Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Above the cavern where the sunset descended.
Ethan opened his mouth toward Mikhail with the lurking luna moth before them.
"Do you have some kind of method?"
"Yes, though I won't have time to explain it in detail."
Grrrrrowl!
At that moment, a bizarre sound echoed through the air. The luna moth flapped its wings and rose above the cavern.
Ethan furrowed his brow and faced the luna moth directly. He gripped his sword tighter and spoke to Mikhail.
"How long do you need?"
"About ten minutes should be enough."
Ethan nodded and immediately leaped up.
Tap!
The blade's target was the luna moth's wing joint. The spot among the attacked areas where the reverberation had been strongest.
Clang!
Mikhail turned away from Ethan confronting the luna moth.
Three basins placed along the cavern's perimeter.
Mikhail ran toward the rightmost one while recalling the strategy.
Tap tap.
First, move counterclockwise and fill the basins with mana water. If he succeeded in filling all the mana water, the control power dwelling in the cavern would burst forth and the luna moth's strength would weaken—that was the established flow.
Clang! Clang!
The sounds of exchanging blows echoed violently.
Meanwhile, Mikhail reached the first basin. He pulled out a mana potion from his pocket and poured it in.
Tssss.
Blue liquid pooled in the basin. The basin glowed faintly and spread a clear wave into the air.
Grrrowl!
As the luna moth cried out in distress and staggered, the mana barrier flickering around its body dimmed.
However, the disturbance was brief. The luna moth strongly struck away the charging Ethan and flew high.
A strange light flowed over the pitch-black compound eyes watching Mikhail.
Grrrrrrr...
The luna moth's flapping gradually began to swirl more violently.
Leaving that behind, Mikhail ran again.
By filling the basin with mana water, the luna moth's target would have changed to him.
But to reach the next basin, another response was needed.
'I need to obscure its vision.'
The item he'd obtained at Haeron's magic tool shop—
What he'd use this time was a smoke bomb.
The moment the luna moth watching him directly was about to shoot out a gale, Mikhail threw the smoke bomb on the ground.
Boom!
Thick smoke covered the cavern.
It was a situation where he couldn't see an inch ahead, but it posed no problem for Mikhail who had memorized the entire route.
Tssss.
He poured mana water into the second basin too. The rippling wave shot toward the luna moth again.
Grrrrrowl!
The luna moth, hit directly, writhed and lowered its altitude. The mana barrier dimmed instantly.
Ethan didn't miss the opportunity and leaped up. He deeply slashed across the moth's eye.
Crack!
The luna moth thrashed in all directions. The entire cavern shook as its body rammed here and there. Not a single step could be taken on the violently trembling floor.
"..."
Mikhail gripped a nearby tree root and struggled to keep his gaze fixed on the basin across from him.
A few more times. After thrashing about that much more, it would calm down for just a brief moment.
Right then, he'd use a spatial leap scroll.
An item that instantly moved the user to wherever their gaze was fixed.
'As soon as the trembling subsides, I'll be able to move to the basin...'
Boom!
However.
—An unprecedented tremor continued.
Boom! Boom!
A system message flashed before Mikhail's eyes. But there was no time to examine its contents. The tree root Mikhail was gripping snapped.
Crack!
Mikhail was helplessly thrown back. The spatial leap scroll that slipped from his hand rolled far away across the ground.
Boom...!
Only after four, five thrashes did it calm.
Mikhail lifted his head while struggling to ignore the pain. At the end of his shaking vision, Ethan's form came into focus.
"Kugh, cough."
Ethan was also in a wrecked state. Nevertheless, he staggered to his feet.
He spat out the blood pooled in his mouth and gripped his sword again.
Ethan glanced once toward Mikhail, then leaped up to restrain the luna moth's movements.
"You're overextending! Please fall back!"
...That won't happen.
Mikhail stared at the scene ahead and shakily stood up.
It was an unexpected situation. But even so, it wasn't without a solution.
Thud!
At that moment, the luna moth strongly rammed Ethan. It swelled its body greatly as if about to thrash in all directions again.
'I need to stop the luna moth first.'
Mikhail looked back toward where Colin was hiding.
"Colin! Throw me your bag! With everything inside!"
Colin, who'd been restless, flinched in surprise. But soon he threw over the bag slung around him.
Whoosh!
Mikhail caught the flying bag.
A grass smell that stabbed his nose.
Mikhail pulled off his robe and tied it to the bag.
The luna moth that had lost its eyes perceived its enemy's whereabouts through smell. Its attention would quickly be stolen by a strong scent.
He'd use that to create an opening.
Mikhail shouted toward Ethan.
"Fall back!"
Ethan responded to Mikhail's voice. He strongly put force into his descending blade.
