Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Fall, And... (3)
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“Hah!”
Kallid seemed to grasp what I was trying to do right away. He burst into loud laughter and altered the spell he had been preparing.
“You’ve got a brain on you. It’s a real shame you’re a druid.”
“That’s exactly why I can use my brain like this—as a druid.”
Kallid snorted derisively, and tiny green flames flickered to life at the tips of his fingers, one by one, from his thumb to his ring finger. All ten fingers now bore flames. He hummed his incantation as if singing a merry tune, clearly enjoying himself.
Whoosh!
The green flames dancing at his fingertips merged together. Then, in an instant, they vanished.
Boom boom boom!!!!!
Kallid’s target wasn’t the yetis.
Fwoosh!!!!!
Amid the silver snowcotton fluff scattered between the yetis—like drifting mist—a tall green flame erupted, soon triggering a massive explosion. As if summoning the fires of hell, eerie green flames raged like a storm, engulfing and incinerating the yetis.
“Kwaaaahhh!!!!”
“Grrraaahhh!!!!”
Trapped in the sudden inferno, the yetis thrashed about in panic, scattering in all directions to escape the hellfire. A foolish mistake.
Slash!
Thud!
Slashes!
Boom!
The yetis fleeing the green flames were cut down the moment they emerged from the silver snowcotton mist by Lloyd and El. Eerie flashes gleamed with every swing of their swords.
Thud!
Plop!
An yeti arm severed by El’s strike tumbled across the ground, its long white fur burning in Kallid’s flames.
Whoosh!
Following my whistle, Isla darted out, weaving nimbly through the snow pea patches and savagely tearing into the smaller yetis.
Crunch!!!
Thwack!
I directed the battle, embedding arrows into the foreheads of the yetis Isla was mauling. Thanks to the time we’d spent coordinating, our movements synced perfectly, and the yetis’ numbers dwindled in moments—some collapsing in flames, others bisected, some even having their heads ripped off by Isla’s jaws.
“Phew…!”
The survivors fled in terror over the ridge, fewer than ten in number. With dozens already down, no reinforcements would come. I caught my breath and checked on the group. The battle had ended swiftly compared to the tension we’d felt, leaving everyone but me looking dazed.
Only Kallid grinned like he was having the time of his life. Psychopath? I’d never seen such a chilling smile.
“Impressive, more than I expected!”
Kallid spoke in a rare excited tone, slapping my shoulder. Known as a lone-wolf mage, this kind of teamwork was probably new to him. He looked like a kid thrilled to find the perfect puzzle piece.
“Lightning magic is the go-to in this environment, but its range is too narrow. Definitely inefficient against dozens of yetis.”
“Haha…”
“Using fire magic would be idiotic, though. Look around—this is a blizzard-swept snow mountain. Even a fireball’s no better than a match here. But…”
“…”
“You used your head. Brilliantly. Look at this fluff! Better fuel for a ‘fireworks show’ doesn’t exist, just as you said. A beautiful explosion. The yetis’ screams were music to my ears.”
This guy really a psychopath? Heh. I awkwardly laughed off his praise and pulled out my canteen to wet my throat and ease the tension.
‘This is modern knowledge for you, mad mage…’
Dust explosion.
One of the stories my father, who’d worked at a metal factory in his youth, often told me.
When combustible fine particles float in the air, even a tiny spark can cause a massive blast. Coal dust explosions in mines, wheat flour blasts in mills, metal powder explosions in factories… Accidents you sometimes see on the news.
I’d refined the silver snowcotton to make its fluff even finer and more abundant precisely for this effect.
‘The effect was more devastating than I thought…’
Of course, Kallid’s green flames were an especially vicious type, amplifying the synergy. If I’d lit it myself, the power would probably halve. Still, it’d be plenty useful.
“Theodore. How much for that plant?”
“…I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not selling silver snowcotton to you, Sir Kallid.”
“Why not? Don’t you love money?”
“I do. That’s why I won’t sell.”
“Doesn’t make sense…”
“You’d be disappointed. I’m the only one who can handle it like this. Even if I sold seeds, you couldn’t grow it that way.”
“Not true. I’ve thought it through—make a bomb-like container, pre-feed it magic stones for nutrients…”
“Yeah, yeah. All wrong. Silver snowcotton bursts at the slightest breeze. It won’t work like you think.”
“…Hmph.”
“Just as you need to understand spells to wield magic properly, you need to understand plants to use them right.”
I gave a sly smile and finished my canteen water. Hmm, tastes sweeter after shutting Kallid down.
‘That aside…’
Why did the yetis attack?
Yetis don’t usually hunt in packs, and despite their fearsome looks, they rarely attack humans. They don’t show themselves unless you invade their territory.
Yet here they were, in a place not their own, in a pack, attacking humans?
Too many things didn’t add up.
And at the same time…
‘…Reminds me of that time.’
Attacked out of nowhere by unexpected foes in an unexpected place.
‘The Swamp of Death.’
Right.
In the Swamp of Death, a troll pack had ambushed us out of the blue.
‘Could the yetis be…?’
I drew my dagger from my belt and approached the nearest yeti corpse. As I sliced into its overturned skull, Aquila retched behind me.
‘Just as gross for me…’
But I had to check. Suppressing my nausea, I shoved my hand under the skin and felt something hard, as expected.
‘This is…’
I pulled it out and wiped the blood and flesh from my eyes. There it was.
‘…Too small for a black worm, and the color’s different.’
Yes. Completely unlike the black worms from the trolls. Nail-sized, blood-red. Gem-like material like black worms, but…
“Ah, no way…”
With black opium supply cut off, they used a different plant?
Let’s see, what could replace black opium?
Star Kratom. A narcotic plant from Altann. Toxic to humans, but beastkin enjoy it like cigarettes… If beastkin like it, probably no effect on yetis.
Dark Bella Donna. Can’t be cultivated, only in Dark Forest. Entering for it is suicide—hard enough crossing Luset, and dark elves infest it.
Then…
‘Red Cannabis?’
Given the red hue, most likely.
Red cannabis grows in rocky mountains between Roshan and Ergin. Seeds are hard to get, but cultivation isn’t tricky. Keep it dry, manage moisture carefully.
Not as potent as black opium…
‘For a rushed job, it fits.’
Weaker effect means poor control, unlike the troll black worms. That’s why the surviving yetis fled instead of pressing the attack.
‘…The Crows already know we’re here.’
Their interference won’t end here.
Good thing we’ll find Tundra’s lair soon.
‘Hope nothing gets in the way before then.’
I handed the lump to Didier, who took it with a look of disdain. As her black nails poised to crush it, I shook my head to stop her.
“Keep it. And from now on, if any beast or monster acts strangely, kill it and check the body. See if ‘that’ is there.”
“…”
“I have a feeling the Crows won’t give up the Silver Mountains easily.”
“…Got it.”
She pocketed it with a sour face.
I addressed the group.
“Something unexpected happened, but you all handled it great—no delays. No fancy meal, though.”
Grrrowl.
El’s stomach growled right on cue. I stifled a laugh and continued.
“We’ll eat once we find Tundra’s lair. As Didier and Aquila said, it’s nearby.”
Dragon lairs shift appearance periodically. Hard to find without sharp eyes. Even Sherpas—and Didier—couldn’t relocate Tundra’s for that reason.
But not for me.
I have the [Explorer] trait.
Dragon lairs count as dungeons, so my trait applies. No matter how hidden, give me time, and I’ll find it.
‘Of course, with risks to match…’
I’d accounted for that.
“Alright, let’s go!”