The Edge of Time
The moment I stepped out of Time’s Edge, I let out a long, explosive breath.
You have left Time’s Edge.
“Haaah!”
I had been holding my breath the entire time.
“Partner, are you all right?”
“No. My legs gave out. Can you support me?”
I collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. If not for the hand that caught my shoulder, I would have face-planted straight into the ground.
The instant I spoke, Nyx materialized and caught me, saving me from an even more pathetic sight.
My back was drenched. Cold sweat ran down my spine like a waterfall.
“Wow… I really thought I was going to die.”
This wasn’t the Tower. There were no second chances here—this was the real world. Because of a variable that hadn’t existed in my previous life, I had nearly dipped my toes into the River Jordan.
“This won’t do. We must leave this place at once.”
“Not yet.”
“This is a realm even Yeo cannot handle. A being far beyond our capacity resides here.”
“But we made it through safely, didn’t we?”
“Do you truly believe Yeo did not notice? Had your life-or-death gamble failed…”
Nyx’s voice trailed off.
She had caught on after all.
“Yeah. I would’ve died.”
I admitted it without hesitation.
When I swung the sword forged from Polar Night, I had truly resolved to throw my life away. In front of the Great Old One who saw through past, present, and future alike, lies held no power.
“How utterly reckless!”
“There was no other way.”
Even using divine power to shield my mind from Yog-Sothoth had clear limits. That entity was the timeline itself. When it claimed the flow of time was on its side, it wasn’t mere bravado.
“The longer we stayed in that space, the more dangerous it became.”
“That is not what Yeo is trying to say.”
“The result was good, wasn’t it?”
“Then consider the heart of the one who had to watch it happen!”
Nyx’s sharp cry rang in my ears. Only then did I finally look at her.
Moisture shimmered at the corners of her eyes. A gaze mixed with relief and resentment stabbed straight into my chest.
A heavy, choking emotion rose in my throat. I was at a loss for words.
Silence settled between us.
I couldn’t remember the last time someone had worried about me like this. The feeling was so unfamiliar that I couldn’t even process it properly.
It took a full minute before I finally managed to speak again, my voice hoarse.
“…Sorry.”
“Your life belongs to Yeo. Do not forget our contract.”
“Yeah. I’ll remember that.”
Only after hearing my answer did Nyx’s irritated expression finally soften.
“Do you have any idea how worried Yeo was? Honestly, there is a limit to recklessness…”
Nyx grumbled on and on. I simply listened to her complaints in silence.
“You must always be cautious from now on.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
“Rest for now. Yeo shall stand guard for you.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
If Nyx was keeping watch, nothing should be able to approach. Good.
“Time to check the reward I earned by risking my life.”
Rubbing my hands together, I placed one on the greatsword.
◈ Strength +100%
◈ Agility -30
◈ Endurance +30%
◈ Recovers HP, vitality, mental strength, and mana in proportion to the strength of defeated enemies
◈ Can use Ruina Sword skill
◈ Permanent Mental Corruption Lv. 100 applied
St. Jerome’s Greatsword.
Grade: Myth / Type: Sword
Durability: 20,000/20,000
St. Jerome, who recorded the Vulgate Bible, gained knowledge of another world in his later years and came into contact with beings from beyond the outer sea.
The Outer God tested St. Jerome’s faith by imbuing the sword with divinity. Each time the blade is swung, whispers of outer cosmic knowledge and temptation echo, yet in exchange, it grants immense power.
The Ruina Sword skill was on the same level as Aura Blade or Dark Fighting Spirit—an embedded active ability.
When I channeled mana into the greatsword, a hazy, pale energy wrapped around the blade. I gave the ground an experimental swing. With a loud crack, the earth split wide open.
“Stronger than Aura Blade?”
I clicked my tongue in amazement.
While Mistilteinn had auxiliary magic attached, this sword was still overwhelmingly powerful even without it. If we ignored the God-Slaying karma, it was practically a superior version. Yog-Sothoth had really gone all out.
“You are making quite the racket.”
“Just testing the sword’s performance.”
“Yeo’s heart is still racing. Do it in moderation.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
I ignored Nyx’s scolding and hung the greatsword at my waist. The moment I touched its tip to the Pocket of Desire I had received in the tutorial—
The subspace will be contaminated by foreign energy.
Storing this item may cause the Pocket of Desire to mutate.
Do you still wish to proceed?
The system was surprisingly considerate with its warning. I quickly pulled the blade away.
It hadn’t reacted this way when I stored Mistilteinn. What a vicious demonic sword.
“I can’t carry it around, either. This is a problem.”
“If you are that worried, why not wield it yourself?”
“Swords don’t suit me.”
Whoosh!
I swung St. Jerome’s Greatsword playfully. Despite the loud sound as it cut through the air, there was no sharpness to the motion. I had never properly learned swordsmanship.
I could probably make use of my accumulated combat experience somehow, but I had no desire to.
“The mental corruption option isn’t just for show.”
“Hmm. Yeo believes you could endure it sufficiently.”
“Anything related to Outer Gods needs to be handled with extreme caution.”
