Dual Cultivation

THE MAN PICKED UP BY THE GODS – VOLUME 5 CHAPTER 21

I wasn’t the only one to notice the gathering of magic power over my head, Rimiri-neesan noticed it too, and we both looked up. When we did, what greeted us were the bones of a human covered in tattered rags and some confusing clothing, floating there about 10m above the ground.

What’s a skeleton doing up there? And why didn’t I notice it until now?

It was curious, but I knew without a doubt that the source of that magic power I felt was none other than that floating skeleton. I could also tell from the eerie feeling emanating from it that that magic power was the same kind as that used in curses.

Remiri-neesan thought the same, and we both stopped Oslo-san’s treatment at the same time as we both tried to erect our own defensive spells, but—

“Ka ka ka…” [???]

The faint sounds of what seemed to be laughing bones reached my ears. The target was me.

No! It’s already begun casting!

Please make it in time! I prayed as I poured all of my strength into my defensive magic.

Time slowed to a crawl, and it felt like I could see everything as it all unfolded before me.

The other eight who were keeping watch all started casting their magic toward the skeleton. The adults first, then the girls, who were only a moment slower, but the skeleton had a head start.

In the midst of that chaos and confusion, only one spell fired.

From my shadow…

“Ka!?” [???]

…stretched out a black pillar that reached for the heavens, grazing past the skeleton’s cheeks as it did. But that only happened because the skeleton dodged. If it hadn’t that pillar would have gone right through its forehead.

” ‘Return Curse’ !” [Ryouma]

” ‘Cutter Storm’ !” [Rheinbach]

” ‘Flame Bomb’ !” [Shiva]

” ‘Water Cutter’ !” [Sebasu]

The black pillar vanished like mist blown as it missed its target, while the skeleton cast its magic toward me. But dodging that pillar delayed it, and my Return Curse made it in time. As the skeleton’s spell deflected, Rheinbach-sama, Shiva-san, and Sebasu-san simultaneously shot their spells.

The skeleton tried to dodge the onslaught of spells, but it failed, and the three spells smashed into it. However—

“It’s still alive!” [Ryouma]

The three spells definitely hurt the skeleton, but they weren’t enough to finish it off. I’m not sure exactly how, but this thing isn’t like the rest of those weak skeletons!

“Ka!? Kaka!” [???]

“Hmm?” [Ryouma]

“It ran…?” [Riera]

I braced myself for an attack, but the skeleton just flew higher and higher before finally bolting off. When Riera spoke, the skeleton had already vanished toward the cliff.

“Are you ok? Sorry for letting that thing get through.” [Shiva]

“I’m fine. These slimes saved me.” [Ryouma]

I ordered the slimes to show themselves, and 10 shadow slimes came out of my shadow. The earlier spell was none other than these guys’ Shadow Needle.

Looks like it finally paid off having these shadow slimes shadow me all the time. I would’ve been in a pretty bad spot had they not been here. I’ll feed them plenty of magic power later as a treat.

“Still, just what in the world was that skeleton?” [Remiri]

“That was a lich.” [Remiri]

“Lich, as in that lich?” [Ryouma]

“Naturally.” [Remiri]

Liches are a higher variation of wraiths that specialize in magic. Their magic and fighting style vary from specimen to specimen, but their strength is enough to get them at the very least a B Rank subjugation request.

I’ve heard of liches, but it’s my first time seeing one.

“It probably used the dark magic, Hide, to shroud its presence while it quietly approached us from the sky. Considering, the timing and the fact that it tried to curse you just now, it might have been the one responsible for the curse behind Oslo’s group.” [Remiri]

“Ex…act…ly” [???]

“!? Oslo-san!” [Ryouma]

While Remiri-neesan was explaining her hypothesis, I heard a weak voice from behind. I impatiently turned to that voice, and what I saw was none other than Oslo-san. We stopped the treatment halfway through, yet he actually managed to regain consciousness!? Is his body alright!?

“Oslo-san, how are you feeling?” [Ryouma]

“Can I have some… water?” [Oslo]

I quickly prepared a glass of water with the right balance of water and sugar added into it, and gave it to Oslo-san, who thoroughly emptied the glass.

“Thanks… I’m feeling better now.” [Oslo]

“How about your mind? Are you able to think straight?” [Ryouma]

“I still… have to focus… or else… ugh.” [Oslo]

As he suddenly lost strength in his legs, I hurriedly went up to support him.

“Oslo-san! …He’s fainted.” [Ryouma]

He’d fainted, but there wasn’t anything odd about his breath or his countenance.

“Ryouma-chan, please cast Curse Transfer again. His condition should change for the better so long as we completely undo the curse.” [Remiri]

“It’s also best that we leave this place as soon as possible. Sorry to hurry you, but please quickly finish the treatment for the others as well.” [Rheinbach]

“I’m on it!” [Ryouma]

I want to leave here too, but we have to undo their curses first or they might suddenly go crazy… We have to hurry.

