Chapter 206 – A Lucky Day (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The Arcana continent.

The capital of the Empire, Antonium.

The Iron Castle hovering in the sky.

“Sometimes, the Empire’s wheat beer isn’t so bad either.”

“Sometimes? Get your facts right. Isn’t it only for the past few tens of years?”

“Is that so? Ahaha. No wonder it was actually palatable.”

The dwarven fatigue lingering in their bodies from smelting.

Even the deep fatigue settled at the absolute bottom.

Having washed it down with beer, the dwarves returned to their daily routine once more.

Now that the activities of the demons had shrunken, their top priority was, as expected.

“The reconnaissance squadrons should prepare to sortie.”

Finding the debris of the Quirenberg Machine Tower.

The one carrying out that role.

Was the small airship loaded inside the Iron Castle, the ‘Scepter’.

The dwarven pilots boarding their respective Scepters.

Gunner, a veteran pilot, playfully opened his mouth.

“But hey, Chainwalker.”

“?”

“Isn’t this flying under the influence? Ahaha.”

Chainwalker reacted to the pointless joke.

“Hasn’t it only been a few hours since you complained that the beer was thinner than water? Stop spewing nonsense and get going. Because it’s about time for us to leave Antonium as well.”

Hoyeol killing a high-ranking Demon King.

Thanks to that, peace had visited the Arcana continent.

Due to that, the dwarves could temporarily halt their flights and stay in Antonium.

However, the Holy War was still ongoing.

Meaning no one knew what incident would break out when and where.

“Antonium, and particularly the tavern merchants, are going to feel disappointed.”

“Let’s see, what was the sales boost we gave them?”

“Lord Gunner, how many barrels did you empty all by yourself while complaining it tasted like plain water?”

“Did I? Ahaha.”

Wallswale looked around the empty interior of the ship.

It used to be so distracting when the survivors of Dredsen, the little brats, were running around. But now that they vanished, their empty spots felt considerably large.

Chainwalker struck up a conversation.

“Before we leave, I plan on meeting the Emperor.”

“Really? You? Since when?”

The extermination of Akshan.

Ever since then, the dwarves had completely cut off contact with humans. The Empire and its Emperor could be no exception.

In a way, the extermination of Akshan was the responsibility of the Empire, which had failed to properly govern its territory.

“Has time made even the past forgotten, Chainwalker?”

To Wallswale’s question, Chainwalker shook his head.

“No. Even if I forgot, I couldn’t.”

For the sake of Akshan, he had resolved to hold onto that grudge.

But at the same time, there was Hoyeol.

The last survivor of Akshan.

Chainwalker thought about it from his perspective.

“That’s why I’m insisting on bending my stubbornness to meet him.”

Sir Hoyeol.

If it were you, you surely wouldn’t have turned your back on Antonium or the Empire. Consequently, Chainwalker intended to directly deliver the intelligence gathered from the reconnaissance to the Emperor.

“If he has learned a lesson from the past, wouldn’t he listen to our words.”

.

.

.

Whirrr

The Scepter glided through the sky.

The size of the small airship was even smaller than a carriage.

The cockpit was also tailored for a dwarf, meaning only the little kids of Dredsen could barely fit in.

“Let’s see. The debris…”

Even though the Scepter was cozy, it still had everything it needed.

The technical prowess to find the debris of a machine tower scattered across the continent from high up in the sky. It was no exaggeration since the Scepter was a part of the Iron Castle, the culmination of dwarven technology.

“?”

Such a Scepter detected an abnormal signal.

The mana sensitivity instrument panel fluctuated wildly.

For a moment, tension spread across Gunner’s face.

“…It’s at its maximum?”

Not only had it reached its maximum.

It was swaying left and right as if to pierce out of the instrument panel.

If it were this level of mana sensitivity, there would certainly be a cause.

Gunner looked around, scanning his surroundings.

Dark clouds rapidly blanketing the sky.

Flash

“Out of nowhere, a lightning bolt…?”

Rumble!

“What kind of goddamn weather is this!”

Even the Iron Castle, hundreds, or thousands of times larger than the Scepter, was not free to fly in severe weather.

Are you saying I’m scouring the sky on a Scepter on a day with not just rain, but thunder and lightning?

A suicidal act; or to put it another way.

“This is basically a dwarven natural death.”

He was already far away from the Iron Castle.

Flash

It was to the point where, even if he diligently flew back starting now, there was no guarantee he would make a safe return.

Lightning bolts crashed boisterously from the sky.

However, Gunner did not turn his steering wheel back.

“Sky, do you think I’ll back down just like this?”

He had the experience from the Holy War.

He realized the importance of information.

Because they didn’t know what had happened to Akshan.

Without being able to provide any help.

They had no choice but to watch their demise.

“Lightning bolts? I just need to dodge them.”

Even at the moment he made that declaration, the instrument panel fluctuated.

I shall not turn my steering wheel back to the Iron Castle until I find the source.

Gunner relentlessly controlled the Scepter.

And then he witnessed it.

“…!”

The Zero Mountain Range that was relocated to the realm of adventurers.

The vast flatland that was thus created.

