Enlightenment in an Instant (4)
Was it during my third playthrough?
Anyway, this was also something that happened back when I was still a newbie, not long after I started playing Lost Elder.
I was wandering around the free city of Vertas, just like any other day.
"P-please find my husband's body... No, at least some keepsake of his, anything."
Out of nowhere, a widow NPC approached me with a quest.
She begged me to find the last traces of her husband, who was presumed dead on his journey to the lawless city of Dawnguard.
"Oh, perfect. I needed to head to the uncharted territories anyway..."
Click.
I readily accepted the quest.
In truth, it was incredibly common for people to lose their lives while crossing the uncharted territories.
Especially at this point in time, when the destruction of the world was accelerating.
The number of people desperate to know the fate of their missing families naturally surged, and I figured this request was just another one of those common quests.
"Huh? Wait a minute."
But the further I progressed with the quest, the more I felt something was off.
"No matter how I look at these traces..."
It was a truth I only learned later.
The NPC's husband hadn't died in some tragic accident.
And his death was the very first signal announcing the beginning of the world's end.
Hummmm, hummmm!
The Silk Road, which protected those passing through the uncharted territories.
For a long time, it had been considered a sacred, inviolable safe zone.
The barrier, powered by magic stones, punished any monsters that drew near, and the beasts had learned to instinctively avoid this path.
A mercenary, well aware of this fact, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"D-don't panic! The barrier is still working perfectly!"
There was only one scenario where the Silk Road became dangerous.
When the barrier shut down due to an unstable supply of magic stones.
Therefore, as long as the barrier remained stable like it was now, any monster attack was futile.
Thud!
...At least, that was the common sense people had believed in until now.
"W-what the...?"
But now.
That common sense was beginning to shatter miserably.
Crashhhhh!
The monsters slammed into the barrier without a shred of hesitation.
Blood and brain matter splattered in all directions, painting the surface of the barrier in a gruesome coat.
"What are those things...?"
The mercenary muttered in a trembling voice.
His face was a mask of terror and confusion.
Thud, thwack, splat!
Most of the monsters died instantly from the impact of ramming their heads, and even the few that survived were crushed to death by the stampeding horde behind them.
Countless carcasses of beasts began to pile up along the barrier.
"Ha, hahaha..."
Nervous laughter and sighs of relief broke out here and there.
"Aren't they just idiots?"
"Pfft, hahaha! We worried for nothing! They're just ramming their heads against the barrier and committing suicide!"
But that false sense of relief didn't last long.
In a matter of moments, the barrier was completely covered in monster flesh and blood. The number of beasts throwing themselves at the barrier was growing endlessly.
Creeeeak! Crack!
The very next second, a thin crack spiderwebbed across the barrier.
"What in the...!"
Everyone's faces turned pale.
"D-drive at full speed! Push the carriages to their absolute limit!"
The merchant leader screamed, the veins in his neck bulging.
"We're going to break through all the way to Vertas in one go!"
"...What?"
Bewilderment flashed across the mercenaries' faces, but the confusion vanished in an instant.
Quick decision-making was essential to survive in this world.
Before their brains could even process the situation, their bodies reacted. Survival instinct drove them forward.
"Get on! Get on the carriages, hurry!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the mercenaries began leaping onto the moving carriages one by one.
Only the burning will to survive remained in their eyes.
"Dump the cargo! Lighten the load!"
Clatter! Crash!
At someone's shout, the mercenaries began throwing the cargo off the carriages.
Expensive goods tumbled out, rolling across the dirt road, but no one spared them a glance.
Not even the merchant leader, who owned the cargo.
Smart. Knowing when to let go of greed.
It was a choice worthy of a veteran.
In this touch-and-go situation, it wouldn't be strange at all if the mercenaries turned on the merchants and hijacked the carriages.
Clinging to greed here could easily cost them their lives at the hands of their fellow humans. It was far better to abandon the goods than to invite a backstab.
No matter how precious the wealth, it was worthless compared to one's own life.
"Lord Gaon."
Adelia's voice cut through the chaos.
In her hand was her sword, drawn at some point without me noticing.
Adelia was staring intently at me, like a hound awaiting its master's command.
I replied in a deliberately calm voice.
"Wait and conserve your strength. It won't be too late to act once the barrier collapses."
"Pardon? But..."
She glanced back.
Adelia looked at the barrier.
The cracks were growing more defined. It seemed Adelia wanted to step in before the situation deteriorated further.
I quickly cut her off before she could say anything else.
"I believe I told you that this horde of monsters isn't the end of it."
"..."
"Don't make me repeat myself. What we need to deal with is the culprit that caused this monster wave."
Biting her lip for a brief moment, Adelia nodded.
"...Yes. I will keep that in mind."
Rattle, clack!
The precariously spinning wheels shrieked noisily.
The coachman whipped the horses with all his might, pushing for maximum speed.
"Yah! Yah!"
With the coachman's shouts, the carriage began to accelerate.
But even this was not enough.
Sensing this, the merchant leader repeatedly glanced out the window with an anxious expression.
At this rate, we'll be caught in no time.
MP: 1 / 1
I instinctively checked my mana window. I had enough mana to use my skill.
If I activated Soul of the Sword Master right now, I could wipe out the entire horde of monsters.
After all, even at level 77, she had been able to annihilate a pack of Scavenger Wolves in a single strike. That said it all.
But...
