Chapter 90

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (90)

Leonard and the party members returned to the deepest part of the cave after a few minutes and faced the purple crystal, the medium of the 〈Rift〉.

Galano frowned with an indescribable discomfort, and Nenian felt similarly. Only Esther approached the medium with an expression of extreme interest and tried to cast a spell, but it failed immediately, as if the medium was immune to direct magical interference.

She showed an expression as if she had expected this, but she couldn't completely hide her disappointment.

"Hmm, I was curious if we could magically separate the medium. If it were possible, someone would have already taken it."

It was an object that could collapse the walls between dimensions and fix the gaps. A phenomenon that could not be replicated by existing magical formulas, if it could be brought to the workshop for research, even the head of the magic tower would have rushed out barefoot.

It was a desire that non-mages found hard to understand.

Nenian, who had been staring at the medium, said,

"...The spirits are repulsed by it. This crystal is almost a materialization of unnaturalness. It's a foreign substance that shouldn't exist in this world, and prolonged exposure will lead to contamination."

"Contamination?"

"Orcs have an extremely high environmental adaptability, but sea orcs are an exception. If they had all purely transformed into marine creatures, they could have made a new home in the sea without needing to live inside the 〈Rift〉."

Thinking about it, what she said made sense.

The spatial scale of the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉 was C-class, the size of an island that could be explored in a few hours. It wasn't large enough to accommodate thousands of sea orcs.

The fact that they stayed inside meant they had become beings that could not survive outside the power of the 〈Rift〉.

'Perhaps the mutation into extraterrestrial beings was already complete.'

Moreover, if the medium was the source of that mutation, humans should not be in prolonged contact either. The stronger one was, the longer they could endure, but ultimately, they couldn't withstand the power of a dimensional medium indefinitely.

"Hmm?"

At that moment,

'What if there is a human who has been contaminated by the medium and is wandering around this world?'

A possibility that Leonard couldn't ignore flashed through his mind.

'If the elixir provided by Pablo, the leader of the Rift Preservationists, exists in the 〈Rift〉 he has hidden... and if they have been in contact since before the Aquamarine's destruction... could even a Transcendent have been contaminated?'

It was too grand to be called a conspiracy theory, and the only evidence was a mere suspicion.

If this speculation were true, it would be a catastrophic disaster.

He couldn't explain it to anyone in detail.

He couldn't reveal his past life's experiences, and using Cardenas as an excuse had its limits. Relationships built on lies would eventually collapse with a single mistake or coincidence.

"Why, Captain? You don't look well."

Galano looked at his face and asked lightly.

"No, just looking at the medium makes me feel uncomfortable. Let's destroy it and get back to Aquamarine quickly."

"I agree. If I keep feeling this eerie vibration, I think my head will explode."

"Vibration?"

Leonard asked, puzzled.

"Do you feel a vibration? From that crystal?"

He hadn't felt anything.

Misunderstanding the meaning of the question, Galano scratched his beard with an awkward expression.

"Of course. Not as much as the captain, but I have a pretty good sense. It feels like a slight tingling, so it's strange that you can't feel it."

Nenian added,

"Like a cactus sting, I feel like I'm being pricked. If more time passes, it will become unbearable."

"Is it because we're closer to the medium? I didn't feel anything when we were outside the cave."

"Maybe. In any case, it's better to leave quickly."

Only after hearing their conversation did Leonard realize another ability hidden in Cardenas' blood.

Resistance to contamination by interdimensional laws.

There were probably no people like the Seven Great Knights who frequently came into contact with the 〈Rift〉's medium. If they hadn't had any contamination issues, it was likely that they, like Leonard, were immune or had strong resistance.

'From my perspective, it's not necessarily bad. I just need to be careful when traveling with the party.'

If this level of contamination resistance was present even in a minor location like the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉, in a major rift, only Master-level individuals might be able to approach the medium.

Leonard judged this and drew his sword.

"Now, we'll destroy the medium. Esther, prepare the levitation spell."

"Got it."

She placed her palms together and rotated the circle, saying she wouldn't make the same mistake as when they entered.

Seeing this, Leonard raised his sword.

And.

Kiiing!

A lightning-fast slash split the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉's medium into two pieces.

Immediately after,

The cave, and the entire space, began to crack and split as if collapsing. Unlike when they crossed the spatial portal, there was nothing visible beyond the cracks.

Beyond that darkness lay the second dimension outside the dimensional barrier, a place governed by completely different laws from this world.

Leonard stared calmly at the terrifying scene, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.

'—Someday.'

Wishing to be able to cut through even the outside of the world, Leonard and his party were expelled back to their original dimension.

* * *

Four hours and twenty minutes had passed since the four party members entered the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉.

Francis, Marian, Vivian, and Jack Russell were all waiting on the deck for their return. If no one had escaped after five hours, Jack Russell would enter, but no one thought the situation would come to that.

