Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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“Seris…?”

As I returned to the Pioneer Base, the first person to greet me was Celyon, her surprised face staring at me. She slowly approached and began touching my body here and there.

It was as if she were questioning whether the figure before her was merely an illusion.

“Ms. Celyon. It’s really me.”

I pushed away Celyon’s hand as she caressed my cheek and glanced around. It seemed members who had recently gone on a mission to the unexplored territory had returned, as the base was bustling with activity.

Among them were a few who stole glances at me.

“Where on earth have you been? No contact for a month… and where’s the luggage?”

“A month…?”

I frowned, racking my brain. It had taken two weeks just to get to the rocky mountain before being caught up in the Mana Storm.

If I considered that I had arrived almost immediately after being swept away by the Mana Storm, the time I’d spent there must have been considerable.

No, even thinking that doesn’t add up. I hadn’t slept a wink since arriving there, nor had I touched food or water.

Could it be that the flow of time is different in that space?

“My body’s a mess… Should I go wash up first?”

“Ah, yes.”

I nodded complicatedly and followed Celyon.

After arriving at the lodging with her, I immediately unpacked and washed up. After that, dressed in comfortable clothes, I began washing Nightmare’s body when Celyon approached me.

“What on earth happened while you were gone?”

“I got caught in a Mana Storm.”

“A Mana Storm…?”

I nodded as I brushed Nightmare’s fur with a large brush. He seemed to enjoy it, lying on the ground with his belly up, eyes closed.

“Really?”

“Why would I lie about it?”

In a light tone, I began explaining the events that had transpired. I recounted the sudden Mana Storm that had hit us when we reached the rocky mountain for our mission.

“Wait, if that’s the case, then you returned safely from that storm?”

“It seems so. Because I’m here.”

There was still much to tell. I splashed some water on Nightmare’s back and continued.

“After being swept away by the storm, when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strange place.”

“A strange place…?”

“There were neither moon nor stars, and no sun either. Only a pitch-black sky stretched out before me, illuminated by a faint light whose source I couldn’t even identify.”

Celyon didn’t seem to easily believe my story. Well, I wouldn’t blame her. Who would easily believe that a little girl like me had wandered through a bizarre space that mixed desert, forest, swamp, snowy mountain, and volcanic landscapes?

But my tale was truthfully from firsthand experience.

“And I also saw a turtle that carried a forest on its back.”

“A turtle that carries a forest…?”

“Yes, one of its legs seemed larger than the Radon Ship we rode on.”

“Hmmm…”

“Hard to believe, right?”

At my question, Celyon, who had been deep in thought, suddenly stood up and headed to another team’s lodge nearby.

I watched her leave while diligently brushing Nightmare’s tail.

Celyon returned a while later, accompanied by a man who looked quite tired, and immediately approached me.

I squinted at the man.

He looked familiar from some hazy memory, but I couldn’t quite place him.

“Are you Seris?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I am Balder.”

Ah, hearing his name triggered brief information in my mind. He was a gold-ranked swordsman alongside Celyon, the only one who had returned alive from the Mana Storm.

It seemed Celyon had brought Balder to verify the truth of my words.

“Hello?”

“I heard from Celyon. You survived the Mana Storm?”

“Yes.”

“What did you see there?”

I recapped what I had told Celyon, compressing my experience into a concise retelling for Balder.

While he remained unmoved by my tales of sand-covered forests and enormous turtles, he reacted when I mentioned seeing the shadow of a giant far larger than a mountain after arriving at the snowy mountain.

“A fierce blizzard so thick you couldn’t see ahead…?”

“Yes.”

“You saw a giant’s shadow larger than a snow-covered mountain…?”

“Yeah.”

Upon hearing my response, Balder nodded silently at Celyon.

“Seris’s words are true. She must have wandered that place longer than I did, and it seems she has seen more.”

“Goodness…”

“It would be best to let her rest. She must be tired.”

Balder left those words and returned to his lodge. Left alone with Celyon, I dried Nightmare’s wet body with a towel and spoke.

“Now do you believe me?”

Celyon smiled awkwardly at my question.

I couldn’t help but smile back.

*

On the second day since returning to the base, my experiences were included in an informative booklet for the pioneers. Of course, it wouldn’t be for immediate use; it would be published alongside new recruits during the next round.

After providing detailed information to the scholar producing the book, I dragged my exhausted body back to my lodgings.

“I’m back.”

“Ah, welcome back.”

