Volume 1 - CH 19

Chapter 19 – I Tried To Clean Up Properly

My body was wrapped in golden light from the [Spirit Blessing], but the glow gradually weakened and finally disappeared.

An inorganic voice echoed in my head.

The calamity ── the Black Dragon of Extreme Destruction has been defeated. The temporary release of [Spirit Blessing] will be terminated.

At the same time, I fell to my knees on the spot. My whole body felt heavy. I couldn’t stand very well.

I wondered if it was a reaction to the fact that I had used more magic power than I could handle.

As I was breathing hard, the inorganic voice told me, “You are now level 91.”

My previous level was 72, so I’ve gone up 19 levels at once. This alone was a surprise, but there was more to the message.

First, Kou Kousaka is an extraordinary being and possesses [Creation].

Second, Kou Kousaka is over level 90.

Three, Kou Kousaka has experience in defeating a calamity.

Since all of the above conditions have been met, the [Calamity Summoning] will be unlocked!

Apparently, a new skill has been added.

The effect is to “summon and use a defeated calamity.”

I had just defeated the Black Dragon, so of course, it was included in the summoning option.

Should I give it a try?

No, let’s do it another time.

I’m at my limit physically and mentally, and I have higher priorities. I wonder if Iris is safe.

I stored Gram in my [Item Box] and looked behind me.

Iris was lying some distance away.

She was lying on her back, completely unconscious.

“…Iris?”

I start to stagger along, dragging my legs, which have become heavy with fatigue.

I wonder if Iris is okay?

It’s not the heat rays that hit her directly, but she was flung away in the aftermath from the breakdown of the protective wall.

She probably just fainted because she used her magic to the limit. Maybe.

…Please let it be so.

However, I have a bad feeling about this.

I kneel down beside Iris and pick her up on her back.

“Iris, are you okay?”

I called out to her, but she didn’t answer. Her eyelids were still closed, and her face showed no signs of blood.

“Iris?”

I shook her shoulders and activated my [Appraisal].

Her status was listed as “abnormal condition: lack of magic power, serious illness.”

It says that she is in serious condition, but is her life in danger?

As I thought that, the [Full Assist] activated, and I heard a more detailed explanation.

Irisnote Fafnir is suffering from a serious lack of magic power.

If it continues like this, it may interfere with life support.

Do you wish to transfer your magic power?

Of course. Do it right away. I can’t lose Iris after we’ve defeated the Black Dragon.

Then transfer the magic power. Three, two, one…

Zero.

For a moment, I felt as if something warm was slipping out of my body.

When I used the [Appraisal] again, I found that the “abnormal condition” was removed from Iris’s status.

“Kou…?”

Eventually, Iris slowly woke up.

“What happened to the Black Dragon…?”

“I defeated it. It’s okay now.”

“I see, that’s good…”

Iris sighed in relief, then looked up at me and said.

“The reason I fainted was probably because I was running out of magic.”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“The last time I put up the barrier, I felt a thread snap inside me. …I was in a very dangerous situation, wasn’t I?”

“…Yes.”

“I don’t know the details, but Kou helped me, right? Thank you. I owe you again, don’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it. Iris is an important friend for me.”

“An important friend, huh?”

Iris smiled happily.

“It’s a little embarrassing, but it’s not a bad feeling.”

“…I see.”

I gave a short response and turned my gaze upwards.

The sun had already set, and the sky was turning indigo. The night will soon arrive.

I don’t want to stay out in the open like this, but I don’t think Iris and I are going to be able to move.

I wonder what we should do now.

Will I be able to recover my strength if I drink a lot of Heal Potion?

When I was about to open my [Item Box], the sound of footsteps echoed, and a large object approached us.

“Master! You’re safe! Thank goodness, thank goodness!”

It was the Destroyer Golem.

As soon as he found us, he ran up to us, waving his right hand in the air.

“I’ve annihilated the monster, mission accomplished. Ehe.”

“Thank you. You’ve done well.”

“Congratulations, Master, on defeating the Black Dragon! …Are you returning to the underground city?”

“Yes. That’s the plan.”

“If that’s the case, then by all means.”

The Destroyer Golem crouched down on the spot and reached out his both hands.

“Please don’t hesitate to get on board. I guarantee you a comfortable journey.”

The Destroyer Golem’s hands were just big enough for one person to sit in.

I sat on the left, and Iris sat on the right.

“Then, we’re off!”

The Destroyer Golem began to walk slowly.

