Chapter 68

I have corrected the title of the previous chapter.

Kena, who had seen off her companions invading the royal castle within the ruined city, looked around at the ghost town with dilapidated buildings. There seemed to be no monsters nearby, as neither the overhead radar nor her [Intuition] detected any presence.

"I will keep watch around here. Kena-sama, please use your full strength."

"Okay, thanks, Ki. And Opus, you said you were going to destroy it..."

As Kena, who had been listening to the inner voice, turned to address her partner, Opus was already raising a giant hammer twice his height.

[Combat Skill: Crust Pulverization]

"Wait, hold on!?"

Before she could protest, Kena saw the hammer being swung down. With the blessing of the wind spirit, she took a backstep, jumping dozens of meters away. The moment her feet left the ground, the giant hammer, enveloped in a yellowish-brown effect, struck the cobblestones. *Doooom!* The entire city seemed to shake from the vibration and the roar. Cracks spread in a five-meter radius around Opus, with several areas rising and sinking. However, the area eventually collapsed, leaving a dark abyss underground. This skill, originally used against multiple enemies to knock them down and cause damage with cracks and uplifts, was effective in such a situation. Since Opus had already withdrawn before the area collapsed, there was no problem, and he was standing next to Kena, carrying the giant hammer on his shoulder. He gazed at the destruction he had caused and muttered.

"Hmm, the thickness of the surface is not that much."

"To start with such a destructive act and then give such a comment..."

The circular surface had disappeared, and looking down, there were rock blocks that had been cobblestones, stacked about ten meters below. Most underground dungeons in royal capitals are composed of two or three levels, so how many more times would they have to repeat this to completely destroy it? Kena had no idea. Moreover, only Opus could use the combat skill with the giant hammer, making it inefficient. Even if Kena were a Skill Master, she couldn't use it because she lacked the strength to wield high-level giant hammer weapons.

"This is getting nowhere. Should we just blow things up randomly?"

"There are other options without resorting to that."

Opus grinned. Kena took a step back, recognizing the expression that usually preceded the use of dubious methods during the game. Opus raised both hands dramatically, drawing a summoning magic circle at his feet.

[Summoning Magic: Level 7: Earth Spirit]

The moment the summoning circle glowed yellowish-brown, the ground, including the cobblestones, rose up with a roar. Opus, the caster, rode on it, gathering rocks and soil around him to form a shape. Eventually, the compacted rocks and soil transformed into a chess piece about ten meters tall. It resembled a castle soldier, with a mottled pattern of brown and gray. Opus, with one foot on the part resembling a castle wall, leaned back. Incidentally, the reason he didn't summon at the maximum level was that the maximum MP of the demon race, to which Opus belonged, was much less than Kena's. In other words, he was short on MP, which was being slowly restored by the [MP Recovery] skill.

"Well, this is the standard, I guess..."

Kena nodded, looking up at the figure. The summoned earth spirit was not suitable for attack but was useful for creating makeshift fortifications and walls on the battlefield during wars. Of course, it could be used for attacks, but those who experienced being crushed or buried by it knew the terror of this summon. Even in a virtual world, being buried alive was terrifying.

Leaving that aside, Opus gave orders to the silent, giant chess piece, pointing at the ruined town below.

"Now, Earth Spirit, this is your domain. Return this city to the earth!"

At the summoner's command, the chess piece floated up without any warning. It moved forward as if lifted by an invisible hand, pointing a finger. It stopped above the hole Opus had created, and a light sound echoed through the dungeon. The chess piece was not in the hole but floating in mid-air. The moment a soft thud was heard, cracks radiated out in all directions from the piece. The cracks, measured to the millimeter, formed a neat spider web pattern across the city. The square rock blocks floated up and then arranged themselves in a circle around the chess piece, like Saturn's rings.

A pit about a hundred meters in diameter and over ten meters deep opened up in the ground around the chess piece. Opus, spotting some movement at the bottom, released a sealed explosive spell from a staff in his item box and struck it. "Leave it to me," Kena muttered, floating beside the chess piece earth spirit. She was using the [Flight] ability sealed in her winged boots. It seemed convenient, but once used, it continued until the charged MP was depleted, and it took time to recharge for the next use.

The floating rock blocks began to descend, aligning themselves and fitting into the bottom of the pit. Most of the blocks were the ground supporting the ruined city and the floors of the first and second levels. The volume was insufficient to fill the third level, so only about half of the second level was buried. "What are you going to do about this?" Kena asked, looking at Opus. He pointed to something beyond the ruined city.

"There's the sea, right?"

"Oh, you're going to create a shallow bay..."

