Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 863: Gate Warden [1]

’Haaa! Haaaa!’

The sound didn’t arrive all at once.

It rolled in, stretched thin, as if time itself had been pulled taut.

’Haa! Haaa!’

Each cheer warped into the next, a distorted sound that pressed against the mind rather than the ears.

The arena glowed under the heat.

Air bent above the sand, blurring the edges of everything. Figures in the stands moved like shadows behind glass, their raised arms slow, almost weightlessly... as if they were all moving in slow motion.

Grains of sand lifted with each faint tremor, drifting lazily before settling again.

Some stuck where they shouldn’t have, clinging to something darker, something... wet.

The color spread in uneven patterns, soaking deeper with every passing second, turning the golden floor into something darker.

Red...?

A weapon lay a short distance away, half-buried beneath the stained sand, its edge catching the light in brief, flickering flashes.

A sword?

Close to it was a certain shadow, one that felt central to the scene. From the sword to the red surrounding it, it hadn’t fallen in any dramatic sprawl, nor twisted in some strange way.

It was just... still.

The kind of stillness that made one feel as though they were nothing but an object.

As if... it wasn’t alive.

The cheers only grew louder.

And as everything processed in my mind, my eyes opened.

"....."

I blankly stared at the ceiling above me.

Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!

Without even realizing it, my hand had reached for my shirt, sweat dripping down the sides of my face as I turned my head to look at Leon. He was sleeping soundly. But as I stared at him, I blinked several more times.

That...

"Why is it so hot?"

Eventually, my eyes drifted to the open window, and I sat up in bed. Naturally, I closed the window before moving back towards Leon, where I reached for my pillow and gently placed it over his head.

Then⎯

I pressed down.

"⎯⎯Hmmm!"

His body immediately flinched as his eyes snapped open, but I didn’t care as I continued to press down.

"Since you want to kill me so bad, I’ll do you one solid and kill you first!"

"Hmm!! Hmmmm!"

As I slowly let out a breath, my thoughts drifted to the pool that had formed on my bed. For some reason, my mind throbbed as I stared at it.

Almost as if I were forgetting something.

’Hmm, did I dream of something?’

Honestly, I wasn’t sure.

But at some point, I gave up. Regardless of how much I tried to recall, I couldn’t. In the end, the only thing I could do was end Leon.

"Hmmm!!!"

*

Given that we only had twenty-four hours in this place, we only rested for several hours before leaving. Thanks to what Leon managed to learn from Noel, he was able to heal up rather quickly, although his face was still pale.

The girls were strangely quiet as we met them.

However, I didn’t say anything since it didn’t look like they had fought.

And—

’Evelyn’s eyes are rather puffy. Did she cry?’

I scratched the side of my neck before going out of the place that we were in.

The goal was simple.

I needed to find more information about Noel and where he was being held. I also needed a clearer understanding of the situation within the city and the best way to reach him. As things stood, rescuing him was impossible.

However, there was time.

I also had a plan in mind.

"What do you think we should do? I don’t think we’ll be able to find the information that we want in less than a day. Should we try to become merchants?"

Listening to Anne’s proposal, I felt tempted. We certainly had the items to become merchants, but I soon shook my head.

"Unfortunately, no."

"Why?"

"Because it’ll attract too much attention."

The items that we had for trade weren’t ordinary. They either came from the outside world or the Remnant South. It would essentially give our identities away.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Staring at An’as, I pursed my lips before answering, "Honestly, I’m thinking of becoming a Gate Warden."

"What?"

Anne gave me a strange look.

"Did you not hear what I said before? Of all jobs, that’s the shitties that you can take. You’ll be fighting monsters every day with little... Ah."

As if realizing something, Anne stopped.

Yes.

"Pay is irrelevant to me."

I already had all the food that I wanted. I didn’t care at all about food. In fact, my goal was simple.

I wanted to use the chance to train.

After uncovering the truth behind the monsters and their blood, I wanted to take my time absorbing more of it, completing the Rune hidden within their blood. At the same time, however, my actions were limited.

Despite escaping their sight for now, I knew that they’d eventually find me.

I had no choice but to become a Gate Warden to blend with the world and escape their sight.

"I get what you’re trying to do, but isn’t your goal to find more information? If you—"

"If I get promoted, then I should be able to find out more."

I had already seen the level of the Gate Wardens. They were strong, but not as strong as I was. I was confident I could handle things better than they did. This was even after I managed to suppress my strength.

’Although Noel’s situation is urgent, I still have time. There’s no need to rush things. I’ll slowly get promoted while improving my strength before rescuing him.’

This was my plan, and as I looked at the others, Leon suddenly spoke up.

"...I’m planning on joining the Ranking Battles."

"Huh?"

My head flicked in Leon’s direction.

Didn’t we talk about this? Why was he suddenly saying this? Did he not hear me?

"You—"

"I understand why you’re concerned. However, I can simply fight without using my sword. I can also change the way that I look. In the end, I’m confident in being able to participate without getting caught."

"But what if you get caught?"

"I won’t."

I rubbed my forehead, a dull headache beginning to form.

This guy...

As if sensing my thoughts, Leon spoke before I could say anything else.

"This is also the fastest way to get results. I know what your goal is, and if I rank at the very top, I’m confident I can find what you need. You may do well as a Gate Warden, but it would still take time before you earn any kind of promotion."

"..."

Instead of saying anything, I just stared at Leon. For just a brief moment, a certain image flashed inside my mind. Arena? Blood. Sword... It lingered for a split second before it faded.

After which, I found myself looking at him more intensely.

Why?

