Test

“Also, this is a test directed at you.”

The solemn voice of the beautiful young archer echoed repeatedly.

From either side of his eyes, five-colored energy rose like the tail of his eyes.

It was an ability similar to Clairvoyance, which allowed seeing at tremendous distances.

“I shall begin.”

His voice, amplified with sound enhancement, echoed.

With a force like a rock, the archer’s composite bow was raised toward me.

Ting-

In an instant, a blue magical bowstring appeared on the bow that had only a body.

Shuuuuu-

Tremendous air compression was generated in the archer’s bow.

Guguuguung-

A massive sphere of mana gathered around the archer.

The surrounding background seemed to be sucked into him like a black hole.

Magical power of ridiculous density endlessly coalesced.

[Steel Mode has been applied.]

Karddddk-

The armor plate that sprouted from my head covered all the way to the tip of my body.

I deployed the Steel Mode I had newly acquired.

“Kuoooo─────!”

I let out a changed roar with my transformed head.

The archer, who pulled the magic bowstring with all his might, half-opened one eye narrowly.

Tuuuuung─────!

An ear-splitting explosion.

Though he shot an arrow, the sound was like a cannon firing.

Before the sound occurred, blue light flashed first.

It was the aftermath of energy instantaneously breaking the sound barrier.

Huwoooong─────!

A pole-like magic arrow well over 15 meters in length was fired.

Clearly a free-form magical manifestation type designed to pierce through me.

The projectile rushed forward, causing a sandstorm as it cut through the surroundings.

I twisted my body like a dolphin swimming rapidly underwater.

Chwak! Shwaaaaa-!

Dense yellow wind rose around me as I activated a spin move.

The air-ripping projectile grazed me, causing a crack in my mouth.

Pasuk-

I felt a numbing pain in the left corner of my mouth.

If I were still human, the impact would have knocked out teeth.

Had I not deployed Steel Mode and taken a direct hit, it would certainly have pierced through the roof of my mouth to the nape of my neck, damaging several hearts.

The speed at which the archer’s arrow reached me was far faster than expected.

I decided to rely on quick instinct rather than slow judgment to evade.

It was like predicting and avoiding by watching the direction of a gun barrel.

In a flash, the archer had already loaded and fired another shot.

Tuuuung-!

A heavy shockwave bursting through the air, and the flickering of blue light.

The phenomenon occurred first, with sound following belatedly like aftershocks.

Tremendous supersonic energy that distorted the law of simultaneous occurrence of phenomenon and sound flew at me again.

Kwasssss-!

This time, I had already quickly twisted my body to evade.

The deep blue elongated flash grazed me and flew far away.

Sand and blood simultaneously filled my mouth.

“Khwaaaaak-!”

Puk! Kwachukchukchukchuk-!

A mixture of bloody water and streams of sand burst from my mouth.

I fired a mass of bloody mud mixed with deadly acidity and heavy kinetic energy, different from individually operating sand breath and blood cannon.

Pat, pat, pat.

The archer stepped back tens of meters at a time with dazzling backsteps.

In that state, he released the bowstring loaded with a magic arrow.

Tung! Tuung! Tuuung-!

Magic arrows were fired in succession, hitting the air.

“Krurururuk-!”

Pyuchururuk-!

I repeatedly twisted my body back and forth, spewing hardened blood clots as if vomiting.

As the blood clots fell randomly around, the archer also moved his body brilliantly, retreating and increasing the distance.

Reaching within 50 meters of the archer took only an instant.

“You’ve come.”

With those words, the archer turned his back and ran without hesitation.

Whiiiing-

A sudden green wind arose and enveloped the archer.

I knew this phenomenon was the blessing of a wind spirit.

The combination of archer and wind was a traditional and mystical combination.

Tatatatata-!

The archer, supported by tremendous speed, ran like the wind.

From the start, he was already moving at a minimum of 300km/h like a sports car.

This guy was definitely S-rank.

Shuuuuu-!

Speed acceleration spell. Haste.

The A-rank wind direction magician’s ability I had recently acquired.

Pale green streams of wind arose and enveloped my body as well.

Hwarrrrrk-!

Not satisfied with that, I was engulfed in spontaneous combustion.

He Chen, the enemy who had left a very strong impression on me during a recent fight.

I implemented additional reinforcement, readily enveloping myself in blue flames.

Jagrrrr-!

I became a metal worm burning with 1,500-degree blue flames through spontaneous combustion.

An armored worm blazing with blue flames raced across the desert.

The desert sand around me melted like mercury in a thermometer.

I called out to the back of the archer who was fleeing like a gust of wind.

