Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Floating Island Siege
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About twenty minutes before Dre awakened Principal Renea's consciousness.
"The Forgotten God?"
[......]
Even as Geomil shot back the question, Almiraz simply stared off into the distant horizon, showing no intention of responding.
He merely tilted his terrifying skull head in a gesture of puzzlement.
Geomil snapped in frustration.
"Hey. Bunny."
[......]
"Fuck. If you're gonna talk, spit it out already. If you're gonna fight, then let's fight!"
He didn't know what the guy's goal was, but it was clear Almiraz held authority over the Floating Island.
There was no benefit in dragging this out.
[How peculiar.]
"What?"
[No, just a misconception.]
More cryptic nonsense.
As Geomil furrowed his brow, Almiraz turned his gaze to the brilliantly shining blue moon that seemed capable of freezing the sky.
Blue flames flickered in the empty sockets of the skull, mirroring the moon.
The lights of the moon and flames clashed, creating an eerie spectacle.
For a fleeting moment, Geomil was overwhelmed as he watched. Then, a voice leaked from Almiraz's closed mouth.
[You don't know either.]
?"
Geomil raised one eyebrow at the sudden remark.
[Even someone of your caliber doesn't know? Then the ones above only know remnants?]
"What the hell are you babbling about? The Forgotten God... the God of Oblivion or some shit... Khup."
Mid-sentence, Geomil unwittingly let out a strange grunt against his will and noticed the dissonance.
He could freely utter "Forgotten God" without issue, but the god he had just tried to mention was different.
Right—he had been about to mention the God of Oblivion, a god who truly existed.
Foreigners could not speak of the gods' existence to the people of Elryunar.
This constraint held firm even in such a dire situation.
So what exactly was the Forgotten God?
Just a metaphor? Something else entirely?
Amid this, Alfred's eyes shook under the immense pressure of the island's Ryunar, but no one noticed.
[The defeated. The buried.]
"You've been saying the same shit over and over. Say it one more time. What?"
Kuhuhuhuhu.
Almiraz let out a chilling laugh at Geomil's reaction.
Geomil bit his lip at the grating, metallic sound scraping his ears.
[You truly know nothing of the Forgotten Ones...? Then there's no reason to explain.]
"You fucking kidding me?"
[However. Since I waited, I'll reward you a little. Were you curious why I spared those fools?]
His massive hand pointed to the hundred Murderers skewered like spits.
"You're the Foreigner Killer. Isn't that your hobby?"
[Who knows. I don't indulge in such foul tastes, but I won't deny finding amusement in them alone. However, it's different. They are sacrifices.]
"Sacr...ifices?"
Geomil's dazed voice.
[Offerings to revive the Forgotten God.]
"......"
[Those bodies infused with divine power are enough to whet the Forgotten God's appetite...]
Honestly, it was hard to grasp.
But piecing together the explanation...
"Your goal is to revive that so-called Forgotten God?"
[Indeed.]
"What happens if that thing revives?"
Kururung.
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered around them.
The Floating Island's magic was potent enough to control the weather to some extent—clouds wouldn't form unintentionally.
This was an anomaly.
Only the instructors, a few students, and Almiraz noticed.
[Kuhuhuhu... Conversation restrictions now? In this situation, all they can do is limit talk...?]
"What?"
[No, it's nothing. Anyway... what happens if the Forgotten God revives? Didn't I say earlier?]
Earlier?
What had he said before?
Geomil racked his brain but couldn't recall.
Almiraz's blank stare felt dismissive, igniting Geomil's anger.
"My brain turns slow, you bastard. Don't play games—if you're gonna say it, say it."
[The end of this puppet show.]
Ignoring his reaction, Almiraz spoke.
Geomil's face shifted from confusion to blankness, then to beading sweat.
"...Don't fuck with me. You might be dangerous, but you're just another user, abandoned by your handler, without even revival rights. And you're gonna end it? Even if true, where'd you get that info?"
[From the Forgotten God as well.]
"That Forgotten God is one hell of a cheat key."
He forced a sneer, but Geomil could tell.
Almiraz's relaxed, sincere demeanor.
True or not, Almiraz believed every word.
"Damn it... Cut the bullshit, you bunny fuck! You think a powerhouse descending to flip this board will come from just a hundred Murderers as sacrifices?!"
[That's why this place.]
His black finger pointed to the land beneath his feet—no, the Floating Island of void stones.
[The Forgotten God's descent condition is simple. Just let it sense divine energy. Of course, the stronger, the easier.]
"......"
The Floating Island was where the Ten Heroes once battled the True Demon King long ago.
Those Ten Heroes were presumed blessed by gods, with records of divine intervention.
The True Demon King was shattered by their power.