Actually, the boundary between the ruined city and the sea was a cliff a few meters high, so it was uncertain if the water could flow in.

The dungeon, half-buried and neatly filled, creaked as the chess piece earth spirit, slightly tilted, seemed satisfied (or not) and took another step forward. This time, it moved a hundred meters away from Kena's side. As it moved, it created cracks and lifted rock blocks, then buried them in the newly formed hole. Although it was an earth spirit, it didn't have feet, but it could move while floating by manipulating gravity. Kena, watching the earth spirit's movements, sighed, fiddling with her dull golden bangs.

"Will it be over if we just leave it?"

Kena, wondering how the vanguard was doing, opened a private chat and walked in the air, chatting idly.

---

"Hmm?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing, I just thought I heard something..."

The commotion in the rear guard occurred right after Kena silenced Opus with a punch and ignored the vanguard being surrounded by enemy monsters.

The filling of the area around the city gate of the ruined city was complete, and behind Opus, the [Barrier] on the other side of the city wall was now visible. However, the dragons could only vaguely see it. The sisters, who were hiding in the forest around the ruined city, were not visible.

Tired of idly watching Opus's summoned earth spirit, Kena descended to the bottom of the filled hole to do something. A vague sensation caught some sound, and she turned her head. As she narrowed her eyes at the darkness of the third level, responding to Ki's question, a warning came.

"Approach alert!—"

At Ki's warning, a large shadow released tentacle-like things toward her. Without a moment to spare, she dodged by lying flat on the ground. Before she could confirm what had passed overhead with a sharp sound, she sensed the second attack coming from the darkness with [Dark Vision] and released a pre-set spell.

[Magic Skill: Load: Lightning Wall]

Lightning radiated from her outstretched right hand, forming a shield like a flower with many petals. The diameter was more than enough to block Kena's front, about eight meters. At level 119, this defensive magic would instantly kill any monster below level 600. The shield's flickering discharge turned everything it touched into blackened ashes. The thick, black whip-like shadow, resembling a tree trunk, disintegrated where it touched Kena's [Lightning Wall], and its tip scattered in an unexpected direction.

"!?"

The tip of the black whip, thought to be solid, was ejected from the scorched center. For a moment, it seemed to collapse and turned into countless black particles, which returned to the darkness with a harsh buzzing sound.

"Hey, bugs!?"

"Magical Beetles. The monsters we encountered in the quest that broke the level 400 limit."

"Ah, those army ant-like... things..."

Cold sweat trickled down Kena's back as she recalled the vague memory. The beetles, with black bodies and red eyes, swarmed in a ball large enough to engulf a person. At the time, they had formed a party with a magic-focused growth and cast combination spells to the point where third parties commented, "You don't have to go that far..." In the hospital, even the presence of a bug in the room was a threat to Kena, who couldn't move, causing a commotion with nurse calls and screams. Opus, who had apparently noticed something from the lightning attack in the rear, landed silently beside her, staring at the swarm in the darkness.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, e, well..."

"Magical Beetles."

"Hmm, a swarm, huh."

Opus, who had instantly understood the situation, glanced at Kena, who was hesitating. Things were going well until Kena tilted her head, frowning. "Isn't something off?" she asked, looking at Opus.

"What do you mean?"

"Were you talking just now?"

"Of course, what are you talking about?"

"With Ki?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

Kena recalled that during the explanation, there were parts that didn't make sense without Ki's supplements. At the time, she hadn't noticed, but without them, the conversation would have been strange.

"Didn't you say? That you and that one are deeply connected to her."

"About the past life stuff? I don't have those memories, so I don't know how to respond..."

"It's fine. As long as you remain yourself, we have no other wishes."

"That makes me feel bad for the two of you."

Kena, feeling a bit down from the chuckles from inside and outside, was lightly laughed at by Opus. Feeling somewhat teased, Kena puffed her cheeks in protest. However, turning her eyes away from the nearby threat was a mistake.

The black insect mist emerged from the darkness without warning, spreading like a beast ready to capture its prey, and attacked Kena with a harsh buzzing sound. Although she had received a warning from [Intuition], her attention was mostly on Opus and Ki, and she couldn't react in time. Her vision was quickly covered in black. The last thing she saw was Opus's regretful and bitter expression, which was quite unusual. Despite the urgent situation, Kena couldn't help but smile.

"..."

The swarm of magical beetles, each about two centimeters long, formed a distorted, amorphous ball floating in the air, about five meters in size, large enough to contain a typical house. Occasionally, the shape distorted as it consumed captured prey, if it could be consumed.

"..."

