Episode 1146 Turning Point (2)
A primordial ecosystem where life devours one another and repeats the cycle of regeneration and extinction.
From one to a new one.From two to a new two.From three to a new three.
We should be grateful for the concept that existence does not arise from nothing. Otherwise, we would have faced a chaos where the boundary between life and death is blurred by infinite proliferation.
O you who indulge in the unknown and knowledge.
If you must cross the forbidden boundaries drawn by the world to find the truth,always be careful not to become one with the demonic realm.
– Excerpt from the handwritten notes left by ‘Finder,’ a transcendent being who went missing in the Demon Realm –
* * *
Early stages of the war.
The moment I first entered the Demon Realm, I felt the atmosphere change.I had only taken a few steps from the boundary, but my nerves were on edge, as if I had entered a completely separate world.
Keeper──Acetro Oldin.Demonic Terror.Reckless Intellectual──Queron Reklos.
The three people known to have experienced the environment of the Demon Realm several times were unaffected, but most, with the exception of Meia, had to control their breathing for a while until their bodies adapted to the indescribable chill.
“This is the air of the Demon Realm…….”“It feels unpleasant yet refreshing… hmm, it’s hard to explain.”
Larian and Zentir, the Tower Masters, rolled their eyes back and forth, stained with tension and anticipation.They knew how crucial a mission they were entrusted with as members of the extermination force, but they still could not suppress their nature as mages.
And rightly so, considering when would the Masters of the Ten Great Magic Towers ever come back to an uncharted territory officially known as the most dangerous on the continent?
It was the same for Legritt; at this moment, personal curiosity outweighed his sense of duty.
Indeed… I sense a resonance fundamentally different from the Desert of Silence.
Although she concealed her appearance with the armor-type artifact [Golden Radiance], the fact remains that she is a dragon-human who has transcended the mold of a human.
The keen senses captured the alien, sticky, and abundant energy surging from all directions.
Waves of life.
To Regrit, the entire Mirror of Darkness, which was nothing more than an environment, felt like a living creature. The dragon’s eyes gazed into the darkness beyond its helmet.In the cool, dark forest—even though it was midday in summer—unexplained, strange noises could occasionally be heard.
Legritt quietly approached Isabella and asked.
“How does it feel?”
Isabella, like her, is a fusion of human and heteromorphic being. She could even be considered a senior, being one step ahead in terms of race.Regrit was curious about the impressions other demons had regarding the demonic realm they possessed.
“well…….”
Isabella answered only after staring blankly into the mirror.
“Comfortable?”“You say it’s comfortable?”
No matter how I looked at it, it was nothing but uncomfortable… … I thought she was joking, but Isabella’s expression looked genuinely at ease.Legritt wondered if their perspectives were vastly different because they were mixed heteromorphs, even if they were of the same kind.
“…….”
Meia glared at Isabella and immediately reorganized the punitive force.The number was at most a few dozen. Although thescale was significantly smaller compared to other legions, each and every one of them was a powerful individual of national caliber who had earned high renown in their respective fields.
Meia stood at the forefront as the commander of the extermination squad.
“Then I’ll ask you to guide me to the Four Gates.”“Ah… this is the first time I’ve come to the Demon Realm with so many people.”
Queron pulled his head back firmly, his face flushed with excitement.
I will fulfill my duties.
Acetro, Queron, and the Fear of Demons had witnessed the Four Gates of the Demon Realm with their own eyes.Among them, Queron was the most knowledgeable about the methods of advancing into the Demon Realm.
While the other two confronted the dangers of the Demon Realm solely through their pure skill, Queron survived there at a level so low that he could not even dare to compare himself to them.Given that the Transcendental One, who was his master’s master, had disappeared within the Demon Realm, there was officially no man who possessed more knowledge than him, at least within that realm.
thud.
The terror of demons took a step forward.
The Demon Realm Suppression Force marched forward.
* * *
The Demonic Realm’s Four Gates resurrect corpses as undead immediately after they are created. It is an environment where allies can turn into enemies in a manner different from the corruption of the southern Eastern Continent.Therefore, the size of the extermination party was minimized, and great emphasis was placed on the individual mastery of each person.This was done to maximize the survival rate.
I heard that the undead based on creatures from the Demon Realm are so horrific… I wonder just how many bizarre monsters I’ll end up fighting here.
Obsidian-ranked adventurers, in particular, remained vigilant and kept watch in all directions.It was not uncommon for high-ranking adventurers to die from unexpected disasters rather than during raids. Complacency was absolutely forbidden.
Screeeeeeek───Screeeeek───
A day passed with the distant sound of twisting tree bark and metal as a backdrop.
It was quiet.Strangely quiet.
