novelraw Chapter 73 : The Deadly Sin of Gluttony (3)
Chapter 73 : The Deadly Sin of Gluttony (3)
Chapter 73: The Deadly Sin of Gluttony (3)
“Uwooooh!”
With a roar, Ragnar Lodbrok slammed both of his axes into the ground with all his might.
Kwa-ga-ga-gak!
The axe blades scraped across the earth, leaving deep scars behind.
However, the arms that dragged with monstrous force could not be stopped.
“Khugh!”
Reina Blaze also tried to endure somehow by using her spider webs.
Tutuk!
Tutuduk!
Even the webs, with their incredible strength and elasticity, snapped within a second.
How on earth did he neutralize the alarm spell?
There was no way that Gluttony, who had no knowledge of magic, could have done that.
It was a completely unexpected blow, but rescuing Lodbrok came first.
[Trait ‘Sacred Flame’ activates!]
Whoosh!
Kang Yohan drew his dagger in the shape of a cross.
A pure white radiance surged forth.
Puh-puh-puk!
Flesh tore apart, and black blood splattered.
「Kieeeeee!!!」
A ghastly scream echoed not far away.
That wasn’t Gluttony’s voice.
Then that means…
Chwaaak!
From within the abyssal darkness emerged an enormous petal.
At its center were sharp teeth and a pulsating mass of flesh.
It was Gluttony’s organ.
A part of his body that devoured freshly caught prey had appeared.
‘At least that’s a relief.’
If the main body had come directly, it would have been game over.
Still, that thing was by no means something to be taken lightly.
Countless arms began to crawl upward slowly.
More than ten shriveled, twisted arms completely seized the paladin who had been dragged farthest away.
Arms, legs, and even the face.
Fingers squirmed, pressing down on the captured prey’s skin.
“Khk!”
The Saintess stepped back, unable to help the paladin any further.
If she got any closer, she would only be dragged in as well.
“Uwaaaaahk!”
Crunch! Crack!
Arms and legs bent at grotesque angles.
Blood gushed like a fountain.
The surroundings were dyed a deep red.
「Kieeeeh…」
Watching it chew through that sturdy paladin—bones and all—made one thing clear:
getting caught meant certain death.
“Khugh. Hah…”
“I-I almost died for real. Thanks.”
Fortunately, Lodbrok and Reina managed to escape from its grasp.
While it was busy devouring one victim, the other arms loosened their hold.
“If we strike that heart-like part hard enough, we can buy about a minute. During that time, we need to cross the bridge and reach the safe zone.”
“I’m sick and tired of running.”
Flames of fury burned in the Saintess’s eyes.
It was no wonder she couldn’t bear the sight of Gluttony, who kept devouring God’s apostles.
But unfortunately, even defeating that single organ was nearly impossible.
Its holy power was on the level of the 3rd Moon.
Those of the 2nd Moon would be like eggs thrown at a boulder no matter how many times they tried.
Of course, it was restricted by the limitations of Episode (2), preventing it from using its full power.
But even so, it was more than enough to earn its title as the “Newbie Slayer.”
‘I need to throw it off completely—wait for a chance when it lets its guard down.’
Every episode always had a strategy.
The difficulty was absurd, but there was always a path forward in this world.
So—
Now was the time to retreat.
To strike a true, decisive blow.
Fwoosh!
A fireball gathered in Yohan’s hand.
Patsuts…
And in the other, snowflakes swirled.
“Lodbrok, Reina.”
“Oh!”
“Mm…”
Ragnar Lodbrok and Reina Blaze each responded.
“Both of you, draw its attention from opposite sides. Never attack at the same time. Wait exactly 2.5 seconds between attacks—strike when its arms turn black to interrupt its mana gathering.”
“Are you sure about this? How do you even know that?”
Reina asked the obvious, but Yohan didn’t answer.
Tsssk.
He only frowned, silently telling her with his expression to just do as he said.
Flinching, Reina pulled out her yoyo with a frightened face.
Lodbrok also steadied his breathing, gripping both axes tightly.
[The Saintess activates the wide-area skill ‘Baptism of Light’!]
[Defense and resistance to Dark-type attacks each increase by +10!]
Wuuuuung!
As the Saintess’s blessing spread out, Lodbrok charged left.
