Chapter 58 – Hurry Up….Book?

「……haa, how long will this go on?」

My fever is growing more rampant every day.

Slowly but surely.

So, we need to find a way for me to use my power safely as soon as possible.

However, there are still four problem areas left by the apprentices.

This, too, needs to be resolved quickly as we do not know what will happen.

After considering the problems at hand, I came to a decision.

I decided to prioritize solving the problem let by the apprentices first because I thought it would be easier to solve.

We can’t take it easy so I thought of visiting several locations in one day.

The first place we visited today was a cave.

The entrance has a barrier but like the previous ones, I broke it by force and entered.

In a room at the deepest part of the cave, we found a glowing stone.

Even though it glows, it only makes the room a little brighter and I don’t feel any amazing power coming from it.

I wondered why but I decided to take it home with us.

I went outside cautiously in case it triggered some sort of magic when I took it outside.

And yet, nothing happened.

Does that mean it is nothing special?

And the second location for today.

It looks like the cave from earlier.

Will it be as easy? I expected myself to be disappointed but I was wrong.

There was a barrier at the entrance so I broke it and went in.

We have been walking around the cave for an hour and nothing’s happening.

If this was not a place I should investigate, we would have already turned back already.

「Boring」

I stop and look back.

The entrance is already completely out of sight.

…..I guess we’ll just have to go on.

30 minutes later.

「Ah!」

Finally, a change happened.

We found a door.

I was so happy that I almost screamed “yahoo”.

「Areh? This door isn’t as ornate as the others.」

What I see before me is a simple double door.

The doors I had seen before were decorated with carvings and stones that looked like gemstones but this one had none of them.

I put my hand on the door handle and apply force.

It opens without any resistance.

No barrier?

I wonder why but I have no choice but to enter so I step forward with caution.

It’s a deserted space.

And…..there’s nothing in it.

「Seriously?」

The space is illuminated by a magical light.

I look in every nook and cranny but am unable to find anything.

I walked around tapping on walls to see if something was hidden but nothing happened.

「All the effort and time I’ve put into walking all the way here is wasted….」

Well, I was convinced that there should be something in the places with divine power.

「I never thought I wouldn’t find anything.」

I think of the long cave we passed through again.

I feel like my body is losing strength.

Kuh.

Koa, who’s standing next to me, made a worried sound.

I shouldn’t let her worry.

「I’m fine. Let’s move on.」

Well, it’s good that nothing happened.

Let’s just be glad there are no bones, eggs, or coffins.

Well, let’s get out of here….it will be that long passage again.

Hnn?

Since we are not taking anything out of here, there’s no need to walk vigilantly.

Right…then, let’s get out of here by running.

「Let’s go.」

I pointed at the door and said that to Koa and the others.

My companions for today are Koa and Chai.

And probably Kurou’s children.

There’s a possibility that they’re not because they all look the same.

And Fluffy.

As usual, they are positioned around as if protecting me.

I run and they follow me so I gradually increase my speed and head out.

Unlike the previous time, we’re fast.

Just as I started to see the light from the outside in a distance, I heard a “thud” sound from behind.

「What’s that?」

I hastily stop and look back.

Then, I saw a cloud of dust approaching us from behind.

「Hurry up! Wall!」

I hastily imagined a wall and cast magic.

After confirming that a wall was built, I quickly ran toward the exit.

Koa and the others also started running faster perhaps after confirming that the collapse of the cave was imminent.

There’s nothing there and there’s even a trap!

We stopped a short distance away from the cave.

Looking back, I see the entrance to the cave crumbling with a loud noise.

I immediately check my surroundings and see that all of my companions that came with me are here.

It’s great that everyone’s safe.

Still, what was that?

I didn’t take anything out of the cave and yet the cave collapsed.

「At the very least, that thing should be set up if someone were to take something from the cave. This is inexcusable.」

I let out a long sigh.

Now, let’s go to the next place.

I look up at the sky.

Each place is far away and I’ve spent a lot of time in this place.

