The message from the chief god had reached us, announcing that it’s only three weeks until the beginning of the apocalypse. There were still so many unknowns, so many challenges.
But ultimately, I’m just an adventurer. And that meant that what I can do is clear.
“Hah!”
I let out a shout and swung my short sword. The blue-crystal blade gleamed, the magical runes etched along its surface shining like jade. It left a shimmering trail of the same color as it cut through the air.
My opponent was a giant, at least three meters tall. The translucent humanoid figure was deeply slashed at the waist and it fell to its knees. It collapsed face down just as I jumped backward.
“G-Gah…!”
The fallen giant shattered into a burst of light. I wiped sweat from my brow. The remnants of the enemy, the tiny motes of light, quickly disappeared from sight. The floor glowed faintly, and the entire ceiling illuminated us with a bright white light. The brightness filled the space as if we were swimming through light itself.
“Phew…”
I glanced around.
In the wide-open hall, my companions were fighting just like I was. Each faced a translucent humanoid about three meters tall, mirroring the scale of my opponent.
Mia-sa stood opposite a sword-wielding giant, Felix-san across from an axe-bearing one. Soon, the two moved simultaneously. Though they were separated by twenty meters, perhaps their breathing and timing had synced without conscious effort.
Mia-san and Felix-san struck in perfect unison—one sending a fireball, the other swinging an axe with brutal force. Each enemy shattered into light. The pair exchanged glances and smiled faintly at each other, as if their previous clashes had never happened.
“Fufu…”
I allowed a small smile myself.
Then, from above, a goddess began to descend.
“Impressive, Rion.”
Solana smiled at me warmly. I returned her smile, feeling a subtle shift within ourselves—a change we hadn’t quite noticed before.
We were in the lowest level of the dungeon.
Until recently, the sealing magic had been so strong that even the gods could only manifest for brief moments. But now, everything was different. Solana’s Light of the Sun Awakening illuminated the chamber, and Heimdall had amplified the power of Alarm.
The gods could now wield their full strength, even within the dungeon. And thanks to that, we could train like this.
I tilted my head back and gazed at the high ceiling once more.
So this… is the power of a divine artifact—
Pure, unwavering light rained down evenly across the hall. I took a swig from my canteen during a short break. A few droplets glimmered on its surface, sparkling in the divine light.
“Rion, shall we move on?”
Solana asked.
“Yeah!”
From the floor, tiny motes of light began to rise, coalescing into a humanoid figure about three meters tall. Its size was roughly that of a mid-tier monster—similar to an orc—but its presence was far more commanding. It wore armor crafted from layered furs, carried a sword, and atop its head was a crown woven from wood. Its body was lean and muscular, every line honed for battle.
It seemed to be a type of giant that had existed in the age of myths.
Compared to the fire giants that dwelled in Alvis’s mines, this one was considerably smaller. Probably only as tall as a fire giant’s waist. Yet its strength was not to be underestimated. Even to me, it was overwhelmingly large, and it wielded its sword with precision. In the mythic era, the giants that ventured into dungeon and struck down humans were likely these comparatively smaller ones.
“‘Giant Soldiers’”
The semi-transparent colossus did not move forward yet.
It wasn’t a physical being, but an illusion shaped from raw magical energy—and even knowing that, the sense of intimidation was undeniable. Solana floated lightly, raising a single finger.
“She is manifesting the memory of the gods through the divine relics here. With this, you can face monsters from the mythic era without having to traverse dungeon scattered across the lands.”
I lowered my chin, feeling sweat prickling my skin.
Heimdall, stationed at the horn, kept silent, perhaps letting me focus on my training.
“So… this is a kind of preparation.”
“Yes. Ymir has loosened the seals in many dungeon. Soldiers like this from that age will inevitably appear.”
Images flashed through my mind—the scenes I had witnessed when the horn sounded. Giant wolves, monsters that reminded me of Skoll, emerging from dungeon into the outside world. How many had escaped the gods’ counterattacks and reached Ymir’s side was still unknown. But the enemy had undoubtedly strengthened its forces.
Solana’s golden eyes shimmered.
“That’s where we come in. We’ll recreate the monsters from the mythic era that need to be watched for, right here. As you said, it’s a matter of preparation.”
“…Yes!”
Alright, break’s over.
It was time to face the Giant Soldier again—and once more, I would use speed to throw it off balance.
I circled behind it, leapt up its back, and struck the unarmored neck. Solana clapped her hands, cheering me on.
