Chapter 134 - Prelude (2)

“The next target is this.”

I said, drawing a route on the map.

Near the Mana Vein where we were now were the Tribe of Natives' Forest, which we had occupied not long ago, and the ‘Scorching Mountain Range.’

One might wonder how a lava zone could be next to a forest, but this wasn't a neighborhood where common sense applied in the first place. Let's just accept it.

‘On the surface, it doesn't seem like a very meritorious zone...’

The Scorching Mountain Range was a place that seemed to have remarkably little reason to occupy compared to other zones.

This was even more so when compared to the Mana Vein, which was clearly rich in its own resources, or the Tribe of Natives, who had conspicuous special abilities.

Yet, there was a reason I had chosen this place as our destination.

“What is it?”

“The native creatures.”

As I said that and manipulated the map, a hologram of the creatures distributed in the zone appeared.

Ah, as expected of the dwarves. To think such an item existed in a fantasy world.

“This is...”

“Flame Dire. Infernal Golem. Blazing Howler... they're all A-rank. Considering the attribute correction, this is no joke.”

Such words flowed from Darien and Seo Ah-in, who were watching from the side.

Well, certainly.

It felt a little less intense compared to the den of demons where I had fallen with Mr. Seo Jin-seong at the start of the ordeal, but this place also felt quite heavy in terms of its deadliness.

The feeling was completely different when you just had soldiers versus when you added ‘special individuals’ like this to increase the variety of troops.

“Huh? But aren't native creatures only used for catching and earning points? They seem incredibly hard to control...?”

“Not necessarily.”

That too, in the end, depended on how you used it.

As I was thinking that and smirking, Darien also nodded and chimed in.

“That's right. Don't try to read the Avatar of the Savior's intentions carelessly, you birdbrain.”

“...Who are you calling a birdbrain?”

“Don't fight...”

No, stop fighting, but still.

First, both of you, get off.

With both of them clinging to my arms, I was about to die of heat.

“Oh, but then I'd be losing to a birdbrain.”

“No, I mean, who's the birdbrain-”

“…”

I wanted to send them both back.

Was there, by any chance, a reverse summon function to send them out of the tower?

***

“By the way, Avatar of the Savior.”

Darien suddenly opened her mouth.

Her gaze was fixed on Mr. Seo Jin-seong and Seo Ah-in, who were checking their equipment in the back.

“...About those two.”

Just by starting like that, I could roughly guess what she was about to say.

Well, certainly, this girl who could dig into the minds of both sides would be able to see at a glance how strange their situation was.

“Is it okay to leave them like that? Of course, you must have your reasons for not saying anything, Avatar of the Savior, but...”

“They both do seem a bit precarious, don't they?”

The youthful appearance that Mr. Seo Jin-seong maintained ‘on the outside’ was the result of a ‘price’ he had paid for something. He was using that to continue deceiving Seo Ah-in.

Though young on the outside... he was probably being slowly eroded.

“...I don't know why he's going that far.”

“Well, that man is no fool. He made that deal because the price was right.”

And what he received as that price.

Was a small dagger prepared solely for Lancester, who had laid a hand on his wife and done terrible things to his daughters.

It might seem insignificant in some ways.

But that short dagger would surely slit that guy's throat. If I guided him properly.

“But even so, I don't see the need to hide his identity.”

“The whole family might be a bit timid, you know.”

“…”

No, but it was really that.

From my perspective, it was something that would end if they just talked it out openly, but they were both just too emotional and sensitive to muster the courage.

So I would have to prepare a stage for reconciliation later. It would probably be around the latter half of this ordeal.

“...Hmm.”

“Why are you tilting your head so scarily again?”

“No. It's the Avatar of the Savior's action, so I have no intention of interfering... but if that happens, I'll need to steel my resolve.”

“Resolve?”

Darien twirled Bloody Reaven in her hand and nodded.

The sight of her handling such a large weapon like a twig while wearing a nun's habit was quite jarring, but her movements were as natural as handling her own limbs.

“That family doesn't just have that person, there's also a... bigger person, right?”

A bigger person...

Ah, I see. She must mean Ms. Seo Hye-in.

“There is. But why?”

“If the Avatar of the Savior unravels that family's domestic affairs like that... well. It's highly likely to become a 2-on-1 situation. From what I see, even the father over there seems to have acknowledged the Avatar of the Savior by about half.”

“...?”

What was she talking about?

Where on earth would there be a 2-on-1 brawl between you and the Seo sisters?

“Well, so it would be important to leave a strong impression now in preparation for that time.”

The girl who said that slowly approached the ‘Wall of Fire’ in front of her.

It was a kind of ‘boundary line’ that made up the Scorching Mountain Range.

“...Hmm.”

The guys occupying this zone seemed to have some brains.

When you occupy a zone crystal, you can use various functions by spending points, such as the ‘machine creation’ of the Mana Vein or the ‘rapid growth’ of the Tribe of Natives.

And the ‘Wall of Fire’ available in the Scorching Mountain Range was a top-tier performance among those functions.

