Day 571-580/Day 571

Day 571 / 101st day 
Although it took a lot of time and effort, I safely reached the top floor of the [Shadow Tower of Time]. The top floor is a large, circular, dome-like room with a height of 100 meters and a diameter of over 500 meters, with nothing but twelve thick columns standing in a circle at equal intervals.
Judging from the arrangement of the columns, perhaps the room itself is made up to look like a clock face?
The twelve columns, which must be a very important gimmick, are covered with elaborate magic circle carvings. The magic circles are quite complex and it is difficult to understand what they mean, but there are various parts that seem to represent the time, the month, the day, and the constellations. I'm sure it's not wrong to assume that, given the location, but let's put that aside for the moment.
If we can get past this place, we will be able to challenge the ancient past causal time emperor "Histoclock", who is the master of the "Time History City Historinor". I was able to infer this from the information I had obtained along the way, and more importantly, because I was getting closer, I could sense that the atmosphere was filled with a magical power similar to that of the ancient explosive control emperor "Astrakium". I could not help but drool at the mellow scent, which was incredibly appealing.
I want to taste it as soon as possible, but the last gate of the 【Shadow Tower of Time】is also the guardian of the main "Histoclock", so it must be the toughest so far.
As I walked to the center of the room, I saw a stone slab slowly approaching from the floor.
The stone tablet was similar to the ones that had been used in previous trials, but this time it was engraved with the details of the trial.
The first thing the tablet says is :
In the twelfth hour of the twelfth day of the twelfth month, the family members of the "Great Inaru God" will imitate the twenty-four "Zordia Calipre, the twelve star beast of the Blue Road" and destroy it. In other words, they said I should slaughter twenty-four enemies in twenty-four hours. The time limit is the longest ever, but considering the fact that more than 20 enemies had to be slaughtered at the time of the largest number, the number of enemies needed to be slaughtered is quite small.
Underneath, there is some information about the targets to be defeated. This information can be used as a reference in battle, but there is more information than before.
Was it because it was the last battle, or because it was such a difficult enemy?
I don't know, but when I finished reading the tablet, which contained a good amount of information, the tablet slowly sank to the floor, and the engravings on the twelve surrounding columns emitted rainbow-colored light. The amount of light was so great that if you looked directly at it, you might not be able to see anything for a while. Immediately, I blocked the rainbow light with my hand and looked around, and perceived a kind of fluctuation in the space, as if multiple things were trying to appear as if they were oozing out of the space. The light stopped after a few seconds, but by that time, the twelve targets to be defeated had already appeared, surrounding me.
The red scorching sheep wrapped in fuzzy burning wool 【Alius Calipre】.
The super-heavy crazy golden cow 【Taurus Calipre】wearing a heavy laminated armor shell. 
The beautiful twin 【Jemilua Calipre】who holds a halper in one enlarged hand and manipulates the wind. 
The shimmering water crab with a shell that seems to be made up of liquid 【Cansand Calipre】. 
The lion bearing a small sun whose entire body is composed of scorching magma 【Leor Calipre】. 
The fearless black maiden 【Verdigo Calipre】 who produces a strange form from her abdomen that I've never seen before. 
The ancient balance that carries the spirits of tornado and roaring thunder on its left and right scales 【Livres Calipre】. 
A poisonous scorpion with a long tail and scissors composed of mercury 【Scortios Calipre】. 
An archer with a six-legged horse body on the lower half and a male flame bow on the upper half 【Sagidarius Calipre】. 
An ash goat with unusually enlarged legs and sharp horns like a magic sword 【Capricorn Calipre】. 
The water bottle with a distorted shape like the face of an ugly old man that spits out violent winds and muddy water 【Aquariferes Calipre】. 
The twin fish with human faces that spit out poison and water while twisting together like a spiral 【Visceti Calipre】.
It seems to be an imitation of the 【Star Beast】 that is said to appear in the 【Godly Dungeon】 of a certain 【Great God】, and although its performance is lower than the real thing, it has a presence that is distinct from the dungeon monsters that we have encountered so far. Each and every one of them has a huge, rock-like physique of over ten meters, which alone would be quite intimidating. But in addition to that, they also emit waves of magical power that accompany physical pressure, and if your spirit is weak, you could faint just by facing them. The fact that there are twelve such beings gathered in one place, and surrounded in all directions, should generally be described as standing in a deadly situation.
