Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 92

 

The mana bullets ricocheted off the half-dozen mirrors Chaser had summoned, bouncing around in all directions.

 

Three pairs of murderous eyes tracked the trajectory of the bullets.

 

Bang! Bang!

 

However, once the meteor-like bullets multiplied in number, even the hounds of hell had no way to handle them all.

 

When the mana bullets, bouncing around unpredictably like balls in a pinball game, struck Cerberus precisely in the scruff of the neck.

 

Clang!

 

The mass of mana that struck down like lightning constricted Cerberus like a net.

 

“…!”

 

And at that moment, Belinda felt her mana rapidly depleting as if her mana vessel had sprung a leak. This was on a completely different level from subduing the Shadow Crows.

 

This was a battle of wills where magic power and mana clashed head-on.

 

The moment she lost even the slightest bit of concentration, the monster would bite through her mana chains.

 

Therefore, Belinda gritted her teeth and focused on only one thing.

 

Putting a collar made of mana around the neck of that three-headed monster.

 

There weren’t just one but three beasts to tame. So she needed not one but three collars.

 

Bubbling fireballs boiled up from the rampaging monster’s maws.

 

They scattered in all directions, and the blazing heat scratched at her cheeks.

 

Even so, Belinda didn’t retreat a single step and poured even stronger mana into the chains constricting Cerberus.

 

Suddenly all the surrounding noise disappeared, and only the Cerberus before her eyes was visible.

 

Belinda swallowed the bitter blood rising in her throat and commanded in a low voice.

 

“Submit to me, Cerberus.”

 

The monster made its final struggle, banging its three heads against the ground with loud thuds.

 

Black ash swirled around as Giuseppe’s pure white spear of light and Penandel’s blue sword energy pierced through Cerberus’s body.

 

Just as the mana chains choking the monster’s necks stretched taut to their limit.

 

Whoosh!

 

Cerberus’s entire body transformed into flames and split into three fireballs.

 

Part of them rose sharply above Belinda’s head, drawing a crown of fire, then were absorbed as they were.

 

Soon the monster’s shadow that had loomed over the party disappeared, and dim moonlight illuminated the mountain peak, cutting through the heavy storm clouds.

 

And….

 

Whimper!

 

In the place where Cerberus had been, three young Dobermans that looked identical like triplets tumbled down.

 

* * *

 

“It seems they’ve taken this form because they lack the magic power to maintain their adult forms. Once they recover their magic power, they should be able to return to their original appearance.”

 

At Penandel’s explanation, I looked down at the monsters—no, the creatures that now looked like nothing more than puppies—lined up in front of me.

 

All three were wagging their tails so fast that, with a bit of exaggeration, they could probably fly around using their tails as propeller blades.

 

Having suddenly become the owner of three puppies, I pondered for a moment before pointing at each one with my finger and saying.

 

“I’ll call you Ker, Rube, and Bero respectively.”

 

Woof!

 

Bark!

 

Whine.

 

The creatures barked in turn as if responding.

 

Judging by their barks, Ker, who kept perking up both ears restlessly, seemed to have a lively personality; Rube, who held his ears straight up, appeared very wary; and Bero, who drooped his unusually large ears, seemed quite timid.

 

It was hard to believe that just moments ago they had been glaring at each other with murderous intent and growling, but somehow I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

 

Perhaps it was because they were the same breed that Belinda had raised.

 

I tickled each of the Cerberus pups under their chins and grabbed a mana potion from the holder hanging from my back pocket.

 

“Master, I….”

 

As Chaser tried to speak to me, I raised my index finger and brought it close to my lips.

 

Then I gestured with my eyes toward Giuseppe, who was resting with his eyes closed against a charred black rock.

 

I then removed the Returner’s Key hanging around my neck and handed it to Chaser.

 

‘Go back first.’

 

When I mouthed the words, Chaser pouted with a sulky expression.

 

I pulled Chaser’s hood back down deep and soothed him.

 

“I’ll pay the commission fee when I get back.”

 

Even I thought it was too much to suddenly call him to hunt monsters and then send him away without giving him his reward as soon as it was over.

 

But I couldn’t expose Chaser’s appearance or voice to Giuseppe.

 

Unlike me, Chaser was a real Dark Mage.

 

‘I had him wear a priest’s robe from the temple as a temporary measure, but he probably noticed that Chaser isn’t actually a priest.’

 

If Giuseppe knew some method of identifying Dark Mages that neither I nor Chaser were aware of, the problem would become irreversible.

 

I didn’t explain separately, but the quick-witted Chaser would have understood this situation immediately. Yet for some reason, instead of leaving right away, he hesitated for a long time before leaning close to whisper to me.

 

“Master, you know you’re being really mean, right? You better praise me when I get back.”

 

Only after briefly squeezing my hand to share some mana did he finally turn around completely.

 

Seeing his reluctant retreating figure, it seemed he was planning to extort quite a lot as commission fees.

 

I waited until Chaser had completely disappeared from my sight before surveying the surroundings.

 

The traces of battle were devastating.

