God of the New World (Overlord FIC)

Adam descended the stairs, righting the sofa toppled by the earlier clash, and sat. His gaze flicked to Leinas's waist.

A magic pouch?

He'd noticed her black spear was drawn from the pouch at her belt, a magical item for storing objects, common in this world but exorbitantly priced.

Given Leinas's former noble status, owning one wasn't surprising.

"I'm only offering feasible solutions." Adam said, shrugging. "Both methods can definitively resolve your curse."

"You have another way?" Leinas asked, her eyes locking onto him.

"Take me to the place where you were first cursed." Adam said, nodding with a faint smile. "Only by finding the source can we truly address your curse."

"But this method isn't guaranteed."

Leinas's slender fingers tightened around her black spear, her face a mix of anguish and conflict.

She'd once fought to protect her family's territory, taking pride in clearing its magical beasts. But in the end, her family betrayed her.

Returning to that place, the only thing she could imagine was vengeance.

"Fine." Leinas said, a flicker of struggle in her deep blue eyes.

"Then let's leave now." Adam said, standing.

"Hm?" Leinas blinked, suddenly sensing this was his true aim.

Imina, who'd been watching from the sidelines, looked caught off guard by their exchange. "Hey, what about the Regeneration Potions?" She blurted. "You know how hot they are right now. Leaving now, ugh, fine, you're the boss."

She trailed off, grabbing her bow.

Adam turned to Imina, who seemed ready to follow. "Leaving the capital isn't covered by our prior agreement."

"Stay here and keep an eye on things. If anyone asks, say I'm researching new potions. After three deaths, no one should dare barge in for a while."

"Look after Blackie, too. Let it patrol the gate occasionally."

Adam's instructions were concise, no-nonsense.

"Woof." The Invisible Hound whined, its bone chains swaying as it let out a plaintive sound.

Leinas's eyelid twitched.

This guy's real goal was clear now.

But even knowing his intent, she couldn't refuse.

On the 24th of Mid-Fire Month, August, Adam and Leinas quietly left the capital, heading for her family's territory.

The Baharuth Empire's terrain was far more complex than the Re-Estize Kingdom's. Its land was barren, resources scarce, and it lacked the vast, fertile plains of its neighbor.

The Empire was riddled with mountains and marshes.

That Bloody Emperor Jircniv had elevated the nation's strength to rival the Re-Estize Kingdom marked him as a remarkable ruler.

Three days later, a vast marsh, shimmering faintly purple under the sunlight as if embedded in the earth, came into view.

The air carried a damp, earthy scent, laced with an indescribable fishy odor wafting from the depths.

Adam stood at the marsh's edge, gazing out. The expanse was immense, dotted with puddles, overgrown with weeds, and studded with low shrubs.

Without Leinas's warning, he might've mistaken it for a grassland.

Deep within, a towering mountain range loomed, shrouded by hazy marsh jungles, the entire area radiating an eerie, dangerous aura.

This was the Lockburrs family's territory, Leinas's family, located in the eastern Baharuth Empire.

It was near the Angelisia Mountain Range but separated by the vast marsh and a smaller mountain range within.

Leinas stood beside Adam, her golden hair veiling her right cheek, swaying in the breeze. Her face was grim.

Returning to this place, so vivid in her memory, could hardly lift anyone's spirits.

"The magical beast wasn't from the marsh itself. It came from the deep jungle or those mountains." Leinas said softly, breathing in the familiar, rotting scent.

Adam withdrew his far-reaching gaze, smiling. "In that case, we'll need to head into the marsh's depths."

"You're sure?" Leinas asked, startled. "Leaving aside what lies in the depths, crossing this marsh is already incredibly dangerous."

Even locals who'd grown up here never ventured deep. The marsh could swallow anything; it wasn't a place humans could tread lightly.

In the past, Leinas had only cleared beasts that entered the territory, never venturing into the marsh itself.

"That power is indeed formidable." She said, biting her lip. "But it's also a curse. When you face it, you might regret it."

In her view, Adam's presence here stemmed from curiosity about her cursed power.

"You know what matters most to an alchemist?" Adam asked, stretching lazily, correcting himself mid-sentence. Without waiting for Leinas's reply, he smiled. "Mystery and the unknown."

"As for power, believe it or not, that's not my goal."

He'd already acquired that power, after all.

"You can stay here." Adam said to Leinas.

"I'm not in the habit of being protected." Leinas retorted, lifting her chin and gripping her black iron spear. "You should be thinking about how to cross this marsh."

"Simple enough." Adam said. From the sleeves of his loose priest robe, he drew two magic scrolls and crushed them.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two bursts of white light flared, coalescing into Archangel Flames in midair.

Swish!

One archangel flapped its wings, gliding behind Adam. It extended its free arm, the one not holding a flaming sword, across its chest.

Adam leaped lightly, settling onto the archangel's arm.

"See? Simple." He said.

Summoning two angels at once?

Leinas's heart jolted, her view of Adam shifting again.

He wasn't just a genius alchemist but a formidable divine type magic caster!

Seeing the second Archangel Flame approach her, Leinas stomped the ground, leaping onto its back.

"You're a magic caster. I'm not." She said, gripping a groove in the archangel's shoulder armor, straddling its back. "That sitting posture leaves no room to move."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The archangels' wings beat, carrying them over the treacherous marsh toward its depths.

Gurgle!

A black shadow darted through the soft marsh ground, fixating on the two conspicuous creatures in the sky.

As they passed overhead,

Boom!

The marsh mud exploded.

A shark-like magical beast, its brown skin gleaming, burst from the swamp, its gaping maw lunging at the Archangel Flames.

"Marsh Shark!" Leinas shouted urgently.

A flaming longsword slashed down, meeting the beast's pointed head.

Blood sprayed!

The sword cleaved the Marsh Shark in half, gore and flesh raining onto the marsh below.

In moments, the seemingly calm swamp roiled, hidden creatures devouring the shark's remains.

[Gained Experience: 172]

[Experience Bar: 4123/10000]

"So these are the marsh's magical beasts? Quite unique." Adam said calmly.

***

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