Chapter 63: The Interrogation of Bog

“You should still follow the plan and proceed to investigate the volcano. Once you successfully transfer back, hurry to gather reinforcements. If it turns out that isn’t the correct location, then return here to regroup.”

Having finished his instructions, Amos prepared to descend the mountain.

“Return here?” I asked, a hint of confusion in my voice.

“How would we regroup? It would be incredibly difficult for you to get out again!”

“That’s not necessarily true,” he countered. “The situation has changed since you escaped. If Alfred and the others are still alright, there’s a chance. Besides, there might be more than one way to leave the city.”

He turned back, offered me a faint smile, then leaped, turning to sprint down the mountainside.

‘There are other ways to leave the city?’ I couldn’t grasp it immediately, but he offered no further opportunity for me to press for answers.

I had intended to offer to fly him down, but upon seeing Amos descend the relatively short mountain in a few agile bounds, I silently retracted my offer.

‘So, I’m just a messenger now? How utterly infuriating.’

After watching Amos disappear into the distance, I had no choice but to follow our agreed-upon plan and head towards the volcano Sally and I had spotted earlier.

Although my current position in the city’s west wasn’t directly south of Val City, the volcano’s distinctive shape made it easy to locate from the sky, standing out against the vast, boundless landscape to the south.

The flight didn’t take long. Before I knew it, I was hovering directly above the mountain’s summit, where a circular, water-filled lake shimmered below.

From afar, its scale wasn’t apparent. Yet, as I descended onto the summit, I realized the mountain was far larger than I’d imagined, spanning several kilometers in diameter—comparable in size to the massive crater in the heart of Val City.

The water in the summit lake was remarkably clear. From its edge, I could gaze into the distance and almost distinctly make out Val City to the north.

‘If the transfer truly occurs here, what would be the precise extent of the exchange?’

As I sat by the lake on the mountaintop, waiting, these questions inevitably drifted through my mind, a product of my growing boredom.

However, after a long wait, neither the distant nor the immediate surroundings showed any signs of change. Remembering that the last transfer from Tedles Town occurred in the evening, I calculated that it was still quite some time away, and couldn’t help but sigh once more.

Just as my thoughts began to drift uncontrollably, I suddenly noticed several small, dark specks slowly emerging from the mountain below.

‘What are those things? They appear to be monsters.’

To avoid detection, I hung suspended in mid-air, cautiously closing in on the targets below. Finally, I got a clear view: they were indeed several axe-wielding minotaurs, identical to those we had previously encountered in Amara Forest.

Trailing behind them were several other nameless monsters. Unlike the minotaurs, these creatures were short, hunched, and entirely green, their forms unmistakably non-human.

“Could this truly be the legendary exchange and teleportation site?” I murmured to myself. Observing the direction from which they had come, I noticed what appeared to be a cave entrance.

Yet, I dared not enter to investigate. What if numerous magical beasts lurked within? Wouldn’t that be akin to walking straight into a trap?

Inside the mountain, there would be no escape to the sky; my flying advantage would be entirely negated, and I might very well perish within.

However, pondering my aerial advantage, I observed the monsters below, advancing in a single file with considerable distance between each. A sudden, brilliant idea sparked in my mind.

‘Hehehe… Well, in that case, don’t blame me for abducting innocent maidens in broad daylight… Pfft, I mean, abducting monsters.’

I first ascended to a suitable height, judging the distance to be sufficient, then took a deep breath and plunged downwards.

It was akin to an eagle snatching its prey. As my descent reached its apex, I landed precisely above the last monster’s head, seized the nape of its neck, and swiftly ascended back into the sky.

The entire sequence of movements was executed flawlessly, without a single wasted motion—a testament to sheer practiced skill.

Yet, I felt no surge of pride, for this entire technique had been honed during my previous involuntary tumbles from the sky.

Still, the fact that I could apply it against an enemy this time felt like a small, albeit peculiar, step forward.

The monster in my grasp possessed a remarkably slow reaction time; it took several seconds for it to register that it had been seized in mid-air, after which it began to struggle violently and shriek.

‘So noisy!’ We had already ascended to an incredibly high altitude. His companions on the ground below surely wouldn’t hear him, and they might not even have noticed one of their number was missing.

“Cough, cough… Stop yelling!” I growled at him, trying to sound menacing. “Keep it up, and I’ll drop you!” Though I felt my intimidating aura was somewhat lacking, it was the best I could manage.

“You can scream until your throat is raw, but no one will come to save you!”

“You… who are you?” The creature, indeed, ceased its shrieking. It seemed to possess some intelligence, though its voice was remarkably shrill.

It struggled to turn its head and look behind, but with its neck firmly in my grip, such a feat was impossible.

“You’re an angel!”

‘……’

‘Damn these wings! They’re too long!’ Even though it hadn’t seen my face, my constantly flapping wings had given me away.

‘What a shame. I had originally intended to try impersonating a succubus…’

Still, since communication was possible, the situation remained manageable.

“Confess honestly!” I demanded, getting straight to the point. “Is that mountain down there your secret exchange and transfer location?”

“No!” The monster in my grip replied without hesitation.

