Volume 1, Chapter 69 – Mental Shock

“Anastasia, are there only two of you here?”

While keeping an eye on the four giant jellyfish floating in the hall, Fia moved to join Anastasia. Although Fairy Fire hadn’t killed these massive energy-based jellyfish, it had still dealt some damage. As long as she could inflict damage, Fia wasn’t worried about being unable to defeat them.

So far, Fia had never experienced what it felt like to run out of mana.

“Yes,” Anastasia nodded vigorously. Seeing Fia arrive, her expression visibly relaxed. The sweat on her cheeks and her damp golden hair showed that she had been fighting hard for a while. “Your Highness, how could you come to such a dangerous place?!”

“Never mind me. Answer my question first.”

Though Anastasia clearly wanted to say more, her sense of duty compelled her to respond to Fia first.

“Subordinate Kirill and I originally intended to investigate who was controlling the Unsinkable Moon. But during the investigation, we discovered traces of Her Highness Liti and followed them here. Unexpectedly, we encountered Darkborn who had also invaded the temple. The Darkborn are at their strongest during the New Moon, Your Highness. We must quickly deal with these four Nether Hunters and find Her Highness Liti.”

The so-called Nether Hunters were likely the four energy-based jellyfish floating in the hall.

Fia glanced toward the center of the hall. The jellyfish, known as Nether Hunters, were now all staring at her. Their eerily human-like faces, capable of triggering the uncanny valley effect, were filled with vigilance and hatred.

“I know where Liti is being held. Let’s go find her now.”

“The Nether Hunters can pass through walls. Once we enter narrow passages, it will be difficult for us to fight effectively. The reason my subordinate and the church’s paladins stayed in this hall was to avoid being trapped in tight spaces.”

“Even Your Highness’s Red Lotus of Calamity can barely harm them, Captain. Our only hope lies with the cardinal over there. The church’s faith magic can suppress these ghosts.”

A male elf clad in full armor, named Kirill, pointed to the ceiling at the center of the hall. Hanging directly above the circular training ground was a massive sphere formed entirely of chaos, shaped like a water droplet. Beneath it was a red-robed man whose head had been devoured by chaos, leaving only his lower body exposed.

At first glance, Fia thought the man was already dead, but Wind of Exploration revealed a strong magical reaction, indicating he was still alive.

That must be the cardinal Kirill mentioned.

But could they really pin their hopes on him?

Fia had serious doubts. Rather than relying on a cardinal whose combat capabilities were uncertain, she trusted herself more. The concept of energy-based entities wasn’t unfamiliar to her—they could be dealt with using weapons like plasma blades or electromagnetic shockwaves. Even without such tools at hand, Fia now had other options.

“Now! Paladins, hold off the demon wolves and chaos! Priests, use prayer magic to restrain the Nether Hunters! I’ll deliver the final blow!”

A loud command echoed from the other end of the hall. Like a battle horn, it reignited the chaos in the hall after the brief lull caused by the explosion. Hordes of demon wolves and chaos rushed toward Fia and Anastasia, as if ignoring the paladins entirely, with only a few diverting to delay the knights.

Clearly, Fia was seen as the primary threat.

Additionally, as if directing the demon wolves and chaos, the four Nether Hunters emitted a deep, whale-like cry that sent shivers down one’s spine. Anyone with thalassophobia would likely be terrified out of their wits.

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“They’re coming for us! Kirill, protect Her Highness!”

“Yes!”

Anastasia bent her knees slightly, lowering her stance as she gripped her straight sword. What caught Fia’s attention was the deep cyan glow enveloping the blade, reminiscent of Enchanted Blade used by Claire, though the color was different.

At least fifty demon wolves charged toward Anastasia, while chaos attacked from both the ceiling and the ground. Yet Anastasia merely whispered an incantation and, when the enemies were within five meters, unleashed the accumulated cyan energy with a horizontal slash.

“[Dragon Serpent Slash!]”

The cyan blade of light expanded rapidly, crossing most of the training hall in an instant. The sounds of melting ice and demon wolves’ screams filled the air, though many wolves were bisected before they could even cry out. Anastasia’s attack was like pressing a delete button, wiping out the incoming chaos and demon wolves in one sweep.

