The Spearmaster and the Black Cat-Chapter 39: Item Box

“-Chi, that “rotting Dwarf” is still alive…well then, I’ll return soon.”

Kuna says so in a high-pitched voice and goes to lock the prison but when she extends her arm- I instantly move.

Activating that <skill> I store mana in both of my arms.

Fuuun, I forcibly break the black shackles binding my wrists.

A dull sound echoes-ite.

Because I broke it forcibly, some of the skin around is torn and I am bleeding.

Ma, since the wound heals immediately it does not matter.

I release Rollo’s feet.

In the small gaps on the black constraints, I store mana in my fingers and am careful to not hurt Rollo when I free her.

Kuna leaks a “eh” voice when my arms become free.

The key Kuna was holding falls to the floor.

With an expression of shock her body rises into the air as she lets out a small groan.

This happens because I activated the <Magic Thought Guidance Hand> skill.

With the <Distorted Mana Hand> I grasp Kuna’s body to crush her.

Her scaled arms twist in the vice and she bends into the く character.

The sound of an apple being crushed and an abnormal noise of meat being ground up echoes.

“H-how, u… gu-gatsu.”

Kuna’s tail hanging between her legs draws an arch as she mutters in pain, the tip extends out to my face.

I grab the tail with one hand and stop it.

-Surprising.

Even though I crushed her chest to pieces she still counter attacked…

This stubbornness. As expected of a demonic being.

Moreover, there is a needle at the tip of the tail with a liquid dripping out.

Oi, this is poison.

“Y-you…”

“Kuna-san, it’s regrettable. I will return the favor from before. How about I tease you a little and then kill you?”

I strengthen the grip of the “distorted mana hand.”

I squeeze tighter.

“Gahha.”

The demonic being Kuna vomits purple blood from her mouth and her purple face is trembling.

I break Kuna’s needle tail and forcibly pull it.

“Gyaa!”

“Noisy.”

Oh, yeah, does she have a soul?

I manipulate the <Magic Thought Guidance Hand> and bring the bloodly body of Kuna right in front of me.

I bring her face close so that Kuna’s eye bordered in black and purple meet mine.

I see her eyes clearly.

“Kuna…you tricked me. However, I did the same thing to you. I’m not human either.”

Kuna’s eyes dilate at my words.

“Didn’t you say ‘tooo baaaad’ to me?”

With a wicked smile, I give Kuna her last words.

Immediately I bury my face in the purple scruff of the transformed Kuna, and suck her blood.

Light begins to flow because of “soul sucking.”

I taste her soul. I unconsciously tremble with excitement at the exhilarating feeling.

That moment, Kuna the demonic being suddenly dries up.

Furthermore, large ten centimeter insects fall out of her upper body.

What? Did insects live inside Kuna’s neck?

The accessories Kuna wore fall to the ground with a metallic sound along with the insects and corpse.

The sound echoes.

Did that monster called a Godo come out?

…However, its figure does not appear.

The metallic sound does not seem to reach outside the prison.

I do not have my favorite black spear so I am slightly uneasy.

Ma, I can only fight if it comes.

First, I should check the items Kuna wore.

I stoop down to the floor after treading on the insect husks strewn about.

I will start with her rings.

Three rings fell to the floor.

I can tell the rings are special because how they’re designed.

The rings that produced the light spheres is the triangular triforce.

I try it out and I try to put it on, but…

It is only big enough to fit on the tip of my ring finger…

Ma, I’ll force it on. Next is this bracelet.

The small sun-like crest symbol has a small depression in it.

I touch the crest symbol.

It does not react. I may need to equip it.

Saying that, I put it on my wrist. I reject my left wrist since that is where the chain ejects from.

So, I place it on my right wrist.

I place the bracelet on my right wrist.

Then, the metal bracelet suddenly tightens to fit my wrist.

Oo, its movements surpass shape memory alloy.

I touch the surface. There is still no reaction.

Kuna uttered a word while touching the surface with the opposite hand.

I will imitate her.

“Open.” (TL: Open is English.)

Uo, nearly instantly there is a reaction.

My left hand is drawn in. and a window appears from the sun disk.

The light green rhombus ◆ window, has a humanoid model, storage, and menus with that mark icon are displayed.

While looking under the character menus, the item column is displayed.

