Triceratops Raid
{Triceratops Raid} {Triceratops Raid}
Pew—! Piuuuuung—!
The sharp, air-ripping burst echoed through the air. Two beams of high-density laser shot from Brighty's eyes. The light-attribute mana compressed into rays streaked in a straight line toward the massive head of the gigantic magic beast—a dinosaur called a triceratops, though the girls had no idea. No matter how huge its bulk or how thick its hide, a direct hit from those terrifying beams would surely pierce straight through its brain.
But that was the moment it happened.
Wuuuung—!
Deep blue mana swirled around the triceratops's thick legs like a vortex. Its ponderous, enormous body kicked off the ground with unbelievable speed.
Pang—!
"Wha…?"
Ardelia's red eyes widened as if they might tear. The beast, surely weighing several tons, leaped into the air. It wasn't flying like a bird. But that single mana-exploded jump perfectly evaded the incoming laser by a hair's breadth.
Shuuuuk—!
Brighty's eye beam grazed the empty spot where the triceratops had been, piercing through towering trees behind it and exploding them.
"J-jumping with that size?!"
Ardelia's common sense shattered once more. The massive creature had concentrated mana in its legs for an evasion maneuver. She realized this monstrous being wasn't just a wild animal—it was a high-rank magic beast that wielded mana adeptly.
Kwaaaaang—!
The triceratops that had leaped into the air slammed back down onto the muddy ground. A deafening roar that could shred eardrums rocked the jungle. Along with it, the virtual reality server's physics engine rendered flawlessly, converting the collision of that immense mass and mana into real-world data.
Kugugugung—!
"Kyaaaaah!"
"Mommy!"
The earth shook violently. Nearby thick trees snapped under the shockwave. The ground cracked open, triggering a massive earthquake. Vesperia and Ardelia screamed, tumbling helplessly across the sticky mud.
This is supposed to be an illusion? No way!
Ardelia's mind went blank white as she rolled. Rian had lowered the default pain setting. So scrapes from the ground or branches stung at most. But everything else was the problem. The choking dust cloud overwhelming her vision. The eardrum-shattering boom paralyzing her hearing. The vivid vibrations rattling her inner ear's vestibular system, and the disgusting squelch of wet mud against her skin. It all felt exactly like reality, without a single discrepancy.
Even Professor Ash's illusion magic felt real. What the hell is illusion magic even?
Illusion magic was starting to scare her. Maybe that's why there were no advanced classes—perhaps it was too terrifying and taboo.
And then the triceratops's massive shadow loomed over them.
"Buuuuuh!"
Seizing the momentum, the triceratops charged like a tank, its three huge horns leading the way. Its target: the two girls sprawled in the mud.
I have to dodge!
Ardelia bit her lip hard, desperately trying to draw up mana. But her head was stuffed with 4-Circle knowledge, while she herself was only 1-Circle. She couldn't cast a single 4-Circle defense spell. She had no way to stop that colossal magic beast's charge. Of course, she wouldn't actually die, but the sight of it barreling down made her forget that fact for a moment.
Just as the terror of death gripped her entire body—
"Nyaaaaang—!"
"Kkamang!"
The small black cat nestled in Vesperia's arms. Kkamang shot into the air with a sharp cry.
Swoooosh—!
Kkamang's tiny body sliced through the air, melting into a pitch-black shadowy form in an instant. The formless darkness slipped seamlessly into the triceratops's shadow stretching long across the mud. A perfect assimilation, vanishing without a trace. Shadow Dive, an advanced shadow-attribute technique for in shadows.
"Buu…?"
The charging triceratops slowed, seemingly confused. But it was too late.
Paaat—!
From the deep shadow under the triceratops's jaw, Kkamang burst out like a predator, baring sharp fangs.
Slaaaash—!
Spuuuurt—!
The cute cat's paw slashed through the air. In that instant, massive 80cm shadow blades erupted from its claws in succession. Shadow Claw. The merciless slash that had torn the kidnapper's face now, lengthened, brutally shredded the triceratops's thick neck hide.
"Bueeeeeeh—!!!"