The fact that they thought of using it right away meant that the owner of this zone had at least enough ability to distinguish jewels from stones.

It didn't have the power to disintegrate everything it touched from its mana structure like the Sanctum Field, but in terms of simple ‘blocking’ performance, it was an incredibly powerful barrier.

The best course of action would be to consider its fire attribute, occupy the Extreme Tundra, and weaken it by throwing in ice essence before entering.

But this side had a person who possessed a demon weapon that was second to none when it came to ‘erosion.’

The fact that the one possessing it was a cleric was also a strange combination.

“...Well, I'm counting on you.”

I thought, looking at Darien who stood before the barrier.

“…”

And, she immediately proved that she was competent.

Really.

Surprisingly fast.

***

Catherine Stegor meticulously examined the ‘catalog’ spread out before her eyes.

It was a list that summarized all the ‘functions’ provided by occupying the zone crystal.

“...Not bad.”

This place called the Scorching Mountain Range, where she had first fallen, was unspeakably harsh in terms of its ruggedness and the strength of its native creatures, but for that very reason, there were also benefits.

The fact that there were no intelligent life forms to speak of meant that she could easily approach and occupy the zone crystal.

With her own martial prowess, she was more than capable of taking care of herself in a place like this. Thanks to that, the occupation itself was easy.

And the ‘additional functions’ of the zone crystal obtained as a reward each boasted incredibly powerful effects.

“The problem is…”

How to utilize the things in the occupied zone.

At least for her, she couldn't think of a way to utilize these native creatures.

“But for now, just this is reassuring.”

She sighed and looked at the hemispherical barrier that enveloped the entire zone.

Even now, she had the skill to survive unscathed in a place teeming with terrifying creatures, but for that very reason, she could immediately recognize the inherent ‘sturdiness’ in it.

“...Hmm.”

No creature here could break through that, and probably at this point, no opponent could break through it either.

Even the most notorious of the humans who participated in this ordeal, ‘that’ Lancester.

So she thought.

Until 3 minutes ago.

“...Huh?”

It started with something blackish rising from the edge.

As if ink had been dropped on a drawing paper, black mana slowly eroded from the edge of the barrier.

“…”

At first, she wondered if it was something she needed to pay much attention to.

But the ‘erosion’ did not stop and continued.

On, and on, and on.

At first, it was just eroding the edge, but in an instant, it had spread to the core of the barrier.

“What...!”

Startled, Catherine immediately magnified her vision to the source.

It was a vision expansion that any vanguard-type climber could do, but her ability was particularly outstanding, so it wasn't difficult to see what was there.

A strange sight of a woman in a nun's habit holding a greatsword and thrusting it into the barrier. The sight itself exuded a bizarre atmosphere.

But what truly horrified Catherine was the ‘sword’ itself that the woman was holding.

“No... way...!”

It was a barrier she had been confident that not even Lancester could penetrate just a moment ago, but she could immediately understand that the immense mana spewing from that sword was cutting through it and eroding it as if it were soft tofu.

A wave of mana that would not be strange if she were to be completely eroded just by a single touch was bursting out once every second.

“A weapon like that... I've never once...!”

At least for her, who had been rolling around in the Western climber scene for a long time and had experienced all sorts of things, she had never seen a weapon that made her feel like she was going to lose her mind just by looking at it.

Surely, what was dormant inside it was ‘something’ that would cause a great disaster the moment it was released. A terrifyingly eerie aura was billowing up from its foundation.

But what made her most dumbfounded was the attitude of the woman in the nun's habit who was wielding it.

“Yes, yes, you're doing well. As a reward, I'll reduce today's ‘discipline’ to 15 minutes... What? Didn't you say you'd call it off if I listened well? Wouldn't I share that grace with you if the Avatar of the Savior is that pleased? So please try a little harder. That's right, that's right, good job. Try harder to be of more help to him-”

“...What is with that crazy bitch.”

She was constantly muttering something to the weapon like a crazy person, but there was no feeling that she had lost her reason.

Rather, her attitude towards handling the weapon was like handling a toy.

And the madness of the weapon that had made Catherine tremble, fearing and submitting, was all ingrained in the woman's behavior.

And that madness was focused on a single target, referred to as the ‘Avatar.’

“…”

Catherine could instinctively tell.

That woman.

For that person called the Avatar, she was literally a person who could do ‘anything.’

And that judgment immediately led her to decide on her next action.

“...I'll have to meet him.”

Let's give up on protecting this zone for now.

Now was the time for her to personally confirm who this ‘Avatar’ was, to whom this woman who was committing such an unbelievable act was so loyal.

Depending on the case...

“I might have to consider being incorporated under his command.”

At least for an opponent who had such a hand, it was not strange at all to consider such a thing.

Thinking that, she looked at the wall of fire, eroded in black, with narrowed eyes.

“...Actually, I might have to beg for my life right now instead of being incorporated under his command.”

Such a hollow mumble followed.

This ordeal, really.

I've met a monster from the very beginning.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.