Chapter 248: Preparations to Leave

Lilel created a small flame in her hand, using it as proof of her theory that mana was the fundamental source of magic. Skills and everything else were simply easier, more convenient ways of manipulating mana.

"The problem is that it’s all too complex," Lilel admitted with a sigh. "Even if I’m basically a supercomputer, it’s still far from enough. I can’t even imagine how powerful the core of the human system must be. It’s beyond me."

"I wonder what that core could even be," Shin commented, trying to remember something from the game. But he couldn’t think of anything obvious.

It was probably something the Imperial Queen kept with her at all times. That said, there was no way to know whether the core was an object or a living being.

Without any clues, there was little point in trying to figure it out.

"Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" Shin asked.

Lilel thought for a moment. There were a few more details she had discovered, but nothing particularly important. They were things she would have liked to discuss with Kaho, though Shin would probably have difficulty understanding them.

"I don’t think so..." she admitted. "If I remember anything else, I’ll tell you." She smiled tranquilly, while continuing to fly from side to side, pretending she was swimming in the air.

Shin rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I do have something I want to show you. Take a look at this."

He activated his Dimensional Ring and retrieved the crown Carolina had obtained. The moment Lilel saw it, her eyes widened.

She immediately flew toward the crown, practically buzzing with excitement.

"Wait! You finally got it... Is that what I’m thinking of?!" She hovered around it, examining it from every possible angle. "Can I examine it already? Can I take it apart?"

"Absolutely not," Shin replied immediately.

"But I need to investigate it!" she said with a high-pitched tone, her eyes becoming like those of a begging dog.

"You can investigate it later; I can’t have you disappearing for long again."

Lilel froze in midair, looking at him with an expression of pure disappointment.

"We have other things we need to take care of right now," Shin continued, putting the crown back into his Dimensional Ring. "You’ll have plenty of time to study it afterward."

Lilel stared at the ring for a few seconds before reluctantly sighing.

"Fine... so what do you want?" she asked.

"We need to prepare to leave this place. But, for now, come on. Follow me."

First of all, Shin decided to introduce Lilel to Carolina, if only out of curiosity. And, just as he expected, the moment that money-hungry girl caught sight of the tiny fairy, her eyes lit up.

Before Lilel could react, Carolina suddenly lunged forward, both hands reaching out to grab her.

"Whoa!"

Lilel barely managed to dodge. She darted upward at the last second, and Carolina’s fingers closed around nothing but air.

"Hey!" Lilel shouted, flying a few feet away. "What do you think you’re doing?! Who do you think you are to touch me like that?!"

Carolina looked up at her with a completely innocent expression, but her eyes betrayed her real reasons. She was seeing how valuable Lilel could be thanks to her skill.

"I just wanted to hold you. What is the problem?"

"You can’t just grab people!"

"But you’re so small..." She blinked innocently, but she couldn’t ignore how valuable her skill was telling her that the fairy was.

Shin let out a low, rough sigh, his gaze dragging over the curve of her hip before his hand found its mark. He gave her a heavy smack on her fat, round ass, kneading the yielding flesh like he owned it.

He smiled, finished it with a slow grasp, then another sharp, stinging slap that made her whole cheek jiggle.

"Stop acting like a bad girl, or else..."

Carolina glanced back at him with a mischievous smile before stepping away.

"But what can I do when you are shoving something so valuable right in front of my face?" she pouted.

Shin smiled. "So, can you tell me, what do you see when you see her?"

"She is valuable," she commented. "Extremely so, more than any of the objects I have gotten. And there is no risk in picking her up; she probably can’t hurt me."

"I’m not that harmless," Lilel complained, creating fire in her hands to prove she was actually powerful.

"Anyway, I actually want the two of you to work together," Shin commented. "I have tried doing it once, but I didn’t fully get it. Carolina, I want you to describe with as much detail as you can, to Lilel what you see with your skill."

"You are going to try to quantify how it works again?" The girl asked, remembering how Shin had tried doing it but failed.

"Yes, but it’s too much information for a human to catalog and understand, hence I left it to this little thing," Shin pointed to his helper fairy.

Lilel would much rather have focused her time studying the Amazon’s crown, but she did what was asked anyway.

And during the next few weeks, Shin began to focus his time on making sure he would be ready. First he needed to make sure they had enough strong weapons for his full army.

And with Carolina’s help, it was much easier to collect all the good loot in the lost dimension, like the old weapons from the Demon Lord’s army. Lilel would have liked to examine all of them, but she had no time for that.

Lilel also examined Sara’s magical ability, and from what she could tell, Sara was actually using the demonic system unconsciously. The little fairy just didn’t know how.

And the succubi were probably doing the same, but in a more natural way, because they were demons from the very beginning.

Soon, the last day passed, and Shin had spent a full year in that lost dimension. Finally, the connection between that place and the tower was restarted.

So it was time to carry on with his plan.