In vast Elryunar, filled with all manner of things, was there any place denser with divine energy than this island?
Geomil spoke up.
"But I don't feel anything here. I've met 'Them' directly—their energy isn't anywhere on this island."
[The Archmage Nerania's feat.]
Cutting him off, Almiraz glanced at the tavern with its shattered wall, where the Archmage rested.
[For some reason, she gathered the energy called divine remnants, resonating it with atmospheric mana and Ryunar to remodel the Floating Island. This island, touched by heroes, demons, and gods, is itself a supreme divinity. A fine vessel.]
"......"
[Thus, I drop the island. Shattering this mass of divine power and exploding it is the surest way to manifest intense divine energy. Release the power, offer the sacrifices. Then... the Forgotten God revives. Through this altar, the remnants awaken the mind, and the island becomes its body.]
Honestly, the truth of those words was unknowable.
But one thing was clear.
"You fuck... I thought you were a bunny, but you're a dog in bunny skin? Barking mad bullshit!! Fuck! What crime did the Elryunar people on this island commit to get dragged into your insane crap?!"
Almiraz silently watched the snarling, enraged Geomil, looking oddly satisfied.
Seeing that fueled Geomil's fury further as he spat, flecks of saliva flying.
"I thought you at least only targeted Foreigners, you bastard! But now I see you're a mass murderer!"
[I won't deny the mass murderer label. But there's a misunderstanding.]
His index finger, the size of an adult man's hand, pointed to the ground.
At that instant, people atop nearby small floatstones plummeted.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
As Geomil moved to save the screaming fallers—
Black feathers unfurled, slowing their descent like parachutes.
"What the..."
[Those still here couldn't be dropped to the ground in time, so I placed them in the sky to avoid accidents. Most humans were already lowered to the ground before the island's changes.]
Opening his palm revealed a tiny black stone.
"That's..."
He'd seen it before.
Stones scattered by some troupe during the festival all day.
[With these, at least no one dies from falling.]
So he had considered the civilians somewhat.
But...
"Then what about those instructors under pressure and the terrified students? When were you planning to send them down?"
[The instructors chose to stay... As for the rest, I admit my miscalculation. They were with her, too close to separate.]
"What? Her?"
[Yes. Her... She's the final key to this plan. One with Ryunar so pure it's part of this world. Such a conduit is needed to link the Forgotten God and the island's power...]
Bwoooong!
It was utterly sudden.
Space rippled, and a dagger shot toward Almiraz's nape.
Speed impossible for any ordinary being to block.
But Almiraz was no ordinary being and countered.
"Ow..."
The monster bunny's massive hand seized something beyond the dagger. The scenery shimmered and peeled away, revealing a girl.
Her slender arm looked fragile compared to his arm, thick as a grown man's torso.
At its end was a girl with an unforgettable face.
Asita.
"Asita!!"
Meiyal, who had dazedly watched events unfold and missed her friend's disappearance, screamed.
[Yes, Asita Leisia—or shall I call you Birneus?]
"Y-You...!"
[Such hostile eyes... Why? Your enmity is justified given what I'm doing, but you shouldn't know my plan yet.]
He had detected Asita's invisibility—even Dre hadn't noticed—and blocked her attack.
Asita shuddered at that fact but kept glaring.
Almiraz, under her venomous gaze, gently squeezed her frail arm, dropping the dagger.
[Why?]
"Y-You... D-Dre...!"
She could barely string words together, but her rage was palpable.
Almiraz's blue-flame eyes narrowed slightly.
[You're speaking of Foreigner Dre. Yes... unfortunate for him.]
Asita's eyes held faint hope.
Even if fallen from that height, he might have survived. With the black stones this monster showed, maybe...
But no.
Dre was strong.
This terrorist monster wouldn't spare such a dangerous being.
A whirlwind of emotions swirled in Asita: hatred, anger, sorrow, regret...
Unlike the distant girls distrusting Almiraz's words, Asita's turmoil raged fiercer because they had fought over something stupid before he vanished from this world.
"Aaaaaah!"
Pouring all emotions into a scream, she strained her slender arm to attack Almiraz.
Watching intently, Almiraz nodded as if understanding.
[...I see. Those emotions...]
"Let that guy go."
Geomil, now close, swung his destructive greatsword to bisect Almiraz.
Almiraz hopped away, tossing Asita aside.
But azure currents soon wrapped her, gently setting her down.
Without glancing her way, Geomil warily addressed Almiraz.
"You set her down real carefully."
[She's important.]
"Is that so? But is it smart telling me that? Huh?"
[Who knows... Even if you know, I doubt you'd harm her.]
Geomil shut his mouth.
If Almiraz's words were true... removing Asita somehow would foil him, right?
But Geomil dismissed the mismatched thought with a scoff.