◆ : Person Symbol : Storage

Item Inventory 30 / 85

Intermediate Restoration Potion x155

Intermediate Mana Restoration Potion x110

High Class Restoration Potion x43

High Class Mana Restoration Potion x44

Gold Coin x25

Silver Coin x88

Ancient Magic Book Zohedron Trap x1

Large Staff of Moon Spirit Tree x1

Ax of the Ancient Adamantine Tree x1

Armor of the Ancient Adamantine Tree x1

Cuirass of the Ancient Adamantine Tree x1

Leg Guard of the Ancient Adamantine Tree x1

Arm Guard of the Ancient Adamantine Tree x1

Cursed Sword Bitou x1

Priest’s Necklace x1

Mana Amplification Potion x3

Dark Language Magic: Dark Wall x1

Dress of Dark Shadow x1

Stone Ball of Return x13

High Boots of Crimson Shark Leather x1

Magic Armrest of Lightning x1

Ring of Dusk x1

Notes of the Ancient King Permon x1

Petersen’s Passage Fragment x1

Socks of Varuda x5

Picture Scroll of Sebdola-kami x1

Ancient Writing Stone of the Dawn x3

Dark Crest Magic: Dark Shackles x1

Ronto Manuscript x1

Ten Wicked Pictures Shitatop x1

Various items are stored inside so I need to take some time to inspect this.

“Oooii, someone out there?” f𝒓𝑒e𝙬𝒆𝚋𝘯૦𝘷𝐞𝑙.c𝑜𝐦

While I was checking the items, I hear a deep voice from a neighboring prison cell.

He spoke out earlier.

I am interested in who is talking so I will go look.

I close the item bock, and head to the cell the voice is coming from after I pick the fallen key ring.

In the cell is a stagnating pool of shining fluorescent water.

The surface of the water is reflected on the ceiling, creating mysterious designs.

“I’m here, I’m the person who was going to go next to you.”

“What!? You were able to get out? Help me!”

“Leaving that aside, why are you imprisoned? Except…why is your room flooded with the oddlycolored water?”

I hear a *basha* sound of slapping the surface of the water.

“Mm, that, question. Please take me from here! I am Henkai son of Richa of the Bundando clan of Langur Kingdom. My body may be like this, but I was called the Silken Commander Henkai. If you release me I will swear loyalty to you!”

Langur Kingdom, loyalty?

Saying strange things…like Silken Commander, I do not understand.

It is like the nuanced of a warring age, but…

“I don’t need your loyalty. I will help you even if you don’t say such a thing?”

“W-what, understand. Thank you. So, please. Help me!”

I cannot see his face from here, but since he is giving off the feeling of being driven into a corner I might as well help.

“Now then. I will help you, Henkai. Wait a moment.”

“Oooh, thank you.”

I fumble through the keys I took from Kuna while trying to find the one for the cell.

After trying several keys, a key finally slides in with a click.

Bingo. (TL: English)

I open the heavy iron door and enter the prison cell.

“Oi, is it safe to touch the pool of fluorescent water?”

“It’s fine. I’m fine as long as I don’t drink it. This is the extracted magic essence that has begun to mix with the magic jewels in the earth. I will get power if I drink it…but I will also suffer from magic essence poisoning…”

“Gu…”

The extract reacts to the words immediately and begins to spread.

To begin with, what are the magic jewels in the earth?

“Please remove this collar first.”

Then, I look at the owner of the deep voice for the first time.

Are, he is very round…

That, his head is shaped like an onion.

The onion oyaji moves his neck and nods his head up and down.

His hair is long and unkempt…

A huge iron chain is binding his neck to the wall and his upper body is completely soaked in the fluorescent pool.

It looks painful. I must help him.

“…Got it, I’ll remove it.”

“Nya.”

Rollo reacts to the strange glowing pool.

She goes to swipe at the surface of the water.

“Rollo, don’t play with this water, touching it is dangerous.”

Rollo approaches Henkai the onion head who is sunk into the pool.

It cannot be helped; I need to enter the pool.

There is a key hole on the right and left of the iron collar around Henkai’s neck so I search through the key ring for the right one.

The key that opened the prison does not work.

I try several keys until I find the right one.

Opening the lock with the key, I remove the huge chain.

“…Sorry. Will you also release my hand?”

“Yeah. wait a sec.”

I look at Henkai’s arms soaking in the pool.

The black tubes on both arms, no, the tentacle-like pipe extends into the pool and seem to be connect to the bottom.

As I look, something like a magic formation seems to be drawn on the bottom.

