Apostle of the Void

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 26 - The First Journey on a Strange Continent (6)

By the time the party arrived at the entrance of the abandoned mine, it was already dusk.

The sunset filtering through the leaves was staining the forest red.

“The ore has been depleted, and it’s been closed down, but this mine is part of the same vein as mine number 6,” Sia said.

Kitan speculated that goblins were running rampant in this area.

‘Hmm, so the mine I went to back then was a trap, huh?’

In short, this abandoned mine was a true den for them.

Kitan spotted a couple of goblins lurking in the shadows beyond the mine entrance, their eyes glinting ominously.

The party was hidden in the bushes near the entrance.

Kitan had positioned himself to ensure that the scent didn’t flow toward the cave, considering the wind direction.

“Kitan, memorize the map.”

Sia pulled out the mine guide and handed it to him.

Kitan, fixed on the wooden board, didn’t blink once.

‘Something seems different about him.’

Arzen thought as a fly crawled across Kitan's face, yet he remained unresponsive.

About five minutes later, a playful expression returned to Kitan’s face.

“I’ve memorized it all!”

“You memorized it all already?”

Arzen was surprised.

That was unbelievably fast!

“Yeah. I can memorize any map perfectly in no time.”

Sia scoffed.

“Just maps. That idiot can’t study worth a damn. He only knows the basics of the Vern language.”

“Sia, you nag about everything. Ebe, I can’t hear you. What does a wanderer need to study for? It’s completely unnecessary, you know?”

Could it really be that he wouldn’t need it at all in life? What a thick-headed guy!

‘...But I can’t say that.’

Since he had been friendly from the first meeting, I’ll let it slide this time.

“Then shall we dissect one by one?”

Sia said.

Her expression changed as she placed a hand on the hilt of her executioner's sword, which couldn’t hide its ferocity even while sheathed.

A glimmer of light shot through her crimson eyes for a moment.

It was the light of excitement shown when a predator spots its prey.

“My first kill is mine!”

Kitan announced the start of the hunt.

He threw one dagger from each side of his waist simultaneously.

The daggers pierced the necks of the sentry goblins perfectly, silencing their screams.

“Good.”

Sia dashed forward, swinging her executioner’s sword at the two goblins gasping for breath while clutching their severed necks.

Such unbelievable speed in a heavily armed state!

The goblins were pulverized into meat paste by her abnormal blade.

“Move immediately. Kitan, luminescent stone.”

Ambush relies on stealth.

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Sia quickly signaled Kitan with a simple hand gesture.

The luminescent stone emitted only a faint glow, a special stone that absorbed sunlight or moonlight.

Of course, while torches are excellent for illumination, they also have the drawback of revealing one’s position to monsters.

“At least 200 torches. It’s best to light them and proceed carefully,” Kitan said, shaking his head in disagreement.

He may have missed a few signals, but he was not so foolish as to not understand Sia's instructions.

Sia furrowed her brow and raised her right hand above her head.

- Just do as I say. If you don’t want to get hit, you idiot.

It wasn’t a signal, but for some reason, he understood!

However, Arzen decided to side with Kitan.

‘It’s been a while since I focused on support with holy miracles instead of the power of the Void.’

Of course, divine power and the power of the Void are separate, but stamina and energy are the same; if one is pushed to the limit, it will reach a threshold.

“《Shield of Radiance》.”

With both hands reverently clasped, Arzen prayed to connect with the celestial realm.

Heaven responded to his prayer.

Countless golden light particles danced like fireflies, intertwining into one.

‘This is a service for massive healing. Let me show you what a healer from the heavenly realm of the adventurer industry can do!’

First, he unfurled a 《Shield of Radiance》 at the rear.

The goblins had modified their lairs into a labyrinth more complex than an anthill, ambushing from the rear or flanks under the cover of darkness.

If he could preemptively block the source of that danger, it would be like halving the threat.

“《Lamp of Prayer》.”

The light shaped by the second prayer appeared.

It was a luminous point the size of a fist.

