After burning down the ruins, Xellos and the others were gathering in the forest away from the scorched earth.
　Rousselis had asked them to collect the roots of the snowflake plant, and they were trying to secure a certain quantity.
　The root of the snowflake plant is a rather popular herb among pharmacists.
　It is in high demand, but the number is limited because it can only be collected in the winter, and not all of the roots can be collected because they reproduce in the underground stems.
　When combined with mandragora, it can be used to make nutritional drinks, and workers are eager to buy it at material stores. In particular, in Santor, the Hanba Civil Engineering Company buys it all up, as an aside.

"This is useful because it has a certain effect and can be used for various medicines.
Did you learn that from Kanon?
No, I've known about it since I was a free player.　Kanon and I became friends during the fifth update. Did he say he was a real junior high school student at that time?
"Oh, so you're Xelloss's apprentice?
No, he's a chemist. No, it's Kemo. If anything, I'd say his apprentice is Gantetsu.　I started out as a weapon smith, but ...... I got blown up by a bombagoron and became a self-destructing maniac.
That proclivity ...... was awakened for that reason.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　In the event that you have any questions regarding where by and how to use it, you can call us at the web site.
　After that, Gantetsu said, "The art is self-destruct! Gantetsu began to make strange weapons.

Normally, you'd stop him, right?　Self-destructing weapons are too dangerous to use. And it's annoying.
"Everyone has their own way of enjoying the game. I cooperated with them because it looked like fun. It was exhilarating when the weapon went to the PKer and wiped out the entire ...... team.
I've heard that before. I've heard of a story where a group of PKers suddenly exploded in a field somewhere. ....... Was that a real story?
Yeah, about that. Ted helped me put a curse on my hidden skill called "Bad Behavior Counter". If you continue to PK, it will be counted and you will be blown up by Gantetsu-san's [self-destruct].
　In addition, I made it so that if the same kind of equipment is nearby, it will cause a chain explosion. I didn't think the PK clan would have a chain explosion.
"Ted. ......
I heard they also created a curse called the Rear Counter. He was going to sneak it into Ad's gear, though, right?
That bastard!

　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　The curse was created out of his obsession, but many players sacrificed themselves to see if the curse would work. All for the purpose of eliminating Ad.
　It was the culmination of a backward-looking, hard-working obsession.

Oops, I found snowdrops. We'll have to dig up the soil and bring back the roots.
"It grows by underground stems, right?　How long do we have to bring it back?
I'm digging right now. ...... Oh, it's pretty long, huh?　It's about five meters long.
It's growing like crazy. Well, no one comes to harvest them.

Snowdrops reproduce by seeds and underground stems.
　It sleeps in dormancy during the summer, waiting for the number of fertile flowers to decrease, and then starts to reproduce in the winter when there are fewer competitors.
　It is characterized by its butterbur-like leaves and small white flowers reminiscent of lotus.
　The flowers are beautiful, peeking out slightly from the snow, but the flowers and stems are poisonous and should not be eaten by mistake.
　Only the roots can be used.

It is only the roots that can be used. There is no use for overfishing.
But it's too much work.
I leave about a meter of roots so they don't die. The ones around here are so prolific, you can get as many as you want.
You have to dig a hole every time, don't you?　And then they bury them and dig another hole.
It's easier than harvesting burdock. The roots are horizontal, and the soil is soft because of the humus. It's not like we're in a heavy snowfall area, so the fire can easily melt the freeze.
...... I'd like to get home before it starts snowing. ......... Whoa?

　A black shadow wriggling in the depths of the forest.
　It's a big boar with a body like a rock, the [Rock Boar].

"...... Rock Boar. Boar ...... Pork.
"Hey, bro. You want to hunt it?　His meat is delicious, huh?
Mr. Xelloss, are you sure?　What about the snowdrops?
He's omnivorous. He's an omnivore. He eats the roots of snowdrops. It's best to hunt him down before he gets in the way.

　Ad's mind raced with nostalgic images of earthly foods: pork cutlet, pork motsu nabe, gingerbread, sausage, bacon.
　The rocky outer skin that covered his body could be used as a good armor if it was processed, and it would fetch a good price if sold. However, what was on his mind was his obsession with food.


