The Battle for Ascension
The sounds of battle pursuing us gradually faded into the distance. It meant we were widening the gap between ourselves and the monsters, and the expedition team's faces brightened as they ran along the path. To be honest, I'd expected we'd run into trouble a few times on the way. But thanks to the World Tree's power exceeding all expectations, the monsters couldn't mount any real resistance and remained trapped in the forest's maze. It was the perfect chance to pick them off one by one if we'd wanted, yet Kierre fled without a moment's hesitation.
"It won't hold much longer. Fortunately, Mother answered our call and bought us some time, but this land was never one where communication with her was possible in the first place."
"This is more than enough," I replied.
If we could command a being of that caliber like some common summon, the elves would never have suffered in slavery. I roughly calculated the distance the World Tree would need to reach this far and clicked my tongue inwardly. Its reputation was truly well-earned. It finally made sense why the greedy nobles of the Central region had always hesitated to touch the Great Forest where the elves dwelled. Recalling the slave hunters' crude boasts that no fool would ever invade the Great Forest again, I eased my pace slightly.
I wasn't sure how long we'd been moving, but the effects of the movement technique were beginning to wane. It meant the helping hand the World Tree had extended was slowly losing its power.
"As expected, the further we move from where the castle stood, the stronger the force interfering with Mother's protection becomes."
"Is there external interference?" I asked.
"Yes. It feels like scorching lava rising from the depths of the earth itself—an all-consuming fury."
Perhaps because of the recent resonance with the World Tree, Criel's expression darkened as he sensed a power he normally couldn't detect. His ominous description made the source of that interfering force instantly spring to mind.
Magranas.
The Mountain Dragon. A being that embodied the very symbol of the earth more than any other monster. Despite its classification as a lesser dragon species, the creature I'd expected to be far stronger than a pureblood dragon was apparently even more extraordinary than I'd imagined. To think it could claim the lands beyond the frontlines as its domain and completely sever the World Tree's reach.
At Kierre's words, Owen murmured with a grave expression, "According to the scholars, the territorial concepts of Named Monsters are said to span entire continents. It seems those claims may be accurate after all."
"I still don't understand why creatures like that would all gather in the North," I said.
"How should I know? The nobles want to understand that fact more than anyone," Hornst replied.
He was a noble himself, yet he spoke as if it had nothing to do with him. At his words, the expedition members chuckled. Kierre smiled faintly and nodded in agreement.
"That is only natural. The nobles of the North are the most honorable warriors of all."
"For the honor of our ancestors who walked the same battlefields as the First Great Warrior, we will not engage in anything unseemly."
Knowing honor. Understanding pride. Even after a thousand years, the nobles of the North still carried the mindset of warriors who roamed the battlefields. At Hornst's words, the expedition team swelled with pride. Unlike the foolish, greedy nobles of other regions, the Northern nobles were true exemplars. That was why the adventurers gladly served them. The only ones a proud adventurer sworn to protect the North would bow to were the nobles who carried an even greater burden. Otherwise, a rebellion or revolution would have overturned everything long ago. The pride of having fought alongside the First Great Warrior to carve out humanity's domain from the monsters was far greater than outsiders could ever comprehend.
Lost in these thoughts as I ran, we eventually left the area influenced by the World Tree. The unnaturally straight path vanished, replaced by ordinary forest once more.
"Mother's assistance has been severed. However, we've put enough distance between us that there should be no danger."
With this much physical separation, the monsters wouldn't pursue us unless we lingered. Even if they tried, they'd still be within the World Tree's reach and would have to wander the forest maze for quite some time.
Having completely shaken off our pursuers, we breathed sighs of relief and continued toward the frontlines. We'd been studying the frontline ecosystem as we moved, so it would be best to release the scholars soon. But I couldn't be certain it was safe yet. There were too many bizarre monsters out here. Some might be capable of tracking us across this distance, which was why I planned to keep everyone in the Water Realm for a day or two while we traveled.
Ideally, I'd keep them there the entire way, but that would probably get me killed. They were fellow expedition members, after all—not baby kangaroos to carry in a pouch. They were experts in their respective fields. We needed to gather as much information as possible for the battles ahead, and with a massive confrontation looming in roughly three years, I couldn't keep them stored away.
"Let's pick up the pace. With luck, we might be able to release the people from the Water Realm today..."
