The Returnee Wants Peace

Fire is the most effective against multiple enemies.

Among elemental magic, it has unrivaled firepower and range, making it very useful in early trials, and its usefulness doesn’t particularly diminish even in later stages.

However, Rosha didn’t choose the fire attribute just for efficiency.

‘Fire… leaves nothing behind except ashes, and even that extinguishes itself after burning everything.’

The law of circulation where everything returns to nothingness.

Perhaps her own fate after all the trials ended would be similar, and she felt an inner sense of kinship.

Of course, this was a thought from the past when she was skeptical about life right after falling into another world.

—This way!

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Putting aside her stray thoughts, Rosha cleared the way, dealing with the demonic beasts blocking their path.

The underwater palace where Friel had lived her whole life was incredibly beautiful.

The corridors, feeling open and coexisting with gardens, were well decorated with seaweed and stones, and the pillars were adorned with iridescent shells.

There was even a walking path created like a small waterfall, despite being underwater.

‘If only there wasn’t a water dragon, it would be perfect.’

Rosha glanced at the tattered corridor walls, which seemed to have been swept through by the water dragon.

Though she didn’t know why it had been sleeping in the palace, it seemed the merpeople could only live at ease once it was defeated.

Where could it be now?

She became increasingly anxious as time passed, having seen the message that it was pursuing her.

As they were quickly advancing towards their destination while dealing with demonic beasts, it was then.

Boom-

Suddenly, an enormous pressure descended all around.

With a feeling of being tightly bound all over, it became unbelievably heavy as if a person’s weight had been added.

It was to the level where she couldn’t properly control her body without consciously moving.

‘What’s this now?’

Just as she was momentarily flustered by the sudden phenomenon.

The blue window’s warning sound rang.

You are getting closer to the water dragon within its domain!

Physical abilities decrease by 90% due to overwhelming pressure.

You fall into a state of extreme fear for 10 seconds.

Your field of vision narrows due to darkness.

Movement speed decreases significantly.

—Where are you!

An enraged voice echoed loudly. She could instinctively tell it was the water dragon’s voice.

‘I need to… run away quickly.’

There was nothing good about facing an invincible boss monster.

Rosha pulled the trembling Friel’s hand and asked:

“Where’s a good hiding place around here?”

—Ah, um… a hiding place?

“You said you’ve lived here your whole life. You should know a place or two, right? Think quickly.”

She shook the shoulders of the mermaid who didn’t seem to understand due to the fear state. Yet Friel just trembled with shaking pupils.

Realizing she couldn’t get an answer, Rosha hurriedly maximized the ability inherent in her eyes.

She had hesitated because using [the Guiding Lantern] necessarily required moving magical power, but there was no choice now.

Holding onto Friel, she moved following the line of light unfolding before her eyes.

Though she was moving as fast as she could, taking even one step was incredibly difficult. It was grueling.

Moreover…

“This is…”

The place the lantern pointed to was an ordinary empty corridor. An empty corridor without even a cabinet to hide behind.

As she rolled her eyes wondering what this was about, Friel pointed to the stone floor under the carpet while trembling.

—Th-there… a secret space. There’s a groove where you can lift the floor with your hand.

Indeed, it was true.

The sacred relic ‘Light of Truth’ hanging around Friel’s neck vibrated faintly, revealing a space that wasn’t visible just moments ago.

Rosha opened the floor door without time to question and pushed Friel in. Then she threw herself in as well and closed the door.

The bang sound was a flaw, but she felt she couldn’t have done better even if she went back and tried again.

—W-with this, we should be…

“Shh!”

How many seconds had passed after she reflexively covered Friel’s mouth?

Along with a chilling presence sliding by, the dragon’s muttering passing through the corridor was heard.

—Hmm… I’m sure it was around here. I can even feel residual magical power…

Surprisingly, this space they were hiding in seemed to be surrounded by a concealment curtain that could deceive the water dragon’s eyes.

‘I don’t know why such a place exists… but anyway, that’s fortunate.’

The relief was short-lived.

Before long, it became impossible to move even a finger due to the pressure.

All senses, nerves, and even the tips of her hair were focused on the water dragon’s movements passing overhead.

As the distance got closer, even breathing became difficult, and it felt like her breath would stop if she didn’t consciously make an effort.