For what reason was he so adamant about going to the Ranking Battles? Was it worth the risk?

Leon looked back at me, his expression unchanged.

"I can’t change your mind, can I?"

"...Sorry."

I closed my eyes, trying my best to resist the urge to curse.

Honestly, I wanted to tell him to give up on the idea, especially with how high the risk was. But when I looked at him and saw the expression on his face, the words simply refused to leave my mouth.

There was something about his current expression that made it hard for me to say anything.

"Actually, I think you should allow him."

Evelyn suddenly spoke up.

When I turned my attention to her, she stared back at me and then Leon.

"Honestly, he’s got a point. The fastest way for us to achieve something would be through the Ranking Battles. They are dangerous, but it’s also worth the risk. I trust that Leon is able to handle himself in a way that won’t get him exposed. As someone who has known him for so long, I think you should trust him enough with this."

That’s not the point...

"Let me do it."

Leon spoke up again, looking at me.

"Please."

"....."

Everyone was looking at me. In a way, their gazes felt pressuring.

And—

"Fine."

I knew that there was no point in saying anything else.

Leon’s mind looked to be made up.

What else could I even say?

"...I’ll go sign up for the Gate Warden job. You take care of your thing."

Without saying anything else, I turned away from the group and headed toward the city’s entrance. Anne tried to reach out to me, asking if I wanted her to translate, but there was no need for that.

I more or less had an idea of where I needed to go.

"Haa."

Ruffling my hair, I continued ahead.

’I do hope things work out.’

***

"Do you think he’s angry?"

Kiera asked as she looked in Julien’s direction.

The others remained silent, unsure of how to reply. However, it was Leon who replied for them as his lips pressed together.

"He isn’t."

He knew Julien well enough to understand that he wasn’t angry.

He was annoyed at best.

"That’s good, I guess."

Kiera scratched the side of her neck as she looked back at Leon. As her mind drifted to the scenes she had witnessed earlier, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Are you sure you want to do this? The fights are brutal, and the people competing are incredibly strong. The ones we saw were only around the 60th rank, and their power was already impressive, let alone those at the very top..."

"I know."

Leon had witnessed the entire thing.

He wasn’t blind. He knew that every participant was incredibly strong, with the people at the very top most likely stronger than him. He also knew that if he failed, he’d die. The previous match had made it obvious. Those who participated in the Ranking matches had to put their lives on the line.

But.

But...

"I still have to do it."

He thought back to everything that had happened.

From the city of ice to the Sand Titan. Despite everything he had gone through in the years that Julien was gone, he thought he had improved a lot.

And he had.

He had reached a realm that he thought was good.

But—

’I’m still useless.’

He was supposed to be Julien’s knight.

And yet...

He was anything but useful.

"This isn’t about the Sand Titan, is it? That monster was far stronger than any of us. Its properties were also a terrible match for you. If..."

"That’s not it."

Leon just smiled as he looked at the others.

"I just need this."

Yeah.

He clenched his fists silently.

"...I just need this."

***

Honestly, the process of becoming a Gate Warden was much easier than I had imagined.

Though that was partly because I used a few tricks here and there with my Emotive Magic, and because they were desperate for more Gate Wardens, I still managed to land the job.

Standing not far from the Gate, I positioned myself alongside several others, blending in among them. Ahead of us stood a tall man with a burly build and a bald head, his mere presence enough to overwhelm most people.

From what I understood, he was the one in charge of the Gate Wardens.

His strength wasn’t too different from Leon’s.

Perhaps, he was a little bit weaker.

"Kham talek sor mien tawook."

I still struggled with the language, but I could more or less understand what was being said.

"Sarah taliem selafin."

After donning the dark uniform they had given me, I made my way toward the city’s main Gate.

Along the way, I tried not to look too closely at the bodies scattered across the ground, some motionless, others barely clinging to life.

The smell of blood and dust hung heavily in the air.

KRRRR—!

Ahead of me, the massive Gate groaned as it slowly opened, its heavy mechanisms grinding against the stone. A strong, warm wind rushed through the widening gap, brushing against my face and carrying with it the dry scent of the desert beyond.

Stepping out of the Gate, my feet sank slightly into the sand, its lingering warmth seeping through the soles of my shoes.

’It’ll be tough to fight in these conditions.’

I turned back to look at the towering walls behind me, noticing the countless scars carved into their surface, some shallow, others gouged deep into the stone.

Dark stains of dried blood were splattered across them, marking the many battles the walls had endured.

With the wind hissing as it blew in every direction, the Gates groaned shut behind me.

I glanced at the people standing beside the entrance. They remained perfectly still, lined along the wall, staring straight ahead without blinking, as if carved from stone.

I followed their line of sight and stared ahead as the wind continued to howl, the cloth against my face flapping violently in the gusts.

There was nothing as far as my eye could see, but at the same time, I could feel the numerous presences that hung in the air, staring in our general direction. I eyes [Mana Sense], but still found nothing.

That’s when my gaze fell. Towards the sand.

I pressed my lips together as my breathing quickened slightly.

Then—

[Deaf]

[Sight]

The world turned black, and all noise ceased.

In that moment, it felt as though I had been transported to a completely different place.

Suddenly losing both sight and hearing, it felt as though I was alone in the world.

As if there was no one else besides me.

In a way, it felt scary.

But—

’In order to understand a spell, I must subject myself to it.’

I took a deep breath, feeling the subtle vibrations coming from beneath me as threads shot out from my arms and sank into the sand.

This wasn’t just about hiding from the Outer Beings.

It was about growth.

In order to reach the next level, I had to push myself to the extreme.