Those time travelers that year

Ciel Gretel/Earthling/♂

LV? ??

HP 1 million / 1 million

MP? ??

……

Everyone was stunned by the incredible 1 million HP displayed on the panel.

The next thought that immediately comes to mind is, "Did the dungeon boss glitch out and escape?" or "Holy crap, is the GM here? There's an NPC cheating!"

"There's a saying—'If you don't court death, you won't die…' In an instant, Ciel's figure, accompanied by some black smoke, appeared in front of Demiquas. "But conversely, if someone courts death, then they are bound to die!"

"Get out of my way!" Startled by Ciel's sudden appearance, Demiquas quickly raised his gauntlet-clad fist, attempting to punch Ciel. However, just as he was swinging his fist to use his skill, a debuff took effect. He rolled the dice, failed the judgment, his attack was ineffective, his skill failed to be released, and he was forced into a stun.

Then he saw a chilling blade of light, which easily depleted his HP and instantly killed him! He turned into shattered light points and scattered in all directions. If he had known what terrible fate awaited him after that, he probably would have wanted to die. But unfortunately, he didn't know. So, as darkness fell, Demiquas went to reload his save and resurrect.

349. The crushing power of mounts

After killing Demiquas, the president of the writing guild who was actually a bandit leader, with a single blow, the matter here was over. The remaining members of the Brigantia Guild panicked and ran away, but most of them were chased down and hacked to death by Charles.

I imagine that once they reload their saves and are resurrected, a truly spectacular drama will unfold on the other side of the Great Temple. I just wonder if anyone will get the last drop of blood.

The thought of that scene is just too disturbing...

However, this had nothing to do with Charles. He simply wanted to teach these adventurers about the philosophy of life and the principles of being a good person, so that they could gradually walk together on a bright path, with fellow countrymen who would support each other and colleagues with whom they had developed shared interests.

"No mistake! I'm a good person!" Nodding, Charles recalled the process and felt that he hadn't done anything wrong. Helping these young people who had lost their way because of violence to return to the proper order of society—look, this was truly a great deed!

With that thought in mind, Ciel put Rakuyo away and then looked at Shiroe and her group. "...Hmm, what should I say?!" He glanced at the extra cat-man and the red-haired hindrance, paused, and said, "It seems that every time we meet, you guys manage to cause trouble. Come on, give me a piece of your mind!"

"...Ahem, that was just an accident, an accident!" Pushing up her glasses, Shiroe calmly explained under the reflective effect, "Before we came here, we didn't expect the security situation on this side of Susukino to be so bad!"

“It’s more than just bad.” Charles shook his head. “…If Akihabara is just a place where you adventurers have a fun brawl, then this place…” Charles pointed to the city, “is a complete stagnant pool. Whether you’re a land dweller or an adventurer, it’s like you’ve been swept into a black swamp—that must be the inherent weakness of life…”

“Foolishness, patheticness, violence, greed, desire, and—” A sarcastic smile appeared on Charles’s face, “Arrogance!”

……

According to Shiroe, they came here to bring this slow-moving rookie, a druid girl named Serara, back to Akihabara. The cat-man named Meguta, a sword thief, was Shiroe and Naotsugu's original teammate and was called the class president.

Moreover, now that Shiroe and her group had completed their mission from afar, they had no intention of staying in the city long-term. Similarly, after wandering around the city, Sharl didn't feel there was anything worth lingering for; in terms of scenery, it wasn't even as good as Akihabara!

Anyway, those Charles who had been given debuffs and sent back to reload their saves didn't want to see the naked gymnastics dance that was about to happen or was already happening at the Great Temple. Although this was the kind of method that could cause significant psychological damage and dual pollution to their mental and personality if they couldn't actually kill these Prells without blocking the world.

But that doesn't mean Ciel has to go and observe in person! His sexual orientation is perfectly normal, and this is just a clone. His real body is still at home with a soft, feminine girl by his side, and he has no desire to embark on a philosophical path.

So Ciel followed suit, leaving without a care in the world, leaving behind a large group of men who are now dancing together at the Great Temple's resurrection point... plus streaking, striding forward on Billy King's philosophical path.

