Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Solidity of Three
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F*ck, ride that bastard?
Translation: F*ck, get on that bastard's back?
From the pic, it looks like you gotta bury yourself in that bear's fur and cast spells from there. Can Kim Muggle pull that off?
Just saying that's an option... Honestly, running away is best. But making Kim Muggle dismantle the barrier? No way. Even if he did, protecting himself and finishing it off? Impossible. He'd be dead by then.
Yeah, that's right. Even if Kim Muggle's a genius, no way in a few seconds.
SubsidyRiceEater's got the most realistic take^^ But that's... not easy. Gotta use your body, not just magic.
Forcing a mage to do that is total BS. But yeah, no other way.
ㅜㅠㅠㅠㅜㅠㅠ It's over...
Comments piled up a few at a time every minute.
Even MagicIsNotHard called it not an easy method.
Because SubsidyRiceEater's suggestion required not just magic, but throwing your body into it too.
Something lofty mages couldn't do.
Of course, I wasn't one of those lofty mages yet, but with my busted-up body, I wasn't some warrior who could charge a beast head-on either.
But even so, one thing was crystal clear: I had to do it.
The Silver Fur Bear was almost right on top of me now.
In this dire spot, the archmages' comments rolled in with the best advice.
I don't prefer melee either, but sometimes you gotta. No time for chit-chat, so here's the key: That thing attacks mainly with its front paws due to its build. But its legs suck—they're short, so kicks would make it topple itself. Its legs are relatively safe. When it rears up for a front paw smash, charge between its legs and slip behind to cling to its lower back. Its paws can't reach there, so you can hang on awhile.
When the Silver Fur Bear rears its front paw to smash, dive between its legs, get behind it, grab the fur, and cling to its lower back.
If I followed Wandering Battle Mage's advice, I could at least stick to the thing.
Whether this body could pull off the moves? Who knew.
Still, my arms were somewhat intact, so slipping between the legs might let me hang on.
(Diagram of 3rd-tier defensive spell formula) Drew the simplest defensive formula I could. It'll make a barrier that clings tight to your whole body. Compute this first to protect yourself. Then spam the [Five Rays of Brilliant Flash] I told you about before. No point in high-tier attacks you can't use here—stick to what you know. This defense can block it perfectly multiple times, just like the Flash. Easy, right? You can do it, yeah?
MagicIsNotHard gave me the simplest spell for the situation.
Of course, the formula wasn't that simple.
But it was 3rd-tier. New to me, but doable.
It was designed so my own [Five Rays of Brilliant Flash] wouldn't self-detonate on me.
Activate this defense, then blast away with the Flash—no damage to me even plastered to the beast.
-Kurooooooom!-
The Silver Fur Bear was right in my face now.
No time to thank the gallery archmages.
I stopped running, floating only MagicIsNotHard's 3rd-tier defensive formula.
Can I do this? No time for doubts.
Do it or fail, either way I'm dead.
Might as well thrash around.
I turned to face the massive beast.
Its silver fur gleamed blindingly under the mana barrier.
The Silver Fur Bear raised a massive front paw.
Its bulk blotted the sun, casting shadows on the ground.
And I dragged my tearing legs straight at it.
"Aaaagh! Kyaaak! Kuaaaaaah!"
Agonizing pain ripped from my right thigh and ribs.
No limping, no hesitating.
I ignored the pain and charged. A massive gust and impact hit from behind.
I dove between its legs, leaped, and grabbed a fistful of coarse fur.
Kwaaaang-!
The shock nearly flung me off. I gripped the fur with all I had.
My forearms felt like they were ripping. But I didn't let go.
Damn, should've learned strength buffs or speed spells.
Not just attack and defense—basic utility too.
But realizations like that only mattered if I survived.
'Gotta climb to the lower back.'
Wandering Battle Mage said hang there and cast.
Grabbing fur at its butt, I climbed like a rock wall to the lower back.
It thrashed, nearly shaking me off a dozen times.
Damn, strength buffs... Power Mage was right about building might and stamina.
