Chapter 772: Package Tour (1)

News of what had happened in the deep layers spread in widening ripples.

Dragonslayer Academy fell into a boiling cauldron of chaos.

“The Witch of Decay? Didn’t they catch her last year?”

“Apparently she came back somehow.”

“But they said they caught her again, so isn’t it over?”

“They say she’s still alive. She went into an S-rank dungeon.”

The principal tried to reassure the students, saying, “We have countermeasures prepared, so there is no need to worry,” but the unease did not easily disappear.

Of course, we were the exception.

Just as I had thought in the principal’s office, if we overtook the Witch of Decay, the reason to be anxious would disappear too.

As part of that, I gathered the whole group in one place.

Go Hyeonwoo, Seo Ye-in, Dang Gyu-ri, Hong Yeonhwa, and even Song Cheonhye and Han Somi.

Then I slowly looked around at everyone present and opened my mouth.

“You’ve all heard the news.”

“It makes one feel it anew. This truly is a world where there is no telling when or what might happen.”

“Right. If we want to survive, we have no choice but to get stronger.”

“It seems we must devote ourselves even more from now on.”

“That’s basically why I called you here today.”

I was going to try raising our growth speed.

At that, the group showed various reactions.

Some flinched in surprise, some nodded as if what was coming had finally come, and some showed a subtle sense of anticipation.

Then Hong Yeonhwa cautiously asked a question.

“[Invitation], or [Austerity]?”

“Both.”

“……! What order are you going to do them in?”

There were six people, after all.

But I grinned and answered.

“Obviously, all at once.”

By linking [Octopus Arms].

If I had only planned to use it on one or two people, I would not have called everyone here in the first place.

As the group flinched in surprise, I showed them the [Golden Pocket Watch(S)] and explained.

“I’m going to use Time Leap(S). While I’m at it, I’m trying to pull the cooldowns as far forward as I can.”

I had cast [Manifestation] while fighting the Witch of Decay, so it was currently under a hundred-day cooldown.

[Grant] also had a cooldown of over sixty days because I had linked a whole pile of [Octopus Arms] to it.

The latter was especially versatile, so the best move was to keep it at zero so I could always use it.

Saving it would actually be a loss.

In an urgent moment, there was no guarantee the group would all be gathered in one place like now, and there probably would not be enough time to rotate [Invitation] and [Austerity] either.

It’ll charge again anyway.

[Time Leap(S)]

▷Charge: 1.46

Every time cooldowns ticked down, the charge rose little by little, and before I knew it, it was about halfway there.

At this rate, I should be able to secure one charge again before too long.

And as a bonus, I can charge [Manifestation] too.

[Manifestation(C)]

▷Charge: 0.23

The charge level for Time Leap(S) increased every time the cooldowns of various skills and traits ticked down,

while [Manifestation] charge increased every time I used skills related to [Sovereign], such as [Invitation] and [Austerity].

If I spread them evenly across six people, it should rise quite a lot.

After explaining that point, I slowly looked around at the group again.

“I’ll use [Invitation] first. Anyone have questions?”

“If we go in…… what happens?”

Song Cheonhye asked cautiously, raising her hand.

She had already experienced the austerity quests a few times, but this was her first time being invited into my inner world.

The same went for Han Somi.

“When you go, my acquaintances will welcome you.”

“……Your acquaintances? And then?”

“You might see something, or learn something.”

There were individual differences, so they would have to experience the details themselves, but either way, I was certain it would be a huge help.

Soon, Song Cheonhye and Han Somi nodded at the same time.

“Understood. I’ll accept it.”

“Group tour, depart!”

[Using ‘Octopus Arms’.]

[Using ‘Invitation’.] * 6

[Reuse waiting time: 5 years 11 days]

That’s a lot.

The three tied to me by [Bond] each had a seven-day cooldown, and the other three each had a ten-day cooldown.

On top of that, I had linked [Octopus Arms] six times, so an absurd thirty-sixfold multiplier had been applied.

It was something I never would have imagined doing if I did not have a way to reset it.

Meanwhile, every single person in the group was staring into empty air.

A notification like this had probably appeared.

[The Sovereign’s Invitation has arrived.]

[Will you accept the invitation?]

[Accept / Decline]

“……”

“……”

Of course, the answer had already been decided.

Soon, one by one, they selected “Accept,” closed their eyes, and sank into my inner world.

*****

The next instant, the six people other than Kim Ho found themselves standing in the same place.

They exchanged glances, and Go Hyeonwoo spoke first.

“How interesting. Even if the invitation went to everyone, I had expected the locations to be separate.”

“It was similar before.”

Hong Yeonhwa replied in a tone that suggested she had expected it.

When Kim Ho had visited the Ruby Mage Tower, he had placed invitations on her parents at the same time.

With this, the hypothesis from back then became even more likely.

The hypothesis that this space was not temporarily generated each time, but clearly existed inside Kim Ho’s inner self.

At that, the group looked around with curious eyes.

As she did, Dang Gyu-ri spoke as if talking to themself.

“A lot has changed.”

It was the same as before in that it brought a royal palace or temple to mind, but it felt noticeably wider and grander than before.

In addition, the floor, walls, pillars, furniture, decorations, and other elements both large and small had become more concrete.

They had an idea why.

He’s a fully grown Sovereign now.

Recently, [Sovereign] had apparently risen to S-rank, and it seemed his inner world had been remodeled too.

Perhaps because of that, the internal structure seemed to have changed a little as well.

Hong Yeonhwa looked straight ahead and said,

“The door…… is gone.”

