Chapter 2

As we passed through the long, long corridor that spanned the world, a dazzling light enveloped us, and the air was filled with the overwhelming scent of greenery and earth.

The wind blew, rustling the leaves of the trees, and the dappled sunlight that fell on my face swayed.

This was a forest.

“Huh…? A forest?”

I had been certain that we would emerge at the “Heaven Altar” in the Holy Capital, so I was taken aback.

“——”

“——”

Knock and the Centurion, who had emerged at the same time, also had dazed expressions.

“Oh, no, I thought we would come out in a different place. This is a problem. Where are we…?”

“Wonderful.”

“Huh?”

“Just how wonderful it is…”

Knock muttered, and beside him, the Centurion slumped to the ground.

“Seriously, we’ve crossed worlds… What is this forest… It’s brimming with life…”

It was then that I realized the two of them, who had come from the “Underworld,” were amazed by the vitality of the “Overworld.”

After that, we moved to a different location and took a break by a stream. We carefully checked our surroundings, but there was no sign of any Arbiters. It seemed that the Arbiters could not come to this world unless something extraordinary happened.

While taking a break, I listened to their conversation. It turned out that the long corridor had been just as long for them, and it had brought back memories from their childhood that they had long forgotten.

“So, what do we do now? We know the corridor works, but if we go back and that monster is there, it won’t mean anything.”

The Centurion’s question was valid.

“…I have an idea about that. Would you listen to it?”

First, I believe that if we return through the corridor, there won’t be any Arbiters on the other side. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the number of Arbiters is limited, and they can’t keep dedicating one to me indefinitely. The second reason is that they probably don’t expect us to return so soon after crossing worlds. If we fled to the other world, we wouldn’t come back to the “Underworld.”

“However, it seems the Arbiter has a strong fixation on me.”

This is because I am the black-haired, black-eyed “Child of Calamity,” but I haven’t told them about this yet.

“The Arbiter might detect our return to the other world through some means.”

“Hmm… That’s possible. Otherwise, they couldn’t have ambushed us so precisely.”

Knock nodded, but then said,

“Then what about our comrades? If we don’t return, they’ll think we’re dead.”

“I know it’s difficult… but could the two of you go back?”

Thinking about Asha makes me sad, but if my return increases the danger, it might be better for me to stay in this world. If I can somehow draw the Arbiter’s attention, they won’t focus on the Dark Elves or the Underdwellers.

“Well, I see. You’re in a tough spot.”

The Centurion nodded and patted Knock’s arm.

“If that’s the case, leave it to us.”

“Yes, Lord Raze, please bring everyone here.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed deeply.

“I’ll make sure to welcome everyone when they arrive.”

The next day, after resting, Knock and the others returned to their original world through the corridor, bringing back many fruits they hadn’t had before. Knock was thorough, thinking that with such unusual fruits, everyone would believe their story.

The corridor we used was like a crack in the mountains, with no trace of any ruins or temple-like structures.

(…This isn’t the Holy Capital. Is it a mountain near the Holy Capital? I need to confirm where we are.)

After seeing off Knock and the Centurion, I used Fire Magic to rise into the air, ready to take some damage. From a distance, I could see a town at the foot of the mountain, where people were living.

“Ah, that place should be fine—wait, what’s that?”

Apart from the smoke from cooking, there was another plume of smoke rising. It was clear from my [Visual Enhancement] and [Comprehension of All Things] that it was from a battle. In the smoke, there was a giant scorpion.

Why is there a scorpion here? No, more importantly—this scorpion was breaking through the town’s outer wall and causing chaos. There were many casualties.

“One thing after another…!”

I dashed through the forest toward the town. After the battle, I learned that this town was on the outskirts of the Kurvaan Holy Kingdom, one of the most remote baronies. It was only later that I realized the scorpion had been awakened by the changes in the mountain caused by our use of the corridor. The corridor seemed to have been more of a forced opening in the mountain rather than an existing path.

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