"Go! Go!"
While the people of Babel Tower were cheering for the feast, the people Black Forest Ursus were also cheering.
"Go, Miss Talulah, you're about to break the record!"
"Big Sister, you can't lose either!"
The crowd surrounded the empty plaza, where three figures were locked in fierce combat.
The Patriot's halberd swung, a raging hurricane whipped up a blizzard, only to be scorched by the oncoming flames.
But at the same time, the black ice spears that were shot out from the side were also greatly reduced in power by the flames.
"Talulah! Are you even going to cooperate?"
"I was blocking the attack for you!"
Despite saying this, Talulah did indeed extinguish her flames, but their conversation wouldn't interrupt Patriot's attack.
"Battlefield... casual conversation!?"
The Patriot, who had been holding his ground, took a step forward, his towering figure charging toward Talulah like a heavy truck.
"That suits me perfectly!"
Talulah did not dodge; the flames on her raised sword intensified.
"Old Stubborn One... she's not alone!"
The black glacier rose from the ground, but shattered like glass struck by a giant hammer under the Patriot's charge.
The blockade lasted only a moment, but that was enough.
"Take this!"
Talulah swung her longsword, and a roaring Fire Dragon engulfed the Patriot.
The cheers from the sidelines abruptly ceased, and before anyone could even worry about the Patriot, the massive halberd ripped open the Fire Dragon's throat.
Under the glow of cannibalistic sorcery, the roaring Fire Dragon vanished with a mournful cry.
Call--!
The halberd stopped in front of Talulah, the raging storm whipping her hair wildly, and the blizzard burying the people behind her.
Amidst the groans and complaints of the people in the Black Forest, Patriot sheathed his halberd and nodded.
"You... have improved."
Talulah was not pleased with the praise. She sheathed her longsword and couldn't help but sigh.
"This kind of progress is so small it's almost hopeless. If you hadn't held back just now, I would be dead by now."
"No need to be modest... you are indeed... making progress."
"Alright, alright, Old Stubborn One, stop talking. It's getting more and more infuriating."
FrostNova approached with a dark expression, fully aware of Talulah's current mood.
Since the Patriot returned, they patrolled during the day and returned at night to practice their skills.
The battle between Talulah and the Patriot has become a daily pastime for the people of the Black Forest.
Under the combined healing of the unknown Snow Fruit and potion from Gorth, FrostNova, whose health had improved, volunteered to join the battle.
They thought that the two working together would at least leave some scars on Patriot, but they actually lasted even less time.
"You could have held on longer."
"Uncle Gorth?" / "Mentor!"
Amid cheers from the crowd, Gorth rose from the ground, observing the entire battle from his shadowy position.
Even if the two were not as strong as Patriot, the battle should not have ended so quickly.
It's not that the two lack chemistry; rather, they're incredibly in sync.
The result of their overly coordinated attacks is that they always launch their attacks simultaneously, and their diametrically opposed characteristics greatly reduce the damage they deal.
"Yes, I didn't cooperate well with Yelena this time. Next time... I'll try to last longer!"
Talulah readily admitted her mistake, but did not make any boastful promises.
You have to admit it; the more you fight against Patriot, the more you understand the true value of this legend.
Not to mention...
"What? It's clearly because of you, Uncle Gorth! With that Old Stubborn One guy wearing armor, how could we possibly take him down?"
FrostNova couldn't help but complain. Gorth and Patriot both turned their heads, saying it was really not fair to let the forest fire and ice people fight against those immune to fire and ice.
Seeing their reactions, Talulah felt a pang of resentment.
That's so unfair!
The sword couldn't break through the defense, the flames couldn't burn it, and I couldn't bring myself to bully the Patriot had a speech impediment.
What can we do? We can't exactly make her compete with Wendigo in strength, can we?
At this rate, when will Mr. Patriot finally join the Reunion Movement...?
"How's the Reunion Movement's setup going?"
Gorth asked Talulah question, and she answered enthusiastically:
"Thanks to you, our accommodation and emergency supplies have been arranged. We are now compiling population data to verify the purity of the population."
Yes, the Reunion Movement.
