Volume 1, Chapter 18 – Meteorite Fall (Part 1)

The carriage came to a halt at the end of the mountain path. Since the road ahead was no longer passable for vehicles, the group had no choice but to continue on foot. After walking for about an hour, they finally entered the true depths of the Niru Forest.

Even though a full day had passed, the scorched ground still radiated intense heat. Yisi had no choice but to remove the woolen coat she had worn when leaving home, revealing the conservative black Gothic-style gown beneath.

“We’ll stop here.”

The paladin commander, his forehead glistening with sweat, came to a halt. Until now, he had only heard reports from his subordinates about the Niru Forest being burned to ashes. This was his first time witnessing the devastation firsthand. As far as the eye could see, everything was charred black. The intense heat rising from the ground made his armor scalding hot, giving him the sensation of being trapped in a steamer.

The paladin commander couldn’t help but imagine: if he had been standing here when it happened, would he have survived?

The answer was no. The landscape before him was utterly flat—not even a single burnt tree root or stump remained. In other words, the power of the magic had been great enough not just to incinerate but to obliterate everything. No living being could have endured this.

Fear lasted only a moment before Oslo’s heart was filled with nothing but reverence for the divine. Only a miracle could explain such a sight. Experiencing the wrath of the gods firsthand left him both awed and terrified—he had never felt so insignificant.

Soon, his trembling excitement turned to anger—anger at the filthy vampire who dared to claim this divine act as her own. If Owen hadn’t been standing nearby, Oslo might have challenged her to a duel right then and there.

He curled his lip impatiently.

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“You can still back out now. A prison cell might not be luxurious, but at least you’ll get three meals a day.”

“Well… if I weren’t absolutely certain, do you think I would have come here?”

“Nothing but empty bluster.”

Ignoring Oslo’s disdain, Yisi turned to Owen. Before casting her first spell, there was one thing she needed to confirm.

“‘Explosion’ magic is a first-tier spell, correct?”

In the memories of the Count’s eldest daughter, ‘Explosion’ magic was classified as a first-tier spell in this world—meaning it could be used at level 10. In Ragnarøk, ‘Explosion’ was also a skill available at level 10.

Assuming that the prerequisites for learning magic in this world were the same as in the game—requiring a certain level to unlock spells—then the mechanics of this world were nearly identical to those of the game. Furthermore, the game’s classification of spell tiers would also apply here.

For example, ‘Frozen Tomb,’ a spell learned at level 50 in the game, was categorized as a first-tier spell in Ragnarøk. But according to this world’s system of ten levels per tier, it should be a fifth-tier spell. This was also confirmed by the Count’s daughter’s memories—‘Frozen Tomb’ was indeed a fifth-tier spell here.

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Sure enough, Owen nodded in confirmation.

“That’s correct… Lady Pescia, I really must advise you to reconsider—”

“Save your breath. And as I’ve said before, if you don’t want to die, stay far away from here.”

“But—”

“Enough chatter. I won’t spare this vampire just because you’re pleading for her, Owen.”

“How noisy.”

Dropping all pretense, Yisi clicked her tongue in genuine irritation at the paladin’s endless chatter. She turned her gaze to the charred wasteland before her.

This spot was nearly five kilometers from the nearest city, Niru, situated at the edge of the Niru Forest. If she started with a wide-area annihilation spell, the collateral damage might reach the distant city, causing unnecessary casualties. That meant spells like ‘Storm of Crows,’ with their massive range, were out of the question. At the same time, to properly demonstrate her power, she couldn’t use a single-target spell that lacked impact. As for ‘Explosion’—a spell that was frankly embarrassing—Yisi dismissed it outright.

After a moment’s thought, she decided on ‘Meteorite Fall,’ a second-tier spell in Ragnarøk. In this world, a second-tier would equate to a twentieth-tier spell—several times more powerful than a first-tier ‘Explosion.’ And since ‘Meteorite Fall’ merely summoned a single meteor to crash down, it could be controlled to minimize collateral damage.

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She focused her mind on the center of the Niru Forest via the Omniscient Map. It was over seven kilometers from her current position—far enough that an ordinary meteor wouldn’t reach her.

Of course, Yisi also considered the possibility that the distance might make the spectacle less impressive, leaving Oslo unimpressed. If that happened, she wouldn’t hesitate to cast ‘Flame Storm,’ a fortieth-tier spell.

With a range large enough to engulf the entire forest and flames reaching thousands of meters into the sky, ‘Flame Storm’ was less about raw power and more about sheer intimidation. Just the sight of it would be enough to strike fear into anyone.

It was a shame that her level restricted her from using the ultra-tier spells reserved for level 999 players. Otherwise, she’d truly have nothing to fear.

With a faint sigh of regret, Yisi set the meteor’s impact point and began concentrating, recalling the sensation of casting ‘Meteorite Fall’ in the past.

She could feel something—mana—flowing through her body. It wasn’t moving quickly, and her MP was only decreasing at a rate of 120 points per second. For reference, her current MP regeneration rate was 100 points per second.

“…Huh?”

Around the third second, Yisi realized something was wrong.

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The white runes and magic circle that should have appeared around her were nowhere to be seen. Moreover, ‘Meteorite Fall’ was still draining her MP, but if she remembered correctly, the spell’s total cost should have been 360 points.

What was going on?

Frowning instinctively, anxiety and tension flooded Yisi’s mind in an instant. Without the stats inherited from the game, her fate would undoubtedly be imprisonment—and worse, being sent back to the vampire clans, where they would discover that the soul of the Count’s daughter had been replaced. That was a risk she absolutely had to avoid.

What should she do…?

Watching her MP bar slowly deplete, Yisi forced herself to maintain a calm exterior. Since her MP was still being consumed, the spell must still be in effect. Maybe she just needed to wait a little longer.

As time ticked by, Yisi had never felt so panicked. She could only cling to the hope offered by her dwindling MP, staring fixedly at the gauge.

After about two minutes…

Owen was the first to notice something amiss. Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, he murmured,

“What… what is that…?”