[Stop! You worm!]

“Would anyone stop because of that?”

As his beautiful amplified voice echoed, the archer continued to flee.

I added more magical power to the acceleration magic Haste.

Pursuing the archer, I raised my speed more fiercely.

Tatatatata-!

The archer ran with truly nimble footwork, like an elegant elf racing through a forest.

The jet-black hair like ebony fluttered under his white turban.

A chase where we pursued each other began.

But I could hardly catch up.

Just when I thought I was closing the gap, the archer increased his speed even more.

It felt like watching a mirage that could never be reached no matter how far I moved.

But would I give up just because I couldn’t catch him?

Obviously, absolutely not.

I just had to obstruct him so he couldn’t escape.

Hwarrrrrk-!

He Chen’s area-of-effect technique Flame Hundred Flowers Blooming.

At my will, vast flames blossomed on the battlefield.

All kinds of various flowers made of fire bloomed, with flames scattering from the fully opened flower buds.

The archer was engulfed in flames fiercely whirling from all directions.

He increased his speed even more and completely broke through the center.

“Hmm!”

The running archer exclaimed in admiration and twisted his body into the air.

Performing a dazzling triple axel, he fired a charged shot that had been completed.

Tuuuung-!

Once again, a pole-like magic arrow came flying, driving dirt dust.

Having predicted this, I twisted my body to avoid it.

As I rotated my body, I opened my eyes wide.

Chiiiing!

Cockatrice’s petrification beam.

Gray flashes were fired from both my eyeballs.

The beam that instantly petrified whatever it touched washed over the archer’s back.

“Oops.”

The archer, who urgently dodged the petrification beam, swung his right arm with an elegant melody.

Between the fingers of his right hand, excluding the thumb, three arrows appeared.

These three additional arrows were set on the bowstring, which had already finished loading one arrow.

The archer released the bowstring and fired a multi-shot.

Tutututung-!

Four magic arrows, extended like poles, spread out and flew toward me.

Force Barrier, Mana Barrier, Protection, Shield activation.

Even the instantaneous hardening of the reinforcement magician characteristic was exerted.

Chaaaaang! Shuung! Kiring!

A deep blue protective barrier with horizontal and vertical bands intertwined—the first layer of Force and Mana Barrier stacking, a snow-white protective barrier—the second layer stacking, and piles of snow-white kite shields—the third layer stacking, distantly covered me.

The archer’s four arrows collided with my defensive techniques.

Ting! Kusssss-!

With a boom, the four arrows failed to penetrate my layered defenses and were deflected, their trajectories distorted.

The archer fired another charged shot into the sky.

Tuuuung! Pyushushushusuk-!

A shower shot that split infinitely and fell from above.

Kwasssss-!

A rain of arrows thrust into the desert sand.

The archer willingly threw himself into his own arrow rain.

Breaking through elegantly between the arrows he had fired, he continued to fire defensive back shots.

Even elves would find it difficult to demonstrate such mysterious archery.

This guy I was facing was the real deal.

In a different sense from Sword Master Tolga or Fire Demon He Chen, danger signals rang loudly throughout my body.

If I let my guard down for even a moment, I would be in serious trouble.

I was curious about his true identity.

[Stop!]

Running through the arrow rain, I activated the next technique to definitely stop the archer.

Kiririring! Hwihwakhwakhwakhwak-!

Tolga’s area-of-effect technique Sword Rampage.

Mind swords appeared within the range of perception and whirled around, slashing the surroundings indiscriminately.

The archer found himself in a room of traps with all kinds of sawblades spinning.

“What’s this?”

This time he couldn’t employ his signature rodent-like evasion technique.

He had to become definitively slower, zigzagging, leaping like an acrobat to avoid the blades slashing from all directions.

Finally, the archer’s speed was hindered as he dramatically encountered the obstruction.

“Krurururuk-!”

I roared and rushed quickly toward him, who was now within reach.

I felt like I could soon crush his back.

“Hmm, at this rate I’ll be caught.”

The archer, who had been running with his body lowered, glanced back at me.

Suddenly, he blurted out.

“Raniaké!”

Wiiiing-

Abruptly, the diagonal side of his spatial void opened.

Dagudak, dagudak, dagudak!

The sound of hooves suddenly echoed in the empty air.

[Did you call~? My master Hulani!]

A pretty but frivolous female voice echoed.

Deep blue eyes, a body white as snow with flowing golden mane.

A beautiful white horse appeared, lavishly decorated with Persian-style harness and ornaments.

“Over here!”

[Quickly, get on!]

The white horse approached rapidly.

