Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 130
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Side chapter: ??? 2
That being said, my life has not changed dramatically.
There was no way that my (cowardly) nature would suddenly change as if I were flipping a switch… Well, the cause was that I skipped the process of taking one or two steps at a time and rushed to a conclusion without thinking about the details. Although I have reflected on it, I have no regrets.
But it’s not just me, Uru is still the same as before, and Fricka hasn’t changed much either. At best, we’ve become closer and have more physical contact, and we’ve started sleeping together about every other day.
… We didn’t do anything, okay?
In the first place, Uru still sleeps clinging to me at night, so even though there’s no sign of her waking up, I don’t feel comfortable doing ‘that’ next to her… Before that, I didn’t have the courage or the will to do it.
I really think it’s a strange relationship. Still, Fricka seems satisfied, so I guess it’ll be like this for a while. I’ll make sure that we’ll have enough time together, so I don’t think I’ll get stabbed in the back later.
It’s relaxing, but it’s not like we had just spent these days flirting.
As always, I’ve been working hard on making things, and thanks to that, the earth god seems to be getting better soon, so I’ve started making preparations for my next trip. I’m constantly creating better items and stocking them, so there aren’t many things I need to prepare again.
“Where are we going next?”
“According to the plan, it’s the Earth God’s domain… To the east of Bartle Village.”
As I was making things in the work building, Uru asked from behind me while doing exercises.
When Uru has free time, she often exercises outside, but since then she has been spending more time near me… I wonder if there was even a slight change in her state of mind. Or it just a coincidence and I am being too self-conscious?
“What’s to the east?”
Asking now is Fricka, who I not being overly self-conscious in saying that she’s spending more time near me. She’s also making things here. It’s great to see that her craft is improving.
I answer while drawing out the knowledge bestowed upon me by the Earth God.
“It seems that there is a tall mountain, and beyond that there is a desert.”
Both the mountains and the desert are places in Asteria that I never visited before. So I have to prepare well.
In the mountains there is a risk of slipping and landslide, and in the desert there are many dangers such as heat, cold, and dehydration. Although there are emergency methods (return stone) available, we cannot move forward depending on them.
“… I have to be careful not become a hindrance.”
Because Fricka trips even in the forest that she’s used to… Unlike the forest, it wouldn’t end in a joke if she slipped, so she has to be more careful.
“It’s not good to be too nervous. I’ll support you as much as possible, so don’t get too anxious.”
“Please treat me well.”
… I feel like these two are getting along better than before. Perhaps, it’s my influence…
Since I’m such a careless person in general, there were time that I felt like they made an agreement like ‘How about we got together and look after her?’.
Well, the fact that I am happy that they are paying attention to me might be the proof of how much spoiled I am.
“Rion looks like she’s thinking about something strange again.”
“Yes, but in a sense it’s the same as usual, isn’t it?”
“That’s true too.”
… I was caught~.
Moreover, what you mean in ‘it’s the usual thing’?… Unuuu!
xxxxxx
“…… Hmm?”
When I suddenly looked around, the entire area was enveloped in darkness.
Well… I remember sleeping, so… I wonder if it’s still night?
… No, it’s too dark for night. Besides, I can’t feel Uru and Fricka’s body heat, nor can I hear them breathing.
This is ??
“It’s a dream… I feel like I’ve seen it before… Hmm?”
Well, dreams are random, and if you think you’ve seen something before, it’s possible that you’re just misunderstanding it, or that you just had a similar dream.
Just staying still was boring, so I took a step forward, and I felt the sensation of stepping on the ground.
When I lowered my gaze, even though I couldn’t see anything below my feet before, but before I knew it, a floor had appeared. Well, if it’s only below me, though.
What, so is not like I can walk in the sky (?) I thought to myself as I moved on.
“Hmm, there’s nothing here.”
When I tried muttering, my voice simply vanished into the void. It doesn’t seem like anything will just pop out of nowhere.
“It would be a problem if some ghosts showed up, though.”
