Hilde, feeling a similar emotion, blinked her eyes.
"Um, Shei? Do you think that's possible?"
"It's not impossible. I don't know if that Huangjinking is real, but a core that acts as the medium for Huangjingong must exist. Otherwise, Huangjingong wouldn't be able to move Lieguo while maintaining a certain range."
"You're going to destroy that?"
"Even if we can't, we have to at least show that we can. Only then will they face us seriously."
The regressor's eyes were serious. Hilde stood there stupidly with a blank face like a mute who ate honey.
'Isn't this weird~? He's an apostle trying to keep his mission, but he doesn't care about his own life? Was 'my' prediction wrong? Huangjinking is a Demon God. Things happening 'inside' Huangjingong... wouldn't be visible even with foresight, right?'
Because if he dies, he regresses. So he can charge in with all his might without any worry. That fits a regressor.
But that's only true for the regressor. I can't do that. No matter how the world turns, I can't stick my head into a place where I'll clearly die. Even if we fight Huangjinking, I can't participate.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, let me say it in advance.
"Um, Mr. Shei. I'd hate to look like I'm backing out after coming all this way, but I have to say this. I don't have to fight Huangjinking, right?"
"Huh?"
'Why? Even if we're comrades... Ah. Right. I won't be of any help. Rather, it's a loss to bring me because you'd have to go out of your way to save me.'
That's right. If I'm here, I'll only hold you back, what would I do... But being validated by someone else's thoughts makes me a bit displeased?
Suppressing the disappointment peeking out with reason, the regressor answered as if it were nothing.
"Of course. I didn't expect anything."
"Don't get me wrong. It's true that I value my life. But apart from that, relying on petty tricks, I won't be able to inflict any damage on Huangjinking."
"I know. We need someone in the rear anyway. Take Master Canlu and Aji and fall back for a bit."
An accurate judgment. If it weren't for Huangjinking, I would have calmly watched the fight from the back while eating corn. Stroking Aji's head with one hand.
However, it's hard for me to miss this opportunity either.
If not a regressor, who would think of holding a knife to Huangjinking's throat? The greater the power and status, the more one tends to spare oneself. Let alone the opponent is Huangjinking, an existence similar to a natural phenomenon that is hard to even feel a competitive spirit against. The only crazy human who could endure such a near-suicidal charge is a regressor.
If I were alone, I could never approach Huangjinking's essence. So I wouldn't try. Because I can't, and if I do, I'll die.
But if the regressor creates an opening... a possibility arises. The possibility of approaching Huangjinking's essence and finding out what the king has become.
"But, if it's not a suicide attack, I might be able to help out a little."
Perhaps it was unexpected, the regressor blinked his eyes wide. Hey, I'm saying I'll go out of my way to help, and there's no reply. I can't bow my head while helping.
"I said I'll help? Answer me."
"Answer what? How are you going to help?"
"Do you happen to remember? Under the Bottomless Pit, when I grasped Dizhan."
"I do remember, but... Ah!"
I nodded and answered.
"I'm not properly recognized by the relics. Even if I obtain them, I don't have the power to turn the world upside down. But, if it's only stealing them, it's possible."
I am the king of humanity. Human skills, human knowledge, human weapons. Even human faith. If it's something humans possess, I can handle anything.
Although I lost my strength and was robbed of all of that, the possibility of approaching them itself couldn't be taken away. It's just that my energy is lacking. It's just that my power falls short. Even if I can't reach it due to the various conditions binding me, there is nothing impossible for me. If it's something you can do, I can do it too. Though the scale would be much smaller than the original.
It's the same even for a Demon God. If it originated from humans, then I too...
"If Mr. Shei draws their attention. I'll sneak in and try to steal the center of Huangjingong. That much might be possible."
"Do you know what the center of Huangjingong is?"
"I have a rough idea. It's just my guess, but if there is a core to Huangjingong, it's the only possibility."
The Huangjinzhong that hung from the waist of the young Huangjinking. The brass bell transmuted by alchemy, the first gold transformed since alchemy was discovered in the world.
