face .

“Oi, that one who transformed themselves . Did you kill the Kushanan?”

He seems to know of it .

“…Yeah, I killed it . ”

“-Is that so . I wanted to kill them myself…but it can’t be helped . I was fooled by that one too…my adamantine tree equipment was taken too, I was out numbered… How many years has it been?, I have been unconscious during my imprisonment…has the war ended yet?”

War? The war between Terramay and Samaria?

Or the war Osberia and that empire?

“War? That reminds me, I heard of some war between 【Osberia Kingdom】 and some empire…”

Hearing my words, Henkai’s eyebrows shoot up to the middle of his forehead .

He answers with a bewildered expression .

“What? That, Os-, I’ve never heard of that . Is it the large Befarittsu Empire of the Elves? The Dwarven Country…” (TL: Holy Shit he’s been down there for a long time . )[ED: My god he is ancient…]

Dwarven Country .

-That moment, the words of the “Exiled Dwarf” Loirr go through my head .

“…What kind of country is Henkai from, and what war was there?”

“I am from the Dwarven Country of 【Langur Kingdom】 . I was called the Silken General Henkai who led the Black Thousand Men Company . We were at war with the 【Great Empire of Befarittsu 】 of the Elves . ”

Great Empire of Befarittsu…

Come to think of it, Shisho told me about a war with such a country .

He said that a Dwarven Country disappeared 300 years ago leaving behind only the traces of an ancient battle field .

The Dwarf Loirr from the underground world talked about a Langur Empire…

Henkai called it the Dwarf Kingdom .

An Empire? Loirr was clear that there was a big war in the past against the surface a long time ago, he also said that communication was cut off .

Going by the name, I think it was also the Langur Country .

Over the years did it change from empire to kingdom…

On the map Shisho gave me there were no places called Great Empire of Befarittsu or Langur Country . It seems that the Dwarf country has disappeared from the surface .

This onion Dwarf has been imprisoned for a very exceedingly long time .

Maa, if I talk about the past that I know so little of things will only get more complicated, so I say nothing .

“…It’s bad, but I know of those two . If I had a map I would show you, but we should go back now instead . ”

“…Is that so . ”

Henkai becomes crestfallen and hangs his head .

Now then, on another note…

I have no weapon, so I should look for something that looks suitable .

I should try to look in that item box .

I mutter “Open” again, and the item list is displayed from the bracelet .

I remove the weapon like items from the item box one after another .

-The Cursed Sword, Bitou, Ax of the Adamantine Tree

When I take out the ax, Henkai reacts .

“Oooh, my weapon . Adamantine Tree . ”

“Oh, that reminds, there were other adamantine tree items . Do you want this?”

“-Of course, but, is it okay?”

“It’s fine . This full adamantine tree set is Henkai’s . I’ll take it all out . ”

Saying so, I remove the full adamantine tree set from the item box .

“Ooh, surely . This is it . You’ll really give it to me?”

“Take it . It doesn’t seem to be my size anyways . For now, I will use this magic sword . ”

Magic Sword Bitou, it is covered in a long, curved, dark red sheath .

When I pull the sword from the sheath, a strange sound echoes .

The slightly curved sword blade has a reddish tinge; it has purple characters similar to hieroglyphs and Arabic letters carved in it .

Extending ahead of the sword tip and a faint dark red haze appears .

Near the grip is written “Consecrated Rivguraf-kami, God of Darkness . ”

It is carved . It is not the name of the sword, God of Darkness .

I wield the magic sword and slash downward, getting a sense for its balance .

My first impression of the sword is that it is light .

It is overall thicker than one of Shisho’s Kukri swords but is still lighter than one .

This mysterious magic sword should be useful .

It has the feeling of a transformed bastard sword?

“Hou, that bastard sword?”

Saying so, Henkai has equipped the complete set of the adamantine tree .

His entire figure is orange, and he has changed to appear like a soldier from ancient Rome that appears in oversea movies .

I answer his question about the sword while having such an impression .

“Bastard Sword?”

“That fellow can be used with either one or two hands?”

As expected, it is a bastard sword .

Was it a hybrid sword used in the Middle Ages?

While staring at the dark red hue of the sword blade, I respond properly .

“…It is such a thing?”

“The appearance of the sword only gives such an impression . Shuya doesn’t seem to know much about swords . ”

“Yeah . ”

True, I have never seen such a fearsomely sharp dark red magic sword . It resembles a sword from games and movies, but it is my first time touching one .

I am looking at the magic sword, when-

“Aree, Kuna-sama, where aaare you, what happened?”

I hear the demon’s voice .