In one of the multi-dimensional worlds, Ertarn, I cleared an episode and obtained the ‘Celestial Stone.’
The Celestial Stone is an item that can summon a celestial being of Kraken level strength just once, but there hasn’t really been a situation to use it.
At the time I cleared Ertarn, it was an opponent so tough that even I found it hard to handle, a powerful being that could turn the tide no matter where.
“But not anymore.”
Now that I’ve regained powers beyond the upper tier, and monsters like Lasty and Pharaoh have also regained their strength and bodies, Ertarn has become less impressive.
Plus, the Celestial Stone is single-use.
If I can’t summon it every time, then there’s really no reason to use it in usual situations.
Using my own powers or summoning monsters like Lasty and Pharaoh is way cheaper.
“…Ah, hello?”
“Long time no see.”
The Celestial Stone emitted a gray light and summoned a small figure.
A gray stone woman who looked about 2 meters tall.
Ertarn awkwardly greeted me with a shy expression, and I smiled back at her.
[Oh]
[???]
[Who is she?]
[Ertarn?]
[Isn’t she the boss from the multi-dimensional world?]
[No way, are you using that now???]
[OMG]
[You’re using it now, lol]
[So wasteful]
[Huh?]
“You can’t just not use it forever, can you?”
No matter how much of a one-time consumable it is, if you never use it, it might as well not exist.
I decided that if a situation where I had to exert unnecessary effort arose, and if Ertarn could solve that situation, then this was the right time to call her.
What’s more, the decisive factor in using it was her characteristics.
“What. Should I do?”
“Please give me some proper training.”
“Those?”
“Yeah.”
The Iron Devourer, feasting on iron and ores, swelled its body while Ertarn, the goddess of the earth, handled the ‘land’ born from rock.
At first glance, you could say they belong to the same kind or race.
When she turned expressionlessly, the Iron Devourer occupying Ryuin’s body glared fiercely at her.
And then.
“Cheeky.”
“?!”
The earth was overturned.
■
Iron Devourer (鐵食鬼).
As the name suggests, it means a ghost that eats iron, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a ghost.
It was merely called that because it devoured like it was possessed by a ghost, and in reality, it was anything but related to ghosts.
Anyway, the Iron Devourer rampaged here and there for many years looking to eat iron until it was squashed by a mysterious being named Lily and subsequently sealed.
After being crushed by an unknown being named Lily, I was sealed away in that place.
Once a notorious outlaw roaming the small continent, the Iron Devourer was sealed by a sword in broad daylight, but there was nothing to be done about it.
“Stay still. Unless you want your soul to be extinguished.”
The opponent was a powerful being who had sealed numerous monsters similar to myself.
In the end, half-given up, the Iron Devourer had no choice but to stay quietly as she instructed.
How many years passed like that?
Suddenly, claiming everyone was probably bored, she pulled her own soul into some space to gather all the monsters.
In that place were the souls of the monsters she had collected, and the Iron Devourer decided to release the frustration of being trapped for so long onto another monster.
Though it had been quiet until now, the Iron Devourer was an ancient monster.
Even if it wasn’t very active by nature, it was not a being meant to be trapped in such a place.
The only problem was that the other monsters, imprisoned in different weapons, had the same thought.
The monsters began to display their strength and fought, but soon all battles came to an end due to a giant golden statue.
Boom!
“Stay still, you foolish creatures.”
His name was Pharaoh.
He was the emperor who ruled over half of the great continent and the strongest monster among those gathered here.
With overwhelming power, he suppressed all the monsters, and even the Griffin, with the beak of an eagle and the body of a lion, fiercely pressed him but ultimately bowed down in defeat.
Apart from Pharaoh and some monsters who followed him, the others swallowed their voices.
Actually, while releasing frustration was one thing, the most important thing was escape.
All the monsters that had been sealed in different weapons until now.
Because of this, even if something happened to their master, Lily, they couldn’t dream of rebellion, but now it was different.
Their master, who risked her life in every fight, had provided an opportunity; if they all gathered together and exerted their power at once while she was weak, they might be able to break free from their seals.
But with that statue acting as the drill sergeant, there was no way to do anything.
Even the strong Griffin remained silent, quietly occupying a corner after his defeat.
Many monsters gathered to discuss.
Thus was formed the ‘Anti-Lily Alliance,’ quietly and steadily gaining strength while waiting for the right moment.
The goal was for the moment when a monster surpassing that Pharaoh arrived.
They would recruit that monster and launch a rebellion while Lily was at her weakest.