“I’ll show this foul-tasting plant bastard what a real axe tastes like!”
[Taunt] and [Warrior’s Shout] activated.
With the Saintess’s buff on top of that, he shouldn’t go down easily like before—
KWA-AANG!
A tremendous impact sent Lodbrok’s body flying.
“Ghuuk!”
That massive body rolled across the ground.
His entire body was covered in wounds.
Tsk.
That’s why he said not to rush in recklessly—only attack when it turns black.
“Hurry up and get up! I can’t hold it alone!”
Reina filled the gap left by Lodbrok.
[Reina activates her Unique Ability ‘Arcade World’!]
Her yoyo traced a dazzling trajectory through the air.
Thwack!
An arm that had tried to seize Lodbrok’s neck was knocked back.
Psssh!
Pshuk! Pshuk!
Arcade-like spiders fired multiple poison stingers to assist her.
Pshuk! Puh-puh-puk!
The glowing webs and venom needles repeatedly struck Gluttony’s organ.
“Khahahaha! Never thought I’d be helped by a blue-haired spider girl! I’ll carve your fiery spirit into this heart of mine!”
“Cut the cringey talk and take the left side!”
“Aye! A battle’s begun—I can’t just stand idle! Even the Valkyries sing—the warrior’s ship sets sail!”
Slapping his own cheeks to regain focus, Lodbrok rose again.
Then, roaring fiercely, he charged forward.
Tu-kwaga-gak!
A fierce clash erupted once more.
The frenzied arms swept the ground while Reina and Lodbrok alternated their aggro with perfect timing.
If even one of them were caught, it meant certain death.
Thus, every second felt like an hour in a living nightmare.
At that moment—
“Stand back!”
The Saintess, who had been chanting for a holy spear, had her eyes turn golden.
[The Saintess activates her Unique Ability ‘Night of the Catacomb’!]
[Execution Reenactment ‘Chains of Dismemberment’ is manifested!]
Chrrrk!
Black chains, smeared with blood and torn flesh, bound the plant’s body.
The shriveled arms twisted at grotesque angles—
Budeudeuk!
—and began to tear free.
From the plant’s body, black blood spurted like a fountain.
「Kieeeeee!」
A painful shriek burst from between its teeth.
But it lasted only a moment.
When it twisted its body violently, hidden blades emerged, slicing through the chains.
“She cut through an Execution Reenactment that easily…?”
The Saintess’s expression twisted.
Yeah. It was understandable—seeing a skill she was so confident in shatter instantly.
But what could be done?
A creature of that divine rank was already beyond balance.
‘Well. Thanks to everyone’s best efforts, we’ve bought enough time.’
Now, everything was ready.
Yohan unleashed the spell he’d been casting.
[‘Blood Bind’ activates!]
Wuuuung!
Red blood reconnected the severed chains.
The bound and restrained plant’s body tilted slightly forward—
11.5 degrees.
The eyes near its mouth shifted downward, creating a small blind spot in its vision.
Now!
Yohan seized that moment and dashed forward like a bullet.
Fwoosh!
The magic, completed by combining [Sacred Flame], Fireball, and Blood Reinforcement, unleashed a storm.
KWA-A-A-AANG!
An enormous explosion erupted.
The blinding white flames spread in succession, consuming the plant’s entire body.
「Keeeeeh! Kieeeeee!!!」
A roar incomparable to before pierced everyone’s eardrums.
“Aaaargh!”
“Ghhhaaa!”
Everyone covered their ears and collapsed on the spot.
The force was strong enough to rupture eardrums.
Even the soil beneath them trembled violently.
However, there was just one exception.
Yohan alone remained unaffected by the plant’s sonic counterattack.
He had already packed moss and cotton into his ears in preparation.
—When it receives damage equivalent to 10% of total HP, it uses a ranged sonic attack pattern (Probability: 88.5%)
Of course, he also considered the remaining 11.5% chance of a “digestive acid” attack.
If he got splashed by that at close range, his entire body would melt.
Kaaang!
He deflected the incoming poison stingers.
Puh-puh-puh-puhk!
He dodged the newly hidden arms that had been buried beneath the ground as well.
For a mage to fight at close range was, under normal logic, absurd—but to strike at this creature’s only weakness, he had to close the distance.
