Chapter 238
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Part 2 Chapter 16: Encounter (1)
Two weeks had passed since crossing the mountain range.
He had been leisurely wandering about.
When he asked Jin if they couldn't just head straight there now, the outlander replied that arriving early wouldn't leave much to do anyway.
That was how busy a place it was.
Busy places don't treat guests well.
Even as Jin's guest—and Isis's, no less—they'd receive some hospitality, but their movements would still be quite restricted.
Better to time their arrival with when Isis was due.
Jamie and Jin sat at a cafe with a terrace, enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
That was when Jin asked,
"So, when do you plan to absorb the Dragon Heart?"
"I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't."
"Why not?"
"No guarantee it'll fully become my nourishment."
"Hm?"
"Simply put, my current state is at its peak. To grow further, I need an epiphany, but honestly, the Dragon Heart doesn't seem like it'll provide that."
In this life, having forged a new magical perspective, he couldn't follow the same path to enlightenment as in his previous one.
It would help to some degree, but he was at a point where he needed a completely new enlightenment all his own.
Only then would he reach the fully mature 9th Circle realm.
The Dragon Heart would merely assist in that.
Increasing his mana capacity or pushing his physical limits here wouldn't elevate his realm.
The same went for reaching Sword Master.
Jamie's body was already at the upper echelons of Expert level.
And as a magic swordsman, he needed a fresh enlightenment different from those who purely walked the path of the sword.
This life demanded novelty in every way.
In a sense, it was the path of enlightenment.
"If I were a low-circle mage, the Dragon Heart would help immensely, but broadly speaking, the gap between my realm and a dragon's is negligible."
Even dragons, the progenitors of magic, were stuck at the 9th Circle.
Throughout this planet's history, Diablo Volpir was the only mage to surpass that.
Jin nodded in agreement.
"Hm. That makes sense."
"Still, I plan to absorb some of it. More mana capacity would be nice."
Having forcibly exceeded his limits, even the Full Body Breathing Method fell short.
For now, he planned to absorb part of the Dragon Heart to boost his endurance.
As for the rest...
'Maybe craft an artifact.'
An artifact made from a Dragon Heart would unleash unimaginable power.
'The fourth divine tool.'
Come to think of it, where was 'God Killer' now?
Unlike Perfect Cell or All Might, no rumors of God Killer had surfaced anywhere.
Despite five years of steady tracking.
If he obtained God Killer, his combat power would double.
"Shall we get going?"
"Yeah. Not far now."
Frontier was nestled in ABRAXAS, one of the Six Forbidden Zones at the northernmost tip of the northern region, Olbia.
And the kingdom they were in was Serebea, far above the Sell Dam Kingdom.
A blessed fortress of a nation, with the forbidden Ariazad Great Forest below and ABRAXAS above.
Though so remote it had barely developed, it had its own unique charm.
"ABRAXAS must be dangerous, huh?"
"A nightmare for outsiders. It's one of the Six Forbidden Zones, after all."
"Sounds fun."
Five years ago, when he first visited the Bell Marquis's territory, he'd never dreamed of tackling Ariazad Great Forest.
Now was different.
He was confident he could solo through Ariazad Great Forest.
'Garmon. Time to start looking there too.'
Five years ago, Gannon—the Black Sorcerer who was the lover of the Blue Dragon Mayatrei and uncovered the world's secrets through human power.
His diary mentioned a stele Diablo Volpir had inscribed just before his final battle.
Gannon wrote that the stele bore the name 'Garmon'—a place he himself hadn't written.
That meant someone before Gannon had accessed his stele.
Whoever it was, they clearly intended to guide those who reached the stele to Garmon.
'Northwest would be Ariazad Great Forest or ABRAXAS.'
Wherever it was, it was undoubtedly a dangerous region.
Anyone accessing Diablo Volpir's secrets would have been hunted by the 12 Gods.
They'd have hidden in the safest place possible, and the Six Forbidden Zones—being so perilous—were ideal for evading pursuit.
Jamie assumed Garmon was in one of the two.
'If not in ABRAXAS, then the Great Forest.'
He would uncover what happened.
Even if it proved meaningless.
Another two weeks passed.
The journey was mostly a string of discomforts.
With Ariazad Great Forest to the side and ABRAXAS's temple above, no one lived along the route.
Meals were mostly wild game they hunted.
The problem was neither had much cooking experience, so the food tasted awful.
At least Gremia made sleeping bearable.
Without it, they'd have camped on the bare ground.
This northernmost part of Olbia boasted subzero temperatures year-round.
Sleeping exposed here would freeze you solid.
"Cold today too."
"Can't be helped."
Jamie wrapped his fur coat tightly around himself.
