Ch.99Age of Tribulation (2)

Imp.

A monster slightly larger than a palm with a red body, horns, and wings and tail bigger than its own body.

If you compare its size to a fairy, the imp is just a bit larger due to the difference in wings.

It’s something you can easily see wandering the immaterial realm, and in a way, it could be considered the goblin equivalent of the immaterial realm.

Of course, while they might occupy similar positions, the huge difference in strength was the current problem.

BOOM-!

A fireball shot from the tip of the imp’s tail grazed my shoulder slightly before crashing into the floor beside me.

It was a power I could easily dodge or deflect if there was just one. Moreover, I could take down the imp that fired this fireball without much difficulty.

But the problem was that there wasn’t just one imp chasing me.

Furthermore, the reason I was running away now was because there were as many fireballs being shot as there were imps.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-!

I twisted my entire body to avoid the fireballs being shot at me while continuing to run.

My body, weakened by the environmental change, held me back, but I had no choice but to keep running since stopping would mean being surrounded.

Of course, I wouldn’t die immediately just because I was surrounded by mere imps.

No matter how weakened I’d become, I could still handle a small gathering of imps.

[The problem is that it would take time to kill all those imps.]

“And if I fail to manage my time properly, I’ll die.”

Anyway, regardless of this or that, the fact that I was in the position of prey remained unchanged.

The imps also knew this fact well, which is why they continued to chase me as hunters.

“Kekekekek.”

“Sigh, how can a laugh be this irritating?”

I wanted to turn around and cut off those necks right away, but I continued my escape with superhuman patience.

[But how long do you plan to run?]

[I don’t think you’re planning to have an endurance contest with the imps.]

“Ugh… I was planning to think about it once my physical abilities recovered somewhat.”

There was no way I could outrun the imps by simply running mindlessly in an unfamiliar forest.

Since my speed wasn’t significantly slower compared to the imps, there was a possibility if I turned it into an endurance battle, but this wasn’t a good choice either.

‘Besides, since this is a forest, I don’t know when other monsters might appear.’

In the end, the best option was to deal with the imps quickly before other variables emerged.

And to accomplish that, I needed physical abilities that could support it.

“Phew… I wonder if this is enough…”

After running for a while, avoiding the attacks of the pursuing imps, I checked my condition again.

It was woefully inadequate compared to my peak condition, but compared to when I first arrived here, there was sufficient vitality flowing through my body.

“Roughly… about 50% of my original state. Well, that’s enough.”

“Kekekeke…kek…?”

“Then shall we fight? I’ll deal with you quickly since I don’t have much time.”

When I suddenly turned around after running for a while as an enticing prey, the imps seemed momentarily confused.

No, rather than confusion, I felt they were looking at me as if I had suddenly gone mad.

Since I had no obligation to correct their misconception, I showed my thoughts through action rather than words.

“Everyone, kneel.”

“Keeek?!”

At my command, the imps sitting on the trees were crushed by an invisible pressure and fell from the trees.

This action consumed about 10 minutes of my available movement time in one chunk, but considering the time I would have spent moving directly, it was worth it.

“Kegegek…!!”

“You probably won’t be able to move properly for about 3 seconds.”

The imps that fell from the trees flapped their wings vigorously as if trying to fly again before hitting the ground.

But they couldn’t fly as they wanted due to the residual pressure that still remained.

Thanks to that, they were awkwardly suspended in the air, creating an angle that allowed me to swing my sword conveniently.

“Next time, don’t blindly follow a beauty. Of course, if there is a next time.”

“Kek-…”

Slash-

It took just one swing to send the heads of dozens of imps that had been following me flying through the air.

It seemed to end anticlimactically compared to all the running, but the strain on my body was extraordinary.

“Phew, I’m tired. I don’t think it was this bad even when I was exposed to the high gravity of the mine…”

[That was an environmental issue, but this time the nature is a bit different.]

