Chapter 123 - Blue Hourglass

How many dead ends does this make now?

I check the map, and confirm that everything is mapped out……The road connected to the heart of the spirit turtle still hasn’t been found.

Naofumi:”Hmmmm……”

Sometimes we encounter familiars, but they aren’t a problem since Raphtalia and Firo are here.

Every time we come across a dead-end, we head back to where Rishia and the allied forces are to confirm it.

They encountered some familiars several times as well, but somehow they were able to defeat it with Rishia leading the way.

With those stats…… It’s thanks to the Firo costume

Naofumi:”Sh*t……”

As this continued, the spirit turtle approached human villages and we started getting impatient.

In the first place, this kind of cave, as long as the spirit turtle isn’t some artificial life form, shouldn’t the dungeon walls be made of meat?

I wonder. It feels like we haven’t even found the entrance yet.

Or is this cave itself a mistake?

According to the map this should be the bottom layer but……

Shadow:”Hero of the Shield-dono.”

Shadow appears and updates my map.

……All the dead ends have been filled out.

Naofumi:”What happened? Was there a mistake in the legend?”

Shadow:”Not exactly degojaruka……But we have checked for hidden doors degojaru”

Firo:”Hey Master~”

Firo is having a good time kicking the ground.

Naofumi:”Can you check one more time? Or should I just go ahead and dig?”

A tool to dig will be necessary……That reminds me, I have a digging skill.

Firo:”Hey.”

Shadow”The allied forces have already packed their luggage degojaru.”

Firo:”Hey!”

Naofumi:”……What!?”

Firo is trying to get my attention by calling out.

Firo:”Umm you see. The floor……Isn’t it kind of strange?”

Firo rubs her foot and on the ground and hits it.

By the way, there are no echoes, and I even confirmed that there is no hidden floor.

Naofumi:”What’s strange about it?”

Firo:”It’s a living creature.”

Naofumi:”Of course we’re inside the a mountain on the back of a giant monster.”

Firo:”That’s not it!”

Firo smacks her foot on the floor again.

The floor ripples with a boing sound.

Naofumi:”Hm?”

That sound……It was strange.

Come to think of it……That strong acid water from the intermediate class recipes that I wasn’t able to make before should be suitable here.

I recall exactly how, and make it with my shield.

Naofumi:”Firo stay back a little.”

Firo:”Okay~”

I take the strong acid water from the shield and pass it to Raphtalia.

Naofumi:”Scatter that.”

Raphtalia:”Ah, Okay.”

Raphtalia scatters the strong acid water on to the ground.

Spirit Turtle:”———!”

The floor wriggles and reveals its true form!

The mucus bodied huge eyeball opens up like mochi, and a turtle shell appears in its place.

Shadow:”I see, so it is a mimic type familiar degojaruka, no wonder we couldn’t find it degojaru.”

Naofumi:”Since it was dormant, it didn’t show any signs of being alive, so that’s why we were never able to sense it.”

To think that even Shadow and Firo couldn’t sense it…….What a splendid cheat-like familiar.

Naofumi:”Kill them!”

Firo:”Okay~”

Raphtalia:”Roger!”

Shadow:”I too shall go degojaru!”

Every attack on a mimic type familiar kills it.

The mimic type familiars shrink like a slug and then disappear into vapor when they die.

Shadow:”So the path was concealed in such a place degojaruna.”

When we confirm the disappearance of the last familiar, a path appeared.

That means, all dead ends up until now are doubtful.

That being said, let’s proceed down this path first.

Naofumi:”Let’s go.”

All members nod and follow me.

After advancing a little, I felt the wall, temperature, and air change.

The wall itself is warm and pulsating.

Firo:”This feels strange.”

Raphtalia:”That’s right……I feel a little sick.”

Firo:”Does Firo’s mouth feel the same?”

…….What an unpleasant thought.

It does seem like Firo to say something like that huh?

Naofumi:”I wonder if we entered the spirit turtle’s body.”

It still feels like a cave though, but it’s for real now.

Our foothold is squishy, and pulsing could be heard.

Anyway,let’s verify where the heart is.

Thinking about it, the demons and white clumps flying towards us are like platelets under a microscope.

Thanks to my meteor shield repelling them , Raphtalia and Firo were able to kick them around.

Apparently, these familiars appear to be the immune system.

Every now and then, parasite-like caterpillar would appear, spreading potent acid wherever they go.

Naofumi:”It would seem that bringing the allied forces here would be hard.”

The demons appear quite frequently. Since we are getting close to the heart, the defense would be stronger.

Shadow:”Shall I return and guide them here degojaruka?”

Naofumi:”No, we haven’t found the heart yet. In the first place, there is no conclusive evidence that this is the correct path either. We’ll get to where it’s at and clear it out.”

Shadow:”Understood degojaru.”

As we advanced forwards a little, a red muscle dangling from something is blocking our path.

…….Either way, a gimmick of this kind will just be cut open.

Naofumi:”Raphtalia, cut through it.”

Raphtalia:”Ah, Okay.”

Raphtalia cuts the red muscle.

The wall of meat opens up and a path appears.

Shadow:”Houu……You understand it well degojaruna.”

Naofumi:”I don’t know about the other heroes, but frankly that muscle was suspicious…… I do know a few things you know.”

Shadow:”So that’s how it is degojaruka.”

Now then, after advancing a bit, what blocked our way this time is a blue muscle.

Haah……Even if you change it a bit, the path is still here.

Naofumi:”Raphtalia”

Raphtalia:”Okay!”

After cutting it down in the same fashion, the path in front opens up, but the red muscle behind us is restored.

