Even as I was in the middle of martial arts training, I couldn’t afford to stop writing. If I were to halt now, the demonic worshippers might take advantage of the situation and grow bolder.

Rumors were already starting to spread that I had gone into semi-seclusion. If I were to stop writing altogether, it would practically be an invitation for another attack.

Being cooped up inside the house all the time wasn’t the safest option either. In the worst-case scenario, they might resort to bombarding the house with magic.

It might seem excessive, but after the last attack, I realized something important: when it comes to anything related to demonic worshippers, you have to assume the worst possible scenario.

These are the same people who paralyzed the hearts of innocent bystanders just to target me. If it means capturing me, they wouldn’t hesitate to rain down a meteor.

Fortunately, their influence had waned considerably since the death of Cardinal Vark, but that didn’t mean I could let my guard down.

I had to continue building my strength slowly while maintaining my writing. Staying holed up inside for too long was a risky gamble in its own right.

While security measures were thorough—befitting a fantasy world—they weren’t foolproof. There were plenty of assassins who could bypass even the best defenses.

I didn’t need to look far for proof; Rain had effortlessly infiltrated our mansion. From the perspective of elves and demons, human magic was like the work of a newborn child.

For that reason, my father informed me that our mansion was currently undergoing remodeling. It was apparently a bizarre collaboration between elves and demons.

The security magic installed in the dormitory was excellent, even by their standards, so I wasn’t too worried. Still, precautions were necessary.

"Why does it feel like the ending is taking forever?"

I thought the story was nearing its conclusion, but it had ended up growing longer than expected. Starting with Volume 26, the war had finally begun in earnest, revealing hidden elven myths along the way.

This led to the battle between Zenon’s group and Pride in Volume 27. But there were a lot of dull moments, which left me dissatisfied.

So, I started adding various elements, creating many excellent scenes and smoothing out the progression. Being a war arc, the story naturally expanded.

"There were plenty of great moments for everyone."

I made sure to include iconic scenes for each race, as these were the highlights that absolutely had to be in the story.

As the story marched toward its conclusion, I ensured each race had moments that would resonate deeply with readers. This wasn’t a choice; it was a necessity.

Humans were portrayed with their relentless perseverance. Elves and demons showcased their majestic magical battles. Dark elves and demon hunters displayed precise, disciplined movements. Beastkin brought forth their spirited charges, and dwarves…

"It’s their weaponry, isn’t it?"

Although dwarves could fight directly, their reputation as master craftsmen made it more fitting for them to create strategic or tactical weapons.

For example, they could develop cannons with incredible firepower or perhaps golems equipped with artificial intelligence.

Gunpowder had already been invented, so it wasn’t implausible. While I wasn’t well-versed in military matters, gunpowder existing in this era wasn’t particularly strange.

Although magic tended to overshadow it as a tactical weapon, gunpowder was mass-producible and highly useful for ordinary soldiers. After all, no matter how many knights you train, it’s nearly impossible for a regular human to take down a monster—let alone an ogre.

Just like in my previous life, where firearms elevated humanity to the top of the food chain, weaponry here played a significant role in driving back monsters.

Sure, there were people far more powerful than any weapon, but that was a discussion for another time.

"A golem would be perfect."

When you think of fantasy, you think of golems as strategic weapons. While they sometimes appear as ancient relics in other stories, this world doesn’t seem to have anything like that.

Golems here were powered by artificial intelligence. They were expensive to produce but incredibly effective in performance.

In a world where even steam locomotives existed, it wasn’t impossible to create golems powered by engines. And if someone questioned the AI, I could always explain it as being enhanced by magic. People would probably dive into theories just like they did with Mary’s magic.

"Does it really matter?"

The true beneficiaries of technological advancement aren’t the elites but the ordinary people who have to solve every problem manually.

Although the golems in the book were invented for wartime use, war has always been a catalyst for rapid technological development.

This world’s technological and magical progress had also been accelerated by racial wars. Of course, the demons had secretly passed on their magical knowledge, but humanity had made it its own.

