The plain was tranquil. It must have been because the time was when the sun was setting in the east, and already, red and blue moons were visible in the sky.
It might also be due to the nature of the place. My current location was just outside the influence of those peculiar veins. A spot no one would go out of their way to visit. Take a few more steps, and it would feel suffocating as if mana was completely blocked.
Since practicing Breath within the city wasn’t possible, I ventured into the desolate wilderness near the frontlines where fewer people tread. Though it may not be necessary for the upcoming siege of Landekrihen, it could come in handy if I ever meet the Dragon my father or the Artist wanted me to encounter.
My physical condition was impeccable. Even unleashing Breath at full power, I thought I might manage up to two shots. Given that both my mana and metallic reserves were abundant, I decided to begin immediately.
First, I carefully disassembled my armor and set it aside so it wouldn’t get caught up in anything. Then, I pulled the stone box from the ground and placed my belongings inside, ensuring nothing metallic would accidentally fly off during the exercise.
If my armor got swept away along with the metals I gathered, it would be embarrassingly inconvenient. With the lid secured, I attempted to recall the sensations I had experienced underground and awakened my heart.
A vast amount of mana flowed through my blood vessels and muscles, and scales began to sprout on the back of my hands before reverting back into mana.
I had successfully controlled the mana. Next, I gathered as much mana and metal as I could towards my heart. My heart, which was already pulsing strongly, now felt like it would burst, pounding loudly in my ears.
With each normal exhalation, black smoke escaped, and steam rose from my body. Checking my chest, I saw that the area around my heart glowed a bright red.
Suppressing the instinct to exhale everything all at once, I separated only a small portion of the mana mass accumulated in my heart.
Breathing it out normally would surely cause the mana stored in my heart to escape too, so simply exhaling wouldn’t suffice for firing this small chunk.
What should I do? My body grew hotter, and my vision started to narrow. If the mana in my heart were to be released all at once, even I doubted I’d survive unscathed.
An image suddenly came to mind. Like the monster I had killed, it seemed best to shoot it out like spitting venom. The method might look awkward, but it appeared to be the optimal choice under the circumstances.
A luminous lump ascended through my throat. Instead of exhaling naturally, I expelled it in short bursts akin to sneezing.
Compared to what was still stored in my heart, it was merely a handful of mana. Yet, that tiny amount was enough to create a meteor streaking across the night sky.
Even though I had tried to control it, I aimed it toward the sky just in case. Its destructive power was impressive, proving my decision wise.
“…Haha, what is this… Ugh, huuu…”
Though this level might not penetrate a Dragon’s armor, ejecting 10% of the mana stored in my heart seemed capable of inflicting significant wounds on a Dragon.
My body was still blazing hot. This time, I separated a slightly larger amount of mana and forcibly expelled it outward.
By increasing and decreasing the amount of mana, I gradually depleted the stockpile in my heart. After about half was discharged, my overheated body finally began to cool down.
Still, my body was warmer than usual, my heart continued to glow, and sweat poured from my entire body like rain. But since there was more work to do, I couldn’t stop yet.
At this level of mana, even if I lost control and it dispersed, I wouldn’t suffer severe internal injuries—just a bit of blood, perhaps. For a human, that might be serious, but not for me.
There was still ample opportunity to attempt further trials. If I can only master shooting Breath internally, I’ll be able to advance while obliterating any nonsense from the Demon Tribe.
Step by step, I moved closer to the influence of the vein, filled with anticipation mixed with a low-level fear.
—
The reason the vein isn’t twisting to halt the Human Alliance’s advance is simple: doing so would deplete the mana needed for the Great Teleportation Device.
Had that mana been available for the Time Accelerator, pure-blood Dwarves could have been raised to adulthood much sooner. However, using the mana for that purpose would render the device useless, making it counterproductive.
Inside a translucent hemisphere, the Demon King watched as a doll suckled an infant. Outside the sphere, everything remained motionless, as if time itself had paused.
In reality, time within the sphere accelerated to an unimaginable degree. The Demon King silently marveled at how truly unsettling this technology was.
Whenever he felt troubled, the Demon King entered the sphere to observe the doll. Although it wasn’t by choice, it was still something he had conceived.
Despite trying to understand the doll’s language over a long period, the Demon King failed to comprehend a single word. He only knew that the sound was pleasant and that any Dwarf could understand it.
“You’re in quite a predicament too. Waiting for eternity to awaken and meet your masters, only to end up nurturing a child with someone you don’t even know.”
Or perhaps, are you content with your situation? Having learned that the doll was created solely for this purpose, the Demon King looked at her with complicated feelings.
For survival, yes, but must we resort to such measures? Recalling his starving people, he pushed aside any feelings of self-reproach.
Most here were descendants of settlers who crossed over. Their colonization efforts ended disastrously, leaving them no choice but to return to the place their parents fled.
Few among the Demon Tribe remembered their homeland. Those who did had long since perished.
“…Tragic. So tragic. We came seeking life, yet must retreat back to the hell we fled to survive.”
How many will adapt? Even with the help of the Nature Deities, it will take an immeasurable amount of time for the Motherland to regenerate.
If only the previous generation had listened and approached peacefully, would things have been different? Would he have had to lead the survivors after imprisoning his predecessor?
However, knowing better than anyone else that these were meaningless assumptions, the Demon King ceased his thoughts. What’s done is done.
Living peacefully as part of this planet is impossible. Defeating them is equally unfeasible. Most of Gaia has responded to us with silence, and those who did respond are on the verge of decline.
At least the Crows remain by our side, though they too lamented the grim state of affairs upon learning the truth.
Whenever weary, he would retreat into the accelerator chamber to rest. Here, he rested for extended periods while mere seconds passed outside.
“…Then, I’ll come again later.”
“♪♬, ♬χ♪”
Mari bid farewell to her new master in her own way, though the Demon King understood none of it. He assumed it meant “farewell” and exited the translucent barrier.
“Aah, Elize. How is Oloom? Can he fight again?”
“…Yes. But it will likely take a week for him to fully recover. Others are also pushing themselves hard. We might need to select reinforcements from among the regulars if this continues.”
Elizabeth reported the situation with a somber expression. Having herself connected to devices multiple times in battle to counter Alterra, she wasn’t in peak condition, but far better off than others.
“I see. I’ll consider it. You should rest well too, Elize. We don’t know where it will appear next.”
Alterra. Without her interference, things would be much simpler. She kept disrupting every plan, making Alterra a veritable calamity to the Demon Tribe.
“Understood. That… No, never mind.”
—
Is this correct? Despite being instructed, doubts persisted. Even after repeated confirmations from the Akashis, their response—that it was somewhat outdated but reliable—only heightened my suspicions.
The Bond of Souls. Allegedly the deepest bond two beings can form…
Sigh. Consulting Alterra after meeting her seems appropriate. Acting unilaterally as I did last time could lead to unforeseen consequences.
Moreover, the conditions for forming such a bond haven’t been met yet. Realizing I’m worrying unnecessarily about something I don’t need to handle right now was insightful.
“What’s wrong, Myungho? You look troubled. Is something amiss?”
“It’s not bad news, just a headache. It seems Durandino is acting a little strange lately.
Apparently, because he hasn’t been causing chaos as usual, some suspect him. There’s talk that he’s pretending to be benevolent to please the Goddess before his death…
For those who know the truth, it’s nothing but a bitter smile-inducing piece of information.”
