Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Play Ball (3)
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"We're going to catch that bastard."
At Siwoo's calm words, Odette shuddered violently.
Stand before the homunculus that had threatened their lives just moments ago?
She couldn't even bear to imagine it.
"Can't we... just hide here like this?"
Odette's reaction was exactly as expected.
Siwoo had no intention of blaming her for it.
It was the most natural response in a life-or-death situation.
"You've got a good plan for it, right?"
"S-Sis, why are you saying that too? How are we supposed to deal with something like that?"
"Odette, calm down. Let's hear him out first. We can't just sit here shaking forever."
Odile hugged the terrified Odette and stared straight at Siwoo.
"Yes."
Siwoo nodded and used the branch he'd picked up earlier to draw a magic formula on the dirt.
"When we were fleeing through the mist, I deployed a smokescreen and sampled the black shadow with the remaining mana."
Three spears of shadow had shot indiscriminately through the mist, grazing past Siwoo.
His heart had sunk in that moment, but he'd quickly analyzed the black shadow lingering in their trajectory.
"That shadow is probably the homunculus cat's Self-Generating Magic. Your attack spell earlier, Lady Odette, and the rescue signal—they both disintegrated the instant they touched it."
"And?"
Siwoo showed them an analytical diagram of the shadow's structure.
"This shadow isn't a single magic formula.
Each particle is a tiny magic formula, clustered together.
Visually, it's like a sphere covered in countless thorns, with hooked tips that latch indiscriminately onto other spells."
He hadn't been able to examine it in detail given the brief glimpse, but...
"If a spell that's sufficiently complex touches the shadow, it starts corroding it in reverse.
It arbitrarily connects paths and mangles the formula's structure, causing a short circuit.
With that many errors hitting at once, even improvised feedback is useless. The spell just shatters."
-Ku-ku-kung...!
The sound of another tree crashing down echoed.
This one was closer than before.
Odile and Odette, listening to the explanation, widened their eyes in realization.
"But Assistant, even if you figured out it's a multi-layered magic circle... how did you know the shape?"
"Right! Even with sampling, you couldn't have seen the shape that clearly..."
"I reverse-engineered it from the way Lady Odette's signal spell broke and the sequence of interference. Anything less precise couldn't cause simultaneous collapse across the entire formula."
"......"
"......"
Despite Siwoo's confident assertion, the twins couldn't quite believe it.
Infer the shape of a magic formula by observing how it interferes?
It was more unrealistic than a demolition expert deducing exact explosive placements from a collapsing building's debris.
Odile pressed her temples briefly, then her eyes lit up.
"Alright, what's the plan? You need prep time, so that's why you gave us two options, right?"
There'd be no reason to split into two choices if they could hunt the homunculus while hiding unprepared.
"Sis! This is way too dangerous!"
"We don't know how long we'd wait here for help. They might not come until we're already torn to shreds.
Better to try something than sit and die, right?"
"Let's just run. There's a way out of the Latifundium...!"
Odile shook her head firmly at Odette's plea.
"This is the edge of the Latifundium. We'd have to pass that monster, and if it catches us midway?"
Siwoo's proposed hunt indeed required solid preparation.
Fleeing or hiding wouldn't allow for Plan B.
"Getting caught mid-escape is worse than just hiding. We'd be out of options then."
"Then... we really have to catch it? That scary thing?"
Siwoo took Odette's trembling hand in his.
Now was the time for everyone's cooperation.
If they pulled it off, victory was assured.
"Lady Odette. I get that you want to run."
"It's too, too scary... How can everyone act like it's nothing? If we just wait, maybe a way out will appear..."
"Trust me just this once. If the plan goes even slightly wrong, I'll be the decoy. You and Lady Odile escape then."
Siwoo's firm grip warmed Odette's cold hand slightly.
"Ugh... uuu..."
Odette nodded slowly, tears welling up.
He wanted to comfort her more, but time was short.
Siwoo scribbled a new magic circle in the dirt and began explaining the plan.
The black cat prowled the area, firing shadow spears in all directions.
Its three gleaming eyes scanned every corner of the ravine without gap.
Like any beast, it lacked clear intellect.
Its use of Self-Generating Magic stemmed not from reason, but from the 'legacy' power stored in its body.
This freshly awakened creature had no intelligence to wield its strength skillfully.
Yet, these novel playthings...
After endless boredom in long slumber, playtime ignited its hunting instincts.
Ripping out and crunching a fresh witch's womb would be such delight, it knew instinctively.
With greater power thus gained, it could savor the world even more freely.
No one had taught it, but the beast understood naturally.
"Kiiiiiik!"
Thrilled by its first game of hide-and-seek, the homunculus rummaged every potential hiding spot, striding boldly through the ravine.
And then.