The instant the sharp metallic sound echoed, a fierce recoil pushed Ethan's body to the opposite side.
Mikhail threw the bag bundle as if he'd been waiting for this.
Grrrowl!
The luna moth's flapping, which had been about to chase Ethan, stopped abruptly.
The luna moth whipped its head toward the bag Mikhail had thrown.
Then, as if trying to identify what the projectile mixed with all sorts of scents was, it flew rapidly toward the bag.
Tap tap.
Mikhail didn't miss the timing and ran toward the last basin. He poured mana water into the empty basin.
Tssssss...!
The ancient characters carved into the cavern floor shone brilliantly.
Blue light orbs rose from the three basins, and the orbs shot toward the luna moth.
Flash!
Cracks formed in the mana barrier surrounding the luna moth. It gradually crumbled and finally scattered with a whoosh.
The luna moth's body swayed. It suddenly lost strength and began falling rapidly.
Grrraaaa!
Mikhail turned his head toward Ethan.
"Ethan, strike down!"
Ethan leaped up without hesitation. He swung his sword exactly as Mikhail had shouted.
The blade's path crossed the luna moth's body, drawing a long diagonal line. The following trajectory bloomed a brilliant golden light.
Crack!
Only silence lingered in the cavern where victory had been decided.
Mikhail slumped down and stared ahead. The luna moth's massive body lying in the corner gradually withered.
Tsss...
Mikhail shifted his gaze to look at Ethan.
The battered Ethan was gasping for breath while gripping a sword that emitted a vivid silver light as if expressing the battle's aftermath.
"..."
Meanwhile, Ethan's gray gaze remained fixed on the magic stone gripped in his left hand.
The experience just now and the reward gained from it.
A magic stone that strengthened sword strikes along with stat increases.
[Slash: Cleaving Strike]
[A technique where the user leaps high and strikes down with full force. Strengthens the mana in the sword to greatly increase blade hardness and attack power. Consumes a set amount of stamina and mana when used.]
With that effect, Ethan's abilities had become more than sufficient to progress through the main storyline.
'Is this settled then?'
Mikhail moved while exhaling a relieved breath.
He picked up the spatial leap scroll that had been thrown in the corner and turned his head toward the back where Colin was.
Colin, who'd cautiously poked his head out, asked carefully.
"...D-did you defeat it?"
"Yeah."
When Mikhail nodded with a ready smile, Colin slumped down with a relieved face.
A notification appeared in the air ahead.
Pop!
【Field Named: Giant Luna Moth has been defeated.】
【Rewards will be provided.】
Light gathered before Mikhail's eyes, and a crystal fragment engraved with formulas fell onto his hand.
Clink.
It was the moment Mikhail's eyes touched the formula.
【Notice: Thanks to [Stat: Intelligence], understanding of the formula structure is complete.】
【Notice: Skill [Magic: Combination] acquired.】
[Magic: Combination]
[Increases the number of formulas acting on a single magic spell. The number of formula overlays increased by this magic is base 2 times, with additional overlays possible proportional to extra mana consumption and enhancement skills.]
...What?
Mikhail blinked blankly. The text carved in his vision contained utterly unbelievable content.
'Combination magic? Why is this appearing now...?'
Combination magic should be a skill provided only at a later point...
"—!"
That was the moment.
His continuing thoughts broke off abruptly. A chill ran up his spine. New messages appeared sporadically before his eyes.
【Notice: Unknown power's interference... further multiplication... creating new phase...】
【Quest: [Sudden] Suppress the Anomaly】
- Quest Reward: Shop Currency +3
...This is the worst situation.
Mikhail bit his lip and whipped his head around.
Tsssss.
An ominous noise rose from the luna moth's corpse.
The particles that had been scattering in all directions gathered toward the luna moth's shadow.
Along with them, shadows stretching out like threads.
The thin shadows clung to the luna moth's corpse and slowly raised the limp body.
"Hng... ah, ahhhhh!"
Along with Colin's scream, an eerie killing intent spread.
The black energy that had patchily stitched together and raised the dead luna moth transformed like tentacles and writhed.
Then it sharpened its ends and shot out in all directions.
Crack! Crack!
All escape routes were blocked. Various parts of the cavern were breaking and crumbling. Shattered stone fragments flew up in all directions.
...There was no escape.
Except to defeat the enemy.
Mikhail bit his lip.
'After a half-day's forced march and the previous battle, Ethan's stamina must have reached its limit. So this time.'
...I have to bring it down.
Mikhail steeled himself and reached out his hand. He gathered mana from his entire body above his outstretched hand.
Kiiing—.
The resonance sound clearly swept through the air...
Mikhail manifested the acquired skill, Combination.
【Notice: Initial activation process of [Magic: Combination] begins.】
It was instantaneous. Along with the system message that appeared, what unfolded before Mikhail's eyes was a different scene from before.
