Chapter 139 - Gated Community

After flying around the wall for a short while, Nova spotted what he had been looking for. An entrance to the city emerged from behind a cluster of tall watchtowers, revealing itself as he circled around to the forest-facing side. 

A giant gate made from some kind of metal he had never seen before dominated the opening, its surface gleaming with an oily rainbow sheen that shifted colors as he moved. 

Three figures stood guard in front of it, each one wearing completely different gear.

The forest stood a good hundred meters away from the city walls, leaving a wide strip of grassy field between the two areas. The open space looked deliberately maintained, probably to prevent anyone from approaching the gate unseen. It was smart defensive planning, though it would make Nova's approach much more obvious.

The guards seemed nothing like the typical city watch one might expect to find at the entrance to a normal settlement. Their appearance was far too unique, far too individual. 

One carried a long spear that gleamed with its own inner light and wore nothing but a pair of loose pants. 

Another was decked out head to toe in polished plate armor that looked like it could stop a cannonball, wielding a greatsword nearly as tall as himself.

The final guard stood in front of the other two, positioned like their leader. He had long black hair that fell past his shoulders and wore nothing but a simple brown robe that looked more suited to a monk than a warrior. He wasn't holding any weapons that Nova could see, but he still felt the leader was the most dangerous of them.

‘I take it these guys are like Princess Naia, then? They seem too peculiar to be mindless dungeon-creatures. Which means they’re probably strong as well…’

The thought wasn't particularly comforting. If these three possessed anywhere near the intelligence and power that Princess Naia had shown, approaching them could be extremely dangerous.

‘Well, it also means they can be reasoned with. And since the floor has to be beatable somehow, I can’t imagine they’ll be outright hostile.’

So he began his descent toward the entrance, making sure to stay far enough away that he could react quickly to any sudden hostile moves.

The guards spotted him early, but remained standing by the gate. The long-haired guard in the robe kept his eyes fixed on Nova as he descended, while the other two began scanning the surrounding area for additional threats.

'They think I might be a distraction for some larger attack? I definitely can't underestimate these guys if they're thinking tactically like that.'

Nova touched down on the grass about twenty meters from the gate, close enough to talk comfortably but far enough away to dodge if things went badly. He folded his sylph wings back into his essence and raised one hand in what he hoped was a universal gesture of peaceful greeting.

"Hello there," he said simply, giving a small wave to the three guards.

"Hi," the nearest guard replied, raising his own hand to wave back with a surprisingly casual gesture. His voice carried no hostility, just mild curiosity about this strange visitor who had dropped out of the sky.

Nova felt some of his tension ease at the friendly response. Maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as he had feared.

"Can I come into the city?" he asked, keeping his tone polite and respectful.

"Only if you've killed one of the forest guardians," the long-haired leader replied. “Have you?”

‘That’s a stupid question. If I had, they would have known, being so close to the forest. Are they testing my honesty?’

"...No, I managed to escape from the only one I encountered," he said finally, deciding that honesty was probably the safer approach. "But I did kill a thunderbird a few hours ago, if that counts for anything."

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine then. The boss just wants us to make sure it’s not too easy to meet him. This is the final floor, after all.”

Nova blinked in surprise at how quickly the guard had accepted his answer. "Really? That's all you need from me?"

"Yup. I thought the skies cleared up too quickly earlier, but it makes sense if that birdie died in a fight." The guard nodded sagely, as if this explained some mystery that had been bothering him. "Those thunderbirds are real nasty pieces of work."

“...Well, alright then. Could you open the gate?”

"Ooh, you have to do that yourself. Another test, the bossman said." The guard gestured toward the massive metal barrier with a casual wave of his hand. "But if you managed to kill the bird, you should be fine with this one."

"Really, now? Well, I won't complain since I nearly died getting here, but this seems a bit too easy." Nova studied the gate with growing suspicion, wondering what kind of challenge awaited him.

"It's a heavy gate," the guard said with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

"I'm sure it is." Nova walked past the three guards and approached the imposing metal barrier. Up close, it looked even more massive than it had from a distance. The strange metal surface was covered in intricate patterns that seemed to shift and flow when he wasn't looking directly at them. The craftsmanship was incredible, but the sheer size was intimidating.

He reached out and tried knocking on the metal to test how solid it was, but the surface was too thick to produce even the slightest vibration. His knuckles made no sound at all against the dense material.

The obvious challenge of opening the door made a flash of fear rush through him.

‘...There’s no way Millie could get through this alone. Is it really a trap? And if it is…’

"...Did a small girl come through here recently?" Nova asked, turning back to the guards. His heart hammered in his chest as he waited for their answer.

"Ooh! You know her?!" The spear-wielding guard's face lit up with obvious excitement, bouncing slightly on his toes.

"Maybe," Nova said carefully, not wanting to reveal too much about his relationship to Millie until he knew more about the situation.

"Yeah, she was brought here by one of the locals, Father Lowe. She should be staying in his mansion, to the west of here." The guard pointed off toward a section of the city hidden behind the walls.

A mixture of confusion and overwhelming relief flooded through Nova at those words. It made absolutely no sense for anyone to simply bring Millie into the city like some kind of honored guest, but it was infinitely more believable than her somehow making it through the deadly forest on her own.

