Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 597: Peach Blossom Spring (4)

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Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...

The Wanderer confronted Yutia, questioning her motives and why she allowed events to escalate to their current disastrous state. Yutia cryptically explained she was trying to alter a "Predestined Path" before the Wanderer disintegrated. Later, Alon, Penia, and Deus discovered a fruit that seemingly increases abilities when eaten. Deus also revealed that fighting monsters had made him stronger, leading them to believe this is the "immortal cultivation" the Karma seat mentioned, and Alon decided they should begin practicing it.

At the point when Alon decided to begin immortal cultivation in earnest.

Although the Wanderer had been successfully stopped, the atmosphere in the Allied Kingdoms was still extremely chaotic.

It was because of the floating island the Wanderer had kept as a final measure.

The island prepared to buy time by using the characteristics of the “Star Eater.”

Of course, it had been brutally smashed apart by Elivan and the others gathered there, and most of the Divine blood on it had met death.

Yes, most of them.

The problem, however, was that several Divine blood had escaped amid that chaos, and those individuals were appearing while looking for opportunities.

And among them.

The Scaled One, who had survived the falling floating island and possessed the ability to assimilate with the world and survive under any circumstances—

[Is this the place—]

Had now reached the vicinity of Divine Land.

In truth, he did not have much information about Divine Land.

Even so, there was only one reason he knew the name Divine Land and had come here.

Because he knew that many humans who were strong for humans existed here.

The Scaled One had seen them.

The monsters at a level he could not possibly think of as human when he fell from the floating island.

Naturally, the Scaled One had no intention whatsoever of fighting those absurdly powerful ones.

Because he had seen a Divine blood stronger than himself cut in half with a single stroke and killed.

That was why what he intended to do now was increase his strength.

The Scaled One could not defeat those monsters.

But there was no way there were many absurd monsters like that, monsters who could even kill Divine blood.

Surely, people like that were few.

He simply could not defeat that small minority. Ordinary humans—

[Heh—]

Even if they were praised as quite outstanding, should not be able to defeat Divine blood.

That was why he had come here.

To Divine Land, where many strong humans were said to exist.

To receive “faith” from strong humans, and devour even those monsters who defeated Divine blood, turning them into faith.

[Let us begin—]

The Scaled One revealed himself.

The bizarre giant body, like an enormous fish with hands and feet made of bone attached to it, appeared before Divine Land, and by habit, he spread out his sense.

It was a search he attempted in case any of the beings who had been present when the floating island was destroyed were nearby.

But very fortunately, he did not feel a single presence that had been on the floating island, so the Scaled One bizarrely smiled with the split mouth beneath eyes like those of a dead fish, and let out a monstrous roar.

To carve fear into the humans who would soon offer faith.

To imprint upon them that he was an existence before whom they had no choice but to bow their heads.

And then.

[?]

The Scaled One.

[......Huh?]

Saw an enormous sword.

A gigantic sword that had suddenly appeared in the sky above Divine Land, making even him let out a stupid sound for an instant.

He stared blankly at it for a moment.

[.......]

The Scaled One, who had unconsciously grown tense, inwardly let out a sigh.

That enormous sword was certainly large enough to cut the Scaled One down in one stroke, and he could feel its power as well, but even so, something at that level could be handled easily.

[Ha—]

The Scaled One soon let out a hollow laugh.

It was not at the level of those he had seen back then.

But he could feel a fragment suggesting that, if it could surpass the time allotted to humans, it might surely become as strong as those he had seen when the floating island fell.

‘What exactly is wrong with this world—well, even so, it would make sense for there to be at least one strong person of that level.’

The moment the Scaled One unknowingly thought that—

Thoom—!

In the sky above Divine Land, an enormous dragon appeared.

[?]

An incredibly enormous dragon.

Like the enormous sword, it was a dragon he could handle easily, but a fragment of strength could be glimpsed from it.

[......Two, is it—]

Of course, even while looking at it, the Scaled One smiled.

After all, nothing would change just because one thing that was not difficult to handle had increased to two—

Kwaaaaaang—

—or so he thought, but at that moment, blue lightning began striking down before the Scaled One’s eyes.

Together with that, dark clouds began to gather.

[What?]

Along with the Scaled One’s dumbfounded mutter,

Bang—kwagagak—kwagagagagagak—!!!

From the underground of Divine Land, which had been peaceful until just moments ago, terrifyingly enormous thorns emerged.

That was not all.

Beside the enormous dragon, a swordsman flying through the sky appeared.

Behind that, a mage wreathed in a horrifyingly grotesque flame appeared.

One by one, all of them were people the Scaled One could handle easily.

Even two of them, he could likewise handle easily.

Three as well.

......But if there were five......?

If there were more than five, and there were ten......?

If there were more than ten, and even beyond that?

[......!]

The Scaled One began to feel that something had gone wrong.

He did not properly understand what was happening.

But at the very moment when he clearly felt that something had gone wrong—

Thoom—!

The Scaled One saw it.

Down below. Something in the underground of Divine Land, as though it had been waiting, broke through the ground and rose up.

And then.