After that Remiri-neesan and I did our best to quickly treat Oslo and his group. One small mercy is that while Oslo and his members seemed weak, there was no danger to their lives.

After hiding them in Sebasu-san’s Dimension Home, we resumed our trip back to town.

We walked through the narrow path surrounded by cliffs until we reached an open space, where we all entered the Dimension Home.

Inside were Oslo’s group, who were all still cuffed for safety’s sake. Oslo-san, Barrack-san, Nel-san, and another woman seemed to have regained their consciousness.

“How are you feeling?” [Ryouma]

“Your… that guy from… last week… ugh.” [Woman]

The woman tried to stand up as she weakly spoke, but she lost strength in her legs and fell down.

“Don’t force yourself.” [Remiri]

Remiri-neesan quickly reacted and distributed the glasses of water Sebasu-san had prepared. It seems they haven’t realized that they’re safe now.

“…I thought I was dreaming.” [Oslo]

“Looks like you saved us again.” [Nell]

“Enough about that already. You’ve been cursed and your bodies are still weak, so just rest.” [Remiri]

Oslo-san and Nell-san seemed to finally understand the situation, but Remiri-neesan just told them to rest. But Barrack-san ignored Remiri-neesan’s orders, and he forced himself up.

“Thanks, but… we need to get word… to the guild as soon as possible.” [Barrack]

“You can’t even move without hurting. We’ll inform the guild ourselves, so don’t worry about that. Rather, how about telling us what happened instead?” [Ryouma]

After hearing their story, it turns out that that lich cursed them about two days ago and brought them to its base. And apparently, there are people other than them being controlled.

“There were a couple of times when I got my consciousness back… Usually when there’s no orders or when I try to go against the orders. And sometimes even in cases other than those… In the end, I couldn’t escape, but I did manage to see another person.” [Barrack]

“Before we were caught, we came across a two-man party being attacked by seven masked adventurers. We saw both groups when we were finally caught, but it turns out, all of them, the people being attacked and the people attacking, were being manipulated.” [Nell]

“We tried to save the two adventurers when we saw them under attack, but then that bony bastard came out of nowhere and attacked us.” [Oslo]

So there’s still at least 10 people still being manipulated…

In any case, our circumstances are really similar… A group of adventurers under distress as bait, then a surprise attack from the lich while in the middle of trying to help. Has that lich been doing this for a long time?

When I said that, Oslo-san agreed.

“That’s probably it. After all… we were also turned into decoys after falling into a trap.” [Oslo]

His face twisted and his nails buried into his hands as he his spoke with regret. The other four seemed to share his regret.

Did they…?

“…Did you end up baiting someone else before meeting us?” [Ryouma]

It’s painful, but it’s something that needs to be confirmed, so I steeled myself to ask.

No one said anything. Oslo-san just nodded his head.

“Do you remember how many members their party had?” [Ryouma]

“Five. There’s no mistaking it.” [Oslo]

“I remember them too. Everyone was around the age of my daughter. I didn’t want to, none of us did, but we couldn’t resist the spell. After that, I don’t know what happened to them.” [Nell]

“When we finally came to our senses, they were gone. None of us could remember what exactly happened, so there wasn’t anything we could do. It would be great if they managed to escape, but… No, rather than worrying about them, there are still others alive! We have to send someone to- *cough!” [Barrack]

“Please have some water.” [Elia]

“S-Sorry…” [Barrack]

Having gotten too heated, Barrack-san ended up choking. Elia quickly gave him a glass of water to drink. Barrack-san realized how poorly he was behaving when she did, so he quickly changed his behavior, and then Elia went back quietly to a corner in the Dimension Home.

After that the other four girls stood alert, ready to provide water and a towel at a moment’s notice. Remiri-neesan and I can cast healing magic and undo curses, but I’m sure they want to help too somehow.

Our discussion ended after I asked them about the location of the lich’s headquarters. We then removed their cuffs and left Remiri-neesan and Elia’s group in the Dimension Home to nurse them, while the other adults and I left.

The first one to leave was me, then Shiva-san, then Rheinbach-sama, and when the coast was clear, Sebasu-san finally stepped out.

No one can tell what’s going on outside while inside a Dimension Home, so it’s important to be cautious. Moreover, while the magic itself is convenient, should the caster die, the contents of the spell can never again be taken out.

So although unlikely, we made sure that the coast was clear before letting Sebasu-san step out. After all, if something were to happen to him, that’s 17 people who won’t be seeing the light of day again.

“I shall focus on casting magic, so please keep an eye out.” [Sebasu]

We all nodded to Sebasu. There was a chance that the undead could appear at our destination, so the three of us, me, Rheinbach-sama, and Shiva-san, turned our backs to Sebasu-san as he invoked his space magic to teleport us.