章 97: Chapter 97: Another Helper
Thinking about Lili's current state, I realized how I neglected a part of her development. I wasn't here to set some things straight.
As a result, we might have a problem.
I am aware that the people I save without any costs could feel indebted to me. It is for such a reason that I wanted to bring moments where they could "repay" me without them noticing.
If that isn't properly dealt with, it could lead to guilt… and even obsession.
For example, there were times I let my comrades have my back. That way, there won't be any doubts or guilt about one of us sacrificing for the others.
Knowing this, I didn't want to devolve things into something unhealthy.
'What should I do...'
While facing this dilemma, I watched the girls exterminate the fifty-first floor's monsters. I thought they'll have to adjust more with Lili as a new 'leader'. Though, they did not need it.
I saw how they adjusted to each other. Lili paid attention to the three girls and vice versa.
It seems like they are no longer the inexperienced adventurers from before.
Even Haruhime-san, someone who couldn't fight properly before, does her part properly, sometimes even going beyond it.
In a way, everyone grew visibly during my sleep.
Bam-!
Crack-!
Suddenly, a large crack grew from the ceiling. The dungeon detected the abnormal deaths of the monsters in this floor. It is one of the mechanisms programmed by it to fix such abnormalities.
There are also many other contingencies such as what happened when Babel fell and the dungeon was opened.
Creak-!
Tick-!
"EEK..!"
I heard Ein's creeped out voice. Looking at the crack, I saw dozens of spiders come out of it.
She hated spiders as if they were a threat to her life. Filvis isn't aware of such a thing until they saw a spider on the ceiling one day.
Ironically, it turned out to be Filvis' buried fear against spiders. It showed that Ein embodied her other part—ones she isn't even aware of.
"Filvis..! I'm going to use my full power..!"
"Hey..! Don't do it!"
"B-but what should I do?!"
Ein blanked out at the sheer sight of hundreds of spiders coming straight at her. It is a scene reminiscent of her nightmares.
While she was stunned, everyone discussed their course of action.
"I assume we're going all out from a distance?" Filvis asked.
"It is the best choice." Lili agreed. "Diving straight into them will be suicidal… unless we use the combat suits from teacher."
"I will be casting my magic to everyone."
Haruhime-san's magic?
Indeed, things could get interesting with that. It is already confirmed that levels and dream organs somehow worked in correlation to each other. Simply put, having a higher status helps the dream organs have an even higher output. That was the difference I felt despite the fact that I have nearly completed the [Mana Furnace] magicka itself.
'Falna and godhood… Mana Furnace and higher-order… I'll need to verify this later.'
For now, I am about to watch a good show.
*****
The dungeon is a sentient entity. Nobu discovered this fact when he knew about its reactions in the future.
One such reaction is during an abnormality within any floor. If there is an abnormal death rate of the monsters for a prolonged number of time, their spawn rate would increase. If this continues, it forms something more known as monster parades.
"...may it bestow good fortune upon you. Grow."
A phantom of a legendary golden hammer appeared 'intangibly'. Only Haruhime and Nobu was able to perceive its presence.
Bam-!
Upon landing into its targets, it manifested the dormant potential within them. Lili rose up to level three while Filvis and Ein became level five. At this exact moment, their output increased.
The pressure emitted by the three girls made the surrounding ground crack. Instinctively, the spiders felt threatened by them.
Unfortunately, it is far too late for them to back out.
"Templum Clausura. Malum Exilium. In terra ex lux…" (Area Lockdown. Banishment of Evil. Into the land of light…)
Ein started chanting her grand-magicka. It is something she had only recently learned. As for its effects…
Bam-!
Buzz-!
Two dozens of spiders were struck by a swift thunderbolt. They were instantly turned to ashes a second later.
These came from Ein's exclusive magic, [Dio Thyrsus]. It had long been adjusted to match her current needs. By applying liturgy, it was transformed from a short-cast spell to a grand magicka spanning a dozen meters.
Albeit its range is small, its power remains unmatched.
"Sic iuxta tamen impedio. Esse intus manus Conplextus pono veritas…" (So close yet so far. Within an arm's reach lies truth itself…)
Filvis grasped her sheathed twin blades. Both of them are longswords that aren't designed for quick draws.
However—
Slash-!
Pssh-!
—her blade still reached her enemies.
A single strike cut dozens of spiders in half. Space didn't matter as her strike reached most of them. At that moment, space itself was magnified to a high degree.
It is none other than the Cross Dimension - Phase Severance magicka used by Kudrack the Ghosthide. He was able to kill ten thousand soldiers within a slash using his signature magicka.
Unfortunately for him, Nobu managed to learn it a long time ago. He then taught it to Filvis before the latter improved her usage of it.
Not a single bit of blood remained on her blade as it merely served as a medium for her intent.
Just as everything became still, a final red spider came from the crack. It has a big stature. The Black Wyverns of the upper floors seemed a bit small compared to it.
"Taraka timiram dipo maya-avasyaya budbudam…" (All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, or shadows…)
Lili chanted the sutra at extremely high speeds.
Swoosh-!
Within a few seconds, she arrived in front of it. She held her qian horizontally before doing a thrust with it.
"...Supinam vidyud abhram ca evam drastavyam samskrtam." (Like dew drops and a lightning flash; contemplate them as such.)