The triceratops bellowed in agony, deeply gashed under the jaw. Its thick scales ripped open, red blood spraying like a fountain. The giant beast halted its charge, thrashing in pain and rearing its head.
"Kyaaak!"
Brighty wouldn't miss that perfect opening. The velociraptor, looking like a killing machine, sprang forward like a spring, emitting bright light.
Ting—!
Brighty lightly landed on the triceratops's massive bony shield of a head, which was flailing in pain.
Kwajik!
Immediately, the vicious sickle claws on Brighty's hind legs stabbed into the enemy's thick back hide, pinning it down. Securing itself firmly, Brighty lowered its head.
Ziiiiiing—!
Right above the triceratops's nape. From point-blank range, light mana condensed in Brighty's eyes once more. Perfect checkmate.
Pew—! Pew—! Piuuuuung—!
The eye beams fired mercilessly. Ultra-high-temperature compressed light rays pierced the triceratops's nape and neck without mercy. Accompanied by the smell of burning flesh, the massive magic beast collapsed without even a scream.
Thud—!
The triceratops's heavy body crashed into the mud. The perfect, bizarre teamwork of cat and velociraptor. The two spirits combining forces to hunt the giant magic beast was a spectacle.
"……."
"……."
Vesperia and Ardelia sat slumped on the wet muddy ground of the illusion, staring blankly at the end of that overwhelming battle. They knew spirits were strong. But this grotesque, brutal combo play against a massive magic beast in unfamiliar virtual reality surpassed imagination.
Sitting on the damp illusion mud, the two girls panted raggedly. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above them.
"Ah, ahahaha!"
Suddenly, Vesperia burst into loud laughter.
"Rian, you're amazing. It really feels like a real adventure!"
Pure admiration and joy lit her face.
Reality.
On the plush sofa, Vesperia and Ardelia lay side by side, sleeping soundly. Blue mana cables extended from a transparent dome on their foreheads, pulsing tautly like heartbeats.
"Hoo."
Rian lounged in a chair at the lab's center. He watched the monster battle unfolding in virtual reality through a semi-transparent mana hologram screen floating in the air, utterly engrossed. The admin monitoring window streamed all internal data straight to his brain in real-time.
"Running ten parallel computation cores sure eliminates frame drops. The mob's AI patterns and the physics engine for the earthquake are applying flawlessly."
Rian scratched his chin, muttering.
"Even with pain dialed down, Her Highness's heart rate's spiking from the visual pressure and audio data—it's all showing in the numbers. Proof her brain's fully mistaking this virtual space for reality."
Professor Ash, peering at the monitoring window beside him, was already half-mad with shock.
"R-Rian. Is this… really an illusion spell you just whipped up alone?"
Her gray eyes glittered with awe and ecstasy. It went beyond fixing illusions in space—it perfectly synced with the subject's mind. Even linking the spirits with the illusion's mana data to create tangible combat.
"Yeah, well. It's still pretty crude; maintaining even this range is about it."
Rian answered nonchalantly. His gaze returned to the screen: Brighty standing triumphantly on the triceratops corpse, growling, and Kkamang licking its front paw.
The battle the two girls experienced in virtual reality. Rian's intended perfect combat simulation.
"Still, it's a great spot for real combat experience."
"Exactly! It's brilliant!"
Rian nodded in satisfaction at the monitor. Fighting real monsters or enemies in reality meant risking your life. But in this virtual server, with adjustable pain and no death penalties, they could rack up infinite combat data safely.
No safer, more perfect training ground existed.
"Her Highness Ardelia is smart and quick to judge, but no real combat experience makes her body stiffen. Vesperia's brave but clumsy with mana control."
The girls' strengths and weaknesses analyzed clearly in his eyes, like quantified data. Beta testers deserved good treatment. And for some reason, he wanted Vesperia to genuinely enjoy what he'd created like this.
"Can run dragon riding sims here too."
Until now, even full confidence meant risking danger. But now, safe practice before mounting Gwarms was possible. Rehearsals to avoid all real-world risks. Infinite repeats in a perfectly controlled environment, no brain fatigue.