To Obtain the Monster's Materials #1

In a territory, the most developed city or the lord's residence is called the territory's capital. The Alzeras Territory ruled by the Alzeras family. Among them, the most advanced and populous city, Alambra.

The streets, usually teeming with people, were now filled with sticky demonic substances. The bustling market had turned into a hellscape swarming with undead. At its center, where the lord's castle stood, lay ruins.

[Krrrararar...]

To be precise, a monster that had completely demolished the castle was breathing there.

By the time the subjugation force arrived, the Deferter mages were nowhere to be seen. They needed to capture at least one, but it seemed nothing was left at all.

"It looks like they've already slipped away."

"Tch, this level of contamination already..."

"Good thing we didn't bring the soldiers. If we'd come with everyone, they'd all have gone mad..."

It was exactly as they said. It was a characteristic of the creatures that had crossed over from the demonic realm.

A force that corrupted human mana roads, eventually causing festering from within. Known as the mana contamination phenomenon.

This was the innate ability of demonic beasts and the reason they were called disasters. Their overwhelming physical prowess was one thing, but this mana contamination was far more troublesome.

"Everyone, maximize your mana output! Priests, begin chanting Purification Field!"

"Understood!"

The priests of the church, entering Alambra's interior, began their chants. Though it was just a standard spell incantation, sweat beaded across their entire bodies.

The land was so contaminated that wielding divine power or mana was extremely difficult.

"Uweeeek-!"

"Pull yourself together! We're purifying this land in the goddess's name!"

Some couldn't overcome the contamination and began vomiting black bile. Their bodies were already tainted, even their stomach acid turned pitch black and necrotic. Seeing skin rot away spread terror even faster.

"-By the goddess's blessing, purify this land. Drive out the unclean and make it a soil blessed by the goddess!"

Kwaaaaa-!

From the fingertips of those who succeeded in chanting, brilliant light poured out. In the area covered by the wave, the mana contamination began to fade, restoring it to land habitable by humans. Only then could those who had arrived breathe properly.

"Now I can finally breathe."

"But getting too close will be tough to endure. At least the captain-level fighters will need to step up."

"In that case..."

A canine form. An elongated snout. A face with dozens, hundreds of eyes blinking.

If those eyes all focused on someone at once, it was grotesque enough to cause fainting.

They had to slay that monster now, but the problem was that getting too close triggered contamination even divine power couldn't block. It was the fate and unavoidable limit of those with mana roads.

Except for one person.

"Sis, you okay?"

"Don't talk to me... I feel like puking."

"Hmm..."

Lawrence Montemer. The one without a mana road. No mana road meant no contamination. So he was fine.

"Looks like it's my turn to step up..."

"..."

But there was a problem. How was he supposed to beat that monster alone?

It clearly required a massive force of advanced knights or 5th circle mages at minimum.

How could he, who could barely use 4th circle magic, take it down?

Lawrence gazed at the faintly visible demonic beast with a serious expression.

'Even in my past life, they solved it somehow...'

He closed his eyes and rummaged through his memories.

Back then, it was definitely... what did they say?

It was such a massive incident that shook the entire empire, impossible to forget.

Rumors said, yeah.

<So, how'd they kill that demonic beast?>

<Kill? They didn't kill it. They opened the demonic gate again and sent it back.>

<Ooh, is that even possible?>

<Apparently, there was some ancient relic nearby that the dark mages had used.>

'That's it.'

An ancient relic. It had to be an artifact that still worked.

An artifact that opened space? He didn't know what it was exactly, but it was worth finding.

"But... it's such a waste."

"...What'd you say?"

He muttered to himself unwittingly, and Loria Montemer, looking ready to hurl any second, reflexively asked.

Lawrence shook his head and continued his thoughts.

'No, if I send that monster back... what about the heart? The materials?'

This opportunity was too precious to miss. He was the only one who could move freely here.

Instead of using the artifact to send it back, he wanted to kill it.

His passion as a creator ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠began to boil.

"I'll definitely take it down. Can't let it escape."

As Lawrence muttered that, reinforcements began pouring in from each gate of the territory.

Those who had surrounded and advanced on the territory to annihilate it had all arrived. Even they only let elite experts and church soldiers cross the city gates.

The might of a single demonic beast—and not even an adult one—was this terrifying.

Normally, one would want to deal with it quickly. But that's not how it looked in Lawrence's eyes.

'How could I let something like that slip away?'

It was time to move. With conviction in his eyes, he asked the system.

"There might be artifacts or dragon legacies here too. Let's search."

The system fully activated. Lawrence went to the tower master and explained the situation, omitting the dragon legacy part.

"You mean there's something here that can kill that thing?"

"Yes. Not sure about killing it outright, but it'll be a huge help anyway."

"Every time, it worries me to no end, but what can I do? You've been right all along."

"Plus, I'm not affected by this environment. I'll go quietly."

The tower master ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nodded. No mana road meant no contamination. In times like this, it really felt like a blessed constitution rather than a curse.

The tower master placed a hand on Lawrence's shoulder.

"Feels like we're burdening you too much, kid."

"It's fine. If I couldn't handle it, I wouldn't step up."

"Be careful."

That was all he could say, and as tower master, it filled him with self-reproach... but what choice was there? The situation was urgent; he had to trust and entrust it to him.

Lawrence bowed and set off alone.

"...You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'll come back cool as ever, so watch over Sis."

"Mm... Alright, got it."

Even Ades Benoman, shadowing him, was shaken off by Lawrence. The moment he was truly alone, the voice he'd been waiting for finally came.

"Good. No need for a full search—we go straight there."

The Deferter family. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those colluding with them. What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they targeted was obvious.

There was a common point between the mining village and here: dragon legacies, and the entire area influenced by dark mages.

Once might be coincidence, but if the exact same thing happened again...?

This was clearly deliberate.

'Shayan Deferter? Or... another faction? Wonder who's coming.'

Lawrence wasn't afraid. He was confident he'd never lose in a mages' duel, at least.

#2

The place the system indicated was on the city outskirts. An exquisitely tricky spot. Not close to any gate, path through a maze of complex buildings.

'Heart of the slums.'

Undead roamed visibly. According to survivors begging or pickpocketing amid collapsed buildings from the demonic beast's emergence and dark mage corruption, it was gruesome.

Lawrence pulled troll meat from his subspace and approached cautiously.

'Artifact in the black market depths at the slums' center.'

He sprinted, cleaving through the foul air. Through downtown, markets, residential areas to the slums.

Breath ragged, but his brain pumped survival hormones like mad. Ignoring fatigue, he plunged in and dispatched undead without hesitation.

"Uwaaaah-!"

"No time, you lot."

Kwajik-!

Each swing of the troll meat melted undead heads away. One strike, one kill. His precise, lethal technique resembled someone—Leila Gaudie, Argon Bredley, tower footwork. Blended with warrior movements, Lawrence flowed through the slums like water.

"Hoo... This must be it."

"I know."

Lawrence entered the building the system pointed to. A crumbling relief center in the slums.

"Hm... Better set basic security."

Hwaruruk-!

He could clear it with magic on exit. He hurled a fireball at the entrance, sealing it. To buy time if enemies pursued.

Kururur-.

The entrance collapsed fully, plunging the surroundings into deep darkness. No issue for Lawrence with Dragon Eye.

Navigating dust and shadows, he found a single book.

White Tower Grimoire...? What did this have to do with spatial transfer magic?

Lawrence quietly placed his hand on the grimoire.

The moment he did—.