At Yujun's Words, Manuela...
At Yujun's words, Manuela all but jumped out of her skin.
"Already? How did you find them?"
"I turned the whole place over, and there they were."
"And how did you know they were the Illusion race?"
"I saw them."
His senses had advanced another step. Even without looking directly, he could read a living thing's mana, its martial strength, and even its shape from presence alone — something that sat far outside the common sense players had always taken for granted.
"Where were they?" Manuela asked.
"There's a village where the Illusion race lives, wrapped in a double barrier. I went through it and checked. From the talk I overheard, I'm almost certain."
"You can eavesdrop on conversations too?"
"Yeah."
"......I feel like I've become a sage."
What have I even been doing for thousands of years?
Shin Yujun had grown this strong in less than half a year. The sting of falling behind that so often found her when she traveled with him drew a hollow little laugh from Manuela.
Yujun walked the tunnels without a moment's hesitation, as if he had every path memorized. Wherever he went, that was the road. That was how it felt to Manuela. He knew the way that thoroughly.
They were out of the tunnels in an instant.
"Huuu...... ha."
The air of Sourtul Forest, drawn in for the first time in a long while, was as murky as ever.
Yujun and Manuela made for the place where the presence of the Illusion race could be felt. Any monster they met along the way, he put down with a simple spell. The monsters of Sourtul Forest were ordinarily so high-leveled and so powerful that they deserved the name Predator, but before Yujun they were nothing more than fireflies before the sun.
"Kraaaak!"
A wet slash. A choked cry. Another cut, a heavy thud, and a dying gurgle.
"Well now. Not a bad haul."
Ten of them, and his level had climbed by about one. The Predators of Sourtul Forest really were high-leveled.
If I had my way, I'd wander around and hunt a few more.
Of course, he had no such intention. Right now the skill archive came first, no exceptions.
The Illusion race was not tucked away in some remote corner. They were in a relatively open stretch with few trees. A powerful barrier had been laid over the place in two layers, though, so the Predators would have a hard time finding them.
A top-tier Predator might notice.
Even so, the barrier was extremely solid. Solid enough that he found himself wondering who could have set one of this caliber.
"You going to break it?"
"No. Then the Illusion race would turn uncooperative."
"Then what?"
"I'll wait until they come out."
He had no intention of waiting here forever, of course. Yujun drew up his mana and formed Hellfire, the spell that had served him so well the last time he used it. He did not aim it at the barrier, but at the ground opposite.
His noisy passage through Sourtul Forest had already set the Predators' nerves on edge, and quite a number of them had gathered on his trail. The sudden Hellfire was meant to deal with them. There was also a faint hope that if he raised enough of a ruckus, the Illusion race might come pouring out.
Dozens of bundles of Hellfire shot toward the front.
The blasts rolled over one another. The Predators that arrived at just that moment were swept up and vanished without a trace. They were the lucky ones. Those still charging in from behind burned for a long while in agony before they died.
"Whoa......"
Was it because his Genius trait had been strengthened? Hellfire seemed several times more powerful than before, and that was no exaggeration. He had not even spent all that much mana, and yet dozens of the spells had scorched the forest before his eyes down to nothing. Explosions burst out everywhere. The noise was so tremendous that Manuela clapped her hands over her ears.
It did not climb the way it used to. Unless he hunted enemies of a higher level than himself, the experience gained dropped off sharply — and that held true even with his experience-increase effects stacked on top of one another.
Means my own standing has gotten pretty high.
The endless stream of Predators thinned all at once. The flames were so fierce and so hot that they did not even dare come closer. It was a shame he could not squeeze out more experience, but he had achieved what he came for.
From inside the barrier, one of the Illusion race showed themselves. They did not step out. They only watched Yujun and Manuela from within.
Genus's claim that the Illusion race was beautiful held not one word of a lie. Their looks would have put even the elves, famed for their beauty, to shame. The Illusion race had no gender, and yet by any human standard of beauty the sight drew an involuntary breath of admiration.
The one watching Yujun's party was named Homi-en.
Homi-en spoke first.
"What are you? Who are you?"
"Witch-human."
"......Witch-human? Even the name sounds ominous."
Homi-en's face was wary.
"A witch and a human."
"......Ah. And what brings you here?"
"We came because we have business. Obviously."
"So what is this business, then?"
"Fine. I'll get to the point. Let us out of Sourtul Forest."
At Yujun's words, Homi-en's eyes went wide. Then they shook their head.
"......That won't do."
"Why?"
"It isn't yet a situation where we can open the exit of Sourtul Forest. And it isn't a decision I can make on my own."
"If there's a problem, I'll solve it for you."
"What? You're funny. Do you even know what the problem is?"
"Whatever it is. Just say it."
"......Where does that confidence come from?"
"You saw it. You ought to know."
The ruin Hellfire had made — Homi-en had witnessed that too. Of course they knew Yujun was strong.
"This isn't a problem that gets solved just because one strong person shows up."
Homi-en said as much, then sighed at the look on Yujun's face, a face that clearly had no intention of giving up and turning back.
"......Wait a moment, then. I'll at least ask."
"Thanks."
Homi-en thought the human before them was more than capable of smashing the barrier. And yet he had not reached for so violent a method. He had made a request, not a threat. They meant to answer that in kind.
Yujun did not have to wait long before Homi-en appeared again.
"The chieftain says they want to talk."