 

Not only had the mountain’s vegetation withered and died black, but heat that still hadn’t cooled was rising from the ground like heat waves.

 

‘At least I prevented the landslide.’

 

After looking down at the village visible below the mountain and letting out a sigh of relief, I approached Giuseppe.

 

He might be annoying, but I couldn’t abandon someone who couldn’t even see and leave.

 

“Cardinal, wait here and I’ll go get Lionel.”

 

He, who had been motionless like a statue, turned his head toward me.

 

His golden eyes reflected my image like glass beads, but what was contained within them was only empty void.

 

Nevertheless, Giuseppe opened his mouth in his usual calm voice.

 

“Lady Blanche said there would be a landslide. I think so too.”

 

“Shouldn’t you say ‘thought’ so?”

 

The cause of the landslide had already been removed. However, Giuseppe firmly denied my words.

 

“The weight of prophecy is not so light.”

 

“Prophecy?”

 

Prophecy. The weight of that word pressed heavily on my shoulders.

 

Priests don’t carelessly speak the word prophecy. If that prophecy turns out wrong, it would be defiling God’s divine authority.

 

Therefore, they only attached the word prophecy to futures they were certain would definitely occur.

 

Somehow those words sounded ominous, and just as I was about to press him about the prophecy, a raindrop fell on the bridge of my nose.

 

When I craned my neck to look up at the sky, a downpour began with a whooshing sound.

 

It seemed the ground heat that Cerberus had heated up had summoned the sudden shower.

 

Giuseppe continued speaking dryly while staring at some empty space.

 

“This type of prophecy has a pattern. Since it doesn’t target a single individual, very occasionally some lucky person manages to escape their predetermined fate. So, Lady Blanche.”

 

Then Penandel’s coat was draped over my head, and Giuseppe’s head turned toward the mountain peak.

 

“It would be best to send Lady Blanche’s knight far from this place right now.”

 

Rumble.

 

As if responding to Giuseppe’s words, a thunder-like sound echoed from afar.

 

No, that sound was rumbling not from the sky but from beneath our feet.

 

A sound like the very roots of the earth were shaking.

 

I finally understood the hidden meaning in Giuseppe’s words as I took the intensifying rain with my whole body.

 

This rain was like a warning bell that the prophecy he spoke of had approached right up close.

 

“Ker! Come here!”

 

I held the small creature that leaped into my arms and called to Penandel.

 

“My lord, you heard what the Cardinal just said, right? Take Rube and Bero and leave this place immediately.”

 

If even one person here escaped the landslide, rescue operations could begin immediately.

 

Because I can roughly guess the location of where the other two people are buried.

 

And among us, the only person suitable for that role was Penandel.

 

“That’s impossible. I’ll support the Cardinal, so Lady Blanche should…”

 

I forcibly placed Rube and Bero into his arms. Then I gripped his arm tightly and said.

 

“Think rationally. Are you going to escape a landslide while carrying me, who’s exhausted from mana depletion, and a blind Cardinal?”

 

“I can do it.”

 

“Don’t be stubborn, Sir. I’m not saying I’ll sacrifice my life right now.”

 

I stared fiercely at Penandel and asked Giuseppe.

 

“Cardinal, you have a way to hold out for a while even if caught in a landslide, right?”

 

Seeing how composed he was, he must be confident in his safety.

 

No, he would definitely survive. After all, he was destined to defeat Cerberus and survive even alone.

 

Fortunately, as I expected, Giuseppe answered with a voice tinged with a faint smile.

 

“Of course.”

 

“You heard him? After securing safety, you must come rescue me. That’s the method with the highest survival rate. Or do you have confidence you can escape even after being caught in a landslide? While protecting me, who won’t even lift a finger to dig through dirt, and that blind Cardinal?”

 

“But…”

 

I cut off Penandel’s words by placing my hand on the back of his. Then I patted the heads of Rube and Bero in his arms one by one.

 

“These children were originally one body, so they’ll definitely find me with Ker. Even if I’m buried under dirt.”

 

His usually composed lips twisted.

 

Then Penandel spoke in a heavily choked voice.

 

“Please stay safe.”

 

“Of course. What do you take me for, spouting such nonsense?”

 

I deliberately didn’t look back at Penandel. I heard the sound of his footsteps running through the rain behind me.

 

Only then did I exhale a trembling breath and hug Ker in my arms.

 

It’s okay. It’ll be okay. This is the only way for all of us to survive.

 

After barely catching my breath, I spoke in a much calmer voice.

 

“So Cardinal, let me hear what that method is.”

 

Giuseppe’s quiet gaze turned toward me.

 

The smile on his lips looked as fleeting as the emptiness dwelling in his eyes.

 

“Let’s leave it to fate.”

 

What? Hey, you bastard! Now you’re saying such things…!

 

Rumble.

 

At that moment, from the peak of the mountain visible right before us, a pile of earth began rushing down like a tsunami.

 

Just before the pile of earth reeking of ash and rain struck us, sacred light bursting from Giuseppe dyed everything before my eyes completely white.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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