A Mythical Journey To Remember - Chapter 33

Chapter 33 - Prepared To Fail

I had expected to be outsmarted, given my lack of experience in scheming. It was always in the back of my mind that something like this would happen. It would be arrogant to assume I could handle every enemy that crossed my path.

I placed my hand on my spear, and Camilla raised a questioning eyebrow. There was no doubt that I couldn't defeat her in any form of close combat. Even though she appeared unarmed, she could likely rip my head off effortlessly.

Instead of relying on a weapon, I chose to sit down and retrieve a piece of chalk, doodling on the ground. I needed some time, so I asked, "How did you end up like this?"

I looked to Camilla for an answer, but her face remained impassive, revealing none of her thoughts. A brief chill ran down my spine, and I wondered what painful fate awaited me. All I could bet on was that she underestimated me.

"It was her greed," explained the former head guard. I had anticipated Camilla to provide an explanation, but he continued instead. "She planned to seize control of the country by promising the king eternal life. Unfortunately, she underestimated the challenge. She believed she could easily defeat any warrior here."

The gaunt man absentmindedly smiled, his mind lost in events long past. "She possessed remarkable talent and even surpassed my sword skills by the age of fourteen. The world can be unjust. She had both swordsmanship and raw power, with no discernible weaknesses. So much talent…"

He chuckled. "However, her plans were disrupted when she encountered the young prince in her monstrous form by sheer bad luck. She wanted to eliminate the boy but was torn apart and left for dead. At the time, Prince Alcides was only thirteen. If he were still here, she wouldn't dare to act this way. Hence, she concocted a scheme, making it appear as if the young prince had killed his music teacher in a fit of rage."

Prince Alcides referred to Heracles. However, a more troubling aspect of the story arose: what did he mean by "ripping her apart"? Did she possess such strong regeneration abilities to withstand such an ordeal?

"That's why she hunts people at night. Before all this, she might have needed to drink a cup of blood to survive. But she still carries wounds from when the young prince injured her, and it's something she'll have to contend with for a long time," the former head guard explained. "Young children are her primary targets due to the vitality in their blood. That's how the legend of the monster Mormo came to be."

"I only hunted children during those nights when my injuries threatened to kill me!" Camilla screeched, her eyes betraying a hint of fear.

Wasn't she concerned that the guards above might have heard her outburst?

Whatever the case, it was clear that she didn't view herself as a monster.

"What is going to happen to me now?" I asked while adding some finishing touches to the circle I had been doodling until now.

"You're an innocent person who has helped others whenever possible. Killing someone like you, who is innocent, wouldn't be the right thing to do," she replied.

There was a certain quality in her voice as if she was wrestling with her own inner demons over this decision.

"So, all those people you killed weren't innocent?" I questioned.

She snarled at me. "You will never understand what it feels like to starve while carrying injuries like these! I have to constantly expend power to keep my body together. Every second, I am in unimaginable."

Confronting her like this wasn't the wisest move. In gaming terms, I was a Level 6 novice stumbling upon a Level 50 boss. There was no way I could win, although real life wasn't a game, so I had some room to maneuver.

"Well, whatever your offer was, I refuse," I said, smiling at her. "You know, you're one sick woman. Do you genuinely believe that what you're doing is justice?"

She clenched her fist, visibly angry. I had to conceal any signs of joy on my face. My only chance of survival relied on her acting upon her emotions.

She glared at me with piercing eyes, then lowered her gaze sadly. "If you want to reject my mercy, then die!"

As soon as she uttered those words, she vanished from my sight. However, I activated the transmutation circle beneath me, causing a wall of spikes to shoot up and seal off the entire tunnel.

A deafening noise reverberated through the hallway, shaking its foundations.

Was she really going to break through? It couldn't be possible, right? On her side the wall I had erected numerous spikes, which would impale her...

I glanced at the emaciated man, whose eyes widened like saucers. But he swiftly regained control of his emotions and spoke. "You're a magic user? You should have told me, kid."

"What difference would that have made?" I asked, drawing another alchemical circle on the ground.

"I would have asked you to help me escape," he chuckled. "Or maybe not, who knows really. I've never been the type to dwell on what could have been. The present is a better place to be."

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the wall. I crouched down and transformed my spear into a shield. The wall exploded, and I felt sharp stone fragments graze my legs, but the shield absorbed most of the impact.

I gazed at the wall and beheld what could only be described as a monster. Camella's hair was dyed red with her own blood, floating as if each strand had a mind of its own. One of her eyes was missing, and a massive spike pierced through her stomach, with additional spikes embedded in her arms, shoulder, and leg.

She had bulldozed through the wall, and the worst part was that she began pulling out the spikes and regenerating.

