Nom nom.
Ah, delicious.
Though they were eggs of an unknown mountain bird, they were incredibly savory.
The monster wave showed no signs of stopping.
We only took short rests.
Because of this, our advancing speed was tremendous.
If it were my normal speed, it would have taken a long time to traverse the great forest, but not now.
The basin visible to the east seemed to be the Arkan Basin.
We had come this far in just two days.
The chimera of the root I’m clinging to is no ordinary monster.
It looks like a snake, but its body is made of wood.
Even its face, where Gunter’s axe spear had been firmly lodged, was now covered with new branches and looked fine.
It doesn’t eat much and doesn’t defecate.
The only problem was me.
‘At this rate, I’ll die of starvation or thirst.’
I had to find a way to stop the chimera and hunt.
And finally, I succeeded.
The method was simple.
Just like training a cat with a laser pointer, I made the chimera spin in circles in place.
After doing that for a while, it seemed dizzy and stopped for a moment.
Only after realizing this could I finally eat.
Today’s meal was five bird eggs lying in a nest.
I picked them up with my invisible hand, poked a hole, and slurped them up.
After quickly finishing the meal, the chimera snake finally got up again.
It never rests for long except when sleeping.
I wonder what’s out there beyond this great forest that makes it so eager.
A gentle breeze brushed past my face.
‘How leisurely.’
Now, even the bizarre monsters roaring in front and behind me.
And the occasional soldiers and fires have become something I’m used to.
With a full stomach and good weather, it felt like we were all out on a picnic together.
‘Living like this might not be so bad.’
They say crying when times are tough is third-rate, but laughing is first-rate.
I decided to accept the current situation like a first-rate person.
“Think of it as a journey.”
‘Then this is definitely first-class seating.’
Even the most surprising things start to feel ordinary if you’re around them long enough.
Bored, I decided to make use of this rare leisure time.
“If you’re that bored, practice some magic.”
It was thanks to Pelerian’s suggestion.
He said to use this opportunity to learn magic from him.
Normally I would have been indifferent, but I readily agreed.
It was because of the human magicians I had seen recently.
The fire dragon they created was really cool.
When I said I wanted to use such magic too, Pelerian scoffed.
“To be captivated by such trivial magic… tsk tsk. If you properly inherit my teachings, you could easily become a great mage.”
“Trivial magic? Those old men looked incredibly impressive.”
The three magicians looked different, but they all seemed like great mages.
“They were wearing the attire of the magic tower, but it’s nothing special.”
‘I read in a book in the dungeon that all the masters of the magic tower are amazing…’
“They’re just ordinary people born in an era without me.”
I can’t deny that Pelerian’s arrogant tone made me more excited.
“Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Try using the invisible hand.”
‘Okay.’
「Using Magic: Invisible Hand lv7.」
I’ve been practicing diligently lately, so the level of the invisible hand magic has increased quite a bit.
“Hey, try touching that guy over there.”
There was a hairless boar running hard straight ahead.
“With maximum output.”
I concentrated.
In the pitch-black darkness.
A hand appears in the center of my mind.
I swung that hand to strike.
Slap!
“Squeak!”
The hairless boar turned its head to look back when its butt was hit.
It snorted angrily, but behind it were only me and the chimera snake.
The boar was startled and ran forward to escape.
“That’s about the extent of the invisible hand’s power.”
‘Doesn’t it change if I train more?’
Actually, this much power is already an increase due to leveling up.
Originally, it wouldn’t have made such a crisp sound.
“When you reach the pinnacle, you might be able to use two hands. But the physical force won’t increase dramatically. That’s how telekinesis-type magic usually works.”
‘Two hands… then with two swords in both hands plus the tail, three-sword style is possible…’
“Seven Sword Magic!”
Startled.
Pelerian suddenly shouted. Why is he doing that?
“There exists a magic that handles seven swords. Isn’t that interesting?”
‘Yes, yes… It’s interesting.’
“It’s in the same category as the invisible hand, telekinesis and manipulation magic. Those who face this magic must defend against seven swords moving and attacking as if alive.”
The more I listened, the more appealing it sounded.
It’s an incredibly high level, isn’t it?
It’s truly a technique that has reached the realm of harmony, surpassing skill to reach art and touching upon the way.
