To the children, the battle with the demons was harsh and cruel. Without Yumir's support, they would have been wiped out in the first battle. No matter how talented they were, even though they were newtypes over level 100 and under 5 years of age, there was an insurmountable wall between them and the demons.
Despite that, they emerged victorious in the first battle. It was because Yumir was holding the fort behind them.
"pant pant...."
"Master, did the monster die?"
"Yeah, it died. You got experience, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"That's the definite proof. Dad said so."
Replied Yumir, looking at the demon that no longer moved. Then he looked at the army, which had suffered no casualties in the battle just now.
"Fuu, fuu….."
"I feel like I'm dying. My legs hurt so much."
"Hing, my stomach hurts so much."
The children all collapsed on the ground and panted. Their faces were all thick with fatigue and pain.
However, Yumir thought that this was a big success. Although the casualties would have been massive had he not interfered at the right time, all the members of the army had survived. Everyone had survived and was shared in the demon's records and experience.
"Did you all level up?"
"Yeah."
"Although not as much as the hero….. We became a little stronger."
This was the first time Yumir didn't deliver the final blow to the monster. Although it was a difficult and arduous battle, satisfaction was evident among the children. Levelling up via direct battle gave them an incomparable sense of accomplishment compared to eating the monster meat.
"But you need to do better."
Just as when the children were drunk in battle, blood, victory, and pain, Yumir's cold voice seeped into their ears.
"You need to survive. To survive without me, you aren't good enough right now."
"Where is the hero going?"
"I need to be with Dad. He will look for me sometime. I'll strengthen you until that time."
"We want to follow you!"
The children who were in pain on the ground all jumped up and shouted at once after hearing Yumir's words. However, Yumir shook his head.
"You're too weak. No matter how much you train, you're weak."
Yumir thought that anyone could become as strong as the four elves under Yu IlHan if they trained for 2 years, but he had placed his expectations too high. Although the growth rates of the newtypes here were very fast, in Yumir's judgement, even that was too slow.
It was good that they were levelling up fast and were becoming able to use stronger abilities. However, their will to battle was less than their abilities, and, decisively, their skill proficiency was lower than their level, since they were levelling up too fast. The disadvantage was very recognizable to Yu IlHan and the elves who trained for a long time.
"Eeeek."
Yumir's merciless words seemed to have hurt them. From their point of view, they'd worked to death, but they were still given such a cold judgement! Yumir's evaluations were not very delicate, and anyone who heard his words- no, anyone at those ages would naturally be stubborn and not accept it.
However.
"We can become stronger!"
"I'll become stronger and follow the hero!"
"You can't leave me behind!"
The newtypes were different. All of their standards had become the same as Yumir's, since they had spent the majority of their short lifetimes with him! Of course, the effects of the Rule skill were significant as well, but the mental influence on all of them stemmed from Yumir's ability, personality, and the special environment here.
"...You want to become stronger?"
"Yeah!"
"Stronger!"
Perhaps the flames of battle hadn't yet gone off, as many passionate voices could be heard here and there. Everyone was looking at Yumir. Right now, they looked like they didn't feel any more pain and were all looking towards Yumir with resolved eyes.
However, Yumir was at a loss. The reason he took care of these kids was to follow in his dad's footsteps and to help them live on their own. So, it was very unexpected for him that they wanted to go with him.
"Okay."
However, he would be disqualified as a dragon if he rejected them all when they wanted to follow him. Yumir nodded as they wished.
Of course, even he didn't know that the children were still unable to reason rationally, or that they couldn't part so easily as they were linked by the Rule skill. Yumir was still a kid after all.
"Then it will become even more difficult. We'll go even faster now."
"Ok!"
"We'll try our best, master!"
"Definitely!"
The children's resolve filled the lands. Yumir stiffly nodded and spoke.
"But don't die. Dying is a sad thing."
"Got it!"
Yumir was also satisfied with their loud replies. The army rested for 30 more minutes and departed after they recovered their full strength.
From the time they went on dungeon hunting for real, the children were not allowed sleep time. All fatigue would be dissolved if they levelled up before they died from over-exhaustion.
Of course, the mental stress would remain, but the members of the army endured it all with the will and resolve to stay with Yumir. This was a technique that Yu IlHan used frequently in the past and was also observed during Yumir's growth.
How can children who are barely over level 100 undergo such intense training? Of course, that was thanks to the enormous experience points they earned from their enemies, the perverted demons. Under Yumir's lead, they could easily do anything if they managed to kill those demons in a short time span.