“Oh, really? But you know, even if you drop the island, if you die, it's all for nothing, right?”
“......”
“And from your explanation, that explosion won't be a joke. Even tough Foreigners like us—think you can survive it? I'm smashing those gliding magic tools, by the way.”
Almiraz didn't respond to Geomil's threat that even he couldn't survive.
Instead, he lowered several floatstones.
Each large enough for eight or nine people had a swirling blue portal between four pillars.
"Warp gate?"
[I seized the Floating Island's authority, so warp gates are mine too. Keeps extra interferers away and aids escape.]
Smash them.
Geomil thought, but the warp gate floatstones were already soaring high.
He could chase and destroy, but the Foreigner Killer wouldn't stand by.
'This damn bunny fuck...'
So, to sum up: Let him be, and the Forgotten God descends, flipping this 'board.' Preparations complete?
And he's about to escape?
No reinforcements—the island was sky-high, warp gates under Almiraz's control.
Foreigners' attacks, mostly skill-based, wouldn't reach.
All circumstances favored Almiraz.
'Like hell I'll let you!'
As Geomil burned with resolve, Witch Emily's strained voice pierced amid her struggle.
"Continent Sword...! He's stalling...! The longer, the stronger that blue moon gets, limiting your power... Ugh...!"
"What?"
Come to think of it, what was that blue moon?
He'd assumed a Ryunar anomaly, but the witch implied danger.
No need to overthink?
‘Simple: Beat him, and it's over!!’
Geomil raised his greatsword and charged Almiraz.
Speed invisible to most trained eyes, yet Almiraz dodged with a step, his huge arm targeting Geomil's neck.
But Geomil was no pushover.
Mid-swing, he pulled the greatsword, redirecting instantly at Almiraz.
Almiraz kicked off air, landing lightly.
"Talky for a bunny. Stalling?"
[......]
"Since you're chatty for once, tell me: That blue moon..."
Before finishing, Almiraz dismissed it.
[It's ending soon anyway...]
"Like hell! Who says it's..."
His outburst halted under Almiraz's pressure.
More than that—Almiraz's blue eyes gleamed.
Killing intent.
Even Continent Sword Rank 4 Geomil, slayer of monsters and named bosses, flinched, unable to charge.
[Need more words?]
"...No. None."
This foe required full power.
Holding back meant no victory here.
With that resolve, Geomil opened inventory mid-air, drew a second sword, and lunged at Almiraz.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile.
In a place where the scenery shifted moment by moment yet pulsed with immense power, beings radiating vast presences gathered.
They were the gods.
"Um, what do we do? That blue moon—which one was it?"
Heston paced anxiously.
"Cthul... something. Those myth guys?"
"They're not forgotten."
The snake-tailed, human-torso Plnaga rebuked the greatsword-shaped entity who asked which myth guys.
"We must send all users to the island, even burning causality."
"Impossible. Dead end."
Heston countered Plnaga.
Her anxious tone belied precise grasp of the situation.
"Even causality spent, that moon's up—no sending kids to the island. And even if, none on ground can pierce the constraints around it to stop Almiraz."
Heston sighed, continuing.
“Those three who might stop him are on other quests.”
“Other rankers exist.”
“Doubt they'd beat current Almiraz... Can't send anyway, and even if, no guarantee. He's tough—they'd need massive power, and mishandling could shatter the island...”
Moreover, Almiraz hid truths even gods hadn't grasped.
This abandoned—no, deemed-abandoned user, ignored by gods no matter his deeds, brought unbelievable trials.
Hard to believe one user prepared this over a bit over a decade; matters spiraled uncontrollably.
Plnaga, knowing inaction meant true end—or restart—pressed.
"We just sit? Risk ruining eons of work?"
"Only my Sword can stop it."
Plnaga scowled at Greatsword's words.
"Seeking credit now? Unite to block."
"......"
But no method existed.
Almiraz's timing and method to summon the Forgotten God caught even near-omniscient gods off-guard—and it was certain.
Yet one divinity alone was calm.
As others noticed and stared, he spoke.
"Still one trustworthy soul left."
"What?"
"Half of us panic, half oddly quiet—waiting to see him again. Half and half. Equal."
His usual bored expression now showed amusement.
He was Onist, God of Equality.
As he said, divinities who would normally fret, issue quests, or spectate amusedly were strangely silent.
Half rioted over the crisis; half seemed expectant.
"Onist. What..."
"The Foreigner chosen by Lovehearts is still there. Not on the altar now, but hasn't fallen to ground."
Plnaga's face changed.
A glimpse of hope.
"Yes. Foreigner Dre remains."
It was laughable.
A recent Foreigner as this world's hope.
But Onist felt not crisis, but freshness.
"Wonder when he'll arrive."