How bad had Heracles wounded Camella for even her extraordinary regeneration to be hindered?

However, I couldn't afford to let my thoughts wander like that.

The transmutation circle I had created shimmered once more. Camella noticed and acted swiftly, charging towards me and kicking off the ground, causing a crack from the power behind her. However, it was already too late. A wall emerged and a hole opened beneath her.

The hole was lined with gleaming spikes, and her eyes widened when she noticed that the ground below her feet had disappeared. Camilla fell down and impaled onto the spikes, she screamed in pain. With tears in her eyes, she tried pulling herself up and started healing as soon as the spike exited her body.

Was she truly invincible?

I began sketching another alchemical circle. Thankfully, the space was confined, granting me an advantage despite her speed. Furthermore, her previous collision with my wall had sealed her fate. Now, the key was to prevent her from regenerating to a level where she could utilize her full speed.

"Ughh, Idas..." Camella groaned as her body nearly reassembled itself. Meanwhile, I completed my alchemical circle.

Another faint light emanated, causing the walls to sprout spikes like jagged teeth, which closed in on Camella's location.

"Damn, you're stronger than I anticipated," the former head guard whistled, adding, "With her gone, can you release me? We need to escape this place swiftly. The king or anyone else will never believe what transpired here, and they'll be hunting us down."

"No, she's not dead," I stated, glancing at my interface.

Camella was someone capable of tearing apart a spider monster with her bare hands, someone leagues above such a creature. Yet, I hadn't leveled up at all.

I drew yet another alchemical circle and manipulated the ground beneath her, attempting to crush her, but there was no prompt indicating a level up. My Kar reserves were dwindling at around twenty percent.

Thinking on my feet, I used transmutation on the cell bars and informed the ex-head guard, "You're free to escape."

"Where do you plan on going, kid?" he asked.

"Somewhere far away, like Sparta," I replied, withholding the truth in case he was captured and interrogated.

"Oh, that place is nice. It's home to plenty of beautiful women. Have you heard of Helen? They say she's the most beautiful woman in Greece," he nodded. "Wouldn't mind spending a few nights with someone like her. It's been a while since..."

I didn't pay much attention to his ramblings and employed another transmutation, creating an opening in the wall that led outside. Unfortunately, my Kar reserves were nearly depleted, preventing me from creating something better. After climbing out, the ex-head guard started walking in the opposite direction from me.

"If fate allows, let's meet again," he said, waving as he departed.

"By the way, what's your name, kid?" asked the ex-head guard. "I'm Gardon."

"Idas," I nodded, and without delay, I ran off. We both went our separate ways, ensuring that if Camilla decided to pursue one of us, the other would have a head start.

Running through the dark streets, with the full moon behind me, fatigue began to set in from my depleted Kar reserves, but I couldn't afford to rest here. Thankfully due to the laws forbidding anyone from going out at night, the tavern I was staying at was empty so I didn’t have to walk through a drunk crowd.

I walked up the stairs and kicked the door open, causing Budas to immediately turn towards me, and take out his sword.

"We need to get the hell out of here," I calmly informed them.

"Huh? What happened?" Auto looked perplexed. On the other hand, Budas didn't dwell on it, swiftly scooping up the young girl like a sack of potatoes and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Hey! Let me go!" Auto protested, but no one paid her any mind. She was just a child, confused and frightened. However, there was no time to explain.

Budas hoisted Billy the goat with his other arm. The former bandit glanced at me and said, "I'm not much of a fighter, but I can carry these two. At least they won't hinder you."

I nodded. "Good, follow me."

Together, we made our way to the nearby docks, thankfully located close to my lodgings. The area was deserted, as the merchants had already moved their goods from the ships, and the guards were preoccupied with the parts of town where the monster had appeared.

I guided my team onto a moderately-sized boat and addressed them all. "Billy, listen to Budas, and make sure you all take care of each other."

Then, I drew a transmutation circle on the ship's hull, and with a soft glow, the vessel repaired all its damages.

Feeling lightheaded, I leaned against the ship before I could pass out.

"You're bleeding from your nose!" Auto exclaimed, filled with panic.

"Okay, all of you are going to leave this town, and don't look back," I warned them, taking deep, labored breaths. It felt as if mountains were weighing down my eyelids, and I longed for sleep, but I couldn't succumb to it.

"Why are we leaving?" Auto inquired.

"No time to explain!" I unfurled the sails of the boat, leaping off while giving Budas some final instructions. "We'll meet again in Athens!"

My head grew heavy, and the light of the full moon seared my eyes as the ship sailed away. At least now I didn't have to worry about them being used as hostages.

Well, time to kill a monster...