Even so, I couldn't afford to use the skill hastily.
My trump card had to be saved until the absolute last moment.
If I recklessly triggered Soul of the Sword Master just because the situation looked dire, I might end up in even greater danger later.
...Above all, until 'that guy' shows up, I have to leave everything to Adelia.
Right.
For now, let's just trust our carry and wait.
Wasn't the whole reason I brought Adelia along to prepare for situations exactly like this?
"I-it's breaking! The barrier is— AAAARGH!"
Boom!
At that exact moment, a massive explosion roared from behind.
Unable to withstand the relentless onslaught of the monsters, the Silk Road's barrier had finally collapsed.
"Damn it!"
The merchant leader cursed, gritting his teeth.
"Go faster! Faster!"
At his desperate cry, the coachman cracked the whip once more.
Ruuuumble!
The earth shook. The vibration of the stampeding monsters could be felt through the ground.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Screams echoed from all directions.
The carriages that had started late or were at the rear of the convoy were swallowed whole by the landslide of monsters.
Desperate screams, the splintering of wood, and the roars of beasts tangled into a chaotic din.
Crash!
Naturally, our carriage was not spared from the aftermath of that tsunami.
"Adelia."
At my call, Adelia immediately looked into my eyes.
Her gaze said she was ready to charge out and sweep the monsters away the second I gave the word.
...But you see.
As I said before, that's not what I need you for right now.
"Protect me."
Craaaash!
The carriage shook violently once more.
With an ear-splitting screech, the carriage overturned.
Whoosh.
The world spun. Thrown into the air, my body was flung straight out of the carriage.
Even without activating Ritardando, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Adelia's startled expression. The cargo scattering in midair. And the ground rushing up to meet me.
"Lord Gaon...!"
Adelia's desperate cry reached my ears.
Closing the distance in a flash, she wrapped her arms tightly around me.
Thud!
The very next instant, a heavy impact jolted my entire body.
Getting caught in a monster wave?
The carriage overturning?
It was fine. All of that was well within my calculations.
Adelia was more than capable of protecting me even in a situation like this.
"Ugh."
Except for one thing.
What I had overlooked was that 'just' this much was enough to make my head spin.
In terms of game mechanics and actual physical impact, my HP hadn't dropped by even 1.
Still, experiencing my vision flipping upside down like this was a first.
...In other words, motion sickness.
"Haa, haa."
Fortunately, I barely managed to hold back the urge to throw up.
Instead, the pungent stench of blood piercing my nose snapped me back to reality.
I slowly pushed myself up.
Ugh, my head is spinning...
As I looked around through my dizzy vision, a gruesome sight entered my view.
Splintered carriage wreckage and monster carcasses were strewn everywhere.
The ground, painted in blood and flesh, looked like a horrific battlefield.
Ssssshh...
The surroundings, which had been incredibly chaotic just moments ago, fell dead silent.
That's right.
While I was groaning, Adelia had handled the monster wave all by herself.
"Are you alright, Lord Gaon...?"
Pant, pant.
Just then, Adelia's heavily panting voice reached me.
She stood with her back to me. Her body was covered in minor wounds, and her torn armor was stained with blood.
Yet, Adelia simply stood tall, gripping her sword.
Not a single tremor could be felt in her stance. It was as if she was determined to protect me no matter what threat approached.
...And in fact, Adelia had protected me flawlessly.
Even though she was in that state, my HP hadn't decreased by even 1.
"As commanded... pant... I have... protected you, Lord Gaon."
Adelia gasped for breath as she spoke.
She was exactly like her game character self.
She didn't even question why I had suddenly ordered her to protect me.
Once she decided to follow, she carried out the order faithfully.
The reason didn't matter.
Well, considering she has the most complicated backstory of all, asking about someone else's reasons would probably feel like an intrusion to her anyway.
I realized once again that choosing Adelia as my carry was the best decision I'd made.
Well, putting that aside...
I muttered, looking up at the dark night sky.
"...It's about time for it to show up."
Krieeeeek!
A blood-curdling screech echoed from the heavens.
A massive shadow cast over our heads.
Rumble, crash!
A fierce gale swept in, and dark clouds instantly blanketed the sky. Lightning flashed in all directions.
"Ah."
Adelia's eyes widened.
With a tense expression, she slowly looked up at the vast sky.
The Heavenly Dragon Bird.
The incarnation of storm and thunder. The absolute ruler of the skies.
Its colossal body looked large enough to swallow mountain ridges, and each of its sturdy scales flashed with lightning-like brilliance.
Its terrifying appearance, a fusion of dragon and bird, was the very manifestation of calamity.
The aura of death radiating from it was enough to make every hair on my body stand on end.
Ring!
Your 'MAX' Mental Strength resists the opponent's overwhelming pressure.
The surrounding air grew heavy. The pressure of the Heavenly Dragon Bird crushed down upon the world.
If even I, with my maxed-out mental strength, felt this way, what must the pressure feel like to Adelia?
"H-how..."
Sure enough, Adelia muttered in sheer terror.
"...Why is a Divine Beast of Elder attacking humans?"
Ignoring her question, I commanded in a cold, composed voice.
"This is your second trial, Adelia."
Cooldown: 581 seconds
"Hold out for exactly ten minutes."
They say crisis is just another word for opportunity.
In that sense, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
If everything goes according to my design...
Starting from this very moment, I will achieve astronomical growth.