I move somewhere through the ‘Passage’.
It feels strange, reminiscent of the ‘Non-Swordsmanship Law’ place I visited before.
However, there are no monsters like last time, and it seems to be used purely as a ‘Road’.
Just as I was walking toward the end of the passage.
Ding!
[Title – Upper Disciple of Extreme Defense acquired.]
[Title – Array Destroyer acquired.]
[World – Cleared Old Race (EP.1)!]
[You gained a small amount of Experience Points.]
[Title – Chaos of Teshiniria (Hero) acquired.]
[Rumors about ‘Lily Elbrite’ spread widely in Teshiniria.]
[You gained the Energy of Earth (Small)…]
…
“?”
The World Quest has been cleared.
[Huh?]
[Why cleared?]
[What is this?]
[What is Lily doing?]
[???????????]
[As expected, Great Lily]
[End it?]
“What’s going on?”
I stopped in my tracks in the passage.
Why did the World Quest suddenly clear?
The clearing condition for the World Quest, ‘Old Race,’ in Teshiniria is to become an Upper-ranked Disciple of a Sect.
I thought it would be something I could clear anytime, considering how simple the condition was, but I never expected it to happen so suddenly.
“…It seems like the Elder at that ‘end’ must have helped me out.”
I had requested the Elders to promote me to Upper Disciple through the Management Gate’s Gongwonhwa.
I had some confidence they would grant it, but I never thought it would happen without any formalities.
Do I just need to be acknowledged?
“So, what happens now?”
In a multi-dimensional world, once a World Quest ends, there’s a waiting period before the second one begins.
In other words, now that the ‘Old Race’ World Quest is over, there are no more quests to progress in Teshiniria.
I read the messages that rolled down.
[World Quests in Teshiniria are currently deactivated.]
[The second episode is waiting…]
“…Waiting?”
I don’t recall such dialogue before.
[Oh?]
[The wording’s different from last time]
[Seems like it’s happening right away?]
[Wow]
[What’s the chaos in Teshiniria? LOL]
[Last time it was Savior, but now it’s exactly the opposite, haha]
[Lil’ troublemaker;;]
[Lily, Lily…]
“Hmm. There seems to be some unreasonable stuff going on.”
Rather than causing confusion, it seems this place was already chaotic.
After all, there’s a situation where seven beings that could shake the world are awakening with just one of them.
So, while my actions may have added to the chaos, it’s absurd to receive a title reflecting that…
[Chaos Lily]
[Troublemaker LOL]
[It did seem like a troublemaker]
[Great Lily]
[Info) Last time it said fame would spread, but this time it’s ‘rumors’.]
[Wow]
[Thank goodness, it’s not infamy~]
[Lily is kind, crying n]
[Evil Lily, now you must live kindly~]
[LOL]
“……”
Tap, tap, tap.
Huff…
“!”
The light goes out.
As I reach the end of the passage, the floor collapses, and an endless abyss welcomes me.
I sink endlessly into the dark underground, but I move the earth to slow my descent.
It’s fast.
‘Is it only gravity? Or is the ‘earth’ itself pulling me down?’
I immediately summon the hammer and spin around once.
‘Circle of explosion.’
Kwagagagagagang!!!
The dozens of overlapping circles of explosion shatter the energy of the earth, and only then does the speed that was uncomfortably pulling me down lessen.
Thud.
Before I knew it, I softly landed like a feather on a massive pupil.
[Oh]
[That’s cool, lol]
[Where is this?]
[Elder, where are you?]
[What’s that up there?]
“This…”
I immediately flew up.
In the center of the endlessly deep and dark pupil, a man was bound.
The man was a brown-haired boy, wrapped in thick earth, with only his face and arms exposed.
He was in a position with his eyes closed and arms spread wide.
At first glance, it seemed like he was just trapped, but the reality was entirely different.
Thud…!
The earth moves.
With every movement of the boy, the earth trembles, and all energy swayed like reeds following his breath.
“Child of God.”
This boy is the ‘earth.’
He is the being known as the Child of God and the ‘Earth Dragon,’ the one who carries the energy of Humus.
Like Anima, although I’m familiar with this energy, I could also tell something.
“He’s definitely not a dragon.”
Unlike Sugarado’s Sre, he hasn’t created another body nor is there any spiritual bond.
This boy and Humus have no relation at all.
Even his polymorphed form didn’t resemble this delicate boy at all but rather a muscular man.
‘The only similar things are strength and power…’
“How long were you planning on hiding?”
“……”
As I turned my head, a man stepped out of the darkness.
A man cloaked in dark brown robes.
He removed the robe that had been covering his head, revealing an elderly man with white hair who smiled kindly at me.
[Hmm]
[He looks suspicious at first glance]
[Looks a bit like a sage?]
[It’s creepy]
[Am I the Elder?]
[Let’s kill him]
As usual, the chat window started off with the bad news.
I really can’t understand why everyone watching keeps talking about killing and taking things, but this time, I’m in agreement.
“Why have you laid out the magic arrays like this?”
Thousands of magic arrays spread around me.
Each of them had a level of power and number that could instantly bring this place to ruin.
And those arrays were connected to the ‘passage.’
“Hehe… Did you receive the gift I presented?”
“Are you referring to the Upper-ranked Disciple?”
