96
096 ― Severing the World
Guarding a crossroads that cuts off the world means there's something that needs to be protected.
In this desert, it wasn't just any Orc, but what a Lord's minion was trying to protect was obvious. A temple, or the divine artifacts they had stolen until now.
[ Perfect. Let's catch that bastard and interrogate him about the temple's location. ]
'You want to capture him alive?'
[ He just needs to be breathing. ]
Jin-woo looked at the Orc ahead. He wore a black cloth covering his head and entire body, so the contours of his body weren't visible, but he could tell the creature was large.
'A few sword strikes probably won't make him talk.'
He wasn't the type to spill everything just from some clumsy threats. And it wasn't like he had learned any torture techniques either.
[ Don't worry. I have a method. ]
Then the God of Light told him to leave it to him. From his confident tone, it seemed he had reliable means.
If that was the case, it was worth the trouble to capture him alive. It would be harder than just killing him, but he was the only clue in this desert where they had no other leads.
"You do not come."
The Sand Mage remained standing motionless. The sandstorm spreading from his green hands stayed the same.
Since he was a guardian of the crossroads, there was no need for him to actively come to kill Jin-woo. If they just changed direction and went back this way, he probably wouldn't bother chasing them.
But Jin-woo had reasons to catch him. Not just one, but two.
'Can you do it?'
―Kiing!
At Jin-woo's words, Ego Sword rang slightly, making a sound like chains clanking. Trusting that confidence, Jin-woo kicked off the sand.
"Foolish. You cannot recognize your place of death."
The Sand Mage's two eyes, visible between the black cloth covering his head, glowed ominously. For an Orc, he used quite an intelligent manner of speech. Perhaps he was someone who had received higher education, having learned magic.
Since there was also Bertus, it wasn't that surprising. And from Bertus's case, he knew one thing for certain.
Even if their speech was polite and courteous, the bloody fighting spirit unique to the Orc race was still surging within.
Sand flashed sharply and rushed to tear Jin-woo apart. Unlike the first attack, it didn't take the form of blades. Small grains of sand came rushing as they were.
The smallest blades. Moving on their own, they looked like a swarm of insects, instinctively evoking disgust.
Jin-woo leaped into the rushing sand. While protecting his body with wind and running toward the Sand Mage, grains of sand continuously pounded his surface.
'Each grain of sand has Magi in it... He's quite delicate for his size.'
Surprisingly, each grain of sand trying to penetrate the wind had mana imbued in it. They weren't roughly given as one lump, but each one separately.
Imbuing objects with Magi wasn't difficult, but imbuing each of these countless grains of sand was something even Jin-woo thought was astronomical. He absolutely couldn't imitate it.
However.
"In the end, sand is still sand."
Jin-woo swung the Ego Sword to cut through the flow of sand. Though it was a sandstorm imbued with considerable power, it was lighter than expected.
Sand is sand. No matter how much Magi you pour into it, it doesn't add weight.
"...!"
Seeing Jin-woo emerge through the sandstorm in an instant, the Sand Mage's eyes widened.
He had imagined something like a mangled corpse, but Jin-woo wasn't a corpse—he didn't have a single wound.
"This bastard...!"
Only then did he hastily gather sand to create a sword. Though the length was only as long as a forearm, the thickness was similar to an axe—a blunt sword.
A heavy yellow sword made by gathering the finest particles among the sand he controlled. He brought it down toward Jin-woo, who had somehow approached, but.
Seoreok―
What was cut was his arm holding the sword.
"Kraaaaaaah!"
Even while grimacing in pain, the Sand Mage didn't fall backward. Instead, he showed aggression, rushing forward to attack Jin-woo. Truly worthy of being called an Orc.
Jin-woo simply changed the direction of the sword that had cut the creature's arm and struck down again. His remaining arm was also half-severed, spurting blood.
Jin-woo kicked the staggering creature's chest with his foot.
"Kheuk!"
Having lost one arm, he couldn't maintain balance and was bleeding heavily. Unable to support his body in that state, he fell onto the sandy ground with a thud.
Jin-woo pointed his sword at the creature's neck, then lowered it to his chest. Where the sword tip pointed, black flames were flickering. Probably near where his heart would be.
"You bas... Mmph! Mmph!"
Roots growing from the ground blocked and bound the mouth of the creature who was lying down, lifting only his head slightly to glare this way.
The opponent was a mage who used some kind of magic. While controlling sand seemed to be his specialty, there might be troublesome spells he could cast with his mouth.
The roots of the God of Moonlit Forest blocked the creature's mouth and fixed his head as well. Not only that, they held his eyelids wide open so he couldn't close his eyes.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
His large frame writhed, and sand scattered. Before long, his arms and legs were also bound by roots and fixed to the ground.
Jin-woo looked at the light beside him.
"You said you had a means of interrogation?"
[ Yes. It'll be over in a moment. ]
The light approached right in front of the Sand Mage, bound to the ground, then flickered several times. Sometimes short, sometimes long. Blinking several times as if sending morse code.
Before long, the Sand Mage's struggles subsided, and his eyes were vacant and unfocused.
Now, even when the roots released him, he didn't struggle. Slowly getting up, without even brushing off the sand on his body, he clasped his hands toward the light as if in prayer and knelt down prostrate.