‘This means she’s most likely perfectly fine, thank god. If this Father Lowe has been good to her, I’ll owe him a great favor.’

“Thanks for telling me… That’s a huge relief.”

Nova felt like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. She was alive, she was safe, and she was somewhere he could actually reach her. At least, as long as he could get through this gate.

He turned back to the gate and placed both hands against the cool metal surface, preparing himself. Body enhancement had never been his strongest area of magic, but with physical aspects approaching two million, this task probably wouldn't be beyond his capabilities. 

The dungeon designers had created these challenges with full parties in mind, after all—not single individuals fighting completely alone.

"...Is this usually done together with other people?"

"Oh, yeah, pretty much always. There are some really strong monsters who managed to do it on their own, but they basically waltzed through most of the dungeon without breaking a sweat anyway." The guard scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You seem pretty tough, though."

"I see…" 

‘So this isn’t supposed to be possible for one person. That’s concerning.’

Nova took a deep breath and studied the massive barrier in front of him, trying to figure out the best approach.

To avoid sliding away as he pushed, Nova first used a much stronger version of the Grounded spell he had once used in the past. The magic flowed down through his legs and into the earth below, making his feet attach firmly to the ground like they had grown roots there. He reinforced the connection even further, sending magical anchors deep underground.

'That should at least let me apply my full power without slipping backward.'

He placed both hands flat against the cold metal surface and put his full force into pushing against the massive doors. His muscles strained as he channeled every ounce of his physical strength into the effort. But the doors didn't even budge a single inch.

His unification skill was already active, of course, so he didn't have much more to go on in terms of pure physical strength. The gate simply absorbed his force without showing any sign of movement.

'This means I'll have to be smart about this approach instead of relying on brute force… Could I melt my way through the metal? Would that count as properly opening the gate? Or maybe a gravity-reversing spell would work better?'

"Are there any limits to how I should open the gate?" Nova asked, stepping back from the unyielding barrier.

"...No, not that I can recall off the top of my head. But maybe tell me your plans just in case," the lead guard replied, looking curious about what Nova might try.

"What about melting my way through the metal?"

"Oh yeah? You can certainly try that approach." The guard's tone suggested he didn't think it would work.

"What about using magic to help?"

"Sure, that's perfectly fine," the guard said with an encouraging nod.

Nova stepped back toward the gate and began tracing runes in the air with his fingers. The formations took shape slowly as he worked through the complex spell structure in his mind. If brute force wouldn't work, then he would have to find a way to make the gate lighter instead of trying to push harder.

Creating a formation that could counter gravity was no small feat, and even less so when the target was heavier than he could push. It would take a lot of essence, and would only last for a minute at most.

Blue light began to gather around the patterns he had drawn, growing brighter as more essence flowed into the formation. The guards watched with obvious interest as the magical energy built up to dangerous levels.

"That's some impressive magic work," the armored guard commented, leaning on his greatsword as he observed Nova's technique. “Kinda reminds me of that old mage.”

Nova finished the final connecting rune and pressed the completed formation against the surface of the gate. The spell sank into the strange metal like water being absorbed by a sponge. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen.

Then the gate began to vibrate slightly, creating a noise like a cracking glacier. Nova could feel the spell taking hold, reducing the effective weight of the barrier by more and more with each passing second.

‘Another twenty percent gone… Will I even be able to get out of the city on my own?’

He placed his hands against the doors again and pushed with everything he had. This time, the gate moved. Just barely, just a few inches, but it definitely moved. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he strained against the still-considerable resistance.

Ever so slowly, the gate began to open, creaking and groaning under the combined force of Nova's magic and physical effort. The massive metal doors swung inward on hinges that must have been silent for who knew how long.

"Ooh, look at that! Magic really does work!" The spear-carrying guard clapped his hands together with genuine excitement.

To Nova's complete surprise, all three guards suddenly walked over and started helping him push the gate open. Their combined strength made the work much easier, and with their assistance, it didn't take long before the massive barrier was fully opened.

Nova stepped through the gateway and found himself standing at the entrance to what could only be described as a proper city. Wide cobblestone streets stretched out before him, lined with buildings that looked like they had been constructed by skilled craftsmen rather than dungeon magic. Warm light spilled from windows and doorways, casting a golden glow across the evening air.

People moved through the streets with the casual confidence of those going about their daily business. He could see merchants closing up their shops for the day, families heading home with baskets of groceries, and groups of friends gathering outside what looked like taverns. The whole scene felt remarkably normal, almost disappointingly so after everything he had been through to get here.

'This really doesn't look like a dungeon floor at all. If I didn't know better, I'd think someone had just transported an entire functioning city into this floating island.'

The sounds were just as convincing as the sights. Conversations drifted through the air, mixing with the clip-clop of horse hooves on stone and the distant sound of music from somewhere deeper in the city. It all felt so alive, so real, that Nova found himself questioning whether this could actually be part of the dungeon's construction.

"Damn, good thing you showed up here!" the armored guard cheered, taking in the smell of the city with a deep breath through his helmet. His voice was muffled but clearly relieved. "We've been stuck out there for days now."

Ch.138 --I-- Index --I-- Ch.140