“Before you came here, with my Elder authority, I raised your rank by one level. I also permitted the use of the Elder’s records.”
The Elder continued to smile, proudly discussing his actions.
However, there is still an answer I have yet to hear.
“The reason for laying down the magic arrays?”
“What’s the reason for laying it out?”
“You’re quite impatient. You didn’t come all the way here without wanting something in return, did you? Instead of getting straight to the point, let’s take our time…”
Hooong.
The hammer moves.
It wasn’t me but the hammer, accelerated by the ‘Roar of Acceleration’, that struck the Elder, sending him flying and embedding him somewhere in the pupil.
Kugung… thunk!!
A few rocks fell on top of him.
[Ohh]
[Death?]
[Lolololol]
[That was quick]
[Wow]
“I know you’re not dead. Come out.”
I hadn’t seriously hit him, but at least here, I was undoubtedly at a level on par with the sage.
Just like how the sage gained near-immortal power using ‘life.’
The ‘Elder is also under the protection of the ‘Earth.’
“…Heh.”
Kugung…!
As the Elder reached out his hand, the rocks above him floated into the air.
It felt less like the Elder was moving and more like the ‘Earth’ itself was clearing the way.
He returned in front of me, his face intact except for a small tear in his clothing.
“Have you met the sage?”
“Magic Array.”
“What did you think? You must have heard his ‘plans’ when you met.”
“……”
[Lolololol]
[Let’s just kill him]
[Stubborn vs Stubborn]
[Seems like they’re tough too]
[Man, they really aren’t spilling the beans]
[It feels like they want us to burst it, so let’s just blow it up]
“Should we?”
I lightly tapped a magic array.
In response, the earth began to tremble significantly, and the fingertips of the boy trapped far away trembled as well.
Just before all the magic arrays sank…
Kuwung!!
‘The Hands of the Earth.’
The hands of the earth blocked the explosion.
“Impressive, right? The separation of that power was quite fascinating too.”
“…Unexpected. I thought it would be completely destroyed.”
“Oh, I’m not that kind of person.”
The explosion of the magic array is a ‘side effect’ that occurs through the interaction of the acquired techniques and the influence of the earth. It’s not like I just blow things up at will.
I said this with a smile, and the Elder was also smiling faintly.
“Is it so?”
“Indeed.”
“I see.”
……
A brief silence.
Many thoughts crossed my mind, but in that moment, I could catch a glimpse of the Elder’s true intentions.
‘He’s trying to break it.’
Despite about 200-300 magic arrays having exploded, the space remained abnormally solid.
The Elder was trying to destroy this very space.
Releasing the monsters with the power of the Children of God is likely for that reason as well.
The Elder took a step forward and spread his hand.
“The separation of power—a seemingly ideal utopia, a life of happiness for all. But it’s truly a ridiculous story.”
What would be done with that power?
“That tremendous power twists the earth and ravages the sky. With that power alone, it wouldn’t be hard to become the ruler of a world.”
“Someone seeks it, then?”
“Indeed. Your presence here suggests that the sage’s plans didn’t sit well with you.”
“……”
Well, that much is true.
It’s long.
Let’s separate this guy’s “power” from people.
How simple and convenient is that?
“A plan to separate and seal the nuclear weapon from the person it’s attached to.”
The problem is that there are more than one or two who want that nuclear weapon.
“Are you saying you’re different?”
“At least I’m much more plausible than a sage.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s simple.”
Swish.
The elder’s hand points at the boy.
He twitched a bit during the earlier chaos but is still asleep.
“Eternal Sleep.”
“Eternal Sleep?”
“Our ancestors must remain in eternal slumber. They are a living disaster. There’s nothing good in waking them up, so it’s best for the descendants if they stay asleep like this, right?”
Maintaining the status quo.
It’s the safest and most stable answer.
For the people of Teshiniria, the elder has more merit than the sage.
But there’s a big contradiction.
[?]
[Something feels off.]
[Then why break it?]
“Then why try to break it? Seems like you’re itching to release the monster too.”
“…Heh. Our ancestors won’t wake up from mere ‘disturbances.'”
“If this place gets destroyed, won’t it change things?”
This is the heart of the seal.
Given its abnormal defensive strength, if this place gets shattered, something will surely change for the boy.
The elder continues to smile while stretching out his hand.
Crash!
The “earth” moves, and a gigantic hand grabs me instantly.
“I’m sorry, but you need to step back just a little more. Don’t worry. When you open your eyes, everything will have ended.”
“Can you handle it?”
“Hehehe. Though I’m just an old man now, I was once called a ‘priest.'”
Crack…!
The more I use the earth’s energy, the more my strength drains away.
It’s different from when I was with the sage.
Back then, the master of life had become a non-living being and had no control, but the control of the earth lies entirely with that boy.
“I got hit hard.”
You can’t face the “earth” with the earth’s power.
“The sage must have given up because he was worried about the owner’s life or death, but I don’t really care.”
“……”
“Then shall we rest now…?”
Swoosh.
A bulging violet spear appears in my hand.
In that instant, the elder’s previously smiling expression oddly changes.
As if asking what the heck that is.
“Heh… This isn’t the Extreme Spear faction, so that strange weapon─”
GUYAGYAGYAGYA!!
“What?”
“I’m not going to use the holy one, so this will have to do.”
The deep ocean of the sea covers the earth.
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