Episode 56
Episode 56
Fortunately, Aron noticed my mood and handed me the ring he said was pretty.
That makes two rings I've received from Aron now.
The Aron Summoning Ring.
And just a pretty black ring.
I put the summoning ring on my left ring finger, and the other one on my left pinky finger.
The left ring finger has a famous meaning. So what about the left pinky finger? Simply put, it's used to signify new beginnings or change.
'Aron seems to be paying more attention than before. Or is it just me?'
It might just be my own delusion, but the placement of the rings was evidence that I was secretly hoping for something.
Though there's no way Aron would notice this fact.
Maybe because women are usually in the dominant position in many topics. He wasn't particularly quick to pick up on things.
'It's because everyone just pushes forward too aggressively.'
Neither Seoryeong unni nor Eri really played hard to get.
Even if they seemed to push a little, it only appeared that way on the surface - in reality, their actions were much closer to approaching him to be embraced in his arms.
While having such vain thoughts, I glanced sideways at Aron walking beside me.
"By the way, did you get the map properly?"
"Of course. They said we just need to follow this map? It even shows where we are, so we won't get lost."
"That's possible? I want to see too."
I pressed close to Aron and examined the map.
"Ooh, it really does that."
A small dot on the map moved along with us.
It showed nearby terrain, villages, cities, and dangerous things in sync with our movement.
Honestly, having experienced modern conveniences like navigation systems, it wasn't that amazing to me. It's just surprising that such a tool exists in this medieval fantasy world.
"So where do we need to go? Do we just follow this line?"
The map even kindly showed a line.
Starting from our position, a long straight line drawn in one direction clearly indicated the way we needed to go.
"They said to follow this line all the way... and then follow it back when returning. They said we could return safely that way."
"Isn't that only if we succeed?"
"We'll succeed somehow. You're here after all."
My lips twitched at Aron's words.
"Right. With me here, I can solve most problems. If it's something even I can't solve, it's better to give up. That would be impossible."
"Good. That confidence. Shall we get moving then?"
Though it's called the Red Canyon, as long as the path is set and we have enough food prepared, it shouldn't be a problem.
A little heat is no issue for me and Aron who have transcended humanity.
Hunger can also be managed by controlling our energy.
'Looking at it this way, it almost feels like we're out for a stroll together.'
While the Cult of the End is dangerous, by current standards it shouldn't be a major problem.
If my predictions are correct, they're probably just at the stage of beginning to expand their influence.
It would be difficult alone, but with Aron along, we can safely clean up and return.
"By the way, nothing's showing up."
The Red Canyon.
One might ask what kind of monsters would be in a place with nothing but sand and canyons.
But animals live in both the Arctic and deserts. If even ordinary animals can survive there, could monster-like creatures really not?
To exaggerate a bit, those monsters could probably survive even in space.
Yet not a single one had appeared.
"Is there something around here? Otherwise it doesn't make sense."
"Something like Death Worms?"
"Wouldn't that be the most rational assumption?"
While magical beasts are thought to charge blindly at the sight of humans, that's not always true.
Since they have some capacity for thought, they'll run away if their opponent is strong.
Most people don't know this because there are so few people that strong.
"Death Worms... wouldn't the ground be too quiet for something like that?"
At Aron's words, I focused all my senses on my feet.
Death Worms are massive from the start - about the size of dozens of trains combined. Such creatures moving underground without restraint would inevitably cause vibrations.
"You're right. It's extremely quiet. Then is it just because of Aron?"
Aron is strong too.
Obviously, even in his weakened state he's monstrously powerful.
If released into nature, he could appear as a boss monster with a name like 'Berserk Hero Aron'.
"Me? I'm deliberately controlling my power - you think mere magical beasts could sense that?"
"Hmm, then what could it really be..."
After thinking for a moment, I clapped my hands.
"Now that I think about it, we're going to find the Cult of the End bastards. They must have done something."
"Right. That's the most realistic reason."
And as if to prove that prediction, a terrible rotten smell wafted through the air.
The intense odor stabbed at my nose, instantly making me feel unpleasant. I frowned and looked in the direction it was coming from.
