Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 86

86. Xylo Mountains (4)

The commotion caused by the Black Wolves subsided.

After that, we were able to rest without worry throughout the night. We had scared their leader properly, so there was no way they would come looking for us again.

And then, a new dawn broke.

[Is he not getting any sleep?]

‘Looks like it. Even though he said he was fine.’

As I stepped out of the tent, I was met by Anghel, who was sitting upright.

“Are you awake?”

He seemed to have been on guard all night, just in case.

“You should have gotten some sleep. I told you I was fine.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust the Oracle’s words, but I thought it would be better to stay awake than to be anxious about what might happen. The Xylo Mountains are a place where anything can happen.”

I nodded. I knew his cautious nature.

‘That’s partly why I like this guy.’

He was more than capable of handling my work, not to mention being the head of the Circle.

“Ah, and thanks to the Oracle for taking care of the Black Wolves, I was able to save a lot of my strength. This much is no problem.”

Anghel gave a faint smile. If it weren’t for me, he would have had to fight all night.

“That’s a relief then.”

I smiled back.

“Ugh, I slept so well!”

At that moment, the tent flap was lifted once again.

“So, does that mean we’re the boss of the Mono Zone now?”

Drew was being cheeky as soon as he woke up.

“Well, you could say that for the time being.”

The Black Wolves were the rulers of the Mono Zone. Since we had chased away their leader, no one would dare to bother us for a while.

“Hoo. To be the boss of the Xylo Mountains. Living with you, I get to experience things like this.”

“This is nothing compared to what’s to come.”

“What do you mean?”

Drew tilted his head.

To unravel the tangled threads of fate with the Five Stars, there would be countless adversities to overcome. Even this Gibson family’s son would not be able to escape that vortex.

“Ah, I just mean there are many zones left to go. Mono is just the first zone.”

However, there was no need to scare him, so I simply gestured towards the next zone.

[Drew, this guy. He’s in big trouble for getting involved with you.]

‘I’m not going to force him to come with me. I should leave it up to him, like when I taught him Aura.’

When he knows all the secrets someday, I can leave it up to his decision.

[Drew will definitely be helpful. Is he already a 3-star?]

‘Yeah. He’s almost a 4-star.’

The Aura he had accumulated in the Hol [a training ground] during the month or so. He had accumulated Aura equivalent to 3-stars in that short amount of time. No matter how ridiculously fast Aura accumulated in the Hol, his talent was truly amazing.

‘He’s definitely a genius that comes along once in a thousand years, even in the Gibson family.’

If Drew starts to grow in earnest, he will become a more reliable companion than anyone else.

“So, are we moving on to the next zone today?”

Admun was packing up the tent in the meantime.

‘Of course, the same goes for him.’

Although not as much as Drew, Admun was also growing at a rapid pace. If it is combined with his innate martial arts, it could create good synergy.

“Yeah. Let’s move on to the next zone today.”

A smile naturally spread across my face as I watched the two of them.

* * *

And so, we walked for another half day.

“Oh, we’re at the next zone now!”

Drew shouted, pointing ahead. The desolate canyon had ended, and in the distance, we could see lush greenery.

The zones of the Xylo Mountains were clearly divided. Even someone who had come for the first time could tell.

“Yeah. That’s the Duo Zone.”

“Ooh!”

He was amazed by the lush greenery that stretched out in front of him for a moment.

“But, what kind of monsters come out there?”

Soon, he was worrying about the monsters of the Duo Zone.

“That place is occupied by insect-shaped monsters.”

“Insects? Hmm. Is it because it’s a forest? But, if they’re insects, aren’t they not that scary?”

Of course, that would be the case with ordinary insects.

“Well? I think you’ll change your mind when you see them in person.”

“Why?”

The monsters of the Xylo Mountains were not something that could be described with common sense.

“They’re over 10 meters tall.”

The guy’s face turned pale as he imagined it for a moment.

“Heeik! I, insects that are 10 meters tall?”

“They’re even stronger than the Black Wolves. I wouldn’t be able to beat even one of them in my current state.”

Drew was terrified. He even started to back away slowly.

A smile crept across my face at the sight.

“Don’t worry. You probably won’t see them in person anyway.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I told you. They’re stronger than the Black Wolves.”

“Ah? Ah!”

Drew finally understood what I meant.

“Those guys are smelling our Ki [life force/energy], right?”

“Yeah. You won’t encounter any monsters from there to the temple.”

“Ooh!”

He looked confident again.

Monsters with skills would be able to gauge the level of their opponents. They wouldn’t even approach us, who were covered in Ki.

“Hmm. It’s hard to believe. That such a concept of Ki exists.”

However, Anghel was still skeptical. He had directly experienced the viciousness of the Xylo Mountain monsters, so it was even harder to believe.

“Then go and see for yourself.”

Seeing is believing. It was going to be the most anticlimactic journey he had ever had in the Xylo Mountains.

* * *

The place we reached after passing through the canyon. A lush forest as dense as Ego’s Forest welcomed us.

