Inner Lunatic.
There are so many different fighting styles in this game, and so many talents to match.
Countless geniuses, not counting the ones I added as talents, such as Genius of Swords and Martial Arts and Genius of Mana Sensitivity. Talents are real.
To begin with,
'Elementalism' is exceptional.
This is a class that contracts with spirits that exist in the natural world or the spirit world to fight in battle, but it is difficult to train and was shunned even by high-profile users.
This is understandable, as the destructive power itself isn't very strong, while the risk and stat requirements are ridiculous.
However, there are times when this class can shine.
That's when it's utilized as a sub-class.
'Elementalists are sometimes both mages and high-ranking knights, and the fact that they can call upon spirits to help them in combat and in life in general adds a lot of variety to their life and combat patterns, and as a subclass, it's hard to beat that.'
Adding additional variety to combat repertoire is a tremendous benefit.
Not only that, but you'll be able to easily navigate difficult situations with a little help from the spirits in all aspects of your life.
Of course, the problem is that I don't have any talents yet, so I can't learn them....
I do have a moderately talented unit in my party.
Elena.
She was a unit with the [Potionmaking Genius] talent, but she could become a Elementalist as a subclass.
Of course, Elena isn't very talented yet, so she's just a generalist, but this can be upgraded to a genius.
Even if you're not a genius, there's usually a special trigger or artifact that allows that talent to blossom.
They're not easy to make, but I'm a gamer who's played a lot of Elementalists. Also, as I said before, Elena was one of my favorite units.
In other words, it's not difficult for me to develop her to the point of genius.
'Besides, the trait we need here in the desert is Land. There's no one better suited for that than Elena, and even though she's an Archon, she's not free from the bindings of her element.'
For the record, Liese deals with fire.
This will help her a lot later, when I bloom her Elemental stats.
Anyway.
That's it for the Elementals.
I think I need to immerse myself and focus on the current situation.
Something is finally starting to happen with Elina.
Ziiing…!
The azure light magic from Elena's fingertips began to form a shape.
It took the form of a small weasel.
A weasel with pure white fur and a bushy tail. It was a familiar creature to those in the know.
"This is… a gnome."
"You recognized it."
Christopher said, and I nodded in moderate agreement.
The spirit that Elena had now succeeded in summoning in a cold sweat. It was a being called a Gnome, one of the earth elementals.
Gnomes are basically spirits that make their homes and lives underground, and they're mostly found in European mythology. Originally, they were often depicted as white-bearded men wearing hats.
In Inner Lunatic, they take on a slightly different form.
The White Weasel.
Cute little spirits that burrow into the ground and make their homes there.
That's what gnomes are here.
'Why, because they're cute. They're meant to appeal to the female fanbase. Like our cute little Karl.'
As if reading my mind, Karl gave a small nod, humming.
Being reanimated as an undead makes this easier. He can read my thoughts pretty well.
In more ways than one, it makes things easier.
"Certainly, if the ruins you speak of are here… this child can help us."
Kushan says, and he agrees.
He would, too.
For in Inner Lunatic, gnomes are treated primarily as spirits who can find their way around or tap into the magical currents (leylines) that flow through the land.
Their greatest use, if there is one, is in situations like this.
"That's right. It's very difficult to find your way in the desert, as you know, but with him, it's possible."
Christopher and Kushan Adrian seem to have bonded.
They don't respect each other, but that's about as far as they've gotten. It's all I need when dealing with them anyway.
"Seo, Seobang… I did a good job, right? Hehe...."
Elena said, fishing for a compliment.
For once, I could only nod.
She hadn't even taken a sip of her drink while doing this.
Was this really her job?
I said with all my heart.
"Yes. For not drinking. Seriously, well done. I'm sincere, so don't doubt me."
A commanding tone.
As far as I was concerned, it was the best compliment she could have asked for.
However, she was disappointed with my response.
"Yeah, but I was hoping for a compliment on how hard I've been working on that… Elementalism...."
Judging by the slight puffing of his cheeks, I must have gotten it wrong.
But so what?
What I want to praise most is this.
"It's a long way, but you can find it. It just takes a little longer. But… not drinking is a different story. I didn't think it was possible for Elena...….'
Anyway, Elena is careful when it counts.
I put my hand on her head, thinking to myself that she's grown up. Then, it was released again and she smiled at me.
Handsome is the best, after all. I sighed heavily, feeling it all over again.
"Now, before we begin, I want you all to tie this rope around your wrists. we'll know where each other is and pull immediately if there's danger."
"Got it."
"Yay!"
I waited for the two units to wrap the rope around their wrists.
Once everything was ready, I reached out and began to lightly stroke the area where the auras had blossomed, sending energy flowing into them.
Soon, a familiar voice called out.
[Caution! You have entered the territory of the Demon of Honesty and Heartbreak!]
[You are trapped in a desert maze!]
[If you do not find your way out, you will die].
'I'm past the point of being frightened by this.'