As for the chaos attempting to attack from the ceiling, they were frozen by Kirill, who stood beside Fia. However, Kirill’s abilities were clearly inferior to Anastasia’s—he could only immobilize the chaos, not destroy them. Fia had to follow up with several fireballs to clear the ceiling.

Kirill, wearing a helmet, seemed to hesitate when Fia assisted him. Just as Fia was about to ask what was on his mind, the paladins on the other side of the hall finally clashed with the wave of chaos and demon wolves.

If Anastasia’s response was overwhelming, the paladins’ struggle could only be described as arduous.

The demon wolves were incredibly strong—even paladins wielding tower shields were forced back when struck head-on.

Moreover, the wolves’ defenses were formidable. Unless struck directly in the throat or eyes, spears thrust through gaps in the shields merely repelled them, dealing little actual damage. Sparks flew when the spears clashed against the wolves’ black scales.

As for the formless chaos, the priests behind the paladins handled them.

Priests were typically magic casters who used faith-based spells. However, due to depleted mana, the priests opted for defense, casting Prayer Wall to create a golden barrier that shielded them from the chaos while allowing the demon wolves to pass through unimpeded—a peculiar phenomenon.

Now, all that was left was to see how the commander would perform—or perhaps not.

Under the illumination of Fia’s Light spell, she saw the commander being swatted away by a jellyfish’s tentacle. Though the priests had used faith magic to restrain the jellyfish, the power gap between them and the massive creature was still evident.

Fortunately, the commander’s attack wasn’t entirely futile. Fia noticed that just before the jellyfish struck, its body turned from translucent to white. Given that it was an energy-based entity yet could physically interact with the commander, it must have momentarily materialized.

Before the jellyfish could revert to its energy form, Fia decided to test her theory with [Flame Storm].

Setting the coordinates beneath the floating jellyfish, Fia detonated [Flame Storm].

Orange-red light and earth-shaking explosions reappeared. But unlike before, when the spell had merely disrupted the jellyfish’s charge, this time the creature was blown apart like shattered flesh. Chunks of watery white remains splattered against the walls with wet slaps.

The magical reaction vanished entirely—the four jellyfish in the hall were now three.

The plan worked.

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“Cough… cough… Thank you, elf princess! But that spell must have consumed too much mana. These Nether Hunters have no defense against magic—lower-tier spells can also defeat them! I’ll force them to materialize, and you finish them off. Let’s work together to break through!”

Even after being smashed into the wall by the jellyfish, the commander’s voice remained strong, though the blood trickling from his lips betrayed his condition. He wouldn’t survive many more hits like that.

Fia decided to handle it herself.

The paladin’s words had earned her goodwill, but she had no intention of following his suggestion.

Though she now knew the jellyfish’s weakness, waiting for them to materialize before attacking would only waste time. She had more than just Fairy Fire at her disposal.

While chaos was held back by Anastasia and Kirill, Fia quietly began chanting another spell.

The death of their comrade had clearly enraged the remaining three jellyfish. With furious expressions, they dove toward Fia from three directions.

Despite lacking physical form, they emitted a sound like artillery fire.

“[Mental Shock].”

Similar to Claire’s Magic Destruction, an invisible ripple spread outward—one only Fia could see. Though the jellyfish hit by the spell hesitated for half a second, they showed no other reaction and continued their deafening descent.

But Fia’s goal had been achieved.

Mental Shock could indeed affect energy-based entities.

First, weaken them with Mental Shock, then finish them off with Fairy Fire.

Hypercomputation replayed the Mental Shock simulation in Fia’s mind. Unlike elemental magic, this spell didn’t involve combining mana with elements. Instead, it converted mana into another form of energy, compressed it, and then released it explosively.

So then…

Amidst Anastasia and Kirill’s frantic shouts, Fia calculated the angle and radius of Mental Shock in her mind and raised her right hand.

“[Mental Shock]”

Boom—

Anyone observing the dust in the hall would have noticed it suddenly surging like waves under a fierce wind. Corresponding to this was an expanding shockwave. The condensed energy was so dense that the normally invisible Mental Shock manifested as a flash of white light.

By the time the three giant jellyfish realized something was wrong, the spell had already reached them.

Three crisp pops echoed like bursting water balloons.

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As if sliced apart by blades, the jellyfish exploded from within, their translucent blood scattering in all directions.

“Hmm…”

Fia, who had been preparing to finish them off with Fairy Fire, wore a complicated expression.

