Andra didn’t reply. She just turned her red face and hurriedly went away from Dustin.

Dustin felt the urge to be closer to her, but he managed to resist. He persevered with her not responding. If he waits and waits like this little by little, won’t the day come when Andra would tell him first that she loves him? He could wait as long as he wanted for that day.

“Yes, let’s just move. The dragon is waiting for us outside…”

Dustin looked at Andra, who still couldn’t make eye contact with him, and nodded. Then he took her hand and clasped it like before.

Her palm, which was much smaller and slender than his, fit into his hand. Dustin held Andra’s hand, which felt like it would break if he touched her. He thought that once this was all sorted out, he would need to feed her more. Come to think of it, her waist, arms, and legs were all thinner than he was. He was already worried that the wind might blow her away.

The two walked quickly towards the entrance. Eventually, when the entrance they came in was visible, they exited the tunnel safely. However, when they returned outside, the fog had thickened so much that it was difficult to see ahead. It was quiet without a sound.

Dustin pulled Andra next to him and looked around her. They couldn’t see the dragon that was supposed to be waiting for them as it went out first.

“I can’t see the dragon.”

“Yes. I don’t feel anything around.”

The two people looked around quickly. The foggy forest was eerily quiet.

Andra stared at the sky, which she could not see clearly, and belatedly tried to figure out where this place was. If she remembered that there were monsters roaming around, she was sure that it was Morgennis.

“Dustin, do you think you know where this place is? Actually, the atmosphere here is strange…”

“Are you saying we came to the Mezei Mountains’ direction?”

“…Yes.”

Dustin drew his sword. Since they couldn’t stay here forever, he needed to prepare for any possible danger while moving. He motioned for Andra to come closer to him. The two slowly moved forward in the fog, relying on each other’s presence.

“Dustin, how much do you know about the Mezei Mountains?”

“The mountain ranges are designated as dangerous areas due to their very different ecosystems, and no one has ever returned alive. I usually don’t even bother to look this way.”

“As expected, there is a lot of information lacking there.”

Before departing for Morgennis, Andra also gathered information about the Mezei Mountains. She didn’t think she would ever go in, but she was preparing for the unexpected.

However, there was no other information about the Mezei Mountains except for facts that were generally known to the public. It wasn’t that it was hidden, it was because that was really the only information that was able to be revealed.

‘A place with thick fog all year round, a very different ecosystem like a dungeon, and a place where monsters roam.’

Andra tried to recall the little information she knew. She then began her own reasoning.

‘Then it can be explained that the place that became a dungeon before coming here was actually influenced by the Mezei Mountains. Of course, the expansion of the territory was probably Dean’s work. To prevent people from leaving Morgennis…’

Andra gently tugged on Dustin’s shirt. Dustin paused and looked back at Andra.

“I think the path to the end of the world lies within the Mezei Mountains.”

“The end of the world?”

“Yes, the end of the world. Wait, didn’t I tell you?”

Andra was surprised and raised her voice for a moment when seeing Dustin’s expression.

Only then did she realize that she had exchanged information between Dustin infrequently. She had kept it to herself, made inferences, and moved on.

“Andra, tell me everything you know so far.”

“Uh, so… From what I have gathered so far, I think we are currently receiving the task. There was a word like this in a phrase found earlier at the Aslan ruins.

“The eighth task. My guess is that Nera is in charge of the eighth task out of the nine gods. I don’t know the exact reason, but it can be said that we were chosen and are solving that task. That’s why Nera gave us strength, and it was Nera who led us here.”

Andra explained it to him as best she could in an easy-to-understand manner.

“…Then, what do the gods want from us?”

“That said, I think they want us to reach the end of the world through Nera’s trials. This is the last part of the scroll I received after clearing the dungeon at the Aslan ruins. ‘God is asleep at the end of the world.’ And the place that specifies the end of the world is right here in Morgennis.”

