The Altar of Kimaris has appeared.
The demon has not descended. It’s just that, out of nowhere, an altar has sprouted in a remote village.
And strangely enough, this has nothing to do with Lemegaton.
“What the hell?”
The leader of the 5th faction, Sephir, frowned upon hearing the news.
At first, she thought one of the other faction leaders had secretly used the Arm of Andromalius.
The reason she thought it was a secret was that there was only one use left for the arm. With each use, the arm of Andromalius had slowly rotted away and was now almost on the verge of complete destruction.
It was clear there weren’t many uses left.
Because of that, the president had temporarily stopped its use.
“Just who could it be… Could it be Libya again?”
“No, that’s not it. This time, it emerged naturally!”
“Huh…?”
Of course, she was surprised when she heard the truth. After all, it felt as though the day the president mentioned was gradually approaching.
But such surprise was short-lived; her always-cool self quickly completed her assessment.
“This is an opportunity. We need to gather troops immediately and occupy the altar. One of the faction leaders should join as well. Who’s available…?”
“Coincidentally, the 4th faction leader has said they will take part.”
Thus, Lemegaton quickly began gathering its followers for participation.
The reason was, of course, to seize the altar quickly.
And it wasn’t just Lemegaton.
As the altar was publicly appearing, news quickly reached the knights of other nations.
“Damn those Lemegaton guys.”
The knights also considered it an opportunity.
They had been constantly under pressure because of those guys lately, and now was the time to make up for it.
And it was obvious that failure would open the gates of hell for them in the future.
At the moment the demon resurrected, there would be significant loss of life and property, and they would be too busy organizing a purge squad to keep their minds straight.
For them, this situation was something they absolutely had to prevent.
“Recruit as many troops as possible immediately! Request the Adventurers’ Guild to gather adventurers! We must occupy and destroy the altar before those guys!”
Just because it’s called Demon’s Altar doesn’t mean a demon will descend without fail.
If they destroy the altar where those guys are supposed to appear, they will lose their exit and be trapped in the demon world. Thus, the matter was extremely crucial.
So the knights quickly gathered their forces.
But that wasn’t all.
This news was also interesting to Otherworlders, or in other words, the users.
They were starting to get a bit tired of demons, but seeing an altar was a first.
And the situation in the game world felt abnormal. Users could feel troops gathering everywhere.
Some clans or guilds formed by users even received direct scouting reports regarding it, whether it be from Lemegaton or the knights.
Upon hearing such news, users cautiously speculated:
+
“This isn’t war content, is it…?”
+
War content. Specifically, it takes the form of a siege.
Hundreds of people will gather to clash their powers. The concentrated forces will collide and fade away.
Of course, this would be a serious issue for the Gaia followers, but for users always looking for entertainment, it was merely a good topic of discussion.
Thus, high-level user clans, famous streamers, and others converged towards the altar for views and rewards.
But as always… this didn’t concern Yor in any way.
*
“Is the world really about to end?”
That was the first thing I said after hearing that the altar of Kimaris had appeared.
No matter how much I think about it, demons seem to pop up far too frequently these days. It has only been a little over a year since Otherworlders appeared, and already over three demons have shown up.
And counting this altar, that makes four demons that have emerged.
Even if a worthless group like Lemegaton is involved, their appearances are just too frequent.
I asked the person feeding me this information.
“So everyone is currently gathering there?”
“Yeah, they’re already setting up tents near the altar and causing a fuss.”
The one who came to me today was Haneul. That made me wonder for a moment.
Usually, such information runners were handled by Chaerin.
“Why are you the one telling me today?”
“She’s currently on sick leave… Seems like she might’ve strained her body using mana recklessly last time.”
“Oh… I see.”
Well, considering she used someone else’s mana to move beyond her physical abilities, it could certainly strain her body.
Anyway, having heard the whole story, I nodded. Honestly, I was a bit surprised, but that didn’t mean I intended to participate.
To be frank, I was already doing too much lately.
Be it during the Amducias incident or Seere, I needed to tread carefully right now.
And isn’t there a ruckus made by knights and church folks at that altar?
If I were to show up as the one with power…
“Ugh…”
It was clear I would find myself in an uncomfortable situation as soon as I arrived.
Plus, there wasn’t really a reason for me to go there.
After all, the restriction on Holy Water had loosened a bit!
There was still a high demand, but it had decreased slightly. This time, it wasn’t a demon appearing; it was just an altar, so there wasn’t really a need to stock up on Holy Water.
Thanks to that, I was finally able to acquire a bit of Holy Water.
“Here.”
…It was just one bottle, though.
‘But hey, it’s better than nothing.’
I decided to think positively. At the very least, it meant supplies were gradually being released.
If I continued to keep an eye on the market, I might be able to gather enough to endure a violent transformation.
So, I expressed my gratitude to Haneul.
“Thanks for the info. It must be tough having to deal with a sick master.”
“No, it’s fine, but more importantly…”
And that’s when she timidly reserved her words, blushing.
Seeing her hesitate made me tilt my head in confusion.
After a moment of hesitation, she cautiously asked me.
“Um, I’m actually a bit curious about how to manipulate mana…”
“…”
Seeing through her less-than-pure intentions, I couldn’t help but smile a little.
After all, the sound Chaerin made back then had been quite… suggestive.
And to transfer mana, physical contact was needed, which might seem quite peculiar from a third-party perspective.
But even so, asking for help while seeing her master suffering was quite bold.
“I’m sorry, but that sounds too dangerous for me to do again.”
“Oh… Okay.”
With such an obvious refusal, she nodded with a downcast expression.
At times like this, I could sense the feelings of these girls. At the very least, I could tell they held some affection for me.
If I were to seduce her even a little, I could probably reach a point of intimacy.
Honestly, that was something I also somewhat desired.
Unlike this bland forest, my desires were quite vibrant.
But… I hesitated.
Although they knew I was the one with power, they were still Otherworlders.
In their view, this world was ultimately a game.
So if I were to spend a night with one of them, I was afraid of how our relationship might change.
“…”
I know. I sound like a coward.
What kind of man cannot even handle his own desires?
If the past me saw this side of me, I’d probably be called a coward.
But what can I do? After living alone for over ten years, this was the first chance I had to form human relationships.
So, I wanted to preserve them as much as I could.
Right, I’ve finished venting.
After clearing my mind of distractions, I added a few words for the still-somber Haneul.
“And I have things to do today. I think I’ll be busy.”
“Oh, speaking of which, I’ve been curious about what you’re doing.”
She looked at the various items laid out before me and asked.
I lightly replied.
“Weapon maintenance.”
Preparation is necessary. After all, what I would be doing today is risky.
I was planning to explore the Deep Layer today.
Having gained a rather useful ability, it felt like it was finally time to confront my limits again.
Probably looking to see the changed ecosystem there and gather some quality herbs while I’m at it.
As I explained this to Haneul, she showed a worried look.
“Isn’t that dangerous…?”
“I’m fine. I don’t plan to go too deep.”
I also knew my life was precious.
So I intended to proceed as carefully as possible. After all, the creatures in the initial part of the Deep Layer weren’t that difficult to deal with.
Thus, today, I wouldn’t have time to chat with her.
I would have to exit the Deep Layer before nightfall, at least.
After sharing that, her eyes held a significant expression for a moment.
Then she made a request to me.
“Um, can I go with you…?”
“Hmm?”
I pondered for a moment.
It certainly was a bit, no, very risky, but she’s an Otherworlder after all.
Having someone to talk with on the way wouldn’t be bad either. Plus, she primarily learned support magic.
“Sure.”
With that, the decision was made quickly.
