Chapter 125
Building surface.
A person caught by the tentacle let out a faint groan.
Looks like they’re still alive.
I also have no clue what that is.
But for now, let’s try to rescue them.
Whatever their identity might be.
Iris said she detected a life response from a different species, so they can’t be of the same race as those monsters.
The danger level of the being itself is only E-rank.
─ [Danger Level E. D-rank if including equipment.]
“Iris, can you rescue that person for now?”
─ [Confirmation.]
Since we decided to rescue them, we needed to get that person away from the tentacle as quickly as possible.
If left like that, they’ll soon die.
It looks like their life is slowly being drained by the tentacles.
─ [Black Magma Slime. Performing rescue operation.]
─ [Huh?]
─ [Charge and save that creature. Execute.]
─ [Huh!]
The Black Magma Slime stealthily approached the building.
At that moment.
A multitude of monsters burst out from inside the building, roaring, and the tentacles covering the building all simultaneously attacked the Black Magma Slime.
Unlike Iris.
It seems they all have a ferocious nature.
─ [Huh!]
The Black Magma Slime suddenly expanded in size.
And then, it engulfed all the enemies in one go.
The tentacles and monsters wrapped in magma melted away without a fight.
The buildings also melted without leaving a trace.
On the other hand.
The person tied up by the tentacles was unharmed and fine.
Including their gear, and the gun presumed taken by the tentacles.
Once freed from the tentacles, the person with the helmet collapsed helplessly onto the floor.
And seeing that they weren’t moving, Iris quickly approached to check their status.
─ [Life response confirmed. Just unconscious.]
After reporting that, Iris carefully wrapped her tentacles around the unconscious person.
She didn’t remove the helmet.
Because without it, they might not be able to breathe properly on this planet.
─ [The commotion earlier has attracted the attention of nearby creatures. Moving to a safe place.]
After moving to the outskirts of the city.
We gently set the rescued person down on the ground and waited for them to wake up while we prepared a bestiary for the otherworldly beings. Of course, the drawing was done by Kendra.
■Otherworld Creature B-1
─Danger Level: E.
─Equipment Danger Level: D.
About thirty minutes had passed since then.
─“Ugh…”
The person we laid down groaned as they woke up.
Once they regained their senses, they sat up and scanned the surroundings, locking eyes with Iris and the Black Magma Slime who were tending to them.
─ [Nice to meet you.]
─ [Huh!]
Iris waved her tentacles from side to side to greet them.
Following along, the harmless blob of magma also gave a greeting with a flop.
The sight of the two startled the person, and they screamed loudly.
─“Ugh, aaaaah!!!”
They hurriedly grabbed their gun and aimed it at Iris.
That reaction was completely understandable.
After all, Iris looks similar to the monsters that invaded this planet.
Anyway, now it was my turn to step in.
“Wait a moment. We have no connection to those monsters from earlier.”
My voice flowed into their world through Iris, projecting my face onto her screen.
─“W-what? A human face…?”
They were still frightened, lowering their gun slightly.
Their guard wasn’t fully down, but it seemed they might be open to constructive conversation.
*
Surprisingly, the misunderstanding was easily cleared up.
From what I heard.
The leader of the invading creatures has high intelligence but rarely speaks first to other races, treating them like bugs. Except for mockery, of course.
In other words.
Even if they have high intelligence, they are beings with whom communication is impossible.
But we were different.
We didn’t attack without reason and even attempted to communicate intellectually.
Moreover.
We rescued them from a dangerous situation and did not harm them while they were unconscious.
Considering all these circumstances.
They were dimly realizing that we were different from the invaders.
Along with calmness.
They were a person of quick judgment.
That’s probably why they’ve survived for so long in this ruined world.
─“I didn’t expect you to be a completely different race, not just a mutation… You look so similar that it’s hard to distinguish…”
The man said while examining Iris’s form from various angles.
At first, he thought she was a mutation.
Just for reference.
I didn’t take off the helmet, but it was certain he was male.
There’s no way his voice was that of a female.