Steel restraints are binding both of Henkai’s hands.

This is strange.

This is a magic tool but it looks like a machine.

The pipe connected to the arms is torn in several places and fluorescent liquid is leaking from it. The steel handprint is firmly fixed to the floor.

The floor-

“What is it? Light?”

A part of the steel handprints restricting Henkai’s hands is shining.

The mysterious fluorescent liquid continues leaking from the black pipe.

It is not blood, this fluorescent color?

It seems like the magic formation connected to the steel handprint is absorbing Henkai’s magic essence.

The magic essence being absorbed from Henkai is what I saw flowing through the labyrinth.

While wondering, I insert the key and into the steel handprint covering his wrists and remove the shackles.

Furthermore, I pull out all the black pipes leading to his arms.

Uou, light.

I am surprised when I take out both of Henkai’s hands.

On the back of his hand is a geometric pattern with an octagonal jewel in the center of the design.

The jewel emits a yellow light.

With his hands freed, Henkai opens his dried lips.

“…This light. Isn’t it strange? That’s right. A magic jewel of the earth is imbedded in both my arms and stomach. This binding gauntlet is a special magic tool. The magic jewel reacts and absorbs magic essence so I was considered nourishment for the labyrinth…”

Continuously, Henkai looks at his palms while flexing his fingers, saying “At any rate, it has been so long since I have seen my hands…”

“My abdomen and feet are also bound.”

There is another iron plate with a magic formation winding around Henkai’s abdomen so I remove it.

“I will also unlock both of your feet.”

“Ooh, sorry. I am indebted-!?”

Henkai tries to stand up immediately and falls over.

“-Oi, don’t push yourself.”

I lend him my shoulder and pick him up from the edge of the pool.

I am surprised again when I see Henkai.

A dark gray jewel is imbedded in his abdomen, different from the shining light yellow jewels in his arms.

It is just below the navel.

Around the dark gray jewel, a geometric pattern like an electric circuit is cut into his skin with black lines, spreading up to his chest.

This is not normal by any standard.

This dwarf…

The light of the jewel in his abdomen has lost its light while the jewels connected to his arms are shining.

Totally abnormal.

Henkai begins to explain weakly while I look at the dark gray jewel.

“…It seems the power of the jewel was completely absorbed.”

He mentioned it early, but the power of the jewel?

…I will ask about it.

“What is it? That jewel?”

“Have you heard of the mysterious secret art of enchanting?”

“I have heard of enchanting, but at least…I have not seen a jewel connect to the hands and abdomen. This is a first.”

“Is that so…”

With a sinking face Henkai hangs his head.

Aah, crap. This guy is completely exhausted…

Judging from Henkai’s appearance he has completely run out of stamina.

I touch the bracelet with the sun symbol and say “Open.”

An item column is displayed and I immediately select the intermediate recovery potion from the list.

From the window the recovery potion bottle slowly appears.

“Drink this to recover.”

“Ooh, thanks. Then…”

Henkai quickly drinks it.

His haggard face is instantly restored.

The wounds in his arms fade and his build suddenly changes.

His muscles seem to have increased by an increment.

Oh, the Dwarf appearance has become slightly bigger, although the onion head and thick eyebrows do not change.

About the same as Zaga and Bon in Hector but slightly big for a Dwarf, as expected they are from the same race.

He is larger than Loirr from underground.

“However, that high-class recovery potion, and to have such a valuable item box…are you a high ranked adventurer from labyrinth city? Or are you a noble of some kingdom?”

“Nyaa.”

Then, Rollo looks at Henkai’s face to greet him.

“Nuo, a cat?”

“Aah, this fellow is something like my familiar. Her name is Rollodinu.”

Henkai seems weak to cats and his face is drawn.

“Is, is that so. And what is your name?”

“I am Shuya Kagari. You can call me either Shuya or Kagari as you like.”

“After all, you’re a noble. Then, Shuya. Thank you.”

“There’s no need for etiquette…besides, I’m just an adventurer, not a noble. I got the item box from a human that transformed into a demonic being after I killed them.”

When he hears me a single eyebrow twitches on Henkai’s face.

“Oi, that one who transformed themselves. Did you kill the Kushanan?”

He seems to know of it.

“…Yeah, I killed it.”

“-Is that so. I wanted to kill them myself…but it can’t be helped. I was fooled by that one too…my adamantine tree equipment was taken too, I was out numbered… How many years has it been?, I have been unconscious during my imprisonment…has the war ended yet?”