Looking at the entrance of the 〈Rift〉 open on the sea, Vivian cautiously asked,

"Will they come out through that hole, just like when they entered?"

Francis answered her.

"Well, yes. To escape the 〈Rift〉 without sealing it, you have to use the entrance."

The inside and outside of the 〈Rift〉 are thoroughly isolated, and escape through spatial magic is impossible. Even in the 〈Demon Realm〉, where the boundary between this world and the outer dimension has collapsed, it might be possible to try, but in the 〈Rift〉, it's impossible even if you die and come back to life.

Whether it's the 7th or 8th tier, it's the same.

Only at the 9th tier, where you enter the realm of dimensional magic, can you escape with some risk.

"What happens if they seal it to escape?"

"The entrance of the 〈Rift〉 will warp and spit out everyone inside. We are recognized as intruders in the other world. When the medium is destroyed, the connection between the two dimensions disappears, and both are sent back to their respective dimensions."

If any sea orcs had escaped the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉, they would also be recalled.

Vivian nodded in understanding and pointed.

"Like this?"

"What? What do you mean?"

Francis, rarely wide-eyed, turned to look at what she was pointing at.

The entrance of the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉.

The spatial distortion a few meters above the water was warping. Having grown up seeing the sealing phenomena of the 〈Rift〉, Francis knew.

Leonard and his party had really sealed the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉!

"...Heh, if I had known this would happen, I should have gone with them."

Jack Russell, excited by the rare phenomenon, muttered without noticing his glasses slipping down his nose.

Sealing the 〈Rift〉 meant they had captured and destroyed both the medium and the 〈Rift Guardian〉 inside, both of which were fascinating research subjects for mages.

Then, in front of the four people, the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉 shattered like a glass window, expelling the intruders.

"They're out!"

Vivian jumped up with a cheerful smile,

"[Levitation]!"

This time, Esther didn't hesitate and activated the levitation spell, placing the four people on the deck of Aquamarine.

Vivian, who ran up first, hugged Nenian, and Francis greeted the others with a smile.

"Great job! To actually seal it, you've surpassed my expectations again!"

"It wasn't a difficult opponent. We also defeated a single Demonic Beast, so you can check it later and submit it to 〈Bermuda〉."

"Oh? Really?"

Leonard pointed to the party members lined up behind him.

"While I was dealing with the 〈Rift Guardian〉, these three defeated it. Please consider it their achievement."

"Got it!"

In fact, Leonard had done more than half the work, but the three of them, though embarrassed, accepted his kindness.

"Shall we move to the conference room? Are you not too tired?"

It was impractical to continue the conversation on the deck.

Leonard accepted the suggestion, while the others suggested sending them to the training room before resting. They argued that the experience gained from this exploration should be reviewed before it faded.

Nenian and the other two, who had been delighted by Vivian's affection, turned pale, but they had no say in the matter.

"A single leader is enough for the exploration report. Let's do it that way."

"...Going to train, Captain."

"...Vivian, come with me."

"...Hey, Master? Aren't you curious about the medium and the 〈Rift Guardian〉? I can describe it vividly!"

Finally, Esther clung to her master, trying to find an escape route,

"I'll wait for later. I'm looking forward to it, my disciple."

Jack Russell wasn't the type to let this go.

Disappointed by his cold rejection, Esther followed the three to the training room.

Then, led by Francis, the group moved to the conference room and sat in the same positions they had left a few hours earlier.

Francis, Marian, and Jack Russell.

Receiving the expectant gazes of the three, Leonard began recounting the story he had organized in his mind. From landing inside the 〈Rift〉 to breaking through the defenses and defeating the sea orc commander, he started from there.

"..."

"..."

"..."

At first, they were just excited, clapping and cheering.

But as his story progressed, the faces of the two became more serious.

While Marian was excited by the coordination and combat techniques of the three, Francis and Jack Russell were focused on other aspects.

It couldn't be helped.

"...If I'm wrong, I apologize."

As Leonard's exploration report was almost over, Jack Russell raised his hand and looked at him.

His unwavering gaze was the proof.

He didn't try to hide it.

It was as if he had told them to notice.

"Even if the 〈Sea Orc Lair〉 is small, it's impossible for four people to search the entire island. The use of exploration magic is fundamentally blocked inside the 〈Rift〉, and the presence of the medium can't be felt by even a Transcendent unless they are very close."

"Yes, that's right."

"Yet, you found the medium in just three hours. Tracing the tracks on the map, you never wandered and reached the location in the shortest path."

Any rational person would be able to deduce the truth from the information presented.

The chief elder of the Atlantis Magic Tower asked Leonard, who remained calm, with a trembling voice.

"Can you find the medium of the 〈Rift〉?"

Leonard, who had orchestrated this situation from the beginning, answered calmly.

"Yes."