Chapter 239

Chapter 239. Scheme (1)

After accepting the immense divinity, the sensory information was more vivid than before.

“That just now…”

Circumstances suggested that it was perhaps a memory of Palao.

Did she conspire with Meferoseta about something?

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to discern from just fragmented information.

‘Another mystery.’

It was frustrating, but I knew this would eventually resolve itself as I continued to gather divinity.

Considering the hidden mission count had increased, there was no doubt about its conclusion.

Now, it was time to leave here.

‘According to Gilenios, this place is under the lake.’

Indeed, as I dug through the ground, water gushed forward.

Forcing through the water pressure and squeezing my way through the opening, I found myself at the bottom of a large lake.

Since swimming wasn’t an issue, I paddled my arms and legs vigorously upwards.

Each time I neared the surface, ‘thud, thud.’

Strong vibrations were felt even underwater.

Moreover, the outline beyond the distant surface was flashing.

As soon as I poked my head out of the water,

Boom-!

With a massive explosion, fire and debris erupted nearby.

It was indeed a grand welcome back.

Even from my vantage point near the lake, it was evident that everything wasn’t right.

The cliff, extending northward, was not only deeply cratered but also charred black.

The canyon stretching southward was partially crumbled.

I could somewhat grasp how fierce the battle had been.

As I looked up at the sky, stained red by the blazing fires from all directions, I promptly exited the lake.

I couldn’t let the guests I summoned continue fighting indefinitely amongst themselves, could I?

‘I should take my turn as well.’

This was the perfect opportunity to unleash my magic freely in real combat.

* * *

The narrow Orkal canyon turned into a scene of chaos.

“Roar!”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

“Aagh! My arm!”

Beastfolk and monsters intertwined in a desperate attempt to kill each other.

At the heart of the pandemonium stood Horfe, recalling a conversation from a few days ago.

That day was one week after they returned beyond the barrier following several months of fighting.

Not a particularly joyful day, to be honest.

K, who visited Horfe that day, cut to the chase.

– I heard you were interested in migration. Do you still feel the same?

That was precisely what Horfe was waiting for.

Yet his anticipation had met roadblocks, as he hadn’t easily received answers.

– Will you take us away if we wish? Your people delayed the answer, saying it’s hard to give a definitive response.

– It’s not a matter of taking you. We simply can’t do it.

On that day, Horfe learned despair from K.

– However, I know a way.

Fortunately, despair came with a hint of hope.

Horfe had no reason to refuse that hope.

– We understand the Beastfolk will join us.

As a result, the Beastfolk promised to abandon their homeland and settle in another world.

The price was assisting K by offering their power to protect the new world.

Until now, they had lent their strength to the humans of Bihar, and now they would lend it to the humans on Earth.

Though their situation hadn’t changed much, leaving that dreaded place was significant.

‘We can establish a new home wherever we end up.’

What mattered were the lives and futures of his kin.

Knowing this well, leaving behind the homeland held no hesitation.

After all, it wasn’t a place filled with fond memories.

“Roar!”

While Horfe was deep in thought, an impending roar and presence drew close to him.

One might expect surprise at what seemed like an unexpected ambush, yet Horfe indifferently swung his left hand.

Pop.

A clear, crisp noise sounded as the head of the general-rank charging at him burst.

“Sniff.”

Subconsciously, Horfe snorted.

Having spent much time on battlefields, this had become a habit.

The burnt smell, mingled with black blood sizzled by the corpses’ heat, was unbearable.

After dispatching a monster and snorting as usual.

“Oops…”

Horfe’s hand, which had burst the head of a general-rank, halted in midair.

With the habit of fighting monsters, a particular request came to mind.

– If they have intelligence, please capture them instead of killing.

– I want to learn something.

It was a request K personally made, although it didn’t always go as planned.

Accustomed to killing, there were frequent mistakes.

“Uh oh.”

While awkwardly dusting his hands, Horfe grabbed the carcass of the general-rank.

Since K also asked to bring the bodies if capture was impossible, he planned to take this back.

‘Still, I managed to capture a few, so a mistake or two should be okay, right?’

Dragging the corpse, Horfe inched forward and slaughtered the surrounding monsters.

Thanks to this, the magician general-rank entities were dealt with swiftly.

However, lesser creatures still swarmed around.

‘They really come incessantly.’

Their likely target was the divinity sensed from the lake.

While pondering this, Horfe instinctively coiled his tail around a nearby beast.

‘I have no clue what they plan to do with that divinity.’

Horfe held no interest in the divinity.

Not only did he not believe the gods corrupted by association with humans, but he also knew that divinity wouldn’t secure his kin’s future.

As long as K kept his promise regarding migration, Horfe didn’t care about what he did with the divinity.

He even considered offering help if needed.

Before that, the pesky monsters needed clearing out.

“Sniff.”

Sniffing again, Horfe roared.

“Roar!”

Responding, the beastfolk fighting around him withdrew.

At the same moment, Horfe’s magic unfurled in all directions.

Thud, thud, thud!

Massive blue energy crushed everything in its path.