Mages were lofty, but facing death, lacking basics stung hard.
Finally at the lower back, I eyed MagicIsNotHard's defense spell.
A magic circle with complex triangular patterns at 1, 6, and 10 o'clock positions, evenly spaced.
Three identical formulas at triangle vertices, forming a larger inverted triangle.
Perfectly symmetric—same speed and shape, different directions.
True to MagicIsNotHard, I could compute it on first sight with focus.
No hesitation—I started computing.
-Kuroooooooo!
But the Silver Fur Bear wouldn't let me.
It bucked wildly.
To stay on, I crushed the fur till my palms bled.
Shaking vision made computing tough.
I shut my eyes, focused solely on gripping, sank my mind like into sleep.
Wandering Battle Mage said it's safe here for now—trust it, compute.
-Kurooooooo...
The roar faded from right beside me.
Fresh mana filled the air fully.
Like drowning in the sea, mana flowed vivid.
I resumed computing.
Three pyramid patterns in perfect symmetric angles.
Despite the shaking, I fixated on mana flow and my power's release.
Waves rocked, but submerged, my body was still.
Three identical formulas converged at one point.
⟨ Solidity of Three ⟩
Solid links formed from the three formulas.
3 is complete in itself, the most balanced number.
Countless triangles linked into mana armor wrapping my body.
Ah, it defends all balance.
"Ugh...!"
Still shaking.
Muscles screamed everywhere.
Arms begged to let go.
But quitting here? No way.
Thrash till the end.
I funneled mana into the bear's barrier to compute.
Familiar 5th-tier spell, practiced plenty.
Compute five formulas at same speed.
⟨ Five Rays of Brilliant Flash ⟩
Tududududu-
Five flashes burst on compute.
Inside the barrier, slamming its hide transferred shock straight.
But [Solidity of Three] held firm.
Perfectly blocked the Flash's backlash.
Only the Silver Fur Bear suffered.
It writhed harder in agony.
⟨ Five Rays of Brilliant Flash ⟩
⟨ Five Rays of Brilliant Flash ⟩
Grinding my teeth, I madly repeated the spell.
Repetition eased the focus needed.
5th-tier, but muscle memory kicked in automatically.
Or maybe my brain was desperating to survive.
⟨ Five Rays of Brilliant Flash ⟩
⟨ Five Rays of Brilliant Flash ⟩
⟨ Five Rays of Brilliant Flash ⟩
Lost count of casts.
At least over ten.
The bear's thrashing grew wilder.
My head spun.
-Kuuuoooooooom-!!
The Silver Fur Bear screamed in agony.
My body hit its limit too.
End nearing. Mana nearly gone.
No time to check status.
Instinct said this was the last.
Squeezed everything for final [Five Rays of Brilliant Flash],
Tukwagaga-
Amid violent thrashing and splitting headache,
A ding-like ring overhead as the bear collapsed toward the ground.
Thud-
Fleeing frantically, Chayuri Floridel halted at the massive quake.
The Silver Fur Bear no longer pursued, nor was that commoner cadet Ian in sight.
"...Why's it so quiet?"
Above all, the bear's roars had stopped.
Had Ian been eliminated by it?
But even its footsteps ceased.
This beast shouldn't appear in the exam—too strong.
Did the academy handle it?
Curiosity won; Chayuri cautiously backtracked.
At the path's end, he witnessed the unbelievable.
Silver Fur Bear down with holes in its back,
Ian passed out atop it.
Not like Ian rode it or anything.
"...Huh?"
As questions mounted, Chayuri spotted it.
A nameless cadet's exploded corpse farther off.
Mangled beyond recognition, like burst by a paw.
"...Protective magic?"
Didn't activate?
Then Ian too?
No, Ian lived.
His score still floated overhead.
But that number was weird.
1910 points. Impossible from 9th-grades worth 10-20 each.
Ian's was just 410 earlier.
Now 1910.
Hole-riddled dead bear. Exhausted Ian passed out atop.
Pieces fit; Chayuri realized
what happened here.
"He... killed this thing?"