War? The war between Terramay and Samaria?

Or the war Osberia and that empire?

“War? That reminds me, I heard of some war between 【Osberia Kingdom】 and some empire…”

Hearing my words, Henkai’s eyebrows shoot up to the middle of his forehead.

He answers with a bewildered expression.

“What? That, Os-, I’ve never heard of that. Is it the large Befarittsu Empire of the Elves? The Dwarven Country…” (TL: Holy Shit he’s been down there for a long time.)[ED: My god he is ancient…]

Dwarven Country.

-That moment, the words of the “Exiled Dwarf” Loirr go through my head.

“…What kind of country is Henkai from, and what war was there?”

“I am from the Dwarven Country of 【Langur Kingdom】. I was called the Silken General Henkai who led the Black Thousand Men Company. We were at war with the 【Great Empire of Befarittsu 】 of the Elves.”

Great Empire of Befarittsu…

Come to think of it, Shisho told me about a war with such a country.

He said that a Dwarven Country disappeared 300 years ago leaving behind only the traces of an ancient battle field.

The Dwarf Loirr from the underground world talked about a Langur Empire…

Henkai called it the Dwarf Kingdom.

An Empire? Loirr was clear that there was a big war in the past against the surface a long time ago, he also said that communication was cut off.

Going by the name, I think it was also the Langur Country.

Over the years did it change from empire to kingdom…

On the map Shisho gave me there were no places called Great Empire of Befarittsu or Langur Country. It seems that the Dwarf country has disappeared from the surface.

This onion Dwarf has been imprisoned for a very exceedingly long time.

Maa, if I talk about the past that I know so little of things will only get more complicated, so I say nothing.

“…It’s bad, but I know of those two. If I had a map I would show you, but we should go back now instead.”

“…Is that so.”

Henkai becomes crestfallen and hangs his head.

Now then, on another note…

I have no weapon, so I should look for something that looks suitable.

I should try to look in that item box.

I mutter “Open” again, and the item list is displayed from the bracelet.

I remove the weapon like items from the item box one after another.

-The Cursed Sword, Bitou, Ax of the Adamantine Tree

When I take out the ax, Henkai reacts.

“Oooh, my weapon. Adamantine Tree.”

“Oh, that reminds, there were other adamantine tree items. Do you want this?”

“-Of course, but, is it okay?”

“It’s fine. This full adamantine tree set is Henkai’s. I’ll take it all out.”

Saying so, I remove the full adamantine tree set from the item box.

“Ooh, surely. This is it. You’ll really give it to me?”

“Take it. It doesn’t seem to be my size anyways. For now, I will use this magic sword.”

Magic Sword Bitou, it is covered in a long, curved, dark red sheath.

When I pull the sword from the sheath, a strange sound echoes.

The slightly curved sword blade has a reddish tinge; it has purple characters similar to hieroglyphs and Arabic letters carved in it.

Extending ahead of the sword tip and a faint dark red haze appears.

Near the grip is written “Consecrated Rivguraf-kami, God of Darkness.”

It is carved. It is not the name of the sword, God of Darkness.

I wield the magic sword and slash downward, getting a sense for its balance.

My first impression of the sword is that it is light.

It is overall thicker than one of Shisho’s Kukri swords but is still lighter than one.

This mysterious magic sword should be useful.

It has the feeling of a transformed bastard sword?

“Hou, that bastard sword?”

Saying so, Henkai has equipped the complete set of the adamantine tree.

His entire figure is orange, and he has changed to appear like a soldier from ancient Rome that appears in oversea movies.

I answer his question about the sword while having such an impression.

“Bastard Sword?”

“That fellow can be used with either one or two hands?”

As expected, it is a bastard sword.

Was it a hybrid sword used in the Middle Ages?

While staring at the dark red hue of the sword blade, I respond properly.

“…It is such a thing?” 𝑓𝗿𝐞𝘦𝘄ｅ𝘣n𝘰𝘷eƖ.c𝘰𝗺

“The appearance of the sword only gives such an impression. Shuya doesn’t seem to know much about swords.”

“Yeah.”

True, I have never seen such a fearsomely sharp dark red magic sword. It resembles a sword from games and movies, but it is my first time touching one.

I am looking at the magic sword, when-

“Aree, Kuna-sama, where aaare you, what happened?”

I hear the demon’s voice.