Chapter 259: Leader
“Well then, if that’s settled, let’s get moving. It’s been a while since the Hero wreaked havoc here. Depending on the nature of the Black Spirit, we might still make it in time. Once it burrows inside, even Dean and the others won’t be able to respond, but capturing it alive will be quite the challenge,” Dinoss said, clapping his hands together.
Unlike animals, taking over a sentient being is no easy feat. Ultimately, it will completely merge with its host, but it’s likely that it has only partially infiltrated—no, if it hasn’t returned here, its consciousness might be compromised. It could be more than halfway in. I hope it hasn’t fully transformed into a Demon Beast yet.
If it’s just the Black Spirit, we can defeat it with Spirit Weapons or magic, but if it’s more than halfway in, we’ll have to weaken it by destroying part of it before wrapping it up. Physical attacks won’t knock it out, which makes it troublesome. Attacks can affect the body, but if we kill it, that would be a disaster.
Also, if someone gets startled or overwhelmed by a single emotion, there’s a chance the Black Spirit could temporarily slip in during that moment, so we need to be cautious. If the Black Spirit comes at us, we can switch our emotions, so we should be fine—assuming we can see it.
That said, Dean, Chris, and Retze are in danger. According to Dinoss, Ash and the Butler are also at risk since they can’t see it due to their glasses. As for me, I’m still a mystery to Dinoss.
Even though they’re in danger, it seems that if you’re favored by a Spirit, it’s harder for the Black Spirit to invade, so Dean and Chris might be alright. It’s more about the battle between the Spirits and the Black Spirit. Retze is the one in real danger.
He has a Spirit Sword, so he should be fine, right? Unlike the others, Vine-chan can move on its own. It seems everyone is likely okay, which is a relief.
When I shifted my gaze from Retze, I saw Ash with a scary expression. Is he uncomfortable because he’s being protected? Just as I was thinking that, the glasses-wearer glanced at Ash and flinched, quickly averting his gaze.
“By the way, if we don’t see the Black Spirit nearby, should we strip everyone down?” Just like how I had the Spirit hide under my robe and sleeves, if it burrows into clothing, it generally becomes invisible.
“I can see it, along with Baylis. Spirits can see through the Material Realm; they just need to signal their respective Spirits. Once we capture it, I can just slice it down.”
…Huh? Is it strange that I can see it? Well, aside from the Spirits, normally you can’t see under clothing. What I see are the Spirits, not naked bodies; even the naked ones are somewhat transparent with their clothes. Could it be that this ability to see Spirits is more akin to being close to a Spirit than being a ‘human who can see’?
I’ve been adjusting the visibility without thinking too deeply about it, but now I suspect I’m manipulating the boundaries between the Material Realm and the Spirit Realm.
Speaking of my body, it was created by the Spirits, wasn’t it? Spirits are usually clumsy or uninterested in things outside their attributes, so it’s surprising they managed to create a human. Not to mention the other abilities that were added.
Thinking about my own existence feels like a deep pit I might fall into, so I should stop. Questions like why I’m alive lead to nowhere. It might be better to ponder the existence of the universe instead. “Between heaven and earth, there are matters that even philosophy cannot fathom.”
“Alright, you stay here and prepare to carry the possessed ones up. There haven’t been any side paths up to this point, and a Demon Beast or two might appear, but that should be manageable, right?” Dinoss confirmed.
The Guild Master and Vice Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild are often former Adventurers. Some can draw Magic Circles but struggle with practical applications, yet at least one of them is always strong. This is because many Adventurers won’t follow someone who isn’t strong.
“Yes, if it’s the Twentieth Layer, there won’t be any issues. I’ll draw a Magic Circle to immobilize the Demon Beasts. I can also use a bit of healing magic, so if anyone gets injured, just come back,” he said. Ah, so he can use healing magic after all.
By the way, everyone here, including the glasses-wearer, is assuming that all the previous adventurers have been possessed.
“—Can you use light magic during combat?” The glasses-wearer must have been referring to the Light Spirit I’m hosting, and I nodded in response. No need to voice it!
“Time is of the essence; we’re leaving now.”
“I said we’d rescue everyone, but don’t overexert yourself. Good luck.” The glasses-wearer bowed and saw us off.
Transporting everyone to the city will be quite a hassle, but since the glasses-wearer seems determined, I should try a little harder too. My evaluation of him is all over the place.
And then I realized something. Rosa’s Group was fully intent on dealing with the possessed man. There’s a chance they just happened to miss it, but they must have noticed that the first possessed man was acting strangely.
We need to resolve this quickly before the situation worsens. It’s true that while transporting from the hunting ground to the city, he might end up transforming into a Demon Beast.
Wait, Dean! The Leader!! In the end, Dinoss is the one taking charge! When I looked at Dean, he was happily following Dinoss. This is why fans are like this…!