I Call the Shots. (Continued)

She took a few steps back and stood behind the woman.

The other person seemed completely tireless, continuing to swing the iron bar in his hand.

Molten lava splashed up again and again, only to return to calm time and time again.

Maria could see that every time the lava lake unleashed a devastating counterattack, she would meet it without hesitation, using it to temper the iron bar in her hand.

Once everything was quiet, she would pick and choose from the surrounding area and add it to the slightly smaller iron bar.

Repeating endlessly.

A monotonous environment often makes people lose track of time.

Maria was also an extremely patient person.

She sat there silently, watching the other person continue to wave their arms and legs.

Could it be thousands of times? Or even tens of thousands?

Maria did not make a point of recording these things.

Instead, they waited until the other side had completely exhausted the temperature of the entire lava lake, until this crimson world was devoid of any light, until everything had completely disappeared...

She finally stopped what she was doing.

The iron bar in her hand had finally solidified into a piece of iron that temporarily satisfied her...

Only then did she turn her head and look at Maria.

"You're quite patient."

"Now, can we talk?"

"... It's possible."

The woman didn't refuse, but she just smiled.

"But shouldn't you go and check on your companions?"

"Um?"

"Although I don't understand the meaning behind their chosen time, you've been here for quite a while now."

The woman, carrying a sword, also came to Maria's side and offered a simple warning.

"If you don't go now, you'll never see her again."

Maria was also stunned for a moment.

"A long time... how long is that?"

"How would I know? I can only sense some things... I'm not good at these things."

The woman shook her head, making a matter-of-fact sound.

Maria frowned as well.

However, the woman quickly gave her a reassuring answer.

"Don't worry, I won't leave."

"..."

"I'm different from my comrades. At least, I think integrity—or rather, that's the most important thing. Without integrity, there is no battle..."

The woman seemed particularly enthusiastic about this kind of thing, grinning, "Go ahead and take a look... I'll wait for you here."

"..."

Maria didn't quite understand what the woman was saying.

Seeing the other person's frankness, Maria did not hesitate. After thinking for a few moments, she silently turned around and left the cave.

When Maria emerged from the cave, she was also taken aback for a moment.

The entire mountain wilderness was lush and green, filled with the melodious chirping of birds; not a single snowflake could be seen.

She stayed inside for several months?!

Maria was somewhat taken aback.

The woman slowly emerged from the cave, gazing at the vast surrounding mountains and fields. She pouted, showing little interest.

"Your companions left after they found out you were gone... If you want to find them, go this way."

The woman pointed in a direction to Maria, and Maria looked in the direction she was pointing.

Sure enough, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys in the distance...

On the other side, there was an unpleasant odor...

"Ah, so they really came."

The woman seemed to sense the unusual scent as well. She shook her head slightly, picked up the longsword she had just forged, and her eyes sharpened.

"I'm going to fight Him... Do you want to come with me?"

"..."

Maria didn't speak, but glanced at the woman before walking towards the village.

She needed to warn these people that a war between Great Beast might be about to break out here.

"Huh? A strange older sister?"

When Maria arrived at the village, lightning crackled and flashed in the distant mountains.

Maria wanted to find the old man she had met before... or the little girl, to warn them that danger might be approaching.

To Maria's surprise, the villagers present didn't seem to recognize her...

A few months... it's not a long time, but it's not short either.

The villagers were also curious about Maria's arrival and came over to check on her.

But they were also intimidated by Maria's fierce aura and dared not approach her easily.

After an unknown amount of time, a person finally mustered up the courage to walk over.

"Um... young lady, where are you from?"

"... in the mountains."

Which mountain?

"..."

Maria remained silent for a moment, but after a while, she pointed out a direction to everyone present.

But soon, when everyone saw the direction Maria pointed out, their expressions turned extremely astonished.

The women led the children to hide to one side, and the remaining young people were also trembling with fear.

But some people still managed a smile.

"Young lady, you must be joking. This is a famous Mountain God Mountain, how could you... how could you..."

The man's voice trembled, as if the so-called Mountain God Mountain were a gathering place for demons and ghosts.

Maria frowned at this.

Since the location she pointed out is probably an area these people would typically seek out when faced with Catastrophes, right?

How...

What happened here?

Before Maria could even comprehend what was happening, an elderly man with a cane emerged, supported by several people.

Those around them, seeing each other, quickly huddled together.

"Old village chief..."

"The old village chief?"

Maria was taken aback, looking at the elderly man in front of her.

But...

"Elder sister?"

The elderly woman, whose eyesight was failing, still recognized the man who had saved her life decades ago...

"... The older you get, the fewer things you can remember. Sometimes, I even wonder if I've remembered things from back then incorrectly, as if it were all a dream."

The old woman smiled, a very kind smile.

Her blurred vision made it impossible for her to clearly see Maria's face, but the black trench coat and her unique aura still brought back memories of the near-death experience.

Everything... is real...

Maria remained silent for a moment before slowly exhaling.

"What is this 'Mountain God Mountain' they just mentioned?"

"Yes... you probably don't know that."

The old woman shook her head.

She didn't ask why, even after more than eighty years, Maria still seemed like she had just walked out yesterday.

She simply shook her head and led Maria towards her current residence.

"Just a few years after you disappeared, a landslide occurred in the mountains over there..."

From that time on, the mountain started to act strangely.

It's become very strange there... Many people who go into the mountains and wilderness never come out, and even if they do, they forget what happened when they disappeared into the mountains and wilderness.

Some daring people have tried to venture into the mountains a few times, but they all returned in disarray, saying that there were spirits in the mountains.

At first, no one believed it.

But as time went by, more and more people experienced similar situations, and many even disappeared completely. Eventually, people became afraid to explore that mountain anymore... Later, they combined it with the story of the mountain god, hence the name "Mountain God Mountain"...

As the old woman spoke, she turned her head again, looking at Maria with curiosity.

"Sister, were you also lost in there?"

"... It shouldn't be."

Maria didn't passively get lost in the mountains; she deliberately stayed there, waiting for the opportunity to talk to the Great Beast girl.

She simply forgot the passage of time.

The monotonous, crimson lava world blurred her sense of time, and her attire, devoid of any ordinary items, made it difficult for her to judge the passage of time.

In addition, Maria's unusual experiences made her perception of time extremely blurred.

So she felt as if only a short while had passed, but eighty years had gone by outside...

The old woman didn't care about Maria's words; she simply smiled, shook her head, and looked at Maria again.

"So... Sister, is there something you need?"

"A battle between Great Beast may soon break out in this area... You might need to find a safe place to hide for a while."

Maria didn't beat around the bush; she issued the warning almost immediately.

The power of the Great Beast is formidable, enough to rival Catastrophes.

If the two Great Beasts were to actually fight, it would be almost impossible for anyone in the village so close to the battlefield to survive.

So Maria hoped these people would stay away.

Upon hearing this, the old woman stiffened slightly, staring at Maria in astonishment, her eyes clearing a little.

But after a moment, she said nothing.

She didn't ask Maria how she knew about it, nor did she ask Maria why she had come all the way to tell them. After a long silence, she simply tilted her head back slightly and exhaled.

"I understand... I'll try to get everyone to accept this result."

"Accept?"