Chapter 10

This world is wider than Earth. Even if a dragon flies at full speed with its wings, it takes three days to circle this spherical world. Considering that Nectar was on board, it was impossible to fly at full speed, so it took a full two days to reach the base of the Vishnu Mountains, where Grandpa's spirit tree stood.

"Grandpa!!!"

I landed in front of him with the momentum of my flight, and the wood sprite grandpa emerged from the spirit tree, which was so thick I couldn't even hug it. He greeted me with a smile, his white hair and brown skin unchanged from when we first met.

"Oh, it's the black dragon of lava. It's been a while. Hmm? Are you bringing a human child with you?"

"Yeah, it's my first proper friend!"

"Oh, oh, that's wonderful. The golden purple was intense, but if it's a human, it won't attack immediately."

"Riglara, well, you know... I'm really sorry about that time."

That was when I was so tired of being chased that I went to Grandpa for comfort. I don't know how Riglara caught me, but she changed her eyes when she saw Grandpa, who seemed stronger than me. She was instantly defeated. After that, I was scolded for running away from a mere demon and had my first real battle with Riglara, with Grandpa as the referee. That's when I realized I was pretty strong.

"It's fine. I'm glad you're having fun, but I doubt you came just to show your face in such a hurry."

"Actually, I'm here as a guide. Ask him for the details."

"Hmm, then, human child. What do you want from me?"

Nectar, who was almost out of breath from the forced march and pale but somehow satisfied, got off my back and, when he was stared at by Grandpa, straightened his back like a spring and tensed up. He awkwardly turned his right arm behind him, placed his left fist on his abdomen, and bowed his head.

"Hello, spirit tree wood sprite. I am Nectar, a seeker of magic. My friend is in dire straits, and I have come to obtain a staff to help him, hoping to take a branch from your noble self. I have heard that you are the parent of Lava, and I would like to hear your story, but the situation is urgent, so please forgive me for not being able to settle in."

Grandpa's deep green eyes focused on Nectar, and the magic concentration in the area increased, all of it pressing down on Nectar. Despite the sudden loss of blood, Nectar held his ground.

"What is your epithet?"

Nectar glanced at me, then looked straight at Grandpa and said,

"In my homeland, I am known as the Sage of Destruction. But now, I would like to be known as the friend of the black dragon."

"Hmm, it's rare to find a human who is so proficient in the ancient language, which has been lost among humans today. Very well, take a branch with a good shape."

As he said this, the oppressive pressure dissipated, and the magic concentration returned to normal.

"Huh?"

Nectar, who had been under the immense pressure of negotiating with the legendary wood sprite, was clearly taken aback by the easy permission. I asked for him.

"Thank you, but is it really that easy?"

"Well, you brought him. He seems to be a fine human, and his magical abilities are sufficient, even if he hasn't been attuned to the local energy. Besides, in the past, people used to come here to take materials for their staffs and enjoy the outside world through them, but that hasn't happened in the past few hundred years, and I've been bored. This is like a boat coming just when you need it."

Grandpa laughed, and a branch wrapped in magic fell from the spirit tree. Nectar caught it hurriedly. The branch, about as tall as Nectar's shoulder, was still green and straight, and seemed just right in thickness. It was clearly a very good branch, and both Nectar and I were taken aback by its high affinity with magic.

"This branch is still alive. It is connected to me. As long as the leaves are green, it will gather magic on its own and help you. Well, you don't have time to stay, do you? Solve your problem and come back with the black dragon. We'll have a proper talk next time."

"Thank you for this wonderful gift, wood sprite. I will do my best to honor Lava's trust."

"Thank you, Grandpa. I'll bring back lots of stories!"

We thanked him and made a promise to meet again soon, and were sent off by Grandpa's gentle smile.

After a two-day journey back across the sea, the great forest was eerily quiet, and I could feel that there was no time to waste. Nectar immediately began adjusting and processing the staff, and after a full day of work, he flew to the location where he had detected Kail's magic waves with a detection spell.

According to Nectar, the place was a bit away from the grain fields where the spell was cast, and there was a large city nearby, which was likely the final defense line.