So, at the sound of the whistle, Shiro and the others summoned the griffins. However, this time, Charles wasn't going to hitch a ride with them. Instead, he snapped his fingers, and a deafening clap of thunder echoed across the sky. A bolt of lightning flashed through the previously dense clouds, tearing through the clouds and striking down from the heavens.

The lightning bolt shook the heavens and the earth, and the griffins that had just descended from the sky cried out in alarm, flapping their wings in panic, almost causing Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Nyanta, who were holding the reins, to let go.

However, thanks to their LV90 character attributes, they managed to hold onto the griffin's reins, preventing the flying mounts from escaping. Then, they all looked in astonishment at the spot where the lightning had struck. About ten meters away, the lightning bolt had crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. And at that moment, from within the dust, a burly figure burst forth, accompanied by lightning and thunder, and arrived before Sharl.

It was a magnificent horse, a creature far beyond what Cheng Hui and the others had imagined.

In the flash of lightning, a majestic steed appeared before my eyes, as imposing as a mountain. It was clad in heavy armor, etched with intricate metallic patterns. Its white coat, shimmering like crystal, seemed to float and dance on its mane like living microorganisms.

Eight powerful horse legs stomped heavily on the ground, crushing the frozen soil. With each stomp, a small burst of lightning would erupt from the ground. It could be said that the entire horse was constantly treading on lightning. Every movement brought lightning, and with every neigh, the mask on the horse's face would spew out fine sparks of electricity.

Compared to this magnificent steed that arrived amidst thunder, the griffins summoned by Shiroe and his companions were utterly pathetic. Indeed, when the eight-legged steed appeared, treading on lightning, the griffins summoned by Shiroe and his companions seemed to have encountered some terrifying being. They didn't dare to move, folding their wings, crawling on the ground, and even lowering their heads, completely unable to look at the steed.

Although these griffins were rewards that Shiroe and her companions received for completing a challenge mission in the past, and these griffins were equally formidable, showing no fear even when facing the steel-winged dragons they encountered on the way here, they chickened out here.

However, Cheng Hui and the others felt they understood why the griffins were so cowardly, because when the eight-legged steed appeared in front of them, the kind system immediately popped up and showed Cheng Hui and the others the horse's identification.

Of course, even without seeing the ID, they could guess what kind of horse it was. An eight-legged steed—anyone who's read Norse mythology knows that.

Pegasus Sleibnir/Mount

LV? ??

HP50000000 / 50000000

MP? ? ? /? ? ?

……

This is the horse's "identity card" presented to them. Without a doubt, this horse is a boss-level monster. Its HP of 50 million, while not as astonishing as the 100 million displayed by Xia Er, is only 50 million less.

And Sleibnir, the winged horse... isn't it the mount of Odin, the king of the gods in Norse mythology?!

That's right, both its name and appearance are exactly as described in mythology. And so, this divine horse appeared before us, accompanied by a thunderbolt, carrying an aura that oppresses all living beings, its neighing accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Then, Shiroe, Naotsugu, Nyanta, and Akatsuki all looked at Sharl with the eyes of someone looking at a GM. Except for Sera, who had just experienced Sharl's wide-ranging aura and had been hit with a bunch of debuffs and was still recovering, Sera was completely dazed when she saw this eight-legged steed riding on lightning.

They all simultaneously wondered to themselves, 'Could this guy be Odin?'

350. Interlude 1

Let Shiro and the others guess his identity as they pleased. He didn't care at all. No matter how much they guessed, could they possibly guess that what he was doing here was just an avatar?! So he paid no attention to the eyes of these 'mortals'. He skillfully mounted Sleibnir's back, pulled the reins, and Sleibnir neighed and leaped into the air, riding on lightning as it galloped into the sky.

By this time, the griffins had recovered and were finally able to be ridden by Shiroe and the others. However, the griffins that had taken off again refused to rise any higher and remained far below Sleibnir's galloping griffins.

This left Cheng Hui and his companions feeling helpless. Although as top-tier players, they possessed flying mounts that even adventurers rarely had, allowing them to look down on the vast majority of struggling players. However, compared to this, the eight-legged steed riding on lightning was far superior in both appearance and substance, making them realize firsthand what the refined taste of the wealthy truly meant!