Swoooosh—.
Above a white sandy beach where gentle waves came and went.
There, matryoshka dolls of various sizes were lined up.
'Understanding and memorizing formulas, learning for mana. So the magic acquisition procedure from the settings is converted this way. ...Well, that's not a bad thing.'
Mikhail looked around and fell into thought, but soon reached his hand toward the matryoshka.
Clatter. Clink.
There was no hesitation in his continuing movements.
Like a play within a play, as he recalled the mini-game applied in the main game, the solution quickly became familiar.
Mikhail completed the matryoshka before long.
Immediately, a pure white flash appearing from the horizon covered the entire landscape.
【Notice: Activation of [Magic: Combination] is complete.】
Flash!
The surrounding scenery returned to reality.
The confrontation situation appeared again. At the same time, magic that condensed mana overlapped above Mikhail's hand.
As magic that accelerated the projectile was added, the power's dispersal radius increased.
Mikhail condensed mana while looking at the enemy ahead.
Again and again. Intending to draw it out to the limit...
—!
It was instantaneous. The luna moth's shadow that had been shooting here and there rushed rapidly toward Mikhail.
The sharp tip approaching moment by moment.
Without any time to respond, the moment it approached right in front...
Clang!
A figure that suddenly cut in front strongly slashed away the shooting shadow.
Ethan looked back at Mikhail while regripping his sword.
"I'll protect you, so concentrate!"
Mikhail withdrew his consciousness from the fiercely swarming shadows. He concentrated all his mind on manifesting the magic.
Kururu...
The mana gathered above his hand gradually changed.
It only sprinkled small lights briefly. The mana soon changed to a cool blue color. It carved a galaxy-like cluster of light on its surface.
Kurrruru!
At last, a mana condensate compressed in a cross shape.
Claaang!
It was the instant the sword blade's metallic ring echoed through the air.
Ethan was escaping from directly in front of the luna moth with the recoil from striking the shadow.
Crackle!
At the same time, mana fired from Mikhail's fingertip.
Boom!
The shot deep blue projectile penetrated the luna moth's massive body.
The huge body crumbled and the shattered flesh fragments began disappearing moment by moment.
However, right before everything vanished.
The split luna moth's shadows rushed toward various parts of Mikhail's body that was swaying and collapsing.
"—Maxwell!"
What moved immediately was Ethan. Ethan detected Maxwell's fatal injuries and reflexively leaped up.
Ethan pushed and embraced the defenseless figure, then curled his upper body.
A sharp sensation touched Ethan's body as the shadow grazed past.
Craaaack!
The shadows that lost their target soon rushed in all directions, destroying objects throughout the cavern.
The roar shaking the air spread in all directions. Thick dust swallowed the two figures.
The particles filling the air gradually settled.
Thus, the cavern's edge that revealed its form again.
"Haah, ugh..."
Mikhail gripped his aching left hand and slowly raised his upper body.
While shaking his head to steady his blurry vision...
Something reddish touched his gaze.
"..."
Ethan had collapsed in a distant spot. Wounds where his body had been deeply cut and stabbed here and there were vivid.
His appearance after becoming battered trying to protect Mikhail himself.
Something dull welled up inside. Mikhail struggled to swallow his breath and opened his mouth.
"E..."
Pop!
【Quest: [Sudden] Suppress the Anomaly Complete】
- Completion Reward: Shop Currency +3
【Character Stat Change Notification】
- Impact Reduction: E+ → D- (Tier increase)
Mikhail flinched at the message that suddenly appeared.
"Cough."
Ethan slowly came to his senses, coughing drily, then shakily raised his upper body.
Patter.
Red blood streams fell like rain from the messy wounds on Ethan's body.
But Ethan had an expression like nothing was wrong. He looked around, then gazed at Mikhail.
A relieved smile rose over Ethan's wounded face.
"Mr. Maxwell, I'm glad you seem safe..."
Abruptly.
But Ethan's words didn't continue to the end.
Ethan, who'd been staring at where Mikhail was, stopped all movement with his eyes wide open.
"..."
An alien silence descended. A sudden ominousness climbed up Mikhail's spine.
Mikhail swallowed dry saliva and slowly turned his head in the direction Ethan's gaze was directed.
At the end of Ethan's gaze were plants.
Like at the lakeside of Haeohreum Forest, things crumbling black.
The appearance of roots that had intertwined over long years slowly, helplessly dying.
"What on earth..."
Like a tree branch in a storm, Ethan's voice wavered.
Mikhail took his eyes off the plants and moved his head toward Ethan. He staggered and hurriedly stood up.
That was the moment.
Crack crack.
The edges of the mask he wore crumbled finely.