Chapter 836: Why? (1)

The last time I saw it, it had truly looked like a newborn baby.

But now.

‘It grew.’

The being speaking to me looked about three years old.

‘The flow of time here wasn’t any different from Earth.’

The amount of time I had spent here and the amount of time that had passed on Earth when I returned were almost identical.

I had done quite a few things after going back to Earth, but not even a few months had passed.

And yet it had grown this much in that short time.

‘It’s not exactly...... a growth spurt.’

Maybe it was simply a species that matured quickly......

But even then, something felt off.

“......What happened to you?”

“Hmm?”

There was no point in thinking about something I could not answer on my own.

So I simply decided to ask it directly.

Because I had this certainty that this being would not lie to me.

“Your appearance, I guess. I mean your size. You’re noticeably bigger than when I saw you before. You’re still small, though.”

“I’m bigger? Am I?”

But while it would not lie to me.

It did not properly answer my question either.

No.

Maybe it simply could not.

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, I suppose that might be true...... I’m not sure.”

“.......”

“My walking speed does seem strangely faster. Hmm.”

It looked down over different parts of its body.

Apparently, even it had not noticed its own growth.

‘I know it can be hard to notice changes in yourself, but still.’

It had grown this much.

I could hardly believe it had failed to notice.

“If you say so, then I doubt you’re lying. I suppose I did get bigger?”

“......Yeah. You look almost five times as big.”

“If that’s the case, hmm. There is one thing that comes to mind.”

“One thing?”

“I probably didn’t grow.”

It said as it touched its own body.

“I healed.”

Ever since I first met it, it had looked like a baby.

But compared to that appearance, its intelligence had seemed considerably more mature.

It had only seemed naive because it had no memories.

It had never actually spoken like a newborn.

I had suspected as much back then.

“As I told you. I think I was badly injured.”

That newborn appearance had never been its original form.

Which meant the way it had suddenly become larger was not growth either.

‘Recovery.’

A body weakened by injuries.

It was probably in the process of regaining the time its body had lost.

I had no idea whether the cooking I fed it in an attempt to heal it had finally begun taking effect or whether there was some other reason......

But it seemed its injuries were slowly recovering.

“You said your memories were coming back as your injuries healed. Then could those injuries eventually heal completely?”

“That’s probably impossible. The injuries were too fatal...... Even if I recover as much as possible, I’ll never return entirely to how I was before. But that’s fine.”

It smiled brightly.

“Even if I can’t return completely to how I was, I should be able to recover enough to help you.”

“.......”

At those words.

I frowned and thought.

‘Even if it can’t fully recover, helping me is enough for it.......’

As I thought about those words.

It approached me and spoke.

“I can tell just by looking. A considerable amount of power has accumulated in your soul.”

“......Probably because I gathered fame like you told me to. This was the first time I learned that fame could become that much power. Ah, was that why you told me to gather fame?”

“No, I don’t think that was the reason. And...... that probably isn’t the only reason your soul became stronger.”

“Hmm?”

Sure, it only looked like a three-year-old child.

But compared to the newborn appearance it had the last time I saw it, it was nearly five times larger.

Perhaps because it had recovered that much, more of its memories had returned as well.

“Your world. The power of the land beneath your feet...... I can feel that your influence over that land has grown stronger.”

“.......”

It looked at me.

Then began speaking as though it could see something even I could not.

“......The power of my land does support me. Is that what you mean?”

The first thing that came to mind was the System.

The more land humanity occupied, the more of that land’s power became incorporated into the System.

That had been one of the main reasons the Legion had decided to pursue conquest in the first place.

But.

“That power shouldn’t be able to help me much anymore.”

Things had changed a little after I grew stronger.

According to Luca, the System’s objective was probably the state of ‘max level’......

In other words, creating a single transcendent being.

But the System itself had originally been a byproduct of a single divinity.

Something born from a fragment of a transcendent being.

For something like that to create a transcendent being would be like the tail wagging the dog.

The power contained within the System itself could not reach transcendence.

So there was no way it could create a transcendent being using only its own power.

That was why the System had been gathering strength by converting the invaders’ power into ‘experience.’

Even so.

It was nowhere near enough to support my current growth.

‘Because the System supports countless awakened at the same time.’

It might have been different if all the System’s power had been concentrated on me alone.

But the System supported every awakened.

Its power was already insufficient, and it was dispersing even that limited amount in every direction.

As my level of existence rose, the amount of power required to climb even one more step became enormous.

So I had assumed that it would now be difficult for me to grow stronger through the System.

That was also why I had begun using my own techniques and thinking of ways to become stronger without relying on the System.

And yet this being was saying I had become stronger through the power of this land.

So naturally, I could not help finding that strange.

“What exactly do you mean? I don’t really understand what you’re talking about.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know anything about this support you’re talking about...... but there’s one thing I do know.”

Apparently.

What it meant was something slightly different.

“Your territory is expanding more and more. That’s all.”