Her body tried to draw up mana to endure the increased pressure, but she forcibly held it back.

With each passing second, she could feel each blood vessel drying up and shriveling.

“…”

How long had it been since she felt death approaching like this?

Fortunately, the water dragon seemed to pass by without finding their existence. It seemed to be making a round of the palace.

Phew, she let out a sigh of relief feeling the presence move away and the status effects easing.

A beat late, a blue window appeared.

You have successfully avoided the first encounter with the water dragon!

The water dragon begins deducing. As time passes, the water dragon’s search range gradually narrows. If you use the secret spaces well, it should be quite helpful!

“…And they said it was Despair difficulty.”

Though it was just a few sentences, Rosha clenched her fist at the context that somehow felt interesting.

Suddenly, she thought of the people who had lost their lives in the water earlier.

It was a regrettable death, but she also vaguely felt the gazes of the gods directed at them being withdrawn one by one.

They were probably the gods in cooperation with paradise that the Guide God had mentioned.

Was it okay for someone’s death to become their entertainment?

‘Then rather…’

Her nails dug into her palms without her realizing, but she didn’t feel the pain.

‘The Guide God’ worries about you.

Rosha, who had been standing blankly, barely came to her senses at the god’s message.

Right, it was time to set out for now.

After confirming that the status effects had worn off as the water dragon moved away, they carefully came out into the corridor.

Fortunately, they weren’t far from where the black orb, their target, was located.

Moreover, Friel seemed to know the secret spaces well, as if she had really played hide-and-seek a lot in this palace.

—There’s a similar space behind this wall.

—Under that cabinet too.

Seeing that she knew places imbued with concealment energy well, it seemed she had once thoroughly explored the palace.

She must have been quite mischievous, I suppose.

Thanks to Friel, Rosha arrived relatively easily and finally left her in a secret space.

It was because she could see that Friel was very afraid of the water dragon, even though she tried to act fine.

“Hide here.”

—But…

“It’s okay. I have something in mind.”

Leaving her behind, Rosha approached the ‘King’s Room’ where the black orb would be.

Through the wide open wall, she could see an octagonal stone pedestal and the black orb floating above it.

‘Since they said it’s Despair difficulty, there will surely be a warning in the middle.’

Having gone through so much, she could already guess the blue window’s behavior.

If that’s the case, then rather.

Wouldn’t it be better to make the first move before getting caught in a status effect?

“Phew…”

After exhaling lightly, Rosha immediately drew up magical power explosively.

With a feeling of all strength draining from her body, the entire King’s Room filled with unquenchable flames.

The surroundings began to boil, becoming hazy with bubbles and smoke.

Just as she took a step forward in that state, the blue window’s warning sound rang.

The water dragon has noticed your presence!

You are getting closer to the water dragon within its domain!

Physical abilities decrease by 90% due to overwhelming pressure.

You fall into a state of extreme fear for 10 seconds.

Your field of vision narrows due to darkness.

Movement speed decreases significantly.

I knew this would happen.

However, her magical power was now distributed all around her. Resisting the fear state in this environment wasn’t too difficult.

The problem was that the water dragon’s speed was much faster than expected.

—How dare you, you insect!

The water dragon, having confirmed her location, came chasing through the wall like an arrow.

Hearing the noise of one side of the palace collapsing, Rosha hurriedly approached the orb. She could feel her movements getting slower and slower as it approached.

‘I need to break the orb as soon as I grab it.’

Can I do it?

No, even the time to worry about this is precious.

There was no time to look back. The water dragon was now passing a distance that could be reached in just two breaths.

One last step.

She hurriedly reached for the orb. The moment her fingers approached the orb seemed to stretch endlessly like taffy.

At that moment.

—Stop!!

At the water dragon’s voice full of power, Rosha’s movement abruptly stopped.

This was bad! Her brow furrowed deeply.

And then.

Crack crack crack!

Along with a sensation of her fingers rapidly heating up, the space behind crumpled mercilessly like a crumpled paper.

The walls and furniture bent concavely, wrinkling in incomprehensible shapes.

Even the pedestal where the black orb was placed was cracking.

“…Ha.”

Despite being underwater, at the familiar scent brushing her nose, the corners of Rosha’s mouth lifted slightly.