Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 598: Peach Blossom Spring (5)

A month had passed since the Wanderer had been subjugated.

And since Alon and his group had begun immortal cultivation.

Alon could see a light shooting out with a Kwaaaaaa—! sound, and along with it, a centipede-shaped dragon struck by that light and crashing toward the ground—

“Look at this!”

—and Penia, who was watching the dragon fall to the ground with an extremely excited expression.

Bang—kwagagagak—!

The centipede-shaped dragon that had fallen to the ground smashed apart the beautifully blooming cherry blossom trees as it hit, and Alon turned his gaze toward Penia.

Penia had her chest puffed out, wearing an expression that seemed to say, Well? Ahem—!

[Hmm—she has certainly become stronger.]

[Kkyu.]

Basiliora and Blackie, who were watching that sight from Alon’s shoulders, exclaimed in admiration.

Alon agreed as well and gave a small nod.

Compared to three weeks ago, Penia’s growth could be clearly felt.

[How fascinating.]

Fundamentally, it was difficult to directly judge that someone had become stronger within only a few weeks like this.

Of course it was.

Because strength grew by passing through stages.

That was the same whether one was a mage who used magic, a swordsman who used a sword, or anyone walking any other kind of path.

Of course, sometimes people categorized as geniuses ignored that rule and showed themselves becoming stronger by the day, but that was only at the beginning. Once everyone reached a certain level, they ended up in a similar state.

And in that sense, the fact that Penia’s strength was noticeable meant she was truly becoming stronger at a rapid pace.

[Hmm—I wonder if I should go around and do some too—]

Basiliora was looking at Penia and worrying over that.

[Kkyu—]

Of course, unlike Basiliora, Blackie made a cry that sounded like a snicker as it looked at Basiliora worrying over that.

[What? What is that supposed to mean? Why would I not be of any help!?]

[Kkyu—kkyukkyu—]

[Do not spout nonsense! At the very least, I am more than you—Kraaaaaaagh—!]

Alon watched as the two quickly began arguing, and as that turned into a physical fight, then soon looked at Penia running toward them and thought.

‘Is this a relief?’

To be honest, he had been a little worried at first.

At the very beginning, when they had started immortal cultivation, Penia had focused on hunting to the point where she almost reduced even her sleeping time.

......Of course, that was still the same now, but even so, unlike before, he could feel vitality in that expression, so he felt somewhat relieved.

‘Though of course, it is hard to say this is simply a relief.’

Alon soon thought of the Karma seat.

Of course, over the past few weeks of doing immortal cultivation in earnest, no major abnormalities had occurred.

The same was true of mental problems.

In other words, the immortal cultivation in Peach Blossom Spring was truly only strengthening Alon’s group in a pure way.

Without any problems at all.

On top of that—

“This makes it certain now.”

“Yes. The closer we get to the root of Peach Blossom Spring, the stronger the beasts—no, the monsters that appear.”

—it was even structured like a world that had created guidelines for growing stronger step by step.

Alon looked at the monster lying dead among the shattered trees in the distance.

Over the past month, Alon’s group had moved locations a total of three times.

Because as time passed, this world had gradually shrunk more and more around its center.

Thanks to that, Alon’s group had naturally been moving closer and closer to the root.

“That’s right. And the scenery has changed too.”

At Penia’s words, Alon nodded.

Just as she said, the scenery of Peach Blossom Spring had been changing little by little as they moved toward the center, though not by much.

First, unlike the outer area, where green trees and pink trees had been mixed together, the farther they went toward the center, the greater the number of cherry blossom trees became.

Second, most of the stone mountains visible around them had become even larger than before.

To the point that, if they kept going toward the center like this, he wondered if they might see an enormous mountain range.

Kuguguguk—!

As Alon was thinking that, a sound reached him.

When he turned his gaze, there were four centipedes falling toward the ground, caught in purple threads.

Kwaaaaang—!

The centipedes, bound tightly in purple thread, slammed into the ground.

At the same time, the threads spreading out in every direction instantly gathered the nearby trees, soil, and the centipedes embedded in the ground, and then began clumping them together as they were.

Soon.

Kwadudududuk—!

With a chilling sound loud enough to be heard even from afar, the sound of bones being crushed joint by joint, the purple threads vanished, and where they had disappeared, the remains of what had once been centipedes and shattered trees came falling down.

“.......”

Like Penia, Deus had become noticeably stronger over the past three weeks.

“Lord Alon. When I went up, I saw a cave over there where we could stay. It seems we can remain there for the next few days.”

After swatting away the dragon centipedes as though it were nothing, he approached Alon and spoke.

“Good.”

Alon nodded.

####

After entering the cave Deus had mentioned, the first thing Alon’s group did after moving location for the fourth time was discuss their plan going forward.

“The time we have left is one month, then?”

“If we think in terms of when this world closes, there are about two months left.”

“That is true, but as I said before, we cannot calculate it that way.”

“Because of the Karma seats......?”

“Yes.”

In truth, strictly speaking, even two months was setting it too loosely.

Because if it was already the second month, the Karma seats would have descended to the surface by then.

