The Cursed Black Hero

Vol. 2 CH.11 - The skill <Evolution> PART #1

But such arrogance gave Elyria the advantage of being able to sneak around Ernest Vern's base.

"Wait... that's "

Elyria looked above the throne, only to see a bird cage hanging on the high ceiling. Thinking that it was suspicious, Elyria jumped towards it with great haste, hoping that either princess Lydia was there or one of her comrades.

Then as Elyria finally got close enough to peer through the gaps of the cage a large cloth her eyes winded in shock.

"Lydia.....sama?"

"Ough.... Gh.... W-who is there...?"

Long white hair, compound eyes, insect-like exoskeleton allover her limbs and her chest became four. Lydia's appearance had turned into an unimaginable monster that could make anyone turn away the moment they saw her.

Elyria was no different; she too unconsciously averted her gaze and did her best not to let out the contents of her stomach once more.

"Princess... that, you are..."

"Are you... the rescue that monster...? Spoke of?"

It seems that she Ernest Vern knew that Elyria and Kyoushiro was coming. It wasn't a concern since Kyoushiro was doing most of the fighting right now to distract Ernest Vern and his group. Elyria took a deep breath first before unlocking the cage.

"Yes, I was sent here by her majesty Elfianna-sama. Please wait for a moment and I'll-"

But just as Elyria was about to open the cage forcefully with her magic, Lydia stopped her. With trembling hands, Lydia grasped the bars of the cage...

"No... please take the others first....T-They are all behind that monster's t-throne...."

"Lydia-sama?"

Elyria was puzzled because Lydia wanted to rescue the other captive first. It was an admirable thing to do but her situation was getting worse. On the back of her hand, the carapace of a cockroach was spreading.

"..... Understood..."

Although reluctant, Elyria decided to tend to the other captive women first. Then, just as Elyria was about to jump down, she heard a soft whisper from Lydia, giving her gratitude to her...

"Thank you...."

The shadow of the cage deepened as Elyria descended from the high hanging cage...

-

How long have I been fighting?

I don't know how long since it began but the fight had dragged on for so long that I forgot how much the monster that died by my sword.

Covered in blood and intestines and other grounded flesh and skin of the monsters he felled, Kyoushiro breathe raggedly as he cut another set of insect monsters and were-bats. The ogres and orcs, as well as the cyclops and even snake men, all of them were ceaselessly jumping to their deaths.

Kyoushiro was in the center of all of that.

Sometimes it would rain of giant rocks, sometimes it was fire and then came acids. There was even poison gasses and paralysis mist that Ernest Vern's troops used to get to Kyoushiro.

It was that harsh for a lone man to fight a horde of 1000 all by himself.

My mind is going blank... this cursed masked is eating away my sanity.... Not only that...

Kyoushiro kicked a beetle monster and jumped to the air, he took out a recovery potion and a magic potion. He drank the contents while in mid-air then used the sharpened ends of the black tendrils growing under his coat to cut down the webs that was flying towards him.

"....gh...."

Kyoushiro's body wasn't already on the verge of collapsing. The burden of the cursed masked and his inability to gain more experience points was giving him too much of a hard time. One was consuming his mind and the other was preventing him to level up just as fast and increase his attribute values...

But because the curse on his right arm, he was having a difficult time against a large number of enemies.

Kyoushiro thought that dragging the fight too long would be bad since the very area he was in was dangerous. He doesn't know where the drug that could mutate anyone was so there was a danger in inhaling the remains of that drug.

I really can't afford to use that sword but....

If push comes to shove, Kyoushiro might use that cursed sword just to clear the enemies before him. If it's the 'him' of that time, that was nearly consumed, then firing that high powered attack would be possible. The attack that tore a dimensional hole to escape from that horrid place where the Demon God appeared before....

"It looks like you're already at your limit mortal"

"Shut up you damn overgrown four-eyes!!"

Kyoushiro slashed and slashed, whenever he was attacked, he retaliated. Whenever he receives damage from magic attacks and poisons, Kyoushiro would take out potions from his magic storage.

That was how it was for a while now...

Kuh...!!? My body feels so heavy right now... And my heart is-!!?

It wasn't good; Kyoushiro's body was breaking down already. His coat that was magically enchanted had been torn here and there. His protective plates and caps were already beyond repair and he was taking physical damage.

The effects of his equipment had fallen to the point it could barely maintain itself. Even if it was strong equipment, if it as damaged to a degree that even the material couldn't handle then the durability drops greatly.

Furthermore, something was happening inside his body. Like it was being heated from the inside, Kyoushiro was burning up like a flickering candle flame.

Until suddenly....

"------!?"

Kyoushiro vomited blood....