The Missing Thunderbirds
Shwaaah—Splash! The ship sliced through the Dead Sea, and at its prow stood Ivan Hellenger, his blond hair whipping in the wind.
"Ahh!"
Savoring the sea breeze, Ivan smiled, his chest swelling with excitement. Just like the sunlight sparkling off the waves, his youthful ambitions would shine brilliantly ahead.
I'm... the protagonist!
At the royal ball in a month's time, this handsome hero of justice—who had wiped out the catastrophe known as Monster Island without a single casualty—would bask in everyone's attention!
Rumors said this ball was the grandest and most lavish in nearly a decade! Princesses from neighboring kingdoms would attend, along with every beauty he'd only heard whispers of!
Hmm, if too many cling to me, it'll be hard to manage. Maybe set some criteria for pre-ball greetings.
That was when someone sidled up, pressing close to his shoulder without a word. On this ship, only one person could get away with that.
To Karina beside him, Ivan spoke without turning his head.
"What."
"It's weird."
"What is."
Suddenly, Karina pointed ahead with a serious expression.
"Straight ahead is Monster Island, right?"
"What're you on about all of a sudden."
"Not the opposite direction—this is definitely correct?"
"Of course it is. You personally cast the coordinate memory spell on this ship at departure, setting the bearing yourself. And you checked the tracking stone and direction stone up until yesterday."
"Right. I couldn't be wrong. But why? Why?"
Karina muttered abruptly. Yeah, she couldn't be wrong. If the direction was right, maintaining this course should bring Monster Island into view within a day at most.
Which meant...
In this radius, it should've been visible already.
"Why? Why isn't there a single one in sight?"
"What."
"Yesterday, storm clouds blanketed everything up to there, and thunderstorms raged across the entire visible Dead Sea. So why? Why aren't they showing up."
"Argh, what the hell!"
When heavy storm clouds unleash their fury on the sea, the next day brings the Dead Sea's unique fish species floating to the surface. That's when thunderbirds fly in from distant habitats to feast on the delicacy.
"Thunderbirds. With all that meat spread out to the horizon, not a single thunderbird flying in. This makes no sense. A thunderbird's range is a wide circle around its nest—at least this far. So if we're here and Monster Island's that distance away, we should've seen them by morning..."
Frustrated, Karina drew diagrams in the air with multicolored lights from her hands.
She couldn't be wrong. This was straight from the monster compendium's section on thunderbird habits, plus footage her master had crystal-orbed during his Dead Sea travels.
"Eh, probably all croaked on that shithole island."
"I saw records of thunderbirds sighted closer to the continent than here during last month's rainy season. Ecosystems don't shift that fast in a month."
Karina bit her nails anxiously. Ivan Hellenger, who'd known this genius mage since childhood, didn't dismiss it lightly.
"...All hands, to positions!"
His casual shout drew a unified response from dozens behind.
"To positions!"
On the broad deck, magic swordsmen who'd been lounging scattered about snapped to attention at his word, forming perfect ranks and files.
With family crests fluttering gloriously on flags in the wind, all awaited Ivan Hellenger's command.
"So?"
Ivan asked Karina. She closed her eyes at the prow, feeling the wind's flow.
No quick answer came, but he waited. Green-tinged mana began rising like heat haze from her body.
Flash!
Staring at the green aura shooting skyward, Karina resonated with distant magic.
Her lips parted slowly.
"It's weird. The residual energy is way weaker than expected."
"What? What's going on? Did they really fight each other in there?"
"No idea. To know that, I'd need a full casting."
"Nah, forget it. Hold on."
Ivan pondered briefly, then nodded.
"Karina. Can you prep a wide-area explosion spell now?"
"Wide-area explosion?"
"As big as you can make it."
Karina echoed. As a genius mage, no problem.
Except one.
"...Prepping the cast alone takes half a day."
That caveat. But once cast, obliterating Monster Island with unimaginable force was trivial.
"Doesn't matter."
"But earlier you said just assist."
Of course, Karina knew from the start.
"That you could handle it alone. With your men."
"Oh, right."
That when things got bothersome, he'd use her like this.
But still.
"Cancel that. I was reckless. Can't you just help?"
She knew. That brazen grin he flashed with such pleas.
That cool smile would melt her resolve, despite knowing better.
"...Fine."
Karina sighed and nodded.
