Episode 115 The Way Back
Bones started to grow rapidly from the dark mass floating in the air.
The skeleton, which started from the spine and ribs and proliferated, stopped after creating arms, legs, and a skull.
And then, red ghost fires erupted from the deep, dark eye sockets.
[Hooo—]
Whoosh—!
Thick dark magic power, burning like flames, emanated from the body made of only bones.
It was the moment Arch-Lich Dwell McCain was fully resurrected.
'To think he can regenerate this quickly just with dark magic power as long as his essence remains. It's a cheat every time I see it.'
As Hans inwardly clicked his tongue, Dwell, who was able to move his body, immediately prostrated himself before him and exclaimed in awe.
[Oh— Immortal King! I thought I was defeated by the hero… As expected, you're amazing!]
His last memory was the hero's holy power consuming him, leaving only his essence.
But when he came to his senses, he was already in the Immortal King's hand?
'I don't know why the hero didn't immediately destroy me, but even then, I would have been sealed deep inside the temple.'
He didn't know how much time had passed since then or how he was rescued…
[Dwell McCain.]
But what was more important now was the fact that the Immortal King was right in front of him.
Wooong—
Their contract was renewed as his name was called.
[Ah— This Dwell McCain, I pledge my loyalty to the Immortal King!]
Following three hundred years ago, a new master-servant relationship was established here.
As the Arch-Lich was burning with enthusiasm, a faint figure flickered next to them and then transformed into a woman.
It was Banshee Queen Olivia, dressed in a black mourning dress with a veil attached to her hat.
[This girl, Olivia… I greet Your Majesty…]
[Yes, Olivia. What brings you here?]
[I came to report… on the order you gave me…]
The order he gave Olivia was to find out everything she could about 'Oath of Heaven's Defiance'.
It hadn't even been long since he gave the order, right after Harley entered the Northern Mountains.
[Oh— Already?]
Olivia's report followed.
She had first thoroughly searched the entire western region.
Not only the places she could directly investigate, but she also focused on tracking down their connections by monitoring those who entered and exited places blocked by barriers.
She had already found several of their hideouts, and the number was expected to increase as time passed.
[Currently, we've expanded our search area to include parts of the central Empire… and we've discovered a location suspected to be a major base… and are keeping an eye on it…]
To think she had already reached the central region.
As expected, she was terrifyingly competent.
[Hehehe— Good, good. Good work, Olivia. I'll be counting on you in the future.]
[This girl… will devote her body and soul to Your Majesty…]
Olivia bowed respectfully at Hans's praise, holding the hem of her dress with both hands.
[Lady Olivia doesn't even have bones or a body, how can she devote her body and soul…]
[Dwell.]
[…Yes! Immortal King, command me!]
Dwell, who had been forgotten for a while, muttered softly from the corner and then bowed his head again as Hans called his name.
[You have a task to do. Work with Olivia for now and assist her.]
[Your will be done!]
It was convenient to have many subordinates.
He just had to give orders, and they would take care of most things.
[Olivia, subjugate them with Dwell. You can take Karam with you if necessary.]
[Everything is as the King wills…]
If it was a well-defended place, he could just send a stronger subordinate.
And if they couldn't break through…
'That means it's an important base.'
And that place would receive a visit from the returned Immortal King.
______________________
"Die!"
Crack—!
Harley's large fist crushed a monster's head.
It was an everyday scene that had repeated countless times.
The number of monsters they encountered was increasing as time passed, but the party didn't suffer any further casualties.
And surprisingly, it was all thanks to one person.
"Hahaha—! Come at me, all of you—!"
His booming shout, containing a strange wave, spread through the surroundings…
"Kuwooh—!"
"Kieeeeek!"
…Stimulating the monsters and making them focus solely on Harley.
The fate of the monsters who charged at him was obvious.
Thud!
Splat—!
Body parts flew in all directions, and blood splattered, dyeing the surroundings.
They were literally being torn apart.
"…I thought he was amazing before, but…"
"Hmm, I know what you mean."
The party members, who were able to endure more comfortably thanks to the presence of the tank who was drawing aggro on a wide scale, each said a word.
Even the monsters they were fighting were distracted whenever Harley burst into laughter, making it easy to take them down.
"I need to tell the guys I know when we get back. Don't mess with that guy if you don't want to die."
"…There were quite a few who subtly looked down on him. I should warn my acquaintances too. I don't want to see a mass funeral."
Harley's appearance hadn't changed much, despite his monstrous rampage.
He was still the same barbarian warrior with massive, violent muscles and a ferocious grin.
But the result was completely different from before.
His punches effortlessly crushed the monsters' bodies, and his fingertips easily pierced through their tough hides.
His quick and heavy movements sent those who collided with him flying just by moving, and his sculpted muscles were unscathed by any external impact.
"But it seems like he's not planning to use his axes at all."
"He's not satisfied with them. I've heard of some monks from a minor religion fighting like that, but it's… well… it's not really martial arts…"
"It's primal."
Ranger Hans and Charlton whispered softly.
While everyone was in awe, there was one person who was looking at him with a dissatisfied gaze.
"…Ugh."
It was Dwarf Zaonic Steelstone.
And as they were moving again after the battle subsided, he couldn't hold back and approached Harley, confidently questioning him.
