LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 89
A day had passed just like that.
The sun was just beginning to rise, but the forest was dark blue due to the tall trees.
Because of that, the surroundings were still shadowy, but Catherine had woken up early to receive some perplexing reports.
“Are you telling me there wasn’t a single attack last night or this morning?”
“Yes. But that’s not all. We’ve confirmed that some of the Mushroom Golem group is heading toward the center of the forest.”
“Any other peculiarities?”
“Some of the thieves and archers of the Subjugation Team reported that the spirit in the center of the forest has intensified compared to yesterday.”
“If we delay, we might be in big trouble.”
“And isn’t it strangely quiet in the forest?”
“Yeah. Got it. Let’s head back.”
Having bitten her lip, Catherine turned to Narque, who was seated beside her, after a moment of contemplation.
“Narque. What do you think?”
Catherine didn’t say anything more beyond that.
But it was enough to convey her meaning.
Narque nervously tapped his staff with his fingers.
“Maybe the spirit source has taken control of the Akusare Mushroom Golem like I did.”
“Not by breaking a core to silence it, but rather controlling an intact Mushroom Golem through necromancy?”
Narque’s control over the Mushroom Golem was somewhat of a workaround in the first place.
Controlling the Golem through the spirit contained in the Golem’s core rather than through its silence was closer to puppetry than necromancy.
“The situation is strange, so I can’t quite understand it from just listening. I guess I need to see it directly.”
“Then we can confirm it as the Subjugation Team proceeds.”
But before that, there was something to do.
Catherine immediately called the lead adventurers, and they ate a rough field stew, hardtack, and jerky together, thanks to Karem, who had ensured they didn’t go hungry.
While Narque assisted her meal, Catherine shared the information she received with the adventurers.
The Mushroom Golems headed toward the center of the forest, ignoring the Subjugation Team.
The spirit had intensified within just one day.
And there were no sounds from any animals, insects, or monsters in the forest.
The lead adventurers wore expressions that clearly conveyed apprehension, believing that the subjugation wouldn’t proceed easily.
They were all C to B rank adventurers.
Which meant they were all veterans with ample experience.
Having gone through similar situations before, they understood through experience that time was of the essence.
If it had been a typical subjugation, things would have been different.
It was common for schedules to be delayed due to the concerns of nobility who couldn’t finish their meals or wanted to sleep a bit longer.
But this time, the lead adventurers could rest assured.
The presence of a former S-Class adventurer and a Grand Wizard made them feel secure.
But more than anything, the fact that their senior shared similar experiences and could think like them meant this subjugation wouldn’t be delayed and fail for ridiculous reasons.
As the forest began to brighten, the camp was organized, and the Subjugation Team started to move.
And Catherine swiftly sensed an anomaly.
“Something’s wrong with the soil.”
Catherine surveyed the surroundings.
The forest near Fungusbee, thriving with mushrooms and rich dark brown soil, was typical for the mushroom’s growth.
But now, the ground looked parched as if all its nutrients had been exhausted.
On top of that, a faint spirit hung like mist after rain had draped itself over the ground in early morning hours.
“Narque, any issues with scouting?”
“The fog is thin, so no major problems yet.”
Narque replied, blinking his pale eyes.
But they couldn’t just stand still. Catherine quickly called over one of the lead adventurers nearby.
“Sir Atanitas? Is there a problem?”
Without any small talk, the adventurer stepped forward to question Catherine.
“Is there something off among those participating in the subjugation?”
“Well, there isn’t a glaring issue at the moment, but everyone seems unnerved. Some priests are even performing blessings.”
“How long will it take to do that? Just tell them to make some holy water from the water in the supply wagon and distribute it.”
“Oh, holy water!”
The adventurer promptly relayed Catherine’s orders to the other lead adventurers, and this news quickly spread throughout the entirety of the Subjugation Team, prompting the priests to start preparing holy water.
Meanwhile, the Subjugation Team continued to advance.
*
*
*
“Sir Atanitas. There’s an enemy group over there—”
“To the right front! A group of Mushroom Golems!”
Alongside Narque, the Subjugation Team halted as some keen-eyed adventurers raised signals, stopping whatever they were doing to quickly adjust their formations.
But no attacks came.
“What? Are they just passing by?”
“Come to think of it, it seems the guards mentioned something like that—”
Catherine recalled the report she had received in the early morning.
Up until just yesterday, attacks by Mushroom Golems had been frequent.
And it was understandable.
With over 200 members in the Subjugation Team, humans were noisy enough to break plates even if just three gathered together.
Adding in the workers, the numbers skyrocketed.
Considering the sounds of the animals pulling carts, along with the rumbling of wheels, it was practically impossible for the Subjugation Team to move silently.
As such, the Mushroom Golems, drawn by the commotion, had been ruthlessly fought, looted for their cores, or ended up as loyal meat shields for the Subjugation Team.
Thud—thud—thud—swish—
The group of Mushroom Golems was heading towards the center of the forest, even though the Subjugation Team was right nearby.
As if they were completely unaware of the Subjugation Team at all.
