episode_0077

“…….”

The words Gamel spoke in front of the bonfire late at night were shocking.

A question I hadn’t thought of at all.

Currently, no one knows about my identity except Luka, Kairek, Grace, and Noah who is outside.

‘…Though thinking about it, the Magic Tower Lord also recognized me, and the Beastkin Village Chief also recognized me.’

But that was information only world-class powerhouses knew, or rather, high-level information.

How did Gamel, a mere ordinary mage, know that?

As I maintained silence, Gamel broke the ice first.

“Don’t you think it’s strange? That you can find the entrance to Gerat’s Painting. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“……What?”

Wasn’t it just supposed to appear where mana gathered if you read it?

I naturally thought that was common sense.

“At first, I was amazed that you knew exactly where Gerat’s Painting appeared from and planned the labyrinth exploration based on that.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything back then?”

“Wandering mages often use magic beyond imagination. I don’t know what other schools might think, but we of the White School do not limit infinite possibilities.”

“I see.”

“Then, can I assume my thought is correct?”

“But Gerat’s Painting and me being related to the Main Deity doesn’t seem related?”

“I also just thought it was a strange magic at first. But seeing the war machines and various magic circles yesterday, and finally the Main Deity who manifested here, I came to know.”

“What is it?”

“That the mana the Main Deity possesses is the same as the mana the Clan Leader possesses.”

Gamel said, stroking the stones that formed the city wall.

“All the stones and humans that make up this city now are composed of that mana. Of course, it wasn’t like this at first. It became like this after we caught the boss and returned to the city.”

As soon as Gamel finished speaking, I immediately closed my eyes, spread my senses, and tried to read everything around me.

But perhaps due to my lack of proficiency, I couldn’t understand what was what.

“…Look at this.”

Opening my eyes at Gamel’s voice, I saw that some of the stones in the city wall were floating.

That very sight proved that this hidden dungeon was created by the Main Deity.

“Yes. For now, don’t tell anyone else.”

“Understood.”

Just like that, one more person came to know the secret.

*

The atmosphere among the clan members right now isn’t as bad as expected.

Even though the Outer God’s army was waiting outside the walls, not a single person was afraid or discouraged.

Thinking about it, it’s strange.

One could even see it as a situation where death is imminent.

But there are a few reasons why they could think this way.

Firstly, the belief that since it’s a hidden dungeon on the 2nd floor, a difficult challenge won’t appear.

And next, the people who don’t recognize us, as if they are in a different world.

So the speculation was that the Evil God’s army would also just ignore us and pass by.

It was a hopeful observation, but it was better than being terrified, so I left it as it was.

However, a leader must always assume the worst.

“What would happen if the Evil God’s army attacked us? Or if it were the other way around?”

“It would get a little difficult.”

Furthermore, there’s another reason why I had to assume the worst.

“After catching the last boss, the reward didn’t appear. He’s probably still alive.”

“That could be.”

In the worst-case scenario, we might have to face the Evil God’s army, but I didn’t think that far.

I judged that we definitely had to face the boss we hadn’t caught yet, at the very least.

But whether discussing the worst case or the second worst case. Knowing how the Evil God’s army reacts to us right now was a very important factor for survival.

“Will it be okay…?”

My party is currently a total of 5 people.

Including myself, Grace, and Luka, there are 3 of us, plus Gamel and Kitra joining us.

I don’t know about combat strength, but with a priestess, two mages, and two people with good senses, it’s the top-tier selection for investigation.

We approached the entrance of the outer wall, but the drawbridge did not lower.

In the end, I manipulated the terrain to create a slide and went down the city wall.

Fortunately, no one recognized us.

Originally, the area outside the city was covered in trees and grass.

Even when it was in the state of a ruined city, grass could be easily found on the old buildings.

But now, all the plants had withered and disappeared, and a strange fog was filling the surroundings.

The path towards the Evil God’s army was also foggy, so we couldn’t approach further.

“Can this be cleared? Or is it okay to touch it?”

There was something perfect for testing, so it didn’t matter.

“Go! Luka!!!”

“Woooooh!!!!”

Luka summoned a clone and threw it into the fog.

The clone that went in seemed fine for a while.

But not long after, its skin began to rot.

Of course, since it was a clone, it made a strange sound once and disappeared, so it wasn’t a problem, but the atmosphere was gradually darkening.

“What could be the reason we can’t approach this?”

“That’s probably because of the barrier.”

Currently, a massive barrier is spread out over Serium.

This is blocking the fog and the Evil God’s army approaching from outside.

“Then it would be advantageous to attack, so why aren’t they?”

“The war machines within the inner city are probably repelling all the approaching monsters.”

For now, the first question was resolved.

That the Evil God’s army is a real threat and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“Then I’ll shoot.”

I fired a small magic spell (meteor) to deal damage to the monsters far away without provoking them.

In fact, rather than not provoking them, that was the only way to check if damage would properly reach that far.

Covering my ears. After a huge sound passed, I watched the Evil God’s army far away with the telescope I received from Grace.

“No damage is being dealt?”

The Evil God’s army was fine despite our attack. They, too, like the people within the city, are not currently existing beings.

“Whew…. That’s a relief….”

“It seems we avoided the worst-case scenario.”

“…Kuru.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But even so, questions remain.

Then what on earth is this fog?

“Perhaps this wasn’t here at that time.”

“I agree.”

This fog appeared when we thought we had caught the 2nd-floor boss monster.

“It’s probably Gallius, that guy’s doing.”

“…What’s Gallius?”

“Ah.”

Right. I only mentioned it in the State Window. The original boss of the 2nd floor’s name wasn’t known.

