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Wandering around the Demonic Realm requires thorough preparation.

Without Princess Shione’s magic, I would never have set foot in this land. The monsters residing here must be particularly vicious. The last time I encountered an Ogre, even when stabbed with a knife, it showed no sign of faltering as it continued to stomp around.

Not just the Ogres, but regardless of size, if they survive in such a place, they must possess appallingly toxic traits.

I summoned all three of my spirits.

“Meow!”

Orna, fluttering her little bee-like wings, raised her front paw to greet me, excited to be out after so long. I gently stroked Orna’s head with my index finger.

Goorong, the little Cotton Puff, made cute sounds, reveling in my touch. Naturally, Diolia couldn’t help but be drawn to the adorable sight. I placed Orna atop Diolia’s hand.

In any case, it wouldn’t be possible for Orna to explore outside of Shione’s magical range in a place as dangerous as this. She just needed to stay close to me as support during any battle that may arise.

“Is it okay if I hold onto her for a bit? She seems a bit reluctant…”

“Meow…!!”

“Just sticking around doesn’t guarantee the spirits will help us. Our Orna seems to be quite pleased to meet the commander, given her little applause, right?”

“Meow, meow….”

Despite saying that, Diolia was still holding onto Orna tightly with both hands, and after giving up on trying to wriggle away, Orna finally pushed her head forward, requesting to be pet by our commander.

As I watched the two of them, Tania and Elvis, who were summoned alongside, chimed in.

“Ugh… it feels like the air here is too murky.”

“This place is filled with a dangerous stench that I could barely incinerate. She seems carefree for her age. We’ve wandered into another perilous area again, haven’t we?”

In an instant, Elvis minimized his size and perched on my shoulder, naturally utilizing the wind’s power to scout out enemy positions.

Tania, with her immense destructive power, remained calm until an enemy showed up, shrinking down like Elvis and eventually began to float in the air as she spoke.

“I’ve practiced pronouncing the continent’s language a lot up until now! Don’t be surprised!”

“Well, since it’s dangerous here, we shouldn’t cause delays.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll keep watch, and if any enemies show up, I’ll burn them right away.”

In a flash, Tania flew to Shione’s side and perched on her shoulder.

Shione, initially startled by Tania’s sudden landing, quickly realized that the spirit occupying her shoulder was one of mine.

“Long time no see, Princess Shione. I’ll help you out.”

“Your skills in the continent’s language have really improved! You’re here to help?”

“Thank you. When enemies show up, leave them to me.”

Feeling pleased by the compliment, Tania seemed eager, while Orna was feeling relaxed in Diolia’s hands.

Moreover, Elvis, continuously communicating with the winds from my shoulder, gathered wide-range information.

With the spirits joining the search, the Knights’ Order’s reconnaissance was picking up pace. After all, with Elvis providing danger foresight and acting like a navigator star, we wouldn’t be able to slow down.

Fortunately, aside from a few minor monsters nearby, there didn’t appear to be any threats that the mercenaries accompanying us couldn’t handle.

“It seems like the first button has been sewn well. I think we’ve enough explored around here.”

“After sweeping through everything, I believe our remaining forces will manage any encounters over there.”

“Alright, then let’s return to the base, position the mercenaries, and take a break before we move on. Now we have to—”

The Special Mission Team’s primary objective is securing safety around the exploration base.

And the next important goal will be—

“We’ll have to delve deeper, not just stick to the entrance of the Demonic Realm.”

As Shione stated, sticking to the surface level isn’t enough. We must venture as deep as we can to uncover the secrets of the Demonic Realm.

This time, rather than simply scanning a broad area, we focused on quickly penetrating deeper to understand what kind of environment we would encounter there.

A labyrinth from which it’s hard to escape once you enter. It’s essential that our Special Mission Team rests and prepares for a route of breakthrough.

“With the surrounding area secured, we’re now returning to the base!”

*

The forces stationed at the base were redeployed.

Mercenaries defending the main camp. Warriors roaming the area with priests and various experts, gathering information continually. Then there were those constructing the base, all of them moving like a complex mechanism of interlocking gears.

‘Once the telegram reaches them, the backup team will come here as well. They said they’d create new paths leading here.’

Before long, this place would transform into an excellent outpost known as the center of exploration.

I heard that not only sorcerers for defense, but also those for construction were hired with royal funds. Things would only progress faster as time goes on.

Even in this world, places where people live are all the same. There’s nothing money can’t accomplish. By the time we return from our tour of the Demonic Realm, several buildings might be constructed.

“Let’s depart! Everyone stay focused and follow closely!”

With a touch of anticipation, we began to traverse through the Demonic Realm.

