Astonishment (3)
“My God!”
Arthur Bennett.
He cried out in shock as he watched Madoje decipher the mana circuit.
A flow of magical power that he couldn't comprehend at all.
Was this even something a human could achieve?
He realized that the realm Madoje had reached was on an incomparably higher dimension than his own.
‘...So that's how he created those pieces of equipment.’
When he'd seen the gear on Taesan, there were many aspects that defied his common sense.
For example, if the normal logic was 1+1=2.
Taesan's equipment was designed with incomprehensible concepts like 1+1=5.
It was the same now.
The avatar of light that was Madoje's form swept its hand indifferently.
The others seemed to draw no inspiration from that gesture.
But Arthur Bennett sensed profound principles within it.
Thus, Arthur Bennett had an intuition that Madoje would succeed in decoding this mana circuit.
And shortly after.
Decoding conditions met: Lv100+, Contractor of ???
Perfectly decoded <Primal Oath>.
Congratulations. Madoje has completed the commission.
As he watched the messages floating before his eyes.
Arthur Bennett learned one more fact.
‘Decoding condition is Level 100 or higher?’
Insane.
For the first time, a bit of information about Madoje had been revealed.
‘He really surpassed Level 100?’
Arthur Bennett was the world's strongest superhuman.
That's why he knew all too well how grueling it was to gain even a single level from the 80s onward.
He couldn't guarantee he'd ever break past Level 90, let alone reach 100, no matter how hard he tried his whole life.
‘Hah.’
Arthur Bennett shuddered, a thrill surging from his heart.
The ideal he'd chased his entire life.
Today, Arthur Bennett finally beheld that ideal.
He wasn't the only one trembling with awe.
Their thoughts roiled in chaos.
But their cries didn't last long.
Fwaah!
Viewing session ended as commission is complete.
The commission had vanished.
So their fervor quickly shifted to Superhuman Net.
Superhuman Net erupted in frenzy.
And that heat spread rapidly across the world.
With the shocking level revealed.
Madoje's name, recently mentioned often, now spread like a flood, buzzing everywhere.
While everyone was still reeling from Madoje's level.
Only one person muttered blankly, lost in a daze.
“M-my treasure...”
His name was Berndt.
A Level 79 magic scholar and the original poster of the commission.
In his hand was only the metal box he'd first uploaded.
Ridiculously, its contents had been transferred to Madoje.
“Haaah.”
Thud.
He collapsed in despair.
At least the 100,000 coins he'd offered as reward were recovered via participation fees.
No, a bit more than that, so he even profited financially...
But money hadn't been his goal, so it did nothing to console him.
“I need to find Madoje.”
He shot to his feet.
The transfer couldn't be helped.
He didn't need to own it himself.
But he was too curious about what it produced to bear it.
Shaking off his dismay, he began seriously searching for Madoje, hitting the pavement.
Commission reward of 100,000 Coins paid.
<Primal Oath> transferred to you.
Fwaaah!
Messages appeared before my eyes as light gathered in my hand.
A pouch with 100,000 coins and a fist-sized, jagged stone.
“What...”
I blinked at them.
100,000 coins? Expected that, fine.
But what's ?
I examined the in my hand closely.
‘This thing...’
At first glance, it seemed like just a jagged stone.
But looking closer, it was no ordinary rock.
◈ Imbued with the power of the Primordial Dragons.
◈ Bound to: Park Seojun
“Primordial Dragons?”
The promise of the Primordial Dragons.
I had no idea what it meant.
But it was clearly no ordinary item.
『Eek! I sense a great presence!』
“This is no ordinary object.”
“Ugh... What an immense presence... It feels similar to the aura of the Heavenly Dragon I glimpsed from afar long ago.”
Then Crimson, among the guardians, perked up at the intriguing mention.
“Heavenly Dragon?”
“Ah! Yes, yes. Back when I visited the Heavenly Realm, I saw one of its rulers, a Heavenly Dragon, from a distance. Not exactly the same, but a similar energy...”
“Hah.”
The Heavenly Realm.
A dimension occasionally mentioned in the Abyss Tower's ancient texts.
And Crimson had been there.
Well, his epithet was Dimensional Wanderer, so it made sense.
Anyway, fascinating that its ruler was a Heavenly Dragon—and this shared a similar aura...
‘Definitely something important.’
I gathered my thoughts and uttered one word.
『Sub-space.』
Rrrring!
This was my sub-space, linked to my mental image.
I could wield it after reaching 10th Circle.
