Chapter 238 – Outside (1)
The magic power subsided, and darkness descended.
Verden rolled his eyes, scanning his surroundings. The space leading to the Demon King's tomb in the Eastern Marshlands—no, the Demon King's facility—came into view.
The blue sapphire used when activating the spatial teleportation array now lay on the device, its light gone. Below it, the remnants once used by the mages of the Ark were scattered.
It was the exact same sight as before entering the facility.
Verden immediately began to walk.
Though the relic that once served as his landmark was no longer there, there was no chance of losing his way. The memories of that time resurfaced in his mind as vividly as yesterday.
He passed through the doors and walked down the corridor.
Retracing the path he had come, he soon reached the wide-open gate. The entrance engraved with the supreme octagram, the symbol of the Mado Nation.
As he climbed the stairs, the familiar scent of the marshland brushed against his nose. Soon, dim shadows stretched over him.
The Seekers' camp had vanished, leaving behind only faint traces.
'It's been a while since I've been outside.'
Even though it was daytime, the sun's rays barely reached the Eastern Marshlands.
The Demon King's artifact stood at the very heart of it. The ominous scenery and the stench of rotting plants welcomed Verden, yet he did not feel displeased.
On the contrary, it felt refreshing.
'Well, I suppose it's only natural, having been inside the facility for so long.'
When he had first come to the Eastern Marshlands, it was summer.
Judging by the climate now, quite some time had passed, and autumn was already upon them. The emergency food he had set aside was nearly depleted within the facility.
Having been unable to breathe the outside air for so long, even the worst marshlands felt like a welcome sight.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The ground rose up, concealing the surrounding area.
It was nearly impossible for unwanted guests to reach this place, and without the sapphire, none could enter the facility anyway. Still, there was no reason to leave it exposed in plain sight.
Verden pressed the earth firmly down.
It looked unnatural for now, but time would smooth it over. The small hill would eventually blend into the marshlands, becoming part of the landscape.
Finishing his work, Verden rose high into the sky.
With the wide expanse of the heavens and the marshlands spread below, he activated his mana circuits.
His destination was the city of Asern. The direction—southwest.
***
The skies of the Eastern Marshlands were always empty.
This was because the demi-humans and abnormal species, driven by instinct, always kept their eyes lit with hunger. Whether sparrow or mage, if something seemed like prey, they would attack without hesitation.
Of course, that was only if the attempt at hunting was even possible.
Fwoooosh!
Verden's figure tore through the air.
His flight speed surpassed even the tier 5
'This is… beyond my imagination.'
The Halo of Ainber.
Even without casting additional magic, it naturally protected Verden from air resistance and shock.
And although only a single halo had formed, the light-infused speed far exceeded predictions. It was so great that none of the marshland's predators dared to give chase.
'If three halos could overlap at once, what then?'
If the increase in speed scaled proportionally… a journey of five days might take less than one.
He would not be able to make wide turns or sudden changes in direction, but drastically shortening travel time was a happy miscalculation for Verden.
Moments later, his speed exceeded the standard again.
A second halo manifested, overlapping with the first, and the scenery around him blurred even faster.
The return journey felt invigorating, refreshing enough to make his heart stir.
Verden stroked Ainber with satisfaction.
It contained no metal, yet the smooth, soft texture lingered at his fingertips. Despite its thinness, its resistance was remarkable.
It defied common sense—but that was only natural.
Dragon scales and hides were among the highest-grade materials in the entire world. Setting aside their special properties, their defensive power was overwhelming.
'Still, I mustn't rely on it too much.'
Dragon materials had already reached their ceiling.
In other words, being at their own limit, they could not be enhanced further. It was impossible to craft something that maintained their full strength.
Thus, artifacts made of dragon materials were born by sacrificing some of that defensive power in exchange for special abilities.
'In other words, Ainber is inferior to pure dragon scales and hide.'
Its overall resistance was high, but as a robe, its defense against slashing attacks was comparatively weaker. It still shone brilliantly, but it was not invincible.
If a being or an artifact existed that could damage dragon scales, then Ainber could not protect Verden.
For example—someone at the level of a Transcendent.
As he pondered deeply, Verden suddenly recalled the Administrator.
'By now, it should have perished.'
