Chương 376: Back To The North

I indeed could not escape it. None of the organisation members could do it, and much less some of the people they sometimes hired to do dirty work for them… Salamandia would be spotted the second she entered, and apparently didn't stand a chance against this Vulcania lady. Millikilli was too frail to endure the environment itself. Godgrod had already lost once before and had been banished from the realm entirely for being a nuisance, so he couldn't even try. As for Ergonip…

He only mentioned failed negotiations and didn't mention trying to do anything by force, but no one else at the table called him out on that, which made it appear like everyone already knew why he couldn't do so. Thus, all attention naturally fell on me afterwards. I had successfully retrieved several ingredients so far, and although I doubted everyone present knew about my good resistance to flames and heat, it was another aspect that made me a good fit for this mission. …

Though I strongly doubt that my resistance to fire can help me endure the full-powered breath of a dragon. Especially not a breath from this Vulcania. From the sound of things, she was a big deal even amongst dragons of high calibre, so my steel will probably evaporate before the flames even touch me directly. Regardless, I didn't outright refuse to take the mission, and promptly let Leou negotiate some 'preparation' time before I was launched straight into a different realm… Realms are fairly well-known stuff.

Most of the time, they are basically just one biome that just so happens to only be accessible through a portal of some kind. Realms like this are tightly connected to the world, unlike the Great Realms, which are connected to everything at once like giant parasites. The one inhabited by Vulcania is a little bit different. From what Leou had told me, it is basically a kingdom in its own right. A fiery place that was once ruled over by the Last Molten King and his wife.

Important to note that the Molten King was not a dragon. Nor was he a draconic species at all. He was apparently just a human, a human with an unusual ability to manipulate and create steel out of thin air. Immediately, this piqued my interest on account that this sounded a lot like my knightly form. If the Molten King was so strongly associated with steel, then I might just find good stuff for me to feast upon whilst inside of this realm…

Another point that was of interest was that the so-called late Molten King had actually lived a fair bit into the past, but he had had a last name even before taking up that title, and it was 'Rootriska'. Which clearly marked him as someone from the royal family of the nation of the same name. On its own, it wasn't too interesting.

That was until Leou mentioned that the Molten King actually had a whole bunch of children with his dragon queen despite the fact that humans and dragons weren't very compatible in this regard. Especially since Vulcania was apparently not even the sort of dragon that was capable of taking a humanoid form. … Apart from making me question 'other' things, it pretty much made it clear that the Rootriska family had some sort of weird ability when it came to crossbreeding sapient species.

Not only had the current king been frolicking with a demon princess, but one of his human sons had been doing the same with a beastfolk princess, not to mention that he had somehow extended this ability to someone outside of his bloodline. I hadn't missed the news of my brother becoming a father, despite the fact that his wife was a draconic monsterfolk. Clearly, the Rootriska family had some sort of weird ability or technique…

Regardless, this meant that the realm was also filled with a bunch of half-human, half-dragon people. With some being way more dragon, and some being far more human. According to what Leou was able to learn, most of these descendants were ruling territories within the realm, or just lazing around in the great castle their father had built using his ability. Indeed, there was a whole freaking castle made out of nothing but steel.

If it were possible, my maw would be watering at the thought of so much food just lying around. Apart from all of this, the realm was basically the inside of a volcano. Magma and lava were all over the place, and the late king was apparently a big fan of golems. So golems made of steel were all over the place. All in all, apart from Vulcania, all that I could learn about the realm didn't sound too threatening. Of course, Leou could only gather so much intel about a realm most people didn't even know existed.

People could technically enter the realm without much problem, but the entrance was hidden inside the Northern Wildlands and was actually invisible as well as completely intangible unless a flame was held near it. Naturally, it made it quite difficult for any random person to just stumble upon it by chance, but it also made me wonder how anyone even knew where that thing was in the first place.

With such properties, even if you have been to it before, finding it again in the Northern Wildlands, where it was mostly identical plains all over the place, would be a difficult affair. Ergonip had his ways, however, as he just gave me a compass that would take me straight to it. I wasn't given much time. Since that crown was the last item they required, the organisation members were quite impatient. Especially since I seemed to be the only person they had available who could actually retrieve it.

Before I left for the Northern Wildlands, I did manage to acquire one more upgrade, though it wasn't one specifically adapted to the challenge I was going to face… Mari didn't have time for anything more refined, unfortunately. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Steel Bender - Your joints can now twist and spin without interruption, allowing you to, for example, turn around by simply rotating your joints and body It would surely come in handy regardless.

Since I could warp around, I didn't have to worry about being unable to enter the barrier again after exiting it. So I merely showed up in my 'Gynoid Form' near the same place I had gone through during my last visit to the Northern Wildlands. I picked this particular place because I was curious about something… Instead of my human appearance, I used the looks of a blonde, green-eyed demoness with pink skin.