Of course, it shook, but the rhythm was constant and comfortable. It was the same feeling I get when sitting on a train seat.

I looked to my right and saw that Iris had fallen asleep before I knew it.

My consciousness was gradually fading, and I was also falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

“…Where am I?”

The next thing I knew, I was floating in the darkness.

I was supposed to have been riding on the left hand side of the Destroyer Golem a while ago, but what the hell happened?

…Somehow, I feel like I’ve been in a similar situation before.

As I was thinking about this, a semi-transparent panel suddenly appeared in front of me.

It looked like a message window from a game, but what was displayed there was no text but images.

It was an event that happened four thousand years ago.

Black Dragon was destroying the city one after another, and the people who survived were building an underground city.

Once the underground city was completed, the ancient people began a huge ritual.

A magic circle over a hundred meters in diameter was drawn on the ground, and hundreds, if not thousands of people prayed within it.

The ritual continued for three days and three nights, and finally, the magic circle was activated.

One by one, the ancient people turned into golden particles, and finally, there was no one left.

What on earth had happened?

I don’t know for sure, but I can guess.

The golden particles ── I saw them when I used the [Spirit Blessing].

The ancient people involved in constructing the underground city may have been turned into spirits through a ritual.

For what purpose?

Perhaps to lend their power to the [Transmigrator] who will appear in the distant future.

When I came to that conclusion, the video ended, and a text was displayed instead.

──We would like to express our utmost gratitude to you for fulfilling our long-cherished wish of 4,000 years.

* * *

“Master, wake up. Master.”

The voice of the Destroyer Golem woke me up.

It was deep in the Cello Forest, in front of the entrance to the underground city.

“Kou, are you okay?”

It seemed that Iris had woken up first and was standing in front of the door that led to the underground city.

“I’m sorry. I fell asleep for a moment.”

“That’s understandable. It was such a fierce battle.”

“I think I’ll sleep better today.”

I jumped off the left side of the Destroyer Golem.

“Thank you for carrying me.”

“You’re welcome. Do you have any other orders?”

“Well…”

I thought about it for a while and then decided to send the Destroyer Golem to the city of Aunen.

All the inhabitants had been evacuated to the underground city, so naturally, the city was empty.

If monsters or bandits were to target it, it would be a disaster, and a guard should be provided.

“I understand! I’ll do my best to protect the city!”

The Destroyer Golem saluted and headed towards Aunen with a vigorous gait.

The back looked big and reliable.

I know he’ll do well.

When the two of us returned to the underground city, we found Milia standing at the entrance to the city.

“Kou-san! Iris-san!”

She looked like she was about to burst into tears as she rushed towards us.

“A-are you okay? Are you hurt? I was really worried…”

“We’re fine. Don’t worry.”

“Uuu, I’m so glad. I wondered what I would do if the two of you didn’t come back… Huuu.”

It seems that she was overwhelmed with emotion, and tears began to fall from her eyes.

Eventually, she began to cry out loudly.

I think this is the first time she’s shown this much emotion.

“You were really worried about us, weren’t you?”

Iris smiled and hugged Milia.

They are like two sisters who are very close.

It was about ten minutes before Milia stopped crying.

“I-I’m sorry… I was so overwhelmed…”

When I was about to say, “That’s fine.”

There were dozens of translucent, round creatures rushing towards me at once from the city.

It was a horde of Helper Slimes. They stopped moving around me and bowed a bit vertically.

“Welcome back, Master-san!”

“You defeated the Black Dragon, didn’t you?”

“Yay, yay, yay!”

“Our master is..♪”

“Strong, strong, strong, strong♪”

The Helper Slimes swayed from side to side, and for some reason, they began to sing a chorus. They were singing a song in praise of me.

To be honest, I was really embarrassed.

As I looked away in embarrassment, I saw Chief Zitan some distance away.

He waited for the Slimes to finish their chorus and then slowly approached us.

“Kou-kun, Iris-kun, thank you for your hard work. …What happened on the surface?”

“The Great Flood and the Black Dragon have been eliminated. The crisis should be over now.”

“Oh…! That’s great. Thank you. I really thank you.”

Chief Zitan smiled happily and asked us to shake his hand.

After we shook hands, I gave him a brief explanation of what I had done since I left the underground city.

After listening to everything, he nodded deeply and replied.

“Without you, the city would have been destroyed, and no one would have survived. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. …I’ll be sure to report this to the lord, and he’ll give you the honor and reward you deserve. You can look forward to it.”