Such was the impact that rocks tumbled down the canyon, and cracks appeared on the cliffs.

Monster cries and their blood filled the canyon.

Suddenly,

“Huh?”

Horfe’s ears perked up, his nose twitching.

He looked toward the deepest part of the canyon, where the Jamol Lake was.

‘The traitors gathered at the lake should have been annihilated…’

They had maintained their position near the lake since preventing the daily-appearing monsters from heading inside.

‘This is the only path leading to Jamol Lake.’

In the days following, no one had approached the lake from this route.

So, if someone emerged from the lake, it could only be one person.

The scent identified via his nose was familiar.

The presence was undoubtedly K.

Horfe focused on the presence of K, walking along the narrow path of the canyon.

Though a human he knew familiar with, the aura was different.

‘His magic…’

To be sure, Horfe directed some of his magic towards K’s location.

If it was a false sense, there wouldn’t be any particular reaction.

‘But if it’s correct…’

Magic belonging to strange entities would be rejected fiercely.

Now, just like this.

“I guess I’ll have to concede this time.”

With a chuckle, Horfe withdrew his magic, and K’s mana filled the gap swiftly.

And what followed differed from when Horfe’s magic had enveloped the surroundings.

“Wow!”

Red magic began to sharpen, strand by strand.

What Horfe witnessed made him exclaim in genuine admiration.

It first took the shape of a sharp crescent.

Clashing with the void and shredding the creatures momentarily.

But it quickly changed form again.

From a dagger to an arrowhead, and even to a round bead.

The form metamorphosed several times, as if searching for what best suited it, until it became a thin, elongated shape with no discernible start or end.

Only then, finally,

“Screech.”

As if expressing satisfaction with its current state, the magic danced flamboyantly.

The monsters’ bodies encircling them were hacked down in rapid succession, and black blood sprayed around.

As he watched, Horfe felt a shiver run through his fur.

‘At first, one would usually struggle with distinguishing between friend and foe, but….’

K’s magic maneuvered with a notable finesse.

It pursued only the monsters, avoiding even barely brushing against the Beastfolk.

Overall, it possessed a serene and steady yet fierce ambiance.

So many facets differed from Horfe’s overarching, suppressive magic.

It highlighted just how meticulous and persistent K usually was.

Feeling a hint of competitiveness growing within himself, Horfe wagged his tail.

Part of him wanted to dive into that magic and test his mettle.

‘Now isn’t the time for that.’

Holding back his competitive urge, Horfe fixated his gaze on the path leading to the lake.

Step by step.

In a place ringing with monstrous roars, distinct footprints drew closer.

The sheer presence instinctively tensed his body.

‘Seeing it firsthand, otherwise, I’d hardly believe it.’

The human he met at first glance appeared weak and frail enough to break with a single punch.

One who had struggled even with mana manipulation, needing relentless daily practice to overcome it, had reached the realm of mana domination in just a year or so.

‘They say the abnormal growth rate of outsiders is a blessing from their god…’

Regardless, K’s development speed seceded all conventions.

No wonder his fur stood on end.

Thanks to this, once again, Horfe could firmly believe that following the hope the young outsider would create was better than remaining here.

At that moment, K emerged from the narrow path of the canyon.

“You’re here!”

Horfe greeted him warmly.

* * *

Killing using ordinary mana wasn’t exactly simple.

‘Manipulating widely spread mana is harder than I thought.’

Moreover, maintaining the intended form was a struggle.

I attempted swinging it in a sickle shape, but moving it as desired was tough.

Considering each and every aspect required focus, reducing efficiency.

While swinging 10 blades, the remaining 10 would remain idle, unable to move, you might say?

Thus, after several trial and error attempts, I found a form that suited my movements best.

Gradually adapting, hunting became increasingly swift and facile.

Amongst it all, several 3-star and 4-star evolved species with increased resistance appeared.

I replaced the moving mana with attribute mana.

Due to its limited useable mana, the area I could cover drastically shrunk.

“You’re here!”

Just then, Horfe’s voice came through.

The high-resistance monsters were dying off sequentially.

After swiftly dealing with them.

I approached Horfe while feeling a sense of achievement filling me.

“Horfe, you came in person.”

I had solicited help from the Beastfolk for this matter, but hadn’t anticipated his personal attendance.

“It’s more certain if I act personally.”

“Thank you for your concern in many ways.”

It seemed the unfamiliar mana that surged moments ago belonged to Horfe.

‘Thankfully, for now, it seems he withdrew his magic entirely.’

Thanks to it, the arduous repulsion ceased to persist.

‘Reaching the mastery stage makes it clear.’

Recognizing the difference between naturally occurring mana and mana completely absorbed by another.

Not just seeing it as something I can absorb at any time, but as a potential contender that might devour me instead?

It’s a visceral, primal repulsion because it feels like one’s existence is threatened.

‘Absorbing naturally affiliated mana already held notable resistance, but mana influenced by another exceeded that.’

No doubt, Horfe felt similarly.

I pulled my magic back into the core.

Horfe simply watched quietly and then nodded, smirking as he spoke.