Chapter 59: Let's Go Investigate

The altar of Kimaris appeared.

No demon had descended yet. Just an altar that suddenly emerged in a remote village.

And interestingly, this incident had nothing to do with the Lemegeton.

"What is this?"

Upon hearing the news, the 5th Branch Leader, Sephir, furrowed her brow.

At first, she thought one of the other Branch Leaders had secretly used Andromalius's arm.

The reason for assuming it was done in secret was that only one use of the arm remained. Andromalius's arm had been rotting away with each use, and now it was on the verge of disappearing completely.

They had no choice but to acknowledge how few uses remained.

Because of this, the General President had temporarily suspended its use to ensure careful consideration.

"Who could have... Surely not Livia again?"

"No. Actually, this altar appeared naturally!"

"What...?"

Of course, when she first heard the truth, she couldn't help but be surprised. It truly felt like that day the General President spoke of was drawing near.

But her surprise was brief, and as always, the cool-headed woman quickly made her assessment.

"This is our chance. We'll gather forces immediately and occupy the altar. One of the Branch Leaders should lead... who's available..."

"As it happens, the 4th Branch Leader has volunteered."

And so the Lemegeton quickly began gathering followers to participate.

The reason was obvious - to quickly secure control of the altar.

And they weren't the only ones.

Since the altar had appeared so publicly, news quickly reached knights from other nations as well.

"Damn those Lemegeton bastards."

The knights also saw this as an opportunity.

They'd been getting heat from above lately because of those cultists, and now was their chance to make up for it.

And if they failed, it was clear that hell would await their future.

When a demon resurrects, there would be massive casualties and property damage, and they'd be driven mad trying to organize subjugation forces.

For them, this was something they absolutely had to prevent.

"Gather all available forces immediately! Put out requests to the Adventurer's Guild and gather adventurers too! We must occupy and destroy the altar before they do!"

Just because it was a demon's altar didn't necessarily mean a demon would descend.

If they destroyed the altar where these beings were meant to appear, the demons would lose their exit and remain trapped in the Demon World. That's why this situation was so critically important.

And so the knights swiftly assembled their forces.

But that wasn't all.

This news was also interesting to the Otherworlders, or Users.

While demons were starting to get old, an altar was something new.

And the way things were moving in the game world seemed unusual. Forces were gathering everywhere - enough for Users to notice.

Some of the user-created clans and guilds were even being directly recruited, by both the Lemegeton and the knights.

Users who heard these developments carefully made their predictions:

+

[Is this a war content...?]

+

War content. Specifically, content with characteristics of an occupation battle.

Hundreds of people gathering to clash their forces against each other. Powers concentrated in one place would collide and dissipate.

While this was a serious matter for the Gaians, for Users always seeking entertainment, it was just another exciting topic.

And so high-level user clans, famous streamers, and others began gathering at the altar for views and rewards.

But as always... this had little to do with Yor.

*

"Has the world really gone to hell?"

After hearing about the altar of Kimaris or whatever appearing, that was the first thing I muttered.

No matter how I look at it, these demon bastards have been popping up way too frequently lately. It's barely been a year since Otherworlders appeared, and we've already had more than 3 demons show up.

Adding this altar to the count, that makes 4 demons that have emerged.

Even with that sketchy Lemegeton group involved, the frequency is just too high.

I asked the person who brought me the information:

"So everyone's gathering there now?"

"Yeah, I heard they're already setting up tents around the altar and everything."

Today's visitor was Ha-neul. This made me a bit curious.

Usually Chae-rin was the one who delivered this kind of intel.

"Why are you the messenger today?"

"She's recovering right now... Seems her body took a toll from forcibly using mana last time."

"Ah..."

Well, makes sense. Using someone else's mana to push her body beyond its limits - that's bound to have consequences.

Anyway, after hearing everything, I nodded. While it was surprising news, I had no intention of getting involved.

Honestly, I've been running around too much lately.

Between Amducias and Seere, it's about time I took it easy.

Plus, that place is swarming with knights and cult members right now.

If I, a Manifestor, showed up there...

'Ugh...'

I'd definitely end up in a bad situation.

Besides, there was no real reason for me to go.

Because holy water control has been slightly relaxed!

While demand is still high, it's dropped a bit since this time it's just an altar appearing, not an actual demon. No need to stockpile holy water.

Thanks to that, I was finally able to get my hands on some.

"Here you go."

...Though it was just one bottle.

'Still better than nothing.'

I decided to look on the bright side. At least it means supply is slowly opening up.

If I keep watching the market, I might eventually gather enough to handle one Rage Mode.

So I thanked Ha-neul for the information.

"Thanks for letting me know. Must be tough with your supplier being sick."

"No, it's fine, but..."

That's when it happened. She suddenly blushed and swallowed her words.

Seeing her fidget like that made me tilt my head in confusion.

After a moment of hesitation, she carefully made her request:

"Um, I'm actually curious about how mana manipulation works too..."

"..."

Her impure intentions were so obvious, I couldn't help but smile.

Well, those sounds Chae-rin made back then were pretty... suggestive.

And since transferring mana required physical contact, it must have looked quite ambiguous from a third person's perspective.

But still, asking for this after seeing her own supplier end up bedridden?

"Sorry, but I've decided not to do that anymore. Too dangerous."

"Ah... okay."

I rejected her request with that obvious excuse.

Ha-neul nodded with a dejected look.

At times like these, I could sense their feelings. At least enough to know they had some interest in me.

If I tried to seduce them even a little, I could probably get some action right away.

Honestly, that's something I wanted too.

Unlike this forest with nothing to look at, my sex drive was quite healthy.

But... I hesitated.

While they knew I was a Manifestor, they were still Otherworlders.

This world was just a game to them after all.

Because of that, I feared how our relationship might change if we spent a night together.

"..."

I know. I sound like a coward.

A man who can't even properly use what's between his legs.

My Rage Mode B self would probably call me gay.

But what can I do? After living alone for over 10 years, I finally have some human connections.

I want to preserve these relationships as much as possible.

Alright, enough rambling.

After clearing my thoughts, I added something for her sake, as she was still looking down:

"Besides, I'm busy today. Got things to do."

"Oh yeah, I've been wondering - what are you doing right now?"

She asks, looking at the various blades laid out in front of me.

I answered casually:

"Weapon maintenance."

Some preparation is needed.

What I'm planning today is dangerous even for me.

I'm planning to explore the Deep Layer.

Now that I've gained this useful Heightened Hearing ability, it seemed like time to push my limits again.

I wanted to check out the changed ecosystem there, and maybe gather some high-quality herbs if I could find any.

When I explained this to Ha-neul, she showed concern in her eyes.

"Isn't that dangerous...?"

"It's fine. I'm not planning to go too deep."

I know my life is precious too.

That's why I planned to proceed very carefully. At least the creatures in the early parts of the Deep Layer are somewhat manageable.

So today, I didn't have time to chat with her.

I needed to get out of the Deep Layer before nightfall at least.

After I explained this, she gave me a meaningful look.

Then she made a request:

"Can I... come with you...?"

"...Hm?"

I thought about it for a moment.

It's dangerous, very dangerous actually, but she is an Otherworlder after all.

Having someone to talk to on the way might be nice. Plus, she's a mage who mainly learned support magic.

"Sure."

Thanks to that, the decision was made quickly.