Chapter 300: The Opposite Side
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: The Opposite Side
“We have already pinpointed the exact origin of the Hollow Breeze. It is the Elipin Plains, sixty-two kilometers southwest of Roanmarie. Since the event is only three days away, please bring us good news…”
“As I’ve said repeatedly, he does not belong to any clan or organization. He is an elusive individual, and his whereabouts have been unknown lately. However, if I happen to meet him, I will certainly pass on the message.”
It was the end of the fourth week of October. Yoo Eon’s name was still missing from the Roanmarie roster for the Hollow Breeze. In fact, his name was absent from every list except for the Calax Southwest Branch, and as mentioned before, this was due to Yoo Eon’s request for secrecy.
“He really hasn’t shown his face lately. Is he truly planning not to go?”
“He said he would, so he will. Didn’t he do the same during the last Labyrinth Opening?”
At Katrina’s worried remark, Arthur Dexter shook his head.
Unlike a Labyrinth Opening, the Hollow Breeze was not something high-ranking explorers were strictly required to attend. This was because the survival of the participants could not be guaranteed.
Labyrinth Openings occurred frequently—sometimes several times a month—and were smaller in scale compared to the Hollow Breeze. They were common enough that expertise was widespread, though they often suffered from a shortage of manpower.
The Hollow Breeze, on the other hand, occurred only once every three years. It was so difficult that comparing it to a Labyrinth Opening was an insult, and it was an event where the most renowned powerhouses gathered.
It was an event dangerous enough to have claimed the life of an Orichalcum-grade explorer in the past. Forcing anyone below the Titanium Grade to mobilize was out of the question.
Even so, the Guild Headquarters didn't have the authority to issue a mandatory mobilization order to Orichalcum-grade explorers. Of course, in terms of raw power, the Guild Headquarters—which had two Orichalcum-grade explorers of its own—was technically stronger.
But what would they do with that strength? If an Orichalcum-grade explorer refused to show up for the Hollow Breeze, would the Guild really send their two Orichalcum-grade explorers to hunt down the one who stayed home?
It was absurd. In practice, it meant there was no real way to penalize an Orichalcum-grade explorer.
Consequently, the Roanmarie Guild Assembly, which was pinning high hopes on the newly minted Orichalcum-grade explorer, was sweating bullets.
“Ugh…”
Skaeda Justitia, who had firmly believed Yoo Eon would participate, was also feeling a headache coming on.
* * *
“It’s so refreshing.”
“It really is.”
I had been busy traveling with my family to make the most of my remaining vacation. In exactly three days, the Hollow Breeze would begin.
We spent our time visiting ordinary cities away from Calax, enjoying places that weren't Labyrinth Cities. Even while relaxing, I kept a close eye on the news regarding the Hollow Breeze, constantly reminding myself not to be late.
“Daddy, look at this.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“A tooth.”
“No, that’s a seashell. A clam lives inside there.”
We were spending time at a quiet beach, soaking in the sunlight that had lost its summer sting.
“The Hollow Breeze is coming up soon,” Sera said, bringing up the topic first. She tried not to show it, but she knew I was a very high-ranking explorer.
“Are you going?”
“...I have a reason I must go.”
“I see.”
It was a global event that set the entire surface world abuzz. The most powerful explorers from all over the world would gather to fight from sunset on October 31st until the sun rose the next morning.
Since the focus was on a single location, the progress of the event was shared in real-time with any city of significant size.
It felt like a live broadcast with a 100% viewership rating, utilizing every available recording and transmission artifact.
It wasn't merely for entertainment. Although the exact cause-and-effect hadn't been proven, explorers who participated in the very first year of the broadcasts claimed they felt the Hollow Breeze weaken as people watched.
Thus, many people treated October 31st like a festival, dressing up in grotesque monster or ghost costumes and enjoying the night, praying for the successful subjugation of the Hollow Breeze.
“Daddy. Look at this. A tooth.”
“I told you, it’s not a tooth, it’s a—oh, it actually is a tooth.”
I thought Yura had brought another seashell, but she was holding one of her own fallen teeth. Come to think of it, she was at the age to start losing baby teeth. Do Horus undergo teething too?
I guess she really was following human development.
“Oh my, you lost a tooth.”
“Which one is it? Let’s see. Open wide, say ‘ah.’”
“Ah—”
Looking into Yura’s mouth, it seemed her lower left canine had fallen out. She really was losing her baby teeth.
“I can’t believe it. You’ve grown so much already.”
“It feels weird.”
“Yura, keep that safe. If you put it under your pillow before you go to sleep and make a wish, the Tooth Fairy will come and swap it for a present.”
“Really?”
At my words, Yura’s eyes widened as she stared at her tooth. Man, I’d better prepare a gift.
“Of course, really.”
“Pfft... where did that story come from?”
“Wait, Sera, you didn't know about that?”
“It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
Oops. I guess Sera didn't know. Apparently, there was no Tooth Fairy in this world.
“Well... anyway, don’t worry. I’ll finish up quickly and come back home.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Sera, you trust me, right?”
“Hehe, of course.”
* * *
“Barricade number twenty-four is installed. It is now linked and operational with barricade number one.”
“Mana reactions are still within the expected margin of error.”
This was the Elipin Plains, sixty-two kilometers southwest of Roanmarie—a vast expanse of grassland that, fortunately, was still lush and green.
