Episode 234
"Pow-pow-pow-!"
An open field in Zone 22-1.
A group of players were watching the Black Dragon's broadcast.
The equipment they wore bore the unique technology of the Holy Kingdom.
"You were right. To choose to fight without hesitation,"
muttered Mason, ranked 350, a man watching the screen.
The Black Dragon and Charlotte galloping over the body of the Sky Whale.
That sight, constantly inflicting wounds on the creature, was akin to an act of self-destruction.
"That is how the Black Dragon should be."
Rael, a woman with gray hair, focused her attention solely on the Black Dragon.
The intervention by Holy Kingdom players had begun even before the update.
After they were reborn as the faction known as the Holy Body Faction, their methods and attitudes had become even more extreme.
However, such things could not block the Black Dragon's path.
"Lady Rael, can't you just crush him with force?"
Just then, a player watching the broadcast asked that question.
Rael, ranked 271.
Just as the level of power varies as the number decreases, her skill was difficult to gauge.
“If it could be achieved by force alone, the higher ups would have moved first.”
The top-tier players of the Holy Body Faction residing in the Great Temple had not yet approached the Black Dragon.
They said that while it would be unavoidable if an oracle were to descend, there was no news yet.
It was information that could only be heard directly from Rael, who had accomplished various feats.
“Well, aren’t we just test subjects? The higher-ups have such heavy bottoms.”
Mason spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
Although somewhat emotional, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Now that the oracle has descended, we just need to do our job. Eventually, the players in the Great Temple will move too.”
The dozens of players present all received the oracle sent by the Goddess of Turmoil.
[Use the technology of the Holy Kingdom to move the Sky Whale and proceed to the Forest of Illusions. You must prevent the Black Dragon from entering the World Tree.]
The method and location were clearly specified.
The objective also required no further interpretation.
The only problem was that the Forest of Illusions was an extremely tricky place.
“You didn’t get the Elves’ recognition either, did you?”
“…That’s difficult. It’s not a matter of rankings or skill.”
The Forest of Illusions, the Elves’ primary territory.
To operate there, one had to gain their recognition and become their friend. The
system was structured so that anyone who set foot there without that qualification would face hardship, even if they were a top 10 ranker.
However, because gaining Elven recognition was so difficult, almost no one ventured into the Forest of Illusions.
Rael had tried several times, but ultimately failed.
“Charlotte got recognized over there, though. What are we planning to do?”
“I have an item I received from the Great Temple. I’m going to use this to take down the Black Dragon by myself.”
Rael pulled a large glass bottle from his inventory.
It was an object crafted by Astel, a master craftsman of the Holy Kingdom.
“What is this?”
“A blood-red mandragora head.”
“…It looks grotesque.”
Screech—
A red mandragora head squirmed inside the bottle.
Although the principle behind it and everything else was unknown, they had heard that using this could shake the entire Forest of Illusions.
Even if the environment turned to a terrible state, it would be enough if everyone were placed in the same situation.
"Crack—!"
While they were conversing, a golden radiance burst from the head of the Sky Whale.
Upon seeing it, the Black Dragon and Charlotte kicked off.
"Swoosh—!"
"Snip—!"
The Sky Whale's thick neck was swiftly severed by the overwhelming power of the Investigation Team Leader.
It was an overwhelming force, despite the Black Dragon's warning not to cut it all at once.
"Whoosh—!"
Just then, the whale's eyes turned grotesque, and a massive spherical area appeared.
A sharp, fine wind raged across the surface.
It was a technique they had never seen before.
"I guess he learned something. It must be from the Spirits, right?"
Mason analyzed the new skill with his arms crossed.
Since nothing could be grasped while the broadcast was off, quickly organizing the new information was crucial.
"Swoosh—!"
While watching the action, a blade of wind unleashed by the Black Dragon severed the skin of the Sky Whale's neck, which was in peril.
Immediately afterward, a resonance rang out from the head of the creature thought to be dead.
"Boom—!"
"Thump—!"
Quickly grabbing his comrades' hands, the Black Dragon leaped out of the sphere.
At the same time, a massive explosion occurred.
"Pow pow pow—!"
The sphere's area shook violently, creating a rift.
It could not last long, but it did not allow the aftermath to reach the airship.
“…What on earth did you learn?”
Mason stopped his hand from recording with a bewildered expression.
No matter how much of a Spirit Skill it was, it was on a completely different level from the ordinary. *
Crack*—!
Just then, a golden bolt of lightning struck from the outskirts of the clearing.
Turning his head, Rael’s gaze fell upon a man.
“I am late.”
It was Odin, the man who had newly joined the Holy Faction and was granted a High-Level Electric Spirit.
His expressionless face, hidden beneath his kind impression, always felt strange whenever he saw it.
“No, I arrived right on time.”
Rael looked at the screen again.
There, Charlotte stood with a determined expression, clutching the airship’s magic stone.
“We’re going to land in the Forest of Illusions. From there, let’s move to where the World Tree is.”
*Whoosh*
—With that decision, the airship began its perilous journey.
Grasping the weapon on his shoulder, Rael looked at the other players and said,
“Let’s go too. To the Forest of Illusions.”
***
“The Elf territory…….”
“It doesn’t look like it will be easy.”
“Elves! That’s kind of exciting!”
After Charlotte's decision was made,
Hanbit conveyed information about the Forest of Illusions to the three of them.
Unlike the twins, who were seriously mulling over the words, Pingpong looked simply excited.
“If you act recklessly, you’ll get your head pierced first. Watch out.”
“W-my head?”
“Your head would be a relief. I could throw you to be torn apart by monsters…”
“I’ll be careful!”
-Hahaha
-My elf friends are cruel;
-Weren't they supposed to be nature-friendly?
