The Villain's Story

"We are not going North, no matter what. After taking care of a few issues here, we will march together, as a full group towards one of the other directions, Either it's the forest east, the sea in the west or the south. We will decide as a group where. Never…"

He paused, apprehension in his voice.

"We will not march North, never until we have more intel."

Everyone agreed with his decision, The mood had been ruined because of the sudden information, so the people went back into their lodgings after getting their wood. Alan went into the Predator lodgings and met with Maxwell. Devouring a piece of meat, he sat down on a chair, enjoying the food. Maxwell tended to his own work. Kazikato also returned but went to sleep soon after.

Alice was still training back at the guild on Earth, She had mostly stayed holed up in her own lab. Apparently she was busy concocting potions and learning about Alchemy the moment Alan's spectacles had revealed her prowess in Alchemy. Alan had heard that she had wanted to come here as well…

But her father shut that idea of hers down soon enough.

"Mind telling me what the strength of those monsters actually is?"

Suddenly, just as Alan was finished with his food, Maxwell's voice pierced his ears.

"Ah…"

Was it him, or was he just too sensitive nowadays? His senses seemed to have been heightened.

"Can you please speak silently…"

Kazikato's mumbling was heard, Maxwell's voice apparently was too loud. Maybe he was just as concerned as Logan about this whole project failing.

"I wasn't really… Never mind, What was the strength of the monsters?"

He asked, this time lowering his voice by a lot. He was confused as to why the two felt his voice was higher than usual.

Kazikato fell asleep soon, and Alan answered.

"S-rank."

"…"

A look of concern appeared on Maxwell's voice as he silently began to do his work again. This was an attempt to calm his restless mind. Taking his concentration somewhere else would help.

He should have expected this, everything was going so good… But he should know the world never worked that way. It was always cruel.

The bright prospects of a planet inhabited only by beasts… And vegetation… That was a reality but a few moments ago, now it was a dream.

The fact that a civilization existed…or had existed was simply terrifying to even think about.

If it existed…what was their strength, what was the level of their technology. Did it surpass them, or was it vastly inferior?

What was the strength of their numbers...what was it?

What was it?!

All of those questions plagued his mind... And what if they already knew of their arrival, and were simply waiting?

Were they simply observing us? Waiting for the right time to invade their own world and then...take control of it?

And what if they used to exist?

What if they had gone extinct...but then what was the cause?

What made the species that could build such giant constructs go extinct?

All of these questions were inside his heart, eating him away, and he dared not to find the answers, only coming up with wild assumptions. His entire plan had gone awry.

"Perhaps...we may need outside help..."

He muttered, his voice as low as it could be. Still, Alan heard him and looked his way.

"Perhaps."

He said, as he tried to manifest his spatial mana. He had tried to open a portal many times, but it would just not work. All that he was able to do was make a flicker of astral light, and that flicker would disappear in a second, like a small fire in a rainstorm.

"It's this world... "

He muttered. Now that he was close to the portal, he could sense that the portal wasn't causing any disturbance.

It was this world, or maybe something else that resided in this world. Whatever it was, Alan was cursing it out in his mind.

"I'll be back."

He said to Maxwell, who asked.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Earth."

If the source of the problem was on this planet, and the reason he couldn't contact his guardian dragons, it was better to go back to Earth and consult either Lanesha or Suleras first.

The fact that not even a Primordial like Ariel could contact Kazikato was a concern, a very, very big concern.

"..."

Maxwell simply watched Alan leave, and his gaze wandered off to Kazikato, restlessly moving around on the bed, struggling to fall asleep.

"Something...is wrong."

******

[Earth, Twilight guild headquarters, Alan's POV.]

The feeling of exiting the portal was quite different from entering it. I had got used to the gravity of the other world by now, and suddenly coming back was strange. My head and feet felt like they could fly, the weight of my body felt light.

And I could finally manifest my spatial mana once again, I channelled it through my body, and it exited my hands in the form of clouds.

"It is normal now."

I said as I tried to call Lanesha or Suleras after teleporting to my room.

Ah, I missed the fact that I could teleport anywhere I wanted. It truly was a luxury.

"Lanesha, Suleras, Are you there?"

I didn't expect a response from Suleras, but I expected one from Lanesha, and thankfully, she responded this time.

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha tells you she is present.]

"Why didn't you answer me when I called you in that planet?"

I asked her the most important question, It could have been a mistake on my part, and she was just busy...but I wanted to confirm. Maybe I was being too paranoid.

But that wouldn't explain Ariel's absence, she was an old dragon who had nothing to do, she loved talking to her grandson, and her silence was what made me think that our connection to our guardian dragons was cut.

[Supreme Dragon of frost, Lanesha tells you it is simply because you are out of reach.]

"Reach... What? You mean to tell me there's a place you can't reach?"

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha nods.]

That came as a surprise to me, Never had I expected there to be some place in a universe a Supreme couldn't reach... and not even a Primordial.

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha explains that it is because you are in a planet not governed by dragons.]

Her explanation led me to many assumptions, the most common one being that:

'God beast?'

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says whatever you are thinking is most likely true. She asks whether you met other species there.]

"Not a lot, Only some monsters..."

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha asked you whether they looked like humanoid beasts?]

"No."

I answered her, Although we hadn't travelled much, we didn't see any beast men like Emma and her brother. Although they may exist...but would they really build structures that large?

With that in mind, I decided to ask her about the city I had seen, surely that should give her a clue or some information...right?

"I don't know about any beast men, we haven't travelled far enough to see them, but I did see a city surrounded by giant statues of humans, and the city was made of bricks the size of houses. It looked desolate to me, and it was on top of a mountain."

No response, after I had said this there was nothing but silence.

Thinking there was nothing wrong, I heaved a sigh of relief. I had thought that her silence meant there was nothing to be worried about.

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha is concerned.]

Ah, of course. Why did I think that way? This universe will find any way it can to fuck me over. A supreme being concerned is horrible! Downright terrible!

Praying, desperately wishing for it to be a minor concern in my heart, I anxiously waited for her next response. I wanted it to be not what I was expecting, something light-hearted, harmless...

But I knew it wouldn't be like that, Never had my wish been granted.

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha thinks it maybe a giant colony.]

"Giants?"

Giants...? The really large humans who existed?

The word made me think of Lucas, who had apparently acquired the bloodline of a thunder giant. He flaunted it a lot when we were training in Terra damnum. Although, all that confidence he derived from it was brutally crushed by me.

But I couldn't say it was useless, it was strong, it was just I was stronger. I am a dragon. That was only natural.

But what worried me was...

Although it was simply text shown to my by the system interface, I could almost feel the 'bad' in it. Like, Lanesha was exhibiting actual worry.

"Shit..."

I cursed, as she instructed me.

[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha tells you to activate Supreme Ice Dragon's breath now.]

"Huh?"

I was taken aback by the demand in this absurd situation, but I trusted her and began to practice the mana breathing technique.