However, it was sufficient to brightly illuminate the darkness of the abandoned mine and reveal the traps scattered everywhere.

“Now we can just make some noise and move, right?”

Kitan whistled cheerfully, his eyes sparkling as he grabbed Arzen’s shoulder.

“Wow, this is awesome! Arzen! You weren’t lying when you said that before!”

“Yeah, yeah, big brother here can use such miracles as a basic skill.”

“This is my first time experiencing something like this! I feel like I might wet myself every time I remove a trap in the dark with the luminescent stone. If I wet myself, I’d feel uncomfortable all day. And Sia doesn’t even understand that.”

Kitan casually draped his arm over Arzen’s shoulder and shook him around.

‘This useless brat, daring to put his arm around the shoulder of someone who will one day be of the Diamond rank... doesn’t he care about his life?’

Still, such a reaction... wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

In the past, he would have likely slapped him while saying, “Why are you asking about something so obvious?”

Compared to that, this was nothing.

“What’s this...”

Jerome said to Sia, who was looking at the suddenly brightened landscape of the abandoned mine in disbelief.

“Look, didn’t I catch a big one? What a tremendous force. It was worth using rational thinking.”

“That’s cheating, you little dwarf.”

Sia punched Jerome on the head, wearing a meaningful smile.

“True. But I can’t deny that it’s impressive.”

How could anyone deny it?

The visibility had opened up brightly to nearly 20 meters in front and behind them in an instant.

In places like abandoned mines or caves, the fight is against darkness.

The advantages of hiding in such places had been completely erased.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm~.”

Kitan easily disarmed the traps lurking everywhere.

He even hummed a tune as he worked.

Originally, one should be in a state of heightened alertness, with all senses on edge, ready for the goblins to emerge from the darkness, in what one might call a "pee-your-pants" situation.

“Footsteps. About 30 of them?”

Kitan glanced up to gauge the front before turning his head back towards the traps.

Jerome stepped forward, straightening the folded barrel and integrating it with the gun's body.

Then he forcefully pulled the recoil starter to activate the SteamCore.

‘SteamCore! It’s my first time seeing it up close!’

Arzen's eyes widened with excitement.

The SteamCore refers to a portable steam engine. It is one of the top technological weapons monopolized by the Dwarves.

To use a steam gun, one must have that SteamCore strapped to their back.

“With everything so clearly visible, aiming is really easy! No need to worry about ricochets at all! Thanks, Arzen!”

The rubber hoses of the SteamCore supplied steam to the gun.

With that power, the barrel began to spin, and in an instant, it unleashed a shower of iron projectiles forward…

The stench of blood hit their noses as dozens of goblins turned into bloody heaps, their brains pierced and guts torn apart.

“Make sure they can’t sneak away with the little ones by setting traps at the entrance, Kitan!”

“I’ve already done that! Thanks to Arzen, I was able to change up their traps comfortably. Oh, but we’ll have to deactivate them on the way out.”

“That works! Lead the way! Let’s move quickly.”

Arzen pretended to follow everyone but suddenly stopped.

As a Harbinger of the Void, he commanded his subordinates.

“Kaz tu Arcturus.”

Buuuuummm… The soldier appeared, proud and stalwart, along with five Voidlings under his command.

‘This should be more than enough to deal with any remaining goblin stragglers!’

After all the trouble he went through, he did not want any remnants to survive and rise again.

“If any sneak out, please take care of it, soldier. Make sure to be gone by the time we come back up.”

Arzen murmured softly and quickly dashed to catch up with his party members.

“Bugs?”

“Yeah, I hear something like a bug.”

“Do goblins raise bugs too?”

Kitan and Sia were already having such a conversation.

“No, I’ve never seen that before, and I don’t feel any hostility…”

“Just focus on the goblins. If they act up, we can take care of them on the way out.”

“Okay.”

Sia felt a refreshing sensation for the first time in ages…

Since she left her old party, this was the first time she felt so invigorated…

‘It’s like being free from all constraints, allowing the power dancing throughout my body to be unleashed without hesitation.’