“It sure seems like they want us to go to the end of the world. But is it really necessary to do it this way? Wouldn’t it be okay to just go to the end of the world?”

“Good point. I thought so too at first. After seeing Dean, I changed my mind a little. Dean did that. All of this is Nera’s will. Nera is following a set path, just as she wants. It seems like Nera is hoping that we won’t pass this ordeal.”

Nera was in charge of this eighth task seeing as they were driven to their deaths at the Aslan ruins and the dragon that helped them was looked upon disapprovingly, so it seemed like they essentially did not want it to be resolved. Just like they absolutely want Andra and Dustin to fail.

“And I don’t understand, but Dean also said this. Currently, all gods have disappeared from this world and only Nera exists.”

“There are ten gods in total. The primordial god and her nine children, the gods. But the eighth task?”

“Anat, who was the god of wisdom and ideals, loved Dean and became a human from a god. So, to be exact, there are a total of nine gods remaining.”

“Excluding the primordial dod, there will be eight of them.”

Dustin’s frown narrowed. He asked Andra, wanting to confirm whether what he thought was correct.

“If it were the eighth task, then there is the first, second… Do you mean there was this kind of task?”

“My guess for now is yes. We’re doing the eighth and last. We have to put an end to it.”

That was Andra’s conclusion regarding the eighth task. Excluding the primordial god and the god of wisdom and ideals who became humans, eight gods were handing down trials one after another.

She and Dustin are undergoing trials from Nera, the last runner. The ultimate goal given to the two is to overcome that ordeal and reach the end of the world.

That’s why there was a phrase in the scroll that said, ‘Opening your eyes will be possible only in the eighth task.’

“Does ending it mean reaching the end of the world?”

“I would say so for now. Because it was said that a god was sleeping there. Considering that Dean also tried to reach the end of the world by forced means, it is highly likely that the god who sleeps there is Anat, the god of wisdom and ideals.”

Since Dean was alive, there was a high probability that Anat would also be alive at the end of the world.

Andra’s heart pounded unknowingly at the thought that she might actually meet a god. Especially Anat. Isn’t she the one who can be said to be the ancestor of humans along with Dean? If she meets Anat, she may also be able to hear detailed stories about the kingdom of Hezel.

“So how should we get to the end of the world? Are you sure it’s in the Mezei Mountains?”

Dustin suddenly asked. Andra hesitated a little about that part. Because even she didn’t know how to find the end of the world right now.

If there was the dragon right next to her, she could at least ask. With the dragon suddenly disappearing, finding the entrance to the end of the world within the Mezei Mountains was like finding a needle in the desert.

“If our goal is to reach the end of the world, wouldn’t it be better to wait until that bastard opens the door?”

“Are you serious? What Dean is trying to do is an act of coercion! He’s asking for unnecessary sacrifices. That’s why he controls monsters now. There’s no way Anat would allow that. We have to reach the end of the world by the normal route.”

“Then we don’t have much time. Because we must first open the door to the end of the world before the ant monsters attack the Counties.”

Dustin was right. They had to find a way to reach the end of the world faster than Dean.

But how? It’s hard to find anything in this fog where they can’t even see a step in front, so trying to find a way to reach the end of the world without any clues? She was already starting to feel hopeless.

At that time, a thought occurred to Andra.

“As expected, I have to meet Dean again.”

At the same moment Dustin’s face distorted.

“No.”

“We have to use Dean. He probably knows the normal way too.”

“How do you know that?”

“He said he would make me a god.”

When the word God came out, Dustin’s face hardened.

“Dean planned to make me a god before opening the way to the end of the world. So that was why he dragged me away.”

“Andra.”

Andra nodded her head in the low, heavy voice.

“I know. That it’s dangerous. Besides, I’m not Anat.”

“You know it’s dangerous, but you’re going to go to that bastard again? You said you trusted me.”

Dustin extended his hand toward Andra. His face turned pale.

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