The difference from Ego was that the trees and plants were incredibly huge. Just like the insect-type monsters had become huge, the plants had also become that much larger.

“Amazing. It feels like I’ve stepped into a legend.”

Drew was relieved that the monsters wouldn’t approach, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the vast scenery around him.

However, Anghel was still not relieved and was looking around.

Rustle. Rustle.

The alien noise that was heard from time to time. That must have made him nervous.

“It’s strange. I’m sure they’re nearby, but they’re not coming close……”

It was the sound made by the monsters in the second zone, Duo.

“I told you. They’re the kind of guys who would come after seeing us, but get scared and run away.”

“Hoo.”

Anghel let out a deep exclamation. Judging from the burdensome look in his eyes as he looked at me.

He must have wanted to say, ‘As expected, the Oracle is amazing!’

However, since I had introduced him as a mercenary to Drew, he couldn’t say such a thing.

‘I should bring this guy out soon too.’

Ilimita, wrapped around my wrist.

Wooong!

As the subspace unfolded, what popped out was.

“Kkyuung!”

It was Ratatoskr, who immediately took his place on my shoulder as soon as he popped out. Perhaps his instinctive senses had felt the energy of the Xylo Mountains.

“Kyu, kyu!”

He made strange noises and sniffed around. Soon, he came down from my shoulder and roamed around, seemingly in a good mood.

He was one of the absolute beings in these Xylo Mountains, so it was a natural reaction.

[He seems to have gotten a little bigger in the meantime.]

He had also chewed up all the unicorn horns that Anghel had prepared. The guy who used to be the size of a fist had grown to the length of my forearm.

‘He’ll be able to grow much bigger in the Xylo Mountains.’

He grows by hunting monsters, so this place was the perfect hunting ground for Ratatoskr.

“Then, go ahead.”

As soon as I gestured to him, he scurried into the bushes.

“Huh? Where are you sending him?”

Drew didn’t know much about Ratatoskr’s identity.

“I told him to go eat some insects.”

“Huh? You said they’re 10 meters tall. How can a squirrel eat something like that?”

“They’ll have babies, right? He can eat that much.”

It wasn’t a lie. Ratatoskr would instinctively hunt down monsters weaker than himself. At least as far as the Xylo Mountains were concerned, there was no need to worry about him.

This lush forest would also be nothing more than a playground for him.

‘Rather, he wouldn’t be able to grow if he was with us.’

It was better for him to be able to roam around on his own. Because of our Ki, the monsters that he should be eating would run away.

“Then let’s go ahead.”

Only Anghel, who knew Ratatoskr’s identity, reacted indifferently.

* * *

Life in a forest where everything was huge. Although there were no monsters, it was by no means easy.

“Haa. It’s really humid and difficult.”

The huge tree roots and rocks on the ground. Each and every one of them was a huge obstacle for us. Moreover, the humid weather of the Duo Zone quickly sapped our energy.

We pushed through the bushes for three days.

“But we’re almost there.”

That life was now coming to an end. Another landscape was unfolding in the distance.

“Oh! There are no trees from there?”

What had newly appeared was a wide field. An endless, vast field was welcoming us.

“Yeah. The size of the forest will return to normal, and the weather will be cool.”

“Ooh! Really?”

Drew wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead.

“Yeah, it’ll be easier to move around.”

“Hoo. I’m finally going to live?”

Although Drew was relieved, it was a conversation that those who had lived a thousand years ago would be horrified to hear.

The monsters of the Triad are close to 7-stars. Moreover, since they travel in groups like the Black Wolves, they had caused countless frustrations for adventurers.

“……I see.”

Only Anghel shook his head.

The third zone was easier to travel than the second zone.

From time to time, the cries of monsters could be heard in the distance, but no monsters appeared before our eyes.

The vast field could be traversed in two days.

There was not much difference in the next area. In the fourth zone, Tetra, and the fifth zone, Penta, there were no monsters to stop us.

“……I didn’t think we’d be able to get this far in a week.”

Anghel, who had been worried about traveling with us.

“I told you I wouldn’t hold you back.”

Rather, it was a situation where he was receiving help from us.

“I’m ashamed.”

Only the time it took to walk was required.

And so, a new terrain unfolded before our eyes once again.

“But it’s a bit eerie up ahead? Why are the trees so skinny?”

As Drew said, it was a place full of skinny trees. A place filled with mist, as if rejecting human footsteps.

“That’s the Hexa Zone.”

It was the sixth zone of the Xylo Mountains.

“If we just pass through there, will we finally arrive?”

Our final destination, the Hepta Zone. We were only one zone away from our destination.

“Yeah. The seventh zone is our destination.”

The temple that Angelus had left behind. It was natural that our pace quickened as we approached our destination.

“Let’s go quickly! There won’t be any monsters here either!”

The moment we took a step forward, following Drew, who was confidently taking the lead.

Whooong!

A black shadow flashed through the skinny trees.