Uggh. So troublesome.

Furthremore, just like a warning, every time we cut down a muscle, demons from the immune system appear.

Though……We advanced quite far…….

We heard the beating of a giant heart from behind a door.

After cutting open a blue muscle we found it.

However, after seeing the inside, the double doorway in front of us closed.

That’s troublesome, it seems that unless we cut somewhere else, this won’t open completely.

Naofumi:”As if I’d let you! Raphtalia, cut the red tube!”

Raphtalia:”O-Okay!”

After cutting open the red one, the inner part of the door opened……I rush forwards while deploying the meteor shield.

Naofumi:”Firo! There should be another muscle somewhere, tear it up!”

Firo:”Mkay!”

The meteor shield makes a cracking sound.

It seems the attack outside was more concentrated.

After Firo checks the area, she uses Spiral ? Strike to tear apart the muscle on the wall, and that causes massive bleeding.

Spirit Turtle:”———!”

I heard a voice that could be from the heart in the interior.

It was probably painful.

Regeneration……Seems like it’s trying.

Do we have 30 seconds?

Naofumi:”Let’s go!”

Raphtalia:”Okay!”

I advance through the path opened to the heart.

After a while I discover a white muscle. The rear opened when it was cut.

Ha! Obediently let me conquer you!

Naofumi:”Shadow, if continuing through this place is the path, then it is your duty to report it.”

Shadow:”Understood deojaru. Do you want me to carry out the order now degojaruka?”

Naofumi:”No, After a little more.”

Before long, an out-of-place blue building came into view……

It was a blue Hourglass of the Dragon’s Era.

The size of it is smaller than the hourglass in Melromarc. It’s just that it exerts a somewhat light presence inside the body of the spirit turtle

Naofumi:”Hourglass of the Dragon’s Era……?”

Raphtalia:”It’s blue.”

Shadow:”That’s right degojaruna.”

Firo:”There’s less sand.”

Right, as Firo said, there is less sand in this blue Hourglass of the Dragon’s era compared to the other one.

Firo:”Also, what are those letters of there~?”

In the middle of the Hourglass of the Dragon’s Era, written not with letters of this world, is a familiar character, the number 7.

What on earth could it be?

Also on the hourglass……. there are marks similar to a scale

The whole thing seems to only have about 1/10th of its quantity left.

I try to gently touch it.

And my hand slips through, it seems I won’t be able to touch the blue hourglass.

Something is different about this Hourglass of the Dragon’s era from the country’s.

That one has the function of informing us when the next wave will appear and Class up, but I don’t understand what this can do.

Naofumi:”There’s no use worrying. Our first priority is to confirm it.”

Raphtalia:”Okay!”

Naofumi:”It will be fine to investigate it later.”

Firo:”Okay~”

After advancing past the blue hourglass for a little, we discover the heart.

Its magnitude was more than 6 meters, the heart is divided into two different colours.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Naofumi:”So this is the heart of the spirit turtle huh.”

Shadow:”Looks that way degojaruna. It’s a very ominous creature degojaru.”

An eye direct’s its gaze towards our voices.

No matter how you look at it, that is not a welcoming gaze.

Spirit Turtle:”———!!”

Do we seal this guy?

*Pew, light hits the meteor shield and is reflected off.

Furthermore, a high-powered laser is discharged from the eye.

The eye on the heart of the spirit turtle opens wide and vibrates.

Familiars of the spirit turtle appear out of nowhere.

What a troublesome opponent. It’s not necessary for us to fight it, we’ll have to group up with the allied forces to come and seal it.

It can probably call an unlimited amount of familiars.

Naofumi:”Should we weaken it for now? Shadow go back.”

Raphtalia:”Okay!”

Firo:”Mkay!”

Shadow:”Understood degojaruyo.”

Raphtalia and Firo jump out from the barrier and attack the heart of the spirit turtle.

Both of them can’t help but unleash their respective finishing moves.

Raphtalia:”Yin-Yang Sword!”

Firo:”Critical Quick~”

Both their attacks hit the eye of the spirit turtle’s heart.

Spirit Turtle”——–!!”

Hey hey, it’s raging it’s raging. The vicinity around us vibrates.

A huge magic formation develops on the heart of the spirit turtle.

It seems to be doing something.

Naofumi:”Raphtalia, Firo, get back.”

Raphtalia:”Roger.”

Firo:”Okay~!”

Both of them fall back within the range of the meteor shield as I prepare for the attack.

The spirit turtles heart shoots……. a black ball of magic at me.

I receive it.

The meteor shield shatters like glass.

When the black ball hits the shield and light is distorted.

My body is heavy!

This magic is super gravity.

My body feels incredibly heavy.

However, my defensive power won’t be suppressed by something of this degree!

Naofumi:”Deryaaaaaaaa!”

I divert the ball of light to the right, and the ball of supergravity is repelled.

As expected, I won’t be hit with something as powerful as that electric attack from outside.

Well, that’s what it feels like. I don’t think the spirit turtle would do something that would destroy its own heart.

And so, the tube streaming around the spirit turtle’s heart is anaylzed……Some kind of white spirit is circulating through it.

It is scattered around the room centering from the heart.

Naofumi:”Meteor Shield!”

I once again put up the meteor shield.

…….I should receive it, once……what kind of attack is it?

I must receive it to analyze it….. Though for now I should be careful.

Naofumi:”Alright, we’re not going to fight now. We’ll withdraw and bring the allied forces here.”

Shadow:”Roger degojaru.”

We postpone the battle against the spirit turtle’s heart and withdraw.