Hero's Coffin Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Finding it strange how his companions showed joy at receiving a promise from Haren to protect them from injury, he had once imagined what it would feel like if he too became one of those subjects. He had wondered if it would feel very reassuring to have a being said to receive God's love promise to protect him...

Though he still wouldn't be the subject of that promise, no, rather if he had been included in those subjects, he probably would have been even more angry. He glared at Haren before whirling his head away.

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Hold onto the hero and cross over.

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You might lose your way.

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Just then a window with strange content appeared. What was this? It didn't seem to mean everyone should hold onto the hero, nor did it appear to mean he should be careful because his soul was connected with Haren.

'You' might lose your way...

Perhaps because he wasn't a soul of this world?

While he was looking at the status window quizzically, his companions were about to cross over so he moved reluctantly. As he quietly approached Haren's side and grabbed his clothes, Haren looked at him.

"...?"

He deliberately threw his gaze elsewhere. Having just boldly said he would cross first, now grabbing clothes must have seemed quite bewildering. Didn't it seem like he was scared now that it came to actually crossing? ...Well, honestly he was a little scared too.

So as he even more stubbornly played dumb, Haren laughed softly. Before he could check if he was being mocked, Haren stepped forward.

The moment they crossed the black boundary, his hand was naturally held.

The action of being wrapped in a firm hand felt briefly tender, bringing that churning feeling again. And right after... real motion sickness hit. As soon as he took one step into the boundary, the whole world shook and nausea surged.

He couldn't tell if he was stepping on ground or falling through empty space. Just as he moved one foot, his whole body was sucked in, his vision filled with darkness, and then he was swept away randomly.

There wasn't even time to scream. When everything was pitch black and he couldn't see anything, he felt the hand holding him grow stronger. Though he shook back and forth unable to find his bearings, Haren moved forward naturally as if he knew the 'path'.

And it seemed this wasn't just true for Haren.

"We really came back to the eastern Encroachment Zone..."

"Huh, what in the world is this."

Everyone safely arrived at the eastern Encroachment Zone. Though it felt like eons had passed while crossing the boundary for him, his companions looked around energetically as if they had crossed in just one or two steps. Kalterik muttered that it was the first time being glad to see the colorless faded Encroachment Zone.

Though everyone found the movement fascinating, he didn't even have the mind for such impressions.

"...Isaph, are you alright?"

"This is, urk, does this look, uweeek."

He collapsed to the ground while dry heaving. No, this time actual stomach acid came up. The dizziness was too severe. To describe it honestly, it felt like being put through a blender. His body had been helplessly pulled somewhere like being swept away in rapids, and it seemed that direction had been completely different from where Haren had led.

He had the chilling intuition that if Haren hadn't firmly held his hand, he wouldn't have arrived here. Even the cat that had crossed over in his arms didn't seem fine as it staggered in a corner.

While retching with his hands on the ground, he suddenly realized something peculiar.

"The floor, urgh, the floor is intact...?"

Though the entire cave had collapsed before the map changed, the interior was now completely whole. It was quiet as if there had never been any commotion, and there wasn't a single trace of damage on the floor. Even the mountain of corpses was still there.

His companions also looked around in bewilderment. Though it had been an unusual Encroachment Zone from the start, it became more confusing with each experience.

At times like this, it was best to stay faithful to the initial objective.

"Anyway, since we made it back safely, shall we destroy all the cores first?!"

"Yes, it would be better to purify quickly."

Haren nodded at Kalterik's shout. Since they had eliminated half before the map changed, they just needed to break the remaining half to finish. Concluding they should purify first and then come back to investigate the corpses since they didn't know when another transformation might occur, they moved.

However, just as they turned the corner to leave, they sensed multiple presences.

"...!"

There was no way presences sensed in an Encroachment Zone could be positive. Everyone quickly hid their bodies in gaps in the wall. Still not recovered from the aftereffects of dizziness, he moved staggeringly as Haren led him. He watched the situation while practically held in Haren's arms.

Thud thud...

[When I sensed traces of intruders and checked, the cores really were half destroyed.]

[Tsk, seems some rats got in.]

Diums were walking from over there. Though their numbers didn't reach several hundred like those they had faced in the western Encroachment Zone, and were fewer than in the first Encroachment Zone... they brought a more shocking impact than all previous experiences combined.

Three Diums with three horns were visible.

Moreover, about twenty two-horned Diums followed behind them. Though they definitely hadn't been here until a few hours ago, could they cross the boundary freely?

He swallowed a sigh inwardly. While Mela had needed to transform into a demon to deal with one three-horned Dium in the western Encroachment Zone, this time there were three of them. Moreover, this being inside a cave wasn't even a good environment for fighting.

[Is it the one who ruined the ritual in the west...]

[We shouldn't have left everything to that one, tsk. We'll have no face when God awakens.]

The three-horned Diums walked while talking, and behind them the two-horned Diums lowered their heads as if watching for cues. Their army-like movement brought up a strange revulsion. Though he had known they grew stronger as their number of horns increased, he became uncomfortable as it strongly hit him anew that they too formed a 'society'.

The catastrophe from 20 years ago that had destroyed the continent, that had been terrible enough to erase almost all kingdoms except the Holy Empire in just one year. It was unsettling that they weren't simply monsters but beings who could think and even had the goal of awakening their god.

And above all, his gaze fixed on the small being walking in front of the three-horned Diums. Though it hadn't been visible at first, hidden by the three-horns' bulk, once he noticed it by chance all his attention focused on it.

Not even as big as a one-horn, no, almost human-sized.

Though its hood covered its horns making their number impossible to determine, its clothes were extremely splendid. Similar to what Imperial Princess Beatrice wore, no, even more brilliant robes. Though colorless, they seemed to sparkle and shine.

[Hmm, looking at their route, I thought they would go north next...]

It was quite a gentle voice. Different from the rough tones of Diums they had met until now, it was fascinating, while on the other hand its content was surprising. To even guess their route. Actually, if they hadn't received warp passes for achieving merit in the demon subjugation, there was a high chance they would have gone to the northern Encroachment Zone.

The Dium in splendid robes spoke while moving with even graceful steps.

[When I sensed presences here and came over thinking 'they' had come again, laughing at how the greed of such dull beings knows no end...]

The place where the Dium stopped was in front of the mountain of corpses before the black boundary. Though only its back was visible, he could tell it was lowering its head.

The Dium quietly looked down at the floor, that is... where Noi had knelt and wailed. After staring blankly as if seeing traces of hands that had clutched the ground, it soon giggled.

[It seems someone shed tears here without even knowing the truth. Ah, how can the humans of this land be so ignorant as to make me sad...]

Thud, the Dium touched the mountain of corpses. Though it was a very light gesture, rumble, the corpses collapsed and fell over the black boundary. It was a dry movement like throwing away trash.

"Huh, huk...!"

"That...!"

Noi, hidden in the gap over there, was shocked, and Kalterik also raged. It was a natural reaction since they would have wanted to return the corpses to their families' arms later. Though everyone suppressed their voices as much as possible, conscious of being in hiding, unfortunately the robed Dium's ears seemed to catch them.

As if it had deliberately thrown away the corpses to provoke a reaction, whoosh, the Dium turned to look exactly where they were. As its hood fell away with the quick movement, its horns became visible.

[Do you amuse me.]

The Dium with four horns smiled until its mouth split. Not metaphorically, but its mouth actually split up to its cheekbones. Before they could even be disgusted by the eerie sight, bang! The wall shattered.