However, before I could be intimidated by the tension and the signs of mortal combat, I imagined the taste of blood and flesh. I was almost drooling in front of the exquisite prey that had suddenly appeared around me.
While my appetite was being stimulated in this way, I tilted my head at the fact that only half of the twenty-four creatures I was supposed to kill had appeared yet.
There must be another half left, but no more are likely to appear. There must be some kind of mechanism or condition.
I don't know what it is yet, but I need to deal with twelve of them first. This is why I straddled the gray wolf, held up the vermillion spear, and started the battle with the burning gear at my back, but the battle situation was worse than I had expected.
The 【Fake Twelve Star Beasts of the Blue Road】 are all strong. I knew that the moment I faced them. But when the battle actually begins, each of the twelve's personalities will work together to reinforce each other, making it more difficult to attack. It was tough even for me, riding the Silver Wolf, to be constantly exposed to deadly destructive attacks from all directions.
That's why I decided to concentrate on the easiest target, the Golden Bull.
With its heavy laminated armor shell, it has an overwhelming defensive power that cannot be damaged by even half-hearted attacks. In fact, the magic bullets fired from the magic rifle and the bombing attacks of the fire beast created from the burning wheel were dumbfoundingly repelled, and if the rush hit me directly, I would die instantly before I could resist.
It was simple, and therefore terrifying, but the vermillion spear in my hand could easily cut through even the Golden Bull's defenses and inflict a fatal wound.
So I was able to hunt down the golden cow, which normally would have been an unavoidable struggle, in a daze as mere prey.
I used his spear to slice through the limbs of the Golden Ox as it rushed forward, taking advantage of the intervals between the attacks by the other 【Fake Twelve Star Beasts of the Blue Road】. The lacerations did not heal, perhaps due to the effects of the spear, or perhaps due to the regenerative ability of the unusual life force, and after only a few repetitions, the Golden Bull was unable to move. When it collapsed, I split its spine and chopped off its head to kill it easily.
After killing it, I tried to collect the corpse before it was destroyed in the aftermath of the battle, but unfortunately, before I could collect it, the corpse was transformed into light particles and sucked into the pillar that appeared.
While I regretted this, there were still many enemies left in the surrounding area. Since I was busy dealing with them, I decided to forget about the Golden Bull for the time being. I made up my mind that the next time I would try to secure them before they disappeared, and fought with a policy of steadily reducing their numbers while limiting wear and tear.
I guess I was right. The battle situation was slowly getting in my favor.
However, a considerable amount of time had passed since I killed the Golden Bull. It was almost time for me to kill two or three of the weakened ones in succession, and then I would be in a position to break the chain of events. The pillar that had absorbed the golden cow glowed again, and a new golden cow appeared. The golden cow that appeared was very different from the first golden cow.
The huge body, which had been so large that it was almost impossible to look up at, had doubled in size to about 20 meters, and the heavy laminated armor shell had become even thicker. In addition to that, the laminated armor shells and the giant mallet-like horns seem to be vibrating and shaking the atmosphere while emitting a unique high-frequency buzzing sound. If you get close enough, the super vibrations that travel through the air and ground will hit your entire body, severely restricting your movement. If I'm not careful, I might not even be able to move. If you take a high speed tackle of super heavy weight when your movement slows down or stops, you will be crushed into small pieces in no time and become a bloody smoke with no remains.
The new and enhanced Golden Bull fully embodies the fearsomeness that makes me imagine that.
While somehow managing to get past the new Golden Bull by using the mobility of the gray and silver wolves and the other【Fake Twelve Star Beasts of the Blue Road】as shields, I deepened my understanding of this ordeal.
The target of defeat is twelve 【Fake Twelve Star Beasts of the Blue Road】, and it is necessary to defeat even their enhanced individuals. Considering the intentions of the clock-like space, the before and after enhancements would represent morning and afternoon. That's why the requirement is to defeat twenty-four of them.
