Chapter 119

Day 45.

A point approximately 30 kilometers east of the Sea God’s Sanctuary(?).

We were unable to advance even 3 kilometers a day.

It was because the level of the monsters blocking our path had become far too high.

“Wow…”

The party let out collective groans as they watched a pack of monsters through Snoopy’s senses.

“Ah… this isn’t going to work.”

“Is it for real that every monster we see is either Second-class or First-class…?”

“We can’t break through, can we?”

“Are you crazy? The moment we’re caught, there won’t even be bones left to bury. Each one of them is on par with us or stronger. And against those numbers, not just one or two? Absolutely impossible.”

“…Elizabeth. Tell Snoopy to advance further.”

“…He says he can’t. He’s certain he’ll be caught if he goes any deeper. I can feel him shivering from here.”

“Then tell him to circle around the side. Surely the whole place isn’t packed with things like that.”

“…He says he’ll try.”

A short while later, the party could only watch as Snoopy returned, tucking his tail between his legs with a whimper.

“A dragon…”

“It’s a dragon…”

“…And not just one or two. Over there, in that direction. There’s another one.”

“…Are they assigned to a specific zone, just flying back and forth on patrol?”

“No, seriously, why the hell are creatures as grand as Dragon-types acting like mere sentries?”

“…To protect the Sanctuary?”

“Why would they protect the Sanctuary?”

“Well… because you can escape to another continent through it…”

“An ‘escape’ only works if there are people coming in. Exactly how many unlucky bastards like us get dragged here for them to feel the need to guard it? Even if I concede that their goal is to prevent escape, wouldn’t it make more sense to destroy it rather than guard it? What kind of relationship do they have with the Sea God that they’d protect the place?”

“Well, I… I don’t know.”

To be honest, the fact that the monsters grew stronger the closer we got to the Sanctuary, and the fact that they were acting as volunteer sentries for the Sanctuary(?), could all be explained by a single term.

‘…The Demon King’s Castle. As expected, Bel was right.’

But it was too late to drop that answer now. So, I deliberately chose silence.

“Still, one thing has become certain. There is definitely something at that Sea God’s Sanctuary. We can’t be sure if it’s truly a gate to another continent… but it means we haven’t come all this way for nothing.”

“…Mm. True.”

“So, rather than going in circles with questions that have no answers, let’s think of a way to pierce through this wall of monsters and reach the Sanctuary.”

And so, we truly exhausted every possible means to move toward the Sanctuary. Sometimes we dug tunnels as we did before, and sometimes the rest of the group moved while I acted as ‘aggro’ bait.

Time passed, and finally, Day 50 arrived.

17 kilometers from the Sanctuary.

“My god.”

“Ah…”

“This is truly… unbelievable…”

We ultimately had no choice but to stall right then and there.

They didn’t have leathery wings; instead, they soared through the sky with a pair of wings made of light. Massive, iridescent dragons whose wingspans reached nearly 100 meters.

Chel muttered in a dazed voice as she watched the dragons in the sky.

“…Those wings of light. I’ve heard of them. They are said to manifest naturally once one rises to the seat of Transcendence…”

Ailet recorded the dragons with trembling hands, whispering:

“…They are ‘Transcendent Dragons.’ My god. To think I’d witness a sight that only exists in legends with my own eyes…”

I scratched my head and observed the magnificently soaring dragons more closely.

“They all only have one pair of wings. Doesn’t that mean they’re all just Equilibrium Heaven rank? They’re total scrubs.”

For context, the Equilibrium Heaven is the very bottom of the nine ranks of the Transcendent Hierarchy. Of course, that alone is enough to be called a god (the lowest tier)…

‘Still, Equilibrium is just Equilibrium. It’s the bottom.’

If they were pioneers who had reached the seat of Transcendence through their own power as mortals, it might be a different story… but at a glance, these guys were clearly “silver spoon” types who became Transcendent Dragons by receiving power from the Demon King.

I let out a smirk at the creatures flying so haughtily, acting all high and mighty.

“Creatures that would be sweeping the yard, pulling weeds, and picking up rocks if they went to the Celestial Realm (according to Yuribel), and they’re acting so arrogant. …Pathetic things.”