Opus, who had just lost his long-time friend and mysterious companion, showed no sign of panic. However, his expression was twisted with a murderous intent, as if he were facing his worst enemy. His usual nonchalant attitude was gone, and if his former guild members saw him now, they would be shocked, grab their cheeks, and doubt their reality.

"Truly, a difficult one..."

The words he muttered contained a hint of regret. He spoke to his own shadow, but light was shining down from above.

As if light was piercing through a cloudy sky, it burst through the gaps in the swarm of magical beetles. "—!?" The silent beetles, unable to scream, flapped their wings and scattered to escape the light. From inside, countless light needles pierced outward like blades, turning the beetles they touched into dust that dissolved into the air. The swarm dispersed, and Kena, wrapped in a luminous garment, descended from the center. More accurately, it wasn't a garment but a phosphorescent giant snake coiling around Kena from her shoulder to her feet. She looked dazed, staring at the phosphorescent snake.

"..."

"Did you just click your tongue?!"

Kena, who had just landed next to Opus, was greeted with a tongue click. She protested, but Opus's gaze was on the snake dispersing into the phosphorescence and being absorbed into her body. He looked down at himself and thanked the guardian.

"Um, thank you, Ki?"

"It's nothing."

"Annoying."

"If you had protected her or done something, it would have been better."

(Ah, that's why Opus is in a bad mood.)

Kena, noticing the unusually sharp tone, understood that Opus was jealous of Ki. After all, she had suddenly been enveloped in a black mist, and then a divine light had shone from within her, clearing the mist. She felt more reassured by the conversation between the two than by understanding what had happened, and she couldn't help but smile. Opus, feeling even more disgruntled, looked around for someone to vent his frustration on. His gaze fell on the magical beetles, which were crawling back to the darkness.

"You bastards!"

[Magic Skill: Red Flame Embrace]

Opus, as if brushing something away, raised his hand from bottom to top, casting a spell. Cracks ran through the ground beneath the beetles, and a fissure rose, spewing flames. This was just a prelude to the rising pillars of fire, which turned into swirling flame serpents, blocking the beetles' escape. Once the prey was trapped, the main event began. The ground peeled away, and a mass of magma floated up. A giant flame ape, covered in red and black, with flowing lava and hardened volcanic rock, emerged, extending countless arms from the lava. It embraced the beetles and the flame serpents, roaring. The roar turned into a pillar of fire that pierced the ceiling of the barrier.

This was a top-tier single-target fire attack spell, clearly overkill. The beetles, which had been making a buzzing sound, were silently vaporized within the flame ape's arms. The heat wave, a side effect of the spell, made it seem like a range attack.

"Ah, it's so hot!"

The effect of the attack spell generally affected everyone except the caster, so Kena, who was next to Opus, was also hit by the heat wave. She screamed and moved away from Opus, hurriedly casting a [Fire Resistance] spell. The red effect enveloped not only Kena but also Opus, as the spell was designed for party use.

"It's so hot, you idiot!"

"I'm sorry."

Kena pouted at Opus's slightly amused response. Checking for any burns or scorch marks, she looked like a small animal spinning around, which made Opus feel a bit better.

---

At the same time, in the darkness.

Countless shadows were bustling in the depths of the darkness, where light could not reach. Some rubbed their tentacles together, some blinked their numerous eyes, some thrashed their strong tails, and some lay on the ground, quietly waiting for life.

The world of these beings had become a limited space on a certain day, and the constraints became meaningless. In this limited space, the strong oppressed the weak, and the weak were eliminated, forming a minimal order. The path to the outside opened recently, and everyone flocked to the gate, hungry and seeking freedom. However, not everyone could leave, and those who did never returned. Moreover, a powerful intruder took over the order and proposed a deal: "If you wait a little, prey will come from outside." The beings, having no choice but to accept the bet, waited for the prey to come... They wondered how it had come to this.

The walls that surrounded the narrow world disappeared, and they rejoiced, thinking they could finally go outside. But the walls became even stronger, blocking their way. The beings, the middle-ranking ones in the hierarchy, were selected to join the group that scattered the intruders, and some shed bitter tears. However, no one had returned even after waiting for a long time. The underground dungeon, where the remaining beings were hiding, was being dismantled from the edges. The light spreading from a distant point was a threat to them. Who could have thought of a way to dismantle the dungeon, including the surface? Just a moment ago, the most numerous species had gone, but their presence vanished when a terrifying power was unleashed. The beings finally realized they were standing on a glass bridge or a cliff. They also realized that the powerful being, who looked down at them with a pleased smile, was indeed their enemy. The beings, who had forgotten to obey the powerful one, began to act for their survival.