Book 4: Chapter 69.2
Book 4: Chapter 69.2
Separation《Dividing the world》
★ A long long passage ★
There was no light in the front, back, left or right. Even when I tried to use Light Magic, mysteriously, only a small sphere of light appeared, but it did not illuminate the surroundings.
When I spread both my hands to the side, I can immediately touch the walls to the left and right. So it definitely seems to be a straight passage.
I don’t know how long it’s been. At first, I was keeping track of time. 30 minutes passed, then an hour, then a few hours, and then I lost track of time. I wasn’t even sure if I was walking up, or down, or going in a curve, or even walking straight, for that matter. I felt like my body was floating in a vacuum of darkness.
In the beginning, I was talking to my companions who should be nearby as we entered together. But as time passed, I felt like I was the only person left in the world.
「Hah, hah, hah…」
I was running out of breath and sweating profusely. My legs felt heavy, and I was running out of stamina.
「Hah, hah, hah…」
My heavy breathing and throbbing heartbeat was the only proof that I was alive.
「Hah, hah, hah …」
Eventually, I felt like my body melted into the darkness, and only my air-filled lungs and pumping heart was moving forward. As if my body was moving on its own, my mind was allowed to wander and think. My mind felt clear and was able to make deep insights.
『The components that make up the Covenant are the “Skill Orbs”, the “Pledger”, and the ” Mediator”.』
These three are inviolable.
Therefore, the mediator could not destroy the First Altar that produces skill orbs, and he did not follow us down this passage under the altar.
In the Kruvan Holy Kingdom, the Holy King, who is a pledger, fought against the mediator, but he could not damage the mediator before the dome was destroyed. The mediator defeated the Knight Captain of the Knights Order, but did not attack the Holy King. He knew it was meaningless because the pledger was inviolable.
『Don’t take too many skill orbs.』
Such an epigram-like line was written in the Covenant. It doesn’t say what will happen if you take too many.
——Skill orbs are said to be ‘”God-given”… but I think it is also a “circulating thing”. Eh, though, I am the only one who believes that in the Holy Royal Palace. I have a theory that skill orbs that disappear in this world go to the “Back World”, and the skill orbs that disappear in the “Back World” come to this world.
El-san, the rabbit priest, said so. If his guess was correct, it aligns with the “don’t take too many”.
I saw a mountain of skill orbs at the Back World’s First Altar earlier.
With that many of them, it would be quite probable to see a few skill orbs with 4-stars or higher. As the number of stars increases, the probability of production will be low, of course, but if it has many stars, its light will increase and it will be easier to find.
As far as I saw with my【Vision Enhance】, and as recorded by my Perfect Memory, I did not see the shining light of a skill orb higher than 4-star.
(In the “Front World”, the higher star skill orbs are incredibly valuable and traded for a very large sum of money. If the users of these skill orbs suffer a serious illness, the skill orb is taken out with 【Orb Detachment】.)
——1-star goes for 1 silver coin. You can eat three meals at a diner in a town for that much. 2-stars are sold at 100 silver coins.
——100 silver coins?! …By the way, what about a 6-star?
——You can’t get a value.
I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with old man Hinga at the Sixth Mine.
These skill orbs are so precious that they are handled with extreme care. In fact, even in a country as big as the Kruvan Holy Kingdom, a country with monopoly on an altar which produces skill orbs, there were only seven skill orbs with 5-stars or higher. The noble houses have kept it for generations.
(As a result of safeguarding and hoarding rare skill orbs in the “Front World”, it was no longer circulated to the “Back World”. Therefore, there was no way to counter the ferocious monsters in the “Back World”. And the number of people steadily dwindled.)
However, there were also the eight giants at that time, so the “Back World” must have had it tougher.
I am sure El-san would be happy if I talked to him about the Covenant and the “Back World”. El-san had perfectly grasped that monsters would rush in from the “Back World” if the Covenant was revoked. Did he perhaps already know that the skill orb circulation was out of balance between the two worlds and that the “Back World” was infested with monsters?
——To tell the truth, this isn’t really my theory. It was advocated by Dr. Hinga, who was a leading researcher in the deciphering of ancient documents on the “Covenant”, the “Back World”, and the study of “Skill Orbs”. It was a research paper from more than 20 years ago.
El-san seems to have learned a lot from old man Hinga’s research.
——I exist only to be punished. For I have committed a sin that I can’t atone for even with my death. But I was blessed to bask in the sun’s embrace in my final hour. O God who governs heaven and earth, I pray that thee grant blessings unto this shunned child.
Old man Hinga said so in his last moments.
Old man Hinga was researching skill orbs, but is that truly a “sin”? Did he have to “atone with death” for that?
(What exactly did old man Hinga do?)
Does Lulusha-san still have old man Hinga’s thesis? I may get some clues by reading it.
I hope the monsters that fell from the red crack in the sky did not destroy those papers.
When I return to the “Front World”, I have to go to the Lev Magic Empire.
I wonder what happened to the red crack in the sky.
And also… Lark.
Is she still safe?
She must be doing something unreasonable again. It’s Lark, after all.
I have to stop her.
As her little brother.
★ Lev Magic Empire / Red Gate Frontline ★
Abba was busy with work every single day. As the troops of each country arrived one after another, coordinating the high-ranking officials was Abba’s job.
If he overlooks something, it can affect hundreds of thousands of soldiers. It could even disrupt the food supply line, which could leave the soldiers in hunger. Furthermore, the soldiers came to fight for his nation, the Lev Magic Empire, so Abba was giving it his all.
Whenever he returns to his tent to take a short nap, work immediately calls for him and he rushes out.
「…………?」
On a certain day, he unintentionally noticed the magic tool placed in the corner of his tent.
A pedestal of about 25 cm and a flat, circular, silver metal placed on it.
It was a magic tool to confirm that Reiji was still alive in the “Back World”. If you bring your ears closer, it will make a humming noise as usual. But after Silver Balance and Lulusha went out to investigate the “Labyrinth of 9 Emotions”, Abba does not check it as often.
Abba thought that maybe he should check it today, but before he could–
「Abba-sama! The meeting is about to begin!」
One of his subordinates called for him.
「Alright. I’m coming.」
Carrying documents under his arm, he rushed out of his tent.
Zuzuzuzuzuzu – the magic tool was vibrating.
And the vibration became stronger and stronger. The silver metal plate rattled on the pedestal. And then–
——Paki.
It broke right in two.
It was only after a few days that Abba, who was so busy with work that he couldn’t even return to his tent to sleep, noticed this.