Chapter 134

〈 Episode 134 〉Encounter with the Archmage

Asha followed the old man to a small mansion.

‘It’s more modest than I expected?’

Just from the fact that he made the Bikini Armor Asha wore, it was clear that the old man was no ordinary person. If he had even created the Tentacles, he was someone difficult for Asha to judge by her standards. Considering how amazing he was, the mansion in front of Asha wasn’t that big.

In fact, Asha wasn’t very happy about the old man’s invitation.

‘D, did I make the wrong choice coming here…’

Asha, who had only followed him because she was curious about the world where the Tentacles lived, was embarrassed because things seemed to be getting bigger. Hesitating, she eventually followed the old man into the mansion and sat at a table in the drawing room with the Mind entity, Lucia. Tea and desserts had already appeared on the empty table.

“Oh? Ugh…”

Faced with all kinds of cakes and cookies, Asha couldn’t even remember the last time she had seen such foods. Looking to the side, Lucia’s eyes were completely glued to the chocolate cake. In front of the Mind entity was something that looked like a strangely shaped Nutrient Jelly.

“Um, can I eat this?”

“Yes, you can eat as much as you like.”

The story of Hansel and Gretel briefly flashed through Asha’s mind, but she shook her head and began to eat the tea and desserts.

‘If he was going to harm me, he would have done it already. Whoa!’

As the luxurious taste swirled in her mouth, Asha’s eyes widened.

“Hoo!”

Lucia had already piled up a mountain of food in front of her and was devouring it as if she were drinking it. Every time Lucia grabbed something, the desserts on the table were automatically refilled on the plate with a popping sound.

“Ugh! It’s so delicious!”

“Yes, let’s eat a little and then talk.”

It wasn’t that Asha hadn’t had a proper meal since coming to this world, but she could count the times she had eaten something sweet on one hand. And even then, it was just something like hardened sugar from the Orcs village. So it wasn’t funny that Asha was captivated by the food when she suddenly got to eat such dazzling desserts.

‘I guess people need to eat things like this to live…’

Thinking about how she had only been eating Nutrient fluid or bland Energy Bars, Asha felt tears welling up in her eyes. Adding to the past sorrow, Asha devoted herself to the snack time that was closer to a meal.

“Haa… Ugh!”

Asha, who had devoured the desserts without any regard for appearances, blushed when she recognized the old man’s gaze.

‘Did I eat too much on our first meeting? Ugh…’

Fortunately, the old man didn’t show any unpleasant or displeased expression. When he saw that Asha’s mood seemed to have stabilized, he began to speak.

“It makes me feel good to see you enjoying something so simple. Well, shall we talk now? I have a rough idea since you have the armor, but did you go into the cave in that world?”

“Ah, yes. No, did you make that cave, Grandpa? Why did you make something like that!”

Asha, who had been nodding, remembered the dungeon swarming with Leeches, Slimes, and Tentacles and burst into anger. The old man was puzzled by Asha’s words.

“Huh? I should have made an exit, though?”

“No! I fell straight down because of a trap that suddenly dropped me! Even after falling, because of the Slimes, ugh…”

The old man was embarrassed to hear Asha’s words.

“Ahem, was that so? It was so long ago that my memory is hazy… If that’s the case, I’m sorry. The dungeons I made usually have the appearance of an entrance or exit, but there are some that don’t.”

“Ugh, really… So what happened was…”

Asha began to tell the stories that had happened in the meantime…

“Hmm… Hoo…”

It was a story of Asha and the Mind entity that was difficult to explain in just a few words. The stories Asha told exceeded his expectations, and the old man was constantly amazed and fascinated.

“You weren’t originally that strong, but you became stronger by making the Dimension Observation Transfer Device with your body?”

“Oh, yes. I was originally about half or less as strong as I am now.”

Asha’s stats had increased at least five times, and as much as ten times, compared to before she followed the Mind entity. Although most of her Skills were still in place, she could unleash inhuman durability and tremendous firepower with just her raw stats.

“Hmm… May I check your condition for a moment?”

“Oh, why? Well, it’s not like I need to give you permission…”

Asha was puzzled that the old man, who could examine her body in detail right now, was asking for her permission.

“Who do you take me for? Don’t tell me you don’t know how unsightly it is to treat a guest who has entered my house as I please? Those who wield power recklessly are those who haven’t grown up even at that age.”

“O, oh… I’m sorry for saying unnecessary things. But why did you make such armor?”

Asha was impressed by his surprisingly normal way of thinking, considering he had made the Bikini Armor.

