458 – The Four Great Monster Domains

With Aro, the nightmare, the treant, Volk, magiatite-jii, and the black lizard on my back, I begin to fly without a destination in mind.
I can’t afford to fight Lilixira just yet.

There was no sign of her when Beelzebub came, perhaps because her wounds from the ruin were too severe.
But, if Lilixira and Beelzebub were to come at me together, I’d have no chance of winning.
I’ll step back for now, build up my strength, then turn the tables on them.

『…You kind of got caught up in the flow, but Volk and magiatite, are you both okay with coming with me?』

I ask the two on my back.

“There’s no helping it – you lot have caught my interest.
From what those Holy Knights were saying, it seems they’re worried that I might have turned against them.
I might be killed next time I’m caught.

Volk replies.

There’s no way they’d go that far…is what I’d like to think, but I no longer have any idea what Lilixira would or would not do.
I should throw away all my wishful thinking.
I no longer understand Lilixira’s thought processes at all.

“Moreover, you have piqued my interest.
After many long years of being starved of real battles, I am finally feeling that my power is insufficient.
It seems that I’ll be able to live without boredom as long as I’m with you.”

Volk grins boldly.

『I have come this far.
I’ll see this through to the end.
The death of your partner pains me, too.』

Magiatite-jii sends his [Telepathy].
I can’t remember anything in particular happening between my partner and magiatite-jii besides her wondering if she could eat him, but his words are spoken with sincerity.
As I remember back, even in this situation, a slight smile comes to my face.

『…Thanks, Volk, magitiate-jii.』

“If anything, I feel like I should be the one thanking you.
However, ouroboros, is there a destination you have in mind?”

『I was thinking about whether or not to return to the island at the edge of the world…』

However, Eldia is there.
If I were to explain the situation, he might come around.
But it’s not as though I’m planning on ruling over humans or ensuring the prosperity of dragons in the same way he is.
We would inevitably come into conflict again one day.

The lives of my friends depend on this.
It might be best if I were to tell Eldia what happened and pulled him to my side, then cut him off when I no longer need him.
But, even so, I don’t want to one-sidedly use someone with a plan of betraying them from the outset.
I’m not Lilixira.

“Hou, an island at the edge of the world, you say? Do you perhaps mean the land in the far west? But it doesn’t sound like you’re very enthusiastic about it.”

『…Well, that’s true.
But I haven’t got any other options.』

I need to evolve.
My [Dragon Scale Powder] harms those who spend time around me.
It took several days of Nina sticking close to me to develop symptoms, and Volk’s body is much sturdier than Nina’s, so as long as he can distance himself from me every now and again, he should be fine.
But I’m not so sure about the black lizard.
There’s no definitive proof yet it will work yet, but once I evolve and am able to use magic skills again, [Holy] should make [Dragon Scale Powder] no longer a concern.

Then, once I’ve evolved, I need to level up.
To raise my level even a little, the only thing I can do at this point would be to hunt adams.
Killing the Dragon King Eldia is…also an option.
In the first place, our ideals are in conflict, we’re enemies.

“If all you want is somewhere remote where there are strong monsters, I have some ideas.”

…Ah, there more places like that? Adam Island was already terrifying enough.

“There are lands known as the Four Great Monster Domains.
They are the northernmost Great Valley, the westernmost Giant Tree Island, the southernmost Volcanic Island, and the easternmost Strange Land… Each land is the result of a previous Demon Lord or Magic Beast King having laid waste to the ecosystem, and the monsters there are far stronger than anywhere else.”

O-ooh, the human knowledge is greatly appreciated.
The westernmost Giant Tree Island was probably the Adam Island I was at before.

…But still, I didn’t realise there were more places like that.
I was wondering where the slime could have gotten all those cheat skills, but it must have been from the Four Great Monster Domains.

Then, with the westernmost Giant Tree Island removed, my options are between the northernmost Great Valley, the southernmost Volcanic Island, and the easternmost Strange Land.

“I haven’t gone to any of them myself.
Even if I were to charter a boat, there was no one who would accompany me.
The ground at the Volcanic Island is said to be so hot that an ordinary person cannot even stand on it.”

That sounds like an awful place.

“Of course, it would pose no problem for me.”

R-right, I see.
I suppose if we go there, Lilixira wouldn’t be able to bring her Holy Knights.
Volk says he’ll be fine, but he has [Autoregeneration].
He can’t be compared to a normal person.

I think for a bit.
Lilixira has Beelzebub’s [Eyes of the Kin].
As long as she has that, then no matter how remote a place we hide, she’ll eventually find us.
That is fine.
I’ll defeat her.
But if she comes before I’m prepared, I’d be forced into a hard fight.

『…Which is the most difficult to reach?』

“Hmm… Information on them is so scarce that I can’t say anything for certain, but it’s probably the easternmost Strange Land.
It is said that it is covered in fog, and that there are pockets of devastated land throughout.
I estimate that it might also be the most dangerous of the Four Great Monster Domains.”

I nod my head.

『You don’t mind if we head there, then?』

Volk grins back at me.

“Are you insane? It’s a cursed land that successive generations of Heroes and Saints are rumoured to have refused to even tread foot on.”

『The fog should conceal us and delay Lilixira’s discovery.
I’ll take a wide detour to hide our destination, then head east to the Strange Land.』

I don’t know how far the predictions of Lilixira’s [Laplace] can reach, but as long as the fog can deceive the eyes of the flies, it will be useful.
What was that about the previous Heroes and Saints being too scared to tread foot? It doesn’t matter if there are A or A+ rank monsters, I’ll kill and eat them.
Besides, if the monsters there are so dangerous, they might end up acting as a barrier to Lilixira.

I’ll raise my level at the Strange Land and evolve, and…  I’ll raise the levels of Aro and the others, then settle things with Lilixira.

To start with, I fly north.
I don’t know if there’s any point in it, but it’s probably better to do a feint than not.
Once the land gives way to ocean beneath me, I take a sharp turn eastwards.

Watch over me, partner! I’m absolutely not going to die yet.
I’ll defeat the Saint and, if I have to, I’ll even defeat god.
I absolutely refuse to be their pawn or their plaything!