SWNOVELXO Chapter 24: This is a whole new world
I was walking along the mountain path, munching on bread with jerky. When asked why I didn’t take the main road, they said this way was a bit faster.
I could feel the difference from the mountain I used to live on. The texture of the soil, the sound of birds, such trivial things were gradually changing.
The jerky I used to make was not jerky but meat scraps. Once again, I was impressed by the skills of humans and led the group.
For some reason, the further we went, the weaker and more insignificant the beasts we encountered, so I, like the others behind me, loosened my guard a little.
“So, why did you specifically ask for my blood?”
It was a marvelous sight when I did it, but was my blood that special? No, it would be more special than a human’s. But was it that much of a difference?
“They say your blood is like an elixir. That’s why even a few drops have an incredible effect.”
“…What’s that?”
I wouldn’t know, having lived only in the mountains. Myungho scratched the back of his head awkwardly and then roughly brushed it off.
“Anyway, just know that it’s an incredibly potent medicine. Even someone on the brink of death could be saved by drinking a bottle. Um… that’s why.”
…If that’s true, then I made the right choice to go with these guys. Otherwise, I would have been harassed by humans until I died.
Speaking of being harassed, it reminded me. If I pressed my belly a little harder, I could feel a faint, hard, egg-like thing at my fingertips. At this rate… about two weeks left.
Could I handle it secretly without these guys finding out?
I wouldn’t know until I tried, but it seemed unlikely. I had to endure that too, but… showing weakness, I was reluctant.
Even if these were my companions, they were not exactly like me, so I couldn’t trust them 100%.
If I ever showed weakness, they might stab me. I had to stay awake.
…Myungho seemed to trust me. But that was because he was too naive.
I thought it was quite comfortable that there were no attacking beasts or humans, but as soon as I heard the sound of water, that thought disappeared like a mole running away.
“Altera? Is there something strange ahead? Don’t tell me, again…”
“…Not this time. Just, um. Something came to mind.”
I sharpened my senses and looked for a place to pass without touching the water, but with a large waterfall and a wide river, it seemed impossible not to get wet.
Ah, I didn’t want to. I really didn’t want to.
Even if I went up above the waterfall, it was still wide. And there was no bridge to be found.
“This sound… there must be a river or a waterfall ahead. Guys, do you want to go quickly and get wet, or go around a bit and stay dry?”
“I don’t really care.”
“Me neither. Are you okay? You’re not good at swimming.”
“When did that happen… I’m pretty good now? Altera. What about you?”
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like they all wanted to cross. As long as the water wasn’t too deep, it wouldn’t be too late to go and see how it was before deciding.
“Let’s go and see.”
I wouldn’t die from falling into the water. But it would hinder my ability to use magic. And my detection ability would decrease.
Even if I rolled around in the dirt and dried quickly, it was incredibly frustrating to be unable to do what I could.
I hated water because I had almost been helplessly attacked because of it. It was okay if it just touched my feet, but…
But the river was so deep that I would be submerged to the top of my head. Even if I threw a stone, it would sink and quickly disappear from sight.
“How is it? Can you cross? If you don’t know how to swim, tell me. I can give you a quick crash course on the important things!”
I looked at the river. And I looked at my party members. They didn’t know I was weak to water. But, it was still unsettling.
…I knew how to swim, but my body was heavy and sank, so it was useless.
Concentrating my magic until my horns glowed golden, I pulled up a long, large stone pillar from the ground. The ground shook with a loud noise, and Myungho was startled.
And then, I toppled the pillar towards the river. Dirt and water splashed high into the sky and the ground shook violently.
The river was blocked by the huge stone pillar and was no longer the same. Cracks formed on the bridge I had just made, and water was flowing little by little, but it was also flowing over the top of the pillar.
“…Let’s cross. And, I know how to swim. I just don’t really like water.”
There was no need to mention that I would sink.
Everyone, including Myungho, was staring blankly at me and the bridge created on the river with their mouths agape. I reattached the fallen magnet, went across first, and checked the arm that had been covered by my cloak.
Up to my forearm, there were densely packed, hideous black scales.