Seeing that, the Scaled One made a choice without the slightest hesitation.

He had to run.

Something was wrong.

And the moment the Scaled One used his own ability along with that thought—

Grab—!

The Scaled One realized.

Something had seized his leg.

And the moment he realized that and looked at the ground.

He could see it.

A hand so enormous that it could easily snap the Scaled One’s leg, with an incredible amount of divine power bursting from it.

That hand was holding his leg.

And.

Wooooong—!

The face of the statue that had risen from the ground—no, the golem—was looking at the Scaled One.

[Aaaaaaagh—!]

In the end, the Scaled One screamed.

####

Three days had passed since Alon began immortal cultivation in earnest.

And over those three days, the group began immortal cultivation in earnest and was able to clearly confirm things they already knew, or verify several new facts.

First, if they ate the peach-like fruit—in other words, the immortal fruit—or fought and defeated a beast, their abilities certainly did rise, but as time passed, that degree gradually became shallower, and when they faced comparatively stronger enemies, the degree of increase was clearly higher.

In other words, the world of Peach Blossom Spring was, in a certain sense, similar to a game.

No matter how many weak enemies one caught, they did not help much with growth, but if one took a risk and caught a strong enemy, one clearly became stronger.

Second, the monsters that appeared at night and the monsters that appeared during the day were different.

During the day, comparatively weak beasts appeared, while at night, many monsters stronger or more hideous than those appeared, and at times, monsters as enormous as great mountains would reveal themselves.

Third was that tricks did not work in immortal cultivation. As a result of testing, the structure was such that power did not accumulate if one person nearly finished an enemy off and another merely took its life.

In other words, one could only become stronger by fighting a battle with one’s own strength.

That was what Alon’s group had learned over the past three days.

“......Hmm.”

Alon lightly turned his gaze and looked behind him.

The cave was empty, despite it being the middle of the night.

What he could see was Blackie, which had at some point attached itself beside Alon and was sleeping while purring, and Basiliora, sleeping beside it.

......Deus and Penia were nowhere to be seen.

“.......”

Alon lowered his gaze.

From some distance away, a small explosion sounded.

At the same time, what came to mind was Penia’s figure.

He remembered how, even if only for a moment, she had visibly shown joy when Alon said they could do immortal cultivation.

‘Deus didn’t show it, but he was clearly pleased as well.’

......

Looking at the scenery of Peach Blossom Spring, Alon let out a small sigh.

Thanks to the countermeasure Alon had put in place, even if there was some other thing the Karma seat was aiming for in immortal cultivation itself, he should be able to break through it.

However, even so, he could not feel relieved.

“.......”

Alon looked at Peach Blossom Spring in the middle of the night, when explosions were sounding.

......A Peach Blossom Spring that, because of the white moonlight despite it being night, looked less like night and more like daybreak.

And at that point.

“......Haa...... haa.......”

Penia exhaled roughly as she looked at the monster before her eyes.

It was a monster that looked as though a worm had been made with tens of thousands of legs. Its torso had been pierced straight through by her magic, and it had vomited out every last one of its organs before dying.

She frowned at that horrific sight for a moment.

Then she soon let out a sigh and raised her body, which had been sitting down.

“......Still hunting?”

At the familiar question she heard, Penia naturally turned her gaze and opened her mouth.

“Yes.”

Looking at Deus, with whom her speech had naturally loosened because they had spent quite a bit of time together now, Penia nodded.

“You look tired. Wouldn’t it be better to rest soon?”

Deus’s words.

But Penia shook her head and answered with a somewhat tired expression.

“I think that applies to you too, doesn’t it?”

Penia’s words were true.

She was also very tired, but in truth, Deus, who had appeared at some point, was not much different from her either.

“.......”

Deus closed his mouth, perhaps having nothing to say to her words.

Looking at him, Penia let out a hoo and continued.

“......And, it can’t be helped, can it? It’s an opportunity.”

She did not say anything else.

What Penia said was exactly that one word.

Opportunity.

That word sank into both of them so naturally, and so desperately.

“.......”

For an instant, that time flashed through both of their minds.

The terribly overwhelming helplessness they had experienced a few days ago, when they met the Karma seat.

“Let’s go.”

A brief silence.

The one who spoke first in that silence was Deus.

As though agreeing with Penia’s words, he silently turned around.

Penia also dragged her somewhat exhausted body and turned.

“Phew—”

A deep sigh.

In truth, Penia knew as well.

Though she was calling it an opportunity, perhaps it could be a trap disguised as one.

Of course, because of Alon’s “countermeasure,” they would absolutely not face the worst-case situation, but she was aware that she was doing something she would normally not do.

Because if it were the usual her, she would have approached it a little more calmly and coldly.

But even so, her actions would not change.

She had to do it.

If she did not want to become his burden.

If she wanted to support him.

And she also had a plan.

Even if some threat lay hidden in this power.

Even if this power evaporated once they left this space, it was fine.

Because what mattered to her was reaching it.

Yes, reaching it.

Even if only for a single moment, she only needed to become even slightly stronger and “reach” it.

The “end” of Origin.