At that, even the party members—who were quite used to me by now—bugged their eyes out.

“My god, Orabeoni. A Transcendent Dragon is something that even three or four Grand Masters or 9th Circle Archmages couldn’t handle together. They’re half-gods. No matter how you look at it, that’s a bit…”

“Mr. Sword God. I think there’s a difference between confidence and bluffing.”

“Old man. I know you live for your own coolness… but that’s going too far.”

“Orabeoni. I understand you. If it’s you, someday, maybe, um…”

Even Kelly, who had recently started believing that black was white if I said so, shook her head. I gave a bitter smile.

Well, they weren’t wrong. It was true that as I was now, I couldn’t handle those Dragon-type monsters from before, let alone a Transcendent Dragon.

But still, having reached Potestates and held the title of Martial God in the past, I couldn’t exactly look up to a mere 9th-Grade scrub with awe, could I?

The party quietly retreated for the time being.

We had detoured before, but this was the party’s first true retreat.

And so, we remained in a state of limbo, unable to move forward or back, for about three days.

‘Mm… this isn’t good.’

I shook my head as I watched the party members grow increasingly anxious with each passing day.

Actually, it was a natural reaction. Honestly, it was a miracle they had stayed sane this long in the Demon King’s front yard, which was crawling with monsters.

But now that the hope of escape was being crushed before their eyes, the anxiety they had suppressed was beginning to manifest.

“Elizabeth. Didn’t I tell you to keep Snoopy active at all times? Snoopy has the highest detection ability here, so why do you keep putting him away? What if a monster ambushes us like before?”

“No, then when am I supposed to rest!? Even if Snoopy looks cute, he’s an 8-star monster. Do you know how much energy it takes to keep him summoned constantly!?”

“Elizabeth. Is there anyone here who isn’t struggling? Have you forgotten this is a Demon Territory? We don’t even know if we’ll survive even if everyone does more than their share, and you’re making a scene over summoning a pet for a few more hours? Right now?”

“Making a scene!? After everything I’ve done so far, you’re calling it that!?”

“Stop it, unnie. And Elizabeth, you too.”

“Kelly. Stay out of this. I let it slide because you’ve been working hard lately and acted a bit cocky… but if your old self is coming back, that’s a different story. If I don’t fix that attitude of yours today…”

“Guild Master. You’re too agitated. Why are you acting so unlike yourself?”

“Fix my attitude? Don’t make me laugh. Who? To whom? Did you forget I was called a one-man guild? It was like that even with just the Cyclops, but now that I have Leo, do you really think Chel can even lay a finger on me!? Leo! Come out!!”

Grrrrr…

“That… Master. I came out because you told me to, but… you seem to have lost your reason slightly. Please calm down a bit…”

“Shut up. Armor Summon!”

Clank! Clang-clank!

“From now on, I’m treating Chel as an enemy.”

“Hilarious. Have you forgotten you’re bound by a Geas?”

“Geas!? Hah! Why don’t you try it? With the current Leo and the buffs I’ll give him, someone like Chel can be finished in 10 seconds. You think I can’t hold out for 10 seconds!?”

I sighed as I watched the childish fight unfolding before me.

“Hold on.”

I stood up and pressed my shoulder firmly against the armored lion’s leg.

“Ugh…!?”

The moment the beast instinctively leaned forward to regain its balance, I used that momentum to spin it around in place.

Whoosh! CRASH!!

The area fell silent at the sight of the massive body, well over 5 meters tall, performing a somersault from a single light gesture.

“Stop it. Both of you.”

“…Old man.”

“Orabeoni…”

“You know you’re not in a normal state right now, don’t you?”

“…….”

“…….”

“It’s a bit early, but let’s call it a day and sleep. Especially you, Chel. You haven’t slept even an hour a day lately, have you?”

“…Urgh.”

“Go to sleep right now. If you’re short on sleep, nothing works. After a good nap, your head will clear up.”

“But…”

“It’s an order. No, come here. I’ll just cast a Deep Sleep Blessing on you. This is much more effective than magic.”

