Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 595: Peach Blossom Spring (2)

Exactly one day had passed since Alon became trapped inside Peach Blossom Spring.

Rather than using the western stone mountain that the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation had blown away, they used a cave between the eastern stone mountains as their base and gathered information.

“......”

Alon looked down below the stone mountain.

The scenery closely resembled the heavenly realms where immortals lived, as often described in the martial arts and cultivation novels he used to read.

Mountain ranges towered so high in the distance that they seemed to fill the blue sky.

Below them, as if implying that this place remained in spring throughout all four seasons, cherry blossom trees and verdant trees were harmoniously mixed together, creating a breathtaking sight.

■■■■■—!!

Of course, separate from the beautiful scenery, what occupied the land were horrifying monsters.

“Lord Alon.”

When Alon turned his gaze, Penia was standing there.

“Deus has returned.”

Together with her, Alon returned to the small cave.

“You've returned.”

“I have. Anything happen?”

“No.”

After briefly exchanging greetings with Deus, who had returned from outside, the group immediately began compiling information.

“I'll start.”

The one who opened the discussion was Alon, who had ridden Basiliora around the world once immediately after discovering the cave yesterday.

“I wasn't able to examine everything, but after traveling around the barrier, it seems this place is a massive hemispherical world. And just as the Karma seat said, there was an enormous tree at the center that appeared to be the Root.”

“......An enormous tree?”

“Yes. It was a cherry blossom tree. I only saw it from a distance, but it's definitely what maintains the barrier.”

[Mm-hmm, I saw it too. It definitely felt like energy was gathering there and spreading outward.]

Basiliora agreed with Alon's assessment.

Soon afterward, Penia spoke.

“I also went to examine the barrier last night. Just as the Karma seat said, the range of the barrier is gradually shrinking. It's definitely smaller compared to when we first arrived at the barrier.”

“Judging by the rate it's shrinking, how long do you think it'll last?”

“If this world has roughly swallowed the entire Western Continent... then according to my calculations, about three months.”

“......Three months.”

“Yes. Of course, that's assuming the barrier continues shrinking at the same rate it is now.”

At Penia's words, Alon fell into thought.

Three months from now would already be when the Karma seats descended to the surface.

In other words, realistically speaking, the group's actual limit was at most two months.

If the Karma seats descended, then even if they escaped after great difficulty, they would immediately be exposed to attacks from other Karma seats.

As Alon inwardly thought that and nodded, this time Deus opened his mouth.

“I investigated those monsters.”

“How were they?”

“......Their appearances were horrifying overall, but fundamentally, their behavioral principles were similar to ordinary beasts. However, there were two unusual points. One is that most creatures that don't eat meat consume these fruits—”

Deus paused briefly before continuing.

“And the carnivorous beasts seem to become stronger by devouring one another.”

“......They become stronger by devouring each other?”

“Yes. It isn't predation for the purpose of filling their stomachs. It seems they genuinely become stronger when they eat their opponents. One of the creatures I observed—a beast that resembled a human but had dozens of arms—grew larger after devouring another beast.”

“......So they grow by eating each other?”

At Penia's words, Deus nodded.

“Because of that, it didn't feel like there was any established food chain based on species. Also, while there seem to be similar species, there don't appear to be any identical ones.”

He pulled something from inside his clothes.

“And this is?”

“The fruit eaten by those herbivorous animals.”

Alon looked at the fruit resting on Deus's palm.

“......It looks similar to a peach.”

“A peach?”

Penia looked confused.

At that, Alon suddenly remembered that peaches didn't exist in this world and replied.

“It's nothing.”

“?”

Though Penia tilted her head as if puzzled by his answer, she soon nodded as though she understood something and looked forward again.

The fruit looked exactly like a peach, and the fragrance was so strong that one could smell its sweetness without even bringing it close to the nose.

“So there are very basic herbivorous creatures that eat this fruit, and above them there's a completely unstructured law-of-the-jungle hierarchy?”

“That's how it appeared. And rather than strictly herbivorous creatures— it seemed to be eaten by those too weak to fight other beasts.”

Alon examined the fruit more closely.

“In other words, this is the most basic food source that allows those monsters to become stronger.”

“......Do you think the Karma seat was referring to this when it spoke of immortal cultivation?”

At Penia's opinion, Alon made a strange expression.

‘That wasn't originally what immortal cultivation meant, was it...?’

The immortal cultivation Alon knew was generally closer to mental and spiritual discipline.

Of course, among the novels he had read, there were some where people became stronger by killing others and such...

‘No. Come to think of it, most cultivation novels were basically like that.’

As he thought that far, Alon suddenly felt somewhat pathetic.

No matter how similar it looked, fiction and reality were different.

And this world was different from that world.

Trying to force everything into that framework from the beginning didn't make sense.

“There does seem to be a possibility.”

“......First, I'll investigate whether it's edible.”

Penia carefully picked up the fruit that Deus had brought.

“......You're planning to eat it?”

“If what the Karma seat said is true, and immortal cultivation is genuinely necessary to destroy the Root... shouldn't we eat it?”

Penia's reasoning was logical.