　Ad doesn't need this demon's materials now. So he decides that he should seek food.
　I think I heard a sizzling sound in the old man's ears.

"Leave the meat, ------!　---------!
"Oh, ...... Ad, you're going to be a meat demon like Kai, .......

　It wasn't my imagination.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
　Ado attacked the giant boar, which was over three meters long, like a ferocious carnivore. He won't need any help from the old man.

"Bukiiiiiiiiiiiii!
Flesh, flesh, flesh, flesh, flesh.
Pig, get out of here. ------!

　I wish I hadn't said, "Do you want to hunt? I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
　He was tormented by guilt when he massacred the demons, but now he doesn't even feel the tragedy of that time.
　Ad was also starving, just like the demons that inhabited this land.

　I guess the great outdoors woke us up to the fact that humans are also beasts after all.
　In a few minutes, the rock boa would become a mute meat.
　In the meantime, the old man continues to collect the roots of the snowflake.
　The natural world is a world of the weak and the strong, and it doesn't want to help Rock Boa. This is a terrible story.


　In a town, there is a man.


　In a city, a man is looking for a woman who disappeared from his life.
　His name is "Zavon".
　This Zavon was a fisherman, and when he cast his net in the Great River of Aulus, he rescued a woman.
　She had been attacked by a demon on her journey and had fallen off a cliff into the Auras River.
　Since then, he has been taking good care of this woman.
　He immediately fell in love with her at first sight, but at the same time, he thought it was impossible for her to be with him.
　He was so excited for a few days when the impossible possibility became a reality and they began to have a skin-to-skin relationship.
　He was already crazy about the woman he loved, who was good-natured and surrounded him with an overflowing maternal love.
　But then she suddenly disappeared.
　When he returns home, he finds that his room has been ransacked and all his valuables have been stolen.
　The money is not important.
　What mattered to Zavon was that the woman he loved had also been taken.
　He searches the city desperately and asks his fisherman friends to help him gather information.
　And then...

Huh. ......
"Don't be so downhearted. If you don't have hope, you'll be the first to die.
But you know what? I still can't get any information.　It's probably at ...... by now.
Illegal slave trading is not allowed in this country. Didn't you file a missing person report with the guards?
What good are they to you, .......? Yeah, .......

　He had been drinking in the tavern and hadn't gotten over it.
　Zavon is the only bachelor in the group, and to be honest, his face is far from handsome.
　In fact, he was rather ugly.
　When he found out that he had found a woman, his friends congratulated him profusely. I was so happy at that time that even Zarbon himself doubted the reality of it.
　However, because every day seemed so happy, the repercussions of losing it were great.
　At the moment, there was no information to be brought to me.
　Just then, one of my friends rushed into the bar.

"Hey ......, look at this .......
"Hmm?　What's this, .......? A handbill?
Idiot, look at the face on that handbill!
............ What?　Shah, Shahla!

　The face on the handbill is that of a woman well known to Zavon, and the charge is assassination of a nobleman.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

He was also involved in the murder of a recently deceased merchant.
You're a hell of a woman. You're not fooling us, are you ......?
Witnesses said she was headed towards the city of Santor. They said she wore a hooded cloak over her head and rode in a commercial wagon. ......

　A fellow fisherman sees him in a depressed state.

"No, that's a lie. ...... My Shala is ......
You'll be able to get a lot more than just a few of them.　This wanted list was put out a long time ago,.......

　The fishermen have spoken with a woman named Shala.
　She was kind, attentive, and above all, a good woman.
　But in reality, she was the opposite: a thief who cheated others, got into their pockets, and robbed them of their money.


　She is also a skilled assassin, having attempted to kill a nobleman.

"No, no. ...... Sharla is .......... She is not that kind of woman!

　But the deceived Zavon was still in his dream.
　He was drowning in the illusion of happiness, unable to accept the reality before him. That's how happy he was.
　Conversely, this is the horror of this woman, Sharanra.
　She takes advantage of other people's weaknesses, verbally penetrates their minds, and turns them into puppets that she can manipulate to suit her own needs.
　And then, when they are no longer of use, they simply throw them away.
　Even if his daily life is filled with lies, he hangs on to the memories of the sweet life he knew, full of happiness.
　He refuses to see that it was an illusion.

No, ...... not this woman. My Shala is .......