I firmly grabbed the shoulders of the hesitating Chel and placed my hand on her forehead.

“Don’t resist. Just accept it. Good Sleep.”

For context, this Deep Sleep is a blessing I’ve become able to use recently as my Holy Power has grown stronger. I’ve tested it a few times, and the effect is excellent.

Receiving the blessing, Chel tottered for a moment before collapsing into my arms.

After laying her down on a bed inside our temporary shelter…

“The rest of you, over here.”

“Uh… Old man. Your eyes look kind of scary.”

“Orabeoni. I’m not really that sleepy.”

“Mr. Sword God. I don’t necessarily need to…”

“Quiet. Everyone sleep. I said, sleep.”

…I forcibly put the other three to sleep as well.

I gazed down at the four of them and let out a long sigh.

“Phew. I guess this is the limit for these guys. They can’t go any further.”

Watching the sun slowly dip behind the mountains, I quietly accessed my Imagery.

“Bel.”

“Yes, Sword God.”

“Our kids being pushed to the edge like that… those things played a part, didn’t they?”

Bel nodded, understanding my question without difficulty.

“Yes. The Transcendent Dragons are exerting ‘Spiritual Pressure’ toward this area. An Equilibrium Heaven-rank pressure is nothing special on its own… but with five of them gathered together scattering it like that, it’s more than enough to break the minds of mortals.”

“So, in the end, they’ve been looking down on our every move while playing dumb and toyed with us. No wonder I felt eyes on me the whole time.”

“……”

“Ha… These bastards. Who do they think they’re treating like a toy?”

I felt a surge of pure irritation.

-Arrogance rears its head.

Insolent… those pathetic lizards dare to mock me? Even the Demon King would bow her head to me, and a mere Equilibrium-rank scrub dares—dares to do this to me?

Having already guessed how things were playing out, a cold smile spread across my face.

“I suppose it’s time to end this ridiculous play. Is it three hours until Shia logs in?”

“Yes.”

For context, ever since her first access to my Imagery, Shia has been logging in regularly once every three days. The time is 10:00 PM local time.

Actually, I wanted her to log in once a day… but even Shia recoiled at the idea of drinking the Lake of Gouphus every single day, so I had no choice.

“…There’s a lot to prepare. Shia’s going to have a rough time.”

Three hours later.

Rumble! Rum-rum-rumble!!

In the distance, the central area of the Imagery world begins to erode as Shia’s presence takes over, shifting the atmosphere of the mental world.

Observing the change through a transcendent sense that went beyond the five basic senses… Shia suddenly appeared, running over to throw herself into my arms.

“Geom-shiiiiiin~!”

Thump!

I smiled and stroked her hair.

“If you’re that happy to see me, why not log in every day?”

“…Would it not be kinder to simply tell me to die?”

“Do you really hate the elixir that much?”

Shia made a gagging gesture and scrunched up her face.

“By drinking that medicine once every three days, I have already proven that my affection for you is greater than the universe itself.”

“Mm. Well, that’s awkward. I think you’re going to have to drink that medicine for real tomorrow.”

“…What?”

“The duration is about four to five hours… so be prepared to drink at least two or three cups.”

“What was that!? Two or three cups!?”

I wiped the smile from my face and gripped both of Shia’s hands tightly.

“Shia. I have a favor to ask.”

The next morning.

I looked at the party members, who had woken up with refreshed faces, and asked them in a calm but firm tone.

“Do you trust me?”

At my abrupt, out-of-the-blue question, the party tilted their heads in confusion.

“…So suddenly?”

“Just answer me.”

Sensing the seriousness in my voice, they all hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Well, Orabeoni, I’d believe you even if you said the sky was falling tomorrow.”

“If I don’t trust you, who else would I trust?”

“If it’s your word, Mr. Sword God, I’ll follow gladly.”

“Old man. That question is an insult to me.”

Having secured the answer I wanted, I drew Astraphe without hesitation.

Clang…!

Then, looking up at the Transcendent Dragons visible far off in the sky, I smirked.

“Then… no matter what happens from this moment on, trust me until the very end.”