Ch.133Otherworld Alliance

The forest was illuminated only by the strange moonlight hanging in the sky.

Elves and wizards faced each other in a tense standoff. As their conversation continued, the atmosphere between them grew increasingly hostile.

A forest guardian elf with arrows strapped to his back spoke up.

“How do you intend to take responsibility for this?”

His growling voice echoed on the wind. At this threatening tone, the wizards drew up their mana. As a wave of blue energy spread outward, the elves responded in kind, raising their own mana and placing their hands on their weapons.

“We are victims too. We never imagined the spatial magic would connect to another place…”

“…It was a spell that wouldn’t activate without specific conditions. If not for that knight you brought along, everyone would have been safe.”

“Are you saying this is our fault?”

Fair words bring fair responses. The wizards matched the elves’ hostile tone. However, the argument didn’t last long. Both groups had detected the presence of monsters surrounding them.

Not just one, but dozens, evenly distributed throughout the area—enough to suggest the entire forest was infested with them.

The wizards and elves stood back-to-back, vigilant of their surroundings. Though they had just been quarreling, they knew neither group would stab the other in the back.

“Not everyone who was with us made it here. Perhaps, due to the unstable magic, parts of their bodies were swallowed between spaces…”

“…Though distant, the wind still connects us. They likely fell in a different location.”

“Can you guarantee their survival?”

The conversation between the two groups momentarily ceased. Despite raising their mana to display their strength, the monsters continued to approach. Normally, monsters would flee upon sensing powerful humans.

Intelligent monsters had learned over long periods what happens to their habitats when they disturb humans. But these were different.

As if encountering humans for the first time, or as if being controlled by someone, they approached rapidly, starting with those closest.

In that moment, wind-infused mana spread among the elves, while a blue mana vortex swirled among the wizards. Where the blue mana passed, temporary magic circles were installed, and parts of the forest twisted by the elves’ mana began forming barriers.

“There seem to be far too many monsters…”

Everyone knew this fact. As one wizard’s voice began to fade, part of the undergrowth rustled, and something pitch-black leaped out.

It was a feline monster covered in jet-black fur. Dim black mana flickered around its body as it charged forward at tremendous speed. Though its appearance was quite threatening, no one was alarmed.

“Kyawaaaa!”

The moment the unknown monster stepped into the territory created by the two groups, a pillar of fire erupted from the ground, engulfing its body. As if this were a signal, monsters large and small revealed themselves from all directions.

“Most of these are creatures I’ve never seen before…”

“One thing is certain. This is not a region we’re familiar with.”

“Where do you think we are?”

“Well, unless you’re the one who cast the spell, it’s difficult to gauge our approximate location…”

“A pitch-black forest… a hazy moon in the sky without a single star. Doesn’t that sound familiar?”

“Are you suggesting we’re in the Rift Between Worlds? But they said no living beings could survive there… how could monsters exist in an artificially created subspace?”

Despite facing numerous monsters, their conversation continued—a testament to how composed both groups remained. Just then, one of the elves who had been shooting wind-imbued arrows raised his head.

As if he had sensed something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something… a strange feeling…”

Before the elf could finish speaking, the solid wooden barrier suddenly shattered, and monsters poured through the gap. The wizards’ magic behind it emitted brilliant light, but it couldn’t completely block the wave of monsters charging forward with disregard for death.

“The right side has been breached!”

“I’ll freeze the corpses as a temporary wall. Install as many magic circles as possible…”

-SHWAAACK!

The words of a wizard who had been directing the situation were cut short. A dim light shot from beyond space, piercing through the wizard’s head.

Everyone who recognized the attack gasped in silent shock. By the time they perceived the light, one person was already dead. The wizards immediately diverted their mana from offense to defense.

Blue mana enveloped the wizards’ bodies. The elves did likewise. Green-tinged mana summoned the wind to wrap around them, forming thick armor.

“How turtle-like you look, cowering in fear behind your shields.”

*Step*

Through the monsters came a voice that seemed to mock them all. With slow, deliberate footsteps, a previously dim presence became distinctly clear.

It was a fairly young man. Well-textured black hair fell above cold eyes, creating a peculiar atmosphere. The coat he wore had an unusual texture.

The man lightly tapped a palm-sized object emitting light with his thumb. At this, the monsters’ ferocity intensified further.

“How did you get in here? I didn’t grant you entry… no, I didn’t even open the door.”

The man’s gaze swept across the scene. Neither the wizards nor the elves dared to meet his eyes. Though he stood there seemingly defenseless without weapons, the amount of mana enveloping his entire body was tremendous.

Simply by releasing mana, he affected his surroundings. The man’s movement was like a natural disaster.

*Step*

The man took another step. Space rippled, and everything in his path was pushed aside.

“Well, it’s fine if you don’t answer. I can find out anything by injecting this strange needle that fellow gave me.”

A wizard watching this scene spoke up.

“That appearance… this strange space… the Rift Between Worlds, could it be…”

As the wizard continued, everyone present could recall old memories. Small pieces of information pushed to the corners of their minds led them to deduce the man’s identity.

“You know me? It must have been at least ten years…”

“The Void Lord…?”

“How curious this feels…”

The Void Lord. A title used by a reincarnator who made a name for himself about ten years ago. However, he was supposedly killed by the previous Blue Wing Commander and disappeared. In other words, he shouldn’t be able to appear before them like this.

Yet the man didn’t deny the wizard’s words. As if pleased to hear his old title after so long, he gave a strange smile.

“That’s impossible… how could someone who died ten years ago…”

“Dead? Did you confirm my corpse with certainty?”

At the Void Lord’s words, the wizard fell silent. Indeed, there had been no confirmation of the Void Lord’s corpse. There was only speculation that his body had completely disintegrated in a battle that obliterated an entire mountain.

“Well, this works out nicely. I was planning to go look for myself since I heard the Dragon King and the Demon Saint had died… but I was reluctant due to my physical condition.”

-I’ll have to replenish my energy by consuming you all.

His final words dispersed maliciously.

That’s when it happened.

From the distant sky, an intense heat suddenly surged.

*FWOOOOSH-!*

As if the sun had risen over the night sky, a strange heat enveloped the entire forest, and within it, something wrapped in pure white wind descended like a beam of light.

*KWAAANG-!*

An enormous amount of mana pressed down on the space, emitting scorching heat. The pressure and tremendous heat crushed all the monsters beneath it.

*PUHWAAAK-!*

The one who had burst onto the scene was a small girl. Her white hair rippled like hot haze, revealing beautiful facial features. A black cape fluttered roughly behind her, and beneath it, a red blade hummed with vibration.

A wizard watching the scene in a daze parted his dried lips. It felt as if the temperature had risen by more than ten degrees in an instant. This was not far from the truth. The massive heat emitted by Seo-rin enveloped everything around, making it all seethe.

Blood flowing from the torn monster corpses boiled and evaporated. Through the dispersing white steam, Seo-rin pointed her sword.

Fire Dragon-Heart

Intense Heat

“B-be careful! Lady Seo-rin! The opponent is the reincarnator known as the Void Lord…!”

The wizard’s warning to Seo-rin remained unfinished. She had sprung forward while he was still speaking. A hot gust of wind extended in a straight line as she clashed with the Void Lord.

*KWANG-!*

Seo-rin did not retreat. From the moment she arrived, she had been trying to gauge her opponent’s capabilities. His mana flow was inconsistent, violently fluctuating at intervals. His aura was the same.

The opponent was not at full strength.

She concluded that this was a fight she could handle.

Hot flames rose from the crimson blade.

*FWOOOOSH-!*