“Indeed, what’s constraining me is closer to the laws of this world rather than the environment. It’s amazing that Lilly moved in this state…”

The fatigue my body was feeling now was completely different from simply struggling in a harsh environment.

‘It’s like my entire body is wrapped tightly in chains.’

The chains could never be broken, and when I tried to use force, they tightened around my body even more.

I could feel that this was indicating the allowable range of power I could use in this world.

Perhaps if I waited without using more power, the force of the chains tightening around me would also decrease.

“For now, I should move to higher ground to get a grasp of the surrounding geography.”

[It would be nice if we’re lucky enough to find a fairy village.]

“Hmm… I think even if I meet fairies now, they’ll just treat me as an apostle.”

Since fairies can distinguish between truth and lies, I could potentially prove my innocence if I spoke calmly.

But unless I tied them down forcibly like Lilly, the probability of them attacking without question was higher.

[Well, we might find Kitsune or Lilly, not just a fairy village.]

“I’ve been thinking about that while running away. I think I’m the only one in this area.”

There was one fact I noticed belatedly because I was so disoriented right after falling here alone.

It was the fact that a barrier activated right after I stepped through the door.

[A barrier? There was no mention of a barrier in the knowledge I received. What barrier are you talking about?]

“I’m guessing it might be a barrier targeting apostles. They can’t risk a sudden invasion.”

[If it’s that kind of barrier, then only we would be affected.]

Although it was my one-sided guess and could be wrong, I didn’t think it was likely.

If I wasn’t mistaken, that barrier had only reacted to me.

“So, at least for now, we don’t have to worry about those two. Rather, they might come to rescue me.”

So right now, I just needed to focus on surviving. Without unnecessarily provoking the monsters that live here.

Rustle.

“Eek…”

As I was climbing a suitable mountain to check the surrounding geography, I immediately hid behind a nearby tree at the sense of something’s presence.

After I hid, what appeared was a monster in the form of a bear.

The bear, with peculiar glowing patterns on its body, was walking leisurely as if taking a stroll.

‘A Rune Bear…’

Rune Bears were monsters born with one type of magic engraved on their bodies from birth.

The magic they’re born with is random, but most are suitable for combat, making them apex predators.

‘Because of that characteristic, Rune Bear hides are sold at high prices among magicians…’

Of course, in my current state, I couldn’t dare to challenge it, so I couldn’t even dream of getting its hide.

Besides, there was no need to hunt that Rune Bear anyway.

“But… something seems off.”

[What do you mean?]

“The Rune Bear is a bit small. And it looks quite emaciated too.”

In simple terms, this was a cub Rune Bear that hadn’t yet reached adulthood, but given Rune Bear habits, a mother wouldn’t leave her child alone.

The maternal love of a typical Rune Bear was so strong that they valued their offspring more than their own lives.

“No, it’s not just emaciated, it’s severely wounded too.”

[It might be being hunted.]

“Adult Rune Bears are apex predators… I wonder if there are monsters that can hunt them…”

While there might be some across the entire immaterial realm, there were no monsters in these mountains and forests that could match them.

If I were to force an exception, it would be uniquely powerful mutant monsters born as anomalies.

“And such monsters can’t be common.”

[Usually when you say things like that, don’t those monsters appear?]

“Not this time, really. In my dozens of playthroughs, I’ve only seen such monsters a handful of times.”

No matter the saying that words become seeds, this time it was absolutely not the case. There was no way a mutant monster would appear so easily.

“When I was a tamer, I searched the entire world for mutants and couldn’t find any.”

[Hmm, indeed.]

[The culprit wasn’t a mutant monster after all.]

“See, I told you so.”

Sensing a blatant magical power from far away, I looked in the direction from which the Rune Bear cub had come.

“Hehehe, found it. If I capture that one alive, I’ll get a bonus…!”

“That’s… a dark mage.”

Without Lilly, I couldn’t tell if he was an apostle, but the dark, gloomy robe the mage wore kindly informed me what kind of mage he was.