Although it doesn’t matter because it’s a dream, I don’t want to go through a scary experience either.
I wonder why scary dreams are more memorable in the morning than pleasant dreams.
“It’s too empty… If it’s my dream, wouldn’t it be better if there were piles of things lying around?”
There was no change, no excitement, no fun, no fear.
When I just started complaining because I was getting tired of walking.
“… I’m stunned. Have you come again, you?”
“Hiiii!?”
I thought I was the only one there, but suddenly a woman’s voice echoed from somewhere and I let out a pathetic sound.
“To think that you can suddenly come here like this so easily, this even makes ‘me’ worry… Are you sure your soul is settled?”
“…… Huh?”
“The soul is not settled.”
I didn’t really understand what it meant, but I felt an ominous atmosphere and my body suddenly felt cold.
“Was it a bad match with the container? No, she chose her because she is compatible, so that shouldn’t be the case.”
The owner of the voice didn’t show herself, seeming to be asking me a question, but also muttering to herself.
This person… What on earth is she saying?
Even though the temperature wasn’t actually dropping, my body is shaking.
“… Ah, I see.”
Just when I thought that the owner of the voice reached some conclusion.
?? In front of my eyes, ‘Darkness’ manifested
Even though the surroundings were pitch black, I could still clearly see and understand, no I was forced to understand, the intense darkness.
It… Took the shape of a person, but I can’t see its face. It’s covered with something like mist.
Still, I was curious and squinted my eyes trying see…
A throbbing pain ran through my entire body.
“Ugh…!?”
It felt like my intestines, or rather, ‘something’ deeper inside, was burning, and blood dripped from the corner of my mouth.
I lost my strength in my upper body, and the pain eased a little by moving ‘it’ out of my field of vision, but it still hurt.
I gasped shallowly and quickly, as if desperately searching for the oxygen that I lacked.
“… Mu, sorry. It was too close.”
“Uuu……?”
“So it’s still too early. Well, you didn’t cough up as much blood as the last time, you have been raising your rank without cutting corners. I’ll praise you.”
“…… Thank you?”
Rank… I think that the creator god said something about it when I first meet her here. I wonder if there was a change that I can’t feel due to the increase in my skill level.
There were a lot of things I didn’t understand, but it seemed like I had been praised, so when I reflexively thanked her… She laughed out loud.
… Huh…? I felt something strange just now…?
While I was tilting my head inwardly, the woman seemed to have finished laughing and her seriousness returned.
“I don’t mind deepening our ties… But right now, you are ‘unbalanced’ and it would not be good if you were too biased towards ‘this side’. Hurry and receive Rhea’s proper blessing. In addition, at least find one more as soon as possible and receive it.”
The blessing of the Earth God…? Why that story comes up here.
“Ah, it’s not a blessing, but I can smell the scent of wind. That’s also good, but it wouldn’t be enough unless it was really deep… No, in the first place, your inside is too chaotic. How in the earth you end like that!”
“I-I-I-I’m sorry…!?”
I reflexively apologized for this too, but wait, why are she getting mad at me! ?
I tried to show my indignation at her unreasonableness, but my body was still too heavy to move.
She doesn’t care about my writhing state, and continues talking after a sigh.
“Haa… To think that being too compatible is also a problem… In any case, never forget that you are Promethea’s miko.”
But before I could argue that I have never forgotten that.
Kick-
I was kicked and fell off the floor.
And there’s nothing beneath it, towards the deep, deep abyss filled with darkness, I ??
“Ugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaa!!?”
I screamed as I threw off the futon and woke up.
“Aaaaaaaaaa… Huh…?”
Somehow, I woke up with a feeling of deja vu.
Trying to remember when it happened, I put my hand on my head and tried to dig it out, but-
“… Rion-sama, what’s wrong?”
Fricka, who seemed to have woken up due to my loud voice, called out to me.
“… I had a strange dream, I think… I don’t remember it at all…”
It fell into the depths of oblivion.