Outside the northern wall, the waves of attacks from the monster horde came one after another, growing increasingly fierce.
The urgency of the battle was far beyond imagination; in Alaric's eyes, every second counted!
——Having left the Ziggurat, Alaric was now bidding farewell to Merlin and Ana, preparing to head to Mount Ebih.
Merlin and Ana did not intend to accompany Alaric to Mount Ebih—rather, Merlin had no such thought to begin with.
Ana, who had formed a contract with Merlin, did not show any initiative either. She simply followed Merlin's actions or acted based on the situation.
"By the way, Merlin, how do you identify leyline nodes?"
After leaving the Ziggurat, Alaric suddenly realized that he didn't know how to identify leyline nodes, nor could he remember any method to do so.
After all, those memories were buried deep within his soul, lacking a direct, visual medium to awaken them.
"Hmm? Oh, this is a very simple matter."
Seeing that Alaric didn't know how to identify leyline nodes, Merlin stroked his chin and said, "Come closer, let me tell you—"
"So, that's how it is. Merlin, you do have your uses after all."
After successfully learning the method to identify leyline nodes, Alaric gazed into Merlin's eyes and smiled. "Who knows, maybe when I return, I'll give you a big surprise. At that time, I'll learn more from you."
Even Alaric couldn't imagine what would happen after linking his dragon blood to the leylines. The influx of divine-era true ether would surpass any previous amount he had ever absorbed.
"Hmm, ~~ Big Brother Merlin will cheer for you from here!"
Merlin stroked his chin, nodded, and then pulled out a handkerchief from who-knows-where. Waving it dramatically, he said with a face full of reluctance, "You absolutely must return safely~~"
Alaric, unfazed, ignored Merlin's antics entirely. Turning to the silent Ana beside him, he hesitated briefly.
Why did this feel like handing over final instructions before leaving on a dangerous mission?
Shaking off that strange feeling, Alaric smiled at Ana. "I'm glad to have you with us, Miss Ana. I hope that when I return, we can all gather together again."
Although Alaric hadn't interacted much with Ana—or rather, hadn't had much time to interact—this didn't stop him from having a favorable impression of her.
"Mm."
When Alaric finished his parting words, Ana simply gave a light response: "Please stay safe."
After witnessing Alaric's conversations with Leonidas I and Gilgamesh, Ana understood that this man, who fought Kingu in a bloody battle, was running himself ragged for the sake of saving humanity.
He was truly a good person.
Even though he exuded an ominous aura similar to Merlin's—looking like the kind of guy who would naturally set others up for disaster with a smiling face—he was a good person.
A combat enthusiast who seemed to enjoy fighting to the point of recklessness, even if it meant destroying the land beneath him. Just being near him gave her a sense of unease, like facing an anti-human existence.
But still, a good person.
Ana's evaluations of Alaric and Merlin were secrets she kept entirely to herself.
With that, Alaric took a few steps back. Guided by the Heavenly Vessel, he raised his left arm and pulled back his right arm, striking a heroic pose like some kind of superhero.
And then, he soared into the sky!
A pitch-black meteor streaked through the skies above Uruk, making a sharp right-angle turn before heading straight for Mount Ebih!
Rolling thunder accompanied by an astonishing atmospheric ring blossomed across the azure sky.
"Well then, it's time for us to get moving too."
Merlin lowered his hand and, after watching Alaric leave, prepared to continue their journey in anticipation of new encounters.
Ana nodded silently, offering no objection to Merlin.
As Merlin and Anna departed, Gilgamesh, standing atop the Ziggurat, withdrew his gaze and turned back to the tower interior.
——Meanwhile, Alaric raced through the vast sky, with the lands of Mesopotamia receding beneath him. After just a few minutes, the city of Kutha appeared within his view.
Alaric also noticed the figures of Ushiwakamaru and Benkei leaving the area around Kutha. He immediately realized they were likely returning to Uruk—or perhaps heading to the northern wall's defensive line.
'If that's the case, the relocation work should be somewhat easier.'
Deciding not to descend and exchange words with Ushiwakamaru, Alaric flew straight past Kutha, heading directly for the Ishtar Temple atop Mount Ebih.
On the ground below, Ushiwakamaru watched the dark meteor vanish into the distance and murmured, "That must be Lord Alaric, right? He's as impressive as ever."
Beside her, Benkei spoke in a deep voice: "Is Lord Alaric heading to Mount Ebih again?"
Having parted ways with him less than half a day ago, Alaric was now heading to Mount Ebih again—a rather intriguing move.
"Lord Alaric must have his reasons. But if he's looking for the goddess Ishtar, he might have some trouble."
Ushiwakamaru smiled casually, recalling how Ishtar had recently rushed into Kutha, seemingly searching for some kind of treasure.
Although she had taken a large number of gemstones from the citizens of Kutha, it appeared she hadn't found what she was looking for.
Judging from the direction she left in, it wasn't toward Mount Ebih but rather another area of Mesopotamia.
"Oh my, what an amusing coincidence this is."
Thinking of this, Ushiwakamaru couldn't help but laugh. She was looking forward to Alaric's next encounter with the goddess Ishtar.
Unaware of this little episode below, Alaric focused entirely on his journey. Before long, the silhouette of Mount Ebih came into view.
But this time, Alaric could not sense Ishtar's divine aura atop the mountain.
Assuming that Ishtar was concealing her presence, Alaric didn't slow down. He soared upward, and in an instant, the pitch-black meteor descended upon the peak of the sacred mountain.
"Hey, Ishtar—"
Just as Alaric landed on the peak and called out, he abruptly stopped.
Alaric did not sense Ishtar's spiritual presence here.
Only one possibility could explain this phenomenon.
'Ishtar isn't here?'
Realizing this, Alaric's grin stretched from ear to ear. He had no intention of waiting for Ishtar to return before taking action.
A gemstone-like gleam appeared in Alaric's eyes, and as the intricate patterns of death unfolded before him, he activated the method Merlin had taught him for observing leyline nodes.
First, he used the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to observe the threads of death running through the land. Then—
BOOM!
Centered on Alaric, a surge of magical power swept in all directions, instantly covering the peak of Mount Ebih.
The atmosphere heated up, and waves of scorching heat rushed into Ishtar's temple, knocking over all her treasures.
Unbothered by this, Alaric focused entirely on the sacred mountain beneath him.
With this forceful method of observation, it took Alaric only a few minutes to locate the leyline node hidden within the sacred mountain.
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