I Became a Prisoner in the Game After Defeating the Final Boss Chapter 22
[Grrrr.......]
“Halt.”
Although I tried to move carefully, the situation was so chaotic that demonic beasts that had broken away from their pack blocked our path.
[Grrr......]
[Kyaooo!]
【Lv.2】
【Striped Sabertooth】
【Lv.3】
【Large-toothed Sabertooth】
However, those demonic beasts were more like defeated soldiers than beasts that were originally targeting us, so they weren't a major threat.
Especially not for Edric, the leader of the 4th Special Task Force.
“Hmph.”
Swish!
The moment he encountered the demonic beasts, Edric moved, and each time his sword flashed, the beasts' necks were severed far too easily.
It was enough to make one doubt whether that was the divine prowess of an injured person.
However, I saw a single bead of cold sweat running down the back of Edric's neck.
‘He’s overexerting himself.’
At a glance, it looked like nothing was wrong, but Edric had clearly sustained a not-so-minor injury in the battle with the mutant a short while ago.
It meant Edric was also at his limit.
Therefore, I also did not hesitate and took out the Colt garrison B-09.
The cooldown for summoning the 9×33mmR 357 Magnum normal bullets was about to end, so I had some leeway with ammunition.
Above all, if Edric fell, the Special Task Force would surely be annihilated.
[Activating ‘Weapon Summon(??)’.]
[‘Lv.1’ ammunition will be summoned.]
[Summoning ammunition, ‘9×33mmR 357 Magnum normal bullets’.]
I loaded the bullets that appeared with a halo of light on my palm into the Colt garrison B-09 one by one.
Click, click, click.......
It seemed that when I only had Weapon Summon, the weapon was summoned with the bullets already loaded, but with Ammunition Summon, only the bullets were summoned by themselves.
“……Still a strange magic. What are you doing?”
“Just as you see, it’s a strange magic.”
Albino, who was watching this, couldn't hold back and said a word, but there was no need to answer him.
Clack.
There was no need to aim anew.
My job was only to assist Edric, after all.
Bang!─
The bullet that shot out with a roar blew the demonic beast's head off, and Edric's gaze, who had been fighting the beast, slowly turned towards me.
“……I’d be very grateful if you’d tell me beforehand if you’re going to help.”
“I will help you.”
“That’s great to hear! I'd be even happier if you'd said so sooner.”
As I began to provide covering fire in earnest, Edric, with nothing more to hold him back, went on a rampage.
It was probably because he was starting to grasp the approximate power and range of the firearm I was using.
‘It's not a good thing for Edric to completely figure out the gun...... but this isn't the time to be picky about such things.’
In any case, a gun was such an intuitive and powerful weapon that once one became somewhat familiar with it, its general principles were bound to be understood.
Where the bullet comes out from.
Under what action the bullet is fired.
Well, things like that.
‘This should be enough.’
The moment I turned back after firing all my bullets in an instant.
[Kyaooo!]
A demonic beast I thought was dead raised its head and charged towards where Alicia was.
“……Tch.”
Alicia's hands were currently tied, supporting Conlan and Albino.
“Damn it!”
Even Edric seemed flustered, as if he hadn't prepared for this situation.
It meant I couldn't hope for help.
‘Tsk.’
The urgent situation was approaching second by second, but there was no need to be flustered.
Even if I had used up all my bullets, I still had a trump card left.
[Activating ‘Weapon Summon(??)’.]
[‘Lv.2’ weapon will be summoned.]
[Summoning weapon, ‘B686 Double Barrel Shotgun’.]
The moment I saw that heavy, long barrel, no more thought was needed.
The only action required was to simply pull the trigger.
Boom!
Kaboom!
Two shotgun shells fired in succession with a roar like a bomb exploding literally turned the demonic beast into a rag.
Plop.......
The scattered meat fragments and blood fell upon the heads of Alicia, as well as Conlan and Albino.
Compared to that ridiculously immense destructive power, the power of the Colt garrison B-09 I had used until now seemed gentlemanly.
“What the……”
Even Edric was surprised by the ridiculously loud noise and power of the double barrel shotgun, and he stared at me for a moment with his mouth slightly agape.
“……Were you hiding another magic like this?”
“Hey! What was that just now?”
Even Albino and Conlan couldn't hide their astonishment, their mouths wide open.
“…….”
Even Alicia, covered in blood, stared at me with wide, round eyes.
At that moment.
Flinch-
I felt a sudden eerie sensation and turned my gaze, and there, Edric was looking at me with a strange expression.
“You……”
“Is there something you wish to say?”
“……No, it's nothing.”
Edric said, wiping the demonic beast’s blood that covered his face.
“It seems we’re mostly done here, let's move out immediately.”
The members of the 4th Special Task Force, who had finally come to their senses, moved their feet, staring at me as if I were a strange animal.
“What in the world……. To think he was still hiding magic of that caliber……”
Albino, who probably knew the dangers of magic better than anyone, couldn't hide his shock.
“……Are you a demon?”
Albino asked in an utterly serious voice.
“Of course not.”
I thought about playing a little prank on Albino's suspicion, but with a woman who might be a former Inquisitor next to me, such a bad joke was not a very wise choice.
It's not that there are no demons who take human form, but as demons tend to be, they are not something you see easily.
Albino looked at me with a somewhat unconvinced expression, but I didn't bother to respond to his gaze.
Considering my usual relationship with Albino, perhaps such suspicion would be a bit more comfortable for me.
“…….”
Alicia also moved her lips as if she had something to say, but it was never uttered out loud.
I had no intention of hearing words that she had no intention of speaking, so I didn't bother to ask.
Because I could declare that among those who came this far, there wasn't a single one without a story.
***
The journey back to Winter Castle continued.
“……Hmm.”