Even with magic warming the air around him, the chill pierced through.
He wanted to unleash a massive flame spell to alter the atmosphere, but that could collapse the local ecosystem.
The two pressed on, lips pressed tight against the sudden blizzard.
"Isn't this the charm of travel?"
"Shut up."
Except when Jin spouted nonsense.
They had crossed Ariazad Great Forest's boundary.
Just skirting it brought encounters with countless monsters.
All charged fearlessly, so he obliterated them without a trace.
Man, beast, or monster—know your place.
Those who don't die for it.
Don't strut around carelessly.
Jamie thought as he eyed the charred monster corpses.
Beyond Ariazad lay a small village.
This marked Serebea Kingdom territory.
So isolated from other nations, the architecture was quite unique.
The stone walls encircling the village were exceptionally thick and tall.
Practically a small fortress wall.
Built from large and small stones, it was to fend off frequent monster attacks from the adjacent forbidden zones.
They were well-prepared for the cold too, using an underfloor heating system.
He didn't know the principle—it was technology, not magic—but curiously, it existed in Rye too, Jin said.
So Jin had been quite surprised on his first visit.
On ABRAXAS's outskirts roamed packs of 'Gilrim' monsters.
Gilrim resembled rabbits—adorably so—but devoured human flesh.
They swarmed in groups, overwhelming most adventurers.
Obviously, to Jamie, they were just rabbit meat.
That evening, they feasted on rabbit.
Exactly one month and twelve days since leaving Harmonia.
A journey longer than expected, yet somehow short.
Jamie gazed at the temple entrance, now just faint ruins.
Whatever text had once adorned its eroded surface was long gone.
Devoured by time.
"This the entrance to ABRAXAS Temple?"
"Yeah."
"Man. Just a few rock chunks left?"
"No one knows when this temple originated. But Frontier estimates it's at least 20,000 years old."
"20,000 years..."
The first king, Gav, lived 10,000 years ago.
This temple had endured at least two World Resets.
"Stick close from here. Get lost, and things get nasty."
Jamie nodded vaguely at Jin's warning.
He'd heard it plenty already.
One more time, and his ears might blister.
They passed the entrance into the interior.
Mostly dense foliage, overgrown with nameless plants.
Some poisonous, others hiding blades in sweet scents.
Some induced stupor.
All deadly enough to toy with life and death.
Jin cleaved through the mystical yet perilous flora with familiarity.
"Among the Six Forbidden Zones, ABRAXAS Temple has the fewest monsters. Know why?"
"Too many scary plants. Even dangerous monsters couldn't survive here."
"Some adapt, but most can't even show their faces."
"This the right path?"
Jamie grimaced, stepping in sticky mud.
Supposedly the way to Frontier HQ, yet no cleared trail?
"Can't make a path."
"Why?"
"Magic on ABRAXAS Temple. Everything reverts to primal state. Even these weeds I cut—they'll regrow as if untouched."
"That's intriguing."
"That's why pathless folks die here. Even Sword Masters face high survival odds."
"Makes sense."
Jamie agreed easily.
Too many plants constantly tempting life.
Without ironclad mental fortitude, you'd fall instantly, life in peril.
ABRAXAS was the Temple of Temptation.
Whatever its builders intended, if defense, it was near-perfect.
Unknowing intruders stood no chance.
That explained why Frontier based here amid such danger.
They had plenty of enemies.
"We're here."
Jin's voice came after a short walk.
Jamie looked ahead, eyes widening slightly.
"Ho."
The poison thicket vanished, replaced by vast grasslands.
Broad expanses that opened the chest just looking, green blades glistening with dew swaying in gentle winds.
Cloudless, brilliant weather.
Jamie blankly surveyed the surreal scene.
Glancing back: still the dingy poison forest.
Front again: Jin adjusted his mask and spoke.
"This is Frontier's headquarters, 'Avalon'—the earthly paradise."
"Avalon."
Jamie murmured, eyeing the peaceful village beyond the plains.
"Nice name."
"Right?"
"Who named it... Isis?"
"Probably."
Jin strode forward, treading the lush green.
"Let's go. Looks like Isis is already here."
"Seems so."
Jamie felt a colossal aura from afar, his body tingling.
An electrifying presence.
Frontier's leader—followed by Jin, Han, and the Storm Blade Baylor Onix—was there.
'Finally meeting her.'
Isis.
He'd heard her kind was the Lani.
They were hailed alongside dragons and high elves as the Three Great Races.
Indeed.
Far beyond the Red Dragon he'd faced before.
As Jamie paused, Jin glanced back with a amused tone.
"Nervous?"
Jamie grinned at the absurd question.
"Hardly."
Meeting the strong was pure thrill.