Anyway, I can't survive without defeating Gremory.
Soon I'll have to return to the Academy and follow the rest of the curriculum, and I can't afford to buy lives this way.
I need to do something big!
'Betting in your sleep goes against you.'
Grine.
It was a tip from the rotten bastard.
That moment. A gnome's voice interrupted my thoughts.
kkiing…!
The gnome placed a hand on the back of Elena's hand with a flick, and tilted his head as if to warn her to be careful of her surroundings. As if something was coming.
I immediately recalled Karl out of sight.
The others would probably think I had sent it back to subspace for a moment, but I had actually unsummoned him as an undead.
I spoke in a calm tone.
"Here we go. Everyone stay where you are, and don't move. Don't move or you'll be swept away by the sandstorm. We need to find our way, so everyone follow Elena."
"I guess I'll be leading the way…?"
Elena was a little worried, but the others were already ready.
"Chong!"
"Alright, I'll trust your judgment, Nox-nim."
As I listened to the voices of the units, I stared at the sandstorm that had suddenly risen from the distance and begun to move toward us.
Then it crashes into each other, creating a whirlwind that quickly obscures our view.
'It's a sandstorm.'
It was a familiar phenomenon.
Recall the last time I captured a Sand Golem in Chasers?
At the time, I had experienced a sandstorm, one of several phenomena common in desolate desert terrain.
It's similar to a snowstorm, except that you're stranded with sand blocking your view.
Kkiing!
The gnome began to lead Elena around and show her the way, as if to say that she could trust him.
Elena, eager to fulfill her assigned duties, clenched her fists and began to lead the way.
For some reason, it's a little creepy that she's squeezing my hand and not the rope, but whatever.
About an hour passed like that, maybe?
Suddenly, the gnome stops and looks back for a moment.
The sand out seems to have stopped, thankfully, and there's a large sand dune at their feet, with a high fault line.
The gnome then exchanged unintelligible words with Elena, and then, well....
He jumped up and down, abruptly throwing himself down the dune.
Elena squeezes her eyes shut and throws herself after him....
Huh?
'This isn't exactly the way I thought I'd get directions.'
Of course, I had traveled here often to meet Gremory. However, there were a couple of minor (?) problems with the map of the Northern Taharan Desert.
The first was that it was hard to find the path in the dirt. This has been resolved.
Gnomes helped.
The second was that... always changed where the entrance was.
I barely stifled a gasp that threatened to escape.
The threads that tied me to Elena began to pull and drag me down the dune. I wasn't expecting this. Shit.
"Ugh! In the past, when I was taking lessons at the Knight Order, the same apprentices liked me so much that they threw me off a cliff and into the water. It's the same thrill."
Christopher scoffs.
'That's bullying. That's crazy.'
Of course, I couldn't spit that out. I'm falling, but I'm not even going to give a scolding… Kushan never thought there would be a place like this, he muttered.
You assholes…
(saekkideul)
I don't know, but aren't you guys falling from a height of about 20 meters?
What the fuck is wrong with you that normal people can't....
Okay, that's it. I'm done here.
I'm not that surprised either.
'Well, there's actually a dungeon in the glacier zone that you have to break the ice in, soak in, and endure for two and a half hours to open, so... 20 meters is nothing.'
I nodded in agreement. Then I thought to myself
Why?
Because from now on, I'm going to have to deal with the mastermind of all events.
The archduke who will grant me life.
Because I have to go meet the demon of honesty and heartbreak.
* * *
In the depths of the Great Ruins.
A woman sits in the depths of the abyss.
She is beautifully off-white, but her expression is not so good. That's because of the being that invaded my territory a moment ago.
Gremory.
This demon, known as the Demon of Honesty and Heartbreak, was unique among the 72 demons.
Unlike the other lying demons, she could not tell a lie. She could reveal the location of treasure, past, present, or future.
That was her identity.
However, her name as a demon was not without prestige.
Gremory is a demon, too.
Otherwise, she would not have entertained the idea of using Kramsar to bring down Tahalin.
She wanted only one thing with Kramsar.
The life force to revive herself, and the untold malice of men to harm others. With these, she sought to gain even greater power.
For a very long time, she was sealed in this abyss-like ruin.
She has attempted to resurrect herself, but has been thwarted time and time again, and has yet to be seen by the world. However, there was a solution that could break the seal.
It would feed on the ugly emotions of humans and sacrifice its life force to be resurrected.
"I tried to use Kramsar for the good of the ... generations, but it all went down the drain thanks to that little brat from who knows where."
Her pale lips curled in a cold sneer.
A handsome boy, with graying hair and lavender eyes.
He had stepped into her territory.
How dare he think that the 72nd demon, Gremory, was here.
"I'll show you a lesson. Try it. The ordeal of these ruins. Honesty and heartbreak."
She laughed softly, Nox von Reinhafer. She waited for the boy who had ruined her plans to approach.
Expecting to see his face crumble.