The Ancient Mage's Lair (2)
When Leon first resolved to split off from the group, the plan that came to mind was simple. Provoke the scorpions with his wooden sword to draw their aggression, then run. Once he had put enough distance between himself and the others, he would turn and test his magic against them. He had seen with his own eyes that apprentice-level spells had no effect, but he now possessed magic capable of far greater power.
The massive mana consumption wasn't a serious issue when he considered the Chrono Orb. And if pouring everything he had still failed, he would use the emergency teleport scroll. That was the core of Leon's strategy.
The Ancient Mage's Lair? At first mention it had merely sounded unfamiliar. He had assumed being dragged along would only disrupt his training. But now that he was inside, he found himself genuinely intrigued by the sheer ability required to construct such a vast underground complex.
'I expected power inflation, but... could one mage truly create a cavern this enormous alone?'
It was only natural to wonder what secrets the ancient mage had hidden here. Quite apart from the wariness it inspired.
Leon kept a tight grip on the teleport scroll in his pocket. After entering the left passage and moving completely out of his companions' sight, he immediately cast a levitation spell. The scorpions that had chased him right to his heels waved their tails threateningly, but their stingers could no longer reach him.
The passage stretched on without any visible end. Leon poured generous amounts of mana into his levitation spell to widen the gap once more, then retrieved a green flute from his subspace.
When he blew into it, a white golem striped with green appeared before him. It stood roughly three and a half meters tall. Not particularly large, but Leon climbed onto its shoulder and sat down. He then used basic telekinesis to float the wooden sword in the air beside him.
He had no intention of using the golem for direct combat. Its rank was only D+. At best it could match a beginner in the secret arts. It stood no chance against dozens of giant scorpions that had shrugged off every spell the apprentice mages could throw at them.
'Still, it's perfect for transportation.'
Since he couldn't yet use levitation, basic telekinesis, and the Sword that Scatters Moonlight all at the same time, this was the best available option.
The golem began to run, putting distance between them and the scorpions. It was slower than levitation, but its long, steady strides kept the gap from closing. 'Duration is one hour.'
Leon turned to face backward atop the golem and activated a memorized spell.
"Pierce."
He infused a moderate amount of mana—just enough to test the waters and determine the minimum threshold required.
The wooden sword shot forward and struck the head of the leading scorpion. A dull thud rang out as the blade bounced off harmlessly.
'With this much mana, I can't penetrate...'
"Hmm?"
The giant scorpion collapsed. It clearly hadn't left so much as a scratch on the hard carapace, yet the moment the sword made contact the creature trembled violently and flopped onto the ground. Its movements simply stopped, as if someone had flipped a switch.
'So the apprentices' spells did have some effect after all?'
This one had been at the very front of the pack. It must have taken the brunt of the apprentice mages' attacks. No matter how tough its armor, it apparently hadn't been completely immune.
Leon retrieved the wooden sword and chanted again.
"Power imbued with will, pierce through. Pierce."
This time he used even less mana. Once again came the dull thud. The sword bounced away even more pathetically than before, yet the struck scorpion froze in place.
"...What is this?"
Leon switched to pure basic telekinesis, using the sword like a stick to poke another scorpion. The moment it made contact, the creature stopped moving.
Now certain, Leon went down the line, deliberately tapping each of the dozens of scorpions on the head.
Tap—flop. Tap—flop. Tap—flop.
"Ugh..."
A strange wave of emptiness washed over him.
The golem had already come to a halt. Before Leon lay dozens of scorpions, all sprawled on their bellies across the ground. Their once-crimson eyes had long since gone dull and black.
Leon approached the nearest one with caution. Up close, the truth became obvious.
"These aren't real scorpions..."
The ivory carapace was too perfectly formed—more like elaborate armor. Had they been artificially created, like golems? If a construct with artificial mana flow had its systems disrupted by contact with the magic sword, that would explain everything.
Leon glanced at the green-striped golem he had summoned, then slowly raised and lowered his wooden sword. Breaking it would be the same as throwing a D+ artifact on the ground and walking away.
'Now that I think about it, golems have cores too.'
A magitech core, different in concept from a mage's. Since it was artificially produced, it existed as a physical object. And naturally, a core crafted with advanced magitech was extremely valuable.
'Especially if it's the work of an ancient mage...'
Of course, the monetary value wasn't what drew Leon's interest. He was far more curious about the magitech technology itself. 'Not something I can use right now, but maybe later?'
If he stationed sentry golems during future training sessions, nothing could be more reassuring.
Leon climbed onto the scorpion's back and began searching for the core. He examined every joint and membrane between the plates, but found nothing. 'I'll have to flip it over and check the underside. Or cut it open.'
The problem was how to flip something this massive. Basic telekinesis was nowhere near strong enough. Leon first used earth magic to raise earthen walls around the scorpion.
"Swell."
At his command, the wooden sword expanded rapidly. Leon poured in as much mana as he could, elongating it to its maximum size. Using the earthen wall as a fulcrum, he leveraged the enormous sword like a pry bar and flipped the scorpion onto its back.
"Oh..."
A round, red core sat embedded in the center of its abdomen. It flickered unsteadily, as though the light inside was blinking. Touching it carelessly could be dangerous.