Mages from the Page of Arcana and the Hechituk magical institution, ‘Sharmana Anuyai,’ had joined forces. They were installing a circular perimeter of barricades about three kilometers away from the predicted origin point in twenty-four different directions.
As autumn had shortened the days, the mages on-site were beginning their final dinner before the Hollow Breeze around five in the evening.
Of course, they wouldn't be the ones fighting on the front lines. However, if the subjugation failed and the barricades fell...
As the nearest ‘living beings,’ they would be the first to die.
Naturally, a sense of grim determination hung over the dining hall inside the simple barracks.
“If only those Ashuras Vidhyarti bastards had shown up properly, the mood wouldn't be this depressing.”
“Well, that’s just how those sand-eaters are.”
The mages from the Page of Arcana cast soundproofing magic and began whispering among themselves, ensuring the Sharmana Anuyai mages couldn't hear.
Of course, it wasn't the southern mages' fault that the explorers from Ashuras Vidhyarti hadn't come. But when their own lives were at stake, humans tended to start by shifting blame to survive.
“Did you hear the news? About the new Orichalcum-grade explorer.”
“I heard. That’s two-month-old news.”
“But apparently, that guy isn't participating in this Hollow Breeze?”
“No way. The Hollow Breeze is a massive event. Even Skaeda Justitia became incredibly famous during the last one.”
News didn't travel across the surface world as fast as it did in the modern world. The birth of an Orichalcum-grade explorer alone wasn't enough to make someone a household name, but their exploits during the Hollow Breeze would be broadcast everywhere.
It was an incredibly provocative and effective promotional tool, serving as the most important foundation for an explorer to increase their own value.
As the idle chatter wound down and dinner ended, the first explorers began to arrive: high-ranking members from the Guild Headquarters and one of the Orichalcum-grade explorers.
“Hey, hey. Look over there. It’s Murit Denshter.”
The ‘Ghost Bow,’ Murit Denshter. He was the only archer among the seven Orichalcum-grade explorers, and despite his class, he possessed abilities suited for fighting against many.
Once he fired an arrow, it would maintain constant velocity until its mana was exhausted, relentlessly seeking out and piercing his enemies. The longer a battle lasted, the more arrows he would have accumulated in the sky.
During the Hollow Breeze twelve years ago, he had a terrifying record of eight thousand arrows blanketing the sky. His alias came from the way his arrows chased their prey as if they were possessed by ghosts.
Whinny—!
Arriving next with a long procession of carriages was one of Roanmarie’s two Orichalcum-grade explorers.
The clan leader of Megingjord, the ‘Giant Soldier,’ Lykes O'Connor.
“Hahaha! Murit! It’s been a long time!”
“Sigh... this brute. Do you get bigger every time I see you?”
Amazingly, he was a monster who had reached a height of 2.6 meters and a muscle mass of 180 kilograms through genetics alone, without the help of any skills.
In addition to his transcendent physique, his ‘Gigantification’ skill allowed him to reach a height of 14.8 meters in battle, where he would grind his enemies to dust with his signature pair of axes.
With a triple-braided beard and a boisterously shaved mohawk, he was the quintessential northern warrior—his face always flushed, smelling of beer even when he hadn't been drinking.
Screeeech—!!!
“Looks like they’re here.”
Appearing from high above with the cry of a massive bird was one of Roanmarie’s three great clans: Lucas Saldermo, the clan leader of Stratos, and his clan members.
He was the only one among Roanmarie’s three great clan leaders who wasn't an Orichalcum-grade explorer, but his combat power had already been more than proven.
“Greetings. It’s been a while. Ah, except for you, Sir O'Connor.”
“Whoa, look at this guy. Are you saying you’re not happy to see me?”
“I mean it hasn't been a ‘while.’ We saw each other three days ago.”
“Aha, so that’s what you meant.”
“Actually, I’m not happy to see you either.”
Thump, thump, thump—!
Arriving with vibrations that rippled through the ground was another Orichalcum-grade explorer based in Wispales, known by the alias ‘Puppeteer.’ Dozens of massive magic golems made of stone entered the restricted area, carrying the party.
“Ooh, Marilli! You look even more beautiful than before!”
“Ah, stay back a bit. I hate the smell of alcohol.”
A long-haired woman with white hair winced at O'Connor’s booming voice. Marilli Marionette, the Orichalcum-grade explorer of Wispales, landed gracefully on the grass from the hand of a stone golem. She looked around and spoke.
“He’s not here yet.”
“Are you waiting for someone?”
“Someone I can actually talk to.”
Just before six o'clock, the last Orichalcum-grade explorer on the roster arrived.
Whinny—!!
A winged white horse soared through the sky, pulling a wheelless carriage as it slowly descended.
Swish...
The carriage landed softly on the grass. As the attendants from the following sky-carriages opened the door, the woman inside stepped out onto the plains.
“Greetings, everyone.”
An eerie energy began to spread across her skin, starting from her fingertips and turning them black.
“Welcome. Glad you could make it.”
“It’s been a while, Marionette. It seems the Hechituk group hasn't arrived yet.”
The ‘Black Shadow,’ Skaeda Justitia, looked around, cold sweat beginning to break out on her back.
True to her alias, shadows began to cast over her face.
“Is this everyone from the north?”
“Are you waiting for someone too?”
“...No.”
Yoo Eon was nowhere to be seen.
Don't tell me, even with that kind of power...
At that moment, Yoo Eon was...
“Son of a... it’s the opposite side.”
He was flying at supersonic speeds from Calax—not toward the southwest, but toward the northeast.