But I hadn't expanded it yet, so it was still very cramped.
Until now, I'd used Bellerin's sub-space pouch for most things.
‘But I can't risk losing this, so store it in my sub-space.’
Next time back at the lair, I'd expand the sub-space and keep all the ★-grade jewels and valuables there.
Fwaaah!
The sub-space swallowed the and sealed its entrance.
“Alright, once Azkai gathers his energy, let's head back to the lair!”
Finally.
We returned to the lair after days away.
Rumble rumble rumble.
A massive energy boiled like lava from an active volcano.
“What... did you say?”
“Th-the legion has been wiped out. Corps Commander Titanos and a few others broke ranks and vanished...”
BOOM!!!!!!!
Krunch!
The lowly outer god reporting to Vermith vanished without a trace.
Vermith couldn't contain his rage and unleashed his energy.
“How DARE you, Titanos!!! Betray ME?!”
Groooaaar--!!
His fury shook the barrier he inhabited to its core.
“How... How could this happen to the forces I raised.”
His eyes turned blood-red.
The grand scheme he'd prepared for nearly a millennium.
Among the outer gods gathered here, his faction was the weakest, but that meant the causality constraints lifted first for him.
It meant he'd seized the opportunity he'd longed for.
Even with the Evil Entity's restrictions, he'd planned a workaround.
But...
All of it had come to nothing.
“UAAAAAAAHHHH——!”
Kaboom!!
The energy exploding from Vermith's body raged as if to shatter the barrier.
But ziiing.
A greater light poured from the barrier, suppressing Vermith in turn.
“Kuhk, guh...”
Pop, pop, thud!
Blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning them crimson.
He ground his molars to dust and roared.
“I won't... let it end... like THIS..!!”
Flash-!
Kaboom!!
The king's aura bursting from his body filled the barrier.
『Lair... master... much has... happened... in your absence...』
Returning to Elatrium, I heard shocking news from the Elatria.
“Intruders came here?”
『Our attacks... and the shadow wolves'... meant nothing to him... He was... an unclean being... rejected by the world... returning...』
“...!”
I didn't fully grasp what the Elatria meant.
Unclean being?
Rejected by the world?
The key point was that something had invaded here.
And that fact hammered my heart.
“Dania!”
We rushed straight into the lair.
『Kkyu! Seojun! Missed you so much!!』
Dania, now even larger, hopped into my arms.
Unlike my panicked expression, Dania looked utterly carefree.
“What happened while I was gone?”
“Master! Allow me to explain...”
Bellerin stepped forward.
She manipulated the device in her hand, projecting a video before us.
She'd prepared it to report the situation upon my return.
Shaaa.
A black mist figure appeared at the start of the footage.
The short, rippling entity ignored attacks from Elatria and shadow wolves, entering the lair.
And those dark clouds gathering in the sky... what were they?
It looked like a harbinger of the world's end.
“Ah!”
When it faced Dania, my heart sank despite knowing she'd been fine.
Flash-! Kwaaaah!
But the sight of Dania repelling the unclean being felt not just mystical, but majestic.
‘Hah.’
When did our Dania grow this strong?
I'd thought she still needed constant watching...
Suddenly, I saw Dania in a new light.
Strong enough to tag along outside now.
“Phew. Glad you're safe, Dania. Thanks.”
I shook off the vertigo and hugged her tight.
And thought to myself.
‘No wonder things felt off here.’
If it came to our lair.
Other dragon lairs might not be safe either.
I didn't know what it wanted, but if we couldn't stop it, disaster might have followed.
‘Gotta find the other dragon lairs fast.’
No more leisurely maxing levels before searching.
A sense of crisis pierced my mind: find even one more dragon lair as fast as possible.
‘When I move to restore Azkai's power, should I bring Dania?’
I hugged Dania tight again, relieved she was safe.
‘Wait a sec, though...’
I looked up at her.
“Dania, how'd you get outside the lair?”
Thinking about it.
She'd definitely been inside, right?
At my question.
Dania suddenly turned her head and slipped from my arms.
『Kkyu, kkyuung. S-sleepy... Gonna sleep!』
She flew hurriedly to a corner.
My eyes narrowed as I watched her.
“Dania, did you... sneak out without telling me?”
『N-no!』
Dania panicked at my words.
“Chu!!”
Chuchu covered his face like it was inevitable.
“You little...”
This won't do.
First things first, I need to scold Dania properly for sneaking out without a word!
『Kkyu, kkyuu! Spare this hatchling...!』