I didn’t even consider the possibility of being an androgynous being like Rize.
─ [Warning. There’s nothing similar in appearance. Please refrain from rude comments.]
─“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”
When Iris spoke bluntly with some displeasure, the man politely bowed his head and apologized.
After lifting his head again, he glanced at my face displayed on Iris’s screen and asked.
─“So… are you really a newcomer from another world?”
“Exactly. To be precise, I’m like a candidate god.”
I had already introduced myself by this point.
I had described myself as a god traveling between dimensions to help humans in distress.
The reason for helping humans?
Simply because I said that showing kindness is necessary to become a true god.
Of course.
He didn’t believe it immediately and looked very suspicious.
─“Why would a god be using honorifics with me…?”
“Because I’m a courteous god.”
【Luna-chan】─True~
After this, I continued chatting with the man.
In that process.
I learned various pieces of information, such as the name of this planet being ‘Kendora.’
And that the man was a native of the Kendora planet.
Iris verified that about 35 years ago, the planet had been invaded by alien monsters and was now on the brink of destruction.
─“In fact, those creatures aren’t that remarkable overall. But the ones referred to as the Great Lord and Lord are exceptions. The Great Lord and the Lord possess both high intelligence and extraordinary strength, so much so that it’s hard to believe they’re living beings.”
“So, the Great Lord and Lord are the leaders of the invading species?”
─“That’s correct. They’re very dangerous beings. If it weren’t for them, humanity wouldn’t have lost.”
While chatting with the man, I was internally wrestling with a dilemma.
‘I was told there are about seven hundred survivors…’
Currently, I was at a crossroads.
Should I subjugate the invaders and forcefully gain support?
Or help the natives, do them a favor, and receive voluntary support from their gratitude?
I was in a situation where I had to choose one of two options.
‘To get more support, it would make sense to deal with the invaders…’
Though I figured I could communicate with the Great Lord.
However, I was reluctant to partner with the invaders.
No matter how much I could gain.
I had no desire to deal with beings who had invaded my kind.
‘But helping the survivors doesn’t seem like it would add up either.’
I wasn’t easily swayed in either direction.
I didn’t have some sense of justice that said I must help the weak.
Let me reiterate, being weak doesn’t mean being good.
While I kept pondering about this.
─ [Hmm.]
As a massive voice broke the air, a gigantic shadow loomed over the ground.
─ [I sensed a life response I’ve never felt before and came to check… There are two life forms I’ve never seen before.]
Iris quickly switched the screen to show the owner of the shadow.
As the giant skeletal octopus appeared, the man trembled and took a step back.
─“W-why is the Lord here…?”
─ [I’ve been approaching for a while. Slow to notice, inferior species.]
─“What?! If you knew, you should have said something! A-anyway, we have to run now! Any weapon is useless against the Lord! Unless we know the Lord’s weakness, we have no way to face them!”
So that guy is one of the Lords.
A sense of disappointment washed over me.
I wondered how amazing a Lord was, and it turned out to be only C-rank.
So the one in the city center was a Lord after all.
Then the Great Lord should be around B-rank or A-rank.
─ [Hmmm. The green one standing over there looks somewhat similar to parts of our race. Of course, it’s much uglier.]
The Lord glanced down as they spoke.
The man aimed his gun at the Lord and shouted to us.
─“Get away first! I’ll draw the Lord’s attention, then you all–”
─ [Removal.]
Before the man could finish his desperate shout.
Iris’s cold voice reverberated around us.
SHZZZZZZZ-eeek!
Green light flashed from Iris’s eyes.
A beam of light cut through the air and raced toward the Lord.
The brilliant light mercilessly pierced the Lord’s body, exactly splitting it in half as though cutting paper.
─“Uh…?”
The surroundings suddenly fell silent as if time had stopped.
And the next instant.
THUD!
The two halves of the Lord’s body crumpled lifelessly to the floor.
─ [Removal of the ugly one complete. Do not panic over the appearance of trash, inferior species.]
─“………”
The man stood frozen and couldn’t say a word for a while.