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Volume 6 Chapter 13

Volume 6 Chapter 13: Things That Fall

Several days had passed since we began the journey for the trial.

「The next checkpoint is the last one, it seems.」

Lorie said, showing us the Divine Codex.
A previously blank page now bore the words:

【Proceed straight ahead. The next destination marks the end of your entry route.】

「Oh, already? That was fast.」

It hadn’t even been two weeks yet. As I thought about how quickly it had gone, Lorie smiled wryly.

「You say it was fast…but that’s thanks entirely to you, Axel.」

「It is?」

「Yes. You’ve carried us through difficult marshes, swamps, and fields of poisonous plants in one swift dash.」

Although the setting had remained largely the same—forests—the terrain constantly shifted.

But since our goal never changed, I frequently carried both of them, leaping across challenging spots in a single bound.

「We didn’t even have to make detours. Honestly, our pace has been ridiculous. At the very least, we’re definitely the fastest to ever reach this point.」

「Huh. Well, that’s certainly good news.」

「Yes, it really is. Plus, we’ve hardly gotten tired.」

After saying this, Lorie’s expression turned serious again.

「However, from this point onward, we’ll be going into unknown territory. I haven’t been there, nor do we have any records.」

「On the map but unexplored?」

「Yes, it’s uncharted territory—from here to here.」
Lorie traced a circle around a region on the map.

「Ever since the establishment of the Spirit City, we’ve been steadily exploring the region. But we still haven’t fully mapped this entire area. This map itself is a divine gift—invaluable information.」

「I see. Then, whatever we see ahead could itself become valuable data.」

Actual sights often differed from map descriptions. Lorie clearly understood this.

「Yes, if we manage to bring it back. So let’s proceed carefully.」

「Got it.」

〇

A few days later—

We continued pushing straight through the forest, resting and advancing again.

With scenery barely changing, moving straight was challenging.

Still, whenever Lorie channeled her magic into the Divine Codex, the position appeared clearly as a glowing dot, guiding us onward.

That morning, after several hours of walking:

「Hm? I hear something.」

From far off, there came the sound of water.

「Huh? From where?」

「Over there.」

Lorie looked in the direction I pointed and checked the Codex.

「Ah, you’re right. The checkpoint seems to be in that direction.」

「Are we nearing a spring or something?」

「Probably. The entrance to the Spirit God’s spring isn’t always near water, but there’s definitely water nearby.」

「Alright. Let’s keep our guard up and move on.」

「Got it, buddy.」

「Yes, let’s go.」

As we moved towards the sound of water, soon—

「We’re almost out of the forest.」

Light filtered through the gaps between the trees.

After spending so long in the dim forest, the sudden brightness stood out vividly.

「Yes. Right where it clears seems to be the checkpoint.」 Lorie confirmed with the map.

We continued forward, heading towards the emerging light. Finally, after breaking through the trees—

「What…?」

There certainly was water.

A waterfall.

The sound we’d heard was indeed a waterfall—but—

「What in the world is this…?」

This was no ordinary waterfall.

A colossal torrent of water thundered down from a towering cliff. It looked as if a large lake had been suddenly split in half, releasing massive volumes of water into freefall.

It was something you’d call a great waterfall.