I hadn’t expected such defiance from this creature. Yet, its lie was utterly transparent, lacking even a flicker of hesitation. ‘Does it truly take me for a three-year-old?’

“Are you absolutely certain?” I decided to give it another chance; after all, I wasn’t some kind of demon.

“No!” Very well, then. Upon hearing its stubborn denial, I simply relaxed my hand…

“Screech—!”

Watching the creature flail its hands and tail, its five limbs dancing chaotically in the air, I found it unexpectedly, almost comically, endearing, despite its ugly appearance.

Only moments before it would have struck the ground did I snatch its nape once more, swiftly ascending back to the heavens.

After its complimentary ride on the high-altitude drop tower, the monster in my hand was considerably more cooperative this time. Whether from fear or shock, I couldn’t say, but even after I stopped ascending, it remained utterly silent.

“The sky is my domain, you know. Perhaps you’re ready to tell the truth now, aren’t you?” I dangled it up and down with one hand, the implicit threat unmistakable.

“T-tell… tell…” The creature stammered, its repeated responses signaling its surrender.

“What is the purpose of that mountain below?”

“It’s a testing ground for the divine artifact, Gaea’s Eye.”

“A divine artifact? Gaea’s Eye?” I felt a surge of confusion. ‘Why another divine artifact?’

While it sounded vastly different from Angelina’s Qi-Condensed Sword, I’d barely been in this world any time at all, yet I’d already stumbled upon two divine artifacts consecutively.

“It’s a device that can exchange spaces,” the monster in my hand quickly explained, sensing my confusion.

“And who are you? What exactly are you doing in there?”

“I’m a cave dweller, responsible for auxiliary tasks…”

“A cave dweller?” I twisted its neck in confusion, taking another look at its face.

Its face resembled a frog’s, yet its eyes were no larger than mung beans, almost imperceptible without close inspection. Its body was lizard-like, and its slender, compact frame seemed perfectly suited for burrowing.

‘So this is what a cave dweller truly looks like. I’ve heard so much about them; what a profound disappointment.’

“Yes, yes, my name is Bog.” The creature dared not dally, even offering its name without prompting.

“When is your next exchange transfer? What is its range, how many times has it occurred here, and what is its ultimate purpose?” Since Bog was proving so cooperative, I didn’t hesitate, unleashing every pressing question in a single breath.

“Th-this…” To my surprise, at this crucial juncture, the creature suddenly began to hesitate, stammering for a long while without uttering a single word.

“Hmm?” I eyed him suspiciously. ‘Surely this creature isn’t trying to pull any tricks, is it?’

“If you can’t answer all at once, you can take your time, one by one. But if you dare to lie to me…” I suddenly dipped my hand downwards.

“No, no!” Bog shrieked instantly, rushing to clarify.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, nor that I wish to deceive you,” he cried, “but it’s already empty down there! Yesterday, an urgent notice arrived from Val City. Due to suspicions of an angelic invasion through this site, Gaea’s Eye has been moved to a different location as a precaution!”

“What!” I exclaimed, utterly stunned. In my shock, my hand inadvertently loosened, and he plummeted once more.

“Screech—!?”

‘……’

‘This time, I genuinely didn’t mean to…’

When I retrieved Bog once more, he was already frothing at the mouth from sheer terror, continuously pleading for mercy.

“Please, I beg you, please!” he whimpered. “I truly didn’t lie; there’s genuinely nothing left down there. We were merely the last group of employees left for cleanup. We just emerged because our task was complete, and we were preparing to retreat to Val City.”

“Retreat in broad daylight? Why not simply wait here until nightfall to depart?” I hadn’t forgotten that monsters typically hide by day and emerge at night. I feigned another move to drop him.

“That’s because the new location is short-staffed,” Bog shrieked, my hand having barely twitched. “They ordered us to rush over immediately, which is why we had no choice but to leave at this hour!”

“So, where is this new location?” Judging by his tone, he didn’t appear to be lying.

“I… I don’t know,” he confessed, looking at me with a guilty expression. His hands, feet, and tail were all huddled together, curled into a tight ball.

“We’ll only be informed once we return to Val City…”

“What!” I nearly exploded upon hearing this. ‘Isn’t this even worse than before?’

Before, I had at least an approximate location. Now, however, all clues were gone; I didn’t even have a general direction to follow.

To verify the truth, I specifically flew down to the cave entrance on the ground and inspected it.

The cave inside was quite large and spacious. Indeed, as Bog had claimed, it was utterly empty, nothing left behind.

Fortunately, I had come to investigate first. If I hadn’t encountered this cave dweller, I might have mistakenly thought I was in the wrong place.

“Tell me everything you know,” I commanded Bog. “Including previous exchange transfers in other locations, their purpose, and why this transfer occurred.” Since I couldn’t get the information I wanted, I would have to search for other clues through him.

“Yes, yes!” The cave dweller immediately began recounting the details of several experiments, incredibly compliant. After all, having experienced several ‘drop tower’ rides, he was well aware of the consequences of non-cooperation.

After all, I am a good person; I would never let him fall to his death easily. I would give him many opportunities.