Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Journey to Trident Point
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"Wake up, Lin. It's time to move."
A familiar voice lifted my eyelids on their own. Beneath the low, faint dawn of the polar regions, the campfire flickered quietly.
None of it had been a dream...
Under the blanket, the warmth of the absolute lifeform curled up against my chest, wriggling like a flame, was soothingly hot.
"My life sure is something..."
I rolled up the blanket around it and cradled it in my arms, and Akirea mumbled in her sleep.
"Auuu..."
Kasena, already awake and surveying the Trident Point landscape, shouted in an excited voice as I came to stand beside her.
"Trident Point! The holy land of adventurers! Think we'll run into a ton of famous ones?!"
"Didn't Eldvihi say it's better not to meet Eldvi?!"
"You're such a killjoy! Rain, you have zero romance!"
"We're heading out. Quit yapping and follow."
And so our journey began anew.
They say four-tenths of Trident Point's terrain is marshland and three-tenths is jungle.
We followed routes blazed by adventurers, but with kids and the injured, it was a massive caravan on a path too remote and treacherous for such a group.
Our pace was inevitably slow...
We had to stop once at lunch and once in the evening, finding suitable spots somehow.
There were no suitable spots in this cursed land, but we managed.
"How much farther do we have to go?"
"At this rate, it'll take a generous two months to reach the Far West Branch from here."
"The Far West Branch!"
Kasena reacted with barely contained excitement at Eldvihi's explanation.
"It's really where adventurers buy supplies for expeditions and swap info and stuff like that?"
"Your head's full of dreams and hopes, just like the Captain said. You've got some huge misconceptions about what being an adventurer entails."
"Huh?"
"Adventurers who come to this land have all sorts of goals—beast hunting, public research, ruin exploration, you name it."
"Meaning their interests get all tangled up?"
"Exactly. Adventurers act solely for their own gain. If they think the beastkin migration hurts their interests, they'll go on the attack in a heartbeat."
Eldvihi's deep-seated distrust of humans was something I found a bit hard to grasp.
The legendary adventurers I'd met as Lin...
And lately, Remi and Bart—good folks all around.
I had no intention of riling up our guide through this eternal swamp, so I kept quiet.
*Heh, you'll need a guide. Trident Point is abyss territory. Not as bad as Harbadonia, but still.*
Proving Frisvia's words, the deeper we ventured into the center, the more a stench-ridden fog blanketed the heavens and earth.
Kasena shivered, whispering of souls wandering lost in Trident Point's fog—unreleased spirits bound here as vengeful ghosts.
*I don't wanna think about kids like that...*
But when something pale and repulsive crawled through the fog, glimpsed faintly, my breath quickened on its own.
It was unnatural fog...
Fog exhaled from an unimaginably dark abyss.
In this land, all creatures grew into grotesque forms, festering in this fog and air, twisting into the most nauseating shapes.
"Long ago, this land was ruled by Besansidug, the lead of the Spider Lord's Eight Great Vassals, the Duke of the Mire. They say he enjoyed trapping primitives in spiderweb prisons and drowning them in the swamps."
"..."
"When they dragged the prisons back up from the swamp, the legend goes, there were no humans with life's warmth left—just monsters with hard hearts, breathing cold mist to birth the fog."
I felt Kasena clutching my sleeve tightly at Eldvihi's tale.
She'd faced scarier things beyond the barrier, so what was there to fear? That's what reason said, but my heart wasn't at ease either.
This fog-shrouded land, transcending light and dark, relentlessly stirred an ominous unease.
"The Duke of the Mire was subdued and sealed by Karenden. His powers and minions with him. This is just a natural phenomenon."
Jangle, jangle, jangle...
The rings on the beastkin banner clashed in a clear chime, spreading over the gray-fogged swamp.
The sound mysteriously burned bright and vivid like a flame piercing darkness, guiding the beastkin caravan straight even through the fog.
"Funny. You saw the impossible happen with your own eyes, yet you spout that nonsense."
"...?"
"The Duke's minions still live. As 'the ancient ones'..."
"Liar."
Kasena shook her head uneasily and swallowed hard.