　On this day, the man whose life was ruined disappeared from the city.


　I'll be back.


　Sharanra was riding in a carriage towards Santor.
　The purpose is to steal a potion that counteracts the effects of the [Potion of Rejuvenation].
　The other party was her own brother, and he held a grudge against her to the point where he would not hesitate to kill her.
　No, it was Sharanra's fault for doing such a thing, but unfortunately, she always thinks of herself as the center of the world.
　She was so arrogant that she never doubted that she was the center of the world.
　But Sharanra doesn't know where her brother is.
　There is no doubt in my mind that if she were to show herself, she would be happy to kill him. For this reason, she needed to find his whereabouts without being seen.

She was not going to save her sister's life, she was going to kill her. ......

　To her, the man and his brother are nothing but a convenient wallet.
　She used their blood ties as a shield to stay, and tried to get people around her to pay for her. Up until now, it had worked.
　However, when he came to this other world, his position was reversed.
　It is a world where life is cheap and the laws are more lenient than on Earth. However, because of this, it is also a world where the judgment of the human will is strong.
　For example, on Earth, before a court decision is made, the charges are examined in light of the law. For this reason, it is important to do a preliminary investigation of human nature and the crime committed, and it takes time before the verdict is rendered.
　However, in the other world, such preliminary investigation is not necessary. In the other world, however, there is no need for such an investigation, and depending on the crime, the death penalty can be imposed on the spot. False accusations occur frequently.
　In the case of Shallanra, the charge was "Attempted assassination of a duke's sergeant. At this point, he was already certain to be sentenced to death, and there were many witnesses.
　One of the witnesses was his own brother, Xellos, who was going to carry out the execution on the spot.

"So you've got a connection to the dukes. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it. ...... I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it.

　The fact that she is connected to the dukes is troubling.
　It's a good thing that you're not the only one. You can't move carelessly when you think that bounty hunters are searching for you even while you are doing this.
　Moreover, it was Xelloss who leaked the information to the dukes.

I can't walk around the city because of the trouble you've caused me!　Thanks to you, I ended up in the arms of an ugly man... I don't even want to remember!

　The fisherman who took advantage of me, Zavon.
　To be honest, it was uncomfortable for us to lay our skin on each other.

The guy who took advantage of me, the fisherman, Zavon.　I wish I had the money for that, but I was poor. ...... It's my fault, too!

　I'm so uncomfortable with the fact that I was embraced by a poor man who was the exact opposite of the ideal man. And he had a bad face.
　That fact made her mood worse and worse.

"Well, okay. I'll sneak into a merchant's house in the next town and get something valuable for you. Inventory is really useful, isn't it?

　On top of the rocking carriage, Shallanra was planning a theft.
　Unbeknownst to her, the mercenaries around her were transfixed by her. It's a blessing that they don't know her true nature.
　When she smiled at the men who were looking at her, they all got excited and made delirious faces.

I'm not going to be able to afford it for a while.

　For Sharanra, who had no money for travel, men with ulterior motives were really good dupes.


　I'll be back.


　Xellos and Ad, who had finished collecting in the snowy mountains, were heading deeper into the mountains.
　It's not that they felt guilty for burning down the heaps and ruins, or for the mass extermination of demons. It was to check out the dungeon that he had learned about in Sword and Sorcery.
　And we finally arrived at the place we were looking for.



"There was ......, wasn't there?
Yes, there was.

　A crack in a rocky mountain, just barely passable by humans.
　The question is whether this place is a dungeon or not.

I thought this place was a fixed dungeon, but I wonder what it actually is.　I remember it being a treasure trove of medicinal herbs.
"Don't ask me. Don't ask me. You'll never know unless you go in.
Indeed, ....... The moment you walk in, they're going to slash you.
Oh, come on. Once I walked into a spawning dungeon and suddenly found myself in a boss room.
The boss was very strong. Well, I've been there myself.

　Xelloss puffs on his cigarette and continues on his way.
　As for Ad, he can't help but feel uneasy.
　After all, when you suddenly encounter a boss battle in an emergent dungeon, most of the monsters are terribly strong.
　Since all the magic power to form the dungeon flows to the demons, powerful demons will inevitably be born. If you are not good, you could end up in a raid battle.