There was a time when Verden himself had been ravaged by experiments, living on borrowed time.
Because of that, he understood what it was like to await death. But how had the Administrator, the Demon King's doppelgänger, felt?
Even so, he hoped it had departed without regret. In silence, Verden paid his respects.
"…Companions, huh."
He had never once journeyed alongside someone else. No—that was not even something he had ever considered.
Above all else, Verden had prioritized his own strength. To topple the magic tower and the tower master, he too had to climb above Transcendence.
He had no room to even feel loneliness.
And now, Verden was a Quasi-Transcendent.
With only spiritual enlightenment left, he would finally become the Transcendent he longed for. But crossing that wall was still a distant matter.
There was no doubt that the path he had walked thus far was not mistaken… but perhaps something was missing, not the direction itself.
'Maybe that something is a companion.'
Honestly, he could not grasp what sort of enlightenment such a thing would bring.
Still, it was worth considering. Regardless of Transcendence, there were indeed others who bore grudges against the Bohemirn Magic Tower. If they joined him, it could greatly aid his revenge.
Whether they actually intended to act on their vengeance, he did not know.
Whatever the case, Verden did not take the Administrator's advice lightly.
Whoooosh!
At last, three halos overlapped.
In just a few hours, he reached the outskirts of the marshlands. It was not only due to the speed, but also because the marshlands' complex terrain no longer restricted him.
'At this rate, I'll reach Asern in a day or two.'
Just then—
──KWAANG!
A distant explosion rang out.
It was directly along Verden's path. As he looked ahead, black smoke rose from the marshlands.
Moments later, a red flare erupted. Without a doubt, it was an artificial explosion.
'Someone's conducting a demi-human subjugation in the marshlands?'
Tilting his head, Verden closed one eye.
A sphere of magic formed in the air.
Half his vision displayed the source of the commotion. A man, clothes dirtied, running desperately while being chased by many pursuers.
Judging by his movements, his skill was professional.
'A pursuit, despite the kingdom's ban.'
It was strange.
What could possibly drive them to do such a thing here in the Eastern Marshlands? Both the fugitive who fled here, and those chasing him, were far from normal.
Unless they were formidable, it was tantamount to throwing themselves into death's maw. From Verden's perspective, the environment itself was lethal…
Wait.
Verden studied the fugitive more carefully. A familiar face.
'Perne's informant?'
The name was Gedson.
He was one of Perne's informants active in Asern,and Verden had run into him several times at her tavern.
But why was he being chased? And in the Eastern Marshlands, no less?
The thought lasted only a moment.
Verden immediately made his decision, activating Ainber. The three halos spun fiercely, dyeing his entire body in golden light.
Ainber's spatial teleportation.
With the flash, Verden's figure vanished all at once.
***
Gedson, along with several other informants, had been dispatched on Perne's orders toward the Eastern Marshlands.
From a small safe house, they both evaded Vintert's pursuit and waited to meet the gray-haired mage.
Of course, the latter seemed unlikely.
No one knew when he would emerge from the marshlands.
There was also a high chance he would simply fly past without even noticing them. Still, watching the area was better than doing nothing, so the informants split into zones to monitor the marsh's perimeter.
The days passed without promise. Boring, but not all bad.
At the very least, it meant they wouldn't be pursued by the notorious assassins of Vintert. They had erased their tracks thoroughly.
'So we thought!'
As he ran through the marsh, Gedson glanced back.
The assassins, radiating murderous intent, were closing in fast.
"Damn it, damn it all!"
How had it come to this?
He honestly didn't know. He understood that they had suddenly appeared, but why they had come to the marshlands at all, that he could not guess.
They wouldn't come this far just to catch a mere informant.
'I'm screwed. I'm seriously screwed.'
Gedson's cold sweat poured like a waterfall.
The marsh's terrain had drained his stamina, and he had already used up all of his smoke bombs and explosive charges. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they caught him.
If even one monster appeared in the marsh, it would be the end.
There was no way out.
Was he going to die here? Gedson felt his vision darken.
Fwoooosh!
Just then, light burst forth in front of him.
"W-what the?!"
A sudden pillar of radiance. Gedson shielded his face and faltered.
