NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Shawn
I heard a sound, something I hadn’t heard in quite a while. I heard a voice.
“Welcome, it seems you’ve finally arrived adventurer.”
Standing before me with silver swept-back hair was a man covered in armor.
Earlier after sobering up, I’d continued along and opened up a door that had appeared. There was nothing strange about this door. So carelessly I went through it and that was why this man had now appeared in front of me.
“Zuri! How many years has it been since an adventurer appeared in front of me?”
“It’s the first time in 150 years boss.”
A little bat like eyeball monster was flying next to the man.
“What?! It’s been 150 years? Before I even noticed I’d already been here that long huh.”
How do you not notice 150 years.
“Zuri, today we feast.”
That was when I realized he wasn’t human, his eyes were locked on to me as he said it. His eyes glowed with two different colors. They looked as though they belonged to a snake, completely inhuman.
The chandelier hanging from the ceiling came to life, illuminating the entire room. As light returned to the room it appeared to resemble a room one might see in Grayberg.[TN: I don’t think I’ve seen an explanation for this place before this? The only other place he’s been is where he was summoned in at so? Google tells me it’s not a real place as well so.] I got a clear view of his face as he spoke.
” I am Shawn the Snake King. Adventurer, let us begin,”
In the next moment he had disappeared.
“Come, we fight to the death!”
In that instant a searing pain erupted in my abdomen,
“Hm? ….guh, ahhhhhh”
It didn’t take long for me to understand what had happened, a sword had been stuck into my stomach. My abdomen felt as if was on fire as Shawn pulled out the sword.
“I remember! I remember it, this feeling!”
Shawn laughed as he licked the blood from the blade.
“It’s a shame really, but you see this was unavoidable. In the last one hundred and fifty years since I retired adventurers have grown weak.”
“Gaha!” Blood flew from my mouth, it hurts.
“[Heal]!”
With my hand pressed against the hole in my stomach I began to heal myself.
“Hmm? So you’re a priest huh? If that’s the case, I understand why you couldn’t see my movements. Zuri.”
“Yes boss!”
The eyeball monster stared directly at me.
“Boss! He’s a healer!”
“What?! A mere healer dares to come before the king alone? What kind of nonsense is this!?”
“I don’t know, but there is something strange about this guy.”
“In what way?”
“This guy’s skills are-”
“[Saints wrath]!”
A white light was released from the staff colliding with Zuri.
“Zuri!”
Zuri had been sent flying, with that Shawn slowly turned back towards me.
” [Mad eye: level 350] has been defeated. Inherent skill [Goddesses divine protection] has been activated.”
Better leave that until later, but still the level of the monsters here are ridiculously high. Even that was 350.
“How dare you! How dare you do that to Zuri!”
The blade would soon approach.
“[Erosion Wave]!”
The ominous sphere enveloped me.
“What the-”
The moment the magic activated Shawn stopped the sword midswing and put distance between us.
“How dare you interfere with my sword! The snake blade killgills!”
“Killgills? What kind of lame name is that?”
Veins popped out on Shawn’s face as he glared.
“Asshole! You’re not tired after Zuri?! You have to go and insult the blade that I love as well!?”
“You’re right, my bad old man. I was just paying you back for my stomach.”
“It seems like the only thing you’re good at is flapping your lips.”
” Oh come on, I finally found someone to talk to. You’re not going to ignore me because I’m not a monster are you? By the way old man, where are we exactly?”
“You dare taunt me? Me!? I’m the Snake King!”
“I’m being completely serious, I have no idea where we are.”
Shawn glared at me before breaking out into laughter.
“Zuri wasn’t mistaken, it’s obvious that you’re a healer. However, that magic isn’t something a healer should have. Tell me, what kind of magic is it?”
“I mean… Zuri could have been mistaken. You don’t know.”
“The magic that killed Zuri, it came from that staff. It probably had a holy attribute because Zuri doesn’t have any resistance against it. However, the magic you’re using now, it’s different. There is no trace of any item you could be using. What the fuck are you?”
“A healer.”
“Always a smartass comment with you.”
He spoke in a low voice filled with anger.
“I really am a healer though.”
“Don’t lie to me!”
“No, that eyeball thing said so too right? It said healer, I’m a healer.”
“Bastard! Now you’re mocking Zuri!?”
“No no no no, not at all! Are you I capable of normal communication!? Augh this is getting annoying.”
I’m keeping [Erosion wave] close maintaining it just enough to protect myself.
“If you don’t tell me, did you think I’d just ignore it?!”
“No, because…”
No matter what I say to this guy it’s useless.