As I opened the door and stepped inside, Celyon greeted me. I tilted my head at the sight of Celyon still wearing her equipment.

“Ms. Celyon? Where are you going?”

“I’m just going to check on the team members for a bit.”

“The team members?”

“Yep. They’ve set up a Base Camp near the unexplored territory and are active there. It’ll probably take about a month.”

“Where exactly is this unexplored territory?”

“Well… I can’t say for certain, but it’s somewhere in the middle of the continent?”

“Then can I go along?”

“Huh? You want to go too? Balder said it would be better for you to rest more. Wouldn’t it be better to just relax?”

I shook my head while fiddling with the warm seed in my pocket. Originally, I had planned to venture westward alone, but recent entanglements with the Mana Storm had changed that intention.

This Monster Island is incredibly dangerous. While I’ve become much stronger, the monsters lurking here are stronger than anything that could be dismissed as a mere fly.

Though I enjoy the adventure of moving into uncharted territories, it’s only enjoyable when my life is secure.

To safely reach the western edge, I need strong companions by my side.

“I’m fine. Also, I want to see Celyon’s team members.”

“Hmm… Alright.”

In the end, Celyon permitted my joining.

I hurriedly donned my gear and stuffed necessary items into my supply bag.

Once I exited the lodge with Celyon, I went straight to the stable to find Nightmare resting.

He initially greeted me but then, upon seeing the large bag slung over my back, turned away with a look of disgust and wedged himself into a corner.

Thump—

With a sulky expression, he kicked at the hay scattered on the floor, seemingly complaining about the tight schedule. But that protest was short-lived.

As I pulled the bridle and stroked his head, his mood lifted and he started wagging his tail, following me out.

“Are you all set?”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s head out.”

Celyon and I left the base immediately.

*

We passed through the deep forest and entered a massive valley. The area seemed peaceful at a glance, with streams crossing the path and sprawling green plains, yet upon closer inspection, that was far from the truth.

Boom—!

“Shh…”

I swallowed dryly, flattening myself on the ground alongside Celyon. Of course, Nightmare lay quietly beside me, suppressing his breath.

Boom—!

A massive monster appeared from the valley, accompanied by the sound of huge footsteps. Even from a distance, the towering figure was imposing.

“What’s that thing called?”

“That’s Radon.”

“Radon…? Isn’t that the name of the ship we came on?”

“Yeah, they named the ship after it.”

I nodded at Celyon’s answer, studying the appearance of this Radon. It resembled a lizard overall, but it had four horns sprouting from its head and gigantic wings sprouting from its back, conjuring the image of a dragon from my imagination.

Radon, revealed from the valley, drank from the stream flowing below and then disappeared back into it.

“Thank goodness. Seems it was quite thirsty.”

Celyon finally got up and wiped the sweat from her brow. Seeing a gold-ranked Celyon so tense made it clear that this Radon monster was likely incredibly powerful.

That evening, after witnessing Radon,

While on night watch, I closed my eyes in front of the campfire. Having absorbed Kalbain’s Mana, I hadn’t been able to form other mana circles until now. The burning ring had repelled all other mana invasions except its own.

But now, it was possible. Finally, the hot ring of fire had perfectly merged into my inner world.

“Phew…”

As I took a deep breath, a dense and massive mana began to flow into me.

Though it didn’t have any special attributes, the dense mana was endlessly swirling, continuing to change.

First step.

I began forming a new mana circle over the empty spot. The high-density mana of Monster Island obediently followed my guidance, forming a massive belt.

The newly created mana circle already displayed movements that seemed eager to merge with my mana.

The rate of change in the properties of mana was astonishingly fast. However, for me now, there wouldn’t be a better mana to have. I continued working to increase the total amount of mana.

Now, the second.

I accepted identical mana again to form a new circle.

The moment I formed the circle, I frowned and clutched my chest. The two rapidly rotating circles were closing the distance as if squeezing my heart.

Cold sweat began to trickle down my forehead, and the hand that braced against the ground gripped it tightly. In that moment, I witnessed a bizarre change in my body with my own eyes.

My round nails began to grow sharper, starting to take on a menacing edge.

“Ah…”

Not just my left hand. The right hand gripping my chest had also seen its nails grow sharp. As a result, white claw marks were left on the leather jacket made from ogre skin.

The change was not solely about the nails.

The black darkness surrounding me was gradually becoming brighter.

My vision kept narrowing and widening. Simultaneously, a stabbing pain crept into my heart.

“Ugh…”

I lay down flat on the ground, clutching my chest tightly.