"Hey, Harley! I have something to ask you!"
His question was about the dissonance he had been feeling while watching Harley.
A seemingly valid question, asking why he couldn't protect Elinne when he was so strong.
And Harley had already anticipated that question.
'But I can't hide my strength forever. There's no point in gaining power if I'm going to do that.'
Naturally, he had already prepared an excuse.
"Ahem, ah— I see. I understand how you feel! But this is a matter related to my past."
"…Past?"
Harley cleared his throat and casually looked at Zaonic and the other party members.
The others didn't show any particular reaction, but they were subtly looking at him with interest.
After all, he was very different from how he had been before leaving alone.
They hadn't been able to hear the details because they had been hurriedly moving, so they were also curious.
'I'm planning to ask Zaonic to teach Howard, so there's no need to leave him with doubts.'
And the people here were all talented individuals.
It wouldn't be bad to build a good relationship with them.
He nodded lightly and slowly opened his mouth.
It was the beginning of the seventh act of 'Harley's Great Adventure', a grand epic currently being written.
"At first, everything went smoothly. He wasn't easy, but I could easily escape on my own. But…"
The Twin Head Ogre and all sorts of monsters chasing him relentlessly.
Harley was able to escape the dangerous situation thanks to Elinne's help.
But there was no way everything would go smoothly in the middle of the Northern Mountains, which had already become a demonic realm.
And what appeared before him after he barely caught his breath…!
"Oh, the monsters are approaching again. Let's continue the story later."
"Ah, ah—!"
"…Right. This isn't the time to be leisurely chatting. Everyone, prepare for battle."
And so, several battles, rests, and movements continued.
As they calmly moved forward amidst the repeating situations, Harley's story also gradually came to an end as they reached the end of the mountains.
"It was… a moment I never expected. I thought I was going to die, but…"
Like an object that was shattered after blocking a bullet aimed at its owner, the pickaxe Elinne was smashed to pieces, taking a fatal blow meant for him.
And Harley, who was brought back to life thanks to its sacrifice, finally realized it.
"In the midst of the crisis, I awakened. Something that was dormant in my blood. And I realized that it was the reason why I was experimented on and the driving force that allowed me to overcome it."
He also shared parts of the earlier parts of 'Harley's Great Adventure' to help them understand.
Including the content of Act 4, Scene 3, where he was experimented on by the evil dark mage Hans.
Of course, it wasn't a situation where he could leisurely tell the whole story, so he could only share a summarized version, but it received an unexpected response.
Everyone's gaze towards him changed.
It was as if they were no longer looking at a weirdo with a strange outfit who was strong and capable, but a warrior who had overcome various hardships and was resisting the world to protect his identity.
'As expected, the completion of a character is the story.'
It wasn't just about a unique appearance.
The hardships a character went through in the story became trials, and their struggles became a fight for survival.
Their personality came alive, becoming more vivid, and it became the driving force for others to empathize—.
That was the beginning of a 'heroic tale'.
"S-so?"
Zaonic gulped, immersed in the story.
And he wasn't the only one.
Harley calmly concluded the setting… no, the story, amidst their reactions.
"Yes, in my blood… dragon's blood was flowing. And thanks to the last opportunity Elinne gave me, I was able to awaken it and escape the crisis."
As he finished speaking, Harley extended one arm and flexed.
The dark red scales that instantly covered his forearm added credibility to his words.
"Oh my, a Dragonborn… Dragons are hard to come by these days."
"It seems like there was a Dragonborn among his ancestors. It probably wasn't properly passed down because of the aftermath of the great war three hundred years ago. That's why the power dormant in his blood wasn't properly manifested."
The mage Fabiella nodded seriously, supplementing the setting based on his own knowledge.
'Oh? That's good, I'll take it.'
As expected of a smart guy who knew a lot, he seemed convinced by the information based on his own knowledge.
"The dragon's blood awakened in a crisis. It's like a scene from a heroic tale."
"No wonder he's extraordinary. He wasn't an ordinary human after all."
The party members nodded, finally understanding Harley's strength.
"Yes… If that happened, it can't be helped. And if it ended like that, even Elinne would have gladly… Sob."
Zaonic shed tears alone, remembering the last moments of the pickaxe that had been sacrificed heroically.
And Harley realized one thing as he watched them.
'I think I have a talent for this.'
Influencing people with a made-up story.
It was a talent that could make him a novelist or a playwright, but if he abused it, he could deceive people and manipulate them to his will.
And we usually call such a person— a 'con man'.
'It has nothing to do with me. Sigh, it's because of those guys that good people like me suffer.'
He was working day and night for world peace, unlike a con man who deceived others for personal gain.
It was very unpleasant to be treated the same as them.
As the conversation was coming to an end…
"…We're almost there. We'll be able to see the Iron Fortress if we just cross that."
After experiencing countless incidents, the party finally left the mountains and entered human territory.
But…
"Ah—."
"Hmm, as expected."
The tall and sturdy fortress, which had always stood firm, earning the nickname 'Iron', greeted them with a gruesome appearance, partially destroyed and covered in blood and corpses.
It was a momentary lull, as people were busily cleaning up the battlefield.
"…Let's hurry before the monsters attack again."
The party members followed Robin, the leader, with heavy steps and headed towards the Iron Fortress.
The war wasn't over yet.