"Have we arrived at the Cult of the End's location?"
Aron glanced at the map and shook his head.
"Not yet according to the map. The direction the smell is coming from is different from where the Cult of the End is located."
"Really? Then what's that smell?"
It was clearly the smell of rotting corpses.
But it wasn't rotting humans - it was the familiar smell of rotting magical beasts.
"Are you going to check it out? Or just pass by and continue?"
Aron trusted me completely.
He seemed to think this was also something I knew about.
The problem was that I knew absolutely nothing about this situation.
"Hmm... let's go check it out first."
If we ignore it and something happens later, it could cause trouble.
At times like these, it's important to check everything carefully before moving on.
"Okay, then you'll guide us there? It's not marked on the map."
I nodded lightly and started walking ahead.
'The smell is really strong.'
As a beastkin, my growth was essentially complete.
Thanks to that growth, my sense of smell had become incomparably more sensitive than before.
To what extent? I could now tell how far away a smell was coming from.
Even similar smells could be precisely distinguished.
"It's over there... are we getting close? It seems like magical beast corpses are piled up like a mountain? Otherwise this smell wouldn't make sense."
The smell was terrible.
The intense odor was so strong that it felt like the entire surrounding area had rotted, making me gradually dizzy.
"Did they really put some curse on it? The smell is too severe."
Now Aron seemed to smell it too, frowning as he looked in the direction of the odor.
"It's not a curse. The mana in the air hasn't increased or decreased. Nor do I feel any strange energy affecting my body. It really seems like... they've just piled up corpses like a mountain."
"Then the reason there were no monsters..."
"The Cult of the End bastards must have killed them all and piled them up. I don't know why though."
We learned that this prediction was correct a short while later.
In a place where the canyon structure resembled a giant well, there was a massive mountain in the middle. Naturally, that massive mountain was made of corpses.
As soon as I saw it, I muttered.
"Are they performing some ritual? Or maybe it's related to summoning an Outer God again."
Since their ultimate goal is summoning an Outer God, they receive much help from Outer Gods along the way.
As the Dragon Emperor said, blocking the dragons' power was also done through an Outer God's power.
"Hey! Is that people over there?"
Aron, who had been quietly observing the mountain of corpses, pointed with his finger toward the bottom of the canyon.
Several people could be seen walking beside the massive mountain.
I could tell just from their appearance and clothing.
It was the Cult of the End.
*
After quietly observing the Cult of the End members, it was clear they were performing some ritual.
They were drawing patterns on the ground as expected, and bringing more magical beast corpses from somewhere to pile up.
Because of this, the smell was gradually getting stronger.
"Should we attack and eliminate them now? If we leave them alone, they might do something strange."
I shook my head at Aron's suggestion.
If we attack recklessly and get caught in some trap, there would be no solution.
"Let's observe a bit longer. This... from what I can tell, it doesn't seem like the type that summons an Outer God? Let's watch and then attack."
Summoning an Outer God requires enormous power.
Not just power, but the continent itself must transform into an environment suitable for Outer Gods to live in.
In other words, it's impossible right now.
The ritual they were performing was an act of transforming the environment into one suitable for Outer Gods to inhabit.
"And if my memory is correct, there should be... a Cardinal and Paladins here too. No need to rush and get hurt unnecessarily, so let's take it slow."
"Why? Are they that strong?"
"They're an extremely annoying combination when together. The sturdy Paladins gradually chip away at your stamina while the Cardinal both heals them and attacks."
"That sounds really annoying... aren't they no different from the Church bastards?"
"Well, both are groups originating from religion."
They're not exactly the same group, but they share many overlapping aspects.
Many players speculated until late in the game that the Amer Church and the Cult of the End were the same organization.
Though that turned out to be wrong.
'The Amer Church was just too old and rotten.'
But this time, since Aron's childhood friend is there, it might be different.
And the protagonist Ivy is there too.
While having these miscellaneous thoughts, Aron poked my arm.
"Over there. Another strangely dressed guy appeared. Is that the Cardinal?"
At Aron's voice, I shifted my gaze.
And I couldn't help but be astonished.
"A bigger fish than expected is here."