It was good to know that, and the battle continued. Once we had killed the enhanced individuals, five small fry that looked like miniature versions of the defeated [fake twelve star beasts of the blue path] appeared. The smaller species are only about a meter long, and their abilities are not as powerful. However, even though they are not that powerful, they are stronger than the small fry enemies on the road so far, so you can't let your guard down. In addition, it seems that even if you kill them, they will add infinitely more after a certain amount of time passes, and the smaller species will launch suicide attacks without regard to damage during the battle with the【Fake Twelve Star Beasts of the Blue Road】, so it was too bad. As the number of enhanced individuals we defeated increased, the number and types of miscellaneous enemies continued to increase, and the battlefield became increasingly chaotic.
More than ten hours later, with a little time left in the game, I managed to finish defeating all the enemies.
【You have successfully defeated the hierarchical boss, Zordia Calipre, the Twelve Star Beast of the Blue Road.】
【Achievers will be allowed to move to the Heavenly Domain, and may choose whether or not to fight the area boss, the False Twelve-Star Beast.】
【Achievers will receive a treasure chest [False Name of Starry Blue] as a bonus for their first kill.】
It was a pretty tough fight. In the end, I was able to secure all twelve of the enhanced individuals because I was able to kill them and leave their carcasses behind, and I was able to secure several hundred to a thousand of the smaller species as well. The results of the battle were satisfying enough, but in return, my whole body was badly damaged after the battle.
My whole body was roasted by the scorching heat, my body was poisoned by the flood with no way to escape, my muscles were torn by the sharp slashes, and my bones were shattered by the unbearable impact. Compared from the time I was a 【Boosted Man】, I got physically weacker now that I have become a 【Black Goblin King, Fallen Angel Listari Rice】. In the past, even a blow that could be avoided or defended against would often result in damage. Even the attacks of small species can be dangerous if they hit the wrong place. You can't avoid getting injured when dealing with multiple strong enemies, and even if you heal, what hurts is still painful. I wish they would take it a little easier on me, but it wasn't like they were.
But when it was over, it would be another spice to the gastronomy.
I'd like to cook it properly and taste it, but unfortunately I don't have time for that right now. After processing the meat into pieces that were easy to eat, I lightly roasted it over the fire and sprinkled a little seasoning on it to give it a simple flavor before biting into it.
At first, I bit into the meat of the golden cow, and the taste exploded as the blood and meat in my mouth rolled around on my tongue. At that moment, the vision was heaven. Fine fat that melted with just the temperature of my tongue. The fat was light and not heavy, making me reach for the next one. The quality of the magic contained in it is all very good, and the texture and taste changes depending on the part, such as the tightly packed red meat, so you will never get bored.
I also ate the other parts, and it was very interesting to see how they had completely different textures and tastes. The black maiden was soft and sweet, with the sugar content varying depending on the part, and the water bottle was like a crispy vegetable with a spicy taste. It seems that all of them go well with each other, and I felt as if I was tasting a natural full course meal.
【Ability 【Scorching Wool】 learned】
【Ability 【Golden Gait】 learned】
【Ability 【Sword Dance】 learned】
【Ability 【Deep Water Soft-Sucking Shell】 learned】
【Ability 【Sun of the Lion】 learned】
【Ability 【Abominable Child of Woe】 learned】
【Ability 【Balance of the Spirit】 learned】
【Ability 【Mercury's Poisonous Tail】 learned】
【Ability 【Eye of the Beast】 learned】
【Ability 【Splitting Sword Horn】 learned】
【Ability 【Old rampaging mouth】 learned】
【Ability 【Swirling Poisonous Water】 learned】
【Ability 【False Star Beast Factor】 learned】
The number of skills I was able to learn increased with the quantity.
In addition to that, I felt as if the blood and flesh I lost was being replenished every time I ate one of the fake 12 star beasts, and at the same time I felt as if the large amount of magical power I was ingesting was condensing in my dantian.
In addition, perhaps because I had overcome the deadly battle and repeatedly upgraded my level, my body, with its activated cells, was much lighter and more powerful than before the ordeal. I guess I could describe it as a vessel that had too much capacity, but now it was almost overflowing. I've been in the best shape I've ever been in since I became the Black Goblin King, having rested and eaten, and after checking my equipment and taking out my reward from the treasure chest I just got, I decided to go on.
