Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance Chapter 115

A curtain of poisonous fog, reeking of death and “morale,” greeted the Knights as they crossed the first gateway.

 

“All the plants around here are dead.”

 

Aire’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the ominous landscape. Orgen clicked his tongue as he scanned the area through his earth elemental. He could feel the morale seeping into the ground.

 

“Once we get past the poison fog, we’ll have to use magic to get over it…”

 

“It’s going to take a lot of magic to get this many people through it.”

 

“We’re in a bind, we need to conserve our power as much as possible.”

 

The Templars pondered. The poison fog didn’t move or spread, but it was high, and none of them except the mages had the ability to fly.

 

Behind them, as they continued to confer, Eileen peered at the fog.

 

“I think I can handle this.”

 

“Chew!”

 

As if to agree with the idea, Star stepped onto Eileen’s shoe and snorted. Death in all its concentrated glory, but strangely, Eileen wasn’t afraid.

 

‘I’m more saddened than afraid.’

 

The lifeblood of the land scattered by dead vegetation and morale.

 

Compassion for the life that had failed to bloom and died filled her heart, along with an uncanny certainty that she could bring it back.

 

“Do you mind if I try?”

 

“Eileen?”

 

The Duke looked at Eileen, one eyebrow raised, as she strode forward. The crown prince’s blue eyes met hers.

 

“You were a contractor for Divine Beast.”

 

Eileen crossed her hands over her chest and bent at the waist and legs to indicate yes. Her sparkling orange eyes were alive with life.

 

“That is correct, Your Majesty. I am that contractor.”

 

“Let’s see.”

 

Before the crown prince could speak, Aire stepped forward and stood between him and Eileen. The crown prince’s head naturally turned toward him at the hero’s intervention.

 

“This could be dangerous in the wrong hands, couldn’t it?”

 

“It’ll be fine, won’t it?”

 

Aire looked at Eileen with eyes full of faith. Eileen nodded without hesitation. Now that the battle had begun in earnest and he had thrown off his eye patch, he was giving off an aura that made him seem even more divine than usual.

 

The crown prince, having gained her trust, stepped aside to allow Eileen to approach the fog.

 

“Eileen.”

 

Orgen called out her name in a worried tone, but Eileen merely gave him a wry smile, as if to tell him not to worry.

 

“I can do this.”

 

Taking a long, deep breath, Eileen stepped in front of the fog.

 

“The world doesn’t want to end, so it will do your bidding.”

 

Rosinia’s words echoed in her ears. Eileen remembered the World Tree. Its massive trunk filling the sky and the countless leaves that sprouted from it. Shards of light shattering between them.

 

The life force behind this world was so vast and brilliant. Knowing that she could reach that power through Star, Eileen was not afraid of the deathly aura before her.

 

“Star.”

 

Eileen and Star’s minds resonated. The ancient tree of light, energized by the will of the World Tree, rose with a roar across the plains.

 

“What, what!!!”

 

It was a sight of such momentum that those who had never seen Eileen’s power before stumbled backwards. One by one, the giant stalks, each resembling a pagoda, stretched into the sky, only to be struck down with poisonous mist like a whip. Dead soil crunched and splattered in every direction.

 

Orgen’s eyes widened. It was a menacing sight, as if the earth was being torn apart, but it was indeed slowly coming back to life.

 

“It’s like they’re plowing a field.”

 

Green shoots sprouted quickly where the dead vegetation had been pulled up. The greener the blackened earth became, the more demoralizing it became.

 

It wasn’t long before the black poison fog was nowhere to be found, and the plains were back to normal.

 

“…It’s a miracle.”

 

One of the priests said as he looked at Eileen’s back. Everyone couldn’t disagree, the sight before them was overwhelming.

 

“This is our Eileen.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Cordelia and Lucian looked around at the stunned faces.

 

“It’s over!”

 

Eileen turned around, wiping the sweat from her brow.

 

“That’s it, let’s go!”

 

With that, the men sobered and raised their weapons again. They hadn’t gotten very far into the plains yet, so they needed to quicken their pace. It was time for Eileen to start walking after them.

 

“Delicious.”

 

The air cracked open, and Himes stepped out. Its human face cracked open to reveal a snake-like tongue and hundreds of razor-sharp teeth. It took only a moment for its sharp fangs to lunge at Eileen.

 

“Eileen!”

 

The Duke and Aire lunged at the same time, blocking Himes’ path. Himes stepped back and clicked his tongue.

 

“Strong man. That must have been delicious.’

 

He was hungry. His stomach rumbled like thunder from the many fiends he’d consumed.

 

“Can’t you just die? I’m starving.” Himes said grumpily.

 

He had been born in a swamp and had spent his life possessing and eating those who came to the swamp until the arrival of Urzar. Whenever humans came near the swamp, he would alter the space of the swamp, causing them to fall into the swamp with no way out.

 

Prized for his ability to alter space, Urzar gave him a wizard’s body and tamed him to maximize his spatial abilities. But even in his swamp form, Himes’ essence remained unchanged, and he was always on the lookout for victims to fill his belly.

 

“You know what? Strong humans are very tasty. I’ve been eating just about anything, but my master tells me there’s more to the world.”

 

Buttons stuffed up to the neck. Black, short hair neatly coiffed without a single stray strand. But underneath, his face was flushed with excitement at the sight of the delicacy in front of him.

 

“Creepy.”

 

While Eileen felt nauseous, Orgen quickly lunged at Himes.

 

“Alas, you’re the old man who interrupted our plans before, and you’re looking delicious today.”

 

Orgen, who had lost sight of Mongma in front of him because of Himes, gritted his teeth to a snapping sound. Drawing on his magic, he shouted.

 

“I’ll take this one!”

 

The enemies didn’t appear all at once, but in stages, and they could see their purpose.

 

“They’re trying to spread out the power.”

 

If so, there was likely a powerful enemy waiting for them, even in Idaho. Orgen straightened his stance. The one in front of him was still dangerous enough to warrant the risk of death.

 

‘Still, it’s the least I can do for the young men.’

 

He stepped forward, a group following behind him.

 

“Yes! We’ll take this one.”

 

“You go first.”

 

Korazo, the tower lord and transcendent, and a group from the temple stood behind Orgen. Some of the knights had slipped out of the templars’ ranks, too, and stood at attention.

 

Aire and the crown prince exchanged glances. They soon nodded and led their remnants across the plain. Himes’s face contorted ferociously as Orgen and Matap lost them in a flurry of blows.

 

“You’ll have to stop thinking about dying in peace.”

 

“You are. I’ll teach you some table manners, you brainless bastard!”

 

As the two clashed, a light like an explosion spread.

 

 

***

 

 

“Is this the entrance? I can’t believe there’s a place like this in the Chavil Plains.”

 

In the middle of the Chavil Plains, there was a huge entrance to the underground. It looked like a mysterious ruin that had never been discovered before, carved out of stone.

 

“They must have built it, or brought something else with them, but we’ll have to be careful, there could be traps.”

 

The wizard and priest stepped forward and scrutinized the entrance but found no traps.

 

“Then we shall enter in groups of three.”

 

The Duke had just opened his mouth to speak.

 

“Watch out!!!”

 

Black gas suddenly spewed out of the stone entrance. Eileen squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of it swept over the Templars in an instant.

 

“…Lynn, Eileen!”

 

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Gale calling out to her, covered in blood.