"Seriously, thank you. I'll treat you proper later."
"...Make it count this time."
"Obviously!"
Ivan turned from her to the assembled magic swordsmen and issued the next order.
"You heard! From now on, all of you—haste spells at the stern to cut travel time to Monster Island under a day! Execute!"
"Execute!"
Dozens of circular magic circles bloomed in the air astern, accelerating the massive ship toward Monster Island.
Shwaaack—!
Higher waves sprayed back faster than before.
Mud puddles sprayed skyward.
Shwaaack—!
The instant-death ogre's massive corpse slammed into the ground, a huge hole blasted through its skull.
Rain from yesterday had left the valley muddy and pooled; it fountained up, but none reached me.
"Dead? Yeah, dead."
I stood on a cliff quite distant from where it fell.
Thud.
"Eh... good enough."
I set down the rock I'd meant for one last toss, brushing my hands with mild regret.
Where's the Cyclops?
Only ogres had emerged from the valley's sheer cliffs below.
'Only'—this was the third I'd bagged, but given their wide territories, maybe one left at most.
I sighed, stood, and moved on.
Striding the edge of the central peak, no caution lingered in my steps.
Why? A small rock to the noggin now shattered any ogre skull.
Sure, without terrain advantage or surprise, it'd be trickier—but still just a matter of time.
These ogres seemed full of openings; I couldn't fathom my past struggles with their sluggish moves.
Wind pressure from a limb swing still whipped hair, but without berserk mode, smart targeting—knees, feet, shins—neutralized them easily.
...Hold up.
This third ogre was on the central peak's right flank. The prior two ranged opposite, centered here.
So the left peak remained, territories not overlapping.
Maybe the last ogre, or...
"Cyclops?"
It could be there. Smarter than ogres, it might've hunkered down post-storm, wary of weather shifts—unlike ogres popping out immediately.
I climbed the steep slope and soon spotted it.
Monster Island's heart: between jagged twin peaks, a vast sinkhole-like pit yawned.
Sloping gently, its bottom invisible—but the beast lurked at the cave's end.
Ah.
No wonder it evaded bottom-up views.
Grinning, I jammed hands into the rock slab I'd just stepped on.
Legs straining, I yanked—a door-sized boulder came free.
"Hraaah!"
Hoisted overhead, I hurled it into the deep hole.
How long? From the depths, a foghorn roar echoed, followed by a sudden gust.
Whoooosh—!
"Whoa!"
I leaped aside; a rock twice-thrice my toss's size grazed where I'd stood, hurtling away.
...Boom, KABOOM!
It crashed far behind the peak, rumbling the island.
To that familiar thunder, my lips curled as the heart's apex predator emerged from the dark pit, backlit.
The Cyclops.
Unlike other island beasts, it made no threatening cries from its maw.
Just stared with its single hollow eye, slowly moving limbs of its colossal frame.
Crack, pop!
As if loosening for battle—then its torso ballooned, jaws yawning for a monstrous bellow.
Aaah————!
From its slope to my perch, rocks and dirt scattered like sandstorm.
The lion's roar shook moisture from storm-soaked flora, air pressure shifting utterly!
I was airborne.
"Grk!"
Just before its roar, I'd leaped toward it, entering berserk mode.
"Huaaaaaah!!!"
My vitality-roar clashed with its, clashing airs spawning a gravel-devouring whirlwind spiraling skyward.
Kaboom kaboom kaboom!
Beyond, a house-sized boulder—yanked who-knows-when—tore the vortex, filling my view.
Shall we?
Grinning, I unleashed.
Precisely:
Crackle, crackzzt!
Crack—!
Berserk mode's electricity surged—from toes up legs, spine, whole body.
Boosting muscles and reflexes to extremes.
Shimmer—!
Heightened vision exploded with info.
Then, it began: the world slowing to a halt.
The cannonball rock crawled at under 1cm/sec; flying dirt hung like stars; the charging Cyclops froze comically.
Ah.
Grasping all, I moved slowly too—like swamp-wading—but lightning-quick by comparison.
Crackle, crackzzt—!
Thus, I adapted to the electrified berserk body.
"Oh, this..."
To an outsider:
Boom boom boom boom BOOM!
Golden lightning zigzagged cliffs, caves, rocks—
——Thud!
—emerging from the exploded Cyclops corpse, gripping a gleaming gem.
"...Useful."