Climbing up the spiral staircase that led to the high ceiling that appeared in the center of the room when I cleared the trials, I arrived at a small room surrounded by intricately moving machines on all sides. As I looked around the room, which was filled with the sound of a regular rhythm, I noticed an uncanny lever on the floor. I thought it was not a trap, so I pulled it, which triggered all the machines around me to move at once. The interior of the room changed one after the other, and finally, an opulent gate with a unique carving of small clocks coming together to form a giant clock appeared. At the gate, there was a sign that read.
［At the fourth hour, rule the 【Heavenly Domain of the Time Lord】. At the intersection of past and present, in the polar region where time is woven.］
--It's inscribed with the word "Histoclock. As I had sensed, what awaited me ahead was definitely the ancient past causal time emperor "Histoclock".
Even just standing in front of the gate, an overwhelming magical power surrounds my entire body that is incomparable to anything I've ever experienced before, and I would be in trouble if it were anything other than that.
As I finally arrived at the final obstacle, I pushed the gate while looking back on my journey with deep emotion. The gates slowly opened and a bright light shone through, and as we rushed through, we were greeted by a silver wall approaching at high speed.
----
RAWS
	"百一日目　／　五七一目"
　何だかんだと手間はかかったが、無事に【時刻の影塔】の最上階に到達した。
　最上階は高さ百メートル、直径五百メートルを超える円形の大型ドームのような空間拡張された一室で、円を描くように十二本の太い円柱が等間隔で聳え立っている以外は何もない。
　円柱の配置的に、恐らくは部屋自体が時計の文字盤に見立てられて構成されているのだろうか。
　かなり重要なギミックになっているのだろう十二本の円柱には、精緻な魔法陣の彫刻がビッシリと施されている。魔法陣はかなり複雑で何を意味しているのか理解する事は難しいものの、様々な部分で『時間』と『月日』、それから『星座』を表現しているような造形が見受けられる。場所が場所だけにその予想は間違いではないだろうが、そんな事は一先ず置いとくとして。
　ここを抜ければ≪時刻歴在都市ヒストリノア≫の主である古代過去因果時帝“ヒストクロック”に挑戦できるだろう。それはこれまでの道中で手に入れた情報から推察する事ができたし、何より近づいたからか、古代爆雷制調天帝“アストラキウム”に似た魔力が大気に満ちているのを感じ取れる。思わず涎が出てくるほどに、芳醇な香りとも表現すべきそれはとてつもなく魅力的だ。
　一刻も早く味わいたいものだが、【時刻の影塔】の最後の関門は主である“ヒストクロック”を守る番人でもあるのだから、これまでで最も手強い筈だ。