We won just barely, but it was very exhausting. It's a demon lord class.
I know what you mean. If you get wiped out, you'll just have to chalk it up to bad luck, but when you win, the drops are delicious.

　The two of them continued on, talking in a light tone, but halfway through they came to a large area. It seemed to be a fixed dungeon.
　But there was a huge shadow towering in front of them.
　A cigarette fell from the old man's mouth.

"...... Giant Kobold.
"............ Are you serious?

　I've just met my first kill.

　--Goooooooooooooooo!

　With a roar that made me want to cover my ears, he unleashed a side-swinging attack with his huge greatsword.
　The two reflexively jumped up, kicked the wall and flew forward, and the huge sword passed by them.
　The huge sword shattered the rock wall, sending debris flying at a great speed.

This is a joke!　That's a big one right there!
"Hahahahaha, this is a dungeon with an unbalanced game. There's a limit to the number of first-time killers. Do you think we should complain to the management?
"This is no time to be laughing!　This is not the time to be laughing! Where are you going to complain?

　There is a difference in power between games and real life.
　No matter how good you are at cheating, in real life, you're going to be sidelined. In addition, being a giant gives you an advantage in the natural environment.
　There are some disadvantages such as food security, but with strength and stamina, you will not be defeated easily.

In terms of survival, size was a symbol of strength. "Let's play fast and loose, as the theory goes. Say!
That's the only way to do it!

　Ado tossed and turned under the Giant Kobold's feet, kicking and flying through the walls as Xellos fired his bow.
　However, the increased number of attacks did not have much effect.
　The Giant Kobold's large size also gave it good defense, and it had a reflex speed that did not match its huge size. In a closed area, Xellos and his team's movements were restricted, making it difficult for them to fight with all their might.

It's harder than I expected. My blade can't penetrate it. ......
I'm not sure how effective the arrows are. The arrows don't have much effect. They seem to be stabbing, but it's just a thorn in the side.
I'm sure that's normal.

　A huge sword wielded by a huge body is a threat. No matter how good you are, a direct hit will not get you off the hook.
　For humans in this world, simple physical attacks due to the difference in size are dangerous, and even a single blow will turn you into a piece of meat.
　Add to that the providence of levels, and it would be untouchable.
　The rampaging Giant Kobold was that dangerous.

What are we going to do? If we don't do something about it, ......k!　It's taking too long. ......
I'll use magic to kill it. It'd be a shame if it went through and collapsed. ......
I don't like the way you say that. ...... [Ray]!
"Thunderbolt.

　A lightning ball and converging light are shot at the Giant Kobold.
　The high-voltage current rampaged through the Giant Kobold's body, and the converging light pierced his heart.
　The rock wall behind him exploded in the aftermath, which was a nice touch.

"Shouldn't you have done this from the beginning?
"That's true, but ...... you're afraid of collapsing. If you think about it, it hasn't been decided to be a dungeon yet. Maybe it's just a nest, you know?
I think it's better than being tired.
And what happens if we end up buried alive?　

　The Zeros are an overpowered force.
　Their strength is so extraordinary that they could kill themselves.
　Great power can be a double-edged sword.



Don't be afraid to say it. Well, let's use some existing magic to make sure that doesn't happen. ......
That's better. I actually almost died in a dungeon once when I fired off an original spell.
"What are you doing? Mr. Xelloss: ......

　I'm sure you've heard of it.
　The aftermath of the magic he used nearly killed him.
Unlike Sword and Sorcery, if such a situation were to occur again, he might die this time. Therefore, he had to move carefully.
　In the first place, there are no boss rooms in real dungeons.
　They always roam around in dungeons, and there is a high possibility of running into them while exploring.

Well, that's just knowledge I've researched, I haven't actually experienced it.
So, the Giant Kobold is the boss here?
I don't know.　Maybe some of them are even worse.
Don't be a prick, Mr. Xelloss. ....... Either way, though, we're still going to have to hunt down demons.

In order to fully revive [Alfea Megas], we must inevitably defeat a large number of demons.
　Her existence is currently tenuous, and many sacrifices will be needed to fix her existence. The abnormally growing demons were the perfect sacrifice.
　In the first place, God is a being of a higher dimension. In order to manifest in a lower dimension where reason is different, he must build a body and adjust his power in that world.
　However, Alfea Megas possesses very little power, and it takes an enormous amount of energy to build a body. Xellos and the others were working to secure that energy.

