Ex-Machina on a Dimensional Journey

"I want to grow stronger. I want to avenge everyone."

"..."

Xiu Er did not reply. She looked into his eyes, and the scan results showed that he was indeed not lying. Every word came from the bottom of his heart.

During Xiu Er's silence, Takuson grew incomparably nervous.

Then he saw a strange glint flash through this older sister's eyes.

It lasted only an instant. He did not see it clearly and merely took it for an illusion.

"Request denied."

"Huh?"

"It has been determined that you are merely a child with no combat ability. Taking you along would only make you a burden."

"..."

Naturally, Xiu Er could not truly bring this human child along. She could not bring along a burden that would be of no help to her.

So, she chose to refuse him.

Seeing the dejected Takuson, Xiu Er felt no pity. She merely turned around and continued walking.

Knowing that everything Xiu Er said was true, Takuson had no way to refute it. As he was now, he truly was a burden to her.

He wanted to grow stronger, but she thought he lacked strength. If she would not accept him, he could not grow stronger—but he needed strength in order to become stronger...

Without paying any more attention to the lost boy behind her, Xiu Er simply continued walking quietly as before...

It was another night, and Xiu Er was keeping watch as usual.

However, Takuson had not gone to sleep early tonight. Out of curiosity, he had asked Xiu Er for that Sacred Canon.

It was the book Xiu Er always took out and flipped through whenever she rested these past few days.

Takuson did not know why Xiu Er did that, but it made him curious about the Sacred Canon as well.

Xiu Er said nothing and simply tossed the Sacred Canon to him.

Since Takuson wanted it, she let him have a look.

After receiving the Sacred Canon, Takuson suddenly remembered the scene of Monk Grandpa fighting the Monsters.

I remember Monk Grandpa doing this back then...

Then—

Xiu Er's eyes widened as she abruptly stared at Takuson.

Takuson also stared in surprise at the object in his hand: a golden spear of light.

According to Xiu Er's scan, that spear bore the aura of the Goddess Magic from the basement back then!

Trial

Several more days passed—

Xiu Er was now standing before another Dungeon gate. Unlike before, though, there was someone else beside her this time.

"T-Teacher, are you serious?"

Takuson clutched the Sacred Canon against his chest with one hand and gripped a Golden Short-Handled Axe with the other. With a frightened expression, he looked at the Dungeon before him and tremblingly asked Xiu Er.

Xiu Er had created the axe for him, and its material was nothing more than ordinary iron.

Clearly, this child had the talent to become a monk, yet he wanted to choose the path of a warrior.

What was this supposed to be?

A Battle Cleric?

Xiu Er did not understand what the child was thinking, but since it was his choice, she would not interfere with his thoughts.

"Affirmative. Actual combat is the best way to improve one's strength."

Xiu Er did not know how to teach, and the Ex-Machina' combat methods were not something humans could learn, so this was the only method she could think of.

Actual combat.

This Dungeon had been chosen by Xiu Er as the location for his first actual combat training.

Yes, Xiu Er had ultimately chosen to take Takuson in.

Only because she had discovered that this child possessed Goddess's Blessing and the aptitude needed to use Goddess Magic.

Then, in order to replicate Goddess Magic, Xiu Er chose to keep him.

"Huh? By myself? Seriously?"

"Yes."

"I'll die, won't I?"

"Negative. There will be no danger to your life."

"Huh?"

Takuson desperately hoped his teacher was joking, but judging by this, she was completely serious.

What kind of teacher started combat training with a Dungeon?!

Could this be the reason his teacher was so strong?

Thinking this, Takuson could only take a deep breath and steady himself.

Since his teacher had said she would not let him die, he would trust her judgment for now.

Seeing the child's worries, Xiu Er chose not to explain.

Takuson stole a glance at Xiu Er's face.

At this moment, Xiu Er had removed her disguise, revealing the inhuman traits on her face.

As for why Takuson was so calm now, it was simply because he did not understand what they represented.

Watching Takuson's back as he entered the Dungeon, Xiu Er began recalling what had happened that day...

When she decided to take in the child that day, Xiu Er had decided to conduct one final test.

That was to reveal her true appearance before him.

Yet this child had not shown much emotional reaction to her inhuman appearance.

That had slightly surprised Xiu Er at the time.

"As long as I know you aren't a Demon, Teacher, that's enough. Besides, Teacher, you look like an Angel right now."

Those had been the child's exact words.

Although Takuson still felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at by those inorganic eyes devoid of emotion, he did not care much about it.

In fact, his attention had been completely drawn to the halo above Xiu Er's head, and he had not paid much attention to the mechanical marks on her face.

He was single-mindedly determined to grow stronger and avenge his homeland. His hatred for the Demons kept him from caring about such things.

To that child, it was enough as long as Xiu Er was not a Demon.

Xiu Er found a place to sit at the Dungeon entrance and waited for the child to return.

Dusk had arrived—

"Urgh..."

Takuson, covered in wounds, was carried over the shoulder of one of Xiu Er's Doppelgangers as he emerged from a Space Gate opened by One-Way Street.

This was already his fifteenth failed return.

It was only after nearly dying the first time that Takuson finally understood what his teacher meant by there being no danger to his life.

He still remembered his first failure.

He had watched his chest and abdomen be pierced and torn open by a Monster in the Dungeon. He could even see his organs slowly spilling out.

But after his vision went black and he lost consciousness, he awoke again to find himself lying on the ground outside the Dungeon, with his teacher standing beside him.

This scene had repeated itself more than ten times.

He was certain that every time, his injuries had been absolutely fatal, yet his teacher had always managed to save him.

He could not help but marvel once again. Teacher, you're so powerful!

As expected of a divine apostle.

Yes, in Takuson's heart, his teacher—Xiu Er—had already become an Angel under the Goddess.

Xiu Er could more or less guess what the child was thinking, but she did not care, so she did not explain.

"Cough—!"

His body regained vitality once more, and Takuson recovered from the brink of death again.

Though Xiu Er had remained seated at the entrance, she had actually dispatched a Doppelganger to follow behind Takuson.

That way, it could immediately open a Space Gate and bring back this bargain disciple of hers.

After bringing him back, she would immediately save him with Zafkiel: Dalet. However, Takuson knew absolutely nothing about this.

"I can keep going..."

The first thing Takuson did after waking up was try to enter the Dungeon again and conquer it.

This was the goal his teacher—Xiu Er—had given him.

Conquer this Dungeon within a single day.

He picked up the Sacred Canon and the short-handled axe, wanting to enter again, but this time Xiu Er stopped him.

"...Teacher...?"

Takuson lowered his head. He was afraid Xiu Er would be disappointed in him. Although he had never seen any emotional change in his teacher during this nearly month-long period.

That did not stop him from worrying that he would disappoint Xiu Er.

"Response time has ended."

As soon as she spoke, an enormous commotion suddenly erupted from within the Dungeon.

Several seconds later, a golden Space Gate opened beside Xiu Er, and a "person" identical to Xiu Er stepped out from it with a book in hand.

"Report: mission complete. Target, 'Magic Guidebook,' recovered."

Taking the Magic Guidebook handed over by the Doppelganger, Xiu Er immediately began flipping through it.

She had no intention of explaining anything to Takuson.

Takuson had also grown used to this way of getting along.

"Sigh..."

Once again, he felt the reality of being a burden. His teacher clearly could have conquered this Instance very quickly, yet she had waited until now.

"Your flesh is still far too frail, and it requires training to reach the benchmark of a warrior."

Xiu Er was evaluating Takuson based on the Demon warrior Zera.

After all, she did not know what the minimum requirements for a warrior among humans were.