The Demon God's relic is surely that Huangjinzhong. The first is unique until the next appears. Therefore, the first holds the value to represent the whole.
"Let's do a bit of pickpocketing."
A boom came for the jackals.
Huangjinking can make anything, but he doesn't make just anything. His alchemy was used solely for Jinguo, and the works spread across Lieguo were nothing more than burial goods buried along with Jinguo. The jackals living by rummaging through that tomb thankfully pick up even the scraps.
At that time, Huangjinking prepared for war.
Although war is not made up only of money, without money, war cannot happen. Weapons, military rations, warhorses, or wagons. Everything is money. The things Huangjinking usually made were also valuable, but couldn't compare to the wartime boom.
The jackals, who were initially frightened by the word to prepare for war, lost their minds upon seeing the money poured out before their eyes.
"I guess we can fight a war?"
"Kya. What is this? If I steal just one and sell it to another country, I can splurge for 10 years!"
"Sell? Haha! These days they say they pay full price even for what wanderers sell? It's a blessing if you don't get stabbed and die."
There is a reason Master Liebao hoped for war. War makes Lieguo wealthy. Not because they win the war, but because Huangjinking produces weapons.
Money has a property similar to a river. Both ride massive currents and carry all sorts of floating debris. The equipment Huangjinking made was wealth in itself. Charmed by it, jackals gather, and the jackals who were about to leave keep staying. The news will flow through the wanderers and spread throughout Lieguo, and the jackals will naturally form groups to make a legion.
The legion of Lieguo. The very moment the great journey was about to begin.
"Hey, hey! Over there!"
"Why are you making such a fuss... Huh?"
As if signaling the start of the war, a giant snake slithered across the ground.
It was a huge snake that looked as if it had been transmuted from earth as a material. Its body diameter alone was over 3 meters, and its length was uncountable. The dirt was split like scales, and corn grew like whiskers. The earth snake advanced, shaking the ground.
It was clearly a monster outside the laws of nature. They say there are house-sized snakes in the great southern forest, but at least those would be made of flesh and blood. In comparison, that thing was artificial.
"It's a monster snake! Run!"
"It's a man-made snake! Who on earth made it!"
The jackals about to run away suddenly stopped.
"Wait. A snake made of earth? Isn't that a work created by Huangjinking?"
"Because there's no one else who can make such a monster but Huangjinking."
"Then is it on our side? Is there a controller by any chance?"
It was a valid hypothesis. Even I would have thought similarly. The jackals fearlessly hovered around the earth snake. Since the earth snake paid no attention to them, they were convinced it was an ally and lost interest.
Unfortunately, however, their conviction was wrong. This earth snake was not made with alchemy, but with earth magic.
The regressor thought with Dizhan stuck into the crown of the earth snake.
'Right. I earned Dizhan's recognition in this iteration. I don't necessarily have to wield it like a sword. Like Dixian from the previous iteration, I can fight by applying earth magic.'
Of course, it wouldn't be as good as Dixian. The regressor hadn't even learned earth magic separately, and lacked understanding of strata and earthflows. This earth snake was merely imitating the appearance of Dixian from the previous iteration, recalling it, and wouldn't exert as much power as Dixian.
However, the mass of the 3-meter diameter earth was real. Even if it rammed into somewhere, it could produce the expected effect.
'...Still, seriously. He said to just go because going openly and confidently would rather keep us from being suspected. What kind of scams has he pulled to have such nerves of steel? Does he have multiple lives or something?'
What. I chose the best move because I only have one life. If a half-wit goes around fighting every human they meet with an earth snake, that would go so well. It's better to calmly go pretending it's Huangjinking's authority.
Of course, this earth snake could be attacked. Then the opponent would be on Huangjinking's side, so we can just prepare for battle then. How convenient.
This is the royal road. It's strange to take detours trying to use one's head needlessly. If the goal is to go to Huangjinking, let's just go and see.
It was when I was singing my own praises.