I dressed myself up like a wandering swordswoman and pretended to be an adventurer until I managed to find the people I was looking for. I had never actually learned their names, so I only knew them as: Rabbitfolk, catfolk, coyotefolk, crowfolk, and snakefolk. Whilst in my knightly form, I had helped the four girls with their unusual love matters concerning the oblivious rabbitfolk–The poor bastard hadn't seen it coming, but it seemed like he got used to it.

Well, judging by the emotions he was emitting, he was more so resigned than anything. A man who had surrendered to his fate, a fate many would envy him for, but I could see how it could be quite a tiring life to lead, even if it were enjoyable. Still… Is it because I am undead-like? This guy clearly has some sort of seductive aura, right? There are many more women around him than before… On top of the first four, there was now a chimpfolk, a giraffefolk, a rather tall cyclops, a very bestial jackalfolk, and an orc.

I don't know how, but since I had last seen this man, he had somehow attracted the attention of these new women, and they had seamlessly integrated into the already unusual arrangement with the four initial girls. I walked up to him when he was alone.

"Rabbit boy""Yes?" He jumped a little, having clearly been lost in thought. Probably fearful that more women would show up at his doorstep with a love confession.

"Godspeed" That's all I said to him before walking away. I only caught a few of his mutterings as I left:"... Was that…?" He didn't complete the sentence, but it seemed as though he innately knew that it was the Silent Knightess who had just addressed him. Despite the fact that this identity of mine had already been associated with my real identity a fair bit, it didn't seem to disturb him much. Nara. Yes? Wasn't he and the four initial women significantly stronger than last time? They indeed were…

It is quite easy to notice Damn, rabbit boy really has an ability that is quite enviable, doesn't he? I chuckled to myself, only stopping when I approached the gates that had once been the only rampart in between this place and the Northern Wildlands. Nowadays, the barrier did this job to a much better extent, but the gates were still in use. Adventurers and the like still ventured out, but now they did so to sometimes hunt anomalies. Indeed, regular denizens could go in and out of the barrier without problem.

A monster like myself might not be able to do so, but the people could, and so, a wave of new hunters had shown up who used the barrier to their advantage. They could hide and retreat to it to face stronger monsters and anomalies that they normally would have never been able to challenge. Oddly enough, on this front, the chaos of the continent and the arrival of the barrier had boosted the sector.

It was weird to think about, but people who once profited from exporting goods to places that are now in turmoil didn't suffer much either. Since imports from such places also stopped, they were able to pivot to the domestic market with impressive ease. Not to mention that the leaders of the allied kingdoms had prepared for the barrier and all that business… They really are thriving just on their own while the rest of the continent is being destroyed, huh… Talk about bragging.

I was able to get through the gates with even more simplicity than before. I didn't even need a party this time. Whether it was because of the new circumstances or because the guards thought that I was strong enough to handle myself, I didn't bother to question. I stepped through the barrier and into the Northern Wildlands. I quickly assumed my 'Base Form' without any cloaks or the like to cover my metal skeleton. Leaving the various components, wires, and swiftly growing flesh exposed. …

Maybe I should call those fleshy growths tumours now? Judging by that one species name that I have, it seems likely that this is actually what they are. My questions to myself were rudely interrupted as a feral beastfolk came rushing straight at me without any regard for the fact that I wasn't a fulfilling meal at all. Oh, it's running from something else. Its pursuer looked like a member of the same species as it, but I could immediately tell that it was actually an anomaly. A shapeshifter, I suppose?

I used 'Purple Flash' on the beastfolk, causing the poor bastard to lose balance and crash into the ground, before the anomaly leapt onto its back and bit down on its spine. Only for the anomaly to immediately kowtow to me… I guess it innately knew who I was.

"No need. Just go back to your business" This one didn't seem capable of speech at all, but it understood me without a problem. As I continued to traverse the Northern Wildlands, I ran into several interesting scenes. The beings here that had enough intelligence to form tribal-like groups were constantly on the move to escape the anomalies. In comparison, the feral, native beings were less under threat. They could still be targeted, but it seemed like most anomalies just ignored animals and beasts altogether.

They were more interested in the 'intelligent' ones. The anomalies I encountered all revered me from afar, seemingly afraid that they would offend me if they got too close, and none showed the ability to speak beyond repeating words and noises they had very clearly heard from people they hunted or killed in the past. It seemed like some adventurers and the like had ventured too far from the safety of the barrier… This became especially clear when I caught sight of a large tree in the distance.

From its thick, leafless branches, dozens of corpses were strung about with what seemed to be black spider silk. I didn't see the anomaly responsible for this, but it was probably a very dangerous one… Then, the compass showed that I had arrived at my destination.