　気を引き締めて俺と灰銀狼は警戒しながら部屋の中央まで進むと、床から石板がゆっくりと迫り出してきた。
　これまでの試練でも似たような物にその時の試練内容などが刻まれていたのだが、今回の石盤もそれは同じだ。
　石盤には最初に『許サレルノハ十二刻、【大イナル神】ノ眷属ヲ模倣セシ二十四ノ【偽青道十二星獣ゾルディア・カリプレ】ヲ殲滅セヨ』とある。つまり二十四時間以内に、二十四体の敵を屠ればいいらしい。制限時間は過去最長だが、最も多かった時は千体以上の討伐が必要だった事を考えれば、必要な討伐数はかなり少ないと言えるだろう。
　そしてその下にはこれまでにも多少はあった討伐対象の情報が刻まれている。この情報は戦闘の参考にする事ができるのだが、これまでよりも情報が多い。
　最後だからなのか、それだけ難敵だからなのか。
　それは分からないが、それなりの情報量がある石板を読み終えると、石版はゆっくりと床に沈み、周囲の十二の円柱に刻まれた彫刻が虹色に発光した。直視すれば暫く何も見えなくなりそうなほどの光量だ。咄嗟に手で虹色の光を遮りながら周囲を伺うと、まるで空間から滲み出るように複数の何かが出現しようとする空間の揺らぎのようなものを知覚する。光は数秒ほどで止んだが、その時には既に俺を囲うように十二の討伐対象――【偽青道十二星獣】が現出していた。
　モコモコとした燃える羊毛に包まれた赤き灼羊【アリウエス・カリプレ】
　重厚な積層鎧殻を身に纏う超重量の狂える金牛【タウロラス・カリプレ】
　肥大化した片手にハルパーを握り風を操る美貌の双子【ジェミルア・カリプレ】
　液体によって構成されたような甲殻をもつ揺らめく水蟹【キャンサンド・カリプレ】
　全身が灼熱のマグマで構成された小さな太陽を背負う獅子【レオル・カリプレ】
　腹部から見た事も無い異形を生成する悍ましき黒乙女【ヴェルディゴ・カリプレ】
　左右の秤に竜巻と轟雷の精霊を乗せた古びた天秤【ライブレス・カリプレ】
　水銀によって構成された長い尾と鋏を持つ毒蠍【スコルティオス・カリプレ】
　下半身が六脚の馬体で上半身は男性な炎弓を携えた射手【サジダリオス・カリプレ】
　脚部が異様に肥大化し魔剣のような鋭角を持つ灰山羊【カプレリコン・カリプレ】
　暴風と濁流を吐き出す醜い翁の顔ような歪な造形の水瓶【アクエリフェレス・カリプレ】
　螺旋のように捻じれ合いながら毒と水を吐く人面の双魚【ビスケティー・カリプレ】
　とある【大神】の【神代ダンジョン】に出現するとされる【星獣】の模倣種らしく、性能は本物よりも落ちるものの、これまでに遭遇したダンジョンモンスターとは一線を画す存在感がある。どいつもこいつも十メートルを超える大岩のような巨躯で、それだけでもかなりの威圧感があるだろう。ただそれに加えて物理的な圧力を伴う魔力の波動まで発し、精神が弱ければ対峙しただけで気絶しかねない圧がある。そんな存在が十二体も一堂に会し、しかも全方向を囲んでいる現状、一般的には死地に立っていると表現すべきだ。
　しかし俺は緊張や死闘の気配に怖気るよりもまず先に、血肉を喰った時の味を想像してしまった。いきなり周囲に出現した極上の獲物を前に思わず涎が垂れそうになる。
　そうやって食欲を刺激されつつも、討伐するのが二十四体のハズなのに、まだ半分しか現出していない現状に小首を傾げた。
　まだ半分残っている筈だが、しかし追加は現れそうにない。
　つまり何か仕組みか、条件があるのだろう。
　それはまだわからないが、まずは十二体を相手にする必要がある。そんな訳で俺は灰銀狼に跨り朱槍を構え、背面に燃える歯車を従えて戦闘を開始したが、戦況は想定していたよりも悪かった。
　【偽青道十二星獣】はどいつもこいつも強い。それは対峙した瞬間に分かっていた事だ。しかし実際に戦闘を開始すると、十二体のそれぞれの個性が互いを補強するように連携してくるので攻略難度が跳ね上がっている。全方位から絶え間なく致命的な破壊力を持つ攻撃に晒され続けるのは、流石に灰銀狼に乗った俺でも厳しいものがあった。
　だからまず、相性的に一番やりやすい金牛を集中的に狙う事にした。
　重厚な積層鎧殻を身に纏う事で半端な攻撃では傷一つ負わない圧倒的な防御力を獲得し、見た目通りの重量がありながらドラッグマシーンのように短距離で最大加速した突進を行う金牛は、敵を轢殺する暴走殺人重機のようなものだ。実際、マジックライフルから放たれる魔弾も、燃える車輪から生み出した火獣の爆撃攻撃も呆気なく弾かれて、突進が直撃すれば俺達は抵抗する間もなく即死するだろう。
　単純だがそれ故に恐ろしいものの、しかし俺が手にする朱槍は金牛の守りすら容易く切り裂き、致命傷を負わす事が可能だった。