"We can go in now?"
Yujun set a foot inside the barrier. Homi-en's eyes went round.
"What— how? I haven't opened it yet......"
"A barrier's structure, its mana pattern — obvious enough."
"Don't tell me you just dismantled it?"
"No? I just walked through."
"......"
"Am I the only one who doesn't get this? How do you pass through a barrier?"
Unless the master of a barrier granted permission, entering without destroying or dismantling it was impossible. Yujun had broken that piece of common sense clean in two.
"No idea. Explaining's a pain. Manuela. You come in too."
Manuela's face went blank with disbelief.
"And how am I supposed to get in......"
"Hold on."
He stepped back out of the barrier, took her wrist, and began to pour mana through it.
"This is the mana wavelength of the barrier. Match the mana running through your body to this wavelength, and you can come in."
"Easy to say......"
"Still, I've shown you the wavelength pattern, so you should manage."
She had taken Behemoth's blood from him, and a full set of Mythic-rank items besides. There was no question her magic had improved by leaps and bounds. Yujun trusted her. She would be able to pass the barrier with him.
"I'll try."
Manuela approached the barrier with a tense face. One wrong move, and its mana could tear her whole body to ribbons. She swallowed hard. She could see, with perfect clarity, what would happen the instant her wavelength slipped even a little.
She stopped just short of the barrier and looked at Yujun. Meeting her eyes, he nodded — a look she could believe in. Drawing courage from it, she pushed herself in.
Nothing happened. She had entered safely.
Manuela let out a sigh of relief.
"I— I really thought I was going to die......"
"I told you it would work."
"I told you I'm a coward."
"Guess age and being a coward don't have much to do with each oth—"
Yujun cut himself off. He had met Manuela's eyes, and they were full of killing intent.
You're scarier than the barrier.
Words he did not dare let out of his mouth. He swallowed them, and looked at Homi-en.
"Lead the way."
"Mm."
Homi-en, walking side by side with Yujun — himself well over six feet — did not look all that much shorter. Manuela kept stealing sidelong glances of envy at that back.
"And what, pray, might you be looking at?"
Paranet, appearing uninvited once again, whispered it at her ear. Manuela flinched and stumbled back.
"You startled me."
"Oh? Is this truly something to be so startled by? Hehe......"
At the sight of that sly smile, Manuela's face twisted.
"What's with that expression?"
"Hm? Which expression?"
"It's seriously unpleasant to look at."
"My lady. I, you see, know everything. Precisely where my lady's gaze was turned."
"......"
"Hehehe......"
Leaving the dumbfounded Manuela behind, Paranet hurried after Yujun, who was already walking on ahead.
The moment Yujun saw him at his side, he scolded him.
"Who told you to come out on your own?"
"I apologize!"
"With your mouth only?"
"......Shall I go back in?"
"Forget it. Just follow."
"Oh...... Abrasive, and yet sometimes gentle. As expected, Master is wonderful."
At that fawning, Yujun rapped him on the head.
A sound like a bomb going off rang from Paranet's skull. Homi-en, walking ahead, jumped.
"What? What was that sound?"
"Nothing. Keep going."
"R-right."
Paranet smoothed his skull. Thanks to activating Thousand-Pound Drop in time, he had narrowly avoided the misfortune of having his head shattered to pieces.
"Master, didn't you hit me a little too hard? A strong impact is terrible for scalp health, you know."
"Why are you looking after your scalp?"
"One never knows. As my level rises and my standing climbs, I, too, might grow hair. Ah, and not long ago I had a dream, you see? In it, my hair was luxuriant. If that is not a prophetic dream, then what is it? Heh heh."
"That's all a false illusion."
"What?"
"We've got an illusion expert right here. Ask them yourself."
Yujun pointed at Homi-en. Paranet scratched his head.
"You're teasing me, aren't you."
"Yep."
"That's too much."
"Paranet. I have something to say."
Yujun's face was serious. At that uncharacteristic look, Paranet went tense.
"Something to say......?"
"You stay inside."
"......What?"
"What if the other Illusion folk take one look at you and freak out? An undead hanging around is a bit rough on the scenery."
"......"
"Right, Manuela?"
Manuela chimed in as if she had been waiting for the cue.
"Yes! Exactly. Absolutely awful, absolutely! It isn't just spoiling the view. Who's going to accept a bald summon? Even if I were one of the Illusion race......"
"This is really too much!"
On the verge of tears, Paranet dismissed himself. Her revenge a complete success, Manuela wore a deeply satisfied smile.
Yeah. She's definitely the scariest one.
Just as Yujun was growing properly wary of her, Homi-en stopped.
"I have brought them."
Four of the Illusion race stood there, and not one of them was anything less than beautiful. A feast for the eyes, if that was the way to put it. Handsomeness and beauty in harmony only made them seem more mysterious.
"Is it just the four of you?" Yujun said it into Homi-en's ear.
Homi-en shook their head.
Then the chieftain, Yan, spoke.
"In all my life, I have never seen a player stronger than you."
"Hm?"
Praise, out of nowhere. Yujun answered with a bashful little smile.
"Thanks."
"But strength alone cannot solve the problem we face. The exit of Sourtul Forest is sealed because of that very problem."
"Perfect. Solve that, and we can leave, right?"
"......"
"Tell me. What do I have to do?"
As he spoke, Yujun opened his inventory.