***

“......Territory.”

“All great beings need territory and subjects of their own.”

It smiled as it spoke.

“You must have had territory and subjects of your own as well. But until now, compared to your level of existence, you had far too little of both. But now I can feel that both your domain and the number of your subjects have increased tremendously. No...... it feels like they’re still increasing even now?”

I had never told it about the Legion’s ongoing conquests.

And yet it spoke as though it knew my territory was expanding.

Just as I had once been unable to perceive how divine power and fame accumulated because my level of existence had been too low, only becoming able to see them after that level rose......

This being was seeing something I still could not.

Right.

Something even I could not yet see......

As though it were nothing.

“You should keep accumulating fame. I still don’t know why, but I’m certain it will help you on the road ahead. But separate from that, expanding your territory is important too.”

“Now that you mention it. I came here because I thought this much fame would be enough. Is it still not enough?”

“Hmm? Haha, what a joke. Unfortunately, you’re still far short.”

“.......”

As far as I could tell, a tremendous amount of fame had accumulated in my soul.

It felt like almost five times as much as when I had first met this being.

And if even that was still far from enough, I had no idea just how much more I was supposed to gather.

“......Well, putting that aside. You’re telling me to expand my territory. How far?”

“You’re asking the obvious.”

It spread its tiny arms wide.

“Until you’ve conquered an entire world!”

“.......”

I could only let out a hollow laugh.

But at the same time, I thought.

‘That’s a pretty grand goal...... though, honestly, it’s not that different from what I’m already trying to do.’

The monsters that had invaded our world.

My goal was to drive all of them out and restore human civilization to its former level.

If I continued pursuing that goal, then even without this being telling me to do so, I would eventually end up occupying the entire world just as it said.

“......I thought that would be enough.”

But.

Apparently, even that was still somewhat lacking.

“Is there a problem?”

“You just said it yourself, didn’t you? That there’s a ‘power of the land’ supporting you.”

“Uh...... there is.”

“And it seems that power is growing stronger as you expand your land.......”

It rubbed its chin as though troubled.

“When that moment comes, perhaps your territory and your subjects may end up belonging not to you, but to it.”

At those words.

I could not help being somewhat surprised.

No.

Maybe it was simply something I had never considered before.

‘The System becomes the owner instead of the Legion or me?’

The System was something like a collective organism.

Not a single personality, but a collection of countless unconscious minds.

Since it could hardly be considered a single person.

Even while advancing the Legion across the world, I had never considered that possibility.

But even so.

That thing, created from the collective will of so many people, undeniably possessed a clear will.

The venomous determination to survive no matter what it took.

The hostility that hated the invaders.

Even the ability to improvise and provide aid when someone useful faced a crisis.

‘......My own will must be included in it as well.’

If that was the case.

Then perhaps it was not entirely impossible for the System itself to become the master of the world.

But.

“......That would be troublesome.”

To me, it was merely something I had never thought about before.

But apparently, to this being, it was a somewhat serious problem.

“To overcome your goal...... that fate of destruction, you must not give that world to someone else. Even sharing it would probably prove fatal.”

“......Hmm?”

“Yes...... Your world. The people within it. Everything.”

It looked directly at me as it spoke.

“Must belong to you.”

......How should I put it.

That gaze felt rather burdensome.

***

Well.

From this being’s perspective, I might be the first other existence it had encountered in a very long time.

It could be happy to see me.

It could feel close to me.

So there was nothing particularly strange about it feeling goodwill toward me.

But still.

‘This goes beyond that.’

The taste I sensed on my tongue.

It was not merely the pleasure of speaking to someone else after a long period of solitude.

It was overwhelmingly sweet, yet warm and comforting.

A soft, gentle texture that reminded me of being held in my mother’s arms as a child.

A fragrant and pleasant aroma.

Right.

This was, how should I put it......

‘Goodwill bordering on unconditional.’

Yes.

That was why I believed this being would never lie to me.

I had somehow ended up in this place and was listening to it because it said it wanted to help me.

But in truth.

Its identity was extremely suspicious.

If we had been on Earth, I might have been connected to the System and able to use something like [Ingredient Appraisal].

Unfortunately, even though I had learned to reproduce all kinds of abilities without the System’s help, information-type abilities were the one category I still could not recreate.

I could probably reproduce something like [Chef’s Eye], which let me determine how to prepare a target.

But learning someone’s name or history was impossible.

So I had no way to make any real guesses about this being’s identity either.

‘Normally, I would have remained suspicious to the very end.’

And not knowing anything about the other party was itself practically the same as being in danger.

Because I had no idea what might happen in areas outside my knowledge.

Normally, rather than listening to such a suspicious being, I might have simply left and searched for another way.

There was only one reason I had not.

‘This being feels an absurdly powerful goodwill toward me.’

The sort a parent might direct toward their child.

No.

Perhaps even more than that.

......The problem was.

‘Why?’

I had absolutely no idea why it felt that way toward me.