The existences that revealed themselves there.

“Th-That is!”

This was the Scepter’s performance, capable of even observing the debris of the machine tower.

That was why he could recognize them.

Pointy, protruding ears.

“…Elves?”

Elves, and not just one or two either.

To an unbelievable degree for existences that had never appeared on the continent until now. A whopping nearly one hundred elves stood in a group on the flatland.

“Why are they?”

Gathered in a place like this?

He couldn’t know the reasoning, but it was an event he couldn’t help but be concerned about.

Gunner swallowed his dry saliva and tightly gripped his steering wheel.

‘I must go back before it’s too late.’

His head was screaming to, but he ignored it.

However, a dwarf’s signature stubbornness couldn’t last forever.

Gleam

A light provoking his vision.

At first, he thought it was just lightning.

But it wasn’t.

“!”

Lightning was something that struck from the sky.

But the flash just now surged from the ground up to the sky.

To be precise, it stretched towards him, towards the Scepter.

In a split second, he could intuitionally realize.

‘They noticed my presence!’

Screech!

Along with his shock, he reflexively wrenched the steering wheel.

The flash narrowly missed.

Its aftereffect struck his eardrums a beat late.

Vwooom!

“!”

A roar he would only hear from the Iron Castle’s magic ejection cannon.

However, the flash just now wasn’t anything that grandiose.

Gunner’s pupils trembled violently.

‘Th-That was just a mere arrow!’

It was a miracle that he dodged it, literally divine luck.

“I can dodge lightning, but that is…!”

Screech!

Gunner urgently turned the steering wheel.

Why had the elves entered into group actions.

He couldn’t find the reason for it, but he had clearly grasped one thing.

“You’re saying they don’t discriminate against anyone.”

Against anyone who offends them, they would draw their bows without a moment’s hesitation. Just that alone was a precious piece of information for the dwarves. The same would go for the Empire and Hoyeol as well.

Rumble!!

“Damn it, should I call this being lucky?”

In the pouring thunderstorm.

Gunner, who had safely returned to the Iron Castle, muttered. He immediately ran to Chainwalker, but several dwarf pilots were already in the middle of a serious conversation with grave faces.

“Chainwalker. And everyone else, I have something to tell you.”

The appearance of elves was undoubtedly a more vital piece of intelligence than any other news.

He thought that and opened his mouth, but.

That wasn’t it.

The sound of conversation grew clearer as he approached.

“That demonic energy, its aura was undoubtedly at the level of a Demon King.”

“A Demon King? This is crazy…!!”

“Why do you look like that?”

“Damn it all, I witnessed it too.”

“Witnessed? Witnessed what?”

“You might not, but. Chainwalker, you will remember it. In the past, when our king was still alive. A single human man who visited our kingdom.”

Chainwalker flinched and asked back.

“It wouldn’t be Akshan… Don’t tell me, are you talking about Urus?”

“Right. That man who obtained a mechanical arm from us. That mechanical arm. That was unmistakably Urus of the Iron Arm! That guy has shown himself on the Arcana continent again!”

“My goodness.”

My goodness, Chainwalker.

“…Hey, I wanted to say that?”

“Ah, Gunner. Did you return safely too?”

“Chainwalker, is what I just heard entirely true? The demons have started to act again. And Urus of the Iron Arm has appeared on the Arcana continent again?”

“Yes, it’s exactly as you heard.”

“Damn it, what on earth is happening.”

Gunner then quickly continued.

“I witnessed elves. A hundred of them at that.”

“…!!!”

Gunner spewed out a sigh of relief mixed with lamentation.

“Dammit, it’s just pure divine luck that all of us came back alive.”

*

Let’s look into it strictly, shall we?

Whether this is truly the effect of significantly elevated luck.

First off, [The Telescope of the Demonic Eye].

It was undoubtedly good news that I gathered the Demon King’s spoil in my inventory.

A Demon King-level demon.

Elves.

A transcendent.

If not for the telescope, I would have been completely in the dark.

Yes, thinking positively.

I got to know about the incident breaking out at just the right time.

Let me try to consider it gracefully as being thanks to luck.

However.

Buzzing smartphone.

Emergency alert from AAU.

Simultaneously with the text message dispatched exclusively to players.

That word was definitely written right there.

‘Dragon’.

That a dragon was detected at the peak of the Zero Mountain Range.

I murmured towards the mountain’s peak.

“He’s surprisingly cautious for his size.”

Translating Grandfellese.

When in the world and where did you fly without even a hint of presence…!

Still, it’s a relief.

That he didn’t try to obliterate the Earth as soon as he woke up.

‘Moreover, according to the information observed by AAU.’

At the peak of the Zero Mountain Range.

They said a phenomenon similar to the [Broken Dimensional Gap] rift was detected.

By now I could be certain.

‘As expected, can a dragon open a rift?’

A rift connecting to the Arcana continent, even if imperfect.

When I thought about it that way…

It truly feels like I’ve fallen for a chain letter of luck!

Demons, elves, a transcendent, and a dragon as the cherry on top.

Wasn’t this literally an unprecedented mega-incident?!