During this time, Talulah was not idle. Instead, she joined forces with some people in the Black Forest and the Infected outside the snowfield to establish this inevitable organization.
For some unknown reason, the usually flamboyant nobles all fell silent, and even the several army groups that frequently clashed with each other quieted down.
As if sensing something, the once arrogant Infection Patrol disappeared, giving the Infected a chance to catch their breath.
As news of the Black Forest spread, more and more Infected approached the area, causing considerable commotion.
With Gorth's tacit approval, Talulah led the group to settle on the edge of the Black Forest.
How do you plan to acquire more supplies?
Gorth did not provide supplies continuously; an organization cannot rely on the support of just one person to develop in the long run.
"... It's somewhat ironic that at this stage, we can only obtain supplies by fighting back against the picket Infection Patrol."
Talulah looked helpless.
"Some people have tried growing crops, since the climate inside the forest is much warmer than outside."
"But... some people have reported that the soil fertility here is very low, so planting here would only be a waste of seeds."
Gorth fell silent.
He understood the reason for the low fertility; the energy to rapidly generate such a large forest certainly didn't come out of thin air.
Moreover, the ground remains stable thanks to the low temperatures of the snowfields and the forests that lock in the soil.
Gorth did consider using Magic Stone to improve the situation, but the properties of the Red Magic Stone seemed Tai He, almost turning the wasteland into lava.
Research on seed ripening has also progressed slowly, but it has led to the development of some strange things.
Hopefully, this Dungeon adventure will bring some relief...
After offering a few words of routine comfort, he dismissed the crowd, leaving Gorth behind to comfort the Patriot was preparing to console his daughter.
"Buldrokkas'tee, are you familiar with the mines in Ursus?"
Gorth's sudden question made Patriot's eyes narrow. Was this quiet compatriot finally going to make a move?
"Leave the liberation of the mines to me, my fellow countrymen... no need to get involved in the disputes."
"You've misunderstood. I was just... simply curious."
Gorth offered an explanation, Patriot did not readily believe, but he could not refuse Gorth's request either.
After learning the general information from Patriot, Gorth took his leave.
Watching his figure sink into the shadows, Patriot began to wonder if his plan had been exposed.
Not long ago, Talulah also came to see him.
Red Dragon learned that some of their compatriots who were preparing to go to the Black Forest were intercepted by the Infection Patrol in advance, and many of them have now been sent to the Far North Central Mine.
Having been outnumbered and unable to act easily, Talulah now has the Guerrilla back, and naturally, rescuing her compatriots is on her agenda.
Patriot, of course, would not refuse.
However, the two disagreed on whether to inform Gorth.
The Patriot believed that since the rescued compatriots would eventually be taken back to the forest, they should at least inform Gorth.
Talulah, however, worries that if Gorth finds out, he might join the battle, disrupting the Black Forest's aloofness from worldly affairs.
Patriot wanted to condemn this mentality, even though he also wanted to maintain peace in the Black Forest and knew that long-term neutrality was impossible.
But after seeing the smiles on the faces of the forest dwellers, Patriot finally agreed.
Of course, Talulah later established the Reunion Movement to provide overt protection.
It now seems that their plan may have been known to them all along.
Patriot shook his head and chased after FrostNova.
Indeed, how could a secret conversation in the forest possibly escape the notice of the forest's master?
Actually, we managed to keep it a secret.
It wasn't that Gorth couldn't sense it, but rather that he was too busy.
Gorth, who has the characteristics of a timid rat, may appear calm, but he is always anxious inside.
This anxiety drove him to keep busy with preparations, and this search for Patriot was one of those preparations.
Although I've learned from the Doctor that it's possible to anchor time back to the original starting point, who knows if it will actually succeed?
Feeling uneasy, Gorth decided to make preparations first.
Since the Star Gate Destruction and needs repair, let's prepare the materials first.
As for what materials are needed...
Mark all the mines, and you can retrieve them when needed.
With the information provided by the Patriot memorized, Gorth set out his future itinerary.
"Time to go to the Dungeon."
Are you leaving again?
"Same as before, family gathering, I'll be back tomorrow morning."