"...Why did you bring me?"
Peru asked in my direction.
Right now, Peru's position among us was ambiguous. Not a hostage, nor an ally. Not specifically restrained, nor particularly guarded. Rather, you could say she was slightly expected of.
It seemed she was curious herself. I opened my mouth slightly.
"Um, I have no ill intentions, so please don't be offended when you hear this."
"...Already the worst. I can't be any more offended."
"Then that's a relief! I'll speak without reservation!"
'...For some reason, I feel like I'm going to get annoyed.'
She said she couldn't be any more offended. Well, emotions become unreliable the moment they leave the mouth, indeed.
I kindly explained.
"Peru, you might be on Huangjinking's side, but it's an advantage for us. You can't use your power against us anyway, right? If you use your ability, the alchemy-made Huangjingong will collapse."
Elik told Peru not to use her power. Even without reading his thoughts, the reason is obvious. Because of Peru's ability. That power which denies alchemy is a perfect counter to Huangjinking.
Well, it doesn't seem like she could beat Huangjinking, who even uses earth as alchemy material... But anyway, she's clearly a very troublesome opponent.
"Moreover, they know it too. So they won't be able to use a power big enough to involve you."
"...I don't care about my life."
"No. What we need to care about is not Peru's life, but your ability. If you get involved by mistake and use your ability, it'll be really problematic for them."
Peru would try not to use her ability even if a life-threatening crisis came, but would Huangjinking know that? Fear comes from the unknown. Huangjingong, unaware of Peru's inner thoughts, will be very wary of Peru.
Well, actually, it's fine if they aren't wary. The best-case scenario is them attacking arbitrarily and Peru's survival instinct reacting arbitrarily. Then, whether she wants it or not, Peru will effectively become our ally.
"Kya. Whatever Peru's mind is, she's on our side! Very reassuring! I'm proud of myself for finding and recruiting Peru first!"
"...I take back what I said. I can be more offended."
Of course. There's always a bottom beneath the bottom. It's just a shame that it applies to her liking towards me....
It can't be helped. Even so, I can't reveal the real reason.
Peru is an inherent demon art launch pad. To use Peru's inherent demon art, I must bring her.
To reach Huangjinking's core, it's necessary to break through the final resistance at the last moment. That resistance will probably be made of alchemy too. Peru's inherent demon art will become my trump card.
Alright. A perfect plan. It was only for a moment that I giggled inwardly.
Rumble. The snake shook heavily. We, who were holding our breaths inside the snake's mouth, tumbled from the shock. Grabbing the corn embedded on the inside as a handle, I held my breath and paid attention to the outside.
Winged homunculi were gathering around the earth snake. It is Yongmae, Huangjinking's juggernaut and the equipment providing propulsion for Master Liebao's inherent demon art. Master Liebao, flying while wreathed in flames, spoke to the regressor.
"If you saved your life, you should have just run away. Did you come here on your own feet because you want to die?"
Facing someone who had died once, the regressor was calm.
"That's my line. I tried to talk nicely, but you attacked me outright? Do you think someone can't fight because they lack power?"
Master Liebao tilted his head.
"...Strange. That interprets as if you want to fight."
"Are you a homunculus who can't even understand words? Do you have to interpret it to know?"
The regressor shouted sharply and grabbed Dizhan stuck in the crown, pushing it forward.
The earth that everyone believes is firm actually moves, and looking at its flow macroscopically, it resembles a liquid. Earth magic, which realizes that authority, moves earth and rocks at will. It's amazing but... ambiguous.
Unlike alchemy, the way to use earth magic usefully in real life is just about digging a hole, and that can be done without utilizing earth magic. This is because between a shovel and earth magic, the former is obviously the easier tool to prepare.
Because it's clearly mystical and practical, but not such a rare ability, earth magic wasn't well passed down unless by the people of the Dimu Shenjiao.
It's rather a blessing.
The fact that earth magic is useful enough to harm humans was kept a secret within the silence of the Dimu Shenjiao.