Even a single horse could be a boss-level monster capable of wiping out an entire group of adventurers in Akihabara. Moreover, in mythology, Odin was the one who could ride this celestial horse, Sleibnir. And for the first time, Sharl's identity aroused deep suspicion among the group.

His terrifyingly powerful personal attributes, the ability to effortlessly annihilate top adventurers and boss monsters, his mastery of magic and formidable melee combat skills… coupled with his nonchalant attitude towards everything and that underlying sense of superiority, all made them wonder: Could this guy really be Odin?! Or perhaps, the final boss or a core NPC of the new version?

In any case, Sharl is a monster they cannot defeat. This mythical monster, which can be considered a world boss, would probably require players from all over the world to fight against it in the gaming era, rather than a team of five or twenty people going into a dungeon to win.

The flying mounts didn't last long; they would disappear once the time was up. This forced Shiro and the others to land before their flying mounts expired and find a place to rest. However, Slybnil, ridden by Sharl, didn't have this problem. It could gallop through the sky without stopping. In fact, if Sharl hadn't been so bored that he had Shiro and the others following behind, he would have already accelerated the horse to supersonic speeds, or even teleported it like a lightning bolt.

……

Meanwhile, while Ciel's avatar continued its pleasant journey, in another world—the world where Ciel's true self resided—the changes brought about by the reincarnators were quietly taking effect after enough time had passed.

Let's start by talking about the vanguard. The vanguard, who were planning a big operation, attacked the church one after another, catching the sanctuary and the church off guard. In addition, they directly defeated the sanctuary's punitive expedition and killed two Templar Knights who were holding holy artifacts. For a time, the entire main world and the hidden underworld began to boil wildly.

For the first time in hundreds of years, the sanctuary and the church were at a disadvantage and showed unprecedented weakness. As a result, many demons and monsters who had been suppressed by the sanctuary and the church and were almost suffocating quickly emerged and began to stir up trouble.

Just as the Sanctuary and the Church were caught off guard, the vanguard team that had been attacking the Church suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving no trace whatsoever. It was as if they had simply disappeared from the face of the earth. The Sanctuary was forced to simultaneously send forces to suppress the troublemakers and begin tracking down the vanguard team.

However, as the saying goes, it's easy to guard against a thief within your own household, but difficult to guard against one's own.

Unbeknownst to everyone, in the imperial capital, Duke Arliut's villa, Zavisa, his body wrapped in bandages, was smiling as he spoke with Old Wu, the captain of the vanguard.

With Zavisa's cover, the vanguard easily evaded the Holy Temple's pursuit and infiltrated the capital. Here, the Holy Temple's reach was limited, as was that of the Church. No one knew that Zavisa, who had been fighting tooth and nail just moments before, had suddenly begun cooperating with his former enemies.

Both sides share the same goal: Zavisha wants to completely overthrow the Empire and the Church, while the vanguard plans to take this opportunity to complete its mission and, incidentally, bury the other reincarnation teams.

Both of these have one prerequisite: that the empire must begin a civil war.

Soon, on a dark and windy night when the moon was obscured, Lao Wu, the captain of the vanguard squad, and Lao Wang, the vice-captain, walked out of their hideout in the capital and went in two different directions.

——————————Divider Line——————————

Sid Grete, the heir to the current Earl Grete, is legally Ciel Grete's brother by the same bloodline. Sir, the latter has already ascended to become an evil god and is currently sending his clones to wreak havoc on other worlds, while the real Ciel is enjoying a relaxing life in his villa with his sister.

However, the former's life wasn't so good! First, his girlfriend was labeled a cult member, which severely damaged the reputation of the entire Grete family. The subsequent assassination attempt further tarnished the Grete family's reputation.

If it weren't for the fact that the current Earl of Grete is still alive and well, holding an important position in the capital and upholding the family's reputation, the Grete family's fate would be predictable. No noble family is any good; even within the same faction, they're quicker than anyone to kick someone when they're down.

But now, we've finally gotten through the most difficult period...

Especially after he became involved with the daughter of another count, it seemed that the two families had the intention of forming an alliance, and so, not long ago, they got engaged. At the same time, Count Gretel also used his connections to help his heir obtain a civil service position in the capital, which can be regarded as the first step for Sid into politics.

With his luck turning around, Sid Gretel regained his confidence and began to devote himself to his career and love life, reaping considerable rewards in both.

