CHAPTER 72: THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY TO THE CITADEL

After a while of tracing and dotting across the wall, Orven finally turned to face the four who stood in expectant silence. He was ready to reveal the way to the Citadel.

Orven smiled before speaking:

"The Citadel, as I mentioned, lies at quite a far distance. But I have just drawn a better route, still long but somewhat shortened. Moreover, this path reduces the number of beast habitats you are likely to encounter. Heh heh heh."

Kyle studied the drawing for some time. The route began straight, then veered to the left, or so he assumed, since the letter ’L’ had been scribbled there. Beyond that, two possible paths unfolded. One led through numerous dotted marks before finally reaching a letter ’C’, which he reasoned must stand for the Citadel. The other line was similar, though marked with fewer dots.

It did not take him long to grasp that the dots represented the beasts inhabiting the island. This realisation unsettled their former assumption. The reason the creatures had withdrawn was not the Demon’s presence, but rather the island’s sheer scale.

To be honest, it was so expansive that calling it an island seemed almost misleading. Its size could easily accommodate three large cities.

Due to this, the beasts had probably spread across the entire island. Of course, some would mark territory as the Demon of Virtue had done, and just as the Titan-type beast had, which meant weaker creatures would keep away from those territories to avoid being devoured.

It was a simple ideology, now that he was beginning to grasp the full scale of the island.

Orion grimaced.

"So what direction are we heading to?"

There was a long stretch of silence as Orven tried to determine their current bearing. He turned his eyes back to the wall and snapped his fingers twice.

"Oh yes. Still North... so umm... you continue through North."

Kyle glanced at Na-Ri, who remained indifferent for a while before her expression shifted and she pointed towards the ’C.’

"Since that is where we are headed, how many days would this take at the minimum?"

’Good question, though. If we know that, then we will be able to take enough resources along the way and rest,’ Kyle thought inwardly.

With a faint grin, Orven replied happily:

"Three... no... two days. The Red Cult never reach these directions, as many beasts harbour the surroundings near the Citadel."

Kyle frowned.

He considered the situation for a while. Right now, he was at a slight disadvantage without a weapon, not to mention the fact that he could not continue relying on the remains of beasts as makeshift arms. He truly needed a proper weapon, but that depended on the Manual.

At present, it did not appear to concern itself with his needs, for the Manual did not respond to one’s desires, but only to the future necessity it foresaw.

Adela chipped in with a scowl as her gaze fell upon the Essence core Na-Ri had gifted her, and she asked with a trace of nervousness:

"...Are there any requirements to get into the Citadel?"

Kyle and Orion both nodded at the question. That was another good one, for they needed to be fully prepared for whatever lay ahead, lest they face needless danger only to be denied entry at the end.

After some careful thought to recall precisely what the conditions were, the man responded:

"Not really. You just have to be a Tier 3 at least, and I..."

The beautiful stranger dismissed his words before he could finish as she lied, "We are all at Tier 3. So just tell us what we should expect, and we will set out now."

The three pairs of eyes fell upon her, uncertain as to why Na-Ri had lied about their rank.

’...Why would she lie about that?’

Of course, they were all Tier 2, with her alone standing at Tier 3. Kyle, even after some thought, still could not quite grasp the reason. Yet after careful consideration, he reasoned she might not have wanted the madman to look down on them, or perhaps something else entirely.

Even so, as Tier 2s, they were stronger than most, and they had survived long enough, even defeating a superior being along the way. Though weakened, it was still a Demon, and to him it remained his greatest achievement so far.

On his own, he had slain two colossal Cimmerian Sandworms, proof enough that he still possessed the wit and will to endure. Some victories, admittedly, had been aided by his Name, ensuring his survival but at a cost, and the Title he had received for outlasting the Demon could very well be counted among those costs.

In a particular sense, however, he still had not been measured against Na-Ri, though he had undeniably survived countless situations that should have claimed his life...

He stared at Na-Ri for a moment, then glanced back at Orion and Adela, who both now wore smiles. For some reason, almost without thinking, he found himself smiling as well. But he quickly brushed it away with a scowl; the team was beginning to grow on him, as though he were... actually starting to depend on humans.

As for the matter of Tier 3, they could always grow stronger on the road to the Citadel. He himself was already close to another breakthrough, and so was Orion. Only Adela lagged behind.

Nonetheless, Na-Ri had given her the Essence core from the Titan-type beast, perhaps as a birthday gift, but also so that Adela could grow stronger and not become a burden. She still had her uses, especially with her Element, and not forgetting that hideous teddy bear her father had given her before he died.

Come to think of it, Kyle felt he ought to give her something too. No one had ever done such a thing for him... well, except for his helper when he was five. She had been his age, and had given him the hope of a true friend, or perhaps even something more, until the last night they saw each other...

The handsome youth, too, was entertaining the same thought: to gift Adela something of his own.

Orven laughed maniacally and nodded.

"Then, you who are now my friends, are damn ready to go on the journey."

Na-Ri lifted her gaze to the great hole that served as both the entrance and the exit of the cave, her expression solemn.

Kyle, meanwhile, reminded himself that he was without a weapon. His style of fighting was nowhere near as complete as that of the beautiful stranger, and his bare hands could never inflict much damage on the beasts, unlike the creatures of the dead in the Valley.

Truthfully, he was now the burden. It was an amusing reversal of roles: once he had thought of Adela as somewhat of a burden, but at least she possessed a weapon and could hold her own to a degree. Now the position had shifted, leaving him unarmed and...

Oh wait. For a moment he had been so lost in his own monologue that he almost forgot — he now had an attack skill. That changed everything. He was not the destined burden after all.

’Ha! Fuck you hard, monologue. Oh man, that was a relief. Phew.’

Orion caught sight of Kyle smiling faintly and muttering under his breath.

He gave a small nod, carrying a trace of sorrow in his expression.

"Who wouldn’t lose their mind in this place? I’m second on the list already. I can’t even figure how the two girls are still holding onto their sanity. We’re hunted by both humans and beasts."

Soon after, the four of them began their ascent, climbing the rope one after another, with Na-Ri taking the rear.

Orven stood back, leaning against his dim-witted beast, watching them depart with his usual crooked grin.

Na-Ri sighed as she took hold of the rope.

"Thank you for saving our lives, Orven."