Chapter 52 – The Steel Sentinel
Even after everything we'd learned tonight—political traps, powerful humans, fragile kingdoms—the thought kept circling my mind like a persistent bird that refused to fly away.
If Gazeff Stronoff truly was one of the strongest men in this world, then I needed to see him.
Not read about him.
Not listen to reports.
See him.
Because numbers were nothing without context.
And power? Power was only real when you stood close enough to feel it.
I turned from the window and walked toward the center of the Central Hall, where HIME stood among softly glowing data streams. Her expression was calm as always—serene, composed—but the faint flicker in her eyes told me she already knew what I was about to say.
"Ren-sama," she began cautiously, "you have that look again."
I smirked. "Which look?"
"The 'I'm-about-to-do-something-dangerous-and-pretend-it's-research' look."
…
Okay, maybe she knew me too well.
"I just want to confirm something," I said, crossing my arms. "I need to know what level of power we're actually dealing with in this world. And what better way than to witness one of their strongest fighters in person?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You mean Gazeff Stronoff."
"Exactly."
"Ren-sama," she said slowly, "that's too risky. We don't yet know if resurrection magic functions here the same way it did in Yggdrasil. If you were to die—"
I cut her off with a raised hand. "If I die, then I die dramatically and leave a very well-documented corpse. But it won't happen."
"Ren-sama…"
I smiled faintly. "Come on, HIME. You know me. I've survived worse odds. Besides—" I tapped my chest lightly, where faint mana pulsed beneath my divine armor—"I'm not just a player anymore. I'm a World Enemy. My stats alone are leagues above any normal entity in this world."
Her gaze softened, but she still looked unconvinced.
"Confidence and recklessness often sound similar when spoken aloud."
"True," I admitted, "but confidence has better results."
"That's debatable."
I chuckled under my breath. There's the sass I programmed her with.
"I'll take precautions," I said finally. "I'm not just rushing in blind. For starters—"
I waved my hand, and a faint light flickered as a World-Class Item materialized in front of me—a flat crystalline disk etched with luminous runes.
The Grand Atlas.
Its surface shimmered faintly like liquid glass, then unfolded midair, displaying a topographical projection of an entire region—complete with glowing motes representing every living being within range.
"With this," I said, pointing at the map, "I'll be able to track every single entity within a radius of a hundred kilometers. Their positions, their movement patterns, their mana signatures. Nothing can sneak up on me."
HIME arched an eyebrow.
"That's one way to cheat at survival."
"Not cheating," I corrected with a grin. "It's called superior preparedness."
"Of course, Ren-sama."
"But," I continued, "I'll add one more layer of safety."
I snapped my fingers. My body began to shimmer, melting into waves of dark light as my form shifted. The familiar sensation of racial reconfiguration flooded through me—the kind of surreal, almost weightless feeling that came from changing what you were at a fundamental level.
My skin turned ashen gray. My limbs elongated, thin and sinewy, bones creaking audibly like stretching metal. My eyes sank into deep sockets that glowed faint green, and when I exhaled, a faint mist escaped my lips.
My hearing sharpened until I could pick up the sound of mana currents flowing through the walls. The faintest vibration in the air sang like distant strings.
Within seconds, the transformation was complete.
From a human-looking Doppelgänger, I had become one of my saved racial templates—Zombie Ear-Eyes Corpse, a rare undead sensor-type race specialized in long-distance data collection and sensory detection.
"Ugh, I forgot how weird this body," I muttered, flexing my skeletal fingers. "Feels like my bones are humming."
HIME tilted her head slightly, studying me.
"Your form is… unsettling, Ren-sama."
I grinned, revealing a row of perfectly symmetrical, faintly glowing teeth. "Flattery will get you everywhere."
"The Ear-Eyes Corpse is efficient for reconnaissance," she admitted. "But I still recommend backup. Even with your current abilities, the unknown variable of this world remains significant."
I sighed dramatically. "You're not going to let me have fun alone, are you?"
"No."
She raised her hand, and a golden portal flared to life beside her—a swirling gateway inscribed with runes of Nidavellir. The air hummed like struck metal as a deep, rhythmic sound echoed from within the light.
When the glow dimmed, something stepped through.
The floor trembled slightly as he emerged: Korr, the Automaton Tank of Nidavellir.
I'd built him long ago, alongside HIME, as the first line of defense for the sanctum's middle levels.
Korr stood three meters tall, his frame a masterpiece of metal and mana. His body was constructed from layered adamantine plating, etched with runes that pulsed with a soft blue glow. His face resembled a knight's helm—smooth and featureless, save for a single vertical slit where his eyes glowed white-hot.
His shoulders were massive, each carved with sigils representing defense and endurance. Thick power conduits—glowing tubes of mana energy—ran across his arms and spine like veins of light.
When he moved, every step resonated with a low thunk, as though the air itself respected his weight.
On his back was a massive tower shield, nearly twice my height, forged from divine-tier alloy known as Heartsilver, capable of absorbing kinetic and magical impact with equal ease. His left arm carried a warhammer the size of a carriage wheel, faintly crackling with blue electricity.
Yeah.
He was exactly as intimidating as I remembered.
Korr knelt the moment he saw me, the impact of his motion sending a faint vibration through the marble floor.
"Master," his voice rumbled like distant thunder. "Korr of Nidavellir, reporting as summoned. How may I serve?"
I waved my skeletal hand lightly. "Relax, Korr. You're not under attack. You're just going to be my walking wall for a bit."
His head tilted slightly. "Walking… wall?"
"Bodyguard," HIME clarified delicately.
Korr turned toward her and bowed again. "Understood, Sub-Core Administrator. I will protect the Guild Master with all operational capacity."
"And you will listen to orders, Korr," HIME added with emphasis. "Ren-sama does not need heroics. Your function is defense."
"I will comply."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're really making me sound fragile, you know that?"
"It's called 'responsible leadership,' Ren-sama."
"Sounds a lot like babysitting," I muttered.
"A term that fits remarkably well," she said without missing a beat.
Despite my mock annoyance, I couldn't help but smile.
The truth was, she wasn't wrong. I might be overconfident sometimes, but HIME's caution was what kept me alive long enough to make those mistakes safely.
And with Korr along for the ride? Yeah. Even if I somehow stumbled into an army, I'd probably just bounce off him.
"All right," I said finally, stretching my neck until it cracked. "We've got a plan. I'll use the Map of Insight to track Gazeff's movements. Once I find him, we observe—quietly. No direct contact unless necessary."
"Understood, Ren-sama," HIME said, her tone softening slightly. "Still… please be careful. You may be strong, but this world doesn't follow the same rules anymore."
I smiled faintly, a quiet hum escaping my lips. "You sound worried."
"That's because I am."
That made me pause for half a second.
I turned toward her holographic form and nodded once. "Then I'll come back in one piece. That's a promise."
"Promises are variables, Ren-sama. But… I will hold you to it."
Korr straightened to his full height, shield humming with contained power.
"Ready when you are, Guild Master."
I grinned, the faint green light in my eyes flickering brighter. "Let's go, then. Time to meet a so-called hero."
As the teleportation sigil began to form beneath our feet, I felt a rush of excitement spark in my chest—the same rush I used to feel back in the early days of Yggdrasil, when every discovery meant danger, and every danger meant fun.
New world, new rules, I thought, smirking as light consumed us. Let's see what kind of game you're playing, Gazeff Stronoff.
End of Chapter 52 – The Steel Sentinel