Yumir tested their talents, efforts, and tenacity, and the children all followed him even as they cried tears of blood. This could be considered very cruel training, and it was amazing that there were no dropouts.
When that continued for several months, the lowest-level children reached level 120, and the highest one even reached level 144. The perverted demons were, in actuality, the perfect present to those able to hunt them!
"I will definitely, definitely go with the hero!"
And just who was the level 144? It was one of the girls who always tried to stick next to Yumir. Rather than royalty, it was more akin to romantic interest, and she had a passionate, direct, unrequited love even though she was 5 years old!
"Yeah, you should do. But put in more effort."
"Okay!"
Of course, Yumir, ignorant of the matters between a man and a woman, only praised and encouraged the child, thinking she had enough potential and effort, but that only poured oil on the fire. Now, she looked like she would kill every demon in sight.
However, unfortunately for her, and fortunately for Yumir, who didn't want the children to be in danger,
the dungeon was liberated on Earth in exactly 30 minutes.
"Hm."
Of course, the first one to realize the change was Yumir. It was because the world as a whole where they were was trembling, and mana was trembling here and there.
"Everyone, stop moving."
The 9,300 children proceeding secretly all stopped on the spot. Yumir gathered them in one spot and changed to dragon form just in case. It was because he was stronger in dragon form than in human form.
[No….. wait.]
When he changed into a dragon, his senses became even more acute, and he could analyze the properties of the trembling mana. And thanks to that, Yumir realized one thing.
[It's mixing.]
"What's mixing, master?"
"Hero, how long do we need to stand still?"
The children all called for him, calling him hero or master. However, Yumir was confused by the sudden change in the situation, was happy, and was in no state to listen to them.
Yumir eventually dispelled his transformation and returned to human form. While the children watched him in confusion, he looked up at the sky and saw that its colour was changing.
No, even the sky was mixing. The red, stuffy sky of hell and the blue, clear sky outside.
"We're out."
Whispered Yumir in a small voice. And his voice became louder in an instant.
"We're out!"
"What's out, hero?"
"It's Earth!"
The mana, the sky, the land – everything was mixing with Earth! The dungeon's boundaries were collapsing as if it were never there and was being mixed with Earth!
Yumir was sure that it was Yu IlHan that caused this. His dad came looking for him; there was no mistake about it!
And his conviction was answered.
"What's that?"
"Hero, a huge thing is flying in the sky!"
"Wow, so cool. Look at those mirrors!"
It looked like a castle in the sky. Moreover, rotating mirrors enveloped it as if guarding it, and once in a while, they gathered in one spot to shoot a strong beam of energy. Every time that happened, he could feel the liberated demons being obliterated.
"What's that, so scary."
"Wouldn't it attack us too?"
"H, hero~."
The children dispersed from formation in fear before the immense power, but Yumir didn't mind. He knew that the person he was looking for so much was inside that castle!
"Dad!"
Yumir's shouts filled the sky. Yu IlHan, who was also busy cleaning up the dungeon's demons now that the dungeon and the Earth became one again, heard the voice and abruptly raised his head.
"Mir!"
At the same time, the barrier surrounding the flying fortress was dispelled, and Yumir flew into the castle. He quickly caught sight of Yu IlHan's figure and flew over to hug him.
"Dad!"
"Yes, yes."
"Uwaaaaan."
Unbelievable for a commander of an army that wiped out a dungeon for nearly 3 years, Yumir cried very loudly.
Yu IlHan was also very depressed that Yumir had become insanely stronger while he didn't see him, but seeing him crying in his arms, he didn't care anymore.
"It was so hard without you until now."
"I'm sorry, I should have gone to look for you earlier."
"I became stronger, though."
"Yes, well done. You've even got your 4th class."
"But Dad became even stronger."
"Of course, it's Dad we're talking about."
A conversation without context was passing by. However, what was important right now was not the meaning behind those words, but the emotions behind them. That was what was needed right now for the father and son.
[Who's that? It looks like a mini-master. .... and he's exactly my type.]
[Hold it. No one will have feelings towards a building.]
[Same goes for a piece of armour!]
Mystic and Orochi quarrelled like usual, but no one minded them. Any BGM would make this scene emotional!
"Dad."
"Yes, Dad is here."
"Hing, why weren't you there until now?"
"I'm sorry. I really am."
Yu IlHan embraced Yumir until Yumir was satisfied, and Liera only watched the scene from the side. Of course, properly clothed.
"Masterrrrrrr!"
"What do we do? The hero isn't coming back!"
"Uwaaaaaan!"
It took 5 minutes for them to realize the dragon army was absentmindedly looking up at the castle in the sky.