By the Grace of the Gods

Today, only one chapter is posted.

After leaving the village with Mr. Glen and walking for a while, the lake we used as a landmark on the way here came into view.

...When we first came, we were in a hurry, but looking at it again, this lake is quite beautiful. The water is clear, and the sunlight filtering through the trees reflects off the lake’s rippling surface, sparkling brilliantly. Perhaps because of the breeze, the air feels refreshing. The ground near the lake is covered with lush green moss, and I could even see small magical beasts drinking water.

Despite being a dangerous area, there is a strange sense of calm. Maybe this is what the place truly looks like now that the undead are gone.

“Alright... this seems like a good spot.”

Once we arrive here, I can clearly sense the positions and conditions of the stone slimes I planted earlier. With this, we can instantly travel back and forth using spatial magic, and through the slimes, confirm that no magical beasts are present at the destination.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to plant them all the way to the village?”

“It would have been convenient, but when we came here before, there were too many undead.”

“Oh... right, we didn’t have time for that.”

“Next time we come, I plan to plant more to cover up to the village. So, are you ready?”

“Yeah, if any magical beasts come up on the way, leave them to me.”

“When that happens, I’m counting on you. Now, let’s go—‘Warp’.”

Manipulating mana enveloping not just myself but also Mr. Glen’s body, I cast the magic. In an instant, the scenery changed from the lakeside to a dense jungle, and the once distant presence of the slime was now beneath our feet.

“Success without any issues. Let’s push forward at once.”

I continued using spatial magic repeatedly. Passing through slime markers one after another like train stations, the journey that took hours when coming here was swiftly covered.

“Oh, it seems a group of raptors is passing through the next point. Let’s wait a bit.”

“...I knew it, but this is seriously fast. This is where those twin treants appeared, right?”

Just as Mr. Glen said, the remains of the twin treants we couldn’t defeat and collect still lay there. If I remember correctly, it’s a one-day walk from here to the village. We covered that distance in about an hour.

“Speed is fine, but is your mana okay?”

“It’s within acceptable limits. Although I’m definitely consuming mana by repeatedly casting, I started with a large amount. Plus, this gives us breaks in between, and if needed, we can summon a huge rock slime to rest anytime. Also, I have mana recovery potions ready if we need to hurry.”

Considering the distance and time from the village to here, using mana is definitely worth it. At this pace, even factoring in losses on the way, we might be able to exit the Tree Sea today.

“Hey, it looks like the raptor group is gone already.”

“No rest time at all, huh. You and the slimes are really convenient...”

Whether it was praise or exasperation, Mr. Glen and I resumed our continuous teleportation. The next checkpoint was just before the swamp where we reunited with him.

“We couldn’t place slimes in the swamp itself, so we have to travel normally through this marsh.”

Even if the slimes are submerged in water, collecting them is difficult. But on the firmer soil on the other side, I planted them again, so we won’t lose our way. Also, like before, we can navigate the swamp easily by using a boat combined with slime magic.

That’s what I thought, but then I realized something I had overlooked.

“Mr. Glen, can you get on this?”

“If I put away my hammer, I might just fit. It’s a bit tight…”

The boat we prepared was the small one we used last time. Previously, in Gimul Town, Mr. Eudam also rode it, so it should fit me and one adult. But Mr. Glen is too big.

He first placed one foot on the boat to gauge the sinking, then awkwardly squeezed his huge body into the hull. He managed to get on but looked cramped. It wasn’t just the space, but the weight was also nearly at the limit.