Chapter 290: Same Time, Different Place (1)

< Same Time, Different Place (1) >

Auterica, where most of his avatars were active.

Ganghwange, a dimension he had recently entered.

And Earth, the central hub where his main body resided.

He had experienced countless things while living in various worlds simultaneously with multiple bodies.

But if he had to choose one impressive element among all those experiences, he could do so without hesitation:

…It was 'time difference.'

'It's natural, I suppose. I've been focusing a lot on Earth lately…'

A tenfold time difference.

The gap between dimensions was significant.

Three days on Earth meant roughly one month in the other world.

Because of this, the time that had passed on Earth seemed short compared to the scale of the events he had experienced, but considering the other worlds, it wasn't necessarily so.

The Holy Land, located in the center of the Ion continent, Auterica.

"Welcome back, Saint-nim. You've returned a bit early this time."

"Ah, Lady Lyrin. Thank you for your hard work today as well."

Heinrich, having just passed through the main gate and entered the Grand Temple of Roselia, looked back at the blue-haired woman who greeted him.

She was a member of the Radiant Guardian Paladin Order, to which he had once belonged. Among the many knightly orders of the Main God's Church, she was an elite paladin dedicated to protecting the interior of the Grand Temple of Roselia.

She seemed to be passing by, but perhaps she had business with him, as she approached with measured steps, offered a respectful bow, and continued.

"Saintess-nim inquired several times a while ago if you had returned. It seems she has something to discuss with you…"

"Ah, I seem to have arrived at the right time. Thank you for informing me, Lady Lyrin."

"It's no trouble at all, Saint-nim. Then I'll be going."

"Yes, please do."

Having relayed her message, she bowed her head and turned around with precise movements.

She had been his mentor when he was first assigned to the Grand Temple, and thanks to that connection, he still interacted with her more comfortably than with others.

He had risen through the ranks unusually quickly for his position, so he didn't have many close acquaintances.

'Come to think of it, it was Lyrin who first told me about one of the Immortal King's fragments being inside the Grand Temple.'

Of course, it was part of her security duties, but it had certainly helped him in his subsequent actions.

Chuckling, Heinrich shrugged and continued his way inside the Grand Temple.

'By the way, Liesta was looking for me. Is she going to ask about Earth again? Well, I've been back and forth a few times, so she probably guessed I'd be back around this time.'

Of course, he hadn't crossed over to Earth without notifying the Main God's Church.

Even with the recent resolution of the White Giant incident creating some breathing room, a being like him, a saint and a Hero, a symbol of the Church's military power, couldn't just leave as he pleased.

'So I just told them the truth.'

That he would be away for a while, visiting another world.

'Of course, I packaged it as a blessing from the Main God.'

Since everyone he dealt with were fanatics, even the feat of crossing dimensions was nothing before the divine light of God.

The Saintess, already curious after Hesperon and Isea revealed themselves as people from another world, was conducting her own investigation into other worlds.

'I should talk to Isea separately soon.'

It wouldn't be long before she was scheduled to return.

She was probably expecting it to be around the time the final battle with the Immortal King concluded.

If she learned the truth after returning to Earth, she might feel betrayed, so it would be better to give her a heads-up.

'That way, we can maintain a cooperative relationship on Earth as well.'

Isea had poured all her Karma into returning, due to the connections she had left behind in Auterica.

For her, a kind and sentimental person, Heinrich, who would become a communication channel between dimensions, would be like rain on dry land.

'I think Isea will be able to cross the wall with the right opportunity. Powerhouses of that level are always welcome.'

While he was here, he could relay greetings to her family on Earth, and after she returned, she could maintain indirect contact with Riley through him.

However, he wasn't entirely without worries.

'I have to hide the fact that Hahoe Mask and the Immortal King are the same person.'

A villain who was a Demon King in another world, returning to Earth to become a dark hero?

To prevent that awkward encounter, Hans's area of operation had to be completely restricted to overseas.

'Korea is stable now, so there's no need for Hans to be there. As long as I avoid direct confrontation…'

As for photos and videos, he could just claim they were look-alikes.

Their personalities were completely different, the drab black robe wasn't particularly unique, and the Hahoe Mask was a traditional Korean mask.

'After learning that Isea was Korean, I intentionally only wore the broken mask in Auterica.'

But he wasn't confident he could deceive someone he had fought multiple times face-to-face.

It wouldn't be a disaster if he was exposed now that the home theater situation was over, but it was better to avoid potential problems from the start.

'I have to go back to Earth in a few days, so I need to take care of the backlog… Ah, let's go to Liesta first.'

The cooldown for 「Interdimensional Travel Gate Summon」 was 12 hours in Earth time.

Since he was only active on Earth for a few hours a day, he could manage both.

Of course, operating the gate this frequently could limit the flexibility of his other avatars…

'There's nothing urgent right now, so it shouldn't matter.'

The only major event remaining in Auterica was the conclusion of the home theater incident.

A calm before the storm was passing.

A private workshop in Tarak.

"Ooh! Finally!"

Shortly after causing a commotion while testing a prototype, Howard moved from Zaonik's workshop to his own newly prepared workspace.

Zaonik had said he could stay longer, but Howard, backed by the Hubert Company, wasn't short of money, so he decided to move out.

They were practically neighbors, so their daily interactions wouldn't change.

"It's finally complete!"