“Did I sell it? You picked it up. I never told you to use it. Ahem, let’s see…”

The old man, making excuses while avoiding the subject, briefly examined Asha’s condition and then threw something at her.

“This will be quite helpful.”

As the man threw her a faintly glowing marble, Asha unconsciously accepted it. As soon as she received the marble, she suddenly felt a heat in her lower abdomen and her face turned red.

“Ugh♥ W, what is this?”

Asha, flustered by the sudden heat on her face, asked, and the old man told her about the marble.

“It’s the Essence of God I picked up a long time ago. It will be a good match for you.”

Asha’s eyes widened at the unexpected sound.

“Essence of God? Isn’t that, isn’t that precious?”

The old man waved his hand as if it were nothing.

“Do you know what I can create in the time I’m talking to you? Even in the time I was watching you absorb those cakes, I could have created more than five of those Essence of Gods. I’m just giving it to you because you helped that guy and I was interested, so keep that in mind.”

“Yes, thank you!”

Asha didn’t refuse any longer at the old man’s words and accepted the item.

“But just holding this makes me feel strange…”

Asha rubbed her legs because she felt like her Yoni was getting hot.

“Ah, that’s because the god I destroyed a long time ago was the god of lust.”

‘Ugh!’

Asha inwardly screamed at him for giving her something uncomfortable, as expected of a perverted Archmage.

“Ah, and if you eat it now, your body will explode immediately. Looking at your body, I think you can be resurrected, but if you eat that carelessly, you won’t even be able to resurrect.

Now, the Essence of God that Asha had received by chance looked like a bomb that would explode if ignited.

“Why are you giving me something like this?!”

“It’s better than nothing.”

“Hng…”

Asha immediately threw the Essence into her Inventory as soon as it was determined that what she had received was a bomb that she couldn’t use. Asha looked at the Mind entity.

“What are you going to do now? Are you going to live here?”

[I will do what I have to do by following this person.]

“What are these guys going to do with their lives now?”

Asha asked the old man about the Tentacles’ treatment.

“I don’t know if these guys caused trouble in your world, but they’re useful enough to devour and process any kind of Mana. There’s an abundance of Mana here, but there’s also threatening Mana that ordinary people have a hard time accepting. If left alone, accidents can happen, but they’re perfect for dealing with those things.”

“Hee…”

If what the old man said was true, there would be few environments better for the Tentacles than here.

“I hope you guys are doing well too.”

[Thank you once again for your help.]

“Um, now that I’ve come this far, can I take a look around other places?”

“Ah, this is a space where I live alone, so there’s nothing for you to see.”

“Ah…”

Asha sighed in disappointment at the old man’s words. Scratching her head, she said goodbye.

“Since I came to see what he’s doing anyway, I’ll be going then. Oh, but what’s your name?”

Asha finally asked about the Mind entity’s name.

[I, who represent the swarm, have no name.]

The old man shook his head at the Mind entity’s words.

“No, it’s not good to not have a name. Hmm… How about Protoss?”

The Mind entity refused the old man’s suggestion as if he were sorry.

[We already had the first one, but it has now been destroyed. The word Protoss does not suit me, the second one.]

“Hmm, then Deuteros would be right.”

[If you allow me, I will now refer to myself as Deuteros.]

“Yes, your name is now Deuteros.”

Asha, who was reminded of when she named Anet, watched the two of them with a smile.

“But second? Then the Mind entity I first met and you are different beings?”

[The moment your body was torn apart by the being you call Eva, the consciousness of the first one was extinguished. The Tentacles needed a new brain, and I was newly created as the second integrated controller.]

“Ah…”

Asha understood why Deuteros said that the word ‘first’ didn’t suit him.

[In fact, his and my judgments were quite different. He prioritized expansion and attacked both the Orcs and humans, but I prioritized safety and securing territory and focused only on the humans. If we had expanded the front to the Orcs, it would have been difficult to collect all the Mana needed for Ascension.]

“I see.”

Asha nodded at Deuteros’ explanation. Now that all the business was over, Asha decided to go back. There were still many unresolved issues in that world.

“Well, I’ll be going now!”

“Yes, it was nice to meet you. Should I send you back to where you started?”

“Yes! Ah, can you send me right away?”

“It’s not difficult.”

As he snapped his fingers, Asha suddenly fell into a feeling that time was stretching endlessly.

“U—oo——–“

Thus, Asha and Lucia’s figures disappeared from the old man’s mansion.

“It’s a short meeting, but this amount of time is appropriate for beings from another world. Well, will you go to do new work?”

[I will follow you.]

The old man and the Mind entity, Deuteros, left the disappeared Asha behind and headed to the basement of the mansion.