Hulani, the archer, leaped onto the saddle of the white horse.

It seemed like a wind-attribute speed spirit belonging to the spirit realm of this western continent.

“Let’s continue fighting! White Sovereign!”

Hulani shouted boldly, turning his body on the saddle to face me.

An arrow was loaded on the bow, which was aimed straight at me from horseback.

It was a Parthian shot, the specialty of horse-riding nomadic tribes.

Tuuuung-!

A missile-powered arrow accompanied by shockwaves and sound void was fired again.

I avoided it while sharply increasing my magical power and speed.

Hulani’s mount appearance made the battle much more complicated.

Bang! Kwass! Kuuuung-!

After that, it was a repetition of the same battle pattern.

Hulani kept firing from horseback to check me.

I pursued, unleashing all kinds of techniques.

There was an exquisite timing in between.

[You’ve let your guard down!]

Kwarrrrk-!

I didn’t miss the opening and approached closely, violently digging up the ground.

It seemed like an opportunity to swallow those bastards whole.

Jiiing-

In an instant, the upper and lower parts of Hulani’s bow lengthened.

From the tips of the upper and lower limbs of the composite bow, energy mixed with green and gold, closely resembling the bow’s color, protruded like gorgeous insect wing prisms.

The energy, which spread irregularly over 5 meters, immediately solidified, forming the shape of an elongated double-edged spear blade.

It was a magic bow that could freely transform its shape with will.

My bite and his transformed bow spear collided.

Tikakakakakak──────!

Hulani deflected my approach with dazzling horseback spear techniques.

He thoroughly checked me as I tried to bite with my huge mouth while running alongside.

It was truly horsemanship where man and horse seemed to be fused as one.

I was trying to swallow him and the horse whole, but there was simply no opportunity.

Just what kind of guy is this?

[It’s dangerous, so absolutely don’t let him approach! We can’t be careless anymore!]

At the mare spirit’s admonition, Hulani commanded.

“Fly up to the sky! Raniaké!”

[Right! That method exists!]

Huwoooong-!

An explosive pale green magic wind arose from behind the mare.

“Hee, heeng~!”

The white horse, stretching its neck, neighed loudly and raised its front legs.

Shuuu-

Amazingly, wind platforms began to form from the white horse’s front legs.

It was the footing magic Wind Board, made by gathering pale green wind streams like a vortex.

Tagudak, tagudak, tagudak!

The white horse, noisily trampling the air, flew up to the sky carrying Hulani.

Naturally, my pursuit had to stop.

“…”

I tilted my head and watched them gradually moving away.

At this rate, I’d be like a dog that chased a chicken and lost it.

But I am the legendary White Sovereign.

I can’t give up just because of this.

What if I try the same thing?

Shuuu-

With the exertion of will, pale green wind magic manifested on my body.

My massive body, enveloped in wind magic, heaved.

Urrrrng-

Like a train with balloons attached, my body gradually lifted.

My solid body, at least 50 meters and 1,000 tons in White Sovereign base form, began to rise as if gravity had been reversed.

I too began flight into the sky, following after them.

It was a gift from the villain Liu Wenxiang, the wind direction magician in He Chen’s gang.

There were countless ways to fly using telekinesis as well.

“Kueeee─────!”

I let out a thunderous roar of victory and pursued them, who had become distant dots.

Hwaaaaaak-!

Pale green magic wind blossomed explosively, pushing me like a rocket launching.

Those who had been like specks instantly grew to the size of coins.

Tagudak! Tagudak! Tagudak!

The fierce sound of hooves trampling the blue sky grew closer.

Shuuuung-!

I chased after them, running quickly through the sky.

A giant monster flying with a winding body.

I felt like an oriental dragon without mercy.

[Hik!?]

A scream of terror came from the white horse that immediately looked back.

[Hiiik! An enormously large monster worm is flying through the sky and chasing us!]

“That’s why run with all your might! We’re finished the moment we’re caught!”

[Stop! You worms!]

The mare spirit kept speaking with full telepathy, not particularly caring about me.

I closely pursued the two bastards who were exchanging words.

I opened my mouth, in which fire energy was condensed, toward them.

Kwakwakwakwang-!

Fire shells shot from my mouth dyed the sky red as they flew.

Hulani rode the white horse and performed dazzling aerial evasions.

At this point, he could no longer counterattack me.

[Kyaah! We’re going to be caught! What do we do!]

“Run like crazy! Run! Run, Raniaké!”

[I will never forgive you!]

At some point during the chase, the ground became distantly small.

I realized I was soaring to an unimaginably high altitude.

White clouds hissed and passed around both of us.

