Early the next morning, Duanmu Huai and his group set off again toward Stoneveil City. The woman from before still remained behind, clearly not ready to head for the city yet—or rather, in everyone's opinion, it was probably for the best that she never became ready for it.
"Master, there won't really be spiders in there, right?"
Perched uneasily on Duanmu Huai's shoulder, Bambi asked the question nervously. It wasn't hard to understand why—after hearing that woman's description, anyone would picture a massive, hairy black spider inside that castle, its body pierced through with countless human torsos stripped of limbs and heads, hanging like grotesque cocoons that swayed up and down with the spider's movements...
"Ugh..."
Odelle clearly imagined the same scene; her face went pale, and she quickly turned her head away, refusing to think about it any further.
"I don't think so... Uh, did the explorers' notes mention anything?"
Duanmu Huai glanced at the Princess of the Forest and asked curiously. She shook her head.
"They said the castle's gate was sealed shut. Without siege equipment, they couldn't enter, so they went around it by another route. They didn't know what was inside either."
"Then whatever it is, it probably isn't a spider... Forget it, we'll find out soon enough."
The road toward the castle was far from peaceful. Like most castles, guards were stationed everywhere. But thinking about how killing them would be meaningless anyway, Duanmu Huai quickly lost interest in fighting.
"Master, what's wrong?"
Sensing his change in mood, Olgis asked curiously. Duanmu Huai shook his head.
"Nothing. Just thinking about how these guys revive after being killed—it's hard to feel motivated to fight them again. Still... they are a real pain."
If they'd just stood in his way, that would've been fine. But these soldiers were cunning—they hid in the bushes along the roadside or ambushed from above, which was what really annoyed him.
Hearing his complaint, Olgis thought for a moment, then spoke.
"In that case, I have a proposal..."
That she would even make one was unexpected. But once Duanmu Huai heard it, he could only sigh helplessly.
"Are you sure this is really okay, Miss Olgis?"
Odelle asked uneasily from behind him, while beside her, Mistrina looked positively thrilled.
"Hahaha, actually, this sounds pretty fun."
"What the hell is going on in your head..."
Duanmu Huai looked exasperated. Olgis's suggestion was simple.
Everyone would ride on his body, and he'd just charge through with them.
Of course, for most people that would be impossible—but Duanmu Huai was much larger than average, and the girls around him were all slim and petite. It wasn't entirely unfeasible.
So now, Odelle, Mistrina, and Lorena clung to his back, while Bambi and Olgis sat, as usual, on his shoulders. The mousefolk princess Milfi hid nervously in Mistrina's arms. Olgis used her [Puppet Threads] to secure everyone in place, preventing anyone from falling. From a distance, Duanmu Huai probably looked like a man carrying a pile of sacks on his back.
Except these sacks were... restless.
"Whoa, so this is what a man's back feels like? It's so hard!"
Mistrina curiously poked and prodded at Duanmu Huai's back, while Milfi looked at her speechlessly.
"That's his armor, Your Highness... of course it's hard."
"Ugh... still feels kind of embarrassing..."
Lorena's face flushed red, even though she'd been carried by him before. Odelle, meanwhile, looked up worriedly.
"Master, doesn't this burden your body?"
"It's fine."
He swung his [Thunder Warhammer] experimentally. The extra weight was noticeable, but not enough to hinder him. And with Olgis watching from his shoulder, even an ambush wouldn't be a problem.
Strange as it looked, this setup would make them much faster.
"Ready, Olgis?"
"Ready, Master."
"Good. Then..."
Bending forward, Duanmu Huai stared ahead.
"Let's go!"
The next instant, with the roar of a [Jet Pack] and a chorus of girls' screams, Duanmu Huai shot forward like a charging rhino.
Boom—boom—boom—!
He thundered down the road, his enormous frame kept perfectly balanced by the [Power Armor]. Even with several people clinging to him, his movements didn't falter in the slightest.
Ahead, heavily armed soldiers blocked the way—spearmen with shields and even mounted [Ballistae]. But such obstacles meant nothing to Duanmu Huai. With a shout, he charged straight into them.
Even the mindless soldiers seemed to sense danger and fear. They instinctively stepped back, raising their spears defensively. Ballista crews manned their weapons—but before they could fire, Duanmu Huai's towering figure swallowed them whole.
The soldiers screamed—not in fury, but in terror. They thrust their spears at the armored giant before them, but their weapons shattered on contact. The next moment, his massive weight slammed into them like a storm, sending bodies flying through the air.
Crash!
Ballista bolts shot forward, slamming into his chest. But even bolts that could pierce a man didn't slow him down one bit. When soldiers leapt from the forest on both sides to ambush, he'd already broken through their lines and charged past.
After smashing through two defensive gates, Duanmu Huai entered a dark tunnel. He sprinted through the shadows and emerged at the castle gate. Between him and the gate lay a narrow path flanked by sheer cliffs on both sides, ending at a massive iron gate and a drawbridge.
A perfect place to defend, impossible to attack.
Duanmu Huai gave it a quick glance—then kept going.
But just then—
Whoosh!
A shadow dropped from above, landing right in front of him.
"Foolish—"
"Out of my way!"
Duanmu Huai had no patience for talk. He roared, swung his warhammer, and hurled it with tremendous force. The [Thunder Warhammer] whistled through the air, smashing into the shadow before it even touched the ground and sending it flying off the cliff.
He didn't even slow down. To him, that thing wasn't even an obstacle. Charging across the crumbling cliff path, he reached the gate.
The iron bars sealing it were locked tight—but Duanmu Huai didn't care. He stopped for a moment, crouched down, then leapt into the air.
"Waaaahhhhh!!"
Odelle and Lorena screamed in terror, while Mistrina and Bambi squealed with excitement. Duanmu Huai soared skyward with the girls clinging to him. As he rose, he scanned the entire castle.
From above, it was clear the fortress was on full alert—ballistae lined the stairways behind the gate, soldiers stood ready in every courtyard, as if waiting for a battle that would never come.
Who exactly are they waiting for?
The thought flashed across his mind, then vanished.
At that moment, Mistrina shouted, "Sir Knight, there's a tower over there!"
"Hm?"
Following her finger, Duanmu Huai saw it—a tall spire standing apart from the castle, connected only by a bridge. Something was there...
"It's the Mother of Earth! Sir Knight, please, take us there!"
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Duanmu Huai adjusted course and dove toward the tower, landing heavily on its rooftop.
Boom!
He looked around. The top was a circular platform, empty except for two enormous... things.
"Wait—those look like... fingers?"
Bambi peeked out nervously, staring at them. Duanmu Huai nodded. Indeed, they resembled human fingers—an index and middle finger, half-buried in the ground, as if a giant hand had sunk beneath the earth.
Or perhaps... only the fingers remained.
"...Mother of Earth... how could this be..."
Mistrina stepped forward sadly, placing her hand gently on the two fingers.
"Could it be... that you've truly perished?"
(End of Chapter)