The spell catalog had explicitly stated that Mental Shock couldn’t kill. Yet here it was, instantly annihilating fourth-tier monsters. Either the spell had a special effect on energy-based entities, or Hypercomputation had over-enhanced it.

She had thought she’d acquired a useful non-lethal spell.

Until she understood different creatures’ resistances to Mental Shock, she’d better avoid using it recklessly on humans. If she accidentally turned a minor offender into a vegetable, it would be troublesome.

“Uh…”

“Am… am I dreaming? Your Highness, what spell was that just now…?”

Anastasia and Kirill stood frozen, their outstretched hands hanging awkwardly in the air. Both had been ready to shield Fia with their bodies, yet she had resolved the crisis with just a wave of her hand.

Three fourth-tier Nether Hunters—even a fifth-tier holy magic caster would need a prolonged battle to defeat them. Yet Fia had killed them instantly with an unheard-of spell, skipping the incantation entirely.

Realizing she had done something extraordinary, Fia suppressed her surprise and maintained her regal, expressionless demeanor.

“Keep it quiet. Let’s go save Liti.”

“Yes!”

At the mention of Liti, Anastasia and Kirill’s expressions turned grave.

As for the paladins—Fia glanced at the other end of the hall, where they were still locked in combat with chaos and demon wolves—since they had been willing to cooperate, she might as well lend them a hand.

Calculating the trajectory, Fia launched five hundred fireballs at the distant enemies. With a series of explosions and dazzling flames, the hall was cleared of all but a few remnants of chaos on the ceiling within moments. The once-smooth floor was now pockmarked with craters and charred corpses, the stench making her frown.

The rescued paladins exchanged bewildered looks.

Considering their exhausted state, they likely wouldn’t make it far before being intercepted by chaos. Fia then turned her attention to the red-robed cardinal suspended from the ceiling, his head consumed by chaos. With a casual wave, she released a wind blade, freeing him from the droplet-shaped prison.

The stunned paladins and priests immediately rushed to their cardinal’s aid. The commander, finally regaining his senses, hurried over to Fia, his expression a mix of gratitude and complexity.

“Thank… thank you… Even though we’re enemies, you saved us…”

“Leave this place quickly. It’s not safe for you here.”

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“Wait—you’re looking for Princess Liti, aren’t you?” Just as Fia turned to leave, the commander called out. “Follow the left path straight ahead, and you’ll find her! The Inquisitor has already taken people underground to rescue her. You needn’t worry!”

Without responding, Fia led Anastasia and Kirill away.

Behind them, the commander’s voice boomed once more.

“The Church won’t forget your kindness! Once we return to the surface, I’ll report this to the archbishop so the two of you can negotiate properly!”

Even after being saved, they were still thinking about negotiations. Fia scoffed. Once back on the surface, she’d make sure to extort a hefty sum from these devout believers—something to boast about as the elf princess back home.

She was dead serious.

With Kirill and Anastasia’s assistance, their progress became much smoother.

Fia cleared the path while the other two guarded against potential rear attacks from chaos. After two forks in the passage, they finally reached Liti’s prison—the end of the tunnel, with no further paths ahead.

“[Fairy Fire]”

Fia incinerated all the chaos in the corridor, revealing three tightly sealed iron doors. As the young nun had said, powerful magic arrays protected the doors. Even after being scorched by Fairy Fire, they only shimmered with purple light. However, Fia noticed something odd—the Inquisitor the commander mentioned was nowhere to be seen, and Wind of Exploration showed that the people behind the doors hadn’t been taken away.

At least they were safe. That reassured Fia—she wasn’t too late.

A sister bound by blood…

As she stepped forward, Fia murmured inwardly. In her original world, she had no family, so the prospect of meeting a relative left her uncertain how to react.

She wondered if this sister she’d never met would accept her as Anastasia had.

The thought made her palms sweat—the same hands capable of casting tenth-tier magic now damp with nervousness.

“Haah…”

Hesitating wouldn’t change anything. She might as well brace for the worst and meet her sister.

Liti Alexia Yushir.

Hopefully, she’d have a decent personality.

With that thought, Fia nodded to Anastasia and Kirill behind her and approached the door with the second-tier magical signature. Gathering an enhanced Wind Blade in her hand, she forced the door open.