"Quit scaring me."
"Sometimes they burst from labyrinths, sometimes from swamps, lunging at humans. With that vitality, they've endured over a millennium—wait, what was that?"
A sound...
A sinister slither, like a snake coiling up my leg to my nape.
Then Akirea, clinging to my back, yelled "Da-but!" and pointed desperately into the fog beyond, as the beastkin banner swayed faintly.
Warning us now?
Enemies over there?
Akki could peer through fog with the Authority's Eye, like a true dragon...
But she's so young—could she really?
'No, she's never acted like this before.'
No certainty, but I wove three layers of magic circles on my palm and raised pillars of fire to the world.
Fierce flames licked the pale fog-world wide, parting it hugely and opening our view...
A chilling pulse from the far swamp—then something loomed, casting a massive shadow over our heads as it surged up.
"───!"
Before water droplets even hit the surface, a nearly four-meter body erupted at terrifying speed.
"Giant Bristle Marsh Spider!"
Eldvihi shouted.
A monster too horrific to gaze upon, its dozens of spider legs writhing grotesquely.
Its long body whipped waves in the swamp, savage jaws gaping to devour someone below.
Rune Alteration.
Altering runes: Fall (落) and Burst (爆).
I deformed two from the fire pillar runes.
'Fall (落; falling)' and 'Burst (爆; exploding)'.
The illuminating pillars shot skyward, then crashed as firebolts, charring the monster spider's head to cinders.
Head, feelers, jaws engulfed in transcendent flames, the Giant Bristle Marsh Spider thrashed madly, trying to flee into the swamp.
But a second firebolt followed, shattering its myriad legs to ash in an instant, then a deafening boom and massive splash as it tumbled atop the swamp.
"Au, au-but!"
Delighted by the blaze's baptism, Akki punched forward wildly. Catching her was my job, as always.
"Hold still, hold still. But Akki, you saw that thing? Through this fog?"
"Da-at!"
She headbutted my forehead insistently, as if to say trust her. Hard.
"Quit it, got it. Ow."
Eldvihi's eyes narrowed, having witnessed the instant battle.
'This guy instant-killed a Giant Bristle Marsh Spider with attack magic in under five seconds...'
Not luck that felled the White Young Master?
No wonder Princess Frisvia ordered him as guard...
'Unbelievable power, the more I see it.'
Rain too marveled anew at his power, staring blankly at his left palm.
'3-star magic plus rune alteration, yet no burden on my core at all.'
Had history ever seen a mage with such absurd mana reserves?
Thinking of it built on Alakish's death brought grief, but as a mage, excitement too.
Time to check the numbers?
'These growth metrics are sneakily addictive.'
At day's end, as we set camp, I pulled Lin's notebook from my bosom.
A miracle it survived the bloodbath with Shar'kas with minimal damage.
Flipping it open, Karenden's Rudiyën leaped out, settling on my nose and scattering light particles with wing flutters.
Socrafres.
- Inherit progress on 'Unique Magic' research from surrounding environment.
- Progress: 69.8%.
My eyes narrowed, then widened.
69.8%?
It was hovering at 50%... I remember rolling in bed over it and getting scolded by Pipi.
Did the White Young Master fight explode my growth? Or inheriting Alakish's power?
Brante.
- Mana circuit alteration detected: 'Flow Venerable - Light' => 'Blazing Realm: Flow Venerable (火警 : 流量世尊)'.
The § rune on my left palm showed it too—lines rough and jagged like flames.
>>>
Camitishia.
Analyzing circuit...
· Upon circuit activation, establishes 'Mental Barrier - Blazing Realm: Flow Venerable' in 20m radius around caster.
· Within 'Mental Barrier - Blazing Realm: Flow Venerable', success rate of magic combos using 'Unique Runes'/'Unique Formulas' rises '43 -> 58%', power amplifies '76 -> 104%'.
Insane power amp... With 'Blazing Realm: Flow Venerable', mental barrier amps exceed 100%.
Meaning, empower a spell with Venerable's might, and hurl it at double power.
But magic's world has balance: what comes must go.