　だから普通なら苦戦は免れなかっただろう金牛を、ただの獲物として呆気なく狩る事が出来た。
　他の【偽青道十二星獣】との攻防の合間合間を狙って突進してくる金牛の四肢を、すれ違いざまに朱槍で切り裂いていく。尋常ならざる生命力による再生能力も朱槍の効果によるものなのか裂傷が治る事はなく、数回繰り返すだけで金牛は動けなくなった。倒れたところを逃さず背骨を割断し、そのまま首を刎ねてあっさり仕留める。
　仕留めた後は戦闘の余波で死体が壊される前に回収しようと思ったが、残念な事に回収する間もなく死骸は光の粒子に変換され、出現した円柱に吸い込まれてしまった。
　それを悔しく思いつつも、周囲にはまだまだ多くの敵が残っている。それの対処に追われたので、金牛の事は一旦忘れる事にした。次こそは消える前に確保しようと心に決め、損耗を抑えつつ着実に数を減らす方針で戦った。
　その戦い方は間違っていなかっただろう。
　戦況は徐々に俺達優位になっていた。
　だが、金牛を仕留めてからそれなりの時間が経っただろうか。もう少しで特に弱らせた二、三体を連続で仕留め、その後も連鎖的に崩せる状況が整ってきた時である。金牛を吸収した円柱が再び発光し、新しい金牛を現出させたのだ。それも現出した金牛は金牛でも、最初の金牛とは大きく異なっている。
　ただでさえ見上げるほどだった巨躯は更に倍の二十メートルほどにまで膨れ上がり、重厚な積層鎧殻は更に厚みを増やしている。それだけでなく積層鎧殻と巨大化した破城槌のような角が超振動しているらしく、ブゥイーーーンと独特な高周波を発しながら大気を震わせている。ある程度近づくだけで大気や地面を伝った超振動が全身を襲い、動きが著しく制限されてしまう。下手すれば動く事すらできなくなりそうだ。動きが鈍った、あるいは止まった所に超重量の高速タックルを喰らえば、あっという間に細かく破砕されて残骸も残らない血煙になってしまいそうだ。
　そう想像させるだけの恐ろしさを、禍々しく強化された新・金牛は存分に体現している。
　灰銀狼の機動力と他の【偽青道十二星獣】を盾にする事で新・金牛をどうにかやり過ごしつつ、今回の試練について理解を深めた。
　討伐対象は十二体の【偽青道十二星獣】で、その強化個体まで倒す必要がある。時計のような空間から意図を考えると、強化前と後は午前と午後を表現しているのだろう。だから二十四体の討伐が条件になっている。
　それが分かっただけでもいいとしつつ、戦闘は続いた。そして強化個体まで殺すと、その後は倒した【偽青道十二星獣】を小型にしたような雑魚敵が五体出現するようにもなった。小型種は体長が一メートル程度と小さく、保有する能力もそこまで強力ではない。ただそこまで強力ではないといってもこれまでの道中の雑魚敵よりも強いので油断はできない。しかも殺しても殺しても一定時間が経過すると無限に追加されるらしく、小型種は損害度外視の自爆特攻を【偽青道十二星獣】との戦闘中に仕掛けてくるので始末が悪すぎた。倒す強化個体が増えれば増えるほど雑魚敵の数も種類も増え続け、戦場は混沌を極めていった。
　そして十数時間後、制限時間を少し残しながらも、どうにか全討伐を終える事が出来た。
　［階層ボス“偽青道十二星獣ゾルディア・カリプレ”の討伐に成功しました］
　［達成者は天領への移動が認められ、以後エリアボス“偽青道十二星獣”と戦闘するか否かは選択できるようになりました］
　［達成者には初回討伐ボーナスとして宝箱【星降る青の偽称】が贈られました］
　かなりキツイ戦いだった。
　強化個体は殺すと死骸が残ったので十二体分全て確保する事に成功し、小型種もそれぞれ数百から千体単位で確保できた。
　戦果としては十分満足できるものではあるが、それと引き換えに戦闘後は全身の損傷が酷い。
　灼熱で全身を焙られ、逃げ場のない洪水に飲まれた肉体は毒に侵され、鋭い斬撃によって筋肉は断裂し、耐えがたい衝撃で全身の骨は砕かれた。
　【強化人間】だった時から、【黒小鬼王ブラック・ゴブリンキング・堕天隗定種リスタリオリシーズ】となった現在、肉体面では弱くなっている。
　以前なら回避できたり防御できたような一撃でも、ダメージを負う事も多々ある。
　小型種の攻撃でも、当たり所が悪ければ結構危ない。
　複数の強敵相手では怪我を負う事を避ける事は出来ず、治るとはいえ痛いものは痛いのだ。
　もう少し手加減して欲しいものだが、言って手加減してくれる相手ではなかった。
　しかし終わってしまえば、それもまた美食のスパイスになる。
　【偽青道十二星獣】の強化個体は素材が良いのでしっかりと調理して味わいたいが、今は残念ながらその余裕がない。