Circling in the sky, we saw, as expected, a large number of monsters that seemed to have been pushed out of their territory, being held back by a group of humans, likely the army, who had set up barricades with the city at their back.

However, the results were not good. The monsters, which could only be defeated by a group of two or three people, had to be fought on a plain with no advantage. Moreover, the soldiers who were supposed to act as bait to lure the monsters into a single area for a group attack were not doing their job well.

Another monster broke through. But it was quickly eliminated by a lightning strike from a mage who seemed to be in reserve.

"There he is, Kail!"

Nectar's shout in the ancient language was carried by the wind spirit. I confirmed Kail's presence with a faint magic wave. I was relieved he was alive, but it was a problem. I couldn't tell if everyone there was on Kail's side. I couldn't just drop Nectar there recklessly. I was pondering what to do when...

"Thank you, Lava! I'm going!"

"Wait, what!?"

Before I could stop him, Nectar quickly mounted the staff and slid off my back, flying towards Kail. What, you can use a staff like that!?

Oh well, there's no helping it.

I sighed and sent a wind spirit to make my voice heard by everyone in the area.

"Everyone there, if you don't want to get involved, stay where you are."

I confirmed with the corner of my eye that several small shadows had stopped, as if making a clicking sound, and then I cast a magic spell. I transformed my magic into fire spirits and set fire to the monsters in the area, burning them to the core.

I made sure that no humans were caught in the flames after they had been extinguished, and then I spoke to Nectar and Kail telepathically to explain the situation.

"Then, I'll go fix the breach. It should take a few hours, so hang in there until then."

"Thank you, Lava!"

"Hey, is that the black dragon, or why is Nectar here!?"

Nectar's calm and somewhat experienced consciousness mixed with Kail's agitated thoughts.

I smiled a little as I watched Nectar, who had safely arrived, being kicked away by Kail through my far-sight, and then I headed towards the center of the breach.

As I approached the center, the plain, which had once been a grain field, was completely trampled and filled with an overwhelming number of monsters. Upon closer inspection, tree-like monsters were also being born, their roots drawing magic from the ley lines and releasing it from their branches and leaves, giving them a strange and eerie texture. From the center of the breach, a new monster was being born every five minutes, but it was being eaten by its fellow monsters nearby.

The scale was small, but it explained why the adjustment results were not good. If I hadn't been here, it would have turned into a demon lair in a month. I reflected on not having noticed it despite the distance.

"...Then, I'll put the lesson to use."

I sealed off a one-kilometer radius around the center of the breach with a physical barrier and overlaid it with an anti-magic barrier.

I was slightly repulsed by the grotesque sight of the monsters, who, realizing they were trapped, blindly charged at the barrier. I decided to burn them quickly.

Following the magic spell I had cast, my magic transformed into a large amount of fire spirits and was activated by the ancient language.

"Flame Burst"

Instantly, a torrent of flames raged within the barrier, burning the trapped monsters to ashes without a trace. The momentum did not wane, and the barrier's upper part was breached, sending up a massive pillar of fire.

Ah, the magic concentration was high, so the control was a bit loose. Well, there's no spread, so it's fine. Thanks to observing Nectar's magic control.

With the obstacles cleared, I landed in the center, which had become a blank space, and observed the breach. However, since the ley lines themselves are not physically visible, it was a bit of a problem that from the outside, I looked like a dangerous person with unfocused eyes.

Wow, it's grown into a huge crack. The spell used to open and maintain it has been completely blown away.

While I was doing this, the monsters that had not entered the barrier broke through the weakened barrier and rushed towards the center of the breach and me, a high-magic life form. I trapped them again and burned them, then cast my custom barrier to cut off the magic flow from the center of the breach. It was fragile enough to be broken by a group of people and also disrupted the circulation path, so it was not suitable for long-term use, but it was perfect for emergency measures.

The reason so many monsters were born this time was due to the magic supply from this breach. Without the supply, the weaker monsters would disappear or weaken, making it a bit easier for Nectar and the others.

Having completed the preparations, I took up a position above the breach and smiled at the still swarming monsters.

"Come on, I'll return it to the cycle."