This time, we needed to delve deeper. Shione’s magic, which eradicates mana, cannot be used infinitely, so we couldn’t spend too much time in such a place.

Thus, we swiftly reached the boundary where the concentration of mana was even thicker.

“Princess Shione, from now on, it’s best for my spirits to take the lead. The Ogre pack we encountered last time didn’t conceal their presence, but… who knows if it was because they were too dull to hide, or if they couldn’t help but clash with us.”

“The Deputy Commander is right. We confirmed the presence of an Arachne from our last exploration. It would be wise to rely on the spirits’ powers from here on out.”

“Then, if you insist. I’ll count on you, Ray.”

“I’ll not only rely on the Deputy Commander, but show that I can act as a Baron Karpel should.”

Following Shione’s words, we arranged Elvis to take a few steps forward and moved ahead again.

In such a decayed land, how could any plants survive? Despite being tainted and devoid of vibrant colors, I couldn’t help but admire the resilience of the trees firmly rooted in this earth.

But why? Today, the Demonic Realm felt unusually calm.

‘There were so many monsters before.’

Considering how much deeper we’ve come in, it’s odd that we haven’t seen any Ogres or Arachne, nor any other creatures at all. Instead, we felt a rising sense of unease rather than complacency.

‘The absence of other creatures in sight—’

It’s not a favorable situation.

Monsters that are steeped in mana typically lack any concept of territory, as they’re too busy tearing at each other.

We witnessed the last Arachne, right? Even when it encountered us, it didn’t charge but instead aimed for the corpses of Ogres. Having been exposed to mana for a long time, they maintain their lives and evolve.

If their entire existence wasn’t solely about indulging in bloodshed when they cross paths with one another—

‘This could be a territory of something.’

The fact that such monsters are hesitant to step foot here suggests that this area is likely under the domain of an exceedingly threatening creature.

And it seemed like the expressions on everyone’s faces confirmed that they shared my thoughts. They hadn’t encountered anything yet, but some colossal being must be lurking around.

That’s when it happened.

—Daddy, I found something strange…!

Elvis, who had been floating high in the sky and surveying the surroundings, hurriedly descended in front of me.

“Something strange?”

“There’s a massive wound on that low cliff over there!”

As Shione sidled up to me, she asked.

“Ray, what did your spirit say?”

“They mentioned a wound on the low cliff to the northeast. Shall we check it out?”

“A wound, huh… it might give us clues about the monsters that could be lurking here. Let’s go take a look.”

As we followed Elvis’s lead, the cliff previously concealed by the forest was revealed.

What kind of meaning does ‘a wound on the cliff’ hold? Approaching cautiously, with the lush, murky foliage cleared, it became impossible for everyone to stop themselves from gasping or swallowing hard upon witnessing the sight described by the spirit.

“…Those are claw marks, aren’t they?”

“Since they’re deeply etched in three lines, it seems to be so.”

“That’s too big for just claw marks. Could there be such monsters living in the Demonic Realm?”

The giant claw marks engraved into the solid rock allowed us to gauge the size of the beast that could exist here.

Only something really massive could leave such long and intense markings.

Moreover, this shape… I’ve seen it somewhere before.

Ah, could it be?

“Don’t those marks resemble those we found on the outer walls of the ruins before?”

“Indeed… now that you mention it, they do seem similar.”

“As the Deputy Commander said, it seems the way the monsters claw is quite alike. Though these scars are much deeper.”

It seems it wasn’t just my imagination; everyone was noticing it too.

At that moment, once again, resourceful Elvis asked for information.

“I found a much larger ruin than the one we saw last time!”

“A ruin, you say?”

“Of course… the murky winds informed me, so I only gathered details about the direction and approximate size…”

“You did well, Elvis. Don’t feel so down.”

Maybe it’s due to his experience as a spirit.

Elvis, being a high-ranking spirit, has a considerable resistance to mana. Although if left here too long, he’d eventually succumb to corruption, he can withstand for a good while and recover by taking breaks.

Thanks to his active information gathering, we could avoid wasting unnecessary time.

Just as I was about to relay the information to Shione, her eyes sparkling with curiosity because of our conversation in Korean.

“But… I think we shouldn’t go there.”

Elvis, who had hesitated, grabbed my index finger tightly.

“I sense ominous breathing and air currents from that direction.”

The spirits’ senses are truly extraordinary.

Their ability to detect danger is unparalleled.

Unlike the mischievous young spirits that are hard to train, warnings sent from a spirit that has developed enough rapport with the Spirit Mage should always be taken seriously.

Elvis looked back at the three claw marks left on the cliff for a moment.

“I believe it must be a monster… if we go, we might get hurt.”

 

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