The banquet outside the Babel Tower was drawing to a close, Vera also gave Hedley some instructions:
"You can manage to keep them from causing trouble for one night, right?"
I'll try my best.
Hedley did not guarantee that the longer they spent together, the less his prestige within the group would decline.
Of course, he didn't dislike this situation, especially since, due to certain special circumstances, everyone would probably behave much better now.
Hedley looked into the distance and saw Wis'adel standing on the table, showing off her name to everyone.
After learning the meaning of her name from Theresa, the girl became even more excited.
[I wish for a home... She really values you.]
The mercenaries, who had initially paid little attention to Wis'adel's boasting, became anxious after learning the meaning of the name.
I wish for a home.
Sarkaz never make wishes, because they are simply impossible to fulfill.
But if this is Vera's wish, the mercenaries are willing to give their lives to fulfill this ideal.
But amidst their determination, they also felt a pang of envy or jealousy.
Can that crazy bomb-wielding woman really expect that much just by dressing up as a woman?
If she can do it, why can't we?
In this atmosphere, the mercenaries, who should have been constantly swearing, changed their usual behavior, and the pleasant atmosphere made the people of Babel Tower look at them with surprise.
Driven by an inexplicable competitive spirit, the Sarkaz of Babel Tower also fell silent, leaving those unaware of the truth completely bewildered.
Vera naturally saw Wis'adel as well; the guy had become even more clingy after getting his name...
But Vera is no longer as resistant as she used to be.
At least, she now has more time.
Vera waved to Hedley and turned to leave.
"Anyway, I'm leaving this place to you."
Iberia, Gran Faro
"Is he... really alright?"
Looking at Vane, who had been sleeping soundly since his second brother returned, Ji suspected that his second brother might have done something shady.
"Please don't worry, Mr. Vane said earlier that this is normal."
Carefully removing Vane's head from her lap, Irene braced her numb legs and prepared to change positions.
"This is normal..."
The results are hard to predict.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he vaguely felt that Vane in front of him looked like a corpse.
But his heart was clearly beating...
"Hmm... where's my pillow?"
Okay, it's alive again now.
Vane, now back in his original form, rubbed and touched downwards; the bouncy knee pillow was no longer where it had been.
"You should stop now! Miss Skadi needs rest too!"
Irene glared at Vane, knowing full well the astonishing feats Vane had accomplished, yet she simply couldn't bring herself to respect him.
The girl rubbed her numb legs.
He looks like a little kid, how come he's so heavy...?
"Well~ I suck on pretty girls, orcas suck on people, it's all consensual, right?"
"No, shameless!"
Vane yawned. Unlike his original body, the consciousness residing in his second body seemed to experience fatigue normally.
Come to think of it, is it because I've been spending so much time with birds...? Why do I feel like I'm surrounded by their scent?
Vane instinctively leaned closer to sniff, earning him a flurry of playful punches from the girl.
"Pervert! Pervert!"
"Alright... whatever you say goes."
It's a pity it's not a Japanese dub.
Smacking his lips, Vane glanced at the embarrassed Ji standing to the side.
"Seventh Brother hasn't left yet."
"Sir, you flatter me. My elder brother has already instructed me to ensure your safe arrival at Hundred Kitchens."
(Hundred Kitchens: Similar to the capital of Yan, a place to suppress the Sui Beast.)
"But I don't want to leave yet. Are you going to keep waiting here? Doesn't Sui Regulator care?"
"Let them wait. Matters of principle... are not for the Sui Regulator to interfere with."
Performance doesn't matter; what does Sui Regulator mean to anyone?
If it weren't for their love for Yan and the need to give the Old Master some face, do you really think they'd want to be watched all the time?
"Since you're free anyway, why don't you do me a favor?"
"There's nothing wrong with that."
Ji smiled and nodded, not intending to ask for any reward. As a businessman, he loved owing favors the most.
"Don't you have a caravan? Could you help me transport something to Kazdel?"
"Kazdel... it will probably take some time to transport from Iberia."
"Oh, it's alright, it's alright. The goods being transported will land on the Rem Billiton coast."
"By sea? That's much closer..."