…Still, it was better than getting wet. As I crossed first, they finally started crossing slowly. After confirming that they had all crossed, I poured magic into the pillar and collapsed it.
Again, there was a loud noise as the river mixed with stones and dirt flowed. Well, blocking it for a short while wouldn’t cause a big problem.
“If you wanted to go back, you should have said so… I could have adjusted…”
“I didn’t want to waste time.”
I hid my right arm, which was covered in scales, and headed forward again. Myungho didn’t seem to want to argue further, as he pointed out that it wasn’t that way, more timidly than before.
Ah, was it this way? No wonder it was a bit narrow for people to pass through. As I followed his guidance, a downhill slope and a wide-open view soon appeared.
A vast grassland and a city surrounded by a large rampart at the foot of the mountain.
It was the second place I had seen in my life where many humans gathered. Let’s be honest, the village didn’t count, as I could walk around all the houses there in two minutes.
“Oh. That’s where we’re going. Enshullos. Before we go! Don’t use your abilities, punch, or throw anyone in the city. It will make things very difficult for us…”
Who did he think I was, a barbarian? At least, as long as they didn’t provoke me first, I wouldn’t use force. As long as they didn’t touch me first. It was always the humans who started trouble first.
“Got it. Now stop nagging and let’s go. I’m curious too.”
What would this world be like? Would I see spears and hostility as soon as I arrived this time? Or would it be an open place full of laughter?
I wanted to know. My mother’s revenge was the top priority, but since there was no proper information now, maybe I could enjoy it a little.
With a faint expectation after a long time, I spurred myself and increased my speed going down.
When I reached the flatland, all the party members were exhausted and catching their breath. Yuna was the only one who seemed to have done light exercise, while Akash was making a metallic sound as if he was about to die.
“What, huff… are you a wild animal… Oh, right… huff…”
“That’s why I told you to build up your stamina. Whew, still… um. It’s hard. Altera. You could have gone down a little slower… huff.”
Wasn’t this their fault for being weak? It wasn’t my fault.
As I came down to the plain, I really felt like I had come to another world. In a good way. I thought I had given up on the expectation of the unknown long ago, but I hadn’t.
My heart was tickling. The blowing wind also felt like a gentle breeze for some reason.
As I got closer to the rampart, I could feel that it was intricately built, unlike the city I used to frequent. The rampart there seemed to have been built in a hurry, but I could feel that this one had stood for at least a century.
And… at the entrance, many humans were lined up and seemed to be undergoing some kind of examination. Was it something like immigration?
I naturally joined the line and observed the humans. On closer inspection, they were not all humans.
There were small people with transparent insect wings, humans with animal ears, and even animals that seemed to walk on two legs.
Most of them were humans, but there were some non-humans like me. This place might be a little more open than the old neighborhood.
“…Um, Altera? I know you’re excited, but could you look at that…”
I was about to ask what was wrong when I was having so much fun, but I stopped. The color of the river that passed through the rampart was a murky, muddy color.
When I traced the stream back, it was the mountain we had come from.
“Are you coming from the mountain over there?”
“…Ah, yes. We are, but has something happened?”
“Don’t even mention it. Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the mountain, and muddy water started flowing down. I wonder if there was a landslide… Anyway, I’m glad you seem safe. There are even rumors that the demon race has been seen these days… Oh dear, it was an unnecessary worry. If it’s the gold rank holders, it’s a different story.”
Myungho looked at me reproachfully. Well. We still arrived quickly.
“Ahaha… Thank you for the advice.”
There wasn’t much more conversation. The person in front looked us over, or more precisely, looked over our rank plates, and lost interest in us.
The gazes directed at me from around were a bit unfamiliar. But they weren’t hostile, so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Have you ever thought about how it feels for a metropolis to be overtaken by a satellite city?”
“No, I haven’t. I think you’re probably the only one here who thinks about that.”
Our turn finally came. We were walking towards the rampart to enter, when heavily armed humans, who seemed to be guards, blocked my way with their weapons crossed.
“Halt! It is the lord’s command. If you wish to enter, you must pass inspection. First, to see if there are any illegal items in your possession.”
…What were these guys now?