“Guh…”
With a final groan, the semi-transparent Giant Soldier collapsed. Its sword clattered to the ground and shimmered back into a scattering of light particles.
“Exactly! Amazing work, Rion!”
Solana praised me head-on, and I felt a little embarrassed…
And I couldn’t help but think just how incredible the divine relics really were. I muttered softly,
“S-still… the Water Mirror of Yggdrasil can really do anything, huh.”
The Water Mirror of Yggdrasil—the divine tool we’d been using for our training—was the same one we had used before to communicate with Alvis and Flocia.
This place was actually the West Dungeon of the royal capital. At its deepest point, the relic could draw a map of the kingdom in light and allow conversation with any marked point—a communication device from the age of myths.
Now, the gods were using it for training purposes. They had taken its function of “shaping things out of light” and adapted it to recreate monsters.
“Indeed. This is why it’s no surprise coming from Loki… and the dwarves of Alvis.”
Solana said, somehow looking proud of herself.
While we spoke, the divine relic shaped the next opponent.
It was a Giant Soldier swinging a spiked iron ball on a chain—a truly troublesome-looking foe.
“Gah!”
The iron mass flew through the air. If it hit, I wouldn’t die—but the sheer density of magical energy in it would knock me out cold. I had no intention of testing that though. I dropped low, sliding under the swinging ball. The gust of wind overhead whooshed past like it belonged to a real, massive weapon.
Clang! The chain rattled.
“Whoa!”
The enemy yanked the chain, sending the iron ball hurtling from directly behind me.
I leapt left to evade, then rolled forward onto my right hand. When it tried to stomp me, I jumped left again, narrowly escaping.
Look at the enemy.
Don’t look away.
If I face it head-on, with my current speed… no attack can stop me!
“Wake up!”
I called forth Undine, the water spirit dwelling in the crystal of my right gauntlet. The mermaid-shaped spirit materialized before my eyes. I unscrewed my water flask, and she conjured a tiny jet of water that struck the Giant Soldier squarely in the face.
The enemy raised its head in defense.
I activated my skills—Blessing of the God of Hunting, Hunter’s Step. I melted into the shadows, moving silently into its blind spot, and slipped toward its unarmored side.
“Wake up!”
This time, it was Sylph, the wind spirit.
“Woof!”
From point-blank range, I slammed the dagger wrapped in blades of wind. The Giant Soldier was cleaved in two. The moment its upper body hit the ground, it dissolved into light.
I wiped the sweat from my brow.
“…There were so many kinds of soldiers, huh.”
Solana nodded in agreement.
“Magic is the power of imagination. The power for thoughts to take shape.”
Thoughts taking shape… I couldn’t help but recall Lu’s power of creation for a moment.
“The Water Mirror of Yggdrasil uses Yggdrasil itself—the World Tree woven of magical energy. The World Tree stores memories and thoughts that once existed as magic.”
Solana continued, spreading her hands to indicate the vast space around us.
“With this relic, connected to Yggdrasil, it’s possible to trace the memories of humans and gods alike, giving former monsters a form. It’s not true creation, though, so they have no real substance and vanish the moment the magic ends.”
“Uh… yeah…”
I blinked rapidly, my lips twitching. It felt like she had just said something incredibly important—but, sorry, I didn’t quite follow the second half…
I wondered again if I simply lacked any talent for magic.
A loud voice echoed from the distance, making me jump.
“Take this!”
Mia-san sent a Giant Soldier flying. After returning from Flocia, it seemed her strength had increased even more.
Felix-san, swinging his staff, casually froze another giant that tried to pass him. While fighting, he seemed to be testing which element—fire, ice, earth, or even lightning—was most effective.
Everyone in the party is growing stronger. I had a feeling of it, deep down. If other warrior squads or adventurers protecting the temple came here, they could make use of this space in the same way.
“…Everyone’s amazing.”
“Indeed!”
Solana nodded firmly.
“Then we’ll prepare as much as we can! And when Ymir comes, we’ll face him at the temple.”
I lowered my chin, though a fleeting doubt crossed my mind.
Why… had it been three weeks since that battle? It was such a precise, clear-cut interval.
A member of the warrior squad arrived, interrupting my thoughts.
“Rion-san! There you are!”
He ran toward me as soon as he spotted me.
“You have a visitor.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. They are eager to meet you.”I left the dungeon training grounds, tilting my head in confusion, wondering who it could be.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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