Even the assassins were startled by the unexpected turn. Then, from within the brilliance, a man stepped forward.
The light vanished.
Raising his head with effort, Gedson's eyes widened.
"L-Lord Asher!"
The gray-haired man, robed in resplendent garments no one dared lay a hand on. His attire was new, but his face and aura were unmistakable.
"That man… is Asher?"
"The face matches the rumors. To run into him here, fortune smiles on us."
The assassins gripped their hilts greedily.
If they could capture him here and deliver him to Roafra, it would be a grand achievement. The bounty would be beyond imagination.
Greed and bloodlust intertwined.
Verden, looking at Gedson, asked,
"What exactly is going on?"
There was much to say,but no time to explain leisurely.
Gedson immediately summarized.
"Vintert is tracking you, Lord Asher, and because of that Lady Perne is in danger, so she requested aid from Lady Calia!"
"Me? For what reason?"
"T-that… I honestly don't know."
Didn't know, huh.
Then the ones behind it would have to be asked directly.
"Why is Vintert pursuing me?"
"That's knowledge only the King of the Underworld holds. You, simply surrender. Unless you'd rather be dragged away with your joints cut to pieces."
The assassins chuckled.
Empty threats. Verden took one silent step forward,
and the assassins swiftly split apart, encircling him from all sides.
"Don't move rashly. We're equipped with magic items that heighten lightning resistance. Even if you're said to have a special trait, a tier-4 lightning mage couldn't possibly take us all───"
Crackle!
In an instant, a surge of lightning swept outward from Verden.
It was so sudden that they could barely react. Not even the pain registered.
The assassins stared blankly at the static crawling over their bodies.
"What… is this…?"
From within, lightning exploded.
No scream escaped—the electrification erased even death throes. Lightning resistance meant nothing before the destructive force of tier-6 lightning magic.
'Have they only been taking contracts from Marquis Esperanza all this time?'
They were still talking about tier-4… how outdated.
Perhaps because the commissions were always of the utmost secrecy, their intel on Verden hadn't been updated in ages.
'But more importantly, they called me a special trait-holder.'
Verden was no trait-holder.
And yet the assassins sent by Vintert were certain of it.
Why?
The answer came quickly.
'Could it be Leonil?'
The first prince's manor, infiltrated through the secret social hall.
In the hidden laboratory there, the mage Drevus—who dissected Karans—had said this:
──"It concerns the First Prince and Vintert. For long they have abducted trait-holders, sending them to His Majesty. Each time, His Majesty rewarded them… though what those rewards were, I cannot say."
'So that mysterious experiment still hasn't ended.'
That much seemed clear.
For Vintert to move so extensively… though why they mistook him for a trait-holder was unknown.
Verden furrowed his brow.
He hadn't planned on dealing with Vintert, though Leonil's human experiments were another matter.
But since they had struck at him first in this way…
"Perhaps I should erase them."
"Wh-what?"
"Talking to myself. Now then, where is Perne?"
Gedson hastily pulled out a map.
Having just seen Vintert's assassins wiped out with a single spell, he felt both relief and fear that the man responsible was on his side.
"L-Lady Calia's airship must have already picked up Lady Perne and her party. In that case, they should be…"
His trembling finger pointed to a location.
"Here. Likely in this area. They must be heading toward the safest route, to Rines."
It wasn't far.
Southward. Closer than Asern, even.
"I see. Thanks for telling me."
"N-no, thank you for saving my life, Lord Asher."
"Is there anywhere nearby to hide?"
"Y-yes, if you head southeast from here—uwah?!"
Verden separated a portion of the ground beneath Gedson and lifted it into the air.
Then he wrapped it in a protective mana barrier, ensuring Gedson wouldn't be thrown off by the speed.
Gedson's face paled with shock.
"L-Lord Asher?!"
"Guide me. I'll take you there."
He couldn't just leave him in the marsh.
Though the outskirts were near, Gedson was exhausted. A monster could easily attack and kill him.
Verden rose into the sky, carrying Gedson with him.
Then came the high-speed flight.
"Wha—? W-wait! Wait, Lord Asher! This is too fast! Too fast, I'll just walk, please let me down───"
Screeeeeeeeech!
Informant Gedson.
His pitiful scream echoed for quite some time.