In one of the dimensions of the multi-dimensional world, Ertarn, I obtained the “Celestial Being’s Stone” after clearing an episode.
The Celestial Being’s Stone is an item capable of summoning a Celestial Being with a power equivalent to that of a Kraken, but no opportune moment to use it had arisen.
At the time when I cleared Ertarn, it was an enemy even I had difficulty confronting, and it was a powerful existence capable of upending any situation.
“But not now.”
After I regained my upper-tier strength and monstrous beings like Lasty and the Pharaoh also recovered their powers and physical forms, Ertarn ceased to become an especially formidable presence.
Moreover, the Celestial Being’s Stone is single-use only.
If it couldn’t be used repeatedly, there was no particular reason to use it in a regular situation.
Summoning a Celestial Being was far more costly than exerting my own power or calling upon monsters like Lasty or the Pharaoh.
“…Hey, hello?”
“It’s been a while.”
The Celestial Being’s Stone emitted a gray light and summoned a small figure.
A gray-rock-woman, roughly about two meters in height.
Looking somewhat uncomfortable, Ertarn greeted me briefly, and I greeted her back with a smile.
[Oh]
[???]
[Who’s that?]
[Ertarn?]
[Isn’t this a boss item from a different dimension?]
[Are you serious about using this now??]
[Whaaat]
[Now they decide to use it lol 😂😂]
“It’s not like I can keep not using it forever.”
No matter how much of a one-use item it might be, if it’s never used, it’s as good as not existing at all.
I had decided that if a situation arose where I needed to push myself beyond my limits and Ertarn could handle it, I would summon her. Now was the moment for that.
Above all, the decisive factor was her characteristic.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Just teach him a lesson.”
“That thing?”
“Yes.”
The Iron Devourer, a monster that swells its body by devouring iron-like ore and rocks.
And Ertarn, a goddess of the Earth that originates from stone.
In a broad sense, they might as well be of the same kind or species.
She turned around expressionlessly, and the Iron Devourer, now possessing Ryuin’s body, glared fiercely at her.
And then…
“Don’t get too cocky.”
“Wha?!”
The earth beneath began to overturn.
■
Iron Devourer (鐵食鬼).
As its name suggests, it means a ghost that eats iron, but ironically, it was not a ghost.
It got its name because it consumed things like a possessed ghost, but in reality, it had no relation to actual ghosts.
Anyway, the Iron Devourer rampaged through various places in search of iron for a long time and was sealed after having its head crushed by a mysterious entity known as Lily.
Once, the Iron Devourer roamed an entire small continent like a lawless bandit, causing great notoriety, only to later be sealed by a mere sword.
“If you move, your soul will vanish.”
The opponent was a powerful figure who had sealed countless beasts like those similar to itself.
Ultimately, the Iron Devourer had no choice but to acquiesce, reluctantly obeying her words.
Years passed.
She suddenly declared she would gather everyone in ‘one place’ since she thought everyone must be bored, pulling them into some unknown space.
There, the souls of the beasts she had collected over time were gathered, and the Iron Devourer decided to vent its long-held frustration on the other beasts.
Though the Iron Devourer was ancient, it wasn’t inherently active, but this place was no place for it to stay stuck indefinitely.
The problem was that the other beasts trapped in different weapons also shared the same sentiment.
The beasts started displaying their strength and began to fight, only to have their battles resolved by the emergence of a colossal golden statue.
Kuung!
“Stay still, you ignorant ones.”
His name was Pharaoh.
The emperor who once ruled over half a great continent and the strongest beast present.
With overwhelming power, he oppressed all the beasts, and even the Griffin, with an eagle’s beak and a lion’s body, who put up a fierce fight, eventually bowed its head in defeat.
The other beasts, excluding Pharaoh and a few loyal to him, swallowed their pride.
After all, venting frustrations was one thing, but the primary objective was escape.
For a long time, the beasts had been sealed in different weapons.
Even if their owner, Lily, encountered problems, they could never rebel. But now, things were different.
Since their owner constantly risked her life in battles, perhaps they could break her seals if they combined their strength during one of her weaker moments.
But the statue acted as a self-appointed monitor, leaving them with no way to act.
Even the Griffin, with its strong power, did nothing after its defeat but silently remained in a corner.
The many gathered beasts discussed amongst themselves.
Thus, the quietly and diligently growing “Anti-Lily Alliance” was formed as they waited for the right moment.
