"Your magical energy is the same vivid color as a cannibalized monster's... just what are you?"
"A supreme being possessing the power of both humans and monsters."
Oliverus answered Aspi's question readily.
He spoke with a condescending air, as if he were revealing a hidden secret of the world to some ignorant fool.
"Vioras, and I as well! We are all comrades whose origin is 'her'! As 'her' proxy, the monsters obey my will!"
According to him, the situation was roughly as follows.
The pantry on the 24th Floor served as a kind of relay point.
By parasitizing a new type of monster within the pantry, they had produced Vioras.
Then, they moved those multiplied monsters from the deep levels toward the surface.
That was the goal shared by him and 'her.'
"Why would you do something like that?"
"Naturally. To destroy Orario."
Oliverus spoke with a wistful look, his expression almost dreamy with love.
'She' admired the sky.
'She' desired it.
Thus, he believed it was only right that he fulfill 'her' wish.
"I! I alone, chosen by 'her,' can make 'her' wish come true!"
'She' is my everything!
Aspi and the others stiffened, their expressions twisted in disgust.
It was the rambling of a complete madman.
He had been a former member of Evils and the source of the [Nightmare of the 27th Floor].
That alone was enough to prove he was unstable, but everyone agreed he seemed even more deranged now than he had been then.
I had to agree.
Still, there was no point wasting energy criticizing the bastard for no reason.
I didn't have the stamina or the time to spare.
There was something far more important to do right now.
"Hey, you hybrid chimera. I've listened to your long-winded speech. As payment—or maybe not quite payment—could you answer a few questions of my own?"
You need time to recover that immobile body of yours anyway, don't you?
At my taunting words, Oliverus let out a short, dismissive "Hmph."
His gaze was infuriating, as if he were looking at prey already caught in his grasp.
But for now, I'd let that slide.
He wasn't the only one who needed time.
"So you saw through it. As expected. You're a bit different from the foolish adventurers I've encountered so far, mage."
"Thanks for the compliment. So, the answers?"
"Interesting. Very well, I'll answer as much as I can. What do you intend to ask?"
Oliverus was now openly acting with the leisure of a victor.
That arrogance is going to make your heart burst, you bastard.
I took a short breath, then let the questions in my head spill out.
"Hmm, you said 'she' admires the sky, right? Then what about the sun? No interest in the sun? Or precious metals? Anything shiny or pretty? What about life on the surface? Does she not care about the lives of other beings? No, before that, what form does 'she' even have? Is she humanoid? Pretty? Cute? Beautiful? Or does she resemble other monsters, like some other creature? If not that, then some incomprehensible transcendent form? Does she eat by absorbing nutrients from the pantry like other monsters? Or does she consume food like surface creatures? Come to think of it, did you say 'she' talks to you? Then has she learned our language? What does her mouth structure look like? Or could it be she's sending only her intent to you through telepathy? I do know one species with a similar octopus head. Ah, and besides that, does she perhaps know anything unusual that transcends ordinary perception, like something related to magecraft..."
"W-wait! What are you even asking right now!? At a time like this, you should obviously be finding out the enemy's identity...!"
"What kind of idiotically convenient thing are you saying? There's no way he'd answer something that obvious. Do you still see him as a thoughtless moron?"
"Th-that's..."
To Aspi's objection, I gave a perfectly reasonable answer. She started to retort, only to close her mouth tightly, seemingly deciding I was right.
Hmm, judging by her expression, her head must hurt quite a bit. Chronic headaches? Should I look up a good medicine for her later?
"Enough!"
"My, what a temper. Isn't that a little harsh on a patient?"
"Ugh!"
In the end, the all-purpose expert Aspi was the only one to get shot down without gaining anything.
That was kind of funny.
No wonder Hermes cherishes this girl so much for the sake of entertainment.
She definitely has a talent for taking the bait.
I should make her a custom folding fan next time. I'm looking forward to seeing how she'd react.
"I do agree with that, certainly. Even so, you're quite the unusual fellow. To think the only things you ask about are such useless matters."
From a short distance away, Oliverus suddenly cut into our trivial exchange.
How dare he interrupt while I'm talking to a beauty. What a tactless bastard, just as ugly as he looks.
...Come to think of it, I was suddenly curious about something. That lower half of his was made for him by that 'her' thing, right?
So does that guy have one down there, or not? No, if I asked that, would he get angry and call it sexual harassment?