　喰いやすいようにザックリとした大きさに捌いた後は、軽く火で焙ったりちょっとした調味料を振りかけて簡単に味付けをした後に喰いついた。
　最初は金牛の肉に齧りつき、口内に入った血や肉が舌の上を転がって味が爆発的に広がる。
　その瞬間、幻視するのは天国だった。
　舌の温度だけで溶けるような上質な脂。脂はアッサリとしたもので重くなく、どんどん次に手が伸びる。
　それに内包する魔力の質がどれも非常に良く、部位によってはギュッと身が引き締まった赤身など食感も味も変わるので飽きる事はない。
　その他も喰っていくが、それぞれの食感も味の傾向も全く違うのがとても面白い。
　灼羊や金牛などは見た目から連想できるが、黒乙女は柔らかく部位によって糖度が変わる甘味のようで、水瓶はシャキシャキとした辛みのある野菜のようだった。
　どれを喰ってもそれぞれの相性がいいらしく、まるで天然のフルコースを味わっているような感覚を覚えた。
　【能力名アビリティ【灼熱の羊毛】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【黄金の牛歩】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【双貌の剣舞】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【深水性軟吸甲殻】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【獅子なる太陽】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【災いの忌児】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【精霊の天秤】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【水銀の毒尻尾】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【射殺す獣眼】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【割断の剣角】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【老いた暴れ口】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【渦巻く毒水】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【偽星獣因子】のラーニング完了】
　量が量だけにラーニングできた数も多くなった。
　それだけでなく失った血肉は【偽青道十二星獣】を喰う毎に補充されていくような感覚があり、同時に摂取する事になった大量の魔力が丹田に凝縮していくような感覚を覚えた。
　それに死闘を乗り越えて何度もレベルアップを重ねたからか、細胞が活性化した肉体は試練前よりも遥かに軽く、力強さに満ちている。
　容量が余っていた器が溢れそうになるほど満ちた、と表現してもいいだろうか。
　休息と食事をとった事で【黒小鬼王】となってから過去最高潮ともいえる状態になった俺は、取り合えず装備の点検と手に入れたばかりの宝箱【星降る青の偽称】から報酬を取り出して調べた後、そのまま先に進む事にした。
　試練をクリアした時に部屋の中心に出現した高い天井の先まで続く螺旋階段を登っていくと、四方を複雑に動く機械に囲まれた狭い一室に着いた。
　規則正しくリズムを刻む音が響く中を少し見て回ると、床に設置された如何にもなレバーがある。
　罠の類ではないと思ったので引いてみると、それを切っ掛けに周囲の機械が一斉に動いた。
　部屋の内装が次々と変化し、最終的には小さな時計が集まって巨大な時計を構築するという、独特な彫刻が施されている豪奢な門が出現した。
　門には――
　［四の刻、【時帝の天領】を支配せよ。過去と現在が交錯し、時の織り成す極地にて］
　――と刻まれている。
　感じていた通り、この先で待っているのは古代過去因果時帝“ヒストクロック”で間違いない。
　門の前に立っただけでも、これまでとは比べ物にならない程の圧倒的な魔力が全身を包むのだから、それ以外だった場合は逆に困るくらいだ。
　ようやくたどり着いた最後の難関を前に、感慨深く道中を振り返りつつ門を押す。
　ゆっくりと開いていく門の向こうからは眩しい光が差し込み、駆け込むように勢いよく潜り抜けた俺達を出迎えたのは、高速で迫る銀色の壁だった。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 3