Still, having a secret base all to himself was strangely exciting.

Perhaps thanks to this, Howard had been completely absorbed in his work since the day he moved in and finally achieved significant results after a few weeks.

"The left arm of the All-Purpose Combat Powered Suit Mk.2!"

It was just one arm, but…

Lifting it with both hands, he looked over his masterpiece with admiring eyes.

A mechanical arm that exuded an unusual aura.

It was just a part, but it was no ordinary object.

The materials and technology used were top-notch, not to mention the energy source contained within.

'As expected, technology is important, but capital is the greatest virtue in manufacturing!'

A Superior Mana Stone.

A rare treasure, one rank below the Dragon Heart, a Special Grade Mana Stone.

Even the Imperial Palace used Superior Mana Stones, not Dragon Hearts, as the core of their barrier unless it was an emergency, so its value went without saying.

'I lost one last time while trying to rescue Diana from that revolutionary bastard.'

It was because he had used such a valuable item as a consumable that Hubert, who had no special abilities, could escape from that monster.

But now, that treasure was embedded as the energy source to power a single arm…

'It wouldn't have been possible without the alloy of Ganghwange's Eternal Steel and the Adamantium from the Demon Realm.'

Both materials were renowned for their durability and energy resistance.

Alloying them wasn't easy, but Howard had finally succeeded through his efforts using 「Song of Fire and Metal」, 「Metallurgy」, and 「Technological Revolution」.

The resulting golden ratio alloy was densely packed inside the part, acting as a circuit, creating something that could withstand such immense energy.

A powered exoskeleton created by a fantasy dwarf using materials from a murim world and the Demon Realm, combined with future science and technology!

"Kukuku~ This is like having a small spaceship attached to my arm! I wonder what it will look like when all the parts are complete!"

Excitedly dancing with the mechanical arm, Howard suddenly stopped.

He stared at it, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Hmm— It needs a proper name."

He couldn't keep calling such a magnificent creation the 'All-Purpose Combat Powered Suit.'

It needed a catchy, impressive proper noun.

"Hmm, I should call it 'Iron Guy'… No, no. That's too much of a knock-off. Then, 'Captain Auterica'… That's the same. Hmm."

After agonizing over the naming process for a while…

He suddenly sighed, feeling it was all pointless.

"Eh, 'Titan' is good enough! Like a small giant. Come to think of it, I'm a dwarf too, so it wouldn't be bad to take it from the name of a god…"

Just as Howard muttered to himself, having decided on a name…

Whoosh—

A tongue of flame erupted from the nearby furnace, flickering fiercely and wrapping around him.

And as the flames disappeared, several notification windows appeared before him.

"Titan gazes upon you."

"The individual has met the conditions for growth. The Special Skill 「Song of Fire and Metal」 has evolved into 「Conductor of Fire and Metal」."

He had experienced this once before.

"Is this… the Blessing of the Furnace?"

It was an expression of interest shown when someone created something meaningful in front of a furnace or when a craftsman favored by a god grew beyond their limits.

'That means, this too…'

It seemed the god was pleased.

With this new invention, named after him, something that didn't exist in the world before.

Swash—

The gentle sound of waves crashing echoed.

A seaside with good water and wind, where even the faint salty air in the atmosphere felt exotic.

"Mmm!"

The sound of someone struggling emanated from a hidden shelter within the cliffs of this resort-like place.

"This goes like this…"

The owner of the childish, slurred speech had an equally young appearance.

A cute six or seven-year-old boy with wavy blond hair, sparkling golden eyes, soft, smooth skin, and chubby cheeks.

Horus, the last Gold Dragon hatchling remaining in Auterica.

He stood on a chair in a magic laboratory filled with strange equipment, fiddling with something on the table for a while before…

"Done!"

…he cheered, raising both hands in satisfaction.

And then—.

"Hoo, what is that?"

"Eek?!"

He flinched at the sudden drawling voice, then turned around with his hands still raised, smiling bashfully.

Shuri Hartgen, an Elder Dragon of the Gold Dragon clan, stood behind him, his half-closed eyes fixed on him.

"Heehee…"

"…Huh, that's no ordinary object. Where did you get that?"

The old dragon's gaze, after a moment of amusement, shifted to the object in front of Horus.

His physical body was in a state of near hibernation, clinging to his fading life, but the object emanated an unusual energy that even he could sense in his state.

"This is… the work of a dwarf. Quite, no, incredibly well-made. Was it crafted with enchantment in mind from the beginning?"

Surprise gradually filled the old dragon's tired expression as he examined the object.

"Huh, this isn't just someone knowledgeable in magic. It would require at least the insight of an Archmage."

That was quite surprising.

The stubborn dwarf race prided themselves on creating objects that surpassed magic items through craftsmanship alone.

While they might add enchantments to finished products, it wasn't common for them to 'collaborate' with enchanters from the design stage, anticipating further processing.

And for the underlying knowledge level to be that of an Archmage?

'Did this child enchant this? …This is also excellent. I can't believe he's already reached this level. It's perfectly harmonized, as if it was planned from the beginning. I could almost believe one person made this from start to finish.'

Glancing at Horus with renewed interest, he carefully observed the object again.

A smooth design with elegant curves, primarily made of a subtle black metal.

The left arm piece of armor, in a style even he, who had lived for countless years, had never seen before.