Ji seemed to be deep in thought. It seemed there was quite a lot of cargo this time, and he might have to escort it himself.
"In that case, Ji will accompany the caravan on its journey."
"Thanks! Remember to bring back the four portraits."
Ji's eye twitched; he had agreed too hastily.
Looking back now, since it was payment, the quality of the painting couldn't be too low.
But all the high-quality people are around Xi, and I don't even know if I'll be able to meet them if I go.
Or... should we go find Nian?
I remember they were the closest people to each other; if they went together, they probably wouldn't be turned away, right?
Having made up his mind, Ji then remembered to inquire about the condition of the goods.
"By the way, what kind of goods do you want to transport?"
"Ah... this..."
Vane squinted, his eyes darting instinctively to the side.
"Let's talk about that tomorrow. I have something to do tonight, so I have to go."
As Vane disappeared, a bad premonition suddenly gripped Ji's heart.
It can't be some kind of contraband, can it...?
Ji frowned, beginning to think about how to hide it.
If some contraband causes negative repercussions, it will indeed be difficult to explain to Yan.
Never mind, we'll just hide it in the painting later.
He resigned and returned to the mansion depicted in the painting.
After all... it can't be so small that it can't even fit a painting, can it?
"It's hard to say."
Gregor shook his head at the mace.
"Don't look at me like that. It's hard to say. It might end soon, or it could take a day."
"Can't I come along?"
"Too dangerous."
"Tsk."
Knowing that Gregor was thinking of him, Jian didn't say much, but still felt a bit annoyed, so he simply went to the lakeside to practice his swordsmanship.
"Roar..."
Using his massive body to create a safe haven, Reshiram carefully nudged Gregor.
"I'd like to take you with me... but you're too old now, you can't go back."
Gregor was quite helpless. Unlike himself, who could return to his original size after releasing his energy, Reshiram, whose body had grown, could not return to his original form.
Its hundred-meter-long body was too enormous; the House of Vitality couldn't possibly fit it inside.
Gregor waved his hand, and the lake rippled as Zekrom burst forth.
Unlike his older brother, the younger brother's physique remained the same.
As for the large lake in front of him, Gregor did not know its name, only that it was the dividing line between Kazimierz and Leithanien.
According to Jian, flying over this lake and traversing Leithanien and Siracusa is the fastest shortcut to Kazdel.
"Next time."
Gregor said this, without caring whether Mace heard him or not.
"Next time, come see them with me."
"..."
She sheathed her mace and turned around, only to Reshiram staring at her.
"An awkward guy, isn't he?"
"Roar?"
Reshiram couldn't understand, and quietly lay down.
He stopped brandishing his sword and took out a fishing rod from his luggage.
The assembly is efficient, using fresh meat as bait.
Gregor wasn't lying to her; he really did teach her how to fish.
Despite using the same fishing rod and bait, Gregor's line was always full.
Even if you're not fishing for fish, you can still catch some strange things.
On the other hand, the mace...
"Tsk!"
Thinking of something unpleasant, he swung the fishing rod hard, sending the fish flying far into the lake.
Unexpectedly, the fishing rod started to shake very quickly this time.
Jian's eyes lit up; judging from the force in his hand, it must be a big fish.
A strong sense of excitement, the body's instinct tells how to exert force with the mace.
In an instant, the huge "catch" was thrown ashore.
"Fish Catch," clutching a piece of fresh meat, stared blankly at the mace.
As if realizing her predicament, she bared her teeth.
"Roar!"
A terrifying roar came from behind the mace, and Reshiram got up in displeasure.
What happened?
"Hmm!"
Only then did "Fish Catcher" see the enormous creature behind the mace; her instincts honed in the wilderness told her that this was a monster that was impossible to defeat.
Then--
The fish lay on the ground, its neck exposed, limbs pointing upwards, pitifully gazing at the mace.
The beast's surrender posture is quite standard; it would have been even better if it weren't on a girl Pelo.
"Sigh... following him always leads to discovering some strange things."
Jian sighed, picked up the girl, and walked towards the bonfire of civilization.
"Tell me, what's your name?"