"...... If this were a dungeon, would you attack it?
"We'll have to take it. For the complete revival of the evil god, the [existence power] of the abnormalized creature is inevitably needed. The more sacrifices, the better.
The more sacrifices, the better.　What is this "power of existence"?
"I think it's the primordial energy that holds matter together and makes it up. Everything in the world is built by the bonds of atoms and molecules, but what do you think is the force that maintains those bonds?　Subatomic particles, electrons, or some other unknown force that does not conform to the laws of physics?
You mean the force that makes us and everything else exist?
I don't know if I should say "dimensional energy" or what, actually. Photons and tachyons are energy, but they are particles, matter. I don't know if I should say the energy that makes up matter or the force that makes energy energy. ......
I'm not sure if it's the energy that makes up matter or the force that makes energy energy.　Isn't it better to leave the physics out of it for now?
"Then don't ask. I'm not a specialist, so I don't know either. I don't know what you're talking about.

　They move forward, talking.
　Perhaps it was my imagination, but the cave seemed to be filled with a black mist.

"Is this the ...... miasma?
"Are they gathering around us?　Isn't this bad?

　Even though it's bad, Xellos and the others have to go on.
　Even though his body can't die easily, his instincts as a living being stir up a sense of danger.
　And yet, they couldn't stop.


　.


　Underground warehouse of the Zeroth residence.
　Alfia Megas, who had been spending her free time in the culture fluid, sensed the power flowing into her.

'Hmm?　It seems those two have started it.

　It was a small amount, but it wasn't the amount of power-energy that was needed.
　It requires only a small amount of power, but not the amount of energy needed to ignite the plugs to start a car. Once it becomes active, Alfea Megas will be able to absorb enormous amounts of energy from the world.
　However, in order to do so, it is necessary to reconstruct the current body.
　The rebuilding of the body and the absorption of power from the world must be done with the crimson movement.

The souls of those who were summoned to ....... It's best to absorb them.

　A mass of power called a soul flowed into the room.
　It's a small thing, but the possibilities it contains are infinite.
　But a soul from a different dimension is nothing more than a foreign object to this world.
　It has been programmed to adapt to the world order, and this program is currently interfering and encroaching on the world.

I'm not sure what to do.　And they all have altered programs. You'll have to build a normalization system, but that's impossible for me right now.

　There are multiple worlds of the summoned heroes, and the errors were caused by the influence of the otherworldly reasoning that was stirred into the souls of the dead heroes.
　No, the antibody system program had become a fatal bug, a malignant tumor that could interfere with the entire forest of this world.
　Moreover, the transformation was more serious than Alfea had expected.

"Will it spread and invade other souls? ....... Fortunately, each of the souls we obtained seems to be in a different providential world. But they're close enough. First, I'm going to absorb and analyze this program and turn myself into an antibody. I don't know how many souls have been summoned from other worlds, but hopefully it will help me recover my powers faster.



　The transformed souls of the brave men and women are, in a sense, similar to [gods].
　It interferes with all things in the forest and rewrites the reason of the world from the bottom up. It can be said that it is a lower existence than Alfea.
　However, the consciousness that dwells in it is monotonous, and one can only feel anger, hatred, and nostalgia.
　I've decided to put only the soul to sleep and use the antibody program.

"I can interfere with the world. Then it will be easier to use this system to rebuild the body. After all, the world hasn't rejected this antibody system. We may be able to interfere with the sanctuary they're in.

　The altered antibody program is also part of the world order.
　It's a defense system designed to keep out the foreign, but it's also a bit flexible. The program is separated from the souls of the heroes and adjusted to their own needs.
　The souls of the heroes are stored separately, and Alfea's own body is incorporated into the program. This made it possible for him to take control of the system from the outside without management authority.
　In the meantime, a considerable amount of energy was being pumped into Alfea.

"Nuh ........., isn't that a bit much?

　The covenant that was made between the Zeros and the Ads is still sending energy through the high-dimensional line.
　It was a pleasant miscalculation to think that the processing power would be too much to keep up with if it was not done properly.

"I may be able to get out in the near future.

　The Evil One's full recovery is near.