>>>
Camitishia.
Analyzing circuit...
· Mana property shift confirmed: 'Azure (淸)' -> 'Crimson (赤)'.
· Disharmony detected between origin and mana circuits: 'Water (水)·Wind (風)·Earth (地)·Ice (氷)·Poison (毒)·Iron (鐵)·Thunder (雷)'.
Joy or sorrow...?
Simply put, I can no longer cast those other seven attributes.
Technically I can, but they manifest as fire-attribute. No exceptions, even Bell Quirius.
'My body's mana replaced by red dragon's soul fragment, I suppose.'
Ruined my plan to pave solid ground endlessly to ease the Far West Branch trek.
Meant to make a path... but it became a blazing inferno.
A wry, hollow smile formed.
"Elemental Master is truly a title of the past now."
The moniker stuck to Lin for mastering the four elements and four sub-elements—magic's eight attributes.
Regrettable, sure.
If this happened without the White Young Master, maybe, but now it's different.
'Trading multi-attribute convenience for abyss-slaying combat power boosted to extremes.'
Yoshua said the dragon age ends, Karenden that abyss erosion has begun...
Proving it: black sun crisis, White Young Master's return, ice spirit puppeteering barrier for 500 years—emergencies nonstop.
This power is essential for worsening times ahead. If choosing, I'd pick this path anyway.
Gustaba: Objectifies caster's physical state in numerical values.
· Core (柱); Current mana: ???,???,???.
Above all, infinite mana overwhelming every drawback... Anyone whining after seeing this ain't a mage.
"Au, auuuu! Abu!"
Then a firm grip from behind.
A red blur darted into view's edge, and scorching, flame-like warmth pressed my cheek and nape.
Hatchling dragon, Akirea.
Awake who-knows-when, she stretched chubby baby arms toward 'Lin's Notebook' in my hand.
"Da-at, daaa-at!"
"Hold still! It's dangerous."
I frantically twisted my notebook hand (this frail thing won't survive her grip) while securing her on my shoulder.
Even then, stretching desperately, she nearly tumbled headfirst.
Barely caught her ankle, heart pounding wildly... I meant to scold sharply, but.
"Auu?"
Her innocent head-tilt upward melted my resolve like sugar on the tongue...
"A-baat."
Clinging to my leg, rubbing her cheek—the instant, I understood completely.
Why parents turn doting fools... Different from sisters or disciples. This angelic being.
'But no...'
I'm not her father. No right to this bliss.
She sees me as parent because Alakish's fragment dwells in me—nothing more.
So, I'll do nanny duty, not parent. Suppressing a rising smile with a cough, I peeled her off.
"Enough. Let go. No favors for cuteness. Got it?"
"Da-at?"
"Listen, Akki. I'm not your dad."
"A-baat!"
"I said no."
"Fact, Da."
"That wasn't dragon tongue just now?"
I'd taught her no infant dragon words like 'Ma kiome', yet she barely babbled human.
Made me shudder with inevitable sorrow.
If Alakish were here, not me, how much more she'd learn. How happy.
"Akki, you're a true dragon. Strongest existence nothing in this world matches—academically, an absolute lifeform."
"Au?"
"You must become one too. I'll help. Human limits unknown, but till [Flame Myriad], I'll give my all."
Squatting to her eye level, I offered my pinky.
"It's a promise. You're young, immature, lacking now—but you'll become noble and great like Alakish. Step by step, from today."
Maybe a promise to myself too.
Received Alakish's soul, so live unashamed of that noble soul... Same for her soul-fragment, Akirea.
Did she read my sincere eyes, or understand my words?
"Our secret promise."
Maybe neither, but as she gazed blankly into my eyes, then beamed and grasped my pinky with both hands.
"Ya-at, soo!"
Deep in my chest—soul's depths—a quiet ripple spread warmly through my body.
Joy?
Likely sorrow.
Profound grief at not grasping that hand myself...
"Good girl. Come here, Akki."
Unsure if Alakish's soul emotion or my fancy, I unwittingly hugged her tight, burying tears.
The world was still summer.
Summer winds blew in my life's century journey too.