Dream Life

March 1st.

Day three for the first time investigating the depths of Aquila.

On the first day it went east along the valley and on the second day it went south to bypass the ridge, but it was not particularly eye-catching.

That's why we're heading north today.

To the north is a ridge stretched out to the east by the mountains, and the altitude gradually rises. Unlike the eastern slopes, where the trees are neglected, however, the forest extends all the way to the ridge, with little risk of being seen from above.

Proceed through a coniferous forest with snow on it. The slope gradient is tight and the density of the trees makes it impossible to proceed as you wish.

"It's hard to walk. If we get attacked here, we'll have to rely on your magic."

Blur as Beatrice walks with the spear as a cane.

"With all this shielding, it's more overwhelmingly advantageous for us to be able to use inductive magic. If you think about it, it's not all bad."

I understand Beatrice's concerns, but what I said is true.

It would be about us using inductive magic in this world. Maybe he's in the Demon Clan, but even his mentor, Dr. Raspade, didn't know about the existence of inductive magic.

That means it's never been used in a demonic invasion before.

In addition, it is difficult to use range magic when there are so many large trees, which makes it even more advantageous for us to make subtle adjustments.

"But you're anxious to retreat here," Mel said.

At his feet is root snow, frozen by the way, which is why he has slipped his legs many times. It doesn't cling to your feet as well as fresh snow, but the speed of travel will have fallen below half compared to other seasons.

Pinch a few breaks and continue north for about three hours.

At a distance of two or three kilometers. As far as the terrain visible from among the trees, the altitude difference would be about three hundred meters.

Looking ahead, it's still uphill, but in two or three hundred meters it feels like we're going over the first ridge. There were no signs or traces of demons so far, and no dangerous signs were seen.

"In the meantime, let's go that far and then think about moving on or climbing along the ridge"

Everyone nods at my suggestion.

The last uphill slope becomes so tight that it climbs almost like a crawl. Dan was ahead of us this time, and we were all going to climb after he checked the end of the ridge.

The white breath that breathes faster and exhales looks like smoke.

In about fifty meters' time, five people, with the exception of Dan, sit so that they can lead to the roots of the great trees.

At the end of my gaze is Dan climbing carefully. I find myself taking my feet carefully one step at a time to avoid making as much noise as possible.

We arrived at the apex part of the ridge about enough.

So remove the telescope from the back sac (backpack).

He looked around in a slow motion, but suddenly stopped moving. And he's retreating like he's slipping.

When Dan's face became clear, his cheeks, which were red in the cold, looked blue and white.

"What happened?," he said.

"At the end of the ridge were the Grounddragon (Land Dragon) and the first giant (Cyclops). There were demon-like monsters nearby."

"Were you fighting?" When Mel heard, Dan shook his head (wearing it).

"No, both the dragon and the cyclops were sitting adults. As if you were one of us..."

Originally, the Grounddragon and the Cyclops would never make the territory the same. Very rarely, but sometimes the two are witnessed fighting.

"Do you feel like you're being used by someone... did you have eyes for surveillance around you?

"I don't know if it's surveillance, but there were several demons flying"

"I'll take a look in person. Just Dan. Come with me."

That's what I say and climb the ridge.

Face out of the trees carefully as you climb up. The slope opposite us was a cut cliff, a valley about two hundred meters deep.

At the bottom of the valley there was a flat ground with rocks rolling. At a distance of about five hundred meters, it was difficult to see without a telescope, but there were indeed grounddragons and cyclops.

Lose words to the sight of Dan as he was saying. However, we will summon our mental abilities to gather as much information as possible.

"The ground dragon is about 10m (melt), and the cyclops are seven to eight melts."

Distance is away, I'm not sure.

"I think that's about it, too. Suppose that demon is two melts in size."

"That's the Great Demon. The characteristics of the wings are similar to those of the guy I saw before. It must be the demon flying..."

There were about ten demonic demons swirling over the valley.

And I found something, and I said, "That one!" I'm about to shout out loud.

Because of the demonic appearance I saw the other day before I peeked in the telescope. Even though it's about five hundred meters away, I unwittingly hide myself enough to feel something cold flowing through my spine.

When Dan receives the telescope from me, he searches for the demons.

"It's the demon clan he was talking about. I don't know how capable you are, but don't look too much. Might find out."

I hide myself immediately in my words, but there was a cold sweat on Dan's forehead.

"I was prepared because I was talking about as much as that Vlad... I feel like a horrible force, a disastrous demon..."

"Me too," he says. Receive the telescope again and observe.

The demons had approached the earth dragons and were even more vocal to the great demons. It's troublesome when I can feel my gaze, so I'm going to look around it.

As I first saw it, it was a valley bottom with big rocks rolling around. I guess the snowmelt water flows from spring to summer, but it's barely flowing now.

We will further check upstream to downstream.

To the east, the upstream side, there are waterfalls, with steep cliffs as walls. The downstream side continued with traces of the gorge, bending slowly south.

Again, looking around the demon tribe, the grounddragons were walking out downstream.

And the Demons fly towards the northern slopes.

Down to a large rock about fifty meters up. It disappears into the shadow of a rock, but if you look closely, there was something cavernous.

"There's a cave behind that big rock," he says, handing Dan a telescope.

"You do have one. Did the demons go in there?

