[109] Anomaly

"ARRHHHH!"

The Swamp Jaws shook off the muddy water clinging to its body, its fist-sized, savage eyes glaring at Adam and Leinas. With a bellow, it charged, its gaping maw wide.

Thud!

The Archangel Flame that hadn't been knocked away surged forward, swinging its flaming sword with both hands, striking the Swamp Jaws' head.

However, the beast, encased in thick layers of mud and moss, was unscathed by the sword's flames and holy energy.

The force of the blow merely halted its charge for a moment.

"ARRHHHH!"

The Swamp Jaws twisted its head, shrugging off the sword, and raised a massive, heavy forelimb to swipe at the archangel.

Flap!

The Archangel Flame's wings beat, lifting it out of reach.

Meanwhile, the other archangel, previously sent flying, returned and joined the assault.

Under the dual attack, the Swamp Jaws was forced to halt, roaring furiously. It swung its forelimbs and tail in retaliation, but against the airborne archangels, its strikes missed entirely.

A stalemate ensued, neither side able to overpower the other.

Leinas's eyes widened in astonishment. These Archangel Flames were formidable.

The Swamp Jaws was among the marsh's apex predators, requiring at least a Mithril-rank adventurer team to confront.

Yet here, two Archangel Flames had forced it into a defensive stance. Were it not for the beast's thick hide and mud-caked armor, the archangels alone might have slain it.

"Target its eyes." Adam's voice called from behind.

The archangels' chaotic attacks paused, their wings pivoting as they zeroed in on the Swamp Jaws' eyes.

Moments later, the beast let out a pained roar, its body thrashing as it staggered back.

Adam wasn't about to let a level 20 monster, and its experience points, escape. Directing the archangels, he exploited the beast's blinded retreat.

Both flaming swords plunged through its eyes, piercing its skull.

"Raaargh!!"

The Swamp Jaws shuddered violently, its agonized wail cut short as it collapsed.

[Gained Experience: 3103]

[Experience Bar: 7405/10000]

Adam's mood lifted at the surge in experience points.

Glancing at the Swamp Jaws' corpse, he felt a pang of regret.

If Leinas weren't here, he'd have stored it. A level 20 monster, though lacking special abilities, had tougher hide and flesh than the ogre corpses in his item box.

It'd make excellent material for Undead Manipulation.

Leinas took a deep breath, turning to Adam, her blue eyes complex. "Who are you, really?"

It wasn't the Archangel Flames that were strong, it was the summoner's own power that enabled such potent summons.

With his strength and alchemical prowess, he shouldn't be obscure.

Adam, lamenting the Swamp Jaws' corpse, was caught off guard by Leinas's question. Noticing her shocked gaze, he realized what she meant.

"Genius alchemist, divine type magic caster, or…" Adam shrugged, lifting the copper badge at his waist with a half-joking tone, "Copper-rank adventurer."

The first two titles didn't faze Leinas, but the last one made her lips twitch sharply.

"If I were the Adventurers' Guild leader, I'd abolish the rule that adventurers must complete missions to rank up." She said through gritted teeth.

"Ancient rules endure for a reason." Adam replied with a light chuckle. "I actually think the Guild's system is quite good."

The rule seemed harsh, forcing even the powerful to start at low ranks and grind missions.

But from a leader's perspective, it was a filtering process.

His playful tone eased the tension Leinas had felt.

"Let's move." Adam said, raising a hand.

The Archangel Flames flew over, and the two resumed their journey deeper into the marsh, carried as before.

As they ventured further, the marsh terrain faded, low shrubs giving way to towering foliage. The jungle depths came into view.

"Grr, Grr-"

"Arrrrrrr-"

The calls of beasts and magical creatures echoed from the jungle.

A faint white mist rose in the air.

"It's getting foggy." Leinas said, her face grim.

"Then we descend." Adam replied, noting a massive fog bank in the distance.

Swish! Swish!

The Archangel Flames carried Adam and Leinas down to a weed-choked patch of ground.

"Hngh!"

The moment Leinas landed, she let out a soft grunt, her right hand clutching her gold-veiled cheek, a pained moan escaping her.

A patch of exposed, decayed flesh twitched visibly.

Adam sensed something off too.

More precisely, his own cursed power felt restless.

This place was wrong.

His eyes sharpened as he looked at Leinas. "Are you alright?"

"This place… it feels like the magical beast that attacked me." Leinas said, lowering her hand from her cheek, enduring the ant-like gnawing pain. Her gaze chilled.

"Graar!"

"Graar!"

"Graar!"

Low, bestial growls sounded from nearby shrubs.

Three creatures, roughly the size of adult Invisible Hounds but monstrous in appearance, emerged from the foliage.

Adam frowned instinctively. These creatures were grotesque, bizarre.

They had humanoid heads with sharp teeth, lion-like bodies, and manes framing their faces.

Most peculiar were their scorpion-like, spike-covered tails and bat-like wings.

At first glance, they seemed like a fusion of multiple monsters.

"The strange beast you mentioned, isn't this it?" Adam asked, eyeing the monstrous trio.

"No." Leinas said, raising her black spear and shaking her head. "These are Manticore."

"Watch their tails, they can shoot spikes. I'll take one, you handle the other two!"

With that, Leinas charged the rightmost Manticore with her spear.

Since entering the marsh, she'd contributed little. These three were her chance to act.

"Looking this bizarre and still not the one?" Adam muttered, waving his arm.

The two Archangel Flames surged toward the remaining Manticore.

The fight was anticlimactic compared to the Manticore's monstrous appearance. In moments, all three were slain.

[Gained Experience: 286]

[Gained Experience: 301]

[Experience Bar: 7992/10000]

Adam glanced at the experience gained, comparable to ogres.

Huh?

He froze, sensing a wisp of cursed energy released from the Manticore corpses upon their deaths.

And he'd absorbed it.

Checking his status panel, he saw no changes in experience or stats.

Yet he distinctly felt his internal cursed power grow slightly.

"Ah!"

Leinas, gripping her bloodied spear, let out a sharp scream.

Adam's expression shifted as he rushed to her. Seeing her face, his gaze hardened.

The curse, once confined to half her face, was spreading to the other side.

He realized the cursed energy wasn't just absorbed by him, Leinas had taken it in too.

Or rather, only those with the Cursed Knight class could sense and absorb this cursed energy.

***

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