‘At this rate, a rift will inevitably be created.’

Whether by an emergency update or a regular update.

I could guarantee it.

Not to mention my current combat power, even if I gathered the entirety of our allied forces’ power participating in the Holy War. We’d merely be flexing in front of a pupa amongst them.

It goes without saying for the dragon and the elves, right?

At least demons and transcendents had felt somewhat manageable.

But somehow, even those two weren’t ordinary.

I peered through the telescope once more.

The telescope’s effect was sharing the demonic eye’s vision.

Even if I didn’t try to feel it, the demonic eye’s senses naturally reached me.

Thus, I was able to realize it.

‘It’s not an ordinary demon.’

The demonic eye was trembling.

Such a reaction had never been felt even when spying on a Demon King. I don’t know about high-ranking Demon Kings, but it was a reaction I never got even from peering at mid-ranking Demon Kings numbering somewhere near the top 30.

Moreover.

‘But it is different from a Demon King.’

In terms of appearance, it was closer to a human than a demon.

To the extent that one wouldn’t think of it as a demon if not for the blatant demonic aura.

Finally.

‘Even standing before elves, it shows no sign of being intimidated.’

The strength of an elf?

Although I emphasized it multiple times, looking at Elsidor made it obvious.

It killed a demon threatening a level of 800~900 with a single slash, and let alone that, Elsidor inflicted a fatal wound upon the Shadow Mercenary, Rakkid. Such elves numbered up to a hundred.

In that case, there was only one possibility.

“Great Evil.”

You’ve finally begun to move, Great Evil.

Really!

Even Great Evil alone was enough to complicate my mind.

Alongside the Great Evil, there were elves, and in that same space stood a transcendent.

How could I tell he was a transcendent?

I don’t know exactly who he was, but…

It was a face I had bumped into at the Sociality of Space-Time.

‘He was one of the two who didn’t show much interest in me.’

One male and one female.

『In the social circle, the existence of Grandfell was like an oasis or a mirage in the desert. Because he didn’t enjoy socializing, there were few days he revealed himself. Yet the days he abruptly appeared, he ended up drawing everyone’s attention…』

Not getting stolen glances by Grandfell at a social gathering?

…It’s a bit awkward to say this myself, but.

It meant he was no ordinary person even among the transcendents.

A large skeletal frame.

Bushy hair grown out carelessly.

To be honest, his appearance was far from normal.

Above all, his most distinguishing feature was that both his arms were made of machinery.

Thanks to that, I could recognize him as soon as I saw him.

Well, whatever the case may be, it was good that they all appeared.

‘So why are you all here?’

The problem was their purpose.

‘Why are you doing this when you were staying still so far!’

With Grandfell’s personality.

Manifesting a portal abruptly.

This amount of frustration is enough to teleport right among them!

“Mystery. To tie my ankles down even in a situation like this.”

See, if only there were a way to get to the Arcana continent.

I would have dashed over there without any fear, wouldn’t I?

The Grandfell I know is.

In that sense, should I be relieved that there was no way…

Suppressing my absurdity that was about to run away from home, I thought calmly.

‘First, communicating the situation is top priority.’

I need to inform those in the Arcana continent of the facts.

So they wouldn’t be left with no choice but to haphazardly prepare countermeasures.

Of course, my situation wasn’t particularly luxurious either.

‘Considering the flow of time…’

The time of the Arcana continent moving 4 times faster.

An incident could break out right now at that location.

And a few hours later.

It wouldn’t be strange for a rift to be generated in reality.

I opened my mouth.

“The End.”

“I am awaiting your orders, my Lord.”

“Deliver my thoughts to Chainwalker.”

The information in my head relayed through telepathy.

Following the order, The End disappeared into thin air.

And soon reappeared before me again.

“My Lord.”

Indeed, the different flow of time was palpable.

To have delivered the news to Chainwalker in what felt like a split second, and even to have brought back the news from his end. Anyway… At The End’s subsequent remark, I couldn’t help but be shocked.

“The dwarves had accurately grasped the situation.”

Up to that point, I just felt relieved.

Even without me saying it, someone like Chainwalker would make preparations in advance.

Because they would have laid down countermeasures.

The reason I was shocked came after.

“Furthermore, the Imperial Army led by the Emperor directly set out for an expedition. Their destination is the vicinity of the Zero Mountain Range, and their purpose was to protect the citizens of the village. According to my Lord’s pride that saved Dredsen…!”

…Don’t speak so emotionally, The End.

I am sincerely right now.

Because I’m so dizzy my head feels like breaking.

The Great Evil, a transcendent, elves, a dragon, and now even the Empire?

I was certain.

This is not luck.

This is undoubtedly a chain letter of luck.

However, I murmured composedly.

“Is that so.”

It was true.

Even while I was agonizing.

The time on the Arcana continent flows at 4x speed.

From now on, I had to.

Make the best possible judgments at 4x speed.

Therefore, I immediately continued speaking.

“Then go and deliver this.”

Even in this situation.

Being incredibly like me.

Brazenly.

“Tell them there is nothing to worry about since I am here.”

Now was the time to actualize the words I spat, Grandfell.