Lily seizes the opportunity when the monster is at its weakest to incite a rebellion.
In fact, that statue is strange; most of the monsters entering here couldn’t help but harbor hostility toward Lily.
After all, they come in, get beaten up, have their bodies killed, and only their souls are taken away. Who would feel anything but animosity?
“I don’t ask for much. Just one monster as strong as a Griffin will do!”
If there were two monsters of Griffin’s caliber, they could overpower the Pharaoh.
Is that why everyone prayed so desperately, leading to this moment of light?
Finally, an overwhelmingly powerful monster entered this place.
An entity with a strength so immense that it could be dismissed as ‘nothing’ compared to the Pharaoh.
The monsters cheered, and even the Iron Devourer, which until then had no special intelligence, rejoiced.
At last, a path to escape is in sight.
Everyone rushed out to welcome her, and soon, a girl with a cold demeanor opened her eyes lazily and gazed at them all.
“So, you are the complainers my sister talked about?”
For monsters, she was the worst type of character, more nefarious than the Pharaoh.
It was the appearance of the second deputy commander.
“……”
Why does that thought suddenly come to mind?
The Iron Devourer moved back, recalling its days when it was close to being ‘vermin.’
Kugugugung!!
No, should we say it moved?
Every time that small gray woman expressed her will, the very ground trembled, pressing down on the Iron Devourer.
The recent movement felt less like the Iron Devourer moving and more like being pushed back by the impact of that woman.
Confirming that the woman’s body was made of gray rock, the Iron Devourer immediately tried to control her body, but it was futile.
‘Monster.’
The power surrounding that monster was nearing the ‘Upper’ tier.
It meant that its pitiful powers couldn’t even touch her.
This was even stronger than Lasty Erbenus, the Bloodsucker who first appeared in the realm of void, bringing every monster to its knees.
After all, Lasty had subdued even the Pharaoh, making her the strongest among the monsters brought by the Destroyer.
But what on earth is that woman, stronger than such a Bloodsucker?
‘…Another monster. Here she is.’
The Iron Devourer had no time to be lost in thought and evaded her touch.
In truth, dodging an attack from an enemy with such a massive power difference should be impossible.
Incredibly, the abilities of the Iron Devourer and that small woman were remarkably similar.
The only reason it could evade was that the entity was still unfamiliar with this place and her unusually non-aggressive nature.
It was due to a non-aggressive personality.
It would also be a characteristic of monsters derived from non-living beings.
Kugugung!
But it’s just a matter of time.
Just like when chasing the Destroyer. This time, it was clear that I would be caught eventually as time passed.
The Iron Devourer maximized Ryuin’s body to unleash ‘high powers’ freely, but it was no use.
No matter how many iron monsters were created, they were snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Even when its main body grew larger, it lost all parts except for a tiny portion where it concentrated its power.
In the end, the Iron Devourer saw a ‘mountain range’ rising behind as it continued to flee.
The mountain range twisted and transformed into the figure of a woman below, with a hand the size of a mountain grabbing the Iron Devourer.
The Mountain Giant’s eyes stared intently at the Iron Devourer.
“I got you. Little child.”
“…Who are you?”
Who is this person with such immense power?
The Mountain Giant stomped forward, looking down at the Destroyer, who was waving its hand down below.
Then it raised its head and looked over here.
“Ertarn.”
If the Iron Devourer grew a bit more, it would have another possibility.
“…I lost.”
■
In the end, the Iron Devourer knelt down.
Having used Ryuin’s body and soul quite indiscriminately, Ryuin still couldn’t regain his senses even after the Iron Devourer escaped.
It seems unlikely to live long since it couldn’t use holy powers until this dungeon ended.
The Iron Devourer returned the pieces of the Iron Soul Sword and gave them to Yena, who arrived shortly after, but Yena just stood with her head turned, as if she already remembered everything.
[Yena, why is she like that? LOL]
[LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL]
[She must be embarrassed.]
[Her ears are red.]
[Is this the end for Yena?]
[Looks like she regained her memory.]
[Yena, Yena…]
“Miss Yena?”
“…Wow, this is really crazy…”
“Miss Yena?”
“Isn’t this really crazy? How can memories be manipulated like that? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Yena?”
“…Th-that stone of the Celestial Being! Isn’t that incredibly rare? If it can summon a Celestial Being, I thought it was a one-time use… using it now would be such a waste…”
“Yanya?”
“……”
Yena growled and flailed around.
Even after regaining her memory, her behaviors remained the same.
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