Tuwoooong-!

Hulani fired a missile-powered arrow again.

I evaded it with rotational force applied to my entire body while turning my head, and pursued leisurely.

Now I had grasped the feel for avoiding his attacks.

The deep blue sky surrounding me and them gradually turned black.

By the way, just how high are they planning to go?

Am I about to become the first worm to break through the atmosphere in this other world?

Would I be able to survive if I went beyond space?

[Hiik…! This is my first time climbing so high.]

A woman’s voice, expressing disgust, came from the running mare spirit.

“Keep running! If you don’t want to be caught and killed by him!”

[Doesn’t it feel colder and the air thinner?]

“What do those matter in a life-or-death battle!”

Hulani urged and pressed the mare spirit.

As far as I know, it gets extremely cold as you climb higher, but they both endure quite well.

Indeed, proof that they are both inhuman, closer to transhuman beings.

[This is insane…]

Finally, I could only sigh.

A deep blue planet hung beneath everyone’s feet.

I realized I had come almost to the edge of the atmosphere.

This is truly an insane scale.

Both those who fled this far and I who tracked them to the end are insane.

At this point, one of us should give up…

“Raniaké, stop here.”

[What…? Alright.]

At some point during the prolonged chase.

Finally, they stopped.

“I’ll take it from here.”

Hulani, turning the white horse, raised his palm toward me, not holding the reins.

Has he finally tired?

“Kuooooo-!”

I let out a roar of victory and lunged at them with my mouth wide open.

Kuuuung-!

In an instant, a thunderous impact sound echoed.

I realized I had collided with something.

[…What is this?]

Something rippled between us.

A five-colored barrier blocking the space between me and Hulani.

That which suddenly appeared blocked the space between me and them.

“Kruruuk…”

I growled lowly and tried to break through it.

Five-colored waves spread from the barrier where my body touched.

It seemed impossible for me to break through this with my current power.

First Lumiel of the Celestial Horse Tribe, and now in this fight with this guy.

What exactly are these powers?

[Even the divine power barrier…! Was Hulani cornered to that extent?]

The white horse spirit Raniaké muttered in surprise.

Hulani had deployed a divine power barrier from his palm.

Divine power generally refers to the powers wielded by gods.

This divine power barrier seemed to be his final cheat.

[You worthless bastard. How dare you interfere with an important gathering of my guests? To inflict such an insult upon me.]

I growled at him beyond the divine power barrier.

“White Sovereign, there is something I need to confirm from you.”

Hulani asked me in a serious tone.

“From this point, whether I continue the subjugation depends on your answer. So be careful with your response.”

[Impudent bastard. Pathetic fellow. Whatever I answer, the likes of you will ultimately be just prey.]

I growled at him beyond the barrier.

“I am an apostle who carries the palace deity Lord Shatra as my constellation. I can even temporarily exert divine power. Bear in mind that lies will not work on me as I exert the supernatural power of mind reading.”

[Stop talking nonsense and remove this! You coward! Let’s fight properly again!]

Regardless of my reaction, Hulani simply asked.

“Do you harbor hostility toward humans? Do you consider all humans as your worthless prey and objects to be eradicated?”

[I don’t care. I’m only interested in protecting my people.]

Hulani immediately half-opened his eyes at my answer.

He slightly frowned, then seemed to smile subtly, then looked contemplative, changing in truly diverse ways.

After maintaining silence for a while, he opened his mouth.

“A noble answer.”

Hulani turned his horse’s head right there.

“I understand.”

Pat.

Enveloped in divine power, he disappeared somewhere.

That was the end of our meeting.

[…What?]

I was dumbfounded for a moment.

Is it really over like this?

“Kruruuk…”

I sighed, looking at the blue planet hanging below my body.

I had encountered an unexpected super-premium troll.

How could there be such a guy?

I observed the planet in silence.

“…”

The Arubian West Continent is certainly yellow.

The north and west are said to be sparsely mixed with brown, forest green, and the blue of some large waters.

The east where I am is mostly yellow, emphatically displaying with its entire body that it’s the most barren terrain.

In contrast, even the Central Continent was green, with a rich landscape of forests, large and small waterways, and lakes.

Especially the realm of the elves in the eastern continent is a magnificent sight, with the majority of its area covered in vast forests.

What would life in those places be like?

Except for the Northern Continent covered in white snow, said to be the land of barbarians and vikings, all other directions seemed reasonably habitable.

It goes without saying that the West Continent is the most barren land.

I ended up starting there.

…Perhaps, did I pick the worst possible starting point?

Things keep getting complicated and my path keeps getting messed up.