-???: I’ll send you back to the earth.
-That’s for sure… … .
The perception of elves conveyed through various media was diverse.
The ones appearing in chat windows were noble, proud beings living in harmony with nature.
Things like unique magic and wind were also visible.
In any case, they felt quite far removed from the image of cruel barbarians.
'They would be terrified if they saw it in person.'
Elves were one of the races that extremely disliked outsiders.
It wasn't just a matter of simply chasing away intruders; there was even a rule that they had to ensure their souls were completely dealt with.
That is why becoming a friend of an Elf usually ended in death.
“The Captain is close with the Elves, right? Then shouldn’t we be fine too?”
After a moment of thought, Haneul raised a question.
It was a natural thought, of course, and a valid point.
“Right. That’s why I tell you to be careful of unnecessary actions. After all, we are outsiders.”
Charlotte was not just a friend of the Elves; she was also a member of the village.
While it was unlikely she would cause harm, it was better to be cautious in the Forest of Illusions and the Elf village.
'The timing is a bit unfortunate.'
Hanbit also hoped to become a friend of the Elves.
After all, he had mostly walked that path in his iterations in this other world.
However, meeting an Elf before visiting the World Tree was not a good situation.
This was because he needed to obtain the power from the World Tree to grant them what they desired.
Although he was accompanied by a spirit friendly to Elves, ultimately, proving his identity as the Black Dragon was what mattered.
For now, safely passing through Elf territory was the best course of action.
Whoosh—!
Even while they were having that conversation, the airship flew at high speed.
It was thanks to the Investigation Team Leader that such movement was possible despite having lost the Floating Stone.
“Are you okay?”
Hanbit approached Charlotte, who was clutching the Magic Stone.
She was pouring out mana without even moving a muscle.
“I’m fine. I’m used to this.”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders with a faint smile.
In a certain episode, he had heard stories about her past training.
They were nothing but horrific, to the point where the word “hell” seemed gentle in comparison.
It was enough to make him want to tell those who judged Charlotte merely as blessed talent or exceptional luck.
“You’re going straight to the World Tree when you arrive, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll just say hello and ask for help. If the timing is right, I might be able to borrow the power of a mythical beast.”
The Blue Moon Bird, a mythical beast existing in the Elf village.
It was a large bird that held the light of the blue moon.
If they borrowed its power, they could travel to the World Tree very comfortably.
'I’ll solve your problem soon, too.'
Grrr—
Hanbit looked down at the small tiger held in his arms.
Cheonho, who should have more than met the conditions by now, had not yet reached evolution.
The reason was guessable, but the distance was too far to go see an expert.
In that case, meeting another adult mythical beast was the best solution.
It would be dangerous in many ways, though, since I wasn't a close friend of an elf. *
Crunch*—just
then, the advancing airship tilted downwards.
Before they knew it, a vast forest area was visible straight ahead.
“Everyone gather around.”
Charlotte gathered everyone on the airship in front of her.
Her purpose was simple.
“We are now heading to the Forest of Illusions. From now on, absolutely do not use any magic or technology. Absolutely no magical artifacts either.
” “Yes!”
Although the members of the exploration squad were likely already aware of the precautions, they answered with serious expressions.
The twins and Pingpong, having heard the story from Hanbit, also braced themselves with tense faces.
Charlotte, observing their faces, turned her gaze and said,
“I’m going to drop the airship into the sea now. Black Dragon, can you just help us escape?”
“I will help!”
Sylph materialized before Hanbit could answer.
Facing her, Charlotte offered a noble-like greeting.
“Thank you, Sylph. I am counting on you.”
“Hmm! Don’t worry!” *Whoosh
*!
The Sylph, appearing somewhat arrogant, stirred up a gust of wind as if bouncing.
It enveloped the bodies of everyone on board.
Squeak!
Crunch!
With unpleasant sounds, the massive seaplane approached the ocean.
It was not long before it reached the surface.
“Now!”
Whoosh!
With a voice shouted just before impact, the people soared into the sky.
At the same time, the seaplane plunged into the water.
Crash!
Entering headfirst at an angle, the seaplane churned through the water, creating violent waves.
Because of its speed, it naturally headed toward the shore.
Whoosh!
The Sylph’s gently moving wind carried the people onto the sandy beach.
Swoosh—
their bodies landed so lightly.
The sand beneath their feet was incredibly soft.
“Oh…”
“A spirit? I still can’t believe it.”
“It means it’s not an ordinary candidate.”
The investigation team members, too, expressed their admiration as they stepped on the sand.
As they were all skilled individuals, jumping out of the airship was not impossible.
However, in a situation where magic was forbidden, it was a difficult task for those lacking physical ability.
For this reason, they had used the power of a spirit friendly to the elves.
“Wait a moment.”
Charlotte approached the airship stuck on the shore.
And the moment she lightly reached out her hand.
Whoosh!
A black space split open and swallowed the airship.
-?
-Huh;
-What is that?
-Is it a storage box?
-It’s damn big;
The intimidatingly massive black space vanished along with the airship.
It was a convenient subspace storage box that could not be used on living beings.
“Let’s go in. The elves will be here soon. Remember to be careful, everyone.”
Having warned them once again, Charlotte took the lead and headed toward the forest.
And the moment everyone crossed the boundary.
Screeeeek!
A tremendous scream rang out.
“Ugh!”
“Cough!”
The intense noise, loud enough to make one dizzy, caused people’s bodies to stagger.
At the same time, an unpleasant sensation of transference enveloped their bodies.
Whoosh!
Along with a sudden wave of dizziness resembling motion sickness, the surrounding landscape changed.
Barely regaining his balance, Hanbit stood up.
And then…
whoosh—
he came face to face with an illusory forest where everything was dyed red.
