Chapter 120

The ceiling is unfamiliar.

Thoughts crossed my mind in a somewhat dazed state.

My body ached.

No, it wasn’t just an ache; my bones throbbed as if each joint was on fire.

‘…What is this?’

It wasn’t just the pain.

My movements felt uncomfortable.

“…Ugh.”

Just sitting up from lying down was a torture as I tried to endure the pain.

‘…My energy is disturbed.’

It wasn’t too serious.

Even while I was unconscious, my pupils were recovering on their own, restoring my body.

‘…I took a direct hit from Terato.’

As my consciousness slowly returned, so did my memories.

I had no choice but to face Terato directly to stop him from breaking the barrier while disregarding my presence.

The fist of a giant flying toward me, burning the air with immense mass.

And one of the highest peaks of power, Asura’s Wrath.

‘…Was a direct confrontation too much of a challenge?’

It was my strongest attack.

‘…But I find the results are seldom good.’

A sense of self-deprecation washed over me.

Of course, the fact that I faced Gal and Terato was an excuse, but still.

I had turned Terato’s massive fist, which could reshape the terrain like a meteor falling from the sky, into a mere rag, but in the end, I couldn’t completely cut through it and ended up taking a blow as big as the city wall.

If I had not fought with Algul and reached my current level, my body might have been shattered to pieces.

‘If this wasn’t Pohelrn, I might have won in the end.’

I offered a timid justification to myself, following the successive defeats to Gal.

In truth, until Terato switched his target to Pohelrn, I was at a slight advantage.

‘…But where is this?’

This question arose as memories of before I lost consciousness began to resurface.

It was a place I had never seen before.

It was a clean room with a high ceiling.

‘…Is that my statue…?’

There was a small elf statue, seemingly carved from marble.

It felt like it was made by quite a capable artisan, with a smooth surface that made it shine as if it were holding candlelight.

It was a little embarrassing, but surprisingly, it was a common relic seen in Pohelrn.

It could be said that, if one were a devout follower of the new faith, most would own one, even if a bit exaggerated.

In fact, the statue made in the Grand Temple was quite expensive and significantly impacted the temple’s maintenance costs.

‘…It seems like the area of fabric isn’t accurately depicted.’

However, I felt a twinge of discomfort, sensing something a bit different from the statues I had often seen, even though it reflected a high level of skill and effort.

The surroundings were adorned with items of significant value.

Most notably, the wax candles were quite precious and illuminated the darkness generously.

‘Is this underground?’

The air was slightly humid, and only artificial light was felt.

Recalling my last memory, all I could think of was Terato’s massive fist approaching me…

‘It can’t be that I was buried all the way underground.’

No, surprisingly, is it possible?

Even if my original strength was diminished after taking that hit, it was still a fist of considerable force.

This body, with a weight equal to a feather compared to Titans, could not only soar but perhaps could have been shoved underground.

‘But it doesn’t seem that way. Let’s see.’

As I spread my energy, I sensed life signs, likely humans, everywhere.

They seemed to be moving busily.

My statue was there, so it was certain.

‘…Fortunately, it doesn’t seem I’ve been captured by the giants.’

I sighed in relief but then shook my head.

Aside from myself, there was no one here capable of stopping Terato’s advance.

Given the urgency of the situation, I must have fainted; it was not a normal circumstance.

‘…Has it been about two shijins?’

It wasn’t that long if it were a normal day.

But it was enough time for Terato to break the barriers and devastate Pohelrn while retrieving Ul Kanadiel’s core.

Thinking this way made me urgent.

‘…My body isn’t fully recovered, but…’

As I tried to move despite the strain, a presence that looked human approached the room, for better or worse.

A man carrying a cold, damp towel on a tray walked into the room and stared at me, sitting cross-legged, for a moment before brightly smiling.

“Lady Araya! You’re awake!”

It was a familiar face and voice.

As I rummaged through my memories, the name quickly came to mind.

“Kyle.”

I merely said so, but Kyle knelt with tears welling in his eyes, wearing an expression of utmost honor.

“To think you still remember someone like me, it’s a great honor.”

“Don’t be overly so. You are the first human I’ve encountered in this world; it’s impossible to forget.”

“I’m honored.”

“But you’ve changed a lot. You’ve grown taller, and your beard has grown too. You feel like a seasoned senior peddler now. Back then, you used to tease and lower yourself in front of me.”

“Th…that’s…”

Seeing Kyle’s face flush with embarrassment made me want to tease him a bit more, but I lowered my voice and said,

“Tell me, Kyle. What’s going on right now? What about Terato…”

As I trailed off, Kyle smiled quietly and began to speak.

“Terato… You mean that incomprehensibly large giant?”

“…Yes. Embarrassingly, I got hit by that giant’s strike and ended up like this.”

“I witnessed it too. However, before the giant waved its hands and feet at the city, it seemed like the moans of the giant echoed all the way here due to your marvelous techniques, Lady Araya.”

It was swordsmanship, not techniques.

Kyle continued to explain with a bit of flattery in his tone.

“When you were struck by that undisciplined giant’s fist and flew into the middle of the city, shortly after, a golden beast seemed to charge at the giant from the sky. And behind it, our Mother Deity El Prigion personally descended from the holy ground to bind that unruly giant. It was said that a brave golden beast was a lion sent by our Father God Ul Kanadiel.”