Why do I keep getting unfairly treated and targeted by obsessive beings?

[What a terrible day…]

I slowly descended toward the yellow continent.

I need to return to my home in this world.

After all, it was the place I would return to…

*

Tagudak, tagudak-

Somewhere in the desert of the Arubian West Continent.

The sound of gentle hoofbeats echoed.

[Hee, ing… Hulani…]

A woman’s pitiful sobbing sound echoed.

Hulani stroked Raniaké’s mane with a wistful touch.

“Were you very scared? Raniaké?”

Hulani was currently returning to the governor’s castle in Tasham.

They had engaged in a magnificent chase covering over 100 kilometers.

He hadn’t even achieved the purpose he had planned before the battle.

The journey back felt long and arduous.

Raniaké whined mournfully.

[Hee, ing…! I’m completely exhausted. I’ve never seen such a scary and terribly shaped monster before.]

“I was actually tense too.”

Hulani smiled, handling the reins with a gentle touch.

‘I would certainly have died if I hadn’t fought with you.’

That was the truth.

The White Sovereign he had witnessed for the first time.

Indeed, a being of terrifying martial prowess befitting the legends.

Had he been careless, there were numerous moments when his life could have been lost.

Even from Hulani’s perspective, having experienced countless battles, it was a fierce battle to be counted among the most intense.

[But Hulani… What was the reason you withdrew during the battle?]

“Sorry, I can’t tell you.”

In fact, there was a reason why Hulani withdrew from the battle with the White Sovereign.

He was confident he could have won if he had continued fighting.

This was because the White Sovereign couldn’t handle divine power.

The reason for his retreat was for a completely different reason.

[…Can’t I become human-form? I really want to be held by you and comforted.]

“Not yet. Not yet. Let’s first get to a completely safe distance. The White Sovereign might use some means to find us and chase us in an instant.”

Even as he said this, Hulani’s expression became troubled.

‘Did I overdo it after all?’

Now he feels apologetic.

In fact, today’s event was something he had undertaken alone.

‘I should have listened to Shahid.’

He even rejected the loyal minister’s advice to reconsider.

Simply because he was too curious about the power of the being called the White Sovereign.

Wrapped in the blood of a bellicose nomad, he had treated it as a mere beast.

But he hadn’t expected the White Sovereign he met in person to be a being capable of rational dialogue.

‘It was completely my mistake.’

He felt full of apology toward the spirit contracted with him.

Eventually, Hulani had no choice but to subtly suggest.

“Ahem… Raniaké, you know?”

[Yes? Hulani?]

Raniaké answered her contractor in a lovely tone.

“Um… so.”

Hulani, with a slightly embarrassed air, said to his familiar spirit.

“I actually feel sorry for pushing you too hard… so, what you like the most… I’ll do it for you—putting our foreheads together and sleeping tightly embraced under the same blanket.”

[What!? Really-!?]

Raniaké let out a completely reversed scream.

For her, it was the equivalent of the greatest gift.

[You have to hold me tight all night!? Until my delicate female body in human form is crushed!]

“Ahem.”

At Raniaké’s demand, Hulani slightly turned away with a reddened face.

The young governor just awkwardly scratched his cheek.

‘Sometimes when I’m holding Raniaké, I get a strange feeling… That’s why I try not to do it.’

An apostle directly connected in spirit with the palace deity in the divine realm encompassing the five directions of the five continents.

The protagonist of a race born once every thousand years, Hulani was essentially a numskull.

The legendary divine archer still didn’t understand the heart of this lovely spirit who looked only at him.

“Heeheehing~!”

Raniaké suddenly stretched her neck and asked.

Tagudak, tagudak, tagudak!

At some point, Raniaké’s hooves began to rapidly accelerate.

She was exerting speed beyond what she had shown when fighting the White Sovereign.

Huwoooong─────!

[Kyaaaaa-! We have to go quickly! The reward awaits-!]

“Kuh! Raniaké! Calm down!”

Hulani’s handsome face was momentarily distorted by the tremendous headwind.

Currently, the hooves of a spirit in love were faster than anything else in the world.

[Hey, Hulani…]

“Yes? Raniaké.”

During the frenzied gallop, Raniaké casually spoke to Hulani once more.

[The reason you withdrew from the battle… is it really something you can’t tell even me?]

“Sorry, I can’t tell you.”

Hulani smiled bitterly at a question he could never answer.

The palace deity’s apostle recalled the oracle given to him.

‘A great human soul dwells within the White Sovereign. The palace deity has given me the mission to become his companion in his journey, and has forbidden me from revealing this fact to anyone except the person himself.’