Mistilteinn had only given me headaches, but the moment I gripped St. Jerome’s Greatsword, incomprehensible whispers brushed against my ears. Even if others saw the sword, it would be a problem. Its nature would tempt anyone who laid eyes on it.
“It’s a double-edged sword. Literally.”
I had obtained something as difficult to handle as the meat stuck between the bones of spicy stir-fried chicken.
“Why not devour the sword as you did before?”
“Mm… I might get indigestion.”
“Indigestion?”
“It’s a relic of an Outer God. Even I can’t guarantee what would happen.”
This was a holy relic bestowed by Yog-Sothoth, one of the Great Old Ones of the outer cosmos. Handling it was one thing, but devouring its essence was far too dangerous. Unless I first strengthened both my body and soul considerably more than they were now, attempting it could result in me being swallowed by the divinity residing within the blade.
“Indeed… Even with Yeo’s eyes, the end of that being could not be seen.”
“Would it be different once you regain your full power, Goddess?”
“That, Yeo cannot guarantee.”
“You’re being unusually humble today.”
“Yeo has never witnessed a being that embodies the laws of all creation.”
Nyx spoke with complete seriousness.
The Goddess of Night who casually referred to Zeus, king of the Olympians, as a mere child, could not easily claim victory against Yog-Sothoth.
“What a headache.”
The gift was far too generous.
As I rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought, the essence of the Death Worm I had devoured for synergy suddenly came to mind.
Tsk.
It was an ability I had used several times in my previous life. I really didn’t want to resort to this, but…
I opened my mouth wide and pressed the blade of the greatsword against it.
“Partner! Did you not promise not to do anything dangerous?!”
“It’s not dangerous, so calm down.”
It was true. This was closer to a magic trick or a sideshow act.
I shoved the greatsword into my mouth.
Using Expanding Internal Organs.
The swallowed item has been stored in the body’s subspace.
50/850
An uncanny ability that let me store up to ten times my body weight. I had used Expanding Internal Organs to store important items even in my previous life.
Still…
“I really didn’t want to swallow an entire sword.”
The blade was so wide that the corners of my mouth tore slightly. To use the skill, the object had to physically enter my mouth. Just imagine the pain of having to rip your own mouth open!
After swallowing St. Jerome’s Greatsword, I stood up.
“Let’s get moving again.”
“Has your stamina recovered already?”
“Yeah. It was more mental exhaustion than physical.”
“Hehe. In times like these, always rely on Yeo.”
“Thanks to you, Goddess, I feel much more secure.”
There were still things left to obtain in Dreamland. I might as well show off a little to that guy Sergei while I was at it.
I slowly explored the space beyond Time’s Edge.
* * *
The scenery beyond the wall was completely different from the southern region.
As I pushed through the fog, a medieval-style city reminiscent of Western Europe appeared before me.
“There are traces of civilization here.”
“According to the Necronomicon, this should be Dylath-Leen.”
“Dylath-Leen?”
“A port city where people who have been dragged into dreams reside.”
At the edge of the city lay a harbor. Large and small ships bobbed gently on the rippling water.
I entered Dylath-Leen and gathered information about Dreamland. Since this realm spanned multiple worlds, the locals were accustomed to outsiders and willingly shared what they knew.
Most of it matched what I already knew. There were no major differences from the knowledge I had gained in my previous life. Still, with Nyx beside me, I listened calmly to everything as an alibi.
For a first exploration, I had gathered an excessive amount of information.
“Then shall we return now?”
Nyx, now in spiritual form, subtly urged me to head back.
“I want to look around a bit more.”
“The food of Dreamland does not suit Yeo’s palate.”
“You were so excited earlier.”
“Snacks that taste bad are a sin!”
After eating a Dreamland-made cookie, she had frowned deeply and had been whining nonstop ever since.
The western outskirts were relatively stable, so there weren’t many monsters worth devouring. However—
There was one being here that I absolutely had to devour.
“Let’s get a map and then leave.”
Using the map as an excuse, I stopped by a general store.
“A map of Dreamland? We don’t sell those to outsiders.”
“Do you have one in stock right now?”
“As you can see.”
The shopkeeper handed me a worn-out map.
A map depicting the layout of Dreamland, one of the Ten Great Demonic Realms.
“Is there really no other way?”
“Well… if you were to hunt the Crawling One for us, perhaps. There have been many victims lately.”
I swallowed a laugh.
The Crawling One.
The very essence I absolutely had to devour in Dreamland. Mentioning the map had been nothing more than bait to make the shopkeeper bring up the monster’s name.
“What is the Crawling One?”
When I asked as if I knew nothing, the shopkeeper’s face brightened.
“It’s a monster that roams the outskirts of the city and devours people. You seem interested.”
“If you give me the map, I’ll go slay it and return.”
“Deal. Transaction complete.”
I had obtained both the map of Dreamland and the chance to hunt the Crawling One. The shopkeeper probably thought he had simply pushed a nuisance onto me, but the one who truly profited was me.
“Let’s go, Goddess.”
“Sigh… You promised we would only get the map and return.”
I let Nyx’s whining go in one ear and out the other as I left the city.