"ne perenni cremer igne~" "Inter oves locum praesta~"
⟨ Lullaby of the Abyss ⟩
A beautiful melody began echoing from afar.
Magic song flowing through the silent ravine, where no sign of life had stirred before.
Beasts lack aesthetic sense, yet even this one perked its ears to the enchanting tune.
The creature, rooting through tree roots, lifted its head rigidly and moved toward the sound.
With dignified steps, black shadows draped like a cape, it dashed swiftly.
"♬~ ♪"
As expected, the source was two small witches.
Especially in a clearing thick with trees.
The young witches clasped hands tightly, eyes closed, singing beautifully.
Enclosed in a round barrier like a snow globe, they floated gently.
Perfect isolation from external interference.
Their harmony, more instrument than human voice, vibrated space, resonating quietly like a music box.
A pleasant melody.
Harmless on its own.
But...
-Kwang!
The homunculus watched them curiously for a moment before swinging its tail hard.
Its innate tail.
The strike that had easily torn the thin barrier earlier bounced off pathetically.
Expecting some reaction, the sisters remained immersed, chanting steadily without tremor.
"Kyuu?"
Intrigued, the monster circled them, tail swishing, then struck again.
-Thud-kwang!
A clearer reaction this time.
One peeked at it in alarm, then quickly shut her eyes.
Fascinated by the new toy, the beast fixated there.
That was the opening Siwoo had waited for.
Siwoo waited about 50 meters away, ready to intercept the homunculus.
He needed ultra-high-density mana.
And an improvised formula to unleash it.
Odile frowned at the mana volume Siwoo calculated on the spot.
'So where do you get that much high-density mana? Don't get me wrong—Odette and I have already used too much magic.
We can probably only manage two or three more spells.'
'Assistant, vessels without the Stigma can't hold that much mana.'
Siwoo pointed at what followed Odette's concern.
A river of Mana Essence wouldn't suffice.
He needed something thicker, more refined.
For instance...
Magic sap glowing like a lamp even at rest.
"Hoo..."
Syringes filled with magic sap from tree roots dangled from Siwoo's back.
He'd yanked out all nearby needles and linked them directly to his body via telekinesis.
Twelve in total.
Incidentally, the most painful injection of his life.
This was the prep work.
You couldn't jab that many while fleeing the homunculus.
'Next? What do you do with all that mana?'
'First, Ladies Odile and Odette, draw its attention for 30 seconds—no, 15.'
'And after?'
Two music boxes spun at Siwoo's feet.
Concealment devices to mask his presence during spellcasting.
His spell would be far noisier than usual.
'As I explained, the homunculus's black shadow interferes directly, dismantling any formula it touches. If a mid-tier spell gets interfered with...'
In games, tough bosses with patterns and debuffs have one sure counter.
'Make it have no room to interfere.'
Dilchicknu.
No delicate formula that could be disrupted—just blast pure mana in bundles.
Overwhelm with sheer force.
Siwoo breathed deeply.
"Pierce."
The door-opening spell Siwoo conceived demanded zero mana waste—even a drop of Mana Essence—for its massive circle.
With no mana storage...
Siwoo's key research: fully harnessing external mana.
His sole edge as a hack mage.
As incantation began, intense mana flooded in.
This process was dangerous.
Refining twelve alien mana types directly into his body.
"Kugh!"
Vast mana thrashed like wild horses, converting to pain.
Overload swelled veins across his body.
Immense pressure crushed him, barely able to step.
A tiny miscalculation could kill.
Density and volume leagues beyond prior handling.
Normal Siwoo couldn't compute this instantly.
But now...
'White Clown Mushroom. One of few edible raw. Boosts cerebral cortex, accelerating thought and calculation.'
Odile's doping proved highly effective.
Thoughts tripled in speed.
Senses sharpened; mind sprawled like hectares of blackboards—a bizarre sensation.
Siwoo handled all calculations via mental math for activation.
Confidence burned his arrhythmic heart: he could do this.
-Patsutsutsutsutsu
Absurdly pure mana.
Colorless white mana writhed like tentacles from his body.
Compressed to bursting from suppression, he rectified the flow.
Image: spear.
Intent: overwhelming power.
Siwoo's eyes flashed brilliant white toward the homunculus.
He pulled mana scorching his insides like fire, drawing, drawing, drawing.
The timed music boxes finished as planned.
A powerful mana wave spread toward the homunculus.
"Kiiik?"
A distant cry; red eyes turned belatedly.
Confirming the head-tilt, Siwoo released all mana.
That red eye, shielded by shadows like a barrier.
The weakness this spear must target.
"Finally looking this way, you mangy fuck."
Mana condensed to the limit.
Trigger pulled: bundles morphed into a massive spear.
Fired with single-minded intent to impale.
Thunderous roar shook the surroundings.
Dazzling flash tore the darkness.
And,
an explosion erupted.