“If I had to say what I am, I guess it would be a NEET.”
The irony is the last time I stood before Saeki he called me this. Saeki will be killed by a NEET.
“I see, so you’re a nito, ok, alright then.”
“No! Not a nito a NEET”
“That’s what I said! Anyway nito, you don’t think you’re going to be leaving here alive do you?”
His ears must be broken, I decided not to continue pushing the NEET issue.
“Well… I was planning on it.”
“Absurd!”
As he said this Shawn once again disappeared, so I expanded the erosion around me. And then-
“Guwaa”
I heard him cry out. Shawn had run directly into the erosion effect, I mean he did kind of seem like an idiot. He just plunged ahead with the crazy fast speed and as expected, there he laid missing his right arm and leg.
“Hahahaha, I’ve been made a fool of. Honestly, I’m stunned, have I grown weaker?”
I walked over next to Shawn and opened up my status. Having yet to choose any loot after defeating the mad eye I was prompted to do so.
ーーーーーーーーーー
Skill: Evil eye of truth
Consumables: high grade healing potion
Equipment: Knight’s ax
Magic: darkness
ーーーーーーーーーー
It’s hard to give up the magic but skills are more important right now. Not to mention that the [Evil eye of truth] would have come in handy earlier.
ーーーーーーーーーー
Skill: Evil eye of truth
You may peek at the target’s status.
ーーーーーーーーーー
“Acquired skill [evil eye of truth]”
“I don’t know, it doesn’t really matter but earlier, I couldn’t see at all when you moved.”
“Even in victory you don’t forget to complement your opponent. How generous of you.”
“It’s not that, you just don’t seem like a bad guy is all.”
“That is because you are still immature.”
“I see, I appreciate the advice.”
The level up sounds are ringing in my head.
“I don’t really care but, on a whim I shall give you some advice.”
“Hm?”
“You’re a healer right?”
“It seems like I’ve said it about a thousand times now but yes.”
“I have no reason to doubt you any longer.”
Shawn seemed to be thinking of something.
“It’s probably better if you hide that from now on.”
Why would I do that?
“I have lived for a few hundred years now, in the past my name could be heard all over the continent. However, you were able to easily defeat me. Healers are not that strong, you’ve received some kind of bonus magic. It’s obvious that if someone finds out about it they will want it.”
The end of the level up process was announced inside my head.
“If you’re an idiot who likes to boast then do what you want. However, you would be wise to listen to my words. The strong attract attention from their surroundings, I’m sure this would only trouble you. ”
“You’re probably right.”
I was reminded of the time when I was bullied, I seem to attract trouble.
“If I asked, would you tell me what that strange magic was?”
“I really don’t know much about it, on my way here I drank a weird liquid and now I can use it.”
“I see, so that’s how it is.”
“Unfortunately. Hey, before you die theirs something I want you to tell me about.”
“Ask away.”
“Have you heard of the revenge god?”
“……”
Shawn’s eyes grew wide when I asked that, it seems he does know something.
“Nito, where did you? That’s what it is huh, hahahaha!”
He suddenly broke out into laughter, his snake eyes were really creepy.
“What is it? Do you know something?”
“Huh? Oh sorry, it’s just that I haven’t heard that name in quite a long time.”
“Well?”
“I’ve only heard that name once, a very long time ago. It was the name of a cursed adventurer, but that’s all I know.”
“This makes no sense, he’s a god, yet an adventurer? I don’t get it.”
“You shouldn’t worry too much about it, as you travel the world there will come a day when you will hear that name again. ”
“You really don’t know anything else?”
“Don’t be impatient, you should just have fun. By the way Nito, what is your real name?”
My expression lightened into a thin smile as I told him.
“What’s this? We’re almost having a proper conversation here. Masamune, my name is Hidaka Masamune.”
“Masamune huh? This guy, even the name…”
“You’re character hasn’t changed at all since I walked into this room.”
“[The Snake King Shawn] has been defeated. Inherent skill [goddesses divine protection] has been activated.”
“Old man?”
Shawn could no longer reply.
※
On the verge of death Shawn saw a dream, a dream of a time long since past.
“The revenge god! That’s right Shawn! My name is known across the world!”
(Ahh, this is a nostalgic voice, how could I have forgotten this voice.”
A sea of clouds spread out before my eyes.
(Do you trust that person?)
(It was only a whim.)
Someone stood before Shawn.
(A whim huh….. that’s such a you answer. Well, shall we watch him go? Zephyr.)
(Haha, you’re still the same. Shawn.)
The two figures disappeared.