I needed to ensure this didn’t reach Gal’s ears later.

With Gal’s prideful nature, if humans started gossiping that he was a servant to the now-dead Elder Roa, it would surely cause an uproar.

‘But still, they arrived just in time.’

It appeared that Gal had managed to arrive right when I fainted due to Terato, a miraculous moment. And so did Mother.

‘That’s why I can still feel many human presences.’

As my body and energy began to recover, the palpable life signs from my energy spread wider, most were humans.

If I consider it, if I had been trampled under Terato’s hand, there would be no way I would be safe underground.

Kyle seemed to think it was relatively safe.

I chuckled as I watched Kyle nervously elaborate on how things were supposed to be safe, considering my situation.

Every time he did, it seemed something was losing focus, and I would need to wake him up.

Yet Kyle knew a lot.

He claimed to be the head of the Peddler Guild?

That once clumsy peddler boy had apparently risen to a position where he could access quite secret information within a kingdom established by humans.

While I had been unconscious, Kyle was busy keeping watch for me and swiftly processing information from around.

Alia, who held the position of prime minister, seemed to be doing her best to gather information through the Peddler and Stonecrafter Guilds, declaring the current situation an emergency to calm the tumultuous city.

Duberv, who had been sharpening his resolve against Priegoss and Alia, was said to be actively helping as he spotted the giant looming beyond the city wall.

“And Alia said to convey this to you when you awake, Lady Araya.

Terato can no longer break the barrier.”

I contemplated what those words meant but quickly realized.

‘Gal must have intervened.’

I don’t know what method he used, but it seemed that at least Pohelrn was safe from Terato.

‘He’s trying to let me concentrate entirely on Terato without worrying about other issues.’

I nodded at Gal’s intentions.

However, aside from that, the life signs I sensed were vanishing soon after they came into contact with the human presence.

It was a familiar aura.

An aura I had felt until recently, one akin to my former pupil.

Titans. The giants who serve Terato.

Terato cannot pass through the barrier, but those minions have entered the city of Pohelrn.

Focus. The barrier seemed to be concentrating solely on Terato.

That must be why the giants were rushing in through the gaps in the barrier.

But, two shijins.

While Priegoss’s forces are remarkable among humans, it hasn’t been long since they returned from scouting in the south.

They must have been filled with fatigue, and their morale couldn’t be like it used to.

For such soldiers to endure for two shijins was…

‘The forest guardians must have arrived through Mother’s magic.’

With that thought came both relief and a heavy heart.

‘…There will be many casualties.’

They were the forest guardians I trained with all my strength.

Moreover, they are a race specifically attuned to mana from birth.

Each of them, like a being woven from magic, had the strength of their physical form comparable to that of humans.

The difference in height being fourfold and in weight more than a hundred times cannot be ignored.

‘…If only I had thirty years… No, at least ten more years…’

I could have reduced the expected casualties by more than half.

Among the forest guardians, there were a few outstanding ones, and if I had sharpened them for another ten years, they could have become talents akin to Palas and entered the ranks of harmony.

‘How many will die… Fifty? …A hundred?… Or more?’

Aside from two who had perished during the pioneering era twenty years ago, it would be the first experience of death for the elves.

The significance of that thought made my lips involuntarily tighten.

It hadn’t been long since I lost Silv so vainly.

This is a tumultuous age.

A time when law and order have not been established, and all races are becoming progressively cruel in order to survive and find their places within nature.

The times have turned into an overwhelming wave that surpasses the walls the elves have built and cast questions upon them.

‘…I must not grow weak.’

There was no room for weakness now.

‘I must believe.’

I must trust my brothers and comrades.

Shaking off the darkness that lodged in my heart, I contemplated what I must do in the current situation.

The forest guardians were obstructing the giants’ advance.

Yet, some giants managed to slip through the gaps and continued their ruthless slaughter in the city.

‘I must have faith.’

I must have faith in Priegoss, Alia, my pupils, and the humans.

That they would somehow stop those giants.

‘I must have faith.’

There may be many farewells.

But Demis, Palas, and my brothers, along with the capable forest guardians, will do their best to stop the giants.

So, what must I do?

To cut down Terato.

‘Gal cannot intervene.’

I don’t know if that curse will be lifted someday, but for now, Gal could not break the spell Terato placed on him.

Although Gal has no equal under the heavens, at least Terato was a unique exception.

‘…Mother also does not match well.’

Moreover, Mother is not free to move.

Even if she brought all her power fully, she would still face a tough opponent, and without her full strength, there is no way to win.

‘…It’s absurd.’

While several bad situations are piling up on my side, Terato is gaining the upper hand while confronting two Elder Roa of the same dignity.

‘I will cut him down.’

But I must be fully prepared.

If I rush in without being in top condition just because I am impatient, I won’t be able to strike the heart of the giant, like trying to don the stars as armor.

“Kyle. Don’t allow anyone to approach within 40 or 50 yards of me.”

“Understood.”

Kyle’s expression sharpened as he took the towel and tray and left the room.

By now, Gal and Mother must have been fighting Terato for quite a while.

I couldn’t afford to prolong this.

This moment.

In that time frame, I would recover swiftly.

Sitting cross-legged, I closed my eyes to connect with the world through the open heavens and quietly descended into my inner self.

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