Before, a huge door had stood right in front of them, and when they opened it and entered, a vast hall had appeared.

After that, one of countless powerful figures had taught them.

In contrast, now there was not even anything resembling a door.

They had been dropped right into the middle of some palace.

While the group wondered what to do next, Seo Ye-in and mirror-image Seo Ye-in started shuffling away.

They spoke into empty air as they did.

“I’m here.”

∴ Here.

“……Where are you?”

∴ ……Where.

“……Come forth.”

∴ Immediately.

“I desire.”

∴ Greater power.

Seeing that, Song Cheonhye tried to stop them, but the backs of Sloth and Fast-Luckless sank beyond the darkness in the blink of an eye.

All she could do was mutter in disbelief.

“No, if you suddenly go off on your own……”

“Haha. There is no need to worry. At the very least, she will not be harmed.”

“Based on what?”

Go Hyeonwoo answered with a gentle smile.

“Is this not Brother Kim’s inner world? We are guests who received proper invitations.”

“Ah…… that’s true.”

“Rather, I think Miss Seo may be doing it correctly.”

In other words, they could simply walk wherever their feet led them, and would eventually arrive at their destination.

Apparently thinking that made enough sense, Dang Gyu-ri and Hong Yeonhwa exchanged a quick glance.

Then each said a few words and set off.

“Then I’ll go take a look too~”

“I’ll go this way.”

Likewise, their backs vanished into the darkness.

Song Cheonhye turned to Go Hyeonwoo and Han Somi and suggested,

“At least we should go together.”

“Cheonhye’s actually kind of a scaredy-cat~”

“I’m not scared! It’s just that this is my first time here. We don’t know what’ll come out.”

If Kim Ho had been there, he would have teased her with, “Isn’t that what being scared means?” but he was not present.

Instead, Go Hyeonwoo spoke as if it were no big deal.

“I see no reason not to. Let us follow Miss Song’s suggestion.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“I shall take the lead.”

But before they had even walked far, Song Cheonhye’s eyes shot open.

The two people who had been right in front of her had vanished in the blink of an eye.

With eyes like a startled rabbit, she looked around.

“……Where did you go? Somi?”

“……”

“You’re playing a prank, right? You two planned this together……?”

“……”

“Th-this isn’t funny at all, okay? Come out already……”

Song Cheonhye’s voice had even grown slightly tearful, but no answer came back.

And so, far too much time passed for it to still be called a prank.

In the end, Song Cheonhye took a deep breath and steadied herself.

I have to go. I have no choice but to go.

Then, with her eyes half-squinted, she hurried forward.

THUD!

“Ugh!”

She struck something and fell on her backside.

Only then did she check in front of her and see a large door standing there.

……Is this it, maybe?

The thing the others had said they saw when they came into the inner world?

It was the moment Go Hyeonwoo’s “walk wherever your feet lead” hypothesis was proven.

……I worried for nothing.

He had also said she would not be harmed.

Feeling awkward, Song Cheonhye dusted herself off and stood.

GRRRRRR……

The door opened on its own, revealing the interior.

Contrary to what she had heard, it was not a vast hall.

Even so, it was an extremely wide space, and she could see the silhouettes of around a dozen people inside.

As Song Cheonhye looked around at them, a strange light entered her eyes.

……Grandfather?

It was because every one of them carried a mighty lightning aura.

They seemed several levels above even her grandfather, the Thunder Lord.

PZZT.

One of them appeared in front of Song Cheonhye along with a streak of current.

She had no choice but to flinch in surprise again.

……[Thunder Jump]!

That too was so polished and skillful that it could not even be compared to her own.

To the point that the figure could move without even laying down a [Lightning Rod].

Song Cheonhye suddenly recalled what Kim Ho had said.

—You might see something, or learn something.

If I can learn even a little of the knack here……!

Then she would be able to save an enormous amount of time and effort.

Had the figure read that wish?

The silhouette before her seemed to smile and ask,

—I shall teach you, if you desire it.

“……I’ll be in your care!”

Song Cheonhye enthusiastically sparked with electric current.

*****

Around the same time,

Dang Gyu-ri was walking while peeking here and there.

In addition to receiving instruction from an S+ rank veteran, they had another purpose they wanted to accomplish.

There should definitely be another room somewhere.

Since this was an inner world, there should be at least one element that allowed them to peek into Kim Ho’s true feelings.

Until now, every visit had led into the enormous hall, but now that the place had been remodeled?

I might accidentally take a wrong turn, right?

Then they might accidentally discover “the room containing that man’s secret tastes.”

They were willing to match those tastes to a certain extent too.

……But this is kind of annoying.

Was this really something they should have to go this far to find out?

Would it not be more comfortable for both of them if he just honestly and confidently said, “Gyu-ri, I’m into nurses!”?

He did not understand people’s hearts, calling them lewd Gyu-Gyu and whatnot.

Even as they grumbled like that, Dang Gyu-ri sent out shadow butterflies as well, trying to accidentally find the wrong room.

But perhaps this was indeed the inner world of a Sovereign.

The butterflies repeatedly had their connections severed, and before they knew it, they were standing before a large door.

GRRRRRR……

Soon, the door opened on its own, revealing a fairly large room.

Inside was a single silhouette.

A young lady in a black, fluttering dress, with rose decorations, holding an open parasol.

The gothic young lady.

Dang Gyu-ri had already met her several times, so they had developed a slight sense of familiarity.

After greeting her politely, they tried asking the question they had asked from time to time before.

“Does he really like gothic stuff?”

“……”

The gothic young lady seemed to cover her mouth and laugh.