Thus, it wasn’t entirely implausible. And once the story got out, everyone would probably scramble to build their own.

"The real issue is that it might actually be used as a war weapon."

In the past, I might have been uneasy about this. However, once Zenon’s Biography concludes, my next project is set to be about Earth’s Second World War.

With that in mind, introducing golems here seems trivial by comparison. Even if someone were to invent them in real life, it would only serve to advance mechanized civilization.

Over time, golems could be repurposed for agriculture or monster control. I just needed to write without overthinking it.

"Didn’t Luminous once mention dwarves dragging tanks into battle?"

I paused my writing to recall the events of the exhibition. Ains, the magic engine inventor, along with his two equally eccentric colleagues, had left quite an impression.

It wouldn’t be surprising if their curiosity led them to invent tanks eventually. Given Luminous’ prophecy, the odds seemed high.

"The world is becoming stranger, isn’t it?"

This world’s development was already unbalanced. They had refrigerators and air conditioners, yet considered steam locomotives to be absurd inventions.

I assumed this cultural bias favored magic over technology. If highly advanced science became indistinguishable from magic, the reverse could also hold true.

Upon reflection, the development of machines seemed inevitable, whether or not I wrote about it. Even Luminous had told me that I was merely accelerating what was bound to happen.

"But there’s one important thing left."

I twirled my pen as I stared at the blank section of my manuscript. Volume 27 was nearly complete, but one thing continued to trouble me: the name of the allied forces opposing the demons.

Some might say I could name it anything. But this was a war for the survival of the world.

There are those iconic moments in fantasy where the protagonist rallies their allies with a battle cry: “For [X]!” That one shout elevates morale to its peak and overwhelms the enemy in a spectacular highlight.

A scene like that was planned for Volume 27, yet I couldn’t decide on a fitting name.

"The names of planets from Earth’s history were derived from ancient languages..."

Given this world’s 3,000-year history, its languages had also evolved significantly. While there was now a standardized common language, remnants of ancient dialects persisted, mainly among long-lived races like elves and demons.

Using an old dictionary would suffice, but weaving the name into the narrative would require careful thought.

Of course, I could simply skip the name and go with a generic “Charge!” But for the sake of impact, a name was necessary.

"How did they come up with such great names for planets?"

Even the planets that came to mind had names with a certain gravitas. A name could make or break the impression, so it had to be chosen carefully.

I tapped my pen against the pre-printed manuscript, staring at the blank space I had deliberately left in the middle.

I had postponed it to avoid rushing, but here I was, near the finish line, still stuck.

"Maybe I could base it on the name of Hirt, the goddess of nature?"

Taking inspiration from Hirt’s name wouldn’t be out of place. After all, she represented nature and the essence of this world. Who could object?

"Let’s modify Hirt slightly and..."

Just as I pressed my pen to the paper—

Rumble, rumble—

"Huh?"

A faint tremor rippled through the room. I lifted my pen and glanced around.

Though it lasted less than a second, it was unmistakably an earthquake—similar to the one I’d experienced during my fever.

"What’s going on?"

"Isaac, did you feel that?" My father emerged from the training room, where he had been working with Adelia. He was dressed lightly, his training interrupted.

I nodded. "Yes, it felt like an earthquake."

"Hmm… There was another one recently. Anyway, understood."

With that, he returned to his training. I offered him a brief word of encouragement before turning back to my writing.

Once again, I moved my pen to write a name inspired by Hirt—

Rumble, rumble—

"..."

Was the world telling me not to write it? Hesitantly, I lifted my pen, and the tremor ceased.

Out of curiosity, I tried again, bringing the pen back to the page—

RUMBLE, RUMBLE!

This time, the dormitory shook with greater intensity.

"Isaac! Evacuate immediately!"
"Master, please head outside quickly—!"

"..."

I had no idea what was going on. It seemed I would need to visit the temple to inquire about this.

***

Three days later...

A letter arrived from Alvenheim:

“A gift for Zenon has been prepared.”

It seemed I now had a reason to step outside my blanket.