"That's right. I wish it was just a base, but I still can't help but feel there are hidden balls..."

When I'm worried,

"The devil is coming this way!" Dan sounded a small but sharp warning.

He immediately hides himself and gives instructions to Liddy and the others downstairs to hide themselves with a hand sign as well.

The demon passed about thirty meters from where I was. He doesn't seem to be lucky enough to find it, and he flies straight to another location.

"We're retreating," he whispers, heading to where the Liddies are waiting.

When you join the Liddies, briefly explain the circumstances,

"Hurry back to Rickadale, but the top priority is not to be found by enemy reconnaissance..."

That's right, give directions, be careful the way you come, but hurry back.

As I descended sliding down the ridge, I suddenly felt a strong chill.

That wasn't just me, and the Liddies seemed to be the same, and I accidentally stop on the slope.

No one answers my whine, "What is that..."

What I felt was from the other side of the ridge I was looking at earlier.

At first I wondered if the Demons had come close, but the quality of power was completely different. I felt life force along with powerful force in the signs of the demon clan.

But I didn't feel the power of life at all in this chill. Nor did I feel the power of life in Vlad Varonos, king of the Undead, who fought before, but in Vlad's case, I felt a negative power over life.

But I don't even feel that this time.

I was under the impression that pure power, a completely different dimensional force that was also incompatible with people.

Liddy clenches her bow and looks back anxiously.

Beatrice is alert to her surroundings with a sharp gaze as she moves the tiger's ears piquely with a rugged look.

Mel clenched the pattern of the love sword, looking around as if she had lost her composure, and Sharon was trembling as she held herself together with both arms.

Dan holds his bow and stares at the slopes as if to hold his breath and see a cave across the ridge.

"I think I felt it from that cave..."

Dan's voice was plundering with tension.

"I think so, too. But he's not a demon. This is not a power that people and demons can give out..."

Everyone snorts at my words.

"The enemies of the gods... I wonder..."

To Liddy's whining, all I can say is, "Probably..."

"I have far more power than that Vlad. We're not the enemies to beat..."

"I think so too. But how... are we all going to die..."

Beatrice and Mel are feeling weak sometime. Sharon is even worse and doesn't even seem to be able to open his mouth.

I guess that means I felt so shocking.

"Anyway, now I just focus on going home to Rickadale. Let's think about the enemy when we get home. It may be difficult, but forget about the power. If you don't, you make a boring mistake."

We reached the stronghold where we were until morning, but there was no sign of the enemy, and we escaped without being found.

Back at base, but no one opens their mouth. I ate a meal that night but didn't sleep inside. It really reminds me of that power.

Still, the next day I managed to regain my temper, two days later, on March 3rd. We returned safely to Riccadale.

■ ■ ■

Ashtal, the Demon General (Archdemon), succeeds in obeying the great demons, as ordered by the Lord, the God of Nothingness (Vanitas).

He followed the Grounddragon (Land Dragon) and the first giant (Cyclops), as well as the Hydra. The Land Dragon has become an adult dragon, but Cyclops is still not a complete adult and is somewhat compact. Still more than twice the height of an orga, he had a body worthy of being a giant.

(I'd like to add more gestures, but I seem to have hunted too many demons. If I knew I was going to Tame first...)

Due to demonic summonses, no suitable demons were found near the ancient sites where they are based, as they continued to hunt demons equivalent to the third and fourth levels.

Regrets turning to the rear, but in a situation where Vanitas is in an unstable state, it is too risky for Ashtal to leave the base for a long time.

But having followed the great demons, he decided to bring out the Zacharias and sacrifice Vanitas.

I have Vanitas' permission for this, but the demons I Tame only listen to Ashtal's instructions. For this reason, it is to head to Riccadale at a time when Vanitas' condition is stable.

Ashtal was unaware that Zacharias and the others were coming for reconnaissance.

I was just feeling my gaze somehow.

"Just in case, keep your perimeter alert. But don't touch the darkness. If you find him, report him as soon as you can."

But his instructions ended in vain.

Vanitas, who was in the ruins, suddenly unleashed his power, and the demons were frightened by it, unable to move.

And the earth dragons, who had tasted them, burst forth like madness, crushing the nearby rocks, and plunging down the great trees.

Ashtal felt the power in the ruins.

I felt overwhelming power when I became a family member, but this one was even stronger. Even a demon with as much power as he did, so much so that he was overwhelmed by that power that he accidentally knelt.

"Oh, mainly what..."

Ashtal squeezes his temper and heads under Vanitas. There was Vanitas scratching his head and roaring like a beast.

"Lord! What! What happened!

"... the stopover... is turning against me... gua!... trying to get my body back from me... Gah! ……

Saul Inkvar of the Black Devil Nation, a stopover, was able to see his disobedience from what he talks about in cuts between growling and screaming.

But there's nothing Ashtal can do, and he can only refrain beside Vanitas.

About enough to calm Vanitas' situation.

"Looks like I finally gave up. I let him fold, but now the soul of the bystanders is completely gone."

"So does that mean it's possible to move from here"

"No. I can't move right now. The moon needs a tour to settle in my world..."

"Okay. Now, we think we're going to start acting in a month, and we're going to be ready."

When Ashtal left under Vanitas, he headed outside to quell his rambling squire.