Leon backed away and used the wooden sword to gently prod the area around the core. The plating there was noticeably softer; the sword pressed in deeply. He also confirmed that the core continued glowing even while being touched. 'So the magic sword doesn't absorb the golem's core.'
After verifying that, Leon worked the sword around the core and pried it free.
Crackle—
The core hit the ground, blinked urgently a few more times, then went completely dark. Leon levitated it up to eye level. The sphere was about the size of an adult's spread palm, its surface covered in intricate, engraved patterns far more complex than those on the green flute.
'I won't understand it just by looking now.'
He considered collecting every core from the scorpion golems, but quickly realized how much time that would take. 'Should I store them in the orb and have Kito handle it?'
He dismissed the idea almost immediately. Their functions might be halted for now, but he had no idea what would happen if he brought them inside the Chrono Orb. That meant he would have to extract each core manually and then collect all the remaining debris anyway.
Given that the remains could later be used as materials, it was necessary work. 'But moving everything one piece at a time will take even longer.'
Just then, a sound reached his ears.
Scrape. Scrape.
From the opposite end of the passage, dozens more scorpions were approaching.
"Haa..."
He knew he shouldn't feel this way, but Leon couldn't help the faint flicker of annoyance. Tapping each scorpion on the head with his sword, extracting their cores, then carrying every piece of debris into the orb one by one. It was nothing but repetitive manual labor.
At that same moment.
"They're not chasing us anymore!"
"Let's stop here!"
The apprentice mages who had fled down the right passage realized the tunnel had no visible end and halted to rest. Heavy breathing filled the air as the tension finally broke. One by one they collapsed where they stood, gasping for breath.
Among them, the man with the loudest voice—Mabel—forced his breathing under control and spoke.
"Rowen, have you received any word from Master Meln?"
His tone had returned to its usual politeness.
Rowen stood in a daze for a moment before clutching the necklace in her hand.
"...I sent the signal. He should be on his way."
Seeing her hollow expression, Mabel recalled the boy who had drawn the attention of dozens of scorpions with nothing but a wooden sword before disappearing. In the heat of the moment he had hesitated, but the mages would have eventually abandoned the regular disciples and fled. Their judgment had simply been slow because they were inexperienced apprentices; the outcome had been inevitable. Even so, that decision carried no guarantee of safety afterward. The one who had stepped forward in that critical instant was the boy.
A black-haired youth whose calm face stood out despite his young age. Mabel asked carefully.
"Were you close with that boy?"
Rowen shook her head.
"I don't know him well."
"Then why do you seem so heartbroken..."
Rowen shot him a sharp look.
"Are you saying I shouldn't worry about someone who threw himself into danger for our sake?"
Mabel was not without shame. He too felt genuine gratitude toward the boy. He had only asked because Rowen's reaction seemed unusual.
Rowen was a fairly well-known name in the magic city of Widia. For one thing, her family name was Mardelia—a house that had produced countless outstanding mages. A family steeped in magical supremacism.
"He's a commoner... isn't he?"
"Hey!"
"I don't think you should say things like that..."
The young blue-haired boy, Felix, spoke up, fidgeting with his fingers.
"The courage to sacrifice yourself for others... isn't something just anyone can have. Not even the greatest mages..."
"I misspoke," Mabel admitted readily.
It was indeed no easy thing to show such courage. The fact that he had subtly looked down on commoners only made the gap feel wider.
"If I make it out alive, I'll reveal the full story and suggest we find a way to commemorate him."
"I'll help too. We could establish a memorial day or erect a statue so his death has meaning..."
"I'll speak with my master and ask for his cooperation!"
"Me too."
"We must make sure his name is remembered..."
Now that their survival seemed more likely, voices rose from every direction.
"His name is Leon," Rowen said firmly.
Mabel gave a bitter smile.
"We were talking about commemorating him without even knowing his name."
Rowen spoke again.
"And it's too early to assume he's dead."
"Do you really believe he can survive until the entire ruin has been explored?"
"He'll be alive."
Rowen knew that if anyone asked how, she would have no answer. She clenched her fist tightly where no one could see.
'If only I had been a little stronger...'
At that moment, a spine-chilling sound echoed from the opposite end of the passage they had entered.
Scrape. Scrape.
Everyone present immediately recognized it.
"S-scorpions!"
"Damn it, there were more on the other side..."
Having barely escaped one danger only to fall into another, the group descended into panic. They forced their exhausted bodies to move and frantically prepared for battle.
Then, from the cavern ceiling, small sparks began to fall like rain.
Mabel's face brightened.
"It's Master Meln!"
Each spark carried a power that seemed capable of melting anything it touched. The rain of flames grew fiercer, like a sudden downpour, and the area where the scorpions were gathering became a blazing sea of fire. Waves surged and typhoons howled within that inferno. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the sea of flames vanished without a trace. So did every scorpion inside it.
"Rowen!"
The man descending rapidly from above examined her condition with careful eyes, then spoke in a blunt tone that contrasted sharply with his concern.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"...No."
"Good. I don't know how you ended up inside this lair, but at least it's only the first floor. That's fortunate..."
Relief briefly crossed his face before he cleared his throat and returned to his usual stoic expression.
"Let's head up. Quickly."