"Useless, you say? Not at all. I'm asking because I'm curious. If that curiosity is resolved, then that alone is perfectly valuable knowledge. Knowledge has no such thing as worth or worthlessness. Just as all information has meaning, knowledge is the same—it will be used somehow. The only difference is whether there's someone who knows how to use it."
I answered him while barely restraining the new question that had just sprung to mind.
I couldn't possibly tolerate such short-sighted, ignorant remarks.
Someone like that deserved a bird missile to the face, at least once.
Unfortunately, I still didn't have the technical skill to make one.
...Wait, what the hell have I been thinking about all this time?
Am I really starting to ramble this much because I'm losing blood? At this rate, I'm seriously going to die.
"Hmph. Personal interest, is it? You really are an incomprehensible one."
Yeah, don't try to understand me.
I can't even understand myself right now.
More importantly, hurry up and hand over the potion already, you idiots.
You've bought this much time, so use your heads and do something.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter."
"Oh? You're going to tell me?"
How unusual. He's being nice?
To my question, Oliverus smiled readily and answered with false kindness.
"Of course, my answer is..."
Yes.
Kindness, in his own way.
"Finish them off, Viskum."
Bwooo...
He had decided to kill us all.
Bwooooooo!
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
"T-this is...!"
"Damn it! Everyone scatter!"
At Oliverus's low call, the new-type monster parasitizing the pantry began to loosen and move.
It was an enormous mass, hundreds of times larger than any cannibalized monster we had seen so far, reminding me of Jormungandr from Norse mythology, the serpent that coils around the world.
From that overwhelming mass alone, the outcome had already been decided.
"Sweep them all away."
Oliverus gave the order with a smile, and Viskum carried it out.
There wasn't much we could do against that utterly brainless bulk and the pure violence it radiated.
At best, all we could do was dodge and somehow run for it.
With a floor hazard, there is usually a clear place to avoid. This, though? There wasn't even an answer to begin with.
"Hahahahahaha! Go, Viskum! Sweep away every last one of those foolish adventurers who set foot in this sacred space!"
Bwooooooo!
At the madman's laughter, primal violence writhed with even greater force.
As a result, fragments flew everywhere.
It would've hurt even under normal conditions, but if I got hit by even one of those in my current state, I could guarantee on my magecraft that it wouldn't end with just "that hurt."
So please dodge properly, carrier guy.
"Ahahaha, this time we really are all going to die together."
"Shut your mouth! I'll bite your tongue off!"
"Ah, that much is fine. I can always... more importantly, if you've got any potion left, could you give me some? My vision's getting blurry, so this is dangerous. Ah, I can see the River Styx over there. Charon the ferryman is waving... huh? Why are you a woman? Don't tell me that's a TS for selling too? Those Chihiro-type management bastards..."
"Hang in there! And stop with the incomprehensible nonsense! If you go this far and then die on your own, I'll never forgive you!"
"Oh, that's a little scary. Got it. I'll be careful. More importantly, that sneaky bastard. Now that I look at him, he's never going to make it as a first-rate villain. No matter how evil you are, if you lie that cheaply, it's not cool. If you hide truth inside truth, that's one thing. But at this rate he won't last long. The standards for first-rate in the villain world are brutal, you know. At this rate he'll just end up as a second-rate loser with a pointless death ending guaranteed. No wonder his god abandoned him."
"Ugh, you're so noisy. You're surprisingly talkative, aren't you!"
"Well, of course, when it comes to beauties... ngh, I'm dying. Not enough blood. I feel sick. I'm gonna throw up. Doctorrrr..."
"Ah, seriously! Someone give me a potion over here! Stuff it in his mouth and make him shut up!"
Maybe I teased them too much.
Still, I'd appreciate it if they'd cut me some slack for everything I've done for them so far.
But judging by the fact that there was still no sign of anything, maybe 'that' still hadn't worked after all.
What the hell was the problem?
Even if he had been a 100% pure adventurer, there should've been some reaction by now.
Or maybe my hypothesis was wrong.
I'd have to go back and research it again.
More importantly, at this rate we were heading straight for total annihilation.
If only Ais came back right now, maybe I could come up with some kind of plan...
KWAANG!
"Huh?"
"What!? What now!?"
Then, an outcome unfolded that no one had expected.
To be honest, even I hadn't seen this coming.
"Tch, a bunch of small fry. No matter how many come, it's useless."
"W-who is that?!"
"Huh? What are you people?"
Even as my consciousness grew hazier, I couldn't help but smile.
Haha, the "wolf" had appeared.