It will be dark in two hours.

Let’s end the day at the next place.

「Alright, let’s go.」

I started running and looking around.

Everyone is still following me with plenty of energy to spare.

The moment I realized that the cave was about to collapse, everyone picked up speed, right?

If they were to run seriously, I would never be able to catch up to them.

I look at the monster core flying a little ahead of me.

This guy is as capable as ever.

It tells me the exact location.

After running after the stone for a while, it stops in mid-air.

It looks like we have arrived at the next location.

「Stop」

At my words, the floating stone falls to the ground.

I picked it up and felt a slight heat.

I seem to have put a little too much of my new power into it.

I’m trying to be careful but it’s hard to adjust.

Let’s use the monster core and train fine tuning later.

Now, let’s move to the 3rd location of the day.

I check the place indicated by the monster core.

There’s nothing to see.

It must have been hidden.

「Detection」

The previous time I probed the place using my hand but found out later that it was dangerous.

Therefore, this time, I’ll use something else to search for divine power by emitting a little of the new power from my body.

What I imagined is tentacles of power.

It was a bit spooky to imagine but it worked.

I can’t see it but there’s definitely something there.

We’ll push through here with brute force!

I imagine striking something in front of me with force.

「Shatter!」

The air shook and the sound of something shattering echoes through the forest.

I could see Koa and the others spooked and alarmed.

Oops I did it again.

「I’m sorry. It’s okay.」

Koa’s group tilted their heads after hearing what I said but nodded when they saw something appearing before them.

It seems like they understood that I did something as the entrance of a cave appeared because the barrier was broken.

I apologize for surprising them.

「Another cave huh.」

I’d hate it if it was another very long cave-like before.

….should we check?

「Let’s go.」

I noticed it as soon as we entered the cave.

There’s something different with the atmosphere.

What could it be?

We proceed walking with caution.

Unlike the second location, we managed to reach the door fast.

Thank goodness.

「The door here is also undecorated.」

Could it be that there’s nothing here too?

I put my hand on the door’s handle and apply force.

The door opens without resistance, reminding me of the second place.

I wonder if….there’s nothing here.

The moment the door opens, a light comes out of the room.

I was a little relaxed so my body stiffened for a moment.

I panicked and alerted myself but it was just light, not any kind of offensive magic.

「…….hah」

Through the open door, I enter the room.

Spread out before we were books crammed tightly against the walls.

A chair and a desk.

A bunch of paper is piled up on the desk.

「…..an office?」

I was surprised because I did not expect to find a place like this.

I entered the room, picked up one of the books, and checked the content.

「Well, I already expected this. There’s no way I could read it, can I?」

It’s impossible for me to analyze the characters that look like dancing earthworms.

I checked the stack of papers but the same letters are written there.

I hope I could figure something out but it looks like it’s impossible.

In any case, let’s check the bookshelf.

I also look through the pile of paper on the desk.

Unfortunately, nothing is written in Japanese.

Next, I open the desk drawers in turn.

I feel like I’m doing something bad.

「Hnn? Book?」

In the drawer, there’s one book that feels very old.

When I took it out, I could feel a faint sense of power.

I examine it and find that it is divine power but it’s not the same as the apprentices.

「Is it safe to open this book? This won’t suddenly explode as soon as I open it, right?」

Well, that hasn’t happened before so I guess it’s okay.

Let’s open it….areh?

I’m feeling a little uncomfortable with the way I’m thinking now.

Is it my imagination?

…..probably.

Fuh, nothing happened.

I felt a resisting force when I tried to open the book.

I pushed it back using my new power.

As it was still fighting back, I increased the intensity of my new power.

「Good!」

Boom

「Ah….ehto….」

I succeeded in pushing back the force of the book.

However, it seems like I put too much force into the book.

The book burned before my eyes.

To be exact, it burned and turned to ashes in an instant.

Fine-tuning my new power is difficult.

Let’s just hope it’s not an “important book”.