Since the top priority was to close the gates as quickly as possible, frequent rest was not possible. Furthermore, Commander Meia irregularly decided entirely when and for how long they would rest.
That is how we set up the first campsite.
Half of them maintained their mental and physical strength in peak condition by meditating or sleeping, while the other half was responsible for protecting the campsite.With both the personnel composition and the equipment, a territory was established where even the most dangerous creatures of the demonic realm would instinctively dare not bare their fangs.
Whoosh.
The stone lanterns shone brightly in place of the bonfire.
“Phew, my heart still hasn’t gone down.”“I suppose you are nervous. Then again, it is the first time I’ve guided so many people into the Demon Realm…”“Isn’t it truly enjoyable? Ah, I apologize. That was absolutely not something to say during wartime.”
Queron bowed his head slightly, apologizing for unintentionally committing a faux pas. He hurriedly wiped the smilefrom his face. People wondered what was going on inside his head as he laughed so genuinely in the demonic realm. Had he damaged his neural pathways by enjoying the danger too much?
“Whenever I enter this nightmare, I feel completely detached from reality. That is probably why my social skills have declined a bit. Haha, I used to be ordinary when I was young.”
Queron looked up at the sky.
Through the branches covering my head, the starry night was faintly visible.
“It seems my grave is going to become a demonic realm. Even my master’s master disappeared into a demonic realm after doing this. It’s truly a strange thing. To think we resemble each other so much when we aren’t even descendants. It is truly a不思譜 (mysterious) lineage, isn’t it?”“…….”
He had been quite fine at the General Assembly of the Magic World and the World Conference, but in the Mirror World, Queron’s emotions remained constantly heightened.Should one say he was excited all day long?His gaze was that of a wizard whose life had been mortgaged, captivated by knowledge.
Ahem.
Aldanis, Eon’s eighth phase and Isabella’s professor during her academy days, cleared his throat slightly to lighten the mood.
“Although only two days have passed, it is quieter than I expected. I thought we would have to fight non-stop as soon as we entered the Demon Realm.”“It is quite different from the notoriety known to the world.”
Braonic nodded and added.
Queron took a sip of tea.
“The Demon Realm is a primordial land. The creatures upon it also follow the oldest laws of nature. Chasing prey and avoiding predators to survive. The reason we are not attacked is that we are recognized as predators by the surrounding creatures.”“Is it because of the Transcendent?”“You could say so, but the one with the greatest influence is Him.”
There was no need to explain who Queron was referring to. After all, there is only one powerful being who can be considered a being greater than a Transcendent.
Everyone’s gaze naturally turned toward the tent in the distance.
The Demonic Terror, a being always mentioned alongside the Black Sea as the Adventurer’s Guild’s greatest power.
However, only a few people had witnessed his true power. This was because the terror of demons had long since made this demonic realm their base of operations, leaving the world with no opportunity to see him in battle.
Sword Saint, Privalt, asked with his arms crossed.
“What is his level?”“I dare not evaluate it with my own discernment, but…”
Queron picked up a suitable stick and drew a picture on the ground.It was a map that roughly summarized the Demon Realm.
“It may look like a massive mass, but within this place exist countless invisible realms. And those realms belong within even larger ones.”“Like a sort of class system?”“Yes. Like a barony, a countship, a duchy, and a nation that encompasses them all. And in the Demon Realm, there are kings who rule these nations.”
Tragedy Yato.The Dissolution of the Non-Written.The Great Void of the Great Heaven.Life-Splitting.The Circulating Crowd.The Void of Ignorance.
“These are aliases given by your master’s master. I named Yato among them.”“Rabbit… centipede…? Even if they are demon beasts, are such creatures reigning? I could understand if it were a giant centipede, but a rabbit?”“Do not be fooled by appearances. You will die.”
Queron looked serious for a moment, then quickly relaxed his expression.The air tensed for a moment.
In any case, the kings keep a watchful eye on one another and avoid conflict. Ultimately, they remain faithful to nature’s ultimate purpose of survival. That is why they do not approach him carelessly.
An image embodying demonic terror was added next to the drawings of monsters.
“If we fight head-to-head, the chances of dying are high.”
They said it was stronger than a transcendent being; was the terror of demons really such a monster?
The adventurers did not go out of their way to show it, but they felt a sense of pride. As such, the prestige of the Adventurer’s Guild is second to none compared to any other force.Regrit Narsilia, as the captain of the same Ark, was also inwardly satisfied.
Then, Cardinal of the Ruas Church—Serphania of Charity—asked cautiously.
“Then… where is the Red Dragon located?”“That is a good question, Cardinal. The Red Dragon, which vanished into the Demonic Realm without a trace after raiding the continent about a century ago, had not been found until now, but the situation changed drastically when I discovered its scales. Therefore, our knowledge was bound to change as well.”