Before Sia’s order even reached him, there was a supporting action, perhaps even half a beat faster.

“Wall.”

“Change.”

“Hold.”

Arzen, that guy, was definitely not a Steel Rank as he initially seemed.

‘Something felt different from the start.’

Talent alone couldn’t explain it.

His experience and knowledge clearly supported his abilities… at least Silver Rank.

‘The only reason for hiding such a background must be one.’

There may be shadows of a past he cannot reveal… just like Sia herself.

“I don’t know, I don’t get it. I’ll deal with that anguish later.”

Right now, I just want to fully embrace this refreshing sense of liberation that rushes through me to the tips of my hair!

“Hahahahahaha! Yes, yes! This is fantastic!”

As Sia began to rampage, Kitan pulled on Arzen's collar.

“Ugh, Sia’s in frenzy mode! Arzen, get back! It’s dangerous!”

“Frenzy mode?”

“I think she has to release the pent-up anger she has built up sometimes since she’s in charge of rage. Normally, she wouldn’t let it out like this because you're here.”

Arzen couldn't simply dismiss Jerome's joke... or rather, he didn’t even hear it.

The sight of Sia cackling while slaughtering dozens of goblins had a brutal charm that left him mesmerized.

Her crimson eyes seemed to shine even darker than usual.

Moreover, an aura of eerie energy was swirling from her bandaged right arm.

‘But what on earth is that chilling energy?’

The energy of the Void felt foreign yet not frightening.

‘Hmm... It feels familiar somehow, but where have I felt it before?’

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like she was losing her mind under the influence of that aura, but Sia was behaving strangely.

The bandage had loosened slightly, yet she was tightening it excessively during the fight.

As the bandage tightened, the eerie energy blooming from Sia's arm also vanished.

“What are you doing? Let’s go!”

Sia, having instantly taken down all the goblins, turned back and shouted.

Just as Kitan was following behind, perplexed, he tapped Arzen on the back and asked,

“Arzen, have you ever eaten goblin poop?”

“Why on earth would I eat that, you crazy idiot?”

“I tried it once when I was really hungry during Pathfinder training with my master, and it was surprisingly edible.”

That’s how the mission was going.

It was clearly a Rank 9 request, yet the journey was ridiculously smooth.

The goblin horde that appeared ahead turned into piles of meat under Jerome’s heavy artillery.

There were even some trying to attack from behind.

However, they met the same fate as Sia after being initially blocked by the Shield of Radiance.

Just when it seemed that everything would finish as easily as a spring outing…

“Whoa, that’s a trap.”

The moment Arzen reached out to examine what the device was, Kitan exclaimed.

“Say that sooner!”

In an instant, the ground sank as if it were collapsing.

The party suddenly found themselves in the center of a deep underground chamber.

Sia swiped the dirt away with a gust of wind to clear her vision.

“Kiiiii!”

Dozens of goblins were surrounding the party, growling menacingly.

“Jerome, how many rounds do you have left?”

“About ten. I got so excited that I used them all up. I thought we wouldn't shoot much since it’s a mine, so I didn’t bring many.”

“Then all three of you just stay in the corner. I’ll take care of all of them.”

Sia gave a chilling smile just before charging forward.

As she swung her Executioner's Sword, shaking off the blood from its blade, the droplets splattered on the goblins, causing them to scream.

Jerome, with his goggle eyes, said, “This is the center! How can we go to a corner? Didn’t you hear there are only ten rounds left? You’re like a magic monkey.”

Sia almost fell forward with the momentum of her charge.

Barely regaining her balance, she grabbed Jerome by the collar.

“Ugh! That’s just how I speak! Just try to understand a bit! Get the gist of it!”

At that moment, Arzen’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he stepped forward.

“Hey, you goblin scum! Your big brother is here! Didn’t I say I would return?”

For being lowly monsters that dared to tarnish the future body of a Gold Rank, I will make them pay with a fate worse than death.

“Kaz tu Arcturus! Come forth, Rambo!”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]