“Do you want to learn it?”
‘Yes.’
“I want to become a telekinesis master who can face an army with a whistle!”
‘Yes!’
“Then seriously learn magic. First, let’s start with lightening magic.”
For the time being, I should be an enthusiastic student.
Otherwise, Pelerian’s personality might become even more eccentric.
“The proper use of lightening magic is the foundation of telekinesis. Even when holding a sword, if you don’t first make that sword lighter, the mana consumption will be extremely inefficient…”
Pelerian was an excellent lecturer.
I spent the leisurely journey learning his magic.
As time passed like that.
I finally completely left the great forest and arrived at the Sija Forest.
This is the very forest where I was born.
I thought about visiting that cave for a moment, but before I knew it, we had passed through the Sija Forest as well.
Soon, the domain of humans came into view.
I think its name was ‘Greyrim’.
The walls protecting the domain had already collapsed.
There were no signs of people. It seems the monsters that passed through earlier had already swept through.
Soon, the chimera snake and I will pass through there too.
That’s when something caught my eye.
‘Isn’t that a goblin?’
Among the monsters running beside me, there was one noticeably walking on two legs.
It was a small goblin.
It seems to have lost its sanity like the other monsters.
Seeing it drooling, I’m sure of it.
“It does look like one.”
‘Is it one of the goblins we met in the Lunga tribe?’
“Do you think I would remember the face of every goblin?”
That couldn’t be.
I tried to awaken the small goblin’s mind.
「Using Invisible Hand lv8.」
Slap!
I slapped the goblin’s cheek with the invisible hand, which had leveled up in the meantime.
“Kiyak!”
The goblin was startled.
When it tried to run again, I used water magic to pour water on its head.
Only then did the goblin come to its senses.
“Huh, huff! Wh-what!”
It speaks the same language as the Lunga tribe.
I wonder if it didn’t even realize it was running mixed in with the monsters.
When it looked at me, it wasn’t a familiar face.
But strangely, it seems to recognize me.
“Ou, Oulouolos!”
It’s Ouroboros.
But the modifier that followed was incredibly strange.
“E-evil snake of Lunga!”
What did you say?
The goblin tried to run away in a hurry.
But it’s impossible to break through and escape from these numerous monsters.
If it were easy to escape from here, I would have escaped first.
「Using Beam lv1.」
The chimera snake excellently jumped following the beam.
Kwang!
Landing while turning the monsters in front of the goblin into a meat pancake.
I skillfully drove the chimera snake to a stop.
‘Hey, which goblin tribe are you from? Do you know me?’
Of course, the goblin couldn’t understand my words.
I miss Nanaluk today.
‘I wonder if Nanaluk is doing well!’
“Waaagh!”
The goblin tried to run away again.
“Catch it!”
I did so.
I grabbed the goblin’s tied hair with my invisible hand.
Anyone would have trouble using strength when their hair is grabbed.
The goblin was no exception.
“Ow ow, it hurts!”
Not wanting its hair to be pulled out, it came closer on its own.
It wasn’t easy, but I finally managed to get the goblin onto my front, that is, onto the back of the chimera snake.
The goblin was trembling with fear.
A satisfying sight to see.
‘Spill everything you know.’
The goblin lay flat and mumbled various things.
It introduces itself as a goblin from a tribe conquered by Lunga, apparently the child of the now-dead former chief.
From what I hear, it seems I’m considered something like Lunga’s guardian deity.
And then a statement came out that I couldn’t ignore.
“He-Hegemon Nanaluk has already left the great forest. Our tribe all went together…”
‘Hegemon!’
My mouth fell open.
When did you get such a cool title, Nanaluk?
I’m envious. So envious.
‘So, you’re saying Nanaluk left ahead now?’
Since the goblin can’t understand my words, it will take quite some time to get all the answers I expect.
That’s when it happened.
Kwaaaang!
With a thunderous sound, the domain ahead exploded.
Even though it was quite far away, the heat wave rushed all the way here.
The hot wind was mixed with the smell of oil.
If I hadn’t stopped the Chimera, wouldn’t I have been caught in that explosion?
As I was inwardly calming my startled heart,
“Aaaagh, please spare me!”
The Hobgoblin I had captured flattened itself on the ground, trembling.
That wasn’t me.