Queron continued speaking as he carved the shape of a dragon into the center of the mirror.
“It is highly likely that there are ‘rulers’ greater than kings in the Sea of Maha. The reason they have not been discovered so far is likely because they have not sought to reveal themselves.”“The reason is…”“I do not know. But I can assure you that there must be a reason. Why? Because their intellectual capabilities are superior, if anything, not inferior.”
He put the stick down.
“Fortunately, the Demonic Realm’s Four Sects belong to the Demonic Realm, not the Demonic Sea. You would be wise to pray that the enemies we face are nothing but the undead.”
Queron whispered a threat, ensuring the punitive force could not let their guard down. Being complacent—for in the Demon Realm, that was a poisonous mindset.
It was then.
Small, white creatures approached the campsite in a swarm. Upon seeing numerous aberrant beings slowly gliding through the air, they immediately assumed a battle stance.
“Ah, it’s alright. They won’t cause any harm unless you attack first. Besides, they are very weak.”“Um, what is that?”“It is a Return Spirit. It is an extremely rare creature that inhabits only the Demon Realm… It is fascinating. This is the first time I have seen such a large colony of Return Spirits.” “A Return Spirit?”“Please listen closely.”
As I focused on my hearing following Queron’s suggestion, I heard a sobbing voice.
[Go… … back… … .]
[I… … want to… … go… … .]
The aberrant beings, repeating only that they wanted to go back, squirmed very, very slowly as they crossed the campsite.
‘soul…….’
Isabella’s keen eyesight saw through the fact that the true identity of the Regression Spirit was a soul.
The punitive force looked up in awe at the white lights scattered in the deep darkness.
Queron smiled.
It’s mysterious, isn’t it?
It was a sight never seen on the mainland. It was then thatI finally felt the reality of having entered a demonic realm.
The swarm of Return Spirits seemed to linger briefly above the tent filled with demonic terror. Then, as if it were an illusion, they leisurely departed.
* * *
One day passed, then two more. Two days passed, then three, then four more. Five, six, seven, eight, nine…The deeper I went into the Demon Realm, the more frequent the encounters with monsters became.
They were violent monstrous creatures that cared nothing about the king or anyone else, and as soon as those monsters died, they were turned into undead by the sect and had to fight at least two battles at a time.
Commander Meia predicted the attack as if she had read the future, so while there was fatigue, there was virtually no damage.
It was the day exactly 30 days had passed since advancing into the demon realm.
Arrived at the gate.
“Are we finally starting the assault? We got here much easier than I thought.” Just as she was thinking this, Meia bit her lip.
“……A ridiculous deception.”
Meia immediately gave an order.
“Everyone, enter the Gate.”“Everyone? If we get surrounded outside the Gate then.……”“I won’t say it twice.”
Meia activated the magic circuits of her entire body.
To the sect immediately.
At that moment, countless presences from all directions shook the senses. They were not the undead. Creatures of the demonic realm charged toward the Allied Forces in unison.
and.
Whoosh───
A heavy roar pressing down on the atmosphere.
He raised his gaze.
A massive red body was flying toward us. Anyone could tell it was a dragon. A mocking laugh echoed from between its sharp fangs.
At that moment.
A formidable presence surged from behind the Allied forces. It was an overwhelming presence incomparable to the creatures of the Demon Realm. Isabella turned around.
The terror of the demon let out a scream that was close to a shriek.
“Sar……kandra……!!!!!!!!!!”
He soared into the sky, shattering the earth, and struck down with his fist.The entire atmosphere shook violently.
* * *
“Ugh……!”
Frivalt clutched his forehead as he continued to try to recall the memory. The headache was so severe that he could not continue thinking.
“What is this?”“It is the effect of my soul being shaken. It is the price for barely escaping the rift of the Four Gates.”“Escaped…?”“You’ll remember later, but for now, let me summarize briefly. The Four Gates were successfully sealed. In return, the punitive expedition was scattered. Fortunately, it seems we were separated as a group, though.”
Isabella looked after the people who had not yet regained consciousness.
“We must hurry and find the survivors, just as the Legion Commander said.”“Survivors… how are we supposed to find them?”“It looks like his memory is really severely damaged. The soul in his head is fine, though.”
Isabella gestured with her chin.
I will finish explaining the rest in a safe place, so bring the people and follow me.
* * *
Isabella and Privalt each looked after the people and moved on. A small creature appeared at the spot where they had disappeared and twitched its nose.
A familiar smell.A smell of endless resurrection.
The tragic Yato chased the presence of a longed-for being he had discovered for the first time in 500 years.