I think the book said it was [The Chained One].

“That swordsman wrapped in chains that we faced.”

“So that guy’s name was Gallius.”

In the somewhat awkward situation, we decided to return for now.

Because we have to find a way to get through this fog.

I immediately went to find the Main Deity’s clone. She answered yes to all my questions.

Saying she was proud I figured it out myself, she also gave me a small hint to resolve the fog.

“There is a way within this city.”

No, if we can’t go outside this city, naturally there would be a way inside, right?

I couldn’t say that, so I just nodded and came outside.

As I came out of the church with a dissatisfied expression, the Saintess, Aris, who was waiting in front, smiled at me.

“That person has many restrictions. Moreover, it’s natural because only minimal information was injected when it was created.”

“I see.”

In the end, it means I have to do the legwork myself.

Of course, there was no time for that.

Since I had intended to clear it quickly and leave in the first place, I hadn’t brought that much food.

“If we ration roughly, we can eat for 5 days?”

“5 days……”

One might say there’s enough food, but at a point where no clue for escape is visible yet, that’s not the case.

Since sieges apparently last for 2 years waiting for each side’s food supplies to run out.

“Should we explore the interior more first?”

“No, wait a moment.”

“……? Is there some way?”

“There is.”

There is someone who has already been here once.

I immediately opened the State Window.

And pressed the button to go to the shop.

My consciousness gradually faded.

*

Kaman, whom I met after a long time.

He still had a gruff expression, but seeing my face, he smiled slightly.

Having been sealed in one place for a long time. Of course, it would be good if someone came to talk to him.

“You came in faster than I expected. So, what have you found out?”

I sought advice from Kaman about the situation I was in, the countless questions, and how to solve them.

“Hoho, this is something I shouldn’t just tell you all the answers to. You must realize it yourself.”

“Is that so?”

“Why would such a thing be prepared? Furthermore, if it’s to show the records of that day, why is that last monster still alive? You are smart, so you’ll figure it out quickly.”

If he says this much, it seems difficult to get information from others.

‘Have to figure it out myself….’

“So, what will you purchase this time? You have money left, right?”

“Yes. Of course, I’ll just use the Remover. This time, using the Remover is also just enough money.”

I immediately opened the Remover and pondered what card to put in.

The current basic cards in the Elementalist Deck are [Strike] 1 card, [Shield] 4 cards.

Originally, I had planned to win by deleting all [Strike] cards.

‘Thinking about it, one card is quite useful.’

There is only one reason.

The point is that unlike other cards with a premonition, it truly manifests instantly from thin air.

Moreover, I thought that the damage, which was originally its weakness, might become stronger if I trained magic in the Magic Tower.

It might be better to delete a Shield card instead. Since I don’t act alone anymore.

“I’ve decided.”

Putting 1 Shield card into the Remover, the deck became lighter.

“I probably won’t see you for a while.”

“Who knows? I might just come whenever the cooldown is over.”

“Haha! Well, do as you please.”

Receiving Kaman’s farewell, my consciousness gradually faded.

When I returned to reality, Grace’s face was before my eyes.

“So, what did he say?”

“He said to figure it out myself.”

“Nothing we can do. Then I’ll also quickly go gather information.”

Grace tries to stay with me if possible, but since her rapid information gathering ability would be hindered if she stayed with the slow-moving me, it’s more efficient for us to act separately.

Thanks to that, I was left alone with Luka.

Wandering around the streets with her, feeling a bit like raising a cat, I looked around at the people from the past and listened to their stories.

But I didn’t really feel like anything was being solved.

A feeling like something was completely blocked.

A situation where an unsolved dilemma must be resolved.

There are no clues, and I don’t even know where to start.

But originally, all things begin from a single, trivial matter.

“Wow! That can move?”

Before I knew it, Luka had climbed onto a magic tool that was spinning around and shouted.

I don’t know its purpose, but it was a magic tool that spun around like a hamster wheel, feeling a bit like a ride.

“It’s difficult. Gamel already tried infusing mana, but he said that while we can touch and see it, using it is impossible for us.”

“Ah, do it for me!!!”

Luka, whining like a child while furiously wagging her tail.

Is this me dating a woman, or raising a child?

Luka, who had been in that half-brained state, suddenly had her face turn red.

“Wha- what did I say??”

It seemed she had said it without realizing it herself.

Luka stayed still, covering her face with both hands and her tail.

“Haa….”

To appease Luka, I approached the magic tool.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Okay.”

But Luka’s tail got caught in a gap in the magic tool.

“How do I get this out?”

“Pull it out.”

Luka pulled her tail, but as if in pain, tears welled up in her eyes.

“I’ll help you.”

I immediately applied force to pull out Luka’s tail.

“It hurts, it hurts!!”

“If you get hurt, I’ll pour a potion on you!”

Seeing her, who used to fight tough even with all sorts of injuries, in such pain, is her tail sensitive?

Thinking this and that, I pulled out the tail with all my might.

And as a result of using literally all my might.

My mana gushed out unknowingly.

Kiiiiik….

The magic tool began to move.

Bbok!!

First, after safely pulling out Luka’s tail and blowing on it, we then noticed the magic tool moving.

“W- what is this?”

But it didn’t end there.

As that magic tool spun around, another magic tool connected to it lit up simultaneously.

A magic tool in the shape of a massive cannon.

Mana began to gather at the end of the barrel.

“Cover your ears!!!”

As soon as Luka instinctively covered my ears and her own, a massive cannon fire sound was heard.

And a few seconds later.

The world was tinged with blue light.