Whenever he thought of this, Sid couldn't help but feel disdain for Ciel, who had been banished to the territory for so long. All of this should have belonged to Ciel Gretel, but Ciel gave it up through his actions. And now, all of this, including the future title of Earl, would belong to him.

Unfortunately, neither Sid nor Earl Grete knew Ciel's current identity—even disregarding his unknown status as an evil god. The events that had transpired within Earl Grete's territory in the underworld were truly terrifying.

It even became a forbidden area in the supernatural world, because any extraordinary person who entered it would disappear without a trace, without exception.

Count Gretel, who had neither entered nor known this circle, nor his heirs, were unaware of all this. Similarly, there were other individuals who were also unaware, thus unknowingly bringing themselves closer and closer to death.

That night, Sid took his fiancée to the opera house in the capital, intending to enjoy a musical feast.

Log Horizon won't be covered in detail. Although the author himself really likes this anime, it has to be said that aside from the teamwork aspect, it's not as action-packed as Sword Art Online, even though I prefer this one. Therefore, there won't be much to say about it.

By the way, I've already written a 3,000-word Marvel side story. Should I post it? Or should I wait until I've accumulated more side stories before posting it? If you want to read it right away, just say so. If you want to wait for the drafts, just say "okay." That's all.

351. Interlude 2

Every seat was filled with gentlemen and nobles from the country's high society. This was a temple of elegance and art, and those who sat here to enjoy the music were the ruling class of the nation.

This is the opera house in the capital, and tonight, as usual, a performance is taking place after a week's hiatus. Elegant music, accompanied by the orchestra and conductor, resonates throughout the opera house.

Meanwhile, in one of the opera house boxes, Sid, who had brought his fiancée to this musical extravaganza, was not paying attention to the concert. Instead, he sat absentmindedly on the sofa in the box.

"Darling!" His fiancée, noticing Sid's distracted expression, tugged at his sleeve, then wrapped her arms around him and asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

“…Um, oh, no, that’s not it!” Sid was taken aback when he realized what was happening, and then quickly replied, “I was just, well, too absorbed in the music.”

"really?"

"Of course!" Sid nodded in response to his fiancée's question. "It's nothing. I'm probably just too tired from work. I got so absorbed in the music that I couldn't pull myself away..."

After calming his fiancée down, Sid quickly turned his gaze to the outside of the private room, but his mind was elsewhere. A bad feeling lingered around him, a strange unease that Sid found utterly perplexing.

However, this unease deepened, forcing him to consider whether he had recently offended any powerful figures. But after much thought, even though he had entered politics, he was still just a nobody, and with his father protecting him, who would want to be at odds with a nobody like him?

Could it be something else?

Suddenly, Sid recalled the power struggles and assassinations he had read about in some historical biographies, and a chill ran down his spine. He had seized his position as heir from his elder brother, who had long since been slinked away (in his own opinion) to his territory, and Sid was now destined to live under his influence.

But there's no guarantee his brother won't harbor resentment and try to reclaim everything using traditional aristocratic methods! Especially after the previous assassination attempt against the Grete family—while there was no news from the territory itself, there were reports of assassins who had infiltrated the territory being captured…

I didn't notice it before, but now that I think about it... could this be his brother's doing?

Suddenly realizing this, Sid's face turned icy. Putting himself in Sid's shoes, he felt that he would never give up everything that was once within his grasp, and would definitely use extremely drastic means to seize it.

Especially upon further reflection, his elder brother, Charles Gretel, had been in the territory for many years now, and he hadn't seen Charles for just as long. Charles, in turn, hadn't returned to the Earl's mansion in the capital for quite some time either. Although the family still maintained control over the earldom, it was hard to say that over such a long period, his brother might have been secretly taking control of the earldom little by little.

Although tax and other documents have never failed to be transmitted from the territory to the capital... there's still no guarantee.

If Charles truly intended to secretly control the earldom, he might have had the opportunity to do so after all this time. After all, he was the eldest son, and in terms of traditional status, Charles still held a slight advantage over Sid. There was no guarantee that there wouldn't be some die-hard loyalists within the territory who would kneel before him. Furthermore, the fact that the heir was the second son rather than the eldest was a rare occurrence among the nobility.