CHAPTER 254.2 - EVIL SPIRIT II

As the dense forest slowly turned into a grove, upon looking around the surrounding area, all that was visible was the swift movements of birds and small animals across the landscape.

As Hayama-kun said, the tranquil atmosphere made me feel like this was mere hiking instead of dangerous mountain climbing.

「But it's times like these that you get that kind of feeling, right?」

「Agreed…」

I had a bad feeling about this situation, and Kyouko seemed to feel the same.

And just as I expected—or perhaps it should have been expected—it happened when we emerged from the forest and came upon a steep slope littered with large, jagged rocks.

GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Two massive shadows came rushing at us, raising earthshaking war cries.

「Oh no, it's the grimgore!」

Those shadows were of bipedal carnivorous dinosaurs, two sizes smaller than a Thunder Tyranno but still far larger than a raptor. Their bodies were covered in gray, rock-like armor that blended seamlessly with the surrounding rocky terrain. Their angular heads opened wide, revealing massive jaws as they roared ferociously.

Grimgore was a monster that you could find almost everywhere in the dungeon.

They were medium-sized, ferocious, and agile, but most notably, they hunted in packs. These creatures were highly dangerous, and the risk of hunting them never seemed worth the reward. I had always avoided them and never once tried to take them down on my own.

However, it seems that we couldn't avoid battle this time.

In this rocky terrain, the grimgores’ shell acted as camouflage, delaying our detection of them. Unfortunately, they noticed us first. Their speed was also superior; simply running away in a straight line would result in them easily catching up to us.

We had no choice but to fight… Everyone thought the same and braced themselves, frozen in place as they prepared to face the two grimgores charging straight at us.

「They came from behind too!」

Even though we noticed it, it was just a split second too late.

Grimgores always travel in packs. A pair like this was unusual.

As I shouted and quickly turned around, a third grimgore emerged from behind, breaking thin trees as it barreled through them.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

「Holy cow, ain't this the so-called pincer attack!?」

「Kotaro, they came from the front and back!」

There was no time to worry now.

Considering the distance between us and the grimgores, combined with their charging speed, Kyouko could only halt one with her first strike.

The front line consisted of Rem, who had already completed her transformation into the Dark Knight, and Kinako, who seemed a bit shaken. I didn’t think the two of them could stop more than two grimgores. At best, one was their limit.

However, if the one who came from behind didn't stop, we might need to use the roirops as a meat shield.

If Grimgores latched onto roirops, the latter would be defeated in no time. However, since they were nothing but corpse dolls, I could always make another.

On the other hand, Kinako would be finished if he fell. As for the young girl Rem, the main body of the shadow doll, it was unclear what would happen if she was injured.

Considering the overall threat level and safety, the best course of action was to first weaken one of the two in front while sacrificing roirops to hold off the one in the back.

「Kyouko, snipe the one in the back!」

「Here we go, 『Terra Fortis Sagita(Rock Spear)』」

I started my chant along with the sound of a rock spear piercing the sound barrier.

「Gathering the silent cries, reflecting the transparent figure in the dark night. Madness incarnate, the end of tragedy, the fate of emptiness. O dwellers in the murky bottomless swamp. Unknown of repentance————」

What reinforced my decision was the new curse bestowed upon me by Ruinhilde-sama a while ago.

Although this wasn't the situation I had envisioned for its debut, it should still prove effective even now.

The Cursed Hexa in my outstretched right hand glowed with the engraved six-pointed star eye, amplifying the curse's effect. Target locked on.

Take this new curse of mine.

「————『Evil Spirit Possession』」

『Evil Spirit Possession』: An ordinary, commonplace existence. Too feeble to be called a will, far removed from hatred or madness. Yet, they persist. Overlapping, drifting, and even now, they still seek a vessel.

I clenched my open palm a bit.

It was simply an empty hand grasping at the air, but I felt a solid sense within my grasp.

Alright, it was a success. I'd captured the evil spirit.

GYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

A high-pitched, anguished scream rose from the grimgore, unlike the cry when they hunted their prey.

The one I targeted was the one on the right. Though its mouth gaped wide, revealing its sharp fangs, there was a faint, shadowy mist obscuring its head.

I'm curious what Hayama-kun saw since he was adept in this regard.

Anyhow, the changes in the grimgore possessed by the evil spirit would soon become apparent.

「What the hell, is there internal conflict or something among them!?」

The grimgore on the right suddenly raised a loud cry before attacking its own comrade, sinking its teeth into the other’s neck.