“What are they doing, begging to be killed by us?”
Catherine tapped her staff against the wagon floor, urging the adventurers onward.
At her command, the adventurers quickly assembled to attack the Akusare Mushroom Golems.
Without any resistance, one by one the Mushroom Golems turned silent.
Watching the adventurers loot the corpses, Catherine frowned and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Narque. Can you raise them?”
“Y-Yes! It seems possible!”
“It seems possible? That’s not a very comforting answer.”
“N-No! I can do it!”
As Narque stammered, his vague response elicited dissatisfaction from Catherine, who replied like an annoyed professor, and quickly got down from the wagon.
As Narque moved, unlike the first day, the adventurers proactively stepped aside to let him through.
Following that path, Narque began to chant his spells in front of an unattended Akusare Mushroom Golem that had not been looted.
“A coin of gold to the ferryman of Acheron, a bone to the wolf of Nastrond. Yes?”
While yesterday, she had used three verses in her chant.
Today, however, it concluded with just two verses.
One verse had been cut down.
The faint spirit lingering on the ground was aiding her necromancy.
But during the return trip, Narque, unusually, furrowed her brow and bit her finger joints in contemplation.
Her worry continued until reaching the wagon.
“Y-Yeah, there’s definitely something odd.”
“What’s so odd?”
“It feels like there’s a faint will mixed into the spirit that’s permeated the core.”
“From another necromancer?”
“N-No.”
In contrast to before, Narque asserted firmly.
“If that were the case, the will would be clearer—like ordering them to come to me or to obey my commands.”
“So you mean it’s the unconscious actions of a Golem with only instincts?”
“Yes. It feels like an instinctive reaction if a right-handed person reaches out but unconsciously extends their left hand first instead.”
Was this analogy correct? Narque tilted her head.
But it was enough explanation for Catherine.
The point was that there was a controlling entity over the unconscious instincts buried deep within the Mushroom Golem’s nature.
And given the situation, it was clearly the source of the spirit felt in the forest.
Naturally, the source of the spirit must be a necromancer or a related artifact.
With the addition of another Mushroom Golem to serve as a meat shield for the Subjugation Team, the loot cart became just a bit heavier.
Before long, the faint spirit saturated into the forest became denser, and as the soil grew even drier, causing little clouds of dust to rise with every movement of the Subjugation Team.
“Ugh!”
Narque suddenly jerked her head backward.
It wasn’t her will.
The shock had caused her staff to fall and roll on the ground.
While blood trickled from her eyes, nose, and mouth, Narque clutched her throbbing head and turned to Catherine with bloodshot eyes.
“Narque. Could it be that we’re being traced back?”
“N-No. The connection with the undead we sent to scout has been severed.”
“Rebound? Could we have lost control?”
“I don’t think so. It seems the power used to forcibly control the undead has been drained, causing the magic to—”
“Then, it seems they did send back a counterattack following the draining of power. That means we must be really close to the source. Is it alright to manipulate the Golems?”
As she calmed the backflow of magic, Narque closed her eyes, took out a potion, downed it in one gulp, and nodded.
But thanks to that, they were able to pinpoint their precise direction.
After hearing Narque’s words, Catherine promptly adjusted the Subjugation Team’s course.
And shortly thereafter, at the bottom of a steep decline, they caught sight of the mastermind through the trees.
A mass of Akusare Mushroom Golems, with thick arms and legs or tentacles wriggling together, formed a grotesque sight that evoked feelings of disgust due to their walnut-like appearance, now enlarged.
But as she turned her gaze, that disgust was soon banished.
The reason was simple.
A far more horrendous being was situated at the center of the open space.
A long, lizard-like body formed by large and small Akusare Mushrooms was enveloped in thousands of hands, each finger wriggling like a larva.
That massive form was supported by six legs intertwined with multiple limbs.
Similarly, a multitude of arms intertwined to form gigantic wings resembling those of a bat.
A large Akusare Mushroom, planted in place of a head, wriggled like a brain, slowly eating the incoming Mushroom Golems with its split mouth that had three forks.
And at the top of its head was a shabby robed figure oozing spirit, seemingly devoid of will.
As the monster moved, their bodies swayed like reeds in the wind, with no pattern or purpose.
An indescribably horrific sight that would send even a perfectly sane person into a spiral of terror. Every living thing, from the members of the Subjugation Team to animals, was left speechless.
But that moment was brief.
The veterans quickly regained their composure and began to move organically, sticking to the previously agreed-upon plans.
The vanguard advanced, while the rear stepped back.
The supply carts and wagons moved inward.
“Tsk, they’ve already noticed us.”
“Sir Atanitas? What do you mean—”
As the Subjugation Team busily moved, Catherine promptly stood up from the wagon.
The monster was now turning its head toward the Subjugation Team.
“Quickly, get into formation!!!”
Catherine forcefully smashed her staff down.
Ice walls rose up from the dense spirit lingering like mist, encasing the Subjugation Team.
Creak—crash—crack—
Immediately, hundreds of claws began to smash against the ice walls.