A chill suddenly ran down my spine. While calculating the right moment to bring everyone out, an icy dread brushed across the back of my neck. As an enormous presence drew near, the expedition reflexively drew their weapons. It was a survival instinct no living being could ignore, regardless of skill level. All eyes turned toward the source, and from beyond the dense forest, a creature revealed itself.
"Grrrrrr."
Massive legs. Scales formed from rock with rivers of lava flowing across them. Enormous wings. Its roar belonged to something at the pinnacle of the ecosystem, and its vertically slit pupils burned with a savagery that threatened to tear apart everything in sight. The being resembled a dragon lost to ancient times, yet it was no true dragon. It gazed at us while harboring an abyssal power born from the deepest reaches of the earth.
"A servant of the Mountain Dragon," I muttered.
"Quite different from those mid-level administrators specialized purely in management," Owen observed politely.
"Of course," Hornst boomed. "Those are staff officers focused on command. These are field commanders who fight on the front lines."
Hornst, a veteran of the great battle seven years ago, spoke through gritted teeth. His face twisted with clear irritation, suggesting he'd faced this thing before. If even he wore that expression, it was definitely a troublesome opponent.
"Stay sharp. Its strength is one thing, but its life force is no joke."
"They're fragments shed from Magranas's body. Their magic resistance and durability are on an entirely different level."
"Their abilities are incredibly annoying too. Like the Mountain Dragon, they can manipulate the earth and turn solid ground into lava. Let your guard down and you won't get away with just full-body burns."
The expedition members who'd faced it before added their warnings. Even without them, I could tell how dangerous it was. My instincts had been screaming at me since it first appeared. From that dragon-like creature, I could feel an overwhelming energy surging from the earth's core—a searing heat capable of devouring everything. And this was merely a fragment from Magranas.
I couldn't wrap my head around how something like this could possess such power. But if it weren't overwhelmingly strong, it wouldn't have been called a Named Monster or left such a long mark on the North's history.
"Is that thing strong enough to take on our entire expedition?" I asked.
"Are you out of your mind? If it were that powerful, Magranas would have devoured the North and declared itself king long ago."
"So it's just a troublesome monster to deal with."
"That much is true, but what makes it truly annoying is that it never travels alone."
As various monsters emerged from the underbrush behind the dragon, the expedition members exchanged glances.
"Judging by their numbers, we'll need to split our forces."
"If the battle drags on, the noise will draw more monsters. We must finish this quickly."
"It shouldn't be too difficult. We have several Gold-rank fighters among us."
The expedition was composed solely of the finest elites. The fight wouldn't last long. No matter how powerful the Mountain Dragon's servant might be, it couldn't possibly defeat a group containing multiple Gold-class adventurers.
The real problems were how many monsters accompanied it and when the ones lost in the forest might arrive.
"If it gets too dangerous, we may need to use our trump card."
Since we'd prepared a last resort for exactly this kind of situation, I decided to focus entirely on the fight before us. Thanks to our recent rest, I'd mostly recovered the mana I'd spent battling the Nepentula.
I won't have to worry about experience points for a while.
I muttered to myself with a small smile, trying to ease the tension. At that moment, an intense will slammed into my mind. Among all my contracted summons, the one with the strongest sense of self and sharpest instincts was roaring to be called forth immediately. Shamelessly declaring that by burning away the shell that dared call itself a dragon, it could finally ascend. It insisted this prey was its alone and it would never yield it to another. I couldn't help but chuckle at its attitude.
"Looks like my friend is in quite a hurry."
It had always helped me without complaint, contract or not. I stopped channeling aura into my spear and drew a summoning circle in the air.
A rift tore open in the air. The gap widened, connecting to a world of pure flame. From beyond, a lesser dragon with golden pupils gleaming like molten metal stepped into our world. Scales that shone like beautiful red rubies blazed with vivid crimson fire as it fixed its gaze on the Mountain Dragon's servant.
Thankfully, the expedition members sensed the tension between us and moved off to handle the other monsters. This battlefield belonged entirely to us. Time wasn't on our side—once they finished off the attacking horde, they'd return to help deal with this creature. But the lesser dragon radiated absolute confidence that it could finish the fight before that happened.
"Krararararararara!!!"
The Lesser Dragon—a mere quarter dragon, not even a half—began its battle to be reborn as something far closer to a true dragon.