They were around ten meters apart from Rem and Kinako.

Just as Hayama-kun had said, the flock suddenly fought against each other.

「Hayama-kun, aim at the one in the back with me.」

「R-Roger!」

Although Hayama-kun seemed bewildered by the sudden turn of events, he quickly responded to my call and, gripping his 『Red Lance』.

「HELL YEAH, A CLEAN HIT, KOTARO!」

As expected of Kyouko, she skillfully hit the grimgore in the back with 『Terra Fortis Sagita(Rock Spear)』.

Though it missed the vital spot, it sunk deep into the grimgore's body, seemingly ripping through its stomach, shattering the rocky carapace, and causing heavy bleeding.

The impact and injuries must have caused it to collapse on the spot.

Despite the intense presence suggesting it might get back up at any moment, the roirops swiftly stepped in, stomping down to prevent the creature from standing. This assist wasn’t automated—it was likely Rem’s decision.

「Here's the clincher————『Poison』」

「Here I come, FIRE!」

「Well, I guess 『Terra Sagita』 is enough for now.」

My poison, Hayama-kun's flames, and Kyouko's bullet all converged on the gaping wound, delivering a fatal blow to the struggling grimgore.

Nevertheless, it was tenacious. Even as it writhed and let out painful wails, it no longer had the strength to stand. If the roirops kept it pinned, it would soon breathe its last.

「One more to go!」

「Kotaro, which one should I target!?」

「The one that got bitten by its ally」

『Evil Spirit Possession』 was, as the name suggested, a curse that allowed one to possess a target with an evil spirit.

Based on the familiar flavor text, the "evil spirits" mentioned here were likely not powerful enough to instantly curse someone to death. Instead, they were akin to faint spirits drifting around. Despite being classified as "evil," their presence was extremely subtle, lacking any real power.

This new skill of mine gathered those evil spirits and hammered them into the opponent's mind. From the sensation I experienced when activating it, that's roughly how the effect worked.

By condensing faint evil spirits that would normally go unnoticed, they transformed into an intense will, driving the possessed target mad.

Yes, when the target was possessed by the evil spirits, they went on a rampage, unable to distinguish between friend and foe.

The key point of this curse was that, if used properly, I could drive one enemy insane and cause them to attack their allies.

「Take this————『Terra Fortis Sagita』!」

Kyouko's powerful advanced attack spell landed a clean hit on the grimgore, piercing its torso and seemingly shattering its heart, killing it on the spot.

GOGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

「H-Hey, Momokawa, there's still one more left! Also, I have a really bad feeling about that one—!」

「Ah, is that the one who got possessed by the evil spirit?」

「This isn't the time for jokes!」

With its ally slain, the grimgore possessed by evil spirits set its sights on us as its next target.

The downside of 『Evil Spirit Possession』 was that I couldn’t control it. It merely drove the target—whether friend or foe—into a mindless frenzy.

If we left it alone, it would end up attacking us as well.

「Everyone, stay back.」

I put away 『The Fool's Cane』, changed to 『Poison』, and took the lantern I had hung on Jaja.

Channeling magical power into it, the lantern emitted a distinct white glow despite the broad daylight.

「Take this holy maiden's radiance, evil spirit begone!」

GYOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

With a scream, the grimgore hastily turned on its heels and fled at full speed beyond the rocky outcrop.

「I'll at least thank you for making this lantern, Sakura-chan.」

Evil spirits seemed to have a strong aversion to light attributes. Even a simple light that didn’t cause any physical damage made them flee in desperation.

Therefore, just lighting this lantern illuminated by the Light Spirit (Lux Elemental) was incredibly effective.

The evil spirit would gradually leave the fleeing grimgore, which would return to the wild once back to normal.

Well, that was a completely unexpected attack… but we ended up with two fresh grimgore corpses without any losses on our side. From a cost-benefit perspective, it was a huge gain. This was my lucky day!

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My first CN project, why waifu though? Well, coz the main heroine's job is buying soy sauce till the end of act 1

New Project:

Harem, Hero, Demon King, Seven Deadly Sin, Seven Virtue, Sacred Beast, Sword and Magic, Dystopian Future, DESTINY PROJECT HAD IT REALIZED!, Dungeon, Dragon, 72 Demons, Reincarnations

===TN: Those Who Can't Wait For more Jil-kun's, I've Uploaded Advance chapters in Fox–HERE and in PATREON(cheaper 10/$10) with a paywall of course===

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