If it was truly necessary to destroy the Root, then they had no choice but to do it.

However, naturally, the fruit before them was not something they could trust.

After all, it was a fruit created by the authority of a Karma seat.

...Of course, that didn't mean they could do absolutely nothing simply because they needed to be cautious.

But the thing that worried Alon more than that was—

“......”

The look in Penia's eyes.

It wasn't as though she had been bewitched by something.

However, Alon could sense a strange desire in both Penia's and Deus's expressions as they looked at the fruit.

“Let's investigate it first.”

For some reason, that worried Alon slightly.

####

Craaaash—!

With a thunderous noise, the statue of Goddess Sironia collapsed.

And what fell there was—

[Haaah—]

The Wanderer.

There wasn't a single uninjured place left on her body.

Wounds covered her entire body, and one arm had already been torn away.

[Ghh—]

As though finding it absurd, yet enduring the pain at the same time, the Wanderer pushed herself up using the rubble of the statue she herself had destroyed and looked forward.

There stood those who had been fighting her.

For an entire day.

“Haaah—”

The first thing heard was Seollang's exhausted breath.

She had not suffered any major injuries, but the wounds visible all over her body and the way she panted as though she might collapse at any moment showed just how difficult the battle had been.

“......”

Pluto, which had previously been summoned on the battlefield, was nowhere to be seen.

And although Rine, who had been supporting the battle through the golden crown, had not suffered serious wounds either, she clearly appeared exhausted.

“Tch. Every weapon's been ruined.”

Like Seollang, Radan wore armor shattered in numerous places.

Clicking his tongue at the completely destroyed artifacts, he still pretended to remain relaxed as he raised a trident with its tip broken off.

“......”

The Red Knight as well was glaring at the Wanderer while holding a greatsword that had now been reduced to barely half its original form.

The ruined scenery of Rosario and the condition of both sides showed just how fierce the battle over the past day had been.

Even so.

The advantage.

Was far more clearly leaning toward Rine's side than the Wanderer's.

Unlike them, who still clearly retained the strength to continue fighting, the Wanderer could no longer maintain her own authority.

[......Ha.]

Looking at them, the Wanderer let out a dry sigh.

She had never imagined she would be pushed this far.

She could have accepted dying if Monster blood had joined the battle.

But she had never believed that this group alone could stop her.

Yet what was the situation now?

She had lost.

The battle was not technically over yet, but it was no different from defeat.

Even though Monster blood, whom she had been certain would participate in the battle no matter what, was nowhere to be seen.

That was why she smiled bitterly.

But only briefly.

Soon, the Wanderer began chuckling to herself.

The laughter gradually made her shoulders shake.

And before long, it turned into loud laughter.

The clear sound echoed throughout the ruined Rosario.

At that, the others instinctively tensed and watched the Wanderer.

But the Wanderer—

Instead stretched one arm upward.

Then.

[I never thought I'd end up looking this pathetic—]

A clear smile appeared across her face.

Keeping that smile, she clenched the outstretched hand tightly.

And began twisting it.

Krrrrrrack—!

The next moment.

The sky above Sironia began to tear apart.

“Haaah—”

“Looks like something big is about to come down—”

Seollang sighed while Radan frowned as they watched the sky tear open.

However.

“!”

Rine's eyes widened as though she had realized something.

“No, that's—!”

Looking at the gradually splitting sky, she shouted.

“It's an entrance!”

“An entrance?”

“Yes! The entrance the Karma seats use to descend!”

“What......? That entrance can only open outside the Empire—”

While frowning, Radan suddenly widened his eyes as well.

Tss—!

In the next instant, both he and Seollang disappeared from where they stood.

And the next moment.

Crunch! Smash!

Seollang and Radan's trident pierced through the Wanderer's body.

However.

Unfortunately, their attacks did not reach the Wanderer.

No.

It would be more accurate to say they could not reach her.

Her body—

“No way—”

“She used even the power she had left as collateral—”

Seollang and Radan stared in shock.

But apparently their expressions amused the Wanderer.

Because she willingly smiled and said,

[If I'm going to die anyway, I figured I should repay the favor.]

The Wanderer grinned.

“If you know it's pathetic, then just accept it and leave quietly already—!”

Radan shouted.

But the Wanderer turned her gaze away from their darkened expressions and looked up at the sky in delight.

In the end, all she had done was help fill the Karma seats' stomachs.

However.

Right now, she had a higher priority.

A "repayment."

And because of that, she had made her choice without hesitation.

[Now then, have a ni—]

The moment the Wanderer opened her mouth.

[......Huh?]

Her smile froze.

It had no choice but to freeze.

Because.

[W-why?]

The entrance she had forced open by squeezing out the last of her strength was beginning to close again.

No.

It wasn't closing.

[It... stopped?]

It stopped.

The entrance that had been opening.

No.

The world itself.

[Ah—!]

The moment she realized that, her gaze snapped in one direction.

Far away.

Outside Sironia's walls—

[......You......!!]

Appearing as though she had been waiting for this exact moment.

Smiling.

“There are some things you shouldn't do.”

Yutia.

“Especially when they become troublesome.”

And her quiet voice soon reached the Wanderer's ears.