As soon as the last syllable was spoken, the world was distorted. Lili's attack didn't affect the spider whatsoever. There is not an ounce of blood nor wound drawn to it.
Strangely, her spear went past it and continued cutting it down until it was fully pierced.
Thud-!
The spider's body fell to the floor lifelessly. Out of its three bodies, only the physical body remained unharmed. The astral and ethereal body was cut into two, thus dispersing among the wind.
Diamond Sutra.
It is akin to cutting a diamond without any physical impact whatsoever. It is cutting all illusions to find the truth that leads to nirvana.
By deriving its base meaning, it changed into an attack that penetrates one's soul. If Nobu has the [Heart Sutra], she has her [Diamond Sutra].
Lili, with her current attainments in the Diamond Sutra among other philosophies, was able to do just that.
"It felt easier compared to before…" She muttered before looking at Haruhime. It is only now did she fully understand the girl's value.
'So that's the reason why she was highly-valued by the Ishtar Familia…'
Logically speaking, Lili would never let go of her after knowing that she holds such magic. But, Nobu did the exact opposite of it. He didn't ask her to join their familia nor do anything to repay him back.
Abruptly, a gaze met hers. In this heightened state of cutting through all illusions, she saw Nobu's calm face. He nodded at her before smiling as a form of congratulations.
'Teacher really is…'
Lili fell one step deeper on the rabbit hole.
*****
It has been three days since we dove straight to the dungeon. I didn't do much except practice my control over my dream organs. I am still conditioning myself to this new level of [Mana Furnace]. I am retracing the reflexes that I had moments before my death, though there are times it didn't work much.
For once, the [Mana Furnace] I received is stronger than the version during my fight with Antares. I assumed it has something to do with me using Galahad's body before.
The Holy Grail is, in a way, extremely similar yet different from the ten Sacraments. It exists at the top of the pyramid. Reaching Akasha is not impossible using it.
"I'll have to settle some things soon…"
I snapped out of my thoughts.
I separated from the girls since it is my appointed time to meet Ouranos-sama once more.
I walked on the familiar dark alleys. The image of its broken version flashed on my sight several times. This time, however, it didn't bother me much.
Upon arriving on the proper doorstep, I smoothly ran my mind on the magic circles engraved in the floor.
Within a second, a hidden door to the Room of Prayers was opened.
After entering, I closed the door with my mind once again. I am sure Fels might be shocked right now.
At first, I didn't expect for the proclaimed Sage of this world to be him. Then again, I saw him as someone who could sacrifice things for the sake of the majority.
The torches hung within this hallway turned on.
'Scanning and proximity magic… plus a connection to another power source…'
It is only in Gekai did I see the progression of technology with magic. In my world, they are something that couldn't mix at all. Of course, it became different for me.
Soon, I reached the throne room. I immediately felt the pressure from before. However, I wasn't affected compared to before.
'Telesma… The power of higher-order beings sure is complex.'
I thought before shifting my gaze to the robed skeleton and the old man wearing a similar black robe.
"Greetings, Ouranos-sama." I said. "I apologize for my previous unsightly appearance. It is something unbefitting in front of one of Olympus' Supreme Gods."
"...You have changed."
Unsurprisingly, he understood quite a number of things with his gaze alone.
"You may be interested in what I saw."
"...What is it?"
With a calm face, I continued explaining:
"I saw Orario fall. Babel no longer stood tall, the west district was destroyed by its debris. The dungeon unleashed all the monsters until the sixtieth floor. As for the Black Dragon and Antares, they posed another challenge against mankind."
""...""
The two of them went silent after a while. Processing these things could take a while.
Ouranos-sama was the first one to snap out of his contemplation.
"You have seen more."
"Indeed." I nodded at his words. "Everything remained dire but not without hope. For once, Zeus' adopted grandchild, Bell Cranell."
I saw his eyes lit up with the mention of that name.
"He became the final beacon of light in this world. Even, he fought the Black Dragon until it reached a decisive fight."
"Did he succeed?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." I replied. "I wasn't able to see the end."
After all, I was already dead by that time.
"The important thing was that… there's an impending disaster about to approach within four to five years. It remains your choice to believe my words or not, but Ouranos-sama already knows the answer, no?"
Ouranos, the god of the sky. He is often referred to as one of the firmament on Earth's myths and legends. He is also the father of Chronos, the personification and god of time.
Add to that the fact that gods could see the truths and lies of a mortal, he might already have an idea behind my magic. Also, I did not choose to hide the prophecies that I see. Since Zeus knew about Atropos-san's magic, Ouranos-sama might already know about the prophets.
"You are telling the truth."
A deep voice reverberated across the room. It is then followed by a question:
"What do you intend to do?"
"I prepared several contingencies for that coming day. However, I will need the guild's assistance to accomplish some of it. It will definitely involve the higher-ranking familias as well as several programs being implemented to the general public."
After reviewing the contingency plan generated by Miku, I adjusted some of them. One such plan is to improve Orario's progress as a whole, be it through magic items, potions, magic swords, and so on.
Simply put, it aims to increase the higher-leveled adventurers within this city.
"Very well. You shall receive my full support."
At this moment, I secured yet another helper to change Gekai's future.
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