Yohan, gripping his dagger in a reverse hold, mercilessly slashed through the tendons of its arms.
The plant’s movements slowed down by another degree.
Of course—
[Gluttony’s Organ activates ‘Green Waltz’!]
Even so, a wounded beast remained a terrifying threat.
With a fearsome whoosh, its arms cut through the air.
The sheer destructive power was insane.
It wasn’t something that could be dismissed with just “it hurts.”
The furious barrage filled his vision, strong enough to cleave through bone entirely.
Yohan kept moving without rest.
He wasn’t dodging with his eyes but relying on instinct honed through experience—an almost precognitive reaction.
With [Acceleration] and [Tracking] added on, the difficulty level skyrocketed.
Just a little further and he’d be within spell range.
But that last meter felt impossibly far.
Then—
Buuuuung… thud!
An axe struck right into the creature’s eye.
While all its attention was fixed on Yohan, Ragnar Lodbrok had thrown it.
“Go! Berserker of Steel!”
Seriously.
“I told you I’m not that.”
[Fairy’s Shoes – ‘Sprint of Nature’ activates!]
Yohan slipped right beneath the plant’s body and let a single drop of blood fall from his palm.
Drip.
The red liquid hit the ground.
And from that point—
[‘Bloodline Path’ – ‘Lord’s Road’ opens!]
The air shifted.
Both the ground where the plant stood—
—and the sky above it.
Two massive magic circles formed.
They served as conduits that maximized the power of spells and incantations.
“You were busy attacking my friends so hard…”
But ignoring the most dangerous person?
Thanks to that, he’d been able to use the most crucial moments to form the barrier uninterrupted.
What followed was the most powerful spell in his arsenal.
[Lv1 ‘Black Devourer’ activates!]
Raging, crimson-black sparks scattered in all directions.
From the magic circle above, a black serpent began to take shape—
Kwakwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
—and in an instant, it bit into the plant whole, piercing straight through the ground.
＊＊＊
At the same time—
In a Subspace beneath the sewers, two monsters stood facing each other.
Member of the Grand Witches’ Assembly, Arabella Rosewood.
And the exiled Witch of the Maple Tree, Vivian Astraia.
Outwardly, they smiled—but within, murderous intent licked at each other like fire.
“To even prepare a space hidden from the Administrator’s eyes… You really came prepared.”
“Well, catching someone of your stature requires proper preparation.”
“Oh my. Someone of stature? I’m hardly strong enough to deserve such praise. Compared to Him… I’m nothing more than dust.”
“Him…?”
Arabella tilted her head.
Only for her expression to turn cold in an instant.
“So that’s it… You’ve made a deal with a higher-ranked being. One possessing an upper-tier divine rank.”
A being that had long survived, quietly devouring the scraps of the underworld…
And now, after centuries, had emerged again?
Anyone who knew how terrifying the Grand Witches’ Assembly was would never dare such a thing—
—unless they had something, or someone, to rely on.
“You. Can you even handle this? You must have some powerful backing, but if that’s true, you’re only inviting an even greater disaster.”
She might have come alone now—
—but once a being of higher divine rank was exposed, the ancient, great witches themselves would move.
Ruthlessly, without mercy.
Reenacting the nightmare of the past.
Patsuts.
Golden roses bloomed around Arabella.
[Sacred Relic ‘Golden Scented Rose Garden’ blossoms!]
A field of vision bathed in gold.
Beautiful, radiant golden roses bloomed, spilling forth butterflies and bees.
Each was a high-tier magical species imbued with tremendous mana.
At the center, from the largest flower bud, soft golden particles scattered into the air.
Cursed entities bearing the traits of [Suppression] and [Dissolution] circled Vivian.
It was a grand execution ground meant to punish traitors.
This was the true nature of the Golden Scented Rose Garden.
Then—
[Unique Ability ‘Greed of the Apocalypse’ activates!]
“Kieeeeh!”
“Keheeh….”
The space split open, revealing dark entities filled with countless teeth.
They devoured the particles, the butterflies, and the bees—spreading their dominion wider and wider.
“You people…”
Vivian’s red lips parted slightly.
“Do you truly believe you can withstand Him?”
And with that, she began to speak— of the transcendent being she had encountered.