"I greet my Lord."
[ It's all done. ]
It really was just a moment. It took only the time for a few eye blinks to completely dominate a minion.
'I thought it might do something with Erosion...'
What Jin-woo had imagined was devouring with Erosion and making him his own minion. However, he had stolen the God of War's minion with a completely different power, not Erosion.
"If it's this easy, you should have done it earlier."
It ended so simply that it was almost absurd. When he asked about it, the light shook side to side as if shaking its head.
[ This is the first time I've captured a minion this easily. I've caught a few ordinary Orcs before, but they said they didn't know the temple's location. ]
It seemed he had already tested this several times on regular Orcs. But capturing mere foot soldiers wouldn't yield information about the temple.
This was the first time he had captured a minion-level creature alive, and so simply at that. There was slight admiration in the God of Light's tone as he said this.
And.
Pat―
The light blinked slightly. Subtly in front of Jin-woo's eyes.
Though no energy emanated from it, the act itself raised Jin-woo's guard. Seeing Jin-woo step back and fidget with his sword, the God of Light spoke urgently.
[ No, no. The connection is a bit strange for a moment. Ahaha. ]
"......"
Whether it was real or just an excuse. He couldn't let his guard down for even a moment with this creature.
Was it right to travel with such a being?
'He's the one following me around on his own anyway...'
The problem was that even if he wanted to drive him away, there wasn't really a method. Still, one thing was fortunate.
The tree roots that had grown were wedged between Jin-woo and the light, keeping their nerves on edge toward the light.
***
There was a meadow full of light.
At first glance, the place that looked sacred and beautiful was actually a strange location when examined closely.
Despite being so full of light, no shadows could be seen.
No tree shade, no shadows of flowers, no darkness even in caves between rocks.
A place that couldn't exist in an ordinary world.
Flowers that emitted light formed fields stretching beyond the horizon, and among them could be seen bees flying around helping with pollination, and squirrels running away with acorns.
The song of birds chirping on tree branches seemed to sparkle like starlight even in sound.
In that heaven-like place sat a woman. A beautiful woman with blue-green hair.
"...Why isn't it working?"
No, it wasn't strange that it didn't work. She had tried it, expecting this outcome anyway.
The question she should have now was about why the 'baptism' didn't work.
"It's not like that tree fellow interfered, so why isn't it working?"
Her body contained the power of the World Tree. It had been dwelling there for a long time already, preemptively occupying her body and driving out all beings like herself.
So she knew the baptism wouldn't work. The reason she tried anyway was because she wanted to observe the World Tree blocking it.
The problem was that it didn't work even though the World Tree didn't do anything.
"...And the fact that he noticed the minion's existence before I did."
He was, somehow, an extraordinary fellow. Kang Jin-woo, was it?
The very person who stole the divine artifacts in the Temple of Sky and expelled that temple from the Gate.
"He said he was a Hunter from a place called Earth."
If it were Earth, she knew it was a star that the God of Sky was quite earnestly targeting.
Thinking about it that way, it made sense that Kang Jin-woo had stolen the divine artifacts of the God of Sky. Since they were attacking his star, he probably retaliated even a little.
"Earth..."
She, who had been lost in thought, tapping her chin thoughtfully, reached out her hand. When she gestured, one of the bees flying nearby came wobbling toward her.
"You said you were a Hunter from Earth, right? Can you tell me about your world?"
Even though it was a bee that couldn't speak human words, she listened with a smile as if she could hear very well.
***
The information extracted from the Sand Mage was simple.
The War God's temple was located in a canyon following this riverbank downstream.
Just saying it that way made it sound easy, but he said the downstream riverbank branched into dozens of streams. Those branching riverbeds split again, ultimately creating hundreds of paths.
Among those paths, only one. There was a path leading to the canyon where the God of War's temple was located.
"I will tell you how to find that path. First, when you reach the first fork and look at the night sky..."
[ I don't care, just guide us. ]
"Yes. Please follow me."
When the Sand Mage's explanation seemed like it would get long, the God of Light immediately cut him off and had him guide them instead. A much simpler and more accurate method than a tedious explanation.
"Sigh... I won't be able to fix the car either."
Jin-woo stored the vehicle, broken into three pieces, in his inventory. Now it should be called scrap metal rather than a vehicle.
Following the Sand Mage like that, they moved along the downstream river.
Faster than walking speed, but not running at full power. Though slower than the car, the speed of the two was still quite fast.
Reducing sleep and traveling for several more days, they arrived at the canyon the Sand Mage had mentioned.
Red cliffs blocked the way like walls, severing the world. Between them was a narrow path, but an easily approachable darkness lurked there.
There were no particular guards or anything blocking the way. But the dark atmosphere between the canyon alone gave off an eerie feeling.
What was more noticeable was.
Kuwoong―!
The canyon was already under attack by someone.
Not many in number, just two. A small flying baby dragon and an Indian woman clinging to that baby dragon.
"Kalesian and Mahiri?"
While Jin-woo was surprised by the unexpected encounter.
Kwaaaaaaah!
Breath shot from Kalesian's mouth, attacking the red cliffs that severed the world.