Edric looked up at the sky and let out a small groan.
As we got closer to Winter Castle, the acrid smoke rising into the sky and the scent of blood also grew thicker.
It was fortunate that we were heading towards the South Gate, which was the opposite of the front line; if we had gone anywhere else, it would have been demonic beasts, not the guards, welcoming us.
“Identify yourselves!”
As the Captain of the Guard shouted from above the castle gate, Edric spoke.
“It's me.”
With that, the Captain of the Guard who recognized Edric shouted.
“……Sir Edric? You’ve returned safely! What are you all doing? Open the gate quickly!”
Finally, we returned to Winter Castle.
In terms of time, it hadn't been a very long outing, yet my whole body was drenched in sweat.
It was partly because the mutant we had hunted just before was a fire-attribute opponent, but it also meant it had been an arduous mission.
“It must have been a difficult mission, but you all did well. Especially, if it weren't for you, Vell, it was a dangerous situation where the entire Special Task Force could have been wiped out.”
“I only did what I had to do.”
“Of course, that’s true. But it's also true that the mutant was more dangerous than we thought. You really did a great job.”
Edric said.
“Everyone worked hard. Go to the medical unit once you're back.”
The mutant subjugation mission was finally over.
So very long, and long again.
***
Last night's surprise attack left a not-so-small scar on Winter Castle.
Torn flags and broken shields.
Ashen smoke and burnt buildings.
And on the ground stained with the debris of battle and drenched in blood, soldiers supported their injured bodies, leaning on each other.
The air of sadness and despair could have filled the castle, but silence was not a respite allowed to them.
“You all will have to rest for a while.”
Following Edric's orders, Conlan and Albino were to be in the care of the medical unit for the time being.
Alicia too, although not to the extent of being hospitalized in the medical unit, didn't look well with bandages wrapped all over her body.
Especially in Albino's case, his condition was even more severe not just because of his injuries, but because he had overused magic that came at a great cost.
‘So foolish.’
One of the common misconceptions among those who have contracted with demons is that they believe they can control the contract.
It'll be fine if I use it in moderation.
This much should be okay.
However, all of that is arrogance.
At least as far as I know, there is no human who can be free from a contract with a demon.
‘Anyway, a break for a while, huh.’
As he said, the training for the 4th Special Task Force was also postponed indefinitely.
Naturally, I had more time to use the Anonymous Bulletin Board, and the biggest achievement was that I had received a reply from DoDo.
└DoDo : I've checked all the comments you wrote. I will check it myself and then reply again.
No matter how much I had the strategy guide I wrote myself, the 2nd floor of Akiro's Labyrinth wasn't something that could be cleared easily, so I decided to wait for DoDo's labyrinth clear with a broad mind.
And then, time passed again.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for DoDo's reply to arrive.
No, in a way, it was to be expected.
‘It's not just any strategy, it's my perfect strategy, so it doesn't make sense for him to take a long time to clear the labyrinth.’
It was a labyrinth clearing method that considered all variables and went through optimization after optimization.
I wasn't even considering failure in the first place.
└DoDo : My reply was late because I was clearing the labyrinth. It's a truly perfect strategy! Please tell me the name of the junk item you'll post on the auction house via a secret comment, and if you post it, I'll bid with Imperial Gold Coins immediately!
Perhaps thanks to the considerable time that had passed.
Thanks to my perfect strategy, DoDo seemed to have successfully cleared the 2nd floor of Akiro's Labyrinth.
Along with that, he also said he would definitely pay the promised reward.
That was welcome news.
I had planned to inform the Anonymous Bulletin Board of DoDo's fraudulent act if he decided to dine and dash, but from what I'd seen, the users of the Anonymous Bulletin Board valued their honor and credibility even within their anonymity.
It was because they knew well how difficult it was to rebuild trust once it was lost.
‘A junk item…….’
I thought for a moment.
Although he said to post any junk item, the truth is that an item is bound to contain a certain amount of information.
For example, a junk item I post without much thought could reveal my identity.
‘The possibility is low...... but it's better to be careful for now.’
The junk item I selected was simple.
[Wooden Spoon]
A common item that could be seen anywhere in this world, in this era.
With this, he wouldn't be able to get any information about my location or about me.
It was nothing short of a perfect junk item.
[Do you want to register the ‘Wooden Spoon’ item at the auction house?]
[Y / N]
Of course, it's yes.
After putting the wooden spoon up on the auction house, I wrote this fact in a secret comment.
└Dragon Slayer : I’ve posted a wooden spoon on the auction house.
Naturally, a comment didn't appear right away.
There was no need to rush, so I planned to have a period of waiting again.
I don't know how much DoDo will bid for the reward, but I'm not expecting much.
Expectations always give birth to disappointment.
‘Then…….’
For now, the immediate task was finished.
Since I had some time left, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to look through the Anonymous Bulletin Board in the remaining time.
One way or another, this vacation-that-wasn't-a-vacation that had come to me would soon come to an end.
‘Hm?’
As I was about to click on the Anonymous Bulletin Board, my eyes suddenly shifted to the items in the auction house.
I wasn't the type to enjoy shopping, but once it caught my eye, I was indeed interested.
I wonder what level of items people at this point in time were dealing with.
‘Hmm…….’
They were all rare and had ridiculously high minimum bid amounts, but there were also quite a few items that were close to junk.
“Huh?”
Then I saw it.
──────────
[Ongoing Auction List]
──────────
──────────
[Auction Number]
◆No.515
[Auction Item]
◆Rusted and broken pendant
[Minimum Bid Amount]
◆30 Gold
[Current Bid List]
◆-
◆-
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Although it had changed a lot from its original form and its condition was also not good, there was no way I wouldn't recognize it.
‘That's…….’
That pendant.
It was the one I used to use.