The moment a beast stronger than Pharaoh appeared, they would recruit it and, taking advantage of Lily’s weakest point, start a rebellion.
In reality, most beasts entering this place had no choice but to become hostile to Lily.
After all, she had killed their physical bodies and taken only their souls; how could they feel friendly toward her?
“Many are not asking for much. Just one beast as powerful as the Griffin should do!”
If there were two beasts as strong as the Griffin, they could overpower Pharaoh.
Had all their desperate prayers finally come true?
Finally, a beast of immense power arrived.
A being with a strength so overwhelmingly powerful that Pharaoh was trivial in comparison.
The beasts rejoiced. Even the Iron Devourer, which until now had little intelligence, was overjoyed.
The path to escape was finally in sight.
All the beasts rushed out to meet her, and a cold atmosphere girl half-heartedly opened her sleepy eyes and gazed at them all.
“You’re the troublemakers my sister spoke of, I take it?”
A being with the worst disposition toward beasts, more malevolent even than Pharaoh.
The arrival of the second monitor.
■
“…”
Why did those thoughts resurface all of a sudden?
The Iron Devourer, recalling its past self when it was nearly insignificant, moved backward.
Kugugung!!
Or rather, should this movement be attributed to something else?
Whenever the small gray woman there exerted her will, all the “earth” in the world trembled, pressuring the Iron Devourer.
The supposed “movement” was less of an actual movement and more like being forced back by the tremors she caused.
When the Iron Devourer tried to manipulate its surroundings the moment it recognized her body made of gray rocks, it was futile.
“Monster.”
The authority surrounding the “monster” was near “upper-tier.”
It was impossible for it to even touch her with its meager power.
This power even surpassed that of Lasty Erbenus, the bloodsucker who first emerged in the domain of nothingness and subdued all the beasts.
Not only did Lasty force the Pharaoh to his knees, but she was considered the strongest of the beasts summoned by the Destroyer.
And what, then, was this woman who was stronger than Lasty?
“…Another beast. Summoned.”
The Iron Devourer barely managed to evade her hand, unable to indulge in deep thought.
In fact, evading the attacks of such a vastly superior power should be impossible.
Even more surprisingly, the abilities of this diminutive woman and the Iron Devourer itself were surprisingly similar.
It was only because this being was still unfamiliar with this place and had a rather non-aggressive temperament that it was evading successfully.
This was also characteristic of beasts originating from inanimate objects.
Kugung!
But it was only a matter of time.
Just like chasing the Destroyer earlier, this one was bound to be caught sooner or later.
No matter how much the Iron Devourer used Ryuin’s body to unleash “higher authority,” it was futile.
Every construct made of iron was stolen in the blink of an eye.
Even when it expanded its main body, all but the most intensely focused areas disintegrated.
Finally, the Iron Devourer turned around to see a colossal mountain emerging behind it.
The mountain twisted into the form of a woman standing below, and a hand as big as the mountain itself reached out and captured the Iron Devourer.
The mountain giant stared intently at the Iron Devourer.
“I’ve caught you. Little one.”
“…Who… are you?”
Who could wield such immense power?
The mountain giant took heavy steps and looked down at the Destroyer who was waving a hand below.
Then she turned her gaze back up toward the Iron Devourer.
“Ertarn.”
It was a possibility should the Iron Devourer grow further.
“…Defeated.”
■
Ultimately, the Iron Devourer fell to its knees.
Ryuin’s body and soul had been used with great abandon, and Ryuin wouldn’t regain consciousness even after the Iron Devourer departed.
Without the ability to wield holy powers until the dungeon ended, his lifespan would likely be short.
The Iron Devourer returned the pieces of the Iron Soul Sword and handed them over to Yena, who had just arrived. But Yena seemed to have completely regained her memories and stood silently, looking away.
[Yena why is she like that lol 😂]
[😂😂😂😂😂]
[She’s embarrassed]
[Her ears are red]
[Is this the end of Yena?]
[She must have regained her memory]
[YenaYena…]
“Miss Yena?”
“…Whaaat is this real!? This is actually Eva, right?”
“Miss Yena?”
“This is really Eva? How can you manipulate and tamper with memories like this? It’s insane!”
“Miss Yena?”
“…T-the Celestial Stone! That thing is extremely valuable, right? If it can summon a Celestial Being and is a one-time-use, wasn’t it too precious to use now??”
“Nyaanya?”
“…”
Yena paced around and fidgeted.
Even after regaining her memory, her behavior remains unchanged.