Even so, the reason Alon had set two months as the standard was because, at that point, even if the Karma seats had fallen, it would still have been comparatively recent.

And because he had calculated that, with them checking each other, they would not be able to pay any attention to this side at all.

“......For safety, we should escape before two months have passed at the very least.”

“Then the remaining period is one month.......”

“Yes. We have to reach a conclusion within one month.”

“Will it be possible?”

At Penia’s question, Alon fell silent.

Naturally, Penia’s question was difficult for Alon to answer easily as well.

Because Alon also did not know the Karma seat’s ability in detail.

‘If, as the Karma seat said, destroying the root lets us escape the barrier, then the odds do seem high—’

Since nothing the Karma seat of immortal cultivation had said so far had been wrong, if they simply broke the root as she said, they should be able to escape.

The problem was the variables that might arise in breaking the root.

The root was an enormous tree.

But was it really an ordinary tree? When he thought about that, he could not easily be certain, and after thinking it over, Alon answered.

“......I cannot be certain.”

“That is true. We have no information, after all.”

“That is correct. But if we have to settle this within the next month, I think it would be better to hurry in many ways. Both with immortal cultivation and with forming a plan.”

At Deus’s words, Alon quietly nodded.

“We will gather as much information as possible and try to make a plan.”

####

That night.

In Peach Blossom Spring, where the ground looked like daybreak under the white moonlit night.

Bang—!

■■■■■■■■■—!!!

Deus killed the monstrous hand-bird flying through the sky and let out a sigh.

Unlike the dragon centipedes he had killed during the day, the monstrous hand-bird, which swung enormous hands like wings, was extremely difficult to deal with.

Because unlike the creatures that were dragged around by his magic right away, every beast that appeared at night surpassed his power by an overwhelming margin.

However, despite finishing such a difficult battle, Deus’s tired-looking face showed no irritation.

What showed instead was the faint relief he felt from his own power growing little by little.

But that, too, lasted only a moment.

“......Hoo—”

Deus quietly let out a sigh.

Even by his own perception, since coming to this place called Peach Blossom Spring, he had been experiencing tremendous growth.

Roughly speaking, it felt as though the growth he would have needed more than ten years outside to achieve was being concentrated here.

No, it was not just a feeling.

Here, he had truly risen to a level of strength he could only have reached after ten years.

Although this situation meant they were trapped in the world of a Karma seat, it was also the situation he had longed for so badly.

Even so, the reason Deus’s expression was not very good was—

‘......Where in the world are they?’

—because the stronger he became, the more he felt the difference.

The difference between him and his old comrades.

Long bonds like family passed through Deus’s mind.

Radan, Seollang, Rine.

......And even Yutia.

Deus had seen his comrades’ strength with his own eyes.

At some point, leaving only him behind, they had suddenly become stronger.

......The world where only he had fallen behind.

Of course, they did not reject Deus.

Nor did they openly exclude Deus and do something among themselves.

It was simply something he could feel.

As he looked at the family that had suddenly become stronger without him before he knew it.

It was only something he himself was feeling.

That was why, when Deus had first properly learned about the immortal cultivation of Peach Blossom Spring, he had gained a small hope along with nervousness.

And when he had begun immortal cultivation, he had gained a small certainty.

That perhaps, through this, he could become similar to his family.

......That he could catch up to them, even slightly.

But now, at this point after a month had passed.

Deus was feeling uneasy.

‘How high did they climb?’

Deus had certainly become stronger.

He could guarantee that.

And yet.

He should have become stronger.

Even so, strangely, he could not see above.

The very edge of his family, which should have been visible even at the far end, could not be seen.

To the point where he could call it “not at all.”

“.......”

Deus clenched his fist tightly.

Over one month, he had crossed ten years’ worth of time.

And yet, even so, he could not see his family.

Then, how much higher in the world were they?

How much higher had they climbed.

How close had they come to the Great Moon?

‘Rine.’

‘What is it?’

‘......Why are you so calm?’

‘Because I believe, of course.’

‘......You believe?’

‘Yes.’

‘If Lord Alon were going to die, we would not have had any reason to see that either.’

‘......?’

All of a sudden, the conversation Deus had once had with Rine came to mind.

The one they had shared at the academy.

From her.

And beyond her, from his old comrades, he remembered that moment when he had felt distance.

“.......”

Deus clenched his fist without realizing it.

Then he rose from where he sat.

‘I have to become even stronger.’

Even now, Deus still did not understand those words from back then.

He did not understand that distance.

He had not reached that strength.

‘Even a little more.’

But even so, he had no intention of giving up.

If he could move forward, then he would.

Because that was what Deus had been doing until now.

Still, the unease rising in one corner of his heart was unpleasant.

“.......”

Deus’s tightly clenched hand did not loosen for a long while.

And at that point.

At the center of Peach Blossom Spring.

[......I already knew, but as expected, this is different from last time.]

The Karma seat of immortal cultivation smiled as